We did the Mash, we did the Monster Mash! This week we had a jewelry making party with Jesse James Beads and friends from across the globe. Our beading blast caught on in a flash! If you need holiday inspiration, join us and get loaded up with Halloween jewelry ideas. You are going to love the ooky spooky projects our ghouls and zombies dreamed up. Catch up on our blog if you need more DIY holiday decoration and holiday crafts!
We are all mad scientists at the Soft Flex laboratory. This week, our creativity rose from the soil, like a hungering zombie. We took cues from the banshees haunting our hills and we are here to scare up some howling inspiration. Learn how to wire wrap an easy pair of spooky earrings! You will go batty for the pair Kristen made on Monday. We threw a Monster Mash jewelry making bash. Rachel Mallis, Jenifer Miller, Jem Hawkes, and Abbi Berta joined the fun and showed us how to make gorgeous Halloween jewelry.
If you need a break from the nightmare, before the Christmas season, check out our beading party. Kristen and Sandra Dotson, of Entangled Co, had fun with a wire project. Sandra taught us wire weaving and they made a heart pendant.
Finally, Sara joined us for a shorter video. Sara has been dealing with sad news lately. Mike Sherman, co-founder and owner of Soft Flex, passed away recently. And Sara learned that her husband has an inoperable brain tumor. It has been a rough time. Sara took a moment to give an update on her husband. She then spent some time making jewelry. Crafts are a great way to keep your brain focused and healthy when dealing with hard seas.
Jewelry Making Videos
Our Social Media Sites Will Show You How To Make Jewelry In Just Minutes
Got a minute? Check out our latest reels and TikTok videos. Soft Flex Company's Instagram Reels and our Soft Flex TikTok Page will teach you how to make jewelry in under a minute. These videos move quickly but are easy to follow. If you need more assistance, make sure you check out our YouTube catalog for deeper dives into jewelry making education. You will find in depth discussions on how to use your tools and finish your jewelry on that channel. Instagram Reels and TikTok are great tools for learning something new or finding quick inspiration. Check out our 1 Minute Videos and explore the wonderful pins on our Pinterest page. Learn from Soft Flex Company jewelry designer pros at the pace you choose! If your creativity needs a quick cup of coffee, make sure you visit us for a much needed jolt of crafting caffeine!
Wire Wrapped Bat Earrings Using The Monster Mash Supply Kit
Kristen gave us a preview of the Monster Mash party on Monday. She also gave us a sneak peak of the jewelry that Sandra, of Entangled Co, would be making on Wednesday. Kristen showed us how to make a cute pair of bat earrings with the wire weaving technique that Sandra taught her, using beading supplies from the Monster Mash kit.
If you have ever wanted to learn how wire weaving works or just wanted to take a deeper dive into wire work and wire wrapping - this is a great video to start the experience. Our Monster Mash party and beading party will give you more insights. Learn how to wire wrap and make something you never thought possible!
Arts Therapy (Jewelry Making) With Sara And Update On Her Husband's Health
Art therapy is a great way to keep your balance when the world is unsteady. Sara has been experiencing rough seas of late. We all had to pause and refocus after losing our good friend and mentor, Mike Sherman. That loss was hard, especially since most of us knew Mike for decades and he has always been an important part of our lives.
Visit Mike Sherman's Memorial Page.
Sara was given more sad news when her family was told that her husband has an inoperable brain tumor. We love Sara and are giving her all the time she needs to be strong and deal with this news. We want her to be present and in the moment to help her wonderful husband and amazing family. If you would like to learn more about the Oehler family's health journey, go to her husband Joshua Oehler's Caring Bridge page.
From Sara:
This week we found out that my sweet husband, Joshua, has an inoperable brain tumor. He will be receiving a biopsy next Monday. The neurosurgeon suggested that it doesn’t appear to be aggressive but is something we’ll have to manage with an oncologist once we know more from the biopsy. I felt like I spent the whole day updating friends and family and it was really painful. So, I thought that this might be a better and easier way to share our journey.
A lot of friends and family have asked how to help. I think our most annoying worry is that we don't really know how to manage having Joshua take the time off that he needs for treatments. He is the primary bread winner in our family and as with most families these days, we don't have a lot of extra funds to cover a prolonged time off from work for either one of us. I hate that this even has to be a concern at a time like this.
So if you want to help and have a few dollars to spare, I set up a GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/61e43429
It would be really nice to not have to worry so much about this piece of the puzzle and just focus on his treatment and well being.
Big thank you to all of our friends and family for your support. We are going to need it. Love, Sara
Beading Party With Sandra Dotson Of Entangled Co. - Wire Weaving With Craft Wire
We are very excited to introduce you to Sandra Dotson of Entangled Co. We met Sandra at Craftcation 2023 when Kristen signed up for her wire weaving heart pendant class. Sandra is a wire weaving whiz! Sara was originally going to host this video, but took time off to be with her family. Kristen was happy to step in and fill her shoes so she could focus on important quality time.
Find our more wire weaving instructions and content at Entangled Co. Make sure you use coupon SOFTFLEX15 for 15% off at her site. Check out the wonderful kits she sells - including this heart pendant. Here are the kits Sandra offers: Kits. She also sells just the PDF tutorial (instead of the whole kit): PDF tutorials. PDFs are great if you already have the supplies you need and just want a tutorial. If you need more wire weaving and wire work resources, make sure you check our her Resources page.
Monster Mash Jewelry Party With Soft Flex Company & Jesse James Beads (Day 1)
4 projects, 4 designers, 2 nights, 1 fun filled online event - October 12th and 13th! Grab the supply kit from Soft Flex Company. Heads up! Jesse James Beads has sold out of their bead kit. Feel free to shop their store or ours for your own spooky mix of beads!
Check out the fun necklace from Rachel Mallis (above) and the cute wire necklace from Jenifer Miller (below)!
Monster Mash Jewelry Party With Soft Flex Company & Jesse James Bead (Day 2)
This year, the ghoulies and goblins at Soft Flex Company and Jesse James Beads have caught dance fever. We are doing the Monster Mash! We hope you joined the fun! If not, you can always visit an undead rewatch on our social media. We can't wait to rattle some chains and howl at the moon with you, brave adventurer!
Check out the wire wrapped bracelet from Jem Hawkes (above) and the beading wire bracelet from Abbi Berta (below)!
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!
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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