Table of contents for February 2016 in Bead&Button

With the start of a new year comes another chance to set beading resolutions. And we are here to help! Want to learn a new skill? Turn to p. 20 to learn bead single crochet and make Candice Sexton’s gorgeous “Ombré diamonds bracelet.” Or ease into bead embroidery with Meg Mullen’s “Playful pinwheel” pendant (p. 54). Looking for a challenge? Try designing a project using a bead mix, as I did in “Beaded diamonds” (p. 26) or construct a buckle in Donna Sutton’s adorable buckle bracelet (p. 30). Tell us your beading goals for 2016 by emailing me at editor@beadandbutton.com (use the subject line “goals”) — we’ll see if we can help! In the meantime, play along with our Find the Bead Strand challenge. Send me an email by March…

Base 1 On a comfortable length of doubled thread, attach a stop bead leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Pick up 10 SuperDuo beads. Sew through the open holes of the last two SuperDuos just added (figure 1, a–b). 2 Using an even tension, pick up a 3 mm bicone crystal, and sew through the open holes of the following two SuperDuos (b–c). Repeat this stitch three times to form the first row (c–d). 3 To start the next row, pick up two SuperDuos, and sew through the next crystal in the previous row (figure 2, a–b). Repeat this stitch three times (b–c). Pick up two SuperDuos, and make a turn: With the needle pointing toward the beadwork, sew through the closest holes of the two adjacent SuperDuos in the…

Call it an obsession or a calling if you wish, but Douglas W. Johnson prefers the word “passion.” After 45 years of creating loomwork tapestries, Doug’s enthusiasm for his craft keeps him excited about every project he starts. “Before I’m even done with one, I’m anxious to finish so I can start the next one.” In 1970, Doug was a guitarist and songwriter in a Boston-area folk band called Sweet Potato Pie. Bandmate Lana Pettey introduced him to beads, and he took to stringing colorful necklaces — “hippie stuff,” as he puts it. Lana eventually introduced Doug to beaded loomwork. “And that was it — I was hooked,” he says. “First thing I did was build a long loom so I could make a guitar strap. It was 25 beads…

Handy Dandy B&B’s Guide to sizing bracelets 5 tips for the perfect fit! Whether you make them for yourself, friends & family, or a customer, making bracelets to the right size can be a challenge. These five tips will help you create bracelets that fit every time. 1 The law of averages Industry guidelines for average bracelet sizes can be a good starting point if you want to make bracelets to fit a range of people of unknown sizes. If you’re going to sell bracelets at a craft fair or art show, for instance, consider making each style in at least two sizes. Woman’s size Adult small/petite Adult medium Adult large Adult plus Bracelet length 7 in. (18 cm) 7½ –8 in. (19.1–20 cm) 8½ in. (21.6 cm) 9 in.…

Taxes are confusing, to put it simply. As vendors, we charge, and pay, taxes — but do we always have to? Most tax questions and answers will come down to whether you are operating as a business or hobby. You’ll want to get it right if you don’t want the taxman to come down on you. The best way to clear up the confusion is to talk to an expert. My accountant, Jori M. Culp, of Smoker, Smith and Associates PC in Hershey, Pennsylvania, helped answer some of the top questions I hear in our creative community. 1 Do I need a sales license? The laws vary by state, so check your state’s website for specifics. Look into two licenses to obtain: a license to be exempt from paying sales…

W Print all the materials for the projects in this issue at www.BeadAndButton.com/resources. First component 1 On 4 ft. (1.2 m) of thread, pick up a repeating pattern of a color A 11º seed bead and a 4 mm pearl six times, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through the beads again to form a ring, tie a square knot with the working thread and tail, and continue through the next A. 2 Pick up a pearl, an A, and a pearl, and sew through the next A (figure 1, a–b). Repeat this stitch five times to complete the round (b–c). 3 Pick up an A, a 6º seed bead, an A, and a color B 11º seed bead, sew back through the second A and 6º just added,…

This pendant can be made with either SS40 or SS45 round rhinestone chatons. (The purple/bronze pendant features SS40, and the blue/silver pendant uses SS45.) Tips are provided below for adjusting bead counts based on your chaton size. The illustrations are shown using SS40 chatons. Outer chatons 1 On 30 in. (76 cm) of thread, pick up 12 15º seed beads. Tie the beads into a ring with a square knot, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through the first 15º in the ring. 2 Pick up five 15ºs. Skip a 15º in the ring, and sew through the following 15º to form a loop (figure 1, a–b). Repeat this stitch five times to complete the round, making a total of six loops (b–c). Sew through the first three 15ºs…

Q: Your bead store, Funky Hannah’s, has been open for more than 18 years. What made you want to get into the bead business? I opened Funky Hannah’s mostly because I couldn’t find a local source for beads and supplies, and figured I couldn’t be the only person who liked to bead. This was confirmed when I was asked by a friend to teach a beading class for kids. Eighteen kids signed up to make daisy chains with me. I didn’t even have 18 beading needles! That’s when I knew I had to explore opening a retail store. Q: How did you come up with the name Funky Hannah’s? I named the store after my mom, Hannah, and four generations of other creative Hannahs in the family. I have their…

Pod necklace This necklace was created as a collaboration between me and Sharri Moroshok. I made the glass beads and pendants and Sharri beaded around them in her signature freeform peyote technique. You can see more of Sharri’s work and purchase her tutorials at www.thebeadedbead.etsy.com. Patricia Larsen Volcano, Hawaii www.patricialarsenartjewelry.com Your Work submissions: We’re always looking for new works of beaded art from our readers! To be considered for publication, send a high-resolution digital image of your work, a description of the piece, and your contact information to editor@beadandbutton.com. If your piece is selected, we will ask you to send it to us to photograph. Mardi Gras In my first attempt at using polymer clay, I made this face cabochon. I’m a big fan of Mardi Gras color combinations, so…

Base For the purposes of these instructions, and the QuadraTile in the position shown (figure 1), the holes will be referred to as top left hole (TL), top right hole (TR), bottom left hole (BL), and bottom right hole (BR). 1 On a comfortable length of thread, pick up a tile bead, and sew through the open hole of the same tile, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Tie the working thread and tail together with a square knot, and retrace the thread path (figure 2, point a). 2 Pick up a QuadraTile (BR), a tile, a QuadraTile (BR), a color A 11º seed bead, a drop bead, and an A (a–b). Sew back through the last QuadraTile added (BL), the open hole of the next tile, the following QuadraTile…

THREAD AND KNOTS Conditioning thread Use wax (beeswax or microcrystalline wax) or a thread conditioner (like Thread Heaven or Thread Magic), to condition nylon beading thread and Fireline. Wax smooths nylon fibers and adds tackiness that will stiffen your beadwork slightly. Conditioners add a static charge that causes the thread to repel itself, so don’t use it with doubled thread. All conditioners help thread resist wear. To condition, stretch nylon thread to remove the curl (you don’t need to stretch Fireline). Place the thread or Fireline on top of the conditioner, hold it in place with your thumb or finger, and pull the thread through the conditioner. Ending and adding thread To end a thread, sew back through the last few rows or rounds of beadwork, following the thread path…