Jewelry Making

DIY Jewelry, Beads And Patterns

Give Away: Bead Star

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Bead Star CoverInterweave Publications has made the following announcement today about their exciting publication, Bead Star magazine:

Bead Star magazine announced today the 45 prize-winning jewelry designers in the second annual Bead Star challenge—an exciting competition that garnered more than 2000 entries from the U.S. and Canada, and was voted on by 26,000 people worldwide.

The designs are published in Bead Star 2009, the first-ever beading publication composed entirely of prize-winning designs, on newsstands nationwide Tuesday, December 8. This issue showcases forty-five of the winning designs in nine categories: Crystals, Heart Designs, Glass, Metals, Pearls, Plastics, Seed Beads, Stones, and Designs Under $25.

Bead Star has given a copy of the publication for a giveaway to readers of this blog.  Post a comment here for a chance to win a copy.

This looks like a very exciting publication and I for one can’t wait to leaf through it and see the winners of each catagory.

Comments

  3. i would love to have this magazine. it’s always exciting to see new bead designs. thanks for the chance.

  6. I’m always interested in learning new things. When I started to make jewelry, I was amazed that, Wow, I can do this. It have become an obsession, It’s so fun. I can alway use new inspriration to continual the fun!!

  10. HI:Thanks for the opportunity to win a beautifullllll magazine, please choosee mmeeee.
    Thanks and Happy Beading.
    Irma.

  12. I’ve been thinking for awhile that I’d like to try beading jewelry. Right now I do some beading in my cross stitch, but I haven’t done a project entirely with beads yet. I’d love a magazine of inspiration! Thanks!

  19. Oh that is fabulous!! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy…..all the shiny sparklies!!

    Thanks for oppurtunity to win one!

    Jenn

  20. Thank you for this exciting opportunity. I am a newbie with jewelry making and I am loving learning this beautiful art.

  23. I love all their magazines and subscribe… I hadn’t seen this one!! Looks great…
    Virginia

  27. I don’t want to win it! I already have a copy. 🙂 I won first place in the stones category, and I must say there are some wonderful designs in it! 🙂 I can’t wait to try them.

  30. How exciting! Always looking for new inspiration and gorgeous gems! How wonderful to have an opportunity to win a copy! Thanks for the opportunity!

  32. I hope I’m not too late…I’d love to enter to win a copy. My 13yo daughter is a beading freak!

  33. I hope I’m not too late to enter!
    I’d love to win a copy and share it with all
    my friends & fellow students at CIJT–
    California Institute for Jewelry Training.

    Thanks for the chance,
    Matt

  35. i live in pocatello, idaho, and it has been a long and very cold winter, so when i got on line, to break the monotony, i was delighted to find your site. i hope that you will send me a copy of your magazine, because it will inspire me to do something fun, with all the time i have on my hands. i love inspiration, and i know that this will certainly do it. thanks for letting me enter this contest. margaret.

Have you read?

Book Review Wednesday: 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids

This week’s Book Review Wednesday pick is 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids, and I’ll admit this one is another of those books that makes me pause for a moment and ask, “Does this belong in Jewelry Making, Kids Crafts, or somewhere in between?”

Technically, it is not jewelry in the traditional necklace-and-earrings sense, but it is very much a beading book, and beading skills are such a useful doorway into jewelry making. For kids especially, learning how to thread beads, follow patterns, work with wire, and build little 3D shapes is a brilliant way to develop patience, fine motor skills, and confidence with craft materials.

The cover promises 3D beaded animal crafts for kids, with a focus on cute seed bead animals made with wire. The little fox on the cover is exactly the sort of project that catches attention — bright, cheerful, and very giftable. I can see this being a fun book for crafty kids, tweens, grandparents crafting with children, or even adults who secretly enjoy tiny beaded animals but pretend they are “helping the kids.”

What I like about this type of project is that it gives children a finished piece they can actually be proud of. These are not throwaway crafts. A beaded animal can become a bag charm, keychain, desk buddy, zipper pull, ornament, or little handmade gift. And if you have a child who loves collecting small things, well, prepare yourself — you may soon have an entire zoo made from seed beads.

There is also a nice connection here for beginner jewelry makers. Working with beads and wire in a simple 3D form helps build the same kind of careful hand skills used in beaded jewelry, wire wrapping, charms, and small accessories. So while I would be tempted to cross-post this over on our Kids Crafts section, I still think it earns its place here for anyone wanting beginner-friendly beading projects.

This book would suit kids who already enjoy detailed crafts, families looking for screen-free creative projects, or makers who want small bead projects that are playful rather than overly serious. I would suggest adult help for younger children, especially because seed beads and wire can be fiddly, and nobody needs a craft session ending with beads in the carpet forever. Although, let’s be honest, that may happen anyway.

My Shellie-style take? 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids looks like a fun, colourful and practical beading book for young makers who like cute projects with a real finished result. It is crafty, giftable, a little bit nostalgic, and a lovely stepping stone into more detailed beadwork and jewelry making later on.

You can find the book here: 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids.