Katie's Beading Blog

New Katiedids Unveiled!

2012-01-29T12:35:00.001-05:00

Today's the day! Beadalon's catalog 32 is here. Check out the scalloped edges on my new Katiedids (tm) channel findings. They add a lot of sparkle!

I'm at the CHA show introducing the new decorative edge Katiedids, a new oval shape, a square and my new book, Live Wire Jewelry. Stay tuned...

Live Wire Jewelry is Here!

2012-01-24T18:40:00.002-05:00

I'm getting ready to head out to the Craft & Hobby Association Winter Conference & Tradeshow and the Tucson Gems Shows. Bags are getting packed, new jewelry is being made, nails are getting painted...it's a travel-ready frenzy around here!

I hope to see you while I'm on the road. I'll be demonstrating projects from my new book, Live Wire Jewelry, which is now available (along with a new kit and some other goodies!) on my website and through your favorite bookseller or bead shop.

Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Conference and Trade Show

Anaheim, California

Live Wire Jewelry sneak peek and demonstration

Sunday, Jan. 29, 11-noon in the Beadalon booth

Panel Discussion: Beading Trends for 2012

Sunday, Jan. 29, 3-5pm

Beadalon Workshop: Artistic Wire Mesh & Katiedids

Sunday, Jan. 29, 6:30-8:30pm

Book signing and Live Wire Jewelry demonstration

Monday, Jan. 30, 10:30 in the North Light/F+W Media booth

To Bead True Blue

Reid Park Doubletree in Tucson, Arizona

Tuesday, Jan. 31 demo in the Beadalon booth all day

Create Your Style in Tucson

The Westin Paloma in Tucson, Arizona

Wednesday, Feb. 1 workshops and make-it-take-it

To Bead True Blue

Reid Park Doubletree in Tucson, Arizona

Thursday, Feb. 2, 11am demo and make-it-take-it in the TierraCast booth

Beading with Kids

2012-01-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

My kiddos love to "do beads like mommy" and they've accumulated lots of treasures. Some of their favorites include coprolite (aka fossilized Dino poo), lava beads and anything sparkly.

We have a lot of fun beading together. I'm in charge of cutting the beading wire or cord and attaching a Beadstopper. Then, they're on their own. I love seeing their creations!

There are some safety concerns when beading with kids. The biggest ones are fairly obvious: you have to supervise and you need to look for kid-safe, lead-free products.

We have a lot of large-hole beads because they're easy to string. Once your kids or grandkids are bigger, you can use any beads that your budget allows.

Right now, my kids like making simple necklaces (see one of my daughter's creations here). We've done some stretchy bracelets, but they come back to necklaces every time. They love giving them for gifts!

Are You a Beading Goddess?

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm counting down the days until the Craft and Hobby Association Conference and Tradeshow at the end of this month. I love seeing new products and catching up with friends in the industry. Speaking of new...

Here's a project for all of you beading goddesses out there! My friend and fellow Beadalon Design Team Member, Julianna Hudgins, is the proud creator of a new line of die cuts for Spellbinders Paper Arts. They're hosting a Blog Frenzy today, so hop over and check it out.

The Jewel Goddess #LF-013 shown at center in the picture above is the actual die. My friend Nikia and I ran it through a Spellbinders Grand Caliber cutting/embossing machine with some Shrinky Dinks Frosted Ruff and Ready shrinkable plastic. Then, we colored our goddesses with colored pencils and followed the manufacturer's instructions for shrinking them in the oven. This is a fun, easy way to make your own pendants and charms! I think they'd make great ornaments, too.

When our pendants came out of the oven, we let them cool and then beaded those girls right up! I turned Nikia's sunshine goddess into a fun little purse fob/keychain and my island goddess into the focal point for a necklace. I immediately thought this would be a great gift for my midwife, but these would be fun gifts for any girlfriend in need of a boost.

Julianna's new line features a bunch of other inspiring elements, including swirly graphics that would make lovely links: check it out and enter the gigantic Spellbinders Blog Frenzy giveaway on her blog. To enter, visit Julianna's blog and follow the instructions. I welcome your comments on this post, but they won't be considered as Blog Frenzy entries. Thanks to Spellbinders for providing the dies and cutting machine for this review. Now, go get your goddess on!

Bead & Button Show Class Registration Open

2012-01-10T21:40:00.001-05:00

It's that time already! Bead & Button Show class registration opened today. It always seems so early but classes do sell out so I recommend making your plans now, while all of your top choices are still available. We always have a great time and the Marketplace is awe-inspiring.

I'm excited to show you the workshops I'll be teaching at the Bead & Button Show this year. I'll also be teaching the first one at CREATE YOUR STYLE in Tucson, Arizona in just a few short weeks. The other three classes are based on concepts from my newest book, Live Wire Jewelry. Hope to see you in class!

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B121997 SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, Beadalon, and TierraCast Present: Crystal Prints Cascade

Katie Hacker
Fri. June 8 • 8:30am-11:30am - (3 hours)

I love these crystal prints and you can never go wrong with a cascade necklace. We'll combine several stringing and wirework techniques in this class.

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B121967 SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS and Beadalon Present:

Dreamhouse Not Included

Katie Hacker
Fri. June 8 • 1:00pm-4:00pm - (3 hours)

We'll be coiling, twisting and wrapping our way toward all -out pinkaliciousness!

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B121976 SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, Beadalon, and TierraCast Present: Crystal Encrusted Jewelry Set

Katie Hacker
Sat. June 9 • 9:00am-noon - (3 hours)

Three projects in one! Lots of wire wrapping with (almost) instant results. Take a close-up look at the earrings. Yum. These are the new Innovations colors for Spring/Summer 2012.

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B121982 SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS and Beadalon Present: Very Aqua

Katie Hacker
Sat. June 9 • 2:00pm-5:00pm - (3 hours)

This one is an aqua version of the cover project from Live Wire Jewelry. I can't help it - Pacific opal with indicolite is one of my favorite color combinations.

T-Shirt Scarf Necklace

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here's my version of the t-shirt scarf necklace that has been floating around on the interwebs. It's a great upcycling project - it's fun, fast and gives new life to an old piece of clothing. My friend Tonya showed me how to make these before the holidays (thanks, T!) and I've made a bunch of them since then. I made a more elaborate, beaded version for the next series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels, but I've been wearing this gray one all the time.

Old, soft cotton t-shirts work best. If you use a new shirt, I recommend washing it at least once before slicing and dicing. Striped and other multicolor shirts create interesting effects, just keep in mind that the printed side will roll to the inside of the t-shirt strings. Any size shirt will work: bigger shirts make longer scarves that you can wrap around multiple times. Smaller shirts might only fit once around your neck but you can stack several together. It's easy to experiment.

The first thing you need to do is cut the shirt from side seam to side seam, from armpit to armpit. You also cut off the bottom seam. This is basically the body of the shirt and it creates a tube. Next, fold the shirt in half so the side seams touch, then cut 1" strips. You can use scissors or a rotary cutter.

Now, stretch the shirt from side-to-side and the strips will start to roll up. Cut an extra strip of t-shirt off the scraps and use it to gather and tie up the side seam. Repeat for the other side so you have a stringy circle. You can really stretch it out a lot to make the scarf longer and the t-shirt strings tighter. One way to stretch it is to stand on one side of the circle and pull the other side upward.

This is a fun project for craft night: pass it on!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:30:00.001-05:00

This is one of my latest everyday wear necklaces. I originally made it as one of the drops for a necklace with multiple pendants, but I wanted a simpler, more casual version. I've been wearing it pretty much nonstop for the last couple of weeks!

The frame is a hematite Wrapper with matching chain and gunmetal Artistic Wire from Beadalon, along with beads and pearls from SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. This technique is super simple but it has great results. More wire ideas are coming soon in my new book, Live Wire Jewelry, which will be released later this month!

I took this picture during the most recent Beads, Baubles & Jewels taping to honor the stuff that got me through the week. It seems like a fitting materials list for the coming year, too! There's some hair goo, delicious tea, throat spray, trail mix and a C47 (that's the TV-world term for a clothespin).

Christmas Came Early!

2011-12-18T15:27:00.001-05:00

My review copy of Live Wire Jewelry arrived late yesterday. Yay! I can't wait to share this book with you.

Live Wire Jewelry is available for pre-order on my website www.katiehacker.com or through your favorite bookshop. It will ship in about a month.

Last Minute Gifts

2011-12-14T13:36:00.001-05:00

This is a super quick necklace/bracelet. You can whip it up in minutes! The cords are overhand-knotted together after each bead. You can use any of your beady treasures to make the clasp. Happy holidays!

I used large-hole pearls from Ta Pearls, owl bead from Green Girl Studios, leather from Beadalon and sparkly thread from Kreinik.

Check This Out! Everyday Bracelet

2011-12-09T06:50:00.001-05:00

The amazing Cynthia Deis from Ornamentea was here yesterday to film a Beads, Baubles & Jewels segment showing us how to make this chic little Everyday Bracelet. We finished taping a little early (that never happens) and, would you believe it, at the end of the day we all gathered around a table in the green room to make our own bracelets! Cynthia is a great teacher and these bracelets are totally addictive. I'm going to make a stack! The episode will air in Spring 2012. Stay tuned...

Beading for Good

2011-12-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

Today, we had a visit from Maryann Corey from www.theportableplayhouse.org. It was so nice to meet Maryann and hear her inspiring story in person. The Portable Playhouse is a non-profit organization that brings beading the bedside of hospitalized women and children.

Visit www.theportableplayhouse.org to learn more about The Portable Playhouse and how you can help by purchasing Silly Milly dolls, contributing to the World's Longest Beaded Necklace or becoming a volunteer.

Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming season of Beads, Baubles & Jewels!

Beads Baubles and Jewels

2011-12-05T18:36:00.001-05:00

You're going to love the next season of Beads, Baubles and Jewels! We had a fun day filming today, packed with great ideas. The series will air in spring 2012 but watch Facebook for behind the scenes pix all week. Here's the fabulous Fernando Dasilva.

Live Wire Jewelry: Cover Story

2011-11-07T11:36:00.003-05:00

My book, Live Wire Jewelry, is still slated for release in Dec/Jan but it has a new look! Check out the new cover. I was worried at first, because I liked the old cover. But, I have to admit that this one has a lighter feel, the project is more accessible and I really like the title at the top. Plus, it's PURPLE, the color of creativity!

The main reason for the change is the editor and stylist didn't think the darker feeling of the previous cover shot worked well for the internal photographs. They want the book to have a cohesive look, so the cover and inside shots need to work together.

It doesn't hurt matters that the project on the new cover is one of my best-selling workshops. I taught it at the Bead and Button Show and CREATE YOUR STYLE in Tucson last year, two of my favorite workshop venues. (I'll be doing an aqua version at BandB 2012, along with three other half-day workshops. I'm teaching two new projects in Tucson and registration just opened. Follow the link above for a complete CYS workshop guide.)

I hope the new cover inspires people to pick up the book! There are oodles of projects showing wire wrapping techniques combined with basic beading methods to create stylish, wearable jewelry.

More Wire Wrapping Pix

2011-11-04T14:53:00.003-04:00

Here it is! I finished the bracelet in time to wear it for the last couple of days at JTV's Jewel School Beading Event. I like the way the crystal bronze shade rounds sparkle against the dark gray bangle. I thought about using hematite color Artistic Wire, but I'm glad I went with silver instead. Silver really makes it pop.

The event was a blast. Everyone was excited to be there and it was fun to meet newbies and diehards who traveled from all over the States to attend. On my way home, I even had time to get a manicure in the airport. I don't know which was better: the massage chair or discovering my new favorite nail color (named "my private jet", of course).

I'll be posting pix from the event over on my Facebook page and I'm sure they'll be turning up on the Beadalon blog sometime soon, too. Thanks for reading!

Traveling Light: Beading on the Go

2011-10-26T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm heading back to Knoxville, TN for JTV's Jewel School Event. Fernando Dasilva and I will be on the live show sometime Thursday between 10-2 EST and we're joining about a dozen other instructors for a few days of beading at the JTV headquarters. Look out! It's going to be a wild ride.

The stacked bangle bracelet at the top of this post has been sitting in my to-do pile for a while now, so I grabbed it on the way out the door. I also tucked some 4mm SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, 24-gauge Artistic Wire and a pair of nail clippers in my bag. I usually treasure my reading time while flying, but I really want to wear this statement piece later today so I'm going to spend the flight wire-wrapping my little fingers off! I'll post a picture when I'm finished.

I get a lot of questions about beading while traveling. It makes sense because part of the reason I love beading is because it's so portable. My advice to you is: plan your project before you go so you can bring everything you'll need to finish it (or mostly finish it). I almost always end up wishing I'd brought one more thing with me, but it really helps to have a plan. Travel light: beads in resealable baggies or spill-proof containers, stringing materials, minimal tools. I could really use a pair of pliers for this project, but I decided to go without to avoid possible delays at security. Beadwork projects are also excellent for traveling because all you need are seeds, thread and clippers.

Wire Wrapping & Making Chain Tassels

2011-10-20T07:48:00.000-04:00

This is one of my latest bead and wire jewelry designs using Katiedids™ Creative Components. I've been wire-wrapping beads onto the frames a lot lately instead of stringing them and placing them inside the channels. Either way works, but I like the extra texture you get from wire wrapping. I've been using 22-gauge or 24-gauge for the wrapping. The heavier wire (22) gives the piece more structural integrity, while the lighter wire (24) is less obtrusive.

Tassels are popping up everywhere lately. They're easy to make and are a fun way to kick your designs up a notch. Here's a video clip from Beads, Baubles & Jewels where I show how to make chain bails and tassels. Here are some quick tassel earrings that would make an easy last-minute gift.

Absolutely Charming

2011-10-16T07:26:00.000-04:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know I love charms. This is a quick little necklace I whipped up two wear one day a few weeks ago and it has been in heavy rotation ever since. It's super simple, but it looks cool with my go-to wardrobe staple: the solid color v-neck t-shirt.

The charms are from a few of the places we've traveled as a family: Oregon, Florida, and South Carolina. The girl on the right is a replica of a statue in Charleston, SC - I wish I could remember the name of the company I bought it from inside the market - I'm a sucker for souvenir charms like these.

Click here to see a travel charm bracelet I've been making for my daughter.

Here's a quick last-minute charm necklace that's a variation of the one in the picture above.

You know it's bad when you start planning trips around the charms you can collect while you're there! Of course, you can take a virtual trip anytime and order charms online, but part of the fun is hunting for the treasure on your your adventures.

It's a Beading Frenzy!

2011-10-12T21:49:00.000-04:00

Yep, there's a beading frenzy going on around here this week! I have a few projects on the burner and I'm adding chain to absolutely everything. I think I draped this turquoisey necklace across my "browns" bead box when I answered the phone yesterday. When I got back to it, I just liked the way it looked laying there so I snapped this pic. It looks like Fall, doesn't it?

Besides the cooler temps and inspiring beauty outdoors, I love looking at all of the new magazines and catalogs that start the march to the holidays. Creative Jewelry arrived in my mailbox last week. Yippee! You'll recognize a lot of the designers in this issue, including yours truly. I don't know if it's actually bigger or if it just seems bigger, but this issue is jam-packed with inspiring designs. Definitely a good excuse to sit down with a yummy coffee drink and flip through the pages.

Check out the Blog Hop

2011-10-06T08:58:00.004-04:00

There's another Sizzix blog hop going on! I'm not participating this time around, but my pal Candie Cooper used Katiedids™ Creative Components in her oil cloth flower brooch for today's hop. I love this easy idea for making layered fabric flowers! Click over to her blog to read all about it and get links to the rest of the hoppers. Here's a link to a gift book and necklace I made during last year's Triple Play blog hop, too. Have a great day!

Thinking Pink in October

2011-10-04T20:53:00.001-04:00

Five years ago, I made this Survivor Bracelet for a friend who was getting ready to go through chemo. (Read more about the bracelet here.) I'm so happy to say that she is doing great and continually impresses me with her ability to juggle family, entrepreneurship, mad soccer skills and the rest of her life with grace.

There are so many ways to Think Pink this month:
• Make your cause bracelet stand out with this quick peyote project.
• Use awareness ribbon charms and pendants from Rio Grande.
• Visit or support Lonakana, a new beading retreat center for women in treatment and recovery from cancer.

Time to Sparkle

2011-09-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

This is a new design I've been working on. It took me forever to figure out the color palette. The new Swarovski Innovations: Fall/Winter 2012/13 were just released and I really wanted to use colors based on their trend predictions, which they describe like this:

"For Fall/Winter 2012/13, we detail five current cities that are impacting on and influencing the modern design world, capturing them in a snapshot of time. Letting all colors, all patterns and all worlds merge, we delve into the realm of the imagination to create a modern design language that speaks to a worldwide family."

This design is inspired by the palette they've based on Istanbul. I had to tweak my selections based on the beads in my stash. I used black Artistic Wire with Caribbean blue, fuchsia, Indian pink, crystal golden shadow and crystal bronze pearl. I can't wait to show you the rest of my design sometime soon!

Here's the goodie box of Innovations. You can see better pix at the link but I couldn't resist including a pic of the sample box. Doesn't it look like scrumptious? So many fun things! I love the new colors and cuts. You'll be seeing a lot more of these components in the coming months.

Super Simple Everyday Necklace

2011-09-18T12:21:00.001-04:00

This super simple necklace is the most recent example of one of my go-to patterns for large, lovely stones: stone rounds alternate with antique silver spacers and 8mm Indian sapphire crystals to the desired length. Add a double jump ring chain to the end so the length is adjustable.

It's a versatile style that dresses up a v-neck or collared shirt and you can use contrasting crystals to punch up the color, if you want to. This basic pattern works well with your favorite nuggets, rounds or coins. These painted jasper beads are going to look great with jeans, which is good because I'm finally breaking out the denim after this hot, hot summer!

Watch JTV's Jewel School Thursday!

2011-09-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

I'm heading back to Knoxville, TN for JTV's Jewel School on Thursday, September 8th! I'll be sharing a new Katiedids™ Creative Components kit along with fun ideas for Beadalon's memory wire, antique-look findings and more. (Click the JTV link for local viewing times.)

Here I am clowning around with my pal Margot Potter, the Education Director at Jewel School. Be sure to enter their Design Contest for the chance to win some amazing prizes. The contest ends on September 25, so go ahead and enter now!

More Bead Fest Pix

2011-09-01T10:34:00.003-04:00

Bead frames are so fun! I'm getting quite a collection. These turquoise flowers are the latest addition. And I had to have these decoupage beads from Priscilla Bead & Jewelry. So cute and colorful! There's Melanie's bicycle pendant again. I think I'm going to string it onto black leather cord with a few dangly beads for a sweet, simple necklace.

Yes, here's my go-to color palette again. What can I say? Black and white always looks good. I hadn't seen evil eye beads (wear them for luck and to ward off the evil eye) for a long time and saw a stack of them at the show. Had to have the white with black ones. And, I love this Earthenwood Studio porcelain timepiece pendant by Melanie Brooks. I've been thinking about animal prints lately, so these zebra-striped shell beads made my day.

I'm excited to try this new Ecopoxy Craft Resin from Ornamentea. It's organically based and has a flexible mixture ration so you don't have to be so very careful mixing the amounts. I'm planning to put it inside these pretty bracelets from Amate Studios. It looks like my small circular Katiedids™ channel finding will even fit inside the bezel cup. Yay!

You know I love design motifs and color palettes inspired by nature. Here are a few colorful, ceramic treasures from Diane Hawkey. I especially love the koi fish link and the Moms Rock bead - I had to have that! I also found starfish charms, faux abalone, freshwater pearls (Ta Pearls = great selection) and dyed teal quartz at the show. This smoky shade of turquoise is one of my favorite colors and it was everywhere at the show! Of course, I might have had it on the brain because I read Real Simple on the plane and teal was featured in their Fashion Made Easy feature.

Okay, that's all my pix for now! Head over to your favorite bead shop or craft store and get busy!

Bead Fest Pix

2011-08-25T21:16:00.009-04:00

Shopping + friends at Bead Fest Philadelphia = good times!

Everybody has her own way of shopping a bead show. My strategy is to walk the whole show, make mental notes and then go back and walk it again to make my purchases. Of course, there's some chatting and visiting along the way. I love this collection by Elaine Ray.

Tracy, Cynthia and me in the Ornamentea booth, home of these fun gals and so many beautiful things. You should visit their website for project sheets. I loved the creative spirit in the booth and hope to go to Raleigh someday to see the shop for myself!
I was lucky to catch up with world-class teacher Kim St. Jean during her lunch break. I'm pretty sure she never sits down! You'll get to see Kim on Beads, Baubles & Jewels and she also has a series of DVD's with Beaducation. Her newest is the Metal Fold Forming DVD. (That's her fold-formed bracelet in this pic.) I especially love her Bodacious Bangle.

This Earthenwood Studios pendant by Melanie Brooks really makes me smile. When we lived in the city, I spent a couple of years commuting by bike. Rain or shine, it was better by bike. Diane Hawkey has some lovely new designs, too. I think I'm smitten with ceramics.

Here's Wyatt White demonstrating wire wrapping in the Beadalon booth. That's my necklace up there on the Artistic Wire banner. Woo hoo! There were a lot of great demonstrations going on during the show: Atlantic Gems, Crystal Clay and Beaducation all showed a variety of techniques.

I love the shopping, but it really is nice to get to catch up with friends at these things. I'm so lucky to hang out with these amazingly talented people. Here's Leslie Rogalski, me, Fernando Dasilva and Tammy Honaman.

Can you believe Fernando made this gorgeous flan? A work of art. Daliciuus, darling!

Creative Collaborations

2011-08-18T05:00:00.001-04:00

I like to give Beadalon's education director, Wyatt White, a hard time about the huge mess he makes anytime he's demonstrating new products at shows. But, the truth is, sometimes a mess can work to your advantage! At CHA last month, I picked up a piece of chain he'd been working on and it inspired me to create this matching wire-wrapped pendant.

Collaborating on a project is a great way to infuse new color palettes, techniques and other ideas into your work. I can't guarantee that you'll find anything as gorgeous as Wyatt's chain in any old pile of leftovers, but I do recommend trading with a friend. Round robins, Internet swaps and bead soup nights are all easy ways to get your own creative collaborations going!

In case you're wondering about our design: Wyatt used 16-gauge Artistic Wire to make silver S-hooks. He also made twisted jump rings from 16-gauge gold and 18-gauge silver. He connected double S-hooks between jump rings. For the pendant, I banded three 16-gauge silver wires together in three places using 16-gauge gold then folded them upward around the stone and banded them at the top. You can get great instructions on stone setting in Wyatt's book, Wire Wrapping Components & Stone Setting.

Making Sparkly Shoes

2011-08-15T09:05:00.003-04:00

My fellow CREATE YOUR STYLE Ambassador, June Beach, told the best story recently about her daughter's sparkly shoes: June bought a bunch of crystal flatbacks, glued them onto a pair of sparkly shoes for her daughter, and sent her to school in her fancy shoes. When her daughter got home, most of the sparkles were missing. June was shocked. "What happened to all of your crystals?!" And her daughter basically says, "all of the kids wanted one."

When June told me this story, I could only think of the children's story Rainbow Fish. We had a good mama's laugh about it. Of course, sparkle isn't cheap, but how can you get mad at your child for wanting to spread the sparkle?

A few weeks after hearing this story, I found these awesome rainbow shoes in the sale bin for my daughter. I knew just what to do! I used clear drying epoxy to glue 4mm and 6mm flatbacks across the toes. I won't mind too much if she shares some of her sparkles, but hopefully there will be a few crystals left at the end of the day!

Super Simple Choker

2011-08-03T07:20:00.002-04:00

Here's an idea for a simple beaded choker. The base of the necklace is made from memory wire and the repeating pattern combines shades of gray and silver. (If you don't want a choker, you could string the pattern onto beading wire and add a clasp.) I filled the Katiedids™ Creative Components pendants with 3mm round mixed metallic glass beads and added a little bit of wire wrapping to give it a handmade feel. You could make it even easier by adding just one pendant instead of the trio.

More Bracelets!

2011-07-30T15:17:00.004-04:00

So, our babysitter comes over the other day and announces that she and her girlfriends are going shopping for bracelets to wear in a wedding this weekend. Hold the phone! I sweep her into my studio and we whip up these quick, wire-wrapped bracelet bangles using SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS in the wedding colors...peridot, fuchsia and Montana blue.

I love this technique because it's so simple and it can go so many different ways. The wire-wrapped bracelets can be a colorful and funky, like these, or classic with a monochromatic metallic palette. She and I agreed that the silver Artistic Wire makes the crystals pop on the hematite-color bangles.

Maybe it's because I have wire and crystals on the brain (I'm proofreading my forthcoming book: Live Wire Jewelry) but we made all five of these in less than half an hour! I love custom wedding jewelry because it makes such a nice memento, too.

My Favorite Bracelets

2011-07-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

This bracelet is dear to my heart for the simple reason that these are my first ever lampworked beads! I took a class several years ago and can totally see how people get addicted to that three dimensional form of color play. (You'll notice I stuck to my go-to palette.)

The beads aren't anywhere near perfect but I wear them with pride. I worked hard for those little babies! I strung them onto uber flexible Beadalon 49 with little black spacers in-between, added a clasp and called it good.

Read more about favorite bracelets in the new eMag from Interweave Press: Everyday Bracelets

CHA or Bust!

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

I'm off to the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Summer Conference & Trade Show. It's held annually in Rosemont, Illinois, and is the big summer event for the craft industry. I'm helping Julianna Hudgins with her workshop on Monday evening and will teach a workshop of my own on Tuesday evening. I'll also be demonstrating a variety of techniques using Artistic Wire in the Beadalon booth. If you're attending the show, please stop by!

Here are a few crafty TV shows to get you in the mood. Get that DVR ready...

Beads, Baubles & Jewels, of course
It's Sew Easy
Hands on Crafts for Kids with Kathie Stull and Candie Cooper
Crafting at the Spotted Canary with Joy Macdonnell
Knitting Daily with Eunny Jang, Shay Pendray and Kristin Omdahl
Quilting Arts with Pokey Bolton
Around the House with Matt & Shari
Bake Decorate Celebrate! with Nancy Siler and Beth Madland
Scrapbook Memories now Scrapbook Soup with Julie McGuffee and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Update

2011-07-11T20:51:00.005-04:00

We just finished filming the next series (1500) for Beads, Baubles & Jewels. These shows will start airing nationwide in the fall. You can't believe how much work goes into each episode! But I have to say, I absolutely love it. It's a great opportunity to share ideas from some amazingly talented people and it has been really fun to hear your feedback here and on our Facebook page.

We have a super line-up for this series, with new faces and regular guests, too. Top 10 Instructor in the nation Sherry Serafini stops by with two techniques and a quick chat and Mark Nelson returns with some metalsmithing ideas that I can't wait to try. I'll be sharing more about our guests and their projects as the airing date draws closer.

Here's a screen shot of Kristal Wick and me on the set. Doesn't Kristal just glow? And, I love the background panels that regular guest Mary Hettmansperger created for our redesign.

We had a great group of guests everyday - I wish I'd taken photos of everyone! Here's a fun pic of Linda Hartung, Kristal Wick, Candie Cooper, Dale Nicholson, Leslie Rogalski and me. (The pink flamingo was bestowed upon me by my daughter when I left for the filming. She calls it a pink emu and said it should be my mascot.)

Cheers to you! Thanks for watching the show. You can find Beads, Baubles & Jewels on your local public television station by entering your zip code here:
http://beadsbaublesandjewels.com/getlistings.php

Series 1400 is currently airing and series 1500 will start in the fall. Projects, links to resources and videos are all available for free at BeadsBaublesandJewels.com.

Inside My Studio

2011-06-17T14:42:00.004-04:00

Here are a few of the new things I've been making...Bead & Button Show pix coming soon!

I heart this classic color combination and it's totally affordable in dyed stones: red agate, faux coral and (dyed howlite) turquoise. It reminds me of a lovely vacation in Santa Fe, NM. I used 3mm beads inside the channels of the curved Katiedids™ components for these swingy earrings. There was some variation with the beads so the smaller size worked out just fine.

I just finished this piece...I can't show you the whole thing yet, but I'm calling it my Orange Blossom Necklace. Firepolished 4mm rounds and 11/0 seed beads snuggle together inside the channels of the Katiedids circle components. I used E6000 to glue flowers in the center of the circles. I'm loving the layered look and it seems to be turning up in all of my newest designs.

Debbi Simon used epoxy resin putty to glue Swarovski pearls and a rivoli inside one a Katiedids circle, then I did a little wire wrapping to suspend a Green Girl Studios pendant underneath. I slapped it on a piece of steel ball chain and I've been wearing this almost everyday! I'll bead the necklace someday, but you'll have to pry it off my neck first :)

This is a really simple sample of my Katiedids double-circle pendant, but check out the beads in the inner channels! Those are crimp covers! I'm so excited to have this tool in my repetoire. Crimp covers are ideal for this technique because they're a little more forgiving than ordinary beads when you push them down into the channels. The outer beads are 6/0 and 11/0 seeds.

Last, but not least, I've been wire wrapping like crazy lately! For this earring, I wrapped Artistic Wire around a piece of rubber tubing and passed a head pin through it inside the channel of the Katiedids rectangle. You can also make coils without tubing using a Wire Coiling Gizmo.

Katiedids™ Design Contest Winners & Photos

2011-06-01T12:06:00.005-04:00

Our grand prize winner is Lilian Chen for "Sunshine."

Honorable mention to Myléne Hillam for "Plumescent."

Honorable Mention to Kristal Wick for "Sparkle Sista."

View the new Katiedids Design Contest photo album to see all of the entries. There are so many amazingly creative ideas! Congrats to the winners and a gigantic thank you to all of the entrants. I love seeing your work and am so happy to share it with my blog readers and Facebook fans. Thanks also to Beadalon for sponsoring the contest. Winners can look for their prize packages very soon!

Toggle Necklace & Monthly Kit Club Update

2011-05-19T10:30:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe we're already into the second year of Katie's Jewelry Personal Shopper, the subscription kit club that I design each month for Paper Wishes. It has been a fun, creative challenge to come up with interesting kits every month!

My friend Cindy is a member and she told me that she uses her subscription as a creative kickstart. It's her reminder to sit down and make something. I love that!

One of my favorite design tricks is placing the clasp in the front. This toggle necklace is super simple but it features shades of amethyst, violet opal and AB crystal SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, so it packs a sparkly punch.

Check out the past kits, see inside this month's kit, and learn more about Katie's Jewelry Personal Shopper - I guarantee you'll see some fun ideas and get those creative juices flowing!

Free Jewelry Pattern: Fairytale Collection

2011-05-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

What a nice surprise to open the newest beading magazine to hit my mailbox and see a Beadalon ad featuring my Fairytale Collection! (Click the link for complete instructions.) The beaded flower technique is one that people email me about a lot, so it was on my mind when I made this necklace. The muted colors in this design really appeal to me: pale aqua and freshwater pearls go together like coffee and chocolate (yum!), in my opinion.

Click the Fairytale Collection link for complete instructions. I hope things are starting to bloom in your neighborhood!

Beads, Baubles & Jewels New Episodes

2011-05-09T20:00:00.004-04:00

The new 1400 series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels is starting to air on public television stations nationwide. Our theme for the season is "Assembling the Elements" and we have great guests, projects and techniques to share. It's my second season as host! We're already planning the next one, so it's especially fun to see everyone's enthusiasm about the series right now. Here are some important links:

Katiedids™ Design Contest Closing Soon!

2011-04-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Time is running out to showcase your creativity using Katiedids Creative Components! Submit a picture of each of your designs separately to KatiedidsStudio@yahoo.com by midnight May 2 for your chance to win one of these *AWESOME* prize packages. I can't wait to see what you make!

Grand Prize:

Your design will be displayed in Beadalon's booth
at the Bead &Button Show 2011

Beads, Baubles and Jewels DVD set of series 1300

Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets

Katiedids Pendant Collection (4 styles)

Variety pack of Beadalon 19 stringing wire

"Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

2 Honorable Mentions:

Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets

3 Katiedids 35mm Pendants

"Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

Winners will be announced on my blog and Beadalon's blog on June 1. To share the creative ideas, pictures of all entries will be posted on my Facebook fan page after congratulations are announced. See the complete contest rules at Beadalon.com.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Sneak Peek

2011-04-21T22:31:00.003-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at one of my projects from the upcoming series #1500 of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. My Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed co-author Fernando Dasilva likes to give me a hard time about my go-to color palette, but I can't help myself. Black goes with everything! I like this cascade style, too, because it works with a variety of necklines.

We have so many great guests and projects coming the upcoming season Beads, Baubles & Jewels! The new shows start airing and the new projects go live at BeadsBaublesandJewels.com on May 6th. Join our Facebook group for updates.

You still have time to enter the Katiedids Design Contest...I can't wait to see what you make!

My New Favorite Color

2011-04-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

Don't you love this picture from the new SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Innovations Spring/Summer 2012? I think chrysolite opal is my new favorite color. Here's what they say about it:

"Cool and tranquil, the palest green of soft, new leaves, Chrysolite Opal lends serenity to quiet neutrals and balances intense colors, as well as adding opalescence to fashion-forward looks. Designers will delight in its versatility and the harmonizing effect it brings to the entire palette."

What colors are you using this spring? I just received my advance copy of
BeadStyle Crystals special issue. I have to say, the projects wowed me. Lots of bright colors and big, statement pieces. I love it! I contributed a necklace and earring set that uses shades of pink.

It's Workshop Season!

2011-04-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

Bead & Button Show • June 2011

This week-long beading extravaganza is just around the corner! I'm teaching four classes this year and all of them feature simple techniques combined for stylish results. Most students will wear their jewelry out the door! The kits are generously provided by Beadalon & SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, so you just pay for the workshop. There are still a few seats left in each of my classes. I hope to see you in Milwaukee!

Don't miss these other inspiring classes in May:

Candie Cooper's mixed media workshops at the Honeywell Center in Wabash, IN
Mark Nelson's working with Argentium silver in Albuquerque, NM
Jean Campbell's seed beads aplenty in Newbury Park, CA

If you're teaching or taking beading or jewelry-making classes, please feel free to leave a link in the comments.

Announcing: Katiedids™ Design Contest!!

2011-04-05T09:23:00.006-04:00

During the month of April, I'm partnering with Beadalon to launch the first-ever Katiedids Design Contest. Showcase your creativity using any Katiedids Creative Components! Submit a picture of each of your designs separately to KatiedidsStudio@yahoo.com between April 4 and midnight May 2 for your chance to win one of these prize packages:

Grand Prize:

Your design will be displayed in Beadalon's booth
at the Bead &Button Show 2011

Beads, Baubles and Jewels DVD set of series 1300

Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets

Katiedids Pendant Collection (4 styles)

Variety pack of Beadalon 19 stringing wire

"Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

2 Honorable Mentions:

Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets

3 Katiedids 35mm Pendants

"Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

Weekend Jewelry Inspiration

2011-04-01T18:47:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to post some of the beautiful jewelry designs that people are making using my Katiedids™ Creative Components. Here are a few. It has been really cool to see my little parts making their way into the world.
This amazing pendant was made by Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor using her faux raku technique. Isn't it awesome? She has lots of pictures on her blog, along with an explanation of the technique. Click the Polymer Clay Tutor link to see more.

Molly Schaller created this pretty necklace using Bead Gallery beads for Halcraft USA. See the rings with the tiny beads inside? Those are my Katiedids 5-hole Components. I love it, Molly!

Debbi Simon demonstrated how to make her gorgeous pavé designs at the CREATE YOUR STYLE in Tucson event and some of her samples used Katiedids 2-hole Components! Click the link for a photo. Debbi also brings her crystal pavé magic to the upcoming series 1400 of Beads, Baubles & Jewels.

I can't wait to see what you make with Katiedids Creative Components! I hope you have an inspiring weekend. Stay tuned for an exciting contest announcement on Monday!

Customizing Your Jewelry

2011-03-21T11:58:00.003-04:00

I like looking back through my jewelry box at necklaces, bracelets and rings that I've kept through the years. Sometimes they inspire a new idea or I'll pull something out and start wearing it again.

I bought this cheapie necklace (sans Katiedids circle pendant) somewhere along the way because I liked the asymmetrical beads and heart charm. It still appeals to me and I did a quick update by adding another pendant. Voilá! Something simple to wear around town.

Making a Continuous Necklace

2011-03-16T13:25:00.004-04:00

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of this beaded necklace before and it's one of my favorites! I like the combination of shapes and textures and it always gets lots of compliments. For this version, I used Bead Gallery beads from Michaels with velour tubing and Beadalon 19, but you could use any of your favorite beads that look good together.

Continuous necklaces are easy to make. The beading wire ends pass through opposite sides of the last beaded unit and are crimped in place. I like to use two crimp tubes for extra security, so the end my necklace looks like this: crimp tube, last beaded section, crimp tube. It's super long, so you can wear it a lot of different ways: wrapped around the neck once, doubled and clipped together, or hanging straight down.

If I ever write a book with jewelry designs that I wear all the time, this piece will have to be in it. I made it a few years ago and it has been on heavy rotation ever since. I even grabbed it out of my jewelry drawer at the last minute before filming the latest season Beads, Baubles & Jewels and wore it on the show!

Katiedids™ Interchangeable Pendants

2011-03-02T15:39:00.002-05:00

I demonstrated these interchangeable pendants using my Katiedids™ Creative Components at CHA and Tucson - they're super easy but I love the way they look. The bails clip onto ribbon, chain or any type of stringing material. I've been keeping them in my purse and switching them out!

Here are instructions for the small pendant with the flower in the center:

1. Start by passing a head pin outward through the upper two holes on a Katiedids™ Creative Component #356B-526.

2. Make a wrapped loop to attach the head pin to a removable bail.

3. Cut a 4" piece of .015" diameter Beadalon 19 silver color and pass it under the head pin.

4. String fifteen SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS 4mm black diamond rounds onto the wire and pass the other wire end through the beads in the opposite direction to form a circle. Press the beads down into the channel on the component.

5. Use E6000 to glue a crystal flower into the bezel in the center of the component.

Peek Inside My Shopping Bag

2011-02-20T20:44:00.003-05:00

I had a fun time on JTV this morning and there were quite a few tempting gemstones. I took some pix and will share them here soon, but here's a little peek into my shopping bags from Tucson! It's an inside look at some of the things that caught my eye and trends I'm looking toward in the next year. Take a look at these and see if you aren't totally inspired to make some jewelry right now!

How about this subtle color palette? Greens, blues, grays = yum. Fernando and I found the Moroccan-looking blue/silver beads at a wholesale show. I'm thinking tassels or earrings. Something special to highlight each spectacular bead. The bird is from Green Girl Studios.

Isn't this a fun bunch? Most of these colorful beauts came from Beadtrust.com. I threw the bottle cap pendant and the interchangeable beads into this pic to represent those two trends. I saw lots of bottle cap motifs at CHA and tons of collectible beads at the Tucson shows. Fuschsia is going to be a big color for 2012, too.

Quatrefoil, my new favorite shape, and peace signs, one of my old favorite shapes. Check out the flat skull beads at the top of the pic, too. Love these! I'm already planning a colorful, wire-wrapped Halloween/Dia de los Muertos necklace. The metal components are from TierraCast.

And, last but not least: coprolite beads made from fossilized dinosaur poop! I bought these beauties for my future paleontologist daughter. Aren't you surprised that they're so gorgeous? Great variegated colors. My little scientist is going to love using these for crafts before breakfast (that's our thing).

Color of the Year: Honeysuckle

2011-02-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Honeysuckle is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2011. Wow! I have to admit, I was surprised when this newsflash arrived across my desk in Fire Mountain's recent color update. I'm still stuck on last year's color of the year (turquoise). But, pink is a hopeful color and people are seeming a bit more hopeful these days. I guess it's time to move on. Maybe we're all looking for a little pink pick-me-up!

Here are some ideas for using more pink in your jewelry:

Glue rose SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Flatbacks onto a key like this Key to My Heart Necklace or use the same technique to rose-ify another found object.
Use rhodochrosite beads. This gemstone has a reddish pink color that blends well with man-made crystals. Its pretty cousin rhodonite is a pink stone with black inclusions.
Purchase a rosaline (or any color) wild heart pendant from FusionBeads by Feb. 14th and they'll give $1 to Heifer International, which happens to be one of my favorite non-profits.

Photos from CHA and Tucson 2011

2011-02-11T17:43:00.005-05:00

Well, I fully intended to write blog posts while I was on my trip(s), but each day flew by in a flash! (I also took workout clothes and never even touched them, but that's another topic.) Here are some pix, with more to come...

When you grow up in hilly Southern Indiana, live in mountainous Oregon for five years, and then move back to the flatlands of Northern Indiana, mountains are a sight for sore eyes. I took this pic from the plane on the way to the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Conference & Tradeshow in Los Angeles, CA.
It's really hard to see in this picture, but Angela (one of my CHA students & self-appointed groupie) made this Katiedids™ Creative Components necklace with MY picture in the center! The picture on my business card was just the right size. Hilarious!
In addition to teaching a workshop on personalized jewelry, I also demonstrated Katiedids components in the Beadalon booth. Fernando Dasilva signed copies of his new book, Modern Expressions, and Lauren Andersen showed chainmaille techniques from her new booklets.
The rest of these pix are out of order, but here's Kristal Wick's awesome seed bead ring earring! She wore these in Tucson, along with a coordinating necklace that is fabulous. I hope she'll do them as a project on an upcoming season of Beads, Baubles & Jewels.
There were lots of mixed media designs at To Bead True Blue in Tucson this year. Julie Young from TierraCast made this cool necklace. I'm a sucker for keys and chain and I'm dying to add more, more, more junk drawer stuff between the elements on this design. (Yes, Julie, that's an offer!)
Love this vintagey photo of Kristal, me and the girls from TierraCast!
Here's Fernando at the CREATE YOUR STYLE in Tucson event. He taught a class on how to use SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS fancy stones and Beadalon wire to embellish a fabulous fabric cuff. A lot of the instructors and Ambassadors did demonstrations throughout the days of the show.
These are larger than life versions of some of the new SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. These were displayed gallery-style in the foyer of the show venue. I didn't get pictures, but there was also a gorgeous exhibit of commissioned crystal designs inspired by water.

After the shows, we took a lovely, rocky hike up the desert foothills near Phoenix. It was cold most of the time we were in Tucson, but this was a warm, sunny day. We soaked up the sun and the topography before heading back to the freezing Midwest!
This is Step 1 of my unpacking strategy. I'll take more flattering pix of my treasures and post them here soon, but this is a pretty good example of how I feel after the trip(s)...inspired, wired and tired!

The Road to Tucson

2011-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm in the home stretch of getting ready for CHA and the Tucson Gem Shows. It seems so simple, really, but it's so complicated! I've been packing class kits, printing instruction sheets, preparing samples for demonstrating techniques using Katiedids™ Creative Components, printing itineraries, setting meetings, working toward magazine deadlines, and doing other nuts-and-bolts activities that aren't too thrilling to read about. I'd rather be making jewelry!

Fernando Dasilva will be promoting his new book, Modern Expressions, and Wyatt White will be demonstrated wire wrapping techniques for Beadalon

I'm looking forward to the shows and seeing all of my beady peeps. I can't wait to get a little dose of sunshine and a big dose of inspiration! I'll be posting my pix and such here on the blog in the coming weeks and I'll be putting sneak peeks on Facebook, too.

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS hosts the CREATE YOUR STYLE in Tucson event with workshops & make it take its

If you've been reading everybody's posts about the upcoming Tucson Gem Shows and wondering what it's all about, you should take a minute to check out the Tucson Gem Show CVB site and JewelryShowGuide.com. Both have good descriptions, but it has to be seen to be believed. It really is an extraordinary event because it takes over the whole city with more than 40 different shows going on during a two-week period.

There are workshops, vendors of all kinds, and tons of things to see. If that isn't enticing enough, Artbeads is giving away a free trip to the 2012 shows! Click the link below to find out details and enter to win.

This Week's Linky Love

2011-01-20T17:35:00.004-05:00

It has been a long while since I've shared bead blogger links. Everybody is up to such creative stuff! Lots of inspiring projects going on. Enjoy!

Fernando Dasilva's new book, Modern Expressions, was mentioned in Harper's Bazaar! Yay, Nando!

Candie Cooper shares how to make a beautiful bridal veil comb that incorporates an heirloom brooch (see photo above - thanks, Candie!).

Jill MacKay shares jewelry-making trend predictions for 2011.

What do you get when you combine yarn, crystals, and metal? A very cool double strand bracelet! Learn more at About.com Jewelry Making


Beaded objects don't always have to be wearable. Beading Arts shares some beaded postcards?

If you make a mistake with a piece of jewelry, do you throw it out, start over, or try to fix it? Beads & Books shares a mistake she made trying to create a pendant using copper, ink, and a gloss sealant.

Carmi's Art/Life World creates a special set of felted brooches for a Canadian company.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads shares a surprise she received during the holidays.

Jewelry Making Inspiration

2011-01-17T20:02:00.002-05:00

We have a bunch of new photos on our computer screen saver and it made me realize how much jewelry I've made this year! I think everyone should do it. It's totally inspiring. Pick some jewelry pictures that inspire you, load them up and get those creative juices flowing.

When I get tired of these pix, I'm thinking about replacing them with other images that will inspire creativity, like collections of different beads and jewelry making materials. The screen saver is kind of a passive creativity journal because all you do is snap pix and then watch them float by.

This necklace started life with a different pendant but it never felt quite right. Now that I've added the Katiedids™ Creative Component pendant, I think it's going to stay this way. I love the blues, of course.

The lowdown: SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Pacific opal and indicolite crystals mixed with Amazonite rondelles, mother of pearl shell loop beads, white freshwater pearls, silver spacers and a vintage faux pearl button in the center of the pendant.

New Video: Industrial-Inspired Components

2011-01-15T11:11:00.003-05:00

Remember the keyhole necklace I posted the other day? Well, here's a clip from the corresponding segment on Beads, Baubles & Jewels. One of my favorite ideas is the way Melanie Brooks used one of her time wheel charms to make a toggle clasp. Check it out!

I also spotlighted some of these industrial-inspired components (and more) in my "katie's finds" column in Beadwork this month...see the Feb/Mar 2011 issue for resource information.

And, here's another take on the neo-Victorian trend: Metamorphosis by TierraCast

Bead & Button Show Registrations Opens Jan.11!

2011-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm teaching four classes at the Bead & Button Show, held June 4-12 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are more than 600 classes during this week-long beading extravaganza! Registration opens Tuesday, Jan. 11. I know it seems like a long way off, but classes fill up quickly. People who register now have a better chance of getting into their first choice of classes.

If you've never been to the show before, I highly recommend it! Besides great classes, the marketplace is amazing. I always find lots of treasures and it's a fun place to connect with other beaders. Milwaukee is a fun place to visit, too. My annual trip isn't complete until I've been to the waterfront, taken a walk along the river, and stopped by the Public Market.

All of my Bead & Button Show classes are sponsored by Beadalon and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, which means that the kit materials are provided by those companies and there are no additional kit fees above the cost of the classes:

Modern Patina Necklace & Earrings, Fri. June 10, 8:30-11:30am
Day to Night Necklace & Earrings, Fri. June 10, 1-4pm
Twisted & Coiled Necklace & Earrings, Sat. June 11, 8-11am
Very Violet Necklace & Earrings, Sat. June 11, noon-3pm

Hope to see you in Milwaukee!

Is Steampunk Still Spunky?

2011-01-10T10:18:00.002-05:00

I made this necklace for Beads, Baubles & Jewels episode #1313: Inspired by Technology. It's fast, easy and I love that the components have an industrial feel but with some color thrown in. The different elements are tied together with two styles of gunmetal chain.

I'm thinking about trends this week and think we'll see more post-Steampunk designs this year. The industrial/hardware look has gone mainstream, with mixed media being so popular across the board with jewelry makers. What trends do you think we'll see this year? What's your favorite?

Tim Holtz keyhole from Rings n Things; ceramic gear charm from Earthenwood Studio; C-Koop enameled gears and TierraCast key from FusionBeads; Chain & jump rings: Beadalon.

Tune Into FaveCrafts Radio Wednesday

2011-01-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Set your alarm clock for 3pm EST - I'm going to be a guest on FaveCrafts Radio! It's like a little preview of the upcoming Craft & Hobby Association Winter Conference and Trade Show that takes place in Los Angeles later this month.

Of course, I'm talking about beads, jewelry making and Katiedids™ Creative Components. Look at this great group of guests! It's going to be fun:

Mark Montano will share the scoop on his new book, Pulp Fiction: Perfect Paper Projects (click the link for a sneak peek of the cover!).
Cathie Filian from DIY's Creative Juice has some great ideas for making cute, altered candy boxes.
The Vintage Workshop's Amy Barickman is talking image transfer on t-shirts.
Amy Anderson, the blogger behind Mod Podge Rocks, will tell how to make a snow banner to celebrate the season.

From the FaveCrafts website:
FaveCraftsRadio is hosted by BlogTalkRadio and featured Host Pat Sloan. This lively lifestyle program treats listeners to creative ideas and featured guests and reporters who offer creative tips, project ideas, product reviews, tips about projects on FaveCrafts.com and so much more. It’s all about discovering the crafter in you! Archived podcasts can be streamed directly from the FaveCrafts.com website or downloaded for free through iTunes.

Last-Minute Jewelry

2011-01-03T17:52:00.004-05:00

You would think I'd have a necklace to go with every outfit by now, but it doesn't seem to work that way. Just yesterday, I was getting ready and noticed a few items in my ring holder that would make the perfect necklace for my outfit. I grabbed a blank chain and a ring (like the one from TierraCast in this picture) and attached a colorful beaded head pin to the ring. And - voilá! - my ensemble was complete.

You gotta love those last-minute projects. I can't count the number of times I've held up my family as we're heading out the door. I guess you can't predict when inspiration will strike!

I'm particularly fond of quick necklaces and earrings. Charm holders like the one in this picture make great last-minute jewelry because you can easily customize them for however you're feeling that day. (This necklace is from Beads, Baubles & Jewels episode 1312.)

Jewelry Making New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-29T21:09:00.004-05:00

The holidaze are still going strong around here, but I'm starting to think about my New Year's Resolutions. Most years, I try not to make them because I tend to break them by April. But, I'm going to make it nice and easy this year and you, dear readers, are going to hold me accountable. I'm going to take more classes!

I'd love to take a metals workshop from Beads, Baubles & Jewels' resident metalsmith Mark Nelson. Rio Grande is hosting a pre-Tucson version of Rio in Motion at their solar-powered facility in Albuquerque January 26-31st. I just checked their calendar and there are a few classes still open. Among them is a workshop on creating texture with a rolling mill, one of my favorite techniques from BB&J that I've never actually tried. (See photo of bracelet by Jack Berry.)

If you're resolving to take more classes this year, then I hope you'll join me at CREATE YOUR STYLE in TUCSON. The class offerings are downright delectable this year. I'm teaching two workshops and hope to squeeze in a class from at least one of my fellow SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassadors.

Modern Patina by Katie Hacker
This necklace and earring set uses my Katiedids™ Creative Components with a multitude of sparkly SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

The CREATE YOUR STYLE in TUCSON event is located in downtown Tucson at 525 North Bonita Avenue, Tucson AZ 85745 from Tuesday, February 1 – Friday, February 4, 2011. There are 40 workshops guided by industry experts, including my fellow Beadalon Design Team Members Fernando Dasilva and Leslie Rogalski.

Very Violet by Katie Hacker
This is a fun combination of stringing and wirework techniques using SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS with Katiedids Creative Components, Artistic Wire and Beadalon's Quick Links.

The CREATE YOUR STYLE IN TUCSON event is one of my favorites because it offers an impressive roster of creative classes using innovative techniques and the newest products. Plus, you can't beat the prices! There are also a number of inexpensive make-it-take-its free demonstrations throughout the show. If you're going to Tucson this year, don't miss it!

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Weeks 6 & 7

2010-12-20T12:07:00.005-05:00

I was so proud this morning as I finished up my project for the last week of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop...until I realized that last week was the final week for the hop. So much for catching up on deadlines. Another one went whooshing by! Here are my projects anyway, a couple of festive ideas for last-minute gift giving, perfect for times when the presentation is part of the present:

This is a tag book with a removable pendant on the front. The book is full of little quotes about friendship, plus, your friend can take the pendant off of the book and wear it!

For the pendant, I used: Katiedids™ Creative Components double-circle pendant; SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS 4mm & 8mm beads; Beadalon silver 19-strand, head pin, interchangeable pendant bail.

For the book, I used: Sizzix Bigz XL Die - Album, Brackets by Brenda Pinnick; SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS 18mm large-hole bead; 18-gauge tinned copper Artistic Wire; sheer brown ribbon; brown inkpad; script rubber stamp; glue stick; quotes from BrainyQuote.com.

This is a card made from Brenda's album die (see above) with the necklace attached to the front. I used Eileen Hull's Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Treat Bag Toppers at the top. The treat bag topper die is great because it has pre-punched holes in it that allow you to thread the necklace chain onto it to hide the ends. Then, I stacked the die-cut shapes together with foam tape to provide room for the chain. I made the necklace using my Katiedids™ Creative Components with Apoxie resin putty and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS chatons.

I hope you've enjoyed these ideas for combining your paper crafting and jewelry making passions. The Triple Play Blog Hop is going to live on in a new blog: http://www.tripleplay.typepad.com/. Check it out!

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Pix

2010-12-18T12:23:00.008-05:00

Here are a few pix from our recent Beads, Baubles & Jewels taping. The segments will start airing in Spring 2011 and our theme is "Assembling the Elements." These are just a few peeks:

Everybody starts the day in the makeup chair. Here's Molly Schaller getting TV-ready. Molly shared a chandelier earring project and an asymmetrical necklace with multiple pendants.

Leslie Rogalski, Laura Timmons, Debbi Simon, Brenda Schweder and I posed for this SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador power picture between segments on the set. Wait til you see the projects and inspiration from this group!

Candie Cooper shows us how to make one of her famous layered, vintage-style charm bracelets using recycled game pieces and new charms from TierraCast.

Cynthia Thornton from Green Girl Studios shared a necklace inspired by the projects in her book, Enchanted Adornments (Interweave Press 2009).

Here's how metalsmith Mark Nelson and I get through a taping day: lots of laughs and lots of caffeine!

And, here's one of the reasons I love regular guest Mary Hettmansperger. Check out that tray! Once we finished her segment, we both said "woo hoo!" and she dumped everything into a pile.

I'll post more pix and a Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop challenge soon. It's already one week post-taping and I'm still digging out!

Wire Spiral Snowflake Ornament

2010-11-30T15:36:00.004-05:00

Tis the season! Here's a fun Artistic Wire snowflake ornament that works up surprisingly quickly. You'll find the materials list and instructions over on the FaveCrafts blog, where my pal Linda is offering an ornament every Tuesday during the holidays.

Linda also asked for 10 fun facts about me for her blog. I love reading those kinds of lists about other people, but it was a challenge to put one together for myself! I ended up writing five about work and five about family. Here's one, but you'll have to read the FaveCrafts blog to see the rest: One of my favorite children’s books is Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 3: Blossom Necklace

2010-11-18T07:40:00.006-05:00

Greetings, Sizzix Blog Hoppers! This week, we're using Brenda Pinnick's lovely Beauty Bloom Originals Die #655455 from Sizzix. You can see the original, paper version below. I used part of the die to create the layered flower on this Blue Moon Beads pendant. This is a quick and easy way to put your personal touch on a store-bought pendant or piece of fashion jewelry. (You know I love to customize!). It's perfect for last-minute gift-giving.

To personalize the pendant Blossom Necklace, I used a needle and black thread to attach a 12mm crystal sew-on stone to the center of the magenta fabric die-cut flower. I used a black permanent marker to outline the recycled denim die-cut flower. Then, I glued the flowers together and glued them to the pendant as shown.

To attach the pendant to the velour tubing necklace, I cut a 6" length of 18-gauge fuchsia Artistic Wire and twisted it together, then used it to make a large jump ring (use a jump ring maker or wrap it around a dowel.) You can attach a clasp directly to the tubing or run a piece of beading wire through the tubing and attach the clasp to the wire.

My original plan was to create the flower from fabric, attach it to a pin back and pin it to a card for gift giving. I did try that and it was okay. Then, the muse struck for real, so I tore the pin apart and made this necklace instead!

I'm going to miss the Triple Play Blog Hop next week, but I'll be back the following week with another idea mixing die cut shapes and jewelry making/packaging. I hope you're enjoying these posts! I used to do a lot of scrapbooking and cardmaking, so it has been fun to revisit the "paper" part of my crafty life.

Katiedids™ in Michaels

2010-11-15T18:50:00.005-05:00

Here I am in Michaels with my Katiedids™ Creative Components. Beadalon is doing a special variety pack that's in stores for a limited time, so my sweet husband* and I stopped there to check out the scene last week. And, yes, I am as cheesy as this picture implies. It was so exciting to see those little packages in the store! I can't wait to see what people make with them.

The packs are $5.99 and include five pieces: one long stick, two curves and two donuts. All of the styles are meant for use with 3-4mm beads, but also make great settings for polymer clay, resin, fibers, or wire. I'm hoping they'll sell so ridiculously well that they become regular items. Fingers and toes crossed!

If you don't have a Michaels in your area or are interested in purchasing more of each style, they're available from a variety of online sources including my website, KatieHacker.com; Amazon.com; and CreateForLess.com.

Simple necklace using Katiedids™ Creative Component curve shape

*Craft stores aren't his favorite places to hang out (says he's scarred from hours sitting at the fabric store's pattern table as a child), but he still gets a kick out of finding one of my books and shouting down the aisle, "Katie, here's the book you wrote!"

Watch Beads, Baubles & Jewels Anytime!

2010-11-08T10:30:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favorite projects that I designed for the 13th season of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. It's a long, knotted pearl necklace that incorporates my Katiedids™ Creative Components and crystal accents. Our theme for the series is "design inspiration." In episode 1307, we talk about getting inspiration from nature. This piece is inspired by the ocean, both in materials (pearls) and color (shades of aqua). I love the beach and I have to be careful to use colors other than these, because they're my go-to palette!

The new series is airing on some public television stations now. Let's celebrate! Pre-order your Beads, Baubles & Jewels series 1300 DVD on my website to receive free shipping and a sample of Katiedids™ Creative Components. (DVD's will ship in December.)

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 1: Candy Cane Lane

2010-11-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

For the next few weeks, I'm participating in the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop using die cut shapes created by my fellow craft designers Eileen Hull, Brenda Pinnick and Karen Burniston. Since you know I'm all about the beads, I'm planning to share some cool ways to use these fun shapes as packaging for your jewelry. This week, I offer you the Candy Cane Lane die cut house and beaded earrings:

To make the house, you'll need these supplies from Sizzix: House, 3D Pro Scoreboards Die by Eileen Hull; 12x12 white matboard, and a Big Shot Pro die cutting machine. The house is really easy to assemble and then it's just a matter of decorating it however you choose. I glued stripey patterned paper to the roof, the door and around the base as shown. It needed a little sparkle, so I raided the kids' craft supplies and applied red glitter glue to the edges of the roof, the windows and the door frame.

I love candy-themed Christmas kitsch! I blame it on my childhood fascination with the Sugar Plum Fairy. I picked up these darling mint candy glass beads at a recent Rings & Things Bead Tour Show because I just knew they'd come in handy sometime between now and the holidays.

To make each earring, pass a head pin through a mint candy glass bead and make a wrapped loop to attach it to an ear wire. Easy! I used a beading awl to poke holes in the front of the house to display my earrings. I'm thinking this will make a fabulous door prize for my holiday jewelry open house!

This week, 60 crafty people are also decorating their own versions of this cute little house. Click on the blinkie in the sidebar (over there on the left) to hop over to other blogs and see what's cooking.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels 1300 Series Preview

2010-11-01T11:51:00.006-04:00

1311-4 Kerry Bogert shows how to choose different gauges of shaping wire

I've been previewing some of the episodes from the new series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels and there's really something for everyone! We have wirework, stringing, seed beads, metalsmithing, polymer clay, precious metal clay and more. Plus, every show features interviews and lessons from some of your favorite jewelry makers, authors and artists. To take a sneak peek at these segments from series 1300 on the Beads, Baubles & Jewels YouTube channel, just click on the numbered links below:

1302-3 Wyatt White shows a precision technique for creating wire-wrapped links
1303-2 Leslie Rogalski shows how to use Miyuki Tila beads with right angle weave
1304-4 Mary Hettmansperger shows how to do wire Viking Knit on a teardrop pendant
1306-4 Mark Nelson show how to customize charms using pen plating

1307-3 Candace Gates shows how to use stamps to make an easy metal clay ring
1311-3 Marlene Blessing interviews Kim St. Jean on location at BeadFest Santa Fe

Even though this season is just starting to air, we're already getting ready for the next series and I want to hear from you! What do you want to learn next season on Beads, Baubles & Jewels? Who do you want to see?

More Jewelry (dis)Organization

2010-10-20T12:50:00.005-04:00

Lots of change going on around here, including a completely different location for my office/studio/creativity lab! My dear parents came to visit over the weekend and my Super Dad put his warehousing skills and strong back to good use moving me out of one room and into another. It's time for our son to have his own room and my previous office was the best option...sigh.

You may remember this picture from a previous post I wrote about my (dis)organization. Well, then you'll understand how painful it has been for me to move! Yes, I'm extremely grateful to have a room in my home where I can work, but that also means I'm confronted with oodles of things that need to be sorted, stored, organized, stashed, or shared. It's liberating to move into a new space but overwhelming at the same time.

Here's a picture of how it looks now. So organized! I'm almost afraid to mess it up. I'm implementing a new scheme to spend the last ten minutes of any work time putting away all of the stuff that I've dragged out. A girl can dream, right? Here are a few videos about beading organizers and tools:

Organizing Your Workspace
Space Saving Tools
Bead Counters & More

Now, if we could just get the little man to sleep in his new room, I might have enough energy to keep my office/studio/creativity lab in order!

Beads, Baubles & Jewels DVD Giveaway!

2010-10-06T21:57:00.004-04:00

Well, the CREATE YOUR STYLE with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador training last week was AWESOME! I'm still uploading my pix and will share soon. In the meantime, we need to do the DVD drawing, so let's get to it!

Drumroll, please...the randomly selected winner of the Beads, Baubles & Jewels DVD is: Jenni, who said "I've just discovered Miyuki Tila Beads - I've been doing jewellery making on and off for two years and it's the first time I've come across them - my assumption is that they're 'new'..!" Yay, Jenni (you're right, they're new and I love 'em)! Please email me with your mailing address.

• Find Beads, Baubles & Jewels viewing times viewing times
• Watch past episodes: Beads, Baubles & Jewels YouTube channel
• Buy past DVD's on my SHOP page or in the Interweave Store
• Follow Beads, Baubles & Jewels on Facebook

Swooning for Swarovski

2010-09-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

I'm off to Rhode Island for the CREATE YOUR STYLE with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador training. Woo hoo! We're going to see the new innovations and learn application techniques. I'm expecting it to be intense and inspiring and will fill you in on all of the happenings when I return.

In the meantime:

See the new colors and shapes in the Innovations:Autumn/Winter 2011/12.
Register for classes at Create Your Style in Tucson 2011 (I'm teaching two workshops!)
Visit the Sparkling Community to meet up with other lovers of all things crystal.

Bead Blogger Linky Love

2010-09-24T13:47:00.003-04:00

A round-up of what's happening in the bead blogging world this week...

Margot Potter the Impatient Crafter announces she's the new Jewel School Education and Creative Coordinator with JTV (Jewelry Television).

Jean Campbell's new book, Creating Glamorous Jewelry with Swarovski Elements, is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Beading Arts Have you seen what you can do with macrame? Don't think hemp, think colorful and modern!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei and Nancy Schindler paired up for a beading challenge, check out the results here!

Carmi's Art/Life World Another felted and beaded pendant is turned into a necklace by Carmi.

About.com Jewelry Making Are you trying to pinch those pennies when it comes to making jewelry? Here are some ideas to help you out.

Art Bead Scene This week we have a Monthly Challenge treasury to share and inspire you.

A Bead A Day What does your Monday jewelry look like? Do you find you grab more sparkle for an added boost?

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva This week's Wednesday Wire is all about the rings.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie faces her fears of home improvement by relating it to her beloved jewelry crafts.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews the amazing tutorial, Color Drenched Metal, by Shannon LeVart, which is available at Shannon's Etsy Shop: missficklemedia. This is a FANTASTIC opportunity for eager designers to learn how to patinate a variety of metals in gorgeous, vivid colors!

Barbe Saint John Bead Chic by Margot Potter Book Review and Giveaway

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton To celebrate his birthday, Andrew hosts a week of giveaways! Five days! Five giveaways!

Find instructions for my Turquoise Medallion Choker (pictured above) in the Beadalon Design Workshop.

Fall Jewelry Inspiration & Giveaway

2010-09-21T15:23:00.007-04:00

This necklace has been on my mind for the last few days. I made it for Beadalon a couple of years ago and I've been thinking that I need to make another one so I can wear it this fall! The mixtures of colors and textures still speaks to me. (This design is called Gemstone Style - click here for the materials and instructions.)

Are you dreaming up any special fall projects? Leave a comment on this post to be entered into a random drawing to WIN the 1oth season of Beads, Baubles & Jewels on DVD. I'll collect entries for two weeks and then I'll announce the winner here on the blog.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Sneak Peek

2010-09-16T15:56:00.004-04:00

Get a sneak peek at the new look of Beads, Baubles & Jewels in this segment about interchangeable beads! We take a look at some new, large-hole beads that are perfect for making collectible bracelets AND I take a whirl with the Spin-N-Bead to create a quick seed beaded bracelet to display these new treasures.

For complete resource information on the beads in this video, see "Katie's Finds" in the the Oct/Nov 2010 issue of Beadwork.

Customizing Store Bought Jewelry

2010-09-15T16:13:00.006-04:00

My sister has a heart of gold. She also happens to love hearts and anything with hearts on it, so I thought of her when I saw this gold heart necklace at Forever 21. Being a beader, of course, I couldn't leave it as-is. I had to make it my own! I thought about just using the heart pendant on a totally different necklace, but she loves necklaces that are long and simple, like this one.

Still, I had to put my touch on it! I removed the boring jump ring hanger and replaced it with a pretty, beaded eye pin and TierraCast bail. I tried a few different beads on the eye pin, but the proportions of the polymer clay Humblebeads disk and the gold double rondelles worked really well together, so I kept coming back to this combo. Besides, pink is her favorite color. Happy birthday, sis!

Loving Wire Jewelry

2010-09-09T17:43:00.007-04:00

The Oct/Nov issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry just hit my mailbox and it's gorgeous! I'm so happy to see fellow Beadalon Design Team member Lauren Andersen's amazing chainmaille and crystal bracelet on the cover. Yay, Lauren!

Plus, the rest of the issue is like a who's who of our upcoming season of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. I don't think they planned it that way, but I love it! Guests Leslie Rogalski, Kerry Bogert, Jodi Bombardier and Ronna Sarvas Weltman all contributed beautiful wire and crystal designs to the issue.

This week, I also received a review copy of Heidi Boyd's new book, Wired Beautiful. Heidi's instructions are clear and her designs are fun and inviting. One of my favorite necklaces features a bird perched on a wire nest.

If you love wire projects, too, check out some of my newest videos:

Perfect Wire Spirals
Decorative Wire Wraps
Wire & Bead Branches

How to Use Katiedids™ Creative Components

2010-08-31T19:36:00.009-04:00

Q. Once I've made my circle of beads on beading wire, how do I secure the beads in the channels? Will they stay flat in the metal piece without glue?

A. There are several ways to place beads in the channels. Here are three:

For this pendant, I passed a head pin outward through the drilled holes on each side of the component. Then, I placed crystals on beading wire and laid the beads in half of the channel with the beading wire passing under the head pins. Next, I filled the rest of the beading wire and crossed the beading wire ends inside three or four of the beads. Use your fingers to press the crystals in place in the channels. You could glue an image or a button inside the bezel cup in the center.

Alternatively, you could pass a piece of beading wire in through a drilled hole, make a beaded ring to fit inside the channels, then pass the same beading wire out through the opposite drilled hole.
For this charm, I passed a head pin outward through the outermost drilled hole and made a wrapped loop to attach it to the bracelet. Then, I strung 6/0 seed beads onto thread and tied them to form a beaded ring. I used glue to attach the image to the center and the beaded ring to the empty channel.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels

2010-08-31T11:30:00.008-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the recent taping of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. Check out our new look! The new season will be available on public television this fall. See more pix in my Facebook photo album and be sure to join the Beads, Baubles & Jewels FB group for updates.

Behind the scenes on our new set.

This is how it will look on TV.

Coudn't have asked for a better group of guests on my first day as the host. Look at this powerhouse group of gals! Kerry Bogert, Susan Lenart Kazmer and Candie Cooper.

Had to take a picture of my celebratory fire dragon roll. Yum!

Sunday Bead Blogger Links

2010-08-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

Andrew Thornton is selling treasures from his dragon's horde and he's doing a Thursday giveaway on his blog, courtesy of Suebeads.

Jean Yates is totally WOWed by the fabulous Margot Potter's latest book: Bead Chic. Read her review at Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!

Tammy announces her first video for About.com Jewelry Making.

Do you like to mix crafting with jewelry making? Lisa from A Bead A Day is looking for crafty ideas for using a filigree pendant to create a unique piece of jewelry.

While Art Bead Scene Editor, Cindy Gimbrone is on vacation, she's left us a gem from Studio Saturday - her box of inspiration!

After receiving a wonderful package of crystals from Auntie's Beads, Cyndi from Beading Arts set out to make a bracelet that would show them off!

My new Katiedids™ Creative Components are responsible for Carmi's lovely pearl necklace design. Check it out at Carmi's Art/Life World.

Peek inside two shopping bags from BeadFest Philly: Melanie shows off her treasures at Earthenwood Studio Chronicles and Lorelei shares Inside the Studio.

Photo from Crafts 'n Things, June 2010

Crystal & Pearl Jewelry Ideas

2010-08-26T16:35:00.007-04:00

Pearls are always hot for fall, and this year is no exception. Here are a couple of ideas to get your creativity flowing:

I made this simple necklace to show off my friend Jill Mackay's pendant and chain from her Mackay Collection line of jewelry components. (Find them at ConsumerCrafts.com). Almost all of my recent jewelry designs have a stringing section in the center with chain or ribbon on the ends. Hmm...I do love that look!

And, check out this necklace my bead blogging pal Carmi Cimicata made with my Katiedids™ pendants! The steps are on her blog, Carmi's Art/Life World. Carmi has a knack for the vintage look. I love the coat badge she made, too. You can click the link above to see it.

This week, I used Randomizer.org to select a winner for my jewelry storage giveaway: Christina. She said, "I hang up my jewellery on a decorate hooks and rotate those by season and colour. I have several jewellery hangers that are colour sorted with bracelets and necklaces. I hang earrings off of vintage egg cups and in vintage china (thrifted of course!)." Christina, please send me an email with your mailing address: katie@katiehacker.com.

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment!
I love hearing how you organize and store your jewelry.

Designing Jewelry: Monthly Kit Club

2010-08-21T17:02:00.005-04:00

This week, I've been making jewelry designs for my monthly kit club with PaperWishes.com. Katie's Jewelry Personal Shopper is part of a whole collection of Personal Shopper programs that deliver crafting projects right to your door.

From a design standpoint, creating the kits is a true creative challenge. I want each kit to be meaty enough to appeal to the beader who needs a creative jumpstart but also a good starting point for someone who is getting started making jewelry.

One of my CHA workshop students brought her finished jewelry to show me and mentioned that she enjoys "the excuse to sit down and make something." She uses the jewelry for gifts or donations to charity fundraisers. Good ideas, Pat!

I like to use a variety of materials, techniques and styles for each kit so people are being introduced to something they've never encountered before, whether it's an interesting pendant or a new use for a particular finding. September's kit uses some beautiful aqua opalite beads from Beadtrust.com with chain to create a vintage-style, opera length necklace.

Now, it's back to the design studio. Come over and see what I've been cooking up! You can check out the previous kits, find out more info and subscribe.

Knotted Pearl Necklace

2010-08-13T10:34:00.004-04:00

I made this knotted pearl necklace using my Katiedids™ Creative Components; Crystallized - Swarovski Elements crystals and pearls; black silk cord; and a knotting tool.

Knotting is a traditional technique that's seeing a resurgence in popularity right now. A lot of people learn how to knot so they can repair knotted pearl necklaces, then become addicted to the technique!

Pearl knotting is easy once you get the hang of it, but I admit that it took me a long time to learn how to do it. When I was learning how to use a knotting tool, I would practice, then put the tool away and forget about it, then have to learn it again. Practice is really the key because it's easier if you follow the same steps in the same order every time.

Here are a couple of my video segments about making knotted pearl necklaces from Beads, Baubles & Jewels, along with instructions:
Easy Knotting
Knotting Pearls

Storing Your Jewelry

2010-08-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

Recently, one of my friends said, "Katie, you make so much jewelry. You must have a great system for storing it!" Readers, I've shared my (dis)organizational habits here before. You'll be pleased to know that I do actually have a storage system for my finished jewelry. Before my oldest child started unloading the drawers in this flea market find cabinet, I stored jewelry (by color!) in the drawers. Now, I keep all of my jewelry in a hard-to-reach dresser drawer.

A drawer is ideal because it's important to store jewelry flat. Hanging can cause unnecessary abrasion on necklaces and bracelets. Hanging also exposes jewelry to air, which can cause unwanted tarnishing. I store most of my jewelry in sealed bags.

If you're looking for ideas, check these out: For the recent taping of Beads, Baubles & Jewels, Rio Grande provided a storage case from their line of beautiful, vintage-style boxes for organizing supplies or finished jewelry. I'm also a sucker for library card catalog boxes, which you can find at antique markets and on eBay.

Leave a comment with your storage tip to be entered in a random drawing to win this fun Jolee's Jewels storage case from EK Success, along with a Beadalon tacky mat and a sample of my new Katiedids™ Creative Components. I'll collect comments for one week, then I'll do a random drawing and announce the winner here on the blog.

This Week's Linky Love

2010-08-08T05:08:00.000-04:00

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Offered up in this week's Thursday Giveaway is a pack of Katiedid Creative Components by Katie Hacker.

Strands of Beads Melissa is giving away one of her new fine silver charms this week. Enter now!

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene gets creative with storing supplies.

About.com Jewelry Making Tammy has spotted several celebrities who have new jewelry lines and wonders what you think about this.

A Bead A Day Lisa's exloring the concept of "happy jewelry"! Stop by and share your thoughts on expressing happiness in your jewelry designs.

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi whips up a one hour brooch project with left over chain.

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva Cindy learns that the fourth time can be a charm.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie's friend David Erk Nelson shares a free project from his upcoming book Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred...a stuffed Cthulhu sock toy!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei visits a cool lampwork artist in Atlanta, and tries her hand at making a bead.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean explains a bit more about "The Jean's List", an ongoing selection of her favorite jewelry designers selected from all types of jewelry!

Beading Arts Metal clay is a great material to have in your jewelry-making repertoire!

3 Ideas for Katiedids™

2010-08-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

One of the best parts of producing my new line of Katiedids™ Creative Components is seeing all of the creative ideas that other people envision and then make real. Check out these ideas from three of my bead blogging pals:

Michelle Mach, author of the Beads & Books blog amazed me with this painted and seed beaded version of my 25mm bezel component. The component starts out with shiny silver channels but Michelle worked her magic to make it a colorful, graphic pendant. She also shows an example on her blog using teardrop beads, which adds fun texture to the piece.

Lisa Crone, who writes ABeadADay.blogspot.com and is the author of A Bead in Time (F+W 2010), made this sweet bracelet using my 35mm rectangular component. She said, "It is simple, but what I love about it is how the crystals sit on top of the channel and they look like art displayed on a pedestal!" I love it, too, Lisa!

Heather Powers of Humblebeads used my 25mm 5-hole component to make this vintage looking toggle featuring her Van Gogh inspired polymer clay. She says, "First, I textured them with my ball peen hammer and then antiqued them with silver/black solution. My word of caution – the findings held up to my abuse, but the copper shows through if you use steel wool to highlight, so use a cloth instead." Great idea, Heather!

I'd love to see what you're making! Send your pix to Katie@KatieHacker.com and they might appear here on my blog or in my Facebook photo album.

Matchstick Earrings

2010-08-02T05:00:00.002-04:00

This is one of the projects from my CHA workshop last week. Candie Cooper helped with my workshop and dubbed these my matchstick earrings (thanks, Candie!). You can use them to strike up some creativity!

1. String a 4mm light Siam crystal and a 7/8" length of thin, frosted rubber tubing onto a head pin.

2. Cut a 1" length of silver or gunmetal 24-gauge wire and coil it around the tubing ¼" from the top of the tubing as shown. To coil around tubing, place the wire centered across the tubing and wrap it in opposite directions.

3. Pass the head pin through a hole on the 35mm rectangular Katiedids™ Creative Component and make a wrapped loop.

4. Open the loop on an earring (this one is a round, hinge back earring from Beadalon) and attach it to the wrapped loop.

5. Repeat the steps to make a matching earring.

One of my crafty students tore her foil chocolate wrapper and pressed it inside the rectangle to add some color! If you don't have a wrapper handy, you could trim a piece of paper or fabric to fit and glue it in place with resin, Diamond Glaze or Mod Podge.

CHA Photo Album

2010-07-31T14:06:00.008-04:00

The Craft & Hobby Show was back in Rosemont, Illinois this year...mmm, I love the fries at the Hyatt. The construction at the ex-Sofitel, now Hilton, not so much.

Loved the lighted signs in the Beadalon booth - this red necklace is one of my favorite wire designs. I made my own twisted wire jump rings and attached the big dangles for a charm bracelet effect. Complete instructions are available in the Beadalon Design Workshop.

Candie Cooper, Margot Potter and I got to catch up at the show. Candie's working on a cool new project, which you must check out: Simply Screen Blog. I also had a chance to peep Margot's new book, Bead Chic, at the show. It's lovely and inspiring.

This is my friend Frances with my little guy on her back. I should have moved the cover off of his head for this pic, but nobody wants to wake a sleeping baby!

Wyatt White made these gorgeous wire-wrapped pendants with Beadalon's new square and half-round wire. They also introduced special chain maille jump rings at the show.

Here I am with Suzann Sladdick Wilson, owner of Beadphoria, with one of her students, Ashley. One of my favorite parts of the show is meeting up with friends old and new!

On the Road...Again

2010-07-26T16:25:00.005-04:00

Yoo hoo, here I am! These last few weeks have flown by. I pretty much packed my bags the first week of July and haven't sat down since. I'm at the Craft & Hobby Association Show this week, with a few quiet moments before the tradeshow begins.

I moderated a panel discussion about social networking this morning - oh the irony, considering I've been neglecting mine - but it was a great, informative session with lots of good tips from these crafty gals, whose blogs you should check out: Claudine Hellmuth, Stefanie Girard, Cherish Flieder, Pattie Wilkinson and Abby Foster.

See you again soon!

Jennifer Jangles, Candie Cooper and I took this photo this morning at the convention center. My Queen Bee Creations bag has been working overtime.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels

2010-06-24T13:14:00.005-04:00

Things are abuzz here in my studio! I'm getting ready to tape new segments of Beads, Baubles & Jewels in a few weeks. I'm super excited to move over to the host's spot and can't wait to share the new season with you. The theme is "design inspiration" and we'll have a fresh, new look!

There will still be a range of great projects and techniques that you'll want to try, featuring wire, stringing, beadwork, resin, metal work and more!

I'll be presenting projects and interviewing our roster of talented guests, which includes Kristal Wick, Candie Cooper, Kerry Bogert, Mary Hettmansperger, Fernando Dasilva, Jodie Bombardier and other experts, along with series regulars Mark Nelson and Leslie Rogalski. Marlene Blessing takes us to the bead show again this season with on-site artist interviews.

Series 1300 will air in fall 2010. While you wait, check the Beads, Baubles & Jewels website to find current viewing times in your local area, or catch up on past seasons on DVD.

Treasures from the Show

2010-06-17T17:13:00.004-04:00

I'm still unpacking my bags, but I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at my treasures from the Bead & Button Show. I collected quite a few additions to my stash, which will pop up in my jewelry designs over the next year or so. Some of these will appear in upcoming episodes of Beads, Baubles & Jewels, too, so be on the lookout!

I definitely gravitate toward this color palette. I will admit that I did buy some red beads but they aren't pictured because they just didn't "go."

Without further ado, clockwise from lower left:
New toggles from TierraCast
Starry night beads and pendant from Humblebeads
Chain from Garlan Chain
Batik Beauties from Kristal Wick
Dotty star ring from Jangles
Bee/flower and koi pond clasp from Green Girl Studios
Hope bead, Dream pendant and ceramic rings from Diane Hawkey

Nevermind the fuzzy picture...anyone noticing a theme here? I didn't go out looking for starfish, but they found me anyway. I love these! The pewter one is from Green Girl Studios, the dotty one is from Jennifer Jangles and the aqua one is from Humblebeads. Get me to the beach!

See you at the Bead & Button Show!

2010-06-09T08:25:00.003-04:00

If you're going to the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, drop by and see me in the Beadalon booth on Thursday 5-6, Friday 1-2 and Saturday 2-3. I'll be demonstrating different techniques using my new Katiedids™ Creative Components. See what you can do!

I'd love to see the designs you make with the new components, too. Email pix and I might post them here on the blog or in my Facebook photo album.

Here's a close-up of one of my favorite color combos: aquamarine and peridot. Yummy! Gray crystal pearls are the neutral. This is the 5-hole donut Katiedid component. I strung the green crystals onto thread first and laid them in the channels. Then, I passed beading wire through the drilled holes, over the beaded ring to hold it in place.

Linky Love

2010-06-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

See more pix on my Facebook fan page!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie celebrates her 1000th blog post with Ten Days of Giveaways!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean is thrilled to be in BeadStyle magazine's July All Star issue, with pals Tammy Powley, Heather Powers, and Katie Hacker who made the cover so beautiful! Come and see!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva A set of smokey quartz beads inspires a new necklace.

Art Bead Scene Gearing up for that big bead show coming up? ABS has the top ten tips for your bead buying trip!

About.com Jewelry Making Tammy is getting back to the basics, starting with jewelry making tools. What is your must have tool?

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei has been answer some of her reader's questions from a previous giveaway post. Read up on what everyone wants to know!

Carmi's Art/Life World A handmade bezel results in a new necklace for Carmi called FAITHFUL.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts Barbe is having a "City of Love" giveaway!!!

Beading Arts Chapter two of Cyndi's e-book is available for download! "Altered Surfaces" begins the exploration of the exchange between mixed media and bead embroidery!

missficklemedia.com The Staples of Jewelry Making

Katiedids™ on the cover of BeadStyle

2010-05-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! I'm so thrilled that my project made the cover of the BeadStyle July issue, which hits newsstands on June 1. The colors were inspired by the view from my window: grass and wheat under a blue sky. The pendant is from my new Katiedids™ Creative Components collection. Ask for them at your favorite bead store or place an order on my SHOP page.

I'm honored to be a part of this edition that the editors are calling their "All-Star" issue. It's the first time BeadStyle has commissioned specific projects from designers. Several of us belong to a bead blogging group, so you've seen their links here before. Be sure to check out this issue to see everyone's beautiful and inspiring contributions!

The All-Star issue includes creations by:
· Rupa Balachandar - inspired by India
· Jess DiMeo and Leah Hanoud - inspired by Cape Cod
· Monica Han - inspired by Asia
· Linda Arline Hartung - inspired by California
· Catherine Hodge - inspired by Michigan
· Irina Miech - inspired by Milwaukee
· Judy Payne - inspired by Iowa
· Heather Powers - inspired by San Antonio
· Tammy Powley - inspired by South Florida
· Kim St. Jean - inspired by South Carolina
· Brenda Schweder - inspired by Milwaukee
· Jean Yates - inspired by New York

Love Gunmetal?

2010-05-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

I just received some samples of Beadalon's new Kink Free Ti wire and I've been playing around with circles and other effects that exploit its super flexibility. I guess I'm into the cascading, layered look lately!

What I want to know is, how do you feel about gunmetal? I'm loving all of the copper, gunmetal and other alternatives to straightforward silver and gold that are cropping up. How do you rate it? Leave a comment sharing your thoughts and you'll be entered in a giveaway for a fun chain goodie package!

Katiedids™ with Beadweaving

2010-05-24T19:58:00.005-04:00

Oh, such a busy week! The Bead & Button Show is coming soon and I am STILL working on my kits.

In the name of procrastination, I thought I'd share these earrings. I made these herringbone tubes a while ago as part of an experiment for another project. They've been sitting around on my desk awaiting their true purpose ever since. (Sound familiar?)

Today, I cut the tubes to size, glued the threads, and placed the tubes inside my Katiedids™ 19.5mm rectangular components. Then, I threaded eye pins through the rectangles and made large loops to attach these sparkly heliotrope crystal crosses. The earring findings are round hinge-backs from Beadalon's new catalog 30.

P.S. Are you my fan on Facebook? I'd love it if you'd join my group for updates and discussion of our favorite beading techniques, new product info and more!

New Video! All About Bead Frames

2010-05-19T09:14:00.003-04:00

As you probably already know, I love bead frames! Watch this video for some of my favorite examples and get new ideas for using them in your jewelry designs. For more information about the bead frames shown here, check out Katie's Finds in the June/July issue of Beadwork magazine.

Linky Love

2010-05-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

Modern Expressions Fernando creates a necklaced inspired by Frida Kahlo.

The Impatient Crafter Take a sneak peek at Margot's new book: Bead Chic!

The Savvy Crafter Candie turns old brooches into pendants. Check 'em out.

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi uses some amazing digital images to create a new resin filled bezel necklace.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie starts production for the Bead & Button Show and has studio pictures to prove it!

Humblebeads Heather shares some sketches of possible designs.

A Bead A Day Creating jewelry for special vacations can help you look forward to upcoming trips and keep the memories fresh afterward.

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene has a new look and some new opportunities to get involved. Come see!

Beading Arts Rubber glass? Rubber glass?!? What the heck is rubber glass?

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva Check out the new beads on Cindy's site - Turquoise Sky!

Strands of Beads Melissa shows off new designs using cool skull beads and charms from Rings & Things.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew hosts another Thursday Giveaway! This time, the prize comes courtesy of Natural Touch Beads! Find out how you can win some awesome resin jewelry components!

Snap out of it, Jean!There's beading to be done! Jean reviews Kate McKinnon's inspiring new book, Sculptural Metal Clay Jewelry, with DVD included!

Beading Daily Q&A

2010-05-12T12:11:00.005-04:00

Today's Beading Daily post is an interview between Jean Campbell and yours truly and features the above video from the new series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. See the full post here: Meet the New Host of Beads, Baubles & Jewels.

I loved the Q&A because Jean writes just like she talks and she is an insightful person with a fun sense of humor. A few of Jean's questions didn't make it into the post because of space constraints, so you guys are getting a sneak peek!

Q: Do you get nervous and faint like I do when I'm in front of a camera?
A: You fainted? I didn't know that! The first time I went the studio, I had to hide out in the bathroom and give myself a pep talk to keep from throwing up before taping. I still get nervous, but not like that. My heart pounds a little bit when they countdown to each take. I just take a deep breath and try to remember to smile.

Q: I don't know that many people who have appeared in People magazine. And no one that's appeared in People Style Watch...until your necklace showed up recently in an ad! What did that feel like?
A: So exciting! I would love for one of my jewelry designs to appear in the editorial pages someday, but the ad was pretty darn great. I ran out to purchase a copy the very day that it appeared on the newsstand.

Q: Tell us about your latest book, Katie's Beading Secrets. What's in it? And come on...tell us your favorite secret.
A: Katie's Beading Secrets is full of projects that beaders can make in an evening and wear the next day. Each design includes a variation to show how the same pattern looks very different when you use different beads, along with other tips for building or varying the design. One of my favorite secrets is overcoming designer's block by imagining a piece of jewelry that my sister or a friend would like to wear.

Get Crafty This Month

2010-05-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

The June issue of Crafts 'n Things is hitting newsstands and mailboxes now! Dive inside for a variety of fun, crafty ideas including my Jitterbug Necklace shown here. It features a whimsical, wire-wrapped crystal bug at the center of braided beading wire from the Beadalon Metallic Colors Variety Pack.

Other projects in this garden-themed issue include vintage style jewelry, sumptuous floral arrangements, chic pillows, creative clay pots, knit and crochet accessories, gourmet and spa gift sets and much more! Whether you need a quick gift, budget-friendly spruce-ups, or ideas for repurposing flea market finds, you’ll find oodles of inspiration in this issue.

Gray for Day, Silver for Night

2010-05-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a peek at my necklace that appears in a Beadalon-sponsored Michael's ad in this month's People Style Watch. I took my inspiration from the layered chain looks that are everywhere in fashion and focused on a gray and silver palette that could turn a simple daytime outfit into a dressy evening ensemble.

To create the design, I started with the connected hematite rings as the foundation of the necklace. From there, it was all about building texture and layers from the center toward the ends. I'd usually be tempted to scale it back, but in this case, more is more! I kept adding lengths of chain, beaded strands and beaded eye pins until the design looked really dense and drapey.

Click here for the complete instructions.

Polymer Clay & Beading

2010-04-29T13:13:00.003-04:00

One more Katiedids™ Creative Components idea this week, and then I promise to slow down the blog posts again...

I couldn't resist sharing these earrings with you! I used Fimo Soft to fill the channels of the donut-shaped Katiedids component and threw them in the oven to see what would happen. (I baked the head pins and eye pins in place.)

They came out looking just like you see them here, and then I added some Humblebeads polymer clay disk beads, TierraCast bead caps and spacers, and Crystallized™ - Swarovski Elements indicolite bicones and clear channels as shown. The big kidney ear wires are from Beadalon.

Try 'Em with Tinsel

2010-04-27T14:32:00.004-04:00

My pal Margot the Impatient Crafter whipped up some cute, retro earrings for ILoveToCreate using my new Katiedids™ components and some tiny, twinkly tinsel. Click on this link to check 'em out!