Swarovski Crystal

If you go down to the woods today.

If you go down to the woods today.

Golden leaves tumble and twist, cheeks glow apple-red with cold, and a brisk wind whips the woodland floor into a frenzy of excitement. The forest is a place of natural exchange, sharing and inspiration, and this month’s ruffle bracelet project was born of such beginnings.
Whistle down the wind
Returning to the studio after an invigorating forest walk, we felt inspired to create a piece of jewellery that reflected the crisp freshness of the breeze, the dancing exhilaration of the lea[..]

Categories: Jewellery Making, Beads, How to Bead

Deck The Halls!

Deck The Halls!

Your guide to creating exquisite, floral, hand-crafted table favours, cracker gifts and stocking fillers this Christmas.
When it comes to Christmas, most of us don’t have the time or inclination to try and achieve an all-out handmade nirvana a la Kirsty Allsop. Yet, finding original, quirky, personalised gifts and stocking-fillers for friends and family who, let’s face it, have everything anyway, is always something of a headache. You want them to love what you’ve given them[..]

Categories: Handmade Cracker gifts, Handmade Christmas

Mother’s Day Masterclass 2017

Mother’s Day Masterclass 2017

Mother’s Day is nearly upon us, and we wanted to invite you all to raise a glass (bead!) in celebration of cherished mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law everywhere!
As a special thank-you to mothers far and wide, we’ve put together a FREE ring-making masterclass which we hope you will enjoy sharing with your family and friends this Mothering Sunday.

We’ve kept the technical aspects of this project super simple so that it can be enjoyed by all abiliti[..]

Categories: Beads, How to Bead, Glass Beads, Jewellery Design, Jewellery Making

Three-step beginner’s guide to necklace making with Czech glass beads.

Three-step beginner’s guide to necklace making with Czech glass beads.

Going ‘back to basics’ with jewellery design doesn’t actually mean creating a piece that looks amateurish or simplistic. Far from it. When you’re working with Czech glass beads, which are vibrant and striking in their own right, it’s often the purest designs which allow the intricacies of the beads to sing the loudest.
Simply the best
This month, we have put together a three-step guide to creating this beautiful triangle drop necklace, which uses only the simp[..]

Categories: How to Bead, Jewellery Making, The Design Studio

What colour is your Christmas?

What colour is your Christmas?

Traditional or modern?
Pine-scented trees, sparkly baubles, twinkling lights, red-nosed reindeer, ruddy-cheeked Santa, brandy-soaked puddings, holly, ivy, mistletoe and presents galore…
These are just some of the things that shout Christmas louder than any collective jingle of Christmas Number Ones blasted from high street stereos each winter, assaulting us with their dubious Christmas cheer. Bah humbug!

Roll back the blatant commercialism of Christmas though, and underneath [..]

Categories: How to Bead, Jewellery Design

Czech glass and Swarovski Macramé Bracelet

Czech glass and Swarovski Macramé Bracelet

Macramé knotting using fine diameter thread
When the small holes in the prettiest glass beads are too small for your normal choice of thread; Griffin Bead Cord is an ideal solution for micro macramé work.
Griffin Bead Cord comes in a variety of diameters, and has a distinctive twist to its form. The tutorial features 0.8mm diameter Griffin bead cord, within this Macramé bracelet design. The needle is integrated within the twist of the Griffin bead cord increasing desig[..]

Categories: How to Bead

Make Designer Hoop Earrings

Make Designer Hoop Earrings

Discover the jewellery making techniques required to createDesigner Hoop Earrings. Easily achieve professional standards, while learning new skills. Explore new design concepts and possibilities.
Most of all discover new ways in which to unlock your own creative potential!

What do you need
The simplest designs often produce the most stunning results.Sterling silver, Black Finish beads and components, are fashioned in conjunction, with Swarovski® Light chrome bicone beads; to cr[..]

Categories: How to Bead

The History Of Beads – 20 Fascinating Facts!

The History Of Beads – 20 Fascinating Facts!

We tend to think of decorative jewellery as a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that early humans may have created and worn beaded jewellery up to 75,000 years ago, making it one of the world’s oldest expressions of individuality and status.
Did you know?

Two beads made from ostrich eggshell were discovered by archaeologists in Tanzania in 2004, and are thought to be around 70,000 years old. They are believed to be the world’s earliest [..]

Categories: The History of Beads, Glass Beads, Beads

Bead Coordinator

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