American flag stars and stripes peyote ring by Lisa Yang Jewelry   I created this peyote ring with celebrating the 4th of July in mind, but there are so many days and reasons to wear an American Flag. It is a great way to honor the courageous service people and remind our selves of the freedoms we are so lucky to have. The pattern was designed using BeadTool 4 software. The word chart, including the delica bead numbers and detailed pattern is provided at the end of the step by step 2-drop peyote stitch tutorial. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ..read more

Bugle bead earring component next to wire guardian   There are a variety of ways to attach findings to beadwork. One very secure and attractive way is to use wire guardians. Wire guardians are small, U-shaped metal findings that are used to protect the ends of beading wire or thread from wear and tear. Wire guardians may also be called wire guards, thread protectors, or wire protectors. They are convenient to use and they can help prevent the thread on your handmade bead jewelry from breaking or coming undone. One way to use them is as the hanging loop for brick stitch fringe ear ..read more

 This easy beaded chain uses bugle beads and seed beads stitched together in a variation of right angle weave.  It's a sturdy beaded chain that makes a beautiful and delicate beaded necklace or bracelet, and also works well as a beaded amulet bag strap or eyeglass chain. An advantage to using bugle beads is how quick this chain is to stitch - with each bugle bead adding the length of 4-5 seed beads - so there are less beads to pick up. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ..read more

A variety of bugle bead sizes, types and brands Bugle beads are long, narrow beads that are often used in bead weaving and other handmade jewelry projects. They can be made from a variety of materials, but most often they are made from glass, and sometimes metal. The beads are made from glass tubes or metal tubes that are cut to the desired size. They may have additional shaping to make them more interesting, such as twists or shaping that gives them facets that reflect light. This article will look at the different types of bugle beads and how you can incorporate them into your jewe ..read more

Getting Started with Seed Beads Getting started making jewelry with seed beads seems like it should be easy.  You've got one or more types of seed beads, a beading needle and beading thread, possibly something you'd like to add some decoration to with bead embroidery or some findings to make jewelry. You may already have a project in mind, so what else do you need to know? Honestly, getting started making bead jewelry is that easy - and can be very enjoyable, but once you get started you'll find that the little differences in the shape and size of your seed beads can make a huge dif ..read more

Hercules is a brand of braided fishing line that is also an affordable, durable, and versatile beading thread. It can be used in place of other fishing threads that are used for beadwork like FireLine and PowerPro. One major benefit to Hercules brand is that it is less expensive than many other brands of fishing line that are often used for beading. But there are other benefits to using Hercules fishing line besides its affordability. Hercules fishing line is supple, similar to a nylon thread like Nymo or K.O. This means that it can be used for a variety of beading stitches like brick stitch ..read more

Twisted bead fringe is a variety of loop bead fringe that wraps around itself to form a spiral column of beads. The effect is a lot like twisting a loop of string or wire - but, of course, it is more interesting with beads since you can vary the size, color and pattern.  It is not a style of fringe that you see very frequently, but I think that's a shame - so I'll show you how to make it and try to change that!  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ..read more

 Have you heard of or tried Beadographer? Beadographer is a web-based bead pattern design tool. If you currently draw your beadwork patterns by hand on bead graph paper and are looking to do this on your computer or I-Pad instead, beadographer can help you do that.  There are several advantages to using bead design applications over designing on paper. I like that bead programs give a more realistic representation of my project. Most create the bead grids based on the size and type of beads you specify and provide the approximate finished size of the project. They also have librarie ..read more

Rio Grande is a reputable supplier of metals, findings, diamonds and gemstones, tools, finished jewelry, displays, packaging and anything else a jewelry crafter or designer needs. Their selection ranges from base metals like stainless steel, brass, bronze and copper to precious metals including argentium silver, sterling silver, gold filled, karat gold and even platinum. I'm guessing their customer base is mostly jewelry businesses and more advanced hobbyists. This article is a review of jewelry making products that I've purchased from Rio Grande. It is meant for my personal reference to r ..read more

This bead fringe component is a good way to experiment with fringe length and patterns, and also a great way to add bead fringe to different styles of earrings. When I think of bead fringe earrings, I tend to think of brick stitch beaded triangles with fringe dangling from the base row. I love these types of earrings but I wanted to experiment with fringe length without having to make a lot of different pairs of earrings. My solution is this fringe component that can be added to a wide variety of jewelry styles. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ..read more