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Supply Emporium Online's $30 Giveaway Certificate for Polymer Clay Components and Beading Supplies

Many long time readers of my blog might remember Idaho based Claire's amazing handmade polymer clay components and kits from this previous feature. She has a wonderful way of combining her components with beawork to create original designs.

She is back with her new online store, Supply Emporium Online a and one lucky winner will be able to pick some gorgeous things with her latest giveaway! Claire is also offering a 10% discount in her new website - just use this code BJJ10.

Claire also has a tutorial site called PalacePatterns.

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Winners of the New 3D Flower Beading Boods from RoseBluBeads

Many of you were already fans of Patricia of RoseBluBeads' first book. So it was no surprise to read the excitement for her new books in last week's review and giveaway. Some like Darla had already ideas. She said, "I've wanted to add flowers to my my beadwork and would go beautifully with my beaded butterfly plant stakes."

When tasked with a choice, some readers were more interested in Book 2 and others were wowed by Book 3. A few mentioned it was difficult to choose!

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Book Giveaways : Two New 3D Beaded Flower Books by RoseBluBeads

It's been 3 years since bead artist Patricia Parker of RoseBluBeads published her wonderful book for beading 3D flowers. I certainly raved about it in my review on her From the Flower Fields! Her book is such a rarity as craft books are no longer published to the extent they once were.

Fortunately for beaders, Patricia hasn't been idle. She has since published two more volumes on 3D flower tutorials. Two very fortunate readers will be able to win a physical book each of their choice for this equally rare giveaway.

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Gorgeous Copper Jewelry and Tutorials by MiedzianaMagia

Love copper jewelry? Then you will be wowed by the gorgeous copper jewelry and tutorials by the talented Polish artisans, Natalija and Piotr, in the Pracownia Miedzianej Magii which translates to the Copper Magic Studio.

Magic is a good term as they are whizzes with this beautiful metal. They use metalsmithing and wire work techniques. Many of their designs combine copper etching. The gemstones used gives the final pieces a pop of color.

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CatFancyCreations' Beadwork Tutorial Giveaway | Home Decor Boxes and Jewelry Selection

I first came across Marla's work when I featured her clever take-apart beaded Christmas tree tutorial in this past post - 6 Gorgeous Beaded Christmas Tree Tutorials.

But that is not all Marla can do. This Washington based designer of CatFancyCreations, offers a number of 3D project tutorials as well as those for jewelry. Shown here are some of my favorites.

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Winner of CraftyBeadArt's Beading Tutorials Giveaway

Last week's giveaway of delightful beaded bracelet tutorials from CraftyBeadArt prompted some readers to name their favorite designs from Dorota's slowly growing collection. By doing so, they have given Dorota good feedback on what captures people's attention. Such feedback is invaluable to designers.

Mary Redman liked the daisy one. Wayne added, "The one that really catches my eye is Conan's Bride, but all of them are exciting." Another, named Anonymous (please add a name somewhere next time!) said she liked the Silky Scrolls and the half daisy design. And appreciated the fun titles! They are indeed clever.

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CraftyBeadArt's Beadwork Tutorial Giveaway for 3 Lucky Winners

I wrote about Polish designer, Dorota Kowalski's beadwork tutorials before. She is the beadwork artisan behind CraftyBeadArt.

Her design collection is slowly growing. She has a few new ones so her shop is worth a wander through.

The bow shape one shown above is novel! I also love her ombre designs.

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Winner of Wonderland Ukraine's $30 Giveaway Certificate

I was, like many of you, already a fan of Wonderland Ukraine for a number of years. Last week's giveaway showcased once again a number of beautiful products and Ukrainian creativity available from Anton's small business.

Also evident is the support from readers like you. Wayne said, "I have ordered several items from Ukrainian artists and hope that they eventually will be able to regain their previous lives." Barbara Smith added, "Their courage and their pain resonate deeply with me."

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Wonderland Ukraine's $30 Gift Certificate Giveaway for Kits and Organizers

Anton Gladkov of Wonderland Ukraine comes from a family of crafters. So he has more than an inkling of what they need. Wonderland Ukraine relies on many crafts people for their products.

Anton comes from the eastern city of Kharkiv which was heavily bombarded for months but never fell. I asked him how his business has been affected since last February.

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Winners of DiMarcaOnline's Beading Tutorial Giveaway

Well, well, well. There are indeed some beaders who are up to the challenge of making DiMarcaOnline's kaleidocycles for last week's giveaway!

Working in 3D is not easy. Cally Ross said, "I've made several peyote stars, and one Kaleidocycle. the challenge is frustratingly fun! ;) I'd like to make a bangle someday." Wayne agreed, "I've made several of this type of peyote and while it can be challenging, it's always fun."

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DiMarcaOnline's Giveaway for Two 3D Peyote Beading Tutorials

Want to challenge yourself with some 3D peyote beadwork? Then check out French designer, Marca Smit of DiMarcaOnline's tutorials. I featured her work before, specifically her "kaleidocycles" and bangles. The kaleidocycles are fun fidget gadgets and the bangles are most unusual.

She also has a vast number of 3D peyote stars, balls and pods with many themes. Her latest is the Christmas Fantasy Collection. Christmas may just have passed but you now have a whole year to bead away and get ready for the next one!

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Winner of Silver Cryptid's $40 Earrings Giveaway

Steph's wonderful earrings for Silver Cryptid drew some lovely compliments on last week's giveaway for her unique design style. Her flair for combining very different elements into cohesive and attractive pieces is evident

Lily says it well : "These are amazing, you can feel the energy from the designs!! There are many more beautiful designs on the website!" Indeed there are.

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Silver Cryptid's $40 Giveaway for Statement Earrings with a Mystic Touch

Statement earrings with layered components all with a mystic touch charmed me when I first saw Wisconsin based Steph Matthiesen Avilés' work on SILVER CRYPTID.

She has a certain flair for often combining light rings and frames with a variety of carefully chosen charms. Her use of brass combinations and gemstones add a pop of color to some of her designs.

book review giveaway

Winner of the Wire Wrapping Jewelry Book Giveaway

There were many positive comments about Erika Pal's first book for last week's Wire Wrapping Jewelry Book Giveaway. Her style of wire wraps is what grabs people's attention. Christine said it best, "I love the curve and balance in her designs. To borrow a description from an art friend, "Lyrical!" The flow of her designs makes them attractive without overdoing the whole look.

One reader who already purchased the book is Barbara. Here is what she said, "I looked at the "inside" of the book, saw techniques and in particular those invaluable, tiny but ingenious tweaks I'd never seen, even though I've been using wire for 15 years. I've been following Erika Pal for years online, but, totally agree with you, having a book is so much better. I don't have to search for hours trying to remember where I saw a particular technique or pattern and by whom -- I have hundreds of YouTube videos and thousands of photos saved to wade through." Good points, Barbara!

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Winner of Yoola Design's Wire Crochet Chain Link Tool Set | What is ISK? How Fast is It?

Did you know I have been a fan of Yael's work for 11 years? I first noticed Yoola Design when Yael was designing her contemporary style of wire crochet. But it didn't take long before fans were asking for tools and tutorials and the rest is history.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to write about and to feature her innovative tools - see links below. She offered a set of her latest, the chain link tool set for a giveaway last week.

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Yoola Design's Review and Giveaway of New Wire Crochet Chain Link Tool Set | Chain Mail Reimagined | Tips and Tricks

There are many designers who crochet wire into jewelry. What makes Israeli designer Yael Falk of Yoola Design different is that she uses 3D printed tools to assist in starting and making the work as neat as possible. They are novel tools and make wire crocheting so much easier.

Over the years, I have reviewed many of her tools. Earlier this year, she launched something new, her wire crochet chain link making tool set. The chain mail reimagined set was inspired by her early exploration into the chain mail technique but with forged metal pieces not wire. She explained in her blog post she was quickly turned off with the crazy amount of work involved and switched to wire crochet!

She sent me an early set for review. She has since changed the design slightly to overcome 3D printing challenges so they look like these now One lucky winner of this giveaway will get a set. Yael is also a special 15% discount for readers for anything in her store! Just use this discount code : BeadinggemYOOLA.

As you can see, there are 3 shapes - round, square and leaf. The latter two also come in two different sizes. The gap in the tools facilitate the addition of a completed link. A linked design can be joined in this way.

Just gorgeous results!

You can also crochet such that the shapes are not frames. The leaf shapes looks cool in different colors.

This was what I received for review - the early version of the squares and leaves.

The new versions are 3D printed so the holes are situated in a vertical fashion. This does not matter as you can still do the same thing. I do not have the new tool but as you can see with her first round tool, all you have to do is make the foundation row loops large enough so there is space at the top to insert the hook.

I use Parawire 28G wire - this excellent craft wire is what I have on hand. Yoola Design has many gorgeous wire colors to choose from! Yael also stocks precious metal wire for experienced wire crocheters.

I also crochet with 26G wire. This is stiffer to work with and I do not recommend it for newbies. The result is firmer as you can see from the copper colored designs I made below.

Yael also provides hook sizes 0.6 mm, 0.75 mm and 1 mm. I generally use the 1 mm hook size because I now like to use 26G wire. Two factors influence which hook size you use.

Firstly, larger hook sizes allow easier catching of the wire, especially useful if you are new to the technique. When I first started, I had to use a 1.5 mm hook and worked my way down with practice. I can now use a 0.6 mm but still occasionally miss the wire. Secondly, a finer hook allows you more maneuverability when it is in the hole and you are moving it slightly around in the hooking action. This greater maneuverability leads to faster working times with practice.

One important tip in wire crochet work is the use of your non-working hand. I am right-handed so my left forefinger is used to trap the working wire behind the tool - this makes hooking successful each time. My left thumb is used to hold down the base of the first loop. An alternative is to wrap the wire end around the hole on the opposite side of the gap.

What "sets" the wire loop in place and gives loops a near uniform shape is the poking action after a loop is pulled through the hole.

After the poking action, I use my left thumb to press the wire loop so it sits flat along the same plane as the tool.

My left thumb continues to hold down the work in progress as I move along for the foundation row.

Make the foundation row generously sized and in a different color from the main work. This foundation row is cut to release the finished work.

Here the copper wire is my foundation row and the silver plated craft wire will be the main body of work.

There are decreasing steps - Yael explains it in the instructions. The useful thing with wire is that the loops can overlap and stay open unlike yarn crochet!

Fine wire does benefit from being work hardened!

I chose not to make links out of the work. I adapted Yael's pattern to make more substantial frames for stud dangles! Notice I did not open up the outside loops with a thick needle. I like the funky edge shapes.

I also wanted to make the designs uniquely my own so I raided my stash of beautiful TierraCast stud posts!

Giveaway

If you'd like to win Yoola Design's Wire Crochet Chain Link Making Set, please make a comment below. Make sure you leave contact info below if you do not have an online shop or blog.

Email subscribers need to scroll down the post they receive, click on Share Comment and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower etc. If you also do shout outs about this giveaway, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments. (The exception is Facebook - just like/comment on the giveaway status there!!)

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, October 10, 2022. I will pick the winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

Photography

I used my iPhone 8+ for final product photography in natural light. I also use different smartphone apps. The work in progress pictures were shot in natural light but with a makeshift studio while I was away from home and my normal equipment. Generally I use the Orangemonkie studio which comes equipped with LED lights - for artificial light photography in my windowless basement studio. The Foldio2 Plus is excellent . I use the Foldio3 because I need the room for tutorial photography. My online class Easy Guide to Smartphone Jewelry Photography is now available. Read more about it here.

Disclosure

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM

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Winner of From the Flowering Fields Book Giveaway

Why am I not surprised so many of you loved Patricia Parker's book,From the Flowering Fields : Creating 3D Flowers with Seed Beads? Judging from the comments in last week's giveaway, the gorgeous depictions of lovely blooms were hard to resist. I agree with Cally Ross, these are "flowers that don't die!"

I thought some beaders might gravitate to certain bead stitches but Kathy Lowe pointed out, "This would be a great way to learn those stitches that I don't know!" Good point! The book is a wonderful resource to all. Nancy said, "I've done beaded flowers with seed beads on wire, but never could figure out how to use bead weaving to get similar results. These flowers are amazing! Can't wait to get the book."

beadwork book review giveaway

Book Review and Giveaway : From the Flowering Fields | Creating 3D Flowers with Seed Beads

It was a sad day back in 2021 when Kalmbach Media ceased producing new books and shuttered the Bead and Button shows as well as their magazines. The pandemic accelerated the trend to digital publications. But luckily for us, there are still beadwork designers who have forged ahead with their own self-published books, thus serving that void.

Many beadwork and other craft enthusiasts prefer books as they are often good reference tomes to have around. No internet needed either!

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Winners of Ecuadorian Hands' Palo Santo Bracelets Giveaway | Email Me If You are a Winner!

I can't believe last week just flew by and it's time to announce the winners of Ecuadorian Hands' Palo Santo Bracelets Giveaway!

I did make an error which Fabrizio of Ecuadorian Hands pointed out. I got my species mixed up and had to edit the original post as follows :

"There are actually two species - Bulnesia sarmientoi which is endangered due to illegal logging. Ecuadorian Hands works with Bursera graveolens which is not endangered. Their reforestation efforts of Bursera graveolens will ensure their long term survival and not fall to the same fate as the other species."

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12 Palo Santo Bead Bracelets Giveaway

Long time blog readers might remember Ecuadorian Hands. This South American company ethically and sustainably sources natural products like tagua nut beads and I have been fortunate to have reviewed them before (see my tutorials linked below).

About 6 years ago, they also sent me some palo santo (Spanish for "holy stick") wood beads. I made a simple elasticated and beaded mala bracelet with these. The tutorial is here.

DON'T MISS AN UPDATE!