Ho! Ho! Ho! Give the gift of craftiness this year to someone you love! Craftsy has a ton of fun classes (some even FREE!). They also got me to teach a class on Beading with Wire, Chain, and Leather. I had a ton of fun filming this class out in Colorado this past year. The students in the class are incredible too. They share pictures of their projects, questions, and comments all on the class platform. It’s fun to be in the Craftsy community for sure. I read this year in The Happiness Project that learning something new can contribute to your happiness. Believe it or not I found this to be true after taking golf lessons (which I stink at, but still!). Learning something new helps to get you out of that day to day, routine thinking rut that I can slip in so easily. Thanks Craftsy for having a fun site where all of us can learn something new.
Online Jewelry Making Class
Geode Jewelry
I'm so excited to be leaving for the Craft and Hobby show in a couple days where I'll be doing the make and take for Plaid Enterprises and catching up with my crafty friends! This year we are making some beautiful necklaces in the Plaid booth with the new Dazzling Geodes line. I can't take credit for the photos btw. I asked the gals at Plaid for them because I wanted to share ideas for how we used the geodes and components to create the sample projects. I love to layer parts and pieces and the flatness of the rocks makes it really easy.
This bracelet uses the prong setting findings. You can use the prong settings for pendants too. I went to JoAnn Fabrics last night to pick up some pieces to make more jewelry with them. Have I mentioned how much I love all the geode colors!?! Only a thousand times, right. I came home with black, pink and yellow.
Tons of silver and gold charms as well as sparkly links like this. You can get the geodes in honkin' big or smallish size. This is only the beginning–you could decoupage images to them or glue flat back crystals on the side.
Think bold! And love that it only takes five minutes to whip up! There is also a book with more project ideas like this with the components. JoAnn's has their jewelry section 40% off this week. Now's the time to stock up on your findings….there's still winter daylight to burn and sanity to save.
Preciosa and Vintaj….Love.
Right before Christmas I headed to Cleveland to tape a segment for Beads Baubles and Jewels. It was a blast seeing and meeting new friends. Katie Hacker has some great pictures on her blog from the week. Beads Baubles and Jewels has tons of interesting techniques if you are looking for new ideas to expand your jewelry making repertoire. The above video is from a segment I did this summer that has already aired featuring John Bead's Preciosa Crystal Pendants. I also used Beadalon's gunmetal chain and Vintaj's natural brass components. You can find a detailed picture and instructions for this piece here. I hope you have a great day that includes doing something creative.
*The television show, Beads Baubles and Jewels airs on PBS.
Merry 2011…
"Merry 2011!" This is what my college freshman cousin texted back to me after I wished his family (who were somewhere skiing–I love their NYE style btw) a Happy New Year. It made me smile and giggle. He is refreshing!
This is me and Rocker earlier today, warm and toasty in our new cabin digs and oh so lucky to have each other. Rocker suggested we give you our best mysterious model look. Did we get it? Haha. We love us some PhotoBooth! Which leads me to I got a new computer finally….I converted to Mac-alisism! Praise the Lord! My old one was old and that's all I need to say. Ok, but I feel like I'm driving a caddy when I work on this thing. Smooth. Fast. I love it!
2010's life brought ups and downs…just like every year. I'm lucky, that's one thing I know for sure. I made so many new friends this past year and a beautiful new place to live and work fell from the stars into my lap. Still no "Mr. Right." I think that's ok for now though. I found that my work really grew and changed this year and some neat projects fell into my lap. I tried some new things, like my first Steampunk necklace that uses Jangles parts featured in Winter 2010 Stringing magazine.
Thank you everyone who has friended me on facebook. Facebook…whoulda thought?! If you haven't, please come on over and look me up! I want to also say thank you to those of you who purchased my Metalworking 101 for Beaders book this past year and dropped lines to say hello. I have a few goals for 2011 and one of them is to teach more creative jewelry workshops anywhere and everywhere starting with the Indiana Bead Society on March 19th.
There's lots more, but I'll stop here. I like this song so I'm sharing! It gives me that get-up-and-go-do-whatever-you-need-to-get- done-energy….which is what I'm all about this year.
Hi, I’m Candie. I design jewelry and crafts, author books, teach classes and host television programs. I thrive on simple ideas that anyone can achieve. I also love projects made from unexpected materials that stand the test of time. Join me as I lead a creative life! 
