Our regular “get-away” consists of an 8 hour (7 if I am driving) drive to the Ozark Mountains.  There, we have a small home built into the side of a clif, overlooking Crooked Creek, a mostly lazy, but full of fish, lovely creek. We escaped last weekend, partly on business, but mostly to be refreshed.  With lots of rain this spring,  our 14 acres was like a dense forest. The driveway, 1/2 mile in length, very, very steep, and very, very crooked, had lost alot of its gravel.  The weather was our friend, until Sunday night.  Storms rolled in, and, decided to park for about 8 hours.  Getting up early on Monday, still cloudy, I walked onto the patio to view my sweet creek now a raging river, complete with rapids and debris.   Being at least 20 feet up the side of the clif, no danger for us, but, still very ominous.  Bags packed, bathrooms cleaned, it was time for us to say good-bye and get back to work.  As I made my way upward around the 1st turn, a tree blocked my path.  Not terribly big, we got out of the car and managed to pull and push the obstacle just enough for my car to get by.  Again, we round the next curve, only to find a HUGE tree, uprooted, daring us to get by.  The only solution, a chain saw.  Our brave little chain saw was not much of a match for this Goliath.  But, after 5 and 1/2 hours, Ron managed to carve a small path, freeing us from our driveway.  The little town of Harrison, AR, was hard hit, as well.  Trees down all over town and flooding.  Our little drama short-lived, their drama much more severe.  My heart goes out to all who are experiencing the wrath of Mother Nature.  May your driveways be straight and clear.  

Susie Henderson
Owner, Auntie’s Beads

Ever wondered how much you can save with Auntie’s Beads?  Let me count the ways!

Newsletter Coupons - Make sure you are signed up for our free newsletter.  You’ll get updated each week with the latest coupon discounts, online videos, exclusive designs and contests.  It’s the number one way to stay in the know!
 
Auntie’s Beader’s Advantage - Auntie’s Beader’s Advantage members take 10% off every order they place with Auntie’s Beads for a full year, plus have their purchases shipped for free and earn Rewards Points.  Speaking of free shipping, we always ship for free inside the continental United States when you spend $25 with us! 
 
Magazine Coupons - We also offer special coupons in many of the beading industry magazines such as Bead&Button, BeadStyle and BeadTrends.
 
Tiered Pricing - Look for our products with tiered pricing and get quantity discounts using these coupon codes:
 
TIER10 - 10% off list price, $400.00 minimum
TIER15 - 15% off list price, $1000.00 minimum

Quantity Discounts - Check out the huge selection in our Discount Beads category regularly for very cost-effective beads going into retirement. 

Organization Products - Our beading organization products will keep your beads in a safe place so you don’t lose them.
 
Seed Bead Mixes - Try our ready-made seed bead mixes so you don’t have to worry about creating new color combinations for every new design.
 
Bead Bucks - Put Auntie’s Bead Bucks on your Birthday and Christmas list! 

Wow!  It even surprises me sometimes how many ways you can save money by being one of our beloved Auntie’s Beaders!

Many people have questions about which beading wire to use for what project.  “Should I use the 19 strand, .015” or the 49 strand, .018”?  How do you know which one will work best?”  Well, after many years of playing around with beading wire—and many mistakes along the way—I may have learned a thing or two.

7 Strand Wire is composed of 7 tiny strands of wire coated in nylon.  When I first started beading, I exclusively used 7 strand wire for two reasons.  First of all, it is very economically priced. Secondly, it comes in fun colors so it is great for illusion necklaces or any other jewelry creations where your wire will be exposed.  It is stronger than Tiger Tail (which is what you may find at local craft and hobby stores) and it is pretty flexible.  This wire is perfect for beginners or for simple beaded projects that are relatively lightweight. 

19 Strand Wire is made of 19 tiny strands of wire coated in nylon.  The thing I love about 19 strand wire is that, while it is stronger than 7 strand wire, it also tends to be more flexible.  I use 19 strand wire for every beading project that involves seed beads, as well as for any beaded jewelry designs that require weaving or passing through the same bead more than once.  This wire is the perfect combination of flexibility and strength—and the price is reasonable, too!

49 Strand Wire is made of 49 tiny strands of wire coated in nylon.  This is the wire the pros use.  The most expensive of the Beadalon wires, it is also the most flexible and durable.  It lays wonderfully and never kinks.  It is strong enough to hold gemstones and will not be frayed by crystals or glass.  This wire is great for just about any beading project you can imagine!

Diameter is a relatively simple concept once you understand the difference between 7 Strand, 19 Strand, and 49 Strand wire.  The diameter number actually refers to the millimeter measurement of the wire.  For example, a .012” wire is .30mm while a .015” wire is .38mm.  Most designers will probably use a .018” wire for stringing the majority of the time.  This diameter—whether you are using a 7, 19, or 49 Strand wire—will work with just about any bead.  An exception to this rule would be stringing pearls; generally speaking, a 19 Strand wire in a .015” is best when working with pearls because the hole is so small.  Another exception to the .018” rule is stringing very large beads or beads with larger holes.  49 Strand wire comes in a .036”, which is perfect for those larger, chunkier, heavier beads.

Click to view project examples using different types of wire…  
19 Strand wire with a .012” diameter
19 Strand wire with a .015” diameter
49 Strand wire with a .015” diameter
49 Strand wire with a .018” diameter

Shanna Steele
Designer, Auntie’s Beads

Instructions and Materials for our top 5 winning projects in 2008 Auntie’s Beading Idol are now ready for viewing. Just go to our Auntie’s Idol page in our Learning Center and click on 2008 Winners to see all (5) projects.

As I was leaving WalGreens the other day, I couldn’t help but notice a man in shorts following very closely behind me.  As I walked to my car, he stayed step for step with me.  My heart beating faster and keys in hand, I opened my car door, threw my bag on the other seat and immediately locked my door.  I looked at the confused man, he is still standing right by my drivers seat door, looking through me, as if he doesn’t know where he is.  Deciding to drive away quickly, I get my key, ready to start the car.  Then, I was confused.  Something didn’t seem right, not everything was familiar.  And the key did not fit.  Reality set in.  I was in HIS car.  I looked to my right to see my car parked next to the one I was trying to steal.  I grabbed my bag, unlocked his car door manually, and stepped out.  Looking at the man, I said “You really should lock your car doors.”  Smiles coupled with relief shown on his face as he agreed and said “I thought I really lost my mind”.  To which I replied “No, I’m the crazy one in this senario.”  I was still apologizing as he sped away from this crazy woman.  Getting into my car, I could not stop laughing.  It must be the Texas heat.

Susie Henderson
Owner, Auntie’s Beads

For those of you who have yet to see our brand new online video series, “Bead Tube“, we would like to invite you as we discuss tips on how to improve your beading business, presented by Susie Henderson, Auntie’s Beads’ Owner.  We have already made three episodes and are very excited to bring you more in the future.

 
Our first three videos include discussions on home shows, displaying your jewelry, an interview with our 2008 Auntie’s Beading Idol winner and much more.  Upcoming videos will include more on home shows and how to price your pieces so stay tuned in to Auntie’s Bead Tube!

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!