Auntie’s Blog

Well, summer has come at last. Or does it start in mid-June…..? The point is, it’s hot. At least it is here in Texas. No matter, because either way we’re going to have to accessorize ourselves for the beach!

There are many creative ways to show off your awesome creations. One simple way to add some style to your look is to decorate your sunglasses, sandals, basically anything you wish to sport as you soak in the suns rays. And if you’re a big reader, then why not make a beaded bookmark. Click to see instructions for how to create our “Blooming Bookmark”.

When i go to the beach, i usually just choose my favorite pair of big earrings because, let’s face it, at the beach, bigger is better. But if you like to make a splash at the beach with your jewelry peices, here are a couple ideas that are perfect for such an occasion.

When making your beaded jewelry designs for the beach, it’s always a great idea to use natural beads, such as freshwater pearls and shell beads. Swarovski Crystal is also great, allowing the sun to shine through for extra shimmer. Here are some great colors to try - aqua, colorado topaz, smoked topaz, turquoise, cream, blue zircon, golden shadow & white alabaster.

I love my backyard.  It is my oasis, lush and green with mature trees hiding the road behind.  A few weeks ago, Bubba, my 135 pound golden retreiver, discovered Momma Duck laid her precious eggs in the tall grass plant behind our pool.  So, wanting nature to take its course, we carefully patrolled the comings and goings of Bubba, who is very curious about the large eggs.  Sunday morning, I grabbed my favorite cup filled with my favorite beverage (coffee, of course), and headed for my oasis.  I opened the back door to see Momma Duck, followed by 8 babies and headed directly for my pool.  Momma Duck swam the length of the pool with the babies closely behind.  Back and forth in my blue swimming pool, the  baby ducks learned to swim.  Before the morning was over, Momma Duck gathered her precious ones together and headed for the creek.  Seeing nature in action is a miraculous sight.  I will never forget Momma Duck and her babies. 

Susie Henderson
Owner, Auntie’s Beads

Congratulations to Melissa Reid, our 2008 Auntie’s Beading Idol winner.  This year’s contest had a great turnout:  definitely the best one yet.  We were so excited to see all of your beautiful and unique designs. Melissa, from Keller, TX, came out on top this year with her lovely Wire Wrapped Bracelet.  If you’d like to see more of her work, she has many awesome pieces available for purchase at her website, www.creekbeddesigns.com.

We want to take this opportunity to personally thank all of our participants for making this such a great and successful contest.  We can’t wait for next year!

Complete instructions and material listings for our five winners will be available shortly so look for those in our 2008 Beading Idol Results page.  They will also be located in our Projects.  Feel free to leave a comment about any one of these beautiful pieces or any general inquiries or comments about our Beading Idol Competition.  Thanks.

Anyone who shops at Auntie’s Beads knows that we love giving all you fabulous beaders out there tons of new design ideas.  But, if you just can’t seem to get enough beaded jewelry designs, there is a new bead magazine that is chock full of great jewelry projects called Bead Trends.  It’s very big, more like a book really. And they only have 6 issues a year, so be sure to get them all.

What’s great about this magazine is that there are so many gorgeous projects and the pictures in it look very professional. They have a “Designer Highlight” section where they showcase a particular jewelry designer and share about 5 to 10 of their own creations that include instructions so that you can make it yourself.  If you would like to submit a design of your own to be included in an upcoming issue, just send an image of your creation along with your contact information.  Be sure to look out for Auntie’s Beads coupons when reading Bead Trends for discounts on our beads and beading supplies!

As a long time beader, I have gotten a little smarter in the beading department. So I, along with the help of the rest of Auntie’s family, have decided to develop a helpful list of beading tips that will hopefully save you time and money, spark some creativity and improve your overall beading experiences. Here is a sample of our upcoming 101 Beading Tips category, which will go live sometime in the near future in our Learning Center. And feel free to leave a comment regarding any interesting and useful beading tips you may have…

 1.   To get an antique look to your silver or other metal, you must oxidize your piece. For a cheap way to add this look, use a hard boiled egg. Remove the shell, cut the egg into quarters, place in a sealed container with your earrings, etc. and remove when adequately oxidized.

2.  To  keep your beads from falling off your wire while working on a necklace or bracelet, use a bead stopper. If you drop your beads, they stay on and you don’t have to start over. If you do not wish to purchase a bead stopper, you can simply use masking tape, taping it to itself to make sort of a tab.

3.  When showcasing your jewelry at a show, find out which way the flow of traffic is coming from. If it’s mostly left to right, place your least expensive items on the left and most expensive on the right. You want their eyes to see progressively better items as they scan and hopefully you’ll have reeled them in with the last pieces, the high-end ones.

4.If you give away earrings to family or friends, give them away in three’s rather than pairs. One will inevitably get lost and they will be grateful that you gave them a third.

5. To aid in getting your bracelet noticed, try using a fairly heavy toggle to give weight to the bottom of the bracelet. The lighter side of the bracelet will naturally stay on top of your wrist with your centerpiece or focal point where it gets the most attention.

6.  Even if you don’t weave or do intricate bead work, always keep seed beads in basic colors on hand. They make great (and inexpensive) spacers when working with a monochromatic color pallet.

7.  To prevent scratches on wire jewelry, wrap masking tape around the ends of your pliers. A couple of layers and your scratch-proof!

8.  Invest in a color wheel. It will help you think outside the box when it comes to color dyads and triads. You will never feel as though you are in a color rut again!

9.  If you find yourself in a bit of a creative slump, try working with a specific kind of bead as to limit your options. This will help focus your mind.

10.  To keep your sterling silver wire from tarnishing, apply some VO5 hairdressing cream. Rub it in with your fingers and wipe off with a soft cloth.

Your beaded jewelry designs are in and we’re reading to rock n roll. We’ve chosen our top 12 designs you’ve submitted for this years Auntie’s Beading Idol and are very excited to get your votes in. The 12 project designs were chosen by our design team and will be visible Monday, May 5th, which is also the day that voting begins, so get ready. The voting process will begin with dropping 2 designs a day that had the least amount of votes. For the full voting schedule, go to our Beading Idol page or consult the weekly newsletter. And yes, you will be able to vote more than once. We’re allowing each person to vote once every day. So come on by and help decide who will be the next Auntie’s Idol and Good Luck to our entrants!

Hello Auntie’s Beaders and welcome to our new blog!

I decided it was time for a change, so we started by having a blog that will be similar to the old one but will also include updates of what’s going on at AuntiesBeads.com as well as all sorts of fun beading information all across the board, the “beading board”, if you will. Anyway, check this page regularly to see what’s goin down here at Aunties’.  

Susie Henderson,
Auntie’s Beads Owner