Love that Lapis

What we like best about these 8mm lapis heishi beads are their exotic beauty. Not quite blue, not quite green or yellow, these beads display an earthy blend of color that lends itself to many jewelry possibilities. Imagine these beads in a choker strand necklace with a long, batik-patterned dress. Complement with a bracelet or anklet with the same beads and you have the perfect look for summer, beads that match any skin tone.

Be sure to stock up now on the lapis while you can. Summer projects keep us busy, and our beaders are collecting supplies for various projects. Don't forget to check our calendar to see what exciting classes we are offering this June.

If Midas could see us now

We would bet even the gold-loving king would take up beading to get his hands on our Gold-Filled Round Half-Hard Wire.

This wire wears like gold because the outer surface is 14K gold - it should be cleaned periodically with hot water and mild soap which will help insure its brightness and wearability. This is a great item to have if you enjoy creating fancy jewelry that looks store bought. Priced by the foot, you'll enjoy this item for miles and miles.

Hanging by a thread

Nylon threads resist breakdown by sunlight, or weak acids or alkalis and are color and sunlight resistant. They have poor resistance to strong chlorine bleaching, but pool chlorine is still safe. Nylon stretches a lot like silk does. This thread is the most commonly used beading fiber and is readily available.

Thought all beading threads were the same? You'd be surprised to know that certain threads work better than others when it comes to making beautiful beaded jewelry. About Threads has some terrific information on the types of threads used commonly in beading projects. As always, too, you can drop us a line (no pun intended) at our website and ask us which type of thread or cord would be appropriate for what you want to create.

Kyanite Oval Beads

If you want to get technical about Kyanite, you can take a (web) page from Wikipedia, which reads in part:

Kyanite, whose name derives from the Greek, kyanos, meaning blue, is a typically blue silicate mineral, commonly found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and/or sedimentary rock. Kyanite is a diagnostic mineral of the Blueschist Facies of metamorphic rocks.

Kyanite is a member of the aluminosilicate series, which includes the polymorph andalusite and the polymorph sillimanite. Kyanite is strongly anisotropic, in that its hardness varies depending on its crystallographic direction. While this is a feature of almost all minerals, in kyanite this anisotropism can be considered an identifying characteristic.

Of course, we don't need long, scientific words to know that kyanite gemstone beads make very alluring jewelry. Buy a strand or two of these beads for a matching bracelet or necklace set...people will think you spent hundreds of dollars at a jewelry shop for this stunning look!

A rose for Mom

With Mother's Day on the way, now is the time to think of a gift. Only the best for Mom will do, and we certainly believe nothing says "I love you" better than something homemade, something from the heart.

In our regular Internet for the best of beading patterns, we came across this delightful page for creating a beaded rose. All you needs are a few hundred beads, some #16 floral wire, and the time to devote to creating something beautiful for Mom. It's a wonderful project that definitely suits our selection of red, pink, white or yellow Japanese seed beads, which are still 30% off if you order online. Only the best for Mom!

Ole!

Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching, but you still have time to create a quick and fun bead decoration. We found these patterns for beaded chili pepper, cactus, and maracas designs. Cute and quick, these would be great for keychains or decorative pendants.