What a week! We celebrated our favorite Soft Flex Company holiday - Kit Day! Kit Day is when we release our newest themed jewelry making kit. We also showcase designs from our last kit and unbox our most recent kit. It is a day full of creative fire and inspiration. Our Design Kits are full of beads, wire, and findings. All you need to make amazing jewelry are basic beading tools. In most cases, Crimping Pliers and Cutters will be the only things the kit requires. Kits make exciting gifts, share your passion for crafting with your friends and family. Let's celebrate mystery kits and innovative jewelry designs!
Kristen got the ball rolling this week with a knitting demonstration. If you owned a knitting spool as a child, you are going to enjoy the current iteration of this wonderful tool. It is no longer a child's plaything for yarn. You can make elegant knitted designs with Soft Flex Craft Wire or beading wire. Learn how to knit with wire! Sara showed up on JTV this week. We hope you caught her segments. If not, we have links, enjoy a replay! On Wednesday, Sara unboxed our most recent jewelry kit, the Resort Chic Design Kit. This mystery kit was an homage to fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer. Lilli was glamorous and stylish. She believed that life was meant to be fun. She loved floral patterns and gushed over pink - pink makes the boys wink! Enjoy the happy life of Lilli with our latest themed kit. YouTube content creator Wendy Whitman posted a video of her unboxing our Resort Chic kit. We think you will enjoy this video if you want an outside set of eyes and thoughts about our mystery kits. Nealay also unboxed his own exciting mystery kit this week. Kit Day twice - oh so nice! Nealay's kit, the Playtime Mystery Kit is full of the elegant colors and SilverSilk chain that you expect from his lovely store. Make something gorgeous without putting a dent in your wallet. Celebrate Kit Day with us. Learn how to make jewelry and have fun!
Note: This bead mix was included in our Resort Chic Design Kit.
Resort Chic is a bead mix that celebrates the sunny state of mind of Lilly Pulitzer.
Lilly Pulitzer was a fashion designer and socialite. Lilly always looked at the bright side of things, she believed that color affects mood and you should be optimistic and hopeful. Life is a party, dress like you are the most anticipated guest! We celebrate her memory with summer style. Elegance can be casual and fun. Pink makes the boys wink. Being happy never goes out of style. Be the belle of the hot ticket haven with Resort Chic fashion.
This mix is a great way to restock your kit. If you missed out on the Resort Chic Design Kit, this bead mix is your chance to own some of the beautiful beads that were included in the kit. You can find this bead mix on our website, exclusively.
Supplies are very limited. Don’t miss out!
Jewelry Making Videos
Jewel School with Susan Featuring Sara Oehler
Sara returned to JTV this week. This was not the first time she filmed a segment for the long running jewelry station. Her last appearance was over five years ago. Or, as Sara put it - about three children ago. This time, she did not visit the studio, but made a virtual appearance. If you missed out on the fun, you can catch both segments below, just click on the images.
Jewel School with Susan Featuring Sara Oehler - Segment One
Jewel School with Susan Featuring Sara Oehler - Segment Two
It is safe to say she impressed host Susan Thomas. Look at the beautiful designs she made. If you missed Sara's appearance, make sure you check out JTV on Sunday, May 2nd, when she films another segment! You can watch through most cable tv packages, on their website - jtv.com or live on Jewel School's Facebook page.
Learn How To Make Jewelry In 30 Seconds
Check out this 30 second jewelry tutorial on Soft Flex Company's Instagram Reels! Sara shows you how to make a basic pair of earrings using Soft Flex Beading Wire. She created a cute pair to accompany the necklace she made with her Resort Chic Design Kit. She also shows you how to make the earrings featured on Jewelry School on JTV. Our quick videos will show you the fundamentals behind the designs. They are great for beginners or anybody that needs some inspiration. If you want to learn more about these techniques, you can follow our more in depth videos. Simple jewelry is fun! Learn how to make earrings like this with a watch or two. Learn in warp speed! Follow our Reels to see all of our fun designs!
How to Knit Two Colors of Soft Flex Beading Wire on a Knitting Spool
This week on Free Spirit Beading we got a lesson on how to knit with a knitting spool. Learn how to make an intricate design with a tool that makes everything simple. Kristen is an incredible teacher. She shows you how to make progress when making jewelry - even when you are not satisfied with the design you are creating. Kristen started with a bracelet when filming this video. But realized that, as lovely as the bracelet was, it did not speak to her. Kristen turned her bracelet into an amazing necklace. Don't settle for second best when you are making your own jewelry. You can restring your jewelry at any time if it is not working.
From Kristen:
I shared a tutorial on how to knit on a knitting spool. I showed how to knit using "Knit Style 3" with a 5-Pin Knitting Spool with Soft Flex Beading Wire in Purple and Turquoise Colors. After that, we turned a small knitted piece into a jewelry design! Click to learn more about Knit Style 3 on our Tips & Tricks page.
If you want a masterclass in knitted jewelry design, check out our Knitting Playlist on YouTube for 20+ videos of knitted tutorials using Soft Flex beading and craft wire: Knitting Playlist
Check out our how-to pages on the three styles of knit we like to work with:
Knit with Beading Wire - Style 1
Knit with Beading Wire - Style 2
Knit with Beading Wire - Style 3
What knitting spool is right for you? The more pins on the spool, the more wire dense your finished knit will be. The more pins also means you will use more wire with each design. Check out our videos and learn the tips and tricks. If you still need help, you can always email us at info@softflexcompany.com and ask questions. We want you to succeed!
Join Kristen, live, for a jewelry making tutorial on Soft Flex Company's YouTube channel on Mondays!
Soft Flex .019 Medium Beading Wire
Knitting Spool
Egg Hunt Bead Strand (Sold Out)
End Caps
Clasp
2x2mm Crimp Tubes
Crimping Pliers
Cutters
Bead Stopper
Kit Day! Unboxing Our Resort Chic Design Kit - Learn How To Make Jewelry With Themed Beading Supplies
It's a first! For the first time since we launched our themed Design Kits, we have inventory left when we revealed the kit! We have been trying to ramp up the number of available kits so we have something on our shelves when we reveal the kits, but it has been impossible keeping these little treasure chests in stock. It is no fun unboxing our kits and having to tell our live viewers that they cannot buy the item we are demonstrating. We loaded up enough, this time, to meet demand. If you love the floral electricity of the Resort Chic Design Kit, make sure you grab one soon. They are almost gone!
This kit was an homage to Lilly Pulitzer. She was a fashion designer and socialite. Her style was a little punk rock, a little grace, and a little Sex and the City. Lilly always looked at the bright side of things, she believed that color affects mood and you should be optimistic and hopeful. Life is a party, dress like you are the most anticipated guest! We celebrate her memory with summer style. Elegance can be casual and fun. Pink makes the boys wink. We added a splash of beads in tones of blue and purple. We sprinkled in some Palm Beach fun with sand dollars and seahorses. Being happy never goes out of style. Be the belle of the hot ticket haven with Resort Chic fashion.
Resort Chic Design Kit
Soft Flex Beading Wire, .019 Diameter in Pink Tourmaline
2x2mm Crimp Tubes
Magical Crimping Pliers
Cutters
Wendy Whitman Unboxes Our Resort Chic Design Kit
We like to hear what people think about our Design Kits. We sent one to YouTube content creator, Wendy Whitman, so we could get her perspective when she unboxed our mystery kit. Check this video out if you want an idea of the goodies you can expect if you order a kit from us.
If you enjoyed Wendy's video, make sure you join her Facebook group, ABeadOnAWire Sales, it is a buying and selling group for HANDMADE jewelry items and jewelry making supplies.
DIY Necklace: Playtime Mystery Kit Open & Make Challenge
From Nealay:
Grab the Mystery Kit here. This little kit is packed with so much punch! In this video, I’ll be opening one of these up and making a very simple, yet elegant necklace design and earrings for you. Each kit is packed with about the same materials, but the bead mix, components and Capture Chain color are different. This DIY is great for those that are new to SilverSilk and I recommend having a few supplies on hand when getting started. These supplies are: Soft Flex Medium Colored Beading Wire, 2x2mm Crimp Tubes, 20- & 26-gauge Soft Flex Craft Wire, Earring Hooks and finally a Clasp of your choice.
Playtime Mystery Kit
Soft Flex Craft Wire - 26 Gauge
Soft Flex Craft Wire Silver Plated - 26 Gauge
Soft Flex Craft Wire - 20 Gauge
Soft Flex Craft Wire Silver Plated - 20 Gauge
Beads
Clasp
SilverSilk End Caps
Nylon Jaw Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers
Cutters
Round Nose Pliers
Be sure to mark your calendars for every Tuesday, 5:30pm CST and hop over to facebook.com/groups/silversilk to watch Nealay's videos live and ask questions.
Nealay's channel is dedicated to learning how to make high quality jewelry with SilverSilk with an emphasis on design. You can follow his journey here:
www.instagram.com/silversilkandmore
www.facebook.com/silversilkandmore
Or join his Silkies group and be a part of the conversation www.facebook.com/groups/silversilk
Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!
Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!
Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com