Beadphoria: Bead Soup with Margot Potter and Book Giveaway Winners!

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Bead Soup Party, Bead Swap, Beading Books, Beadphoria, Lori Anderson, Margot Potter, Simple Beginnings: Beading, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Swarovski Crystals

Sparkling bead soup from my partner Margot Potter. Photo by Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Hello to all my bead friends! Today I present to you a picture of the glittering bead soup that was sent to me by the amazing Margot Potter. This is my fourth time participating in the Bead Soup Blog Hop run by Lori Anderson, and I have to say that this is the most dazzling soup yet!

Click the photo above to see the list of over 350 bead bloggers that are part of the Bead Soup Swap.

If you are not familiar with the Bead Soup Bead Swap, you’ll be happy you checked it out. This time we have over 350 (yes, you read that right!) participants. The wide range of talent not only here in the US, but world wide is staggering. You will find bead bloggers that range from those that have only been making jewelry a few months to master bead artisans. Each one has their own creative spark that will have you looking at beading through a fresh pair of eyes.

I am still contemplating what I am going to with my soup. Two ideas are currently competing for my design attention. You will have to come back on Sept. 17 when all the designs are relieved to see which one won out.

Speaking of winners…I have decided to award TWO winners of my upcoming book Simple Beginnings: Beading since I had people post both here and on Creating the Hive. The random winner from this blog is Stacy S. and the random winner from Creating The Hive is Pine Ridge Treasures. Congratulations, ladies! Please e-mail me at Suzann@Beadphoria.com with your address and I will make sure to send you your signed copies of Simple Beginnings: Beading as soon as they are available.

If you have any questions about beading, or jewelry business marketing tips, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com and BeadphoriaBoutique.com.

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Beadphoria Blog: Back Up and Running With a Big Announcement!

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Amazon.com, bead, beading, Beading Books, Beading Books on Amazon.com, beading design, beading techniques, beading tips, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, beads, Beginning Beading Books, Book Giveaways, creative beading, DIY Jewelry, Fox Chapel Publishing, How to make jewelry, inspiration, jewelry design, jewelry making, make your own jewelry, Simple Beginnings: Beading, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, www.Beadphoria.com, www.BeadphoriaBoutique.com

Hello fellow beaders! We are glad to be back to blogging after a little bit of a hiatus. During the time away, we have had several big projects in the works. Over then next few days, you will find out about them. Today’s post, though, happens to be about the one that we are most excited to share with you!

Simple Beginnings: Beading by Suzann Sladcik Wilson and published by Fox Chapel Publishers. Available on Amazon.com for pre-order now!

Tada! It is the cover for our brand new book “Simple Beginnings: Beading” being published by Fox Chapel Publishing! How cool is that?! Even more cool is that it is available for pre-order from Amazon.com. You can click here to order it.

The book contains projects that are easy enough for an absolute beginner, and yet will inspire experienced beaders.  The photographs for the projects are beautiful and plentiful. The appendix has FAQ with many resources that jewelry makers are looking for.

Fox Chapel has been an excellent company to work with. Writing a book for the first time can be extremely challenging. They walked me through the process with the up most professionalism and understanding. For that, I am truly grateful.

What advice would you give to a beginning beader? Leave us a comment and let us know. One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of my book when it is released! Contest ends on 8/7/2011.

If you have any questions about beading, or Simple Beginnings: Beading, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com and BeadphoriaBoutique.com.

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Beadphoria: Mother’s Day Celebrated with Designer Crafts Connection & Beadalon Contest with Katiedids

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bead, Bead and Button Show 2011, bead vendors, Beadalon, Beadalon Contest, Beadalon Satin Silver Wire, beading, Beading Books, beading design, beading techniques, beading tips, beading wire, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, beads, creative beading, inspiration, Jewelry By Suzann Sladcik Wilson, jewelry design, Jewelry Designs With Ribbon, jewelry making, Jewelry Making Contests, Katie Hacker, Katiedids by Katie Hacker, make your own jewelry, Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, Mod Podge Rocks!. Mixed Media Pendants, Mother's Day Jewelry, Necklace Designs, Photo Frame Jewelry, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Swarovski Crystals, Using Mod Podge in Jewelry Design, www.Beadphoria.com, www.BeadphoriaBoutique.com

Celebrate Mother's Day by making this "Sparkling Memories" necklace by Suzann Sladcik Wilson using Beadalon & Katie Hacker's Katiedids!

By Suzann Sladcik Wilson

It’s the first Monday of the month! Time to hop around again with the Designer Crafts connection! This month’s theme is “Celebrations”. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to honor your mom with a beautiful piece of jewelry.

Recently, my friend Katie Hacker let me know about a fantastic contest from Beadalon featuring her line of Katiedid components. The winner will have their piece featured at the Beadalon Booth for the 2011 Bead and Button show, a signed copy of Katie’s Beading Secrets book, consideration of being part of a Beadalon ad, and a bunch of other great prizes. Click here to find out more!

I was inspired by the contest to use one of her components to make our “Sparkling Memories” Necklace. I turned the center of the Katiedid component into a frame by sealing and adhering a small photo with Mod Podge. I then inserted 18 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals in aquamarine (the color of the birthstone of the little one in the photo) into the outer rim. The crystals were covered with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to lock them in place.

Once the pendent had dried for 3 hours, I strung the three sections necklace on Beadalon 19 strand Satin Silver beading wire. Beadalon Round Twist Solid Rings were used to connect the sections. The necklace was finished with ribbon so that the length could be adjustable.

What projects are you working on for Mother’s Day? Don’t forget to hop to other blogs by clicking on the Designer Crafts Connection button on the right hand side to see what they are celebrating!

If you have any questions about beading, or jewelry business marketing tips, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com and BeadphoriaBoutique.com.

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Beadphoria Announcement – Interview with Margot Potter on Motherhood Radio!

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Beading Book Authors, Beading Books, Beading YouTube Videos, Beadphoria, Craft Books, ILoveToCreate.Com, Impatient Crafter, Margot Potter, Margot Potter Interview, Motherhood Incorperated, Motherhood Talk Radio, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Toginet.com

Beadphoria is excited to announce Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 5PM central time Suzann Sladcik Wilson will be interviewing the fantastic Margot Potter a.k.a The Impatient Crafter™ on the Motherhood Incorporated Radio show on Toginet.com!

Come listen as we discuss living the creative life, how she balances being a mom and having an amazing crafty career, and what it is like to now include her daughter in many of her artistic pursuits.

Margot is the author of six awesome crafting and beading books, designs for several major manufacturers, and teaches classes at the foremost craft and jewelry industry events. Besides her own highly successful blog, she also writes for ILoveToCreate.Com and other blogs. She can be seen on YouTube, where Margot has her own crafty channel, and from time to time hosting on QVC. All of this while being a wife and mother to her daughter.

Margot’s biography sums it up perfectly when she says her  “no nonsense approach to creative expression demystifies the creative process for the Average Joe and Jane, inviting everyone to the creative table and convincing all of them that they too can Create Without Filters™.”

Remember to tune to Motherhood Talk Radio on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 5 PM Central Time to hear the interview with Margot Potter. It is sure to be filled with laughter, inspiration, and lots of great advice!

Listen to the podcast!
http://toginet.com/podcasts/motherhoodtalkradio/MotherhoodTalkRadioLIVE_2010-08-10.mp3?type=showpage

If you have any questions about beading, or the interview with Margot Potter on Motherhood Talk Radio powered by Toginet.com, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com and BeadphoriaBoutique.com

Beadphoria Library: Metalworking 101 for Beaders by Candie Cooper plus Giveaway!

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Basic Metalworking, Basic Soldering, Beading Books, beading techniques, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, beads, Beyond Basic Beading, Book Giveaways, Candie Cooper, Jewelry Boook Giveaways, jewelry making, Jewelry Metalworking, Lark Books, Learning Metalworking, Metalwork designs, Metalwork using beads, Metalworking, Metalworking 101 for Beaders, Metalworking Basics, Metalworking tools, Suzann Sladcik Wilson

I, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, have tried several times to take metalworking classes. Unfortunately, three out of the four classes had made me want to take my torch and saw blades and promptly list them on e-bay! Even the fourth successful one,  had me scratching my head on why would I want to go to all that hard work when I could just buy stuff ready made. Had I read Candie Cooper’s book Metalworking 1010 for Beaders ahead of time, I would have gone in with a whole different perspective.

The first three chapters of Metalworking 101 for Beaders covers what every beginner needs to know about Metal, Tools & Materials, and Basic Metalworking Techniques. What is nice is the book goes into details that many books just skim over. The Metal chapter talks about different types and shapes of metal and even how to order Sterling Silver. Every tool you might possibly need is explained and pictured in Tools & Materials, along with a checklist of what you will need in your toolbox.

The rest of the Metalworking 101 for Beaders is dedicated to Projects. This is where Candie Cooper’s creativity and phenomenal ability to simply explain seemingly difficult concepts really shines.  The 29 diverse projects will have you breaking out your jeweler’s saw in no time! Some favorite designs are the Midsummer’s Night bracelet and Goldfish in Blue.

This book also comes with two other bonuses. One is many of the projects come with sketches that Candie Cooper made while designing. This gives great insight into the creative process and will inspire readers to possibly try sketching on their own. Second is project templates included right in the back of the book.

After reading Metalworking 101 for Beaders, maybe I might not be auctioning those tools after all. Thanks, Candie!

The generous people at Lark Books are letting me give away a signed copy of Metalworking 101 for Beaders! Leave a comment below about a technique you have wanted to try to expand your beading skills and I will randomly choose a winner on Monday, June 19!

Beadphoria Library: Beadmaille by Cindy Thomas Pankopf

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bead, bead weaving, Bead Weaving books, beading, Beading Books, beading design, beading techniques, beading tips, Beadmaille, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, chain, Chainmail, Chainmail books, Cindy Thomas Pankopf, creative beading, Innovative Jewelry Design, inspiration, jewelry design, jewelry making, make your own jewelry, make your own jump rings, Metal Rings, Seed Bead Designs, seed beads, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, wire, www.Beadphoria.com

Title: Beadmaille

Author: Cindy Thomas Pankopf

ISBN: 978-1-60059-495-3

Pages: 127

Price: $21.95

Level: Adv. Beginner – Expert

Beadphoria received a package from Lark Books recently. The book that laid inside was something so innovative and stunning, we were all in awe. The picture on the cover Beadmaille is of a necklace draws you in and immediately you want to pick up the book and find out “how did they do that!”

Beadmaille begins with an extensive The Basics sections that covers information on bead weaving and chainmail, including elementary bead weaving stitches and how to make your own jump rings. This section alone would be valuable to any jewelry maker.

The 25 projects in Beadmaille are each totally unique. The illustrations and instructions are clear and easy to follow.

One of Beadphoria’s beginning bead weaving students was particularly struck by the Caterpillar bracelet. It is a beautiful design with green beads and copper rings intertwined. Whereas for me, the mixture of stringing and beadmaille really caught my eye in the Celtic Lace necklace.

If you are looking to expand your bead weaving, chainmail skills, or looking to try something new, this is a great book for you!

Special Note: Author Cindy Thomas Pankopf will be offering kits for some of her projects on her website.

If you have any questions about beading, or beading and jewelry making books, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com.

“FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: All items in the previous post, specifically referenced as from Lark Books, were provided by Lark Books for review purposes.”

Beadphoria Library: Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry

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978-0-87119-274-8, bead, beading, Beading Books, beading design, beading techniques, beading tips, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, beads, Cathy Jakicic, chain, creative beading, Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry, inspiration, jewelry design, jewelry for kids, jewelry making, make your own jewelry, memory jewelry, metal, metal hole punch, mixed media in jeelry making, resin, Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Title: Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry

Author: Cathy Jakicic

ISBN: 978-0-87119-274-8

Pages: 96

Price: $21.95

Level: Adv. Beginner – Intermediate

Tired of the same old charm bracelet as a jewelry memory keepsake? The new book Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry by Cathy Jakicic gives you so many fresh options; you’ll be looking for occasions to make projects from this book.

Immediately, Beadphoria was impressed by the amount of photographs of the projects and accompanying steps. The colors are vivid and each project is easy to follow along.

The diversity of the projects makes it easy to find something for everyone at every age. A bracelet to encourage reading for a grade school student, a baby clothes swatch pendent for a new mother, even friendship rings that would be a unusual way a grandmother to show off pictures of her grandchildren.

Beadphoria loved the various techniques used in Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry.  It is a gold mine of information. You will come away with ideas for using resin, metal hole punches, incorporating chain,  how to use wrapping paper left over from a shower or wedding to make beads, and many more.

Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry is a must for every beader’s library.

If you have any questions about beading, or beading books, feel free to contact me directly at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com . Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of www.Beadphoria.com .

Beadphoria Library: Visual Quick Tips Beading

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978-0-47034383-8, bead, Beading Books, beading design, beading techniques, beading tips, Beadphoria, Beadphoria Library, Beadphoria.com, beads, Chris Franchetti Michaels, creative beading, creativity, inspiration, jewelry design, jewelry making, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Visual Quick Tips Beading, www.Beadphoria.com

If there is anything that Beadphoria loves almost as much as beads, its books about beading. From time to time, Beadphoria will highlight a book from their library. Here is today’s title.

Title: Visual Quick Tips Beading

Author: Chris Franchetti Michaels

ISBN: 978-0-47034383-8

Pages: 210

Price: $14.99

Levels: Beginner – Intermediate

This great little book condenses several beading books into one handy guide.  Lot of pictures and easy to follow instructions make this book a must have in your beading library. The small size of Visual Quick Tips Beading makes it easy to take along. An added bonus is the book is spiral bound, so it lays flat when open on your work surface.

Beginners will find everything they need to know to start beading in one place.  The book describes a multitude of beads and beading supplies.  Next, it instructs on how to do basic stringing is such a way that beginners will be completing their first piece in no time.

More experienced jewelry makers will appreciate the many different techniques covered. Some of the topics are Peyote stitch, how to macramé with beads, making a beaded faux pendant bail, and several different ways to finish off your necklace or bracelet.

The appendix is extremely useful and includes a reference guide that has information that beader’s have always wanted in one place.

If you have any questions about beading, or beading books, feel free to contact me directly at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com . Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of www.Beadphoria.com .