The Birds and the Beads

It’s a funny thing, but I didn’t realize how far along the year had gotten until I looked at the calendar a few days ago, and realized it was only four months until Christmas. In this business, the last four months of the year are usually the busiest. I’ve made the most of the slower summer months – reading, swimming, gardening, playing with my kitten and Lady Indira, and re-watching old episodes of Battlestar Galactica, but I’m glad my “vacation” is just about over. The last few months of the year are the busiest, but also the most exciting!

Wishing you all the best as summer wraps up — Erin
http://www.123bead.com

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I have the samples in hand, and am working on updating the site for the beautiful new TierraCast line for Autumn, 2008 – “Textures”. This line has new links, toggles and rings, similar to the Hammertone line from last year, but with different patterns. It also includes several new picture frame charms/pendants. And at last, a piece I’ve been asking TierraCast to make for three years – a specialized heishi daisy/bali spacer with an attached loop – you can string them into a bracelet or necklace like you would any bali spacer, while easily adding charms and drops securely with the cast loop. These items will be available for preorder late next week, and we’ll start shipping them on Wednesday, September 10th.

I’ve been slacking on my “Beastblogging” responsibilities.  So here are more Hobie Cat photos than you can shake a stick at.

These earrings have a lovely mixture of textures – hammertone links, diamond bead frames, and the beaded diamond earring posts. I hope you like the result as much as I do! I liked them so much I made them in silver, gold and copper – two for me and one for my mom.

These earrings are super easy to make – wire wrap the beaded drop at the bottom, and connect the pieces with jumprings.

• Diamond Drop Earrings – Project & Kit

A few weeks ago, a customer requested that I add TierraCast’s Dharma Bead Caps to the product line. I’m so glad she did (Thank you, Ruth) because they’re gorgeous and dramatic, and they work perfectly with my new 10mm round Cats Eye beads. This fabulous bracelet almost seemed to design itself.

This bracelet is easy to make, and with the beautiful Dharma bead caps, the large, velvety cats eye beads, and the sparkle of Swarovski crystal, the design is stunning. You’ll only need basic stringing skills to put this bracelet together, and it only takes a few minutes to make.

• Dharma Bead Bracelet Project & Kit

I’ve never tried any chain maille techniques before, but out of the blue I had this idea to try making a bracelet a few weeks ago. I found a nice, online tutorial for the Jens Pind Weave, and I had some colorful wire for making my own rings, but the gauge of my wire wasn’t thick enough, and it was a flop.

Fortunately – I had some nice, heavy gauge rings here in the shop, and I picked up a couple of bags to play with. The first bracelet I made was a disaster, and that was with taking the whole thing apart at least twice. By the end of it, though, I was getting the hang of it, and I went on to make the silver bracelet pictured. I took a lot of it apart, too, trying to get it right. Nice thing about working with jump rings – easy to take apart and put back together. Finally I got a perfect bracelet in silver. I went on to make a silver and gold one for my mother (didn’t get a picture before it went to Maryland), and eventually went on to make the copper bracelet for my husband, which he wears every single day.

The last two bracelets went much more smoothly than the first two bracelets, but I still had to take rings off and re-weave them frequently. However, I was able to spot mistakes much more quickly by that point, and spent a lot less time backtracking. I’m very pleased with my new skill, and must go in search now for colorful rings.

I couldn’t have done it without these websites:

• Jens Pind’s Linkage
• Maille Artisans International League – Tutorial

And these jumprings have the perfect aspect ratio for a not too loose, not too tight Jens Pind chain:

• Lytha Studios – Basemetal Findings (scroll down to heavy gauge round jumprings

I have a blog??? I know it looks like I have forgotten, but I haven’t…. It is only that the siren call of the pool on a hot Virginia day is hard to ignore. With nights in the 60’s this past week, the pool is kind of chilly, and there are lots of new items on the website as a consequence!

• Two New Styles of Plated Earhooks
• Two New Styles of Solid Copper Earhooks
• Two New Styles of TierraCast Toggles (Gorgeous!!)
• Three New Styles of TierraCast BeadCaps
• New TierraCast copper Flower Beads, Flower Charms and Buttons
• New TierraCast Autumn Leaves Charm Mixes

All of our TierraCast® Bead Frames are currently listed at 15% off. Prices good through September 4, 2008.

• TierraCast® Bead Frames
• Spirit Bead Bracelet Project
• Bead Frames Bracelet Project
• Bubble Bead Frames Bracelet Project