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10 Awesome Beaded Earrings DIY Kits by CrazyAcademy

I featured Ukrainian beadwork designer, Polina of CrazyAcademy before. She is a prolific bead artist constantly adding tutorials and kits. ...

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10 Awesome Beaded Earrings DIY Kits by CrazyAcademy



I featured Ukrainian beadwork designer, Polina of CrazyAcademy before. She is a prolific bead artist constantly adding tutorials and kits. She may call herself a "crazy" beader but in truth she is a highly motivated and hardworking creative who is passionate about her craft. 

The last time I wrote about her amazing necklace patterns and kits with a few earrings tossed in. This time round, I have selected a small sample from her huge 400+ collection of earrings DIY kits. Many but not all are fringe patterns. 

Some of you prefer to use kits which are combinations of supplies and patterns because you will not have to source specific bead colors and be stuck with excesses! Please also check her pattern/tutorial only collection if you prefer to source from your own bead stashes!

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Quick Yarnbusting Crochet Christmas Ornament and Stocking Stuffer Amigurumi Patterns


Yarn stash? Urgent need for some quick stocking stuffers?  Then you should have a look at this group of adorable crochet Christmas ornament and stocking stuffer amigurumi patterns! Perhaps one will catch your eye? Also see beaded Christmas ornament tutorials in the links below if you are not so much into crochet. 

First up is the hot mug of yummy goodness design for the Christmas tree shown above. The designer is Estonian artisan, Nadia of MiniCrochetZoo.

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More Art Deco Inspired Beadwork Tutorials by beading4perfectionists



One of my favorite beadwork jewelry designers is Gianna Zimmerman of beading4perfectionists - some of you may have already encountered her lovely Youtube channel @B4Pbakup.  She is based in The Netherlands. 

I just love her creative approach to using some components such as crystal cup chains as featured in my past post, Beautiful Art Deco Inspired Jewelry Tutorials using Crystal Cup Chains.

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Thin Pour Resin Technique - Beach Bookmark and Earrings Tutorial Needs No Molds


The thin pour resin technique has some advantages. You don't need molds and you can cut the partially cured pours into any shape you want!  

Shown here is an excellent tutorial from Little Windows.  Their jewelry grade epoxy Brilliant Resin is the safest epoxy resin out there (although those who have sensitivities should take care). I have been using it for years and highly recommend it. It is also a low bubble producer which is very handy. 

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10 Funny Holiday Gift Ideas | Early Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals are Here!



It's THAT time of year when deals become sweeter everywhere, online and offline including my humble little shops, beadinggem (supplies) and CraftaGems ! 

Some of my favorite gifts I've received over the years are the funny ones. Check out my favorite humorous holiday gift ideas here and see if they tickle your funny bone too! Not your cup of tea? See Etsy's Holiday Hub for some gorgeous inspirations for awesome Black Friday/Cyber week discounts - the early deals are already here.
 
Shown above is the set of gag gift bags which can surely bring a chuckle or two before the discovery of beautiful gifts inside. They are available from Offensive Crayons which is based in Nevada.

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Pretty Beaded Jewelry Tutorials and Patterns by SidoniasBeads Rock Regency Style


I featured Spanish beadwork designer Sidonia of SidoniasBeads before. I thought her work was so dainty and pretty. I wanted to give her work another shout out because her some of her designs really rock Regency style. That's not how she describes her work but fans of the Bridgerton series on TV will appreciate her work. 

One stellar example is her beaded brooch. It is a beauty!
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CANADA POST STRIKE UPDATE | Switching to ChitChats for Canadian Orders



My shops, beadinggem (supplies) and CraftaGems will remain open for all American AND Canadian orders during this crucial holiday shopping season. However, Canadian shoppers are now impacted with the Canada Postal workers strike. Snail mail within Canada has been halted.

I have therefore switched to ChitChats for Canadian orders for the first time. I have been using ChitChats successfully for US orders for a number of years and this will continue.  

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8 Copper Wire Crochet Earrings Tutorials by GemseekerStudio


Gemseeker Studio on Youtube is one of my favorite wire work channels.  Canadian wire artist, Andrei, has a set of 8 beautiful wire crochet earrings tutorials which are all must sees!  Most have colored beads added for an extra pop of color. It's a long view but you can also search out the individual videos on his channel. 

I like how he makes his own hoop earrings or other wire structures which act as the foundations for the crochet work. He uses 16 G wire for the foundation but you can use 18 G if you find the thicker wire more difficult to work with. The full list of supplies and tools used is in his video description.

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French Beaded Christmas Decor Tutorials by BeadandBlossomDesign


I featured Lauren Harpster's gorgeous French beaded flowers before. But once is not enough for this talented Utah based bead artist behind BeadandBlossomDesign. Shown here are her wonderful Christmas home decor patterns and tutorials. She also has a great Youtube channel where she demos how to make French beaded flora. Her succulent one is lovely!

She has a French beaded Christmas tree tutorial shown above, which resembles a real one. I'll bet makers will have a lot of fun decorating these.  I also love her poinsettia topiary which is unusual as is her French beaded ornament.

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Gorgeous Statement Copper Jewelry Designs by urbanrose


Love copper? Love patinated jewelry? Verdigris?  Then you have to stop by and check out urbanrose. The New York based team makes some of the most stunning copper jewelry I've come across. 

One of my favorites is the copper cuff bracelet shown above, a triple layered ruffled edge beauty.  All of their designs are made from solid copper. None of the plated stuff!  Stunning handmade beauties all of them!
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10 Fun Animal Macrame Tutorials to Make as Jewelry or Keychains


Micro macrame is smaller sized macrame designs suitable for jewelry and for keychains. They are super lightweight and great projects for leftover odd beads! The animal themed ones are universal favorites. Many of the ones I found for this feature are easy to make. Be sure to check the links at the end for more. 

The adorable macrame turtle shown above is definitely one which can be used as either a pendant or in a keychain. The tutorial is by UK based designer, Vanya of UniqueForYouByVanya. She also has turtle earrings too. She is an amazing designer I featured before. Do check out her awesome designs. 

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New Amazing xTOOL Laser Cutters to Level Up Designs | xTOOLF1 Ultra and the xTOOLM1 Ultra


Many of you might remember how excited I was to be able to review xTool's M1 machine last year. I have since posted more on it on my Youtube and will continue to upload blog posts and tutorial videos. 

Is the xTOOL brand any good?  Yes, it is if the M1 machine I have is any testament. They are well made and competitively priced, with legions of fans sharing online. Support is also a key factor for any brand.  I have had a positive experience. When my Mac Pro iOS software AND the xTOOL XCS software updated recently, I lost connection to the engraver. I went through their troubleshooting checklist but had no luck. The support team referred me to their Research division and sure enough, it was a simple fix to add xTOOL back onto the computer's local network. 

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