Bead Love Archives - Candie Cooper

Got Beading Wire? Four Necklace Ideas with Beading Wire

October 26, 2016 By candiecooper 1 Comment

This post brought to you by BEADALON. Thanks Beadalon for helping me to keep the lights on at my work bench. All opinions shared here are my own.

Got Beading Wire?

So after the post that explains all the ins and out of how to choose wire for beading, I thought it might be helpful to share some jewelry projects that actually use beading wire. Here are 4 of my favorite DIY jewelry making projects that use various beading wires. All four of these necklaces can be made using Beadalon’s selection of beading wire.

The quartz layering necklace. This jewelry piece has been a staple in my wardrobe with it’s neutral tones and exotic nature.
The illusion style necklace with .024in diameter gold, nylon coated wire.Quartz layering necklace–I wore this thing until it fell off!

Big chunky beads with Czech glass for the win in this fun necklace!

And the multi-strand gemstone Eden necklace to top this post off.

Filed Under: Bead Love, stringing

Free Spirit Dragonfly Pendant Kits Available

August 16, 2016 By candiecooper 1 Comment

Full disclosure: the companies mentioned in this post are either sponsoring me to teach, sent product for me to play with or both. All opinions are my own.It’s Bead Fest Summer prep time here in my world. I’m teaching 13 classes and hosting a tailgate party Saturday morning with Jesse James Beads.

I love throwing parties and am lucky to have found Jesse James Beads who does also.

If you follow me on Facebook, you might’ve caught the live video where I showed how to paint dragonfly pendants like the one above. It also happens to be one of my classes at this weekend’s Bead Fest sponsored by Beadalon, Jesse James Beads and Vintaj.

I know some of you can’t make it, so I assembled some fun, one of a kind kits for this piece in my Etsy shop. A little piece of Bead Fest sent right to your door when I get back next week (kits ship Aug. 26th). I hope you love them as much as I do.

Materials:

Dragonfly kit

Gemstone Chain from JesseJamesBeads.com

Ranger Patina Paints from JesseJamesBeads.com

Beads from JesseJamesBeads.com

Fine sandpaper (600 grit)

Gold leaf paint from Plaid Enterprises

Acrylic sealer

If you missed the video, you can watch it here and feel free to add comments or questions about this technique in the post.

Filed Under: Bead Love

Get Aligned! Making Chakra Jewelry

April 25, 2016 By candiecooper 6 Comments

This post brought to you by Dakota Stones. Sponsored posts help to keep the lights on here at CandieCooper.com. Thanks, Dakota Stones! How to Make Chakra Jewelry with Dakota Stones on Candie Cooper's blog7 Years ago, a lady brought a piece of Chakra jewelry that she wanted to change around a bit. My younger self had no idea what these little gems represented.
Fast forward ten years and here we are. I’m very much aware of the chakras and the possible power of natural stones. Thank you, yoga, self-help books, Pinterest (the other self-help book). It’s so interesting to learn about the power of natural stones.

It’s so interesting to learn about the power of natural stones.

That’s why when Dakota Stones and I talked about possible projects, I was thrilled when the chakra jewelry idea came up. Happily, I’m taking the chakra challenge with my friend Jess Prill that works at Dakota Stones. Jess is an amazing designer-you might’ve seen her pieces in Stringing Magazine.
DS sent this beautiful set of gems–If you are curious about what each stone aids in, read the blog post at Dakota Stones here. I’ll put links to each stone on the DS site at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Chakra Jewelry with Dakota Stones on Candie Cooper's blog15 I started with a crystal fan pendant from Dakota. These things are radiant and I love how crystal clear they are. Seems like a good start for aligning those chakras right?
Next I strung the gems in the appropriate order, peppered with Tierra Cast double hole spacer beads. By the way, I’m using .024, 49 strand gold Beadalon wire. When working with gems, it’s a good idea to use thicker wire—plus, I love seeing the thick wire connections.
Zip it all up with a little bit of round leather (this is 2mm diameter). Here’s how:
That’s another Tierra Cast bead which is key in holding the clasp in place.
Use a touch of Loctite gel on either side and slide the bead into place. Keep a piece of paper nearby to grab the extra adhesive that oozes out.
How to Make Chakra Jewelry with Dakota Stones on Candie Cooper's blog13 That’s all there is to it. I can’t wait to take it for a test drive. And when I’m not wearing it, I’ll keep it on my dresser where I can see it daily (always a good reminder to take a breath and slow down, be grateful).
How to Make Chakra Jewelry with Dakota Stones on Candie Cooper's blog8 Do you follow CandieCooper.com on Facebook? I’ve been doing live videos there. This week I will feature a quick 5-minute chakra piece and give away the gems to make it.Be sure to check out my chakra partner in crime Jess Prill’s piece on the Dakota blog here.

Visit Dakota Stones for the best gems on the web–I’ve been a long time fan of their products and am thrilled they’re going to sponsor a few days here on the blog!

Chakra Stones used above–

Filed Under: Bead Love, Jewelry

Thank You!

February 17, 2016 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

Just wanted to drop a note of thanks for checking in on my blog. I love making these tutorials for you. I’ve been making jewelry since 6th grade–and it is you that allows me to continue that passion. For that, I am so thankful.

Many of you make things with your kids and grandkids and I want to especially thank you for sharing that gift with children. We know the power of making something with our hands and the benefits that come from it–thank you for passing that down to our youth.

Filed Under: Bead Love

Lucky Wire Wrapped DIY Pendant

February 10, 2016 By candiecooper 5 Comments

This post is brought to you by BEADALON–makers of great jewelry findings and tools.
This pendant. I’ve worn it every other day since I made it.
This morning I was watching GMA and they were making dinners that cost $5. (or really close if you play your coupon cards right). It’s just as good, right?

Now I bring you the $5 DIY jewelry edition. You ready?
I’m using a dollar strand of beads, Beadalon’s antique brass chain, a retainer ring from the hardware store (look for it in the washer/bolt section of the store), 20g. antique brass colored Artistic Wire, a couple jump rings and that’s all.
String a row of 20 to 25 beads onto the Artistic Wire. It’s definitely better to have more so you can wrap your heart out.
Artistic Wire for jewelry making and crafts comes in every color under the rainbow. If you’re making this project with tweens, I would work with 22g. vs. the 20g. so it’s extra easy to wrap.
Here’s a closer peek at the retainer ring. This thing is made of steel so you’ll need to rub it with some beeswax or spray it with a lacquer so it doesn’t rust–I learned this from the master of steel wrangling, Brenda Schweder.

Secure your wire with a couple wraps.
Slide a bead next to the retainer ring and make a full wrap.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Each bead is separated with a full wrap of wire to help with spacing.
Anchor the wire the same as when we started with a few wraps. This is the back side of the pendant.
Use jump rings to attach the pendant to the chain.Boom.
Donesies.

A little design tip after wearing this necklace a few thousand times. Leaving it long is awesome, but if it’s too long, you can make an overhand knot so it hangs shorter–like we used to with super long strands of pearls found in grandma’s closet.
I don’t know about you, but we are in the thick of winter and I need all the instant gratification I can get. This necklace fits the bill.

Until next time, stay warm and visit Beadalon.com for the goods!

Filed Under: Bead Love, Jewelry, Tutorials

I’m Teaching at Beads of Courage Bracelet Event

January 16, 2016 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

Do you live in Tucson or will be there for the big gem dance? Come to the Beads of Courage Bracelet Making Party with Katie Hacker! This is an amazing fundraiser for Beads of Courage which provides kids with beads that are battling cancer. Not heard of BOC? Watch this video about it on CBS Sunday Morning to learn more.

I’ll be teaching for one of the sponsors, JesseJamesBeads.com. Lots of my favorite jewelry supply companies are also sponsoring bracelet make and takes like Beadalon, LeatherCord USA, Tierra Cast and Sizzix.This is the bracelet you can make using Jesse James Beads.

The event is Feb. 3rd and the cost is $50 AND you get to make 5 bracelets. 5 bracelets!! Plus food and drinks are provided. I know it’s going to be a rip-roaring, good time.

I really would love to meet you in person!

Filed Under: Bead Love

Eden: Gemstone Necklace with Round Braided Leather

January 8, 2016 By candiecooper 6 Comments

This post brought to you by LeatherCordUSA.com It’s raining here today. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest when I have the joy of staying inside and making jewelry.

Yesterday was gorgeous. Today it’s overcast and drizzly. Yin and Yang.

So with this gray day, I’m presenting a piece that is lush in gems and texture.It started with a pile of this unique round braided bolo leather from LeatherCordUSA.com. I can’t tell you how much I’m intrigued with this stuff. It comes in different finishes and diameters. Really really amazing quality.I opted for the natural finish for this piece. It’s thick and perfect to support the weight of the gem section in the front. Speaking of gems…I’ve had these hanks of gemstones hanging in my studio for two years. They were inexpensive so I bought a lot. The time had come to use them and as is because the odd bead shapes together made my eyes happy. The only thing was I felt it needed a tiny bit of contrast yet something to unify the group so I added tiny copper colored rondelles to each strand.I used Beadalon gold 15 strand beading wire so it blended with the stone colors, then crimped them to a wrapped wire loop with #1 crimp beads.Then I strung the large bead cone onto the wire with a few beads and finished with a wrapped loop. Nice and tidy.Nothing but colorful goodness.Once you have the gemstone section secured, cut the leather to the desired size and glue end caps to the Glue and Go findings. I removed the clasp that came with the end findings and connected it to toggle rings which were then connected to the bead cones to create a decorative element.My plan is to wear this as a layering necklace. I will create some shorter chain and pendant pieces to go with it.