The old (originally 17th century Scottish) proverb “You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear” meant you cannot make something beautiful from inferior products.  Well, the wonderful Edinburgh based atelier, SilkPurseSowsEar, certainly proves the proverb wrong. They make the most beautiful photo lockets from mostly brass. Brass is a lot cheaper than gold […]

Stephanie of Bronzepony Beaded Jewelry has a way with Paisley Duos! Her lovely bracelet tutorial, shown above, has a main section with bead bezeled 18mm teardrop fancy stones and Paisley Duos while the Paisley Duos are used for the rest of the bracelet band.  I love how the bracelet looks so elegant on her wrist! That […]

We have been having so much fun with all the Beadaholique Live Classes and are excited to announce a special one coming up on Thursday, February 13th at 9am PT/12pm ET. This class will be dedicated to all the new jewelry makers out there who are just starting on their creative journey! This beginners basics […]

Chinese arts and crafts have endured for thousands of years, achieving sophisticated levels of quality and design. Chinese silks, pottery and other handcrafts were highly sought after for centuries. For a long while, these trade commodities made it to the west overland via the Silk Road and later on by sea via European traders. Today, […]

We love traveling to the Tucson gem, bead, mineral, fossil shows—and we enjoy exploring the amazing variety of restaurants, bars, and attractions this amazing city has to offer. Here is a taste of some delicious places to eat and drink. Savor Homestyle Cooking with a Twist El Charro Café Downtown is a 100-year-old Tucson institution. […]

Keum boo, the art of bonding pure gold foil to a silver surface, is a fascinating technique on so many levels – historically, scientifically, and artistically. In his online workshop Keum Boo Techniques, metalsmith Joe Korth provides a wealth of information and a detailed step-by-step demonstration of how to make keum boo jewelry shimmering with […]

Many of you might remember my last major sale in exchange for late shipping. This was to avoid having to shut down my Etsy stores, for supplies (beadinggem) and finished crafts (CraftaGems), while I am on a longer (more than a few days) vacation.  As I explained before, this method means my shops’ traffic does […]

Harry and Zanna are the British husband and wife team of illustrators for Papio Press. These talented artists show how their work can be translated into different kinds of prints including wall art, cards, calendars as well as wonderful enamel jewelry. Their style reminds me of medieval tapestries with their colorful animal themes and richly […]

Ana from Arizona contacted me some months ago asking if I could alter one of my svg cutting files in my shop. She wanted to make studs out of some of the shapes them her xTool laser cutter for acrylic work. This prompted me to hop over to her shop, Lotusofclay.  Was I impressed! Ana […]

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in Beadaholique’s annual 12 Giveaways of Christmas event for 2024! It was so much fun and the response was amazing!  We wanted to show you what the Secret Santa Giveaway prize #6 was. If you remember, the pictures were all blurred for the actual giveaway. Here it […]