Featured Brand of the Month: Beadelle - Week Four

We have reached our final blog post for July's featured Brand of the Month, Beadelle. This post will focus on our favorite projects. (That's our favorite kind of post!)

Adding splashes of Beadelle Crystal to your jewelry really makes a powerful fashion statement. Pavé beads look absolutely stunning in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Beadelle clasps and components finish off a piece with sparkling perfection. You can even design your own pendant with Crystal Splash and Crystal Clay to make something truly effervescent. Beadelle can be dressed up or dressed down, offering a glamorous and trendy look for any style--there's no need to wait for a special occasion!

Take a look at our projects page to find some inspiration to help you achieve a luxurious, sophisticated look.

Designer Picks

Julie

My favorite Beadelle project has to be Karlin's Beachy Bijoux Earrings. Looking like they belong on a lovely lady strolling the streets of Cannes, these earrings are both elegant and fresh. From Beadelle's Resort Collection, Karlin chose a gold plated pave set turquoise bead as their centerpiece, adding the right amount of lux to these beachy earrings.


Kat

I think the Faux Amethyst Druzy Ring is such a neat idea.  I love pieces that make me want a second look.  Besides, every girl wants to wear something that makes people look twice.  By combining crystal splash with your favorite color of Crystal Clay you can make this ring in any color.  This project comes together so quickly.  Here is a tip: if you want to buy additional bezel settings you can make more than one to make a set.  A little rocker, a little glam?  Sign me up!
 


Karlin

This Black Faux Druzy ring is not only my favorite Beadelle project, but probably one of my favorite projects I've made here at Beadaholique, in general. And like Kat's pick above, it combines Crystal Clay and Crystal Splash to create something eye-catching and even a little edgy and daring. I love the black clay and sparkly crystals paired with the antiqued silver ring. I like this so much, I even made myself a necklace featuring these sparkly crystals!

Featured Brand of the Month: Beadelle - Week Three

This week, we continue to explore the styles of July's Brand of the Month, Beadelle. There are many gorgeous, sparkling styles for you to choose from, allowing you to personalize the crystal accent you add to your jewelry!

The most popular Beadelle style is the Pavé Bead. Beadelle offers crystal pavé beads in round, oval and heart shapes in classic and contemporary colors. A summer time favorite includes the Resort Collection, showcasing a trendy collection of coral and turquoise with silver and gold.

Another way to add a focal to your piece is with Beadelle Crystal clasps and components. They're more than just a simple closure of connector--these findings can also be the star of your finished piece! Pavé toggle clasps, Beadelle Crystal magnetic clasps, connector links, and curved bars are just a few popular choices.

Rhinestone balls, Rondelles, Squaredelles, and Crystal Splash loose crystal assortments are all other ways Beadelle can add glimmering beauty to your designs.

Designer Picks: Clasps and Componets

Megan

I love the gunmetal and crystal pavé toggle clasp - it's so cool and it adds a ton of sparkle to your projects.  Whether you add it to a blinged out bracelet to complete the look or add it to something simple to make it shine, this clasp is so much more than just a clasp!

 Kat

There is something so classic cool about this Beadelle Curved Crystal Bar.  I especially love it in gun metal.  I think the juxtaposition of the dark metal against the crystals gives it that hip edge with just a hint of sparkle.  Add some colorful gemstones on stretch cord for a quick and trendy bracelet. 






 Karlin

If I had to choose a favorite amongst these sparkly clasps and components, I'd go with the Beadelle flat disc connector link in gunmetal/black diamond. Not only is it sleek and stylish, but it features my favorite crystal color: Black Diamond. This pretty piece can be added into your designs quite easily to add that extra bit of shine.


Check back in next week for our last blog post featuring Beadelle, July's Brand of the Month!

Beading Table Wednesday: 07/09/2014

How can it be Wednesday already? This week is flying by! Here's what the Beadaholique designers are up to:

Julie's Table

On my table this week is one of my absolute favorite designs. This necklace was a labor of love to create and combines both bead weaving and bead embroidery techniques. When I started the design I had planned it to just be a small focal hanging from a strand of beads, but as I really got into it I was having so much fun that the design kept growing and growing. This necklace is truly an example of what happens when you let your creativity flow. 



Megan's Table

These awesome little adjustable wire bangle bracelets are stacked up on wrists everywhere this summer, and soon they're coming to Beadaholique.  I've pulled together a few charms and beads to hang from the bangles - I can't wait to make a whole set of them!  Maybe I'll pull together a bunch of beach themed charms and dangles to celebrate the season.  What will you decorate yours with?

Kat's Table

I find that it is easy to get inspired by something that brings up a wonderful memory.  I love to go wine tasting with my friends and family, and when I saw this wine opener charm with our new pewter components, I went straight for it.  So naturally, I couldn't resist making the Wine Lovers Bracelet.  It reminds me of the fun jewelry I have seen in the Sonoma and Santa Barbara tasting rooms on my trips to wine country.

 Karlin's Table

With summer in full swing, what better way to capture the essence of warm days at the beach than by creating matte gold jewelry using components from the new Nunn Design 2014 collection? I love the elegant boutique style look these brass stampings offer when strung on matte gold rolo chain and paired with matte gold findings. I especially love the starfish and the sand dollar. Which one is your favorite?

Beading Contest: Sparklers!

The Fourth of July might have been last week, but we want to create our own “fireworks” this month with lots of sparkles and shine! The theme for our new beading contest is “Sparklers” and we’re looking for original designs featuring sparkles, facets, bling and shine. Use your favorite crystals such as SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, Czech crystal, or Beadelle, or go natural with faceted gemstones, or faceted fire polish glass beads. Facets can even bring sparkles to other materials such as with faceted lucite or special-cut seed beads including Hex Cut Delicas or Tri-Cut Czech Seed Beads.

To enter, send a photo of your finished piece to us by 4PM PT on Tuesday, August 5th. Finalists will be chosen and posted on our Facebook for public voting ostarting Wednesday, August 6th through August 13th. Finalists will also be featured in the next issue of The Beading Wire going out Thursday, August 7th.

Two winners, one domestic and one international, will each receive a $100 Beadaholique gift certificate and further exposure on our blog, website and in another issue of The Beading Wire. An Editor’s Pick chosen from the remaining finalists will receive a $50 gift certificate.

Rules/How to Enter:
Email us a clear, in focus, well-lit photo of a beading project completely of your own design which fits our theme and uses one or more products which can be found at Beadaholique (does not have to be bought from Beadaholique). Email one photo, at least 500 px in width or height but no bigger than 1600 px wide and 1600 px tall, to [email protected] (do not use this for questions; contact us here) with the following included in your email:
Subject line: Name of Piece (Example: Sparkling Crystal Necklace)
Body: Very important! In the body of your email, make sure to include the following:

• full name—required
• email address—required
• country of residence—required
• optional: a brief description of your piece

Attachment: Don’t forget to attach your photo. To maintain a level of fairness with all entries, your photo should not be a collage and should only show one shot/angle of your piece. No text, logos or watermarks please.
Important Dates:

• Tuesday, August 5th @ 4PM PT: Last day to submit.
• Wednesday, August 6th: Finalists will be posted on our Facebook and notified via email. Public voting starts.
• Thursday, August 7th: Finalists will be featured in the next issue of The Beading Wire sent to the entire Beadaholique email list.
• Wednesday, August 13th @ 4PM PT: Voting ends. Winners will be notified via email within 2 business days and featured in the next issue of The Beading Wire.

Inspiration Projects
Get inspired by some free Beadaholique project tutorials. Find even more projects on the Beadaholique website.

Black & White Mod Necklace & Earring Set	Cinderella’s Necklace	Elegant Reflections Necklace
Love Ablaze Ring	The Radiant Orchid Bracelet	Ricochet Earrings

Other Rules—Updated 03/2014:
One entry per person. If you send more than one entry, you may be disqualified. Your photo should not be a collage and should only show one shoot of your piece. If your entry does not meet the “Rules/How to Enter” stated above, you may be disqualified. Winner must respond to our email notification within 2 weeks to claim gift certificate. No one person may win more than once every 12 months (excluding Editor’s Choice). By entering, you retain the rights to your original jewelry design but are giving Beadaholique, Inc. permission to use your submitted photo(s) on our websites, newsletter, Facebook, blog and other properties. For consistency and fairness, watermarks and other text or logos will be edited out of photos. We encourage finalists to promote their business, store or website in the comments for their entry, though please limit it to just one link/promotional comment. The terms and conditions that apply to all Beadaholique contests and giveaways also apply here.
Tips:

• Send in a large, clear, and well-lit photo.
• Try to use natural light to illuminate your photos.
• Double check to make sure that your full name and email address are included in the body of your email. We continue to receive submissions with no contact information.

Featured Brand of the Month: Beadelle - Week Two

This week we want to show you some of our favorite beads from Beadelle.  We offer a wide range of colors, as you saw last week.  If you are looking for a bead to add a pop of colorful sparkle to your design then try using a Crystal Pave or Crystal Candy bead.  You'll also be able to find a shape that suits your beading needs.  Choose from round, oval, or heart shaped beads.

Featured Video:  How to Use Beading Chain and Beading Chain End Caps

In this video, Julie shows you just how easy it is to use beading chain and beading chain end caps with the Beadelle Crystal beads.  Simply choose your favorite Beadelle Bead and the chain you want to make this necklace.  This is a wonderful technique to use to make elegantly simple pieces.


Designer Picks:
Favorite Bead

Julie

My favorite Beadelle bead has to be the Rhinestone Balls. I love the vintage feel of these beads and how they add instant glamour to any design. Someday I want to make a strung necklace that just features these beads graduated from small to large, much like a strung pearl necklace but with these sparkly beauties instead! 




 Megan

The Crystal Candy beads are my favorite Beadelle beads - especially the fuchsia color.  These babies are bold and vibrant, and add so much sparkle!  The fuchsia color really pops and dances in the light.  I love how you can add just one and really make a statement, but I would also love to use multiples to make something dazzling.

Kat

Not only am I in love with all things peridot green, I am in love the way it matches the base clay color on this particular bead.  It is the perfect shade of candy apple green, which is fitting because this is one of the Crystal Candy beads.  In these beads the color of the base clay matches is made to match the color of the crystal.  I love these beads because they look like a little ball of sparkles due to the matching colors of the clay and the crystals.

Karlin

If I had to choose a favorite amongst these sparkly, glittery Beadelle beads, I would go with the gunmetal plated and black diamond combination. This bead offer a subtle type of sparkle; you can play it up by adding other beads in brighter colors or allow it to shine by pairing it with gunmetal chain and findings for an edgy, cool look.

Artist Profile: Summer Brights Contest Winner - Katherine Vargas Zárate

Summer Elements by Katherine Vargas Zárate

We are very pleased to share the international winner of our "Summer Brights" contest, Katherine Vargas Zárate. Katherine's Summer Elements necklace features bright and colorful wire wrapping with Czech crystal accents.

We asked Katherine to tell us a little bit more about herself and her work so that we could share it with our readers.


Tell us about yourself:

Being the daughter of a realist painter, art in various forms always was part of my life. Arts and crafts always had naturally been a great part of our family, so it was not unusual for me to make a living in the artistic medium of jewelry. I am happily married to my ultimate fan, and my husband and I worked very hard to get the project called Sófika Accessorios into business.

How did you get interested in beading/jewelry making?

Out of necessity. We have three girls and one has special needs, so I had to quit work outside the home to care for her personally. We needed extra income, so after trying several types of crafts, I came to the jewelry and loved it, went from being a job to a passion ... again found a love of my life. I've learned entirely from observation but I feel that over the months I have mastered it quite well.

What are your favorite materials to use in jewelry making?

I love working with artistic wire and aluminum, the art of wrapping is my favorite. Although I like the fine crystals and semi-precious stones, I prefer to create unique pieces in resin.

Who or what inspires your creative process?

The material itself - I love to see a box with new materials, the box brings not only new materials, but with them hundreds of new ideas and designs

Is there somewhere people can see/purchase your work?

My online store is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SofikaAccesorios

Currently, my work is shown only online or by exhibitions here in Costa Rica.

Congratulations again Katherine, and thank you for sharing you work with us. We wish you all the best in your future creative pursuits.

Featured Brand of the Month: Beadelle

We are excited to announce that our brand of the month for July is Beadelle.  This month we will focus on highlighting all of the wonderful crystal beads and components that Beadelle offers. These hand-set crystal beads have a sophistication and elegance that you will be dying to use to accent your designs.

Known for their pave crystal beads, Beadelle brings you the popular look of a pave diamond bead at a very affordable price.  The brilliance of their pieces shines from every angle.  I find that because of this, they are very easy to implement into my designs.  They speak for themselves and when put together they create a luxurious, high fashion look.






With so many colorful choices it can be hard to pick a favorite and when it comes to Beadelle, the base color of the metal is just as important as the crystal color.  Look at these two oval pave beads.  They both feature the same light rose crystal but by changing the base metal color from gold to silver, you really change the whole feel of the bead and in turn, your design. 

Featured Video:  How to Make a Shambhala Bracelet, Part I:  Macrame Square Knots

A classic use of the Beadelle Beads can be seen here in the making of the popular Shambhala style bracelet.  This is the first video in a series that will show you how to incorporate Beadelle beads into your macrame designs.  In this bracelet you can mix and match the various color combinations offered by Beadelle to suit your creativity.


Designer Picks:
Favorite Color Combination


Julie

My favorite Beadelle color combination has to be the turquoise stones paired with the gold metal. I love the resort feel these beads invoke and their understated elegance. I would like to see these beads paired with some coral accents and gold chain for a true summer resort look. 





Kat

My favorite combination is the Silver Plated and Coral Beads from the Resort Collection.  This is a classic summer color, especially when used with it's very close friend, turquoise. The silver allows the brightness of the coral to pop in this bead.  I also love this bead because the small silver like beads on the outside make it seem like it is something you plucked out of the sea.

Karlin

Looking through all of the pretty pave beads offered by Beadelle, I'd have to say that my favorite color combination is from their Chocolate Collection. Although I'm usually not a fan of the color brown, I think that when paired with the Light Topaz, these sparkly chocolate brown pave beads look rather yummy! You can see this bead featured in my Glamorous Starfish earrings.





Keep checking back all month long as we show off more of Beadelle Crystal.

SWAROVSKI Pre-Season Fall/Winter 2015-16 Launch: Spikes & Patinas!

Today Swarovski Inspirations and Innovations is launching an exciting new release for pre-season Fall/Winter 2015/16, featuring: a fantastic new effect; new extra-pointy chatons and stones; and an exciting new “poetic punk rock” line designed in cooperation with famed design rebel Jean Paul Gaultier.

This new release can really be summed up with just two words: spikes and patinas! Are you excited yet?

SWAROVSKI Pre-Season Fall/Winter 2015-16 Launch: Spikes & Patinas!

Crystal Patina Effect - Nostalgic Grandeur

For its newest effect, Swarovski has unveiled the new Crystal Patina effect in 5 gorgeous hues. The antique-looking surface pattern, available in Crystal Black Patina, Crystal Gold Patina, Crystal Rose Patina, Crystal Silver Patina and Crystal White Patina, reminds us of old mercury glass, aging mirrors in grand Italian ballrooms and the textures of time in unearthed ancient glass. The effect is slightly varied so that every single piece is unique. Through all of this, the glittering reflective quality of Swarovski crystal is still present. As Swarovski puts it, Crystal Patina’s “historical edge and ‘used’ look create an impression of timelessness without compromising on crystalline allure…answering also the current call for deliberate imperfection.” These effects are available on some of Swarovski’s newest styles, as well as familiar favorites.

Crystal Rose Patina, Crystal Gold Patina, Crystal White Patina, Crystal Silver Patina & Crystal Black Patina

Pointed Chaton and Pointed Fancy Square Stone - More Nostalgia! More Grandeur!

In the XIRIUS Pointed Chaton and XILION Pointed Square Fancy Stone, Swarovski has taken inspiration from “Venice’s fantastic spires, domes, and window archways, blending the present with a past love of exquisite detailing. [Swarovski makes] a respectful bow to the achievements of bygone eras … once again cherishing the works people have created centuries ago.” We actually think these stones lend themselves to a super-modern on-trend look, as they resemble nothing so much as (admittedly elegant) studs or spikes. A great way to get some Rock’n’Roll chic into your jewelry!

Crystal Spikes and Studs Collection with Jean Paul Gaultier - Poetic Punk Rock

In contrast to this focus on the past, bold rock’n’roll and futuristic designs are the whole ‘point’ of the radiant Crystal Spikes and Studs collection, in co-operation with Jean Paul Gaultier.

Crystal Spikes and Studs Collection with Jean Paul Gaultier

Fêted for his startling originality, technical prowess, and maverick approach to design, Jean Paul Gaultier quickly became known as ‘l’enfant terrible’ of fashion. Hired at eighteen by Pierre Cardin, then Jacques Esterel, Jean Patou, and Hermès, he launched his own collection in 1976. But it was the conical bras and basques for Madonna’s 1990 Blond Ambition tour that sealed his reputation, along with costumes for Kylie Minogue and filmmakers Luc Besson and Peter Greenaway. In 1997, he established Gaultier Paris, fulfilling his dream of creating haute couture with a risqué, gender-bending, deconstructed aesthetic. Swarovski crystals have played a major part in Gaultier’s aesthetic for decades. His Summer 2014 couture show in Paris this January included fifteen garments featuring Swarovski’s latest co-operation with Gaultier: Crystal Spikes and Studs. Now Swarovski is presenting these avant-garde, 3D-shaped articles— Double Spike Bead, Spike Pendant, and Spike Rivets (Round and Square) as part of its Elements collection. Exemplified by the punk rock-inspired, vintage-look ‘Diamond Rocker’ vest in Gaultier’s Summer 2014 couture collection, Crystal Spikes and Studs are perfect for conjuring fiercely edgy, high-glam designs with a contemporary luxe appeal.

As Jean Paul Gaultier himself states “I have a special kind of freedom and incredible technical possibilities with Swarovski. So this is a wonderful partnership. They are not afraid of anything and neither am I…It is a celebration of the spikes and studs that become transparent, mirrored in different forms, pushed to the extreme of creation and taken one step further than a regular metallic stud.”

Well, we here at Beadaholique LOVE these spiky crystals, and we can’t wait to get our hands on them.

The Double Spike Bead

The Spike Pendant

New Line Extensions
If all of the new goodies weren’t enough, the Artemis Bead and both shapes of the Dome Bead will now be available in the metallic finishes Jet Hematite and Crystal Rose Gold.

The Artemis Bead

The Dome Bead

And we’ll have a new bead to play with this Halloween:

The 13mm Skull Bead in Sun

We hope you are as excited as we are about this new release. We can’t wait to get creative with these awesome new pieces!

-Sarah