Bead Show Inspiration

Just some of the beads we bought at BABE! The icy blue beads are for a necklace called
Ice Is Nice (free how-to) featured at Bead Inspirations.

 

We love a good bead show! And the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza is one of our favorites. Picture a huge hotel conference room loaded from wall to wall with tables of beads. The sellers have everything bead related: handmade lampwork beads, strands of gemstones, hanks of pearls, bails, clasps, brass stampings, all kinds of findings, and loose beads galore. And best of all, almost every table has necklaces, bracelets, and earrings made by artists just to inspire you to buy more beads. And boy were we inspired!!

 

One of our favorite stops was at the Craft Fantastic booth. The gal there sells everything you need to make gorgous pictures pendants and bracelets, including the pictures! We bought silver bezels (she calls them trays), sheets of vintage bird and butterfly imagery, and glass squares to place on top. We just clicked around on her website and she has a free Tray Pendant tutorial for putting it all together. How nice!

Aromatherapy Foot Soak With Beautiful Beaded Scoop

Give the gift of happy feet with an aromatic foot soak in exhilarating eucalyptus and rosemary.

This soothing footsoak is a thoughtful gift for Mom!

YOU'LL NEED

Materials & Embellishments

Wide-mouth glass jar with lid, 16-ounce size

Aluminum flashing tape, 2" wide

Stainless coffee scoop (2or  Tbsp spoon)

Copper wire, 20 gauge, 48" long

Glass beads, assorted

Garnet satin ribbon, 1" wide, 24" long

Foot Soak Ingredients

Epsom salts, 1 cup

Coarse sea salt, 3/4 cup

Baking soda, 1/4 cup

Dried rosemary, 2 tablespoons

Eucalyptus essential oil

Rosemary essential oil

Glycerin, 1 tablespoon

Tools & Supplies

Bowl

Spoon
Chopstick

Needle-nose pliers

Wire snips

Ruler

WHAT TO DO

1. To create the foot soak, pour the Epsom salts, sea salt, baking soda, and dried rosemary into a mixing bowl and stir. Add 20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 20 drops of rosemary essential oil, then drizzle in the glycerin and stir. Spoon the foot soak into the jar.

2. To label the foot soak, cut a 3" piece of the aluminum flashing tape (do not remove the backing yet!). Using the chopstick, handwrite "Rosemary Foot Soak" on the tape, pressing firmly to emboss the letters into the metal tape. Carefully peel the backing off without bending the aluminum tape and place the label onto the jar.

3. To bead the salt-scoop, wrap the wire around the handle adding a bead every other time around. Finish off the ends of the wire with a swirl.

4. Tie your beaded salt-scoop to the jar by wrapping a piece of garnet ribbon around the neck of the jar and tying a knot around the scoop. Now that foot soak is good for the sole!

CRAFTY SHOPPING TIP

Epsom salts have been used in bath soaks since the mid 1600s, when a farmer in Epsom, England discovered that the salt seemed to heal scratches. Chemically, it is Magnesium Sulfate, but you can find it in cartons at the drugstore simply labeled "Epsom Salts." 

Something Old Something New Keepsake Box

Dress up a cigar box with flea market gems like an old strand of pearls and a swatch from a beaded gown.

When we are looking for creative inspiration, we just head to the flea market! On a recent trip, all it took was seeing a booth filled with scraps and appliques from old wedding dresses to get the ideas flowing. One cigar box, a broken necklace, and dozens of vintage beads later, we found ourselves creating a jewelry box featuring something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

Flea Market Materials
1 Wooden cigar box
1 Dupioni wedding dress scrap
1 Beaded lace wedding veil scrap
44 Pearl beads from broken necklace
1 Broken necklace (Ours had pearls and chain.)
1 Murano glass heart charm, white and silver
4 15mm Resin beads, peach
5 6mm Vintage faceted beads, blue and gold
8 5mm Faceted glass beads, peach

Supplies
8½ in. x 11 in. Heavy cardstock
10 Straight pins
1/3 yd. 6 oz poly batting
1/3 yd. Silk dupioni, blue
1 yd. Rosebud trim, pink and blue
4 ft. Wrights velvet ribbon, 5/8 in. wide, celadon
4 ft. 1/8 in. Polyester ribbon, olive
40 5mm Freshwater pearl nugget beads, light blue
2 spools Thread, pink, celadon
20 in. 28-ga. Wire, copper
7 4mm Bicone crystals, peach
6 4mm Bicone crystals, crystal
60 Seed beads, gold
3 5½ in. x 5½ in. Gold leafing sheets
Gold leaf adhesive
Gold leaf sealer

Tools & Supplies
4¾ in. Flat head nails
Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip glue
4 Binder clips
Wire cutters
Chain-nose pliers
Scotch tape
Scissors
Ruler
X-Acto knife
Pencil
Sewing needle (thin enough to go through the pearls)
Craft paintbrush
Hammer

Instructions:
1. Start by making a pillow to line the jewelry box. To do this, cut a piece of the cardstock to fit inside the bottom of the box using the X-Acto knife and ruler. Use the scissors to cut a piece of poly batting the same size as the cardstock. Sandwich the batting between the wedding dress fabric and the cardstock. Cut the wedding dress fabric one inch larger on each side. Wrap the fabric up and around the batting and cardstock, folding the corners like a wrapped present. Use the Quick Grip glue to adhere the fabric to the cardstock. Set the pillow insert in the box.

2. To pad the lid, create a tufted pillow top on a piece of cardstock. Use the same technique as the pillow insert to cover the cardstock with batting and the blue silk dupioni (but don't glue yet). Lay the wedding veil scrap over the padded blue lid so the lace lies in an interesting way. Trim the lace 1½ inches larger on each side and fold the ends under. Secure the fabric and lace to the cardstock with a binder clip on each side.

3. To tuft the pillow top, draw a grid of nine equally spaced dots on the underside of the cardstock. Feed one bicone and one vintage gold bead onto a straight pin and, starting from the lace side of the pillow top and using the grid on the other side as a guide, push the pin through the padding into the center dot of the grid. Use the chain-nose pliers to grab the pointy end of the pin from the underside of the pillow top. Pull the beaded pinhead tight so the fabric tufts. Bend the pin 90 degrees flat against the underside of the pillow top and secure to the cardstock with tape. 

4. Repeat to tuft the four outer corners of the grid. For the four remaining dots of the grid, use the same technique, but feed one crystal bicone and one peach faceted bead onto each straight pin. Next, remove the binder clips from the pillow top and use the Quick Grip glue to adhere the fabric to the underside of the cardstock. Glue the tufted pillow top to the lid of the cigar box with a generous amount of Quick Grip. Hold in place for a few minutes while the glue dries. Glue a strip of thin olive ribbon under the tufted lid around the top of the box.

5. To gold leaf the sides of the box, paint them with the gold leaf adhesive and the craft paintbrush. Let the adhesive set for one hour. It will remain tacky. Apply the gold leaf sheets and brush away the excess with a dry paintbrush. If any spots remain uncovered, place a scrap of gold leaf sheet onto them and press, then brush away any excess. Finish it with a coat of gold leaf sealer. Let dry for 30 minutes.
6. To make feet for the jewelry box, use the hammer and nails to attach the four large peach resin beads to the bottom of the box at each corner.

7. To create the beaded ribbon embellishment, lay the rose bud trim over the celadon ribbon and pin one end into place. Using the pink thread and thin sewing needle, sew up through a rose on the trim, add one pearl, and then one gold seed bead. Go around the seed bead and sew back through the pearl, the rose, and the ribbon. When you come back up, go between the roses and add a blue freshwater nugget, then sew back through the ribbon. Repeat until you have beaded 24 inches of ribbon or enough to go around the cigar box. Glue the beaded ribbon around the box with the seam in the back.

8. Use the wire cutters to cut a piece of the broken pearl and chain necklace the length of the box plus 2 inches. Sew the ends to the beaded trim at the front corners of the box using the pink thread. Sew the center of the chain to the center of the ribbon to create swags. Use the chain-nose pliers to hook the heart charm through a center link in the chain between the swags.

9. To craft a white flower for the top of the jewelry box, lay the wedding dress scrap over the lace wedding veil scrap and cut them into a 5-inch diameter circle. To create the beaded stamens, cut an 8-inch piece of copper wire and fold it in half. Feed five gold seed beads onto the wire, then one peach faceted bead, one pearl, and one bicone bead. Bend the wire around the bicone and feed it back through the pearl, then snip the end. Repeat on the other end of the wire. Then make a second set of beaded stamens. Twist the folded ends together and place in the center of the layered fabric circle. Pinch the fabric around the wire to form a flower shape, then tie the pinched end tightly with a piece of thin olive ribbon. Tie a pretty bow with the velvet celadon ribbon around the pinched end. Finally, sew the flower onto the lid with the celadon thread.

Big Box Store: If you can't find the right cigar box at the flea market, try your local tobacconist. They usually sell empty boxes for a dollar or two. And they smell great!

Midas Touch: If a gold leafing kit is just outside your budget, use gold spray paint instead. Just do it as the first step.

Barefoot Sandals

Check out our cute "Barefoot Sandals" in this week's Woman's World Magazine!

Beautiful Beaded Bud Vase

Turn a little glass vase into a glitzy hanging garden perfect for springtime blooms.

YOU'LL NEED
Materials
Glass vase with lip, 5" tall.
Copper wire, 16-gauge, one 24" length and one 28" length (available at home improvement stores).
Copper wire, 26-gauge, one 10" length and two 6" lengths.
Turquoise E beads, 56.
Lime green, round 6mm glass beads, 35.
Turquoise, top-drilled 8mm glass beads, 13.
White shirt button.

Tools & Supplies
Wire snips.
Round-nose pliers.
Clear Liquid Nails Adhesive.
Ruler.

WHAT TO DO
1. Start at one end of the 24" length of 16-gauge copper wire and wrap the wire once around the neck of the vase. Then twist a loop in the wire. Continue wrapping to the other side of the vase and twist another loop. Then finish wrapping the wire around the neck. Twist the ends of the wire together tightly to secure. Trim the ends with the wire snips.

2. To make the hanger, gently curve the 28" length of 16-gauge copper wire into a U-shape. Feed the ends of the wire down through the two loops on the neck of the vase. Curve the ends into spirals using the round-nose pliers.

3. Using the 10" length of 26-gauge wire, string 1 turquoise top-drilled bead followed by 3 lime beads, repeating the pattern to create a necklace that fits around the neck of the vase. Wrap the necklace around the neck of the vase beneath the copper wire. Twist the ends together to secure and trim with the wire snips.

4. Hold the two 6" lengths of 26-gauge wire together and bend into a hairpin U-shape. Feed the ends all the way through two buttonholes of the shirt button.

5. To create a beaded tassel, string 14 turquoise E beads onto one wire coming out of the button and finish by feeding the end of the wire through 2 lime beads and a turquoise, top-drilled bead. Twist the end of the wire around the top of the turquoise bead. Repeat to create 4 dangles. Glue the flat side of the wired button to the bottom of the vase with the Liquid Nails Adhesive.

Crafty Shopping Tip
Craft stores carry small vases in all shapes and styles, often for as little as a dollar. It doesn't matter what shape vase you choose as long as it has a lip to keep the wire from slipping off the neck. (Your wire measurements and bead counts may vary due to the size and shape of your vase.)

Secret Garden Beaded Bracelet

Capture the beauty of a summer garden in full bloom with an easy-breezy beaded bracelet.

YOU'LL NEED

Materials
25 Ruby Czech glass bell-shaped flower beads, center-drilled, 8mm
7" length Sterling-plated chain, medium wide cable
25 Sterling silver 1" head pins, 22 gauge
50 Faceted Swarovski crystal bicone beads, 5mm, various colors
1 Silver lobster clasp
1 Silver jump ring

Tools & Supplies
Round-nose pliers.

WHAT TO DO
Step 1: Place 2 different colored bicone beads on a head pin. Then place a bell-shaped flower bead on the head pin so the opening of the bell faces the beads.

Step 2: Push the beads all the way down until they rest on the end of the head pin. Bend the wire 90-degrees where it exits the top of the bell-shaped flower bead. Grab the bent wire at the very tip with the round-nose pliers. Rotate the pliers to curl the wire into a complete loop. You may have to reposition the pliers halfway through.

Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 25 beaded flower head pins.

Step 4: To attach each flower to the chain, open the wire loop at the top of each flower with the round-nose pliers. Hook the wire through a link in the chain then close the loop again. Continue adding the flowers to links in the chain, making sure they are evenly spaced. Leave a ½" tail on one end of the chain.

Step 5: To finish the bracelet, attach the lobster clasp to the other end of the chain using a jump ring.

Crafty Shopping Tip: Consider buying your beads online. Beads are so small you can often get free shipping! Try www.artbeads.com.

Dazzling Detail: For a professional-looking finish, get 2 or 3 extra bicone beads and place them on a head pin, leaving off the flower bead. Then make a loop at the tip and attach it to the end of the bracelet.

Make The Hottest "Mom" Necklace In Hollywood

Check out the May 3rd issue of Woman's World Magazine to see how we made a glitzy, personalized necklace perfect for Mother's Day. We think ours is prettier than Britney's!