Jewelry

100 Days of Beading Tutorials – Learn How to Make Your Own Jewelry

In my in my day job I work as a graphic designer and jewelry educator for Soft Flex Company. I have been with the company a very long time and my YouTube series, Free Spirit Beading, hit a huge milestone last month. I filmed my 100th episode! I have to say I am really proud of my hard work. I have been showing up on video, live on YouTube for 100 weeks! In that time, I have filmed a library of helpful jewelry making and beading techniques. It’s become an enjoyable part of my week.

On my 100th episode, I combined my love for painting and beading. In this video, I hand painted a wooden laser cut rabbit pendant from Allegory Gallery and used beads and beading wire from Soft Flex Company to create a multi-strand necklace.  Check out my 100th video below to see how I created this necklace.

Join me on Soft Flex Company’s YouTube channel on Monday’s at 3pm PST / 6pm EST.

See All 100 Free Spirit Beading Episodes
Jewelry 13 Sep 2020 / 0 comments

Seed Bead Revolution Now Available on Amazon

Seed Bead Revolution is available for order through Amazon and  SoftFlexCompany.com.

A Journey into using unusual shaped seed beads in unique ways

The seed bead sector of the jewelry making industry is churning out new shapes and sizes of seed beads with a variety of hole configurations.

Authors Sara Oehler and Kristen Fagan wrote this book to show how these new and innovative beads can be used to create jewelry using Soft Flex beading wire rather than thread or cord. The projects are easy to intermediate, but they are unique enough to capture the interest of even the most advanced beader. Most projects can be completed in one sitting.

  • 32 projects
  • Foreword and bonus project by Nealay Patel
  • Most projects show two colorways
  • Projects use SuperDuos, SuperUnos, Tilas, Half Tilas, Rullas, Dragon Scales and More!
  • Learn how to crimp in a variety of ways, braid, kumihimo, patina metal and weave with beading wire.

Can I just tell you how excited I am that our book, Seed Bead Revolution, has finished shipping pre-orders! After three printed proofs and multiple edits, Sara and I finally signed off on the final Seed Bead Revolution and the pre-orders are on their way to Soft Flex Company headquarters in California to be shipped. We can’t wait for you to receive your pre-order copies!

Thank you so much for those of you that already placed your order. We are excited to see the designs you create. I hope you share your projects and the arrival of your books in the mail with me! Use the hashtag #seedbeadrevolution on social media for me see your images.

Seed Bead Revolution is available for order through Amazon and  SoftFlexCompany.com.

Save

Save

Save

Jewelry / Tutorial Tuesday 01 Sep 2017 / 0 comments

Seed Bead Revolution Available for Pre-Order!

I co-wrote and designed a BOOK! This is pretty exciting stuff. Who would have thought I would collaborate with the magnificent Sara Oehler and write a beading book?! Not this girl. Sometimes you have to say yes and just jump into creating something awesome!

A Journey into using unusual shaped seed beads in unique ways

The seed bead sector of the jewelry making industry is churning out new shapes and sizes of seed beads with a variety of hole configurations.

Authors Sara Oehler and Kristen Fagan wrote this book to show how these new and innovative beads can be used to create jewelry using Soft Flex beading wire rather than thread or cord. The projects are easy to intermediate, but they are unique enough to capture the interest of even the most advanced beader. Most projects can be completed in one sitting.

  • 32 projects
  • Foreword and bonus project by Nealay Patel
  • Most projects show two colorways
  • Projects use SuperDuos, SuperUnos, Tilas, Half Tilas, Rullas, Dragon Scales and More!
  • Learn how to crimp in a variety of ways, braid, kumihimo, patina metal and weave with beading wire.

The printed proof arrived in my mailbox this week! I’ve been ooo-ing and aah-hing and of course editing and a little file tweaking on this baby. Sara should be getting her copy any day now.

Seed Bead Revolution is available for pre-order through SoftFlexCompany.com through July 31st.

Pre-order books will be signed by Sara Oehler and I and include two full project sneak peeks from Seed Bead Revolution in a digital PDF format that will be sent to you via email shortly after purchase. That will allow you to get a head start on two projects from the book even before the book ships!

Thank you so much for those of you that already placed your order. It’s on schedule to ship out next month. We are excited to see the designs you create. I hope you share your projects and the arrival of your books in the mail with me! Use the hashtag #seedbeadrevolution on social media for me see your images.

Jewelry 26 Jul 2017 / 0 comments

Tutorial Tuesday: Agate and Crystal Set

Natural fire agate is a vibrant, colorful, often banded variety of Chalcedony Quartz. Like all agates, it has protection energies. It can aid memory, including recall of past lives. It can assist one in finding the right mate. It is also a stone of protection in general and from anger, jealousy and fear. In addition it can help with manifestation of one’s desires, and brings good luck.  

At first I wasn’t sure about pairing orange with these light sapphire blue crystal squaredelle spacer beads, but they are really pretty together. It turns out orange and blue are BFF’s!

Photo Credit: TheTrendSpotter.com

Materials

Necklace Instructions

1. Cut 24″ of beading wire. Squeeze open a bead stopper and attach to one end of your wire.

2. String one crimp tube and one crystal bead.

3. String one squaredelle and one agate bead.

4. Repeat step 3, eight more times.

5. String one squaredelle, one crystal and one crimp tube.

6. Measure 9 inches from one end and crimp tube with regular crimping pliers to hold beads in place.

Click for crimping instructions.

7. Bend the design into the natural necklace shape as shown above and crimp the tube on the other side of the beads to hold them in place. Remove bead stopper.

(Tip: If you lay your design straight and crimp you crimp it too tight and will not be able to wear it in the natural curved shape)

8. String one crimp tube and half of the toggle clasp. Pass the wire back through the crimp tube and crimp. Repeat on the other side for the second half of the toggle clasp.

Bracelet Instructions

1. Cut 8″ of beading wire.  String one crimp tube and half of the toggle clasp. Pass the wire back through the crimp tube and crimp.

2. String one crystal bead.

3. String one squaredelle and one agate bead.

4. Repeat step 3, eight more times.

5. String one squaredelle and one crystal.

6. String one crimp tube and the other half of the toggle clasp. Pass the wire back through the crimp tube. Bend the design into the natural bracelet shape and crimp.

Save

Save

Save

Jewelry / Tutorial Tuesday 23 May 2017 / 0 comments

Spreading the Joy of Beading at the Women’s Expo

Photo Credit Sara Oehler

Sara, Thomas, Lucy, Josephine, Leeann and I had fun in the Soft Flex Company booth teaching hundreds of people how to make their first pair of earrings at the Arizona Ultimate Women’s Expo in Phoenix!

Bonus, Thomas and I got to meet Carson Kressley!!! I really should have paid attention to the keynote speakers before I went because, had I known, I would have brought my (ahem, Bert’s) Queer Eye of for the Straight Guy book to sign. Sara said I was the most excited she has ever seen me. Hahaha, I’m not sure if that is true, but I was pretty excited.

If you would like to learn how to bead, visit Soft Flex Company’s School of Design online or their YouTube channel for hundred’s of tutorials.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Jewelry 03 May 2017 / 0 comments

Beads of Courage: 1,000 Origami Cranes Installation

My friend Sara really captured how pretty the cranes are in this picture! So happy I drove down to Tucson with her and her adorable daughter on April 19th to see the Beads of Courage 1,000 Origami Crane Art Installation debut.

The 1,000 Origami Cranes community art project was conceived by Tucson resident Coppelia Tarantal, whose niece, Kelsey Luria received Beads of Courage during her treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Although Kelsey left her battle with cancer, her spirit, legacy and desire to positively impact the lives of children and teens with cancer lives on. The 1,000 Origami Cranes project celebrates Kelsey’s life and the lives of all children and teens coping with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Japanese folklore suggests people with patience and commitment for such a project will be granted a wish.

Support for the project was proudly provided by Soft Flex Company with their generous donation of beading wire and tools to create the display of origami cranes.

Beads of Courage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in Tucson in 2005. Its mission is to provide innovative arts-in-medicine programs that improve the quality of life for children coping with cancer and other serious illnesses, their families and the clinicians who care for them. The organization serves 60,000 children in 250 children’s hospitals annually. For more information, visit beadsofcourage.org.

About Kelsey Taylor Luria: Kelsey was 17 when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). “I am more than cancer” – she wrote, and indeed, Kelsey was far more than cancer. She was the queen of her own life and she lived it with courage, strength and grace. She lost the battle against AML after 5+ months. Shortly after her death, Kelsey’s family brought her vision of the Bald Beauties Project to fruition. Bald Beauties Project provides funding for AML research, and provides professional photo shoots, and Teen Comfort Kits for pediatric oncology patients in Southern Arizona. For more information, visit http://baldbeautiesproject.org.

 

Jewelry / Soul Musings 02 May 2017 / 0 comments

Seed Bead Revolution Book In Progress

I finished, I Finished, I FINISHED! Woot Woot!!!

I’m sooo excited that I finished all my jewelry instructions for the book “Seed Bead Revolution” I’m working on with Sara Oehler!

A big project that has had me beading all day and night is a beading how-to book I’m co-authoring with my friend Sara. I completed my 16 beading designs and we photographed all 32 projects this Friday.

Here’s a sneak peek at one of my design sets that will appear the book – squeeeeeee! You can easily make this necklace and earring set. Seriously.


Sneak peek photo by Jennifer Lind Schutsky and I’m in awe of her photo skills! Thank you for sharing your magic Jenn! ✨

I am moving on to the tougher parts of the process – instruction writing and book design. Oh my goodness, it’s about to get really REAL!!! Can’t wait to share more – stay tuned as we get ready to launch this book this summer! #seedbeadrevolution

Save

Save

Jewelry 13 Apr 2017 / 0 comments

Bracelet Design Tutorial Published in Beadwork!

 

Beadwork Magazine
Feb-Mar 2017
p. 44

I am so excited to finally be able to share this design with you! It’s my debut jewelry tutorial project design with Beadwork magazine. I love that it is showcasing how to use Soft Flex beading wire in a non-traditional way – with Kumihimo! This design uses a flat braid pattern made with the square kumihimo plate combined with superduo two-hole beads.

I just love the elegant look of the braided wire and the flat braid is so comfortable to wear.

 

If you get a chance, I hope that you will check it out and give it a try!

Jewelry / Press 13 Jan 2017 / 0 comments

Healing Stone Collection: Gemstone Shield Necklaces

gemsheild-collection

Do you ever wish you could walk through life with the knowledge that you are protected? That you sense an invisible shield around you, keeping negativity at bay and amplifying more of the positive energy you want to embody? I want that too! I believe in the power of gemstones and created the gemstone shield necklace collection as a beautiful way to support you so you feel confident to walk boldly in the world. Gemstones emit vibrations that that can aid the wearer in different ways. Each stone’s unique composition infuses it with powerful energy that can be utilized for specific purposes, such as to protect, heal, release spiritual blockages, energize, provide mental clarity, and more.

14976469_1152599064778053_1535130943316367390_o

Click to see the collection and the energy each necklace embodies.

Save

Jewelry 14 Nov 2016 / 0 comments

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2016

2016-02-07 17.01.19

February buzzed along with excitement in my corner of the beading world. I can’t believe it was a month ago that I was down in Tucson for the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show. I was at the To Bead True Blue show for two days working with Soft Flex Company.

This an international gem, mineral and fossil showcase and it’s mind-blowing how many vendors are crammed into every corner of Tucson. There isn’t just “one show” there are many shows of varying types in convention halls, hotels, motels and parking lots around the city.

I have lost count as to how many times I have been there however, this is the first year I branched out and purchased some stones and I LOVE them. Since I go to work in Soft Flex Company’s booth, you’ll find me at the beading/jewelry making oriented shows which have a limited range of minerals and stones. I did manage to find a really pretty tanzanite aura quartz, a smooth rose quartz and a small geode slice that I plan to make into a pendant, all shown in the picture above.

Of course, I can’t leave the Soft Flex booth without picking up some much needed jewelry making items. I grabbed a new bead board as mine has seen better days, 4 spools of medium .019 diameter colored Soft Flex beading wire, 2mm silver filled Soft Flex crimp tubes, double density round kumihimo disk and two tubes of superduo beads.

Speaking of superduo beads, I used these little two hole beads for a new jewelry tutorial design that was picked up by a national beading magazine! I’m in the process of writing out the instructions and working on a second color option. I’ll share more about that when the magazine is due to come out!

Jewelry 09 Mar 2016 / 0 comments

DIY Bracelet Booklet Co-Author!

Bracelet Projects Booklet
Reg: $11.95 – on sale through the end of the year for just $9.56!
Available for purchase online at SoftFlexCompany.com

I have been providing how-to jewelry tutorials on Soft Flex Company’s beading blog and website for years but, I took it up a notch and teamed up with my friend Sara Oehler to co-author a DIY bracelet project booklet. Inside Soft Flex Company’s Bracelet Projects booklet you will find 8 modern bracelet designs using Soft Flex beading wire. You will learn about beading wire brands, diameters, crimps, crimping pliers, kumihimo boards, macrame boards and knitting on a spool. This is a great book for a beginner or an advanced beader that is looking to take their beading in a new direction.

Jewelry 24 Dec 2015 / 0 comments

Handmade Wire Wrapped Brazilian Agate Necklaces

An outfit is never fully put together without some finishing touches – a hand wrapped wire and agate pendant necklace is the perfect finishing touch for the gypsy, goddess, free spirited, bohemian woman.

Brazilian agate balances the four energies: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Worn for protection, centering, healing and strength as well as better concentration, confidence and an overall composure. Protects you from stress and energy drains. These are one of a kind, gift one to a fierce woman in your life or grab one for yourself today. Live in your strength.

Style is saying something without speaking a word. ~ Rachel Zoe.

Hand Wrapped Brazilian Agate Necklaces $25

Shop >> https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeStash

For sales through Saturday, December 5th, I’m offering a 15/10 deal – 15% off discount on handmade jewelry and 10% of the sale will be donated to UMOM New Day Centers. Use the coupon code GOODKARMA at checkout to redeem your discount. Offer is exclusively for my handmade jewelry section.

Jewelry 30 Nov 2015 / 0 comments