www.beadwork-supplies.com

Back to blogging!!

2011-07-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone, remember me? ;)
I've been MIA for quite......between family stuff like kids wedding, grandchilds birth, the massive flooding we are *still* dealing with......and how busy we have been in the shop, and there has just been NO TIME for the fun stuff like blogging, LOL!! But I just *Had* to take a minute and let everyone in on some of the great new things that are coming up at beadwork-supplies.com!
First; we have, at looooong last, found the manufacturer of the Steel Bracelet Bender and now carry them on the website!! I'm so dang happy I could do a little dance lol!! I have so many customers who want to order their cuff blanks flat so that they can do their artwork or stamping *before* it is bent into the bracelet shape.......but they had no way to bend them after they were done. Well now they DO! The bracelet bender is awesome, it is easy to use, works great with our aluminum cuff blanks, and is such a sturdy tool that unless you lose it or give it away, you will never ever need to buy it again. And the price? An amazing $11.95. Thats it!! Less than 12 dollars to make life easier.....who could pass that up? ;)
And thats not the only new item we've got going; we also will be adding ring blanks, stainless steel bracelet blanks, heavy-weight cuff blanks, and off-size assortments of brass and copper cuff blanks.....kind of like our aluminum grab bag assortments. Your gonna love them!! We have a few other things in the works, but I don't want to give away too much......surprises are fun, right? :)
Well, thats it for now.......stayed tuned for more updates as we get all the goodies up onto the website....and have a great weekend!!!

Closed Til Monday, March 7th......

2011-03-04T08:46:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that we will be closed starting today, Friday March 4th until Monday March 7th. BIG weekend, big enough that I need all of today just to prepare for it, lol! Our eldest Daughter Samantha is getting married tomorrow, March 5th, and hubby is taking me to the theatre on Sunday March 6th because thats my Birthday!!! See.....BIG weekend, lol!! Now I'm gonna brag on my hubby a little; guess what he bought me for my Birthday? Come on, Guess!! the theatre tickets? Well, yes......but the REAL present was......are ya ready for it? A NEW CAR!! How awesome is that? Three years ago he bought me the house for my Birthday, this year he bought me a car for my Birthday.....I think that makes my husband the very definition of "A KEEPER", lol! The car is gorgeous, too......a Dodge Avenger in crystal pearl red. Heres a picture from the Dodge website, this is exactly what mine looks like:

Ain't she purty??? :) Well, thats it I guess, off to get prepared for the weekend! I hope all of you have a lovely weekend as well! :)

WICKED Behind the Emerald Curtain: A New Video Series

2011-02-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

Hello all!!
Just a quick post to share this amazing video. Hubby and I are completely HOOKED on this play, have seen it three times and have had tickets for this coming springs performance for over 6 months already, lol! One of the best things about this particular play is the costumes; if you get the chance to see the play, DO IT.....if you get the chance to see the play from the first 5-10 rows, snatch those tickets NOW because then you will be able to see and experience just how incredible the costumes really are. They are *stunning* and worth the price of admission all by themselves!! Here is a short video that shows a bit of the beadwork that goes into the costumes, an amazing Art!!
WICKED Behind the Emerald Curtain: A New Video Series

It just keeps gettin' better.............

2011-02-02T11:52:00.000-06:00

Yup, better by the minute, right? First was the storm warning, then the wind chill warning, now? Of course! A BLIZZARD warning! (We live in Pottawattamie county)

06:21 AM CST Wed-Feb-02

The Weather Service has issued a BLIZZARD WARNING
Iowa counties
ADAIR, ADAMS, AUDUBON, CASS, TAYLOR
FREMONT, HARRISON, MILLS, MONTGOMERY, PAGE, POTTAWATTAMIE, SHELBY
Missouri counties
ATCHISON, HOLT, NODAWAY
Nebraska counties
BUTLER, CASS, DOUGLAS, FILLMORE, GAGE, JEFFERSON, JOHNSON, LANCASTER, NEMAHA, OTOE, PAWNEE, POLK, RICHARDSON, SALINE, SARPY, SAUNDERS, SEWARD, WASHINGTON, YORK
WIND CHILL ADVISORY
Iowa counties
FREMONT, HARRISON, MILLS, MONTGOMERY, PAGE, POTTAWATTAMIE, SHELBY

I knew it was gonna be an interesting day weather wise as soon as I went downstairs this morning; a snow blower was sitting in my foyer. (On my good rug no less, grr) But when I looked outside, none of the snow had been cleared....hmm, weird, right? Apparentaly what happened is hubby was going to clear the walks and driveway this morning but he couldn't get the snow blower to start. And it is bitterly cold outside......so he brought the snow blower into the house....to work on it. ON MY GOOD RUG. It is a good brand, a Toro....and is less than 3 years old....but hubby couldn't get it to work no matter what he did, so he finally gave up. And left it sitting there. In my foyer. ON MY GOOD RUG. Did I mention it is sitting on my good rug? I KNOW I forgot to mention that is the same rug that I spent a long time just yesterday SHAMPOOING. Making it all nice and pretty. So he could park a snow blower on it. Sigh...............good thing he's cute. ;)

And now the cold sets in............

2011-02-01T09:08:00.000-06:00

Yesterday it was a storm warning, now its a wind chill warning. WHY do I live in Iowa? Anyone?

Issued at: 4:05 AM CST 2/1/11, expires at: 12:15 PM CST 2/1/11

Winter storm warning now in effect until 10 pm cst this evening, wind chill
advisory in effect from 10 pm this evening to noon cst Wednesday,
The NWS in omaha/valley has issued a wind chill advisory, which is in effect
from 10 pm this evening to noon cst Wednesday. The winter storm warning is now
in effect until 10 pm cst this evening.
Timing: Occasional light snow, along with blowing snow, are expected through the
day. The blowing snow will continue this evening.
Snow accumulations: Additional snowfall will be 1 to 2 inches.
Winds: Northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to near 40 mph are expected
today.
Impacts: Combination of gusty winds and cold temperatures will result in blowing
and drifting snow as well as bitterly cold wind chills. The falling snow, along
with blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibilities and make travel
hazardous into the evening hours.

Wind chill values overnight will drop to 20 to
30 below zero.

Precautionary/preparedness actions,
A winter storm warning for snow and blowing snow means severe winter weather
conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast
that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must
travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an
emergency. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous
or impossible.

Winter Storm Warning = Shipping Delays

2011-01-31T12:25:00.000-06:00

Hello to All,
Well, I wish that I had better news for you all today; we are currently under a winter snow warning which unfortunately means our shipping times will be delayed since we can't get out to mail anything and, even worse, we are completely out of sheet metal and can't get out to pick up more! EEK!! Here is the email I got this morning:
Issued at: 4:31 AM CST 1/31/11,
Winter storm warning now in effect until 6 am cst Wednesday.
The winter storm warning is now in effect until 6 am cst wednesday.
Timing: Areas of freezing drizzle along with light snow are expected this
morning. The snow is expected to increase in coverage and intensity this
afternoon through tonight. Snow is then expected to continue through the day on
Tuesday.
Snow accumulations: Total snow accumulations around 6 to 9 inches are expected.
Winds: Northeast winds of 5 to 15 mph will increase to 15 to 25 mph tonight and
becoming north at 20 to 30 mph Tuesday. The strong winds will create blowing and
drifting snow and reduced visibilities as well as bitterly cold wind chills. The
strong winds will continue through Wednesday morning.
Impacts: In addition to expected snow accumulations, significant blowing and
drifting snow is expected with this storm with near white-out conditions at
times. Driving conditions will deteriorate this afternoon and will remain
dangerous through Wednesday morning.

Precautionary/preparedness actions,
A winter storm warning for snow and blowing snow means severe winter weather
conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast
that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must
travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an
emergency. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous
or impossible.

Get More Weather From KETV.com
Use The Interactive Radar
http://www.ketv.com/tu/5W95I9Kar.html
Get Your Local Forecast
http://www.ketv.com/tu/5W95I9OOW.html

Sounds like fun, right? ;) See where it says to only travel in an emergency? Now, usually we kinda disregard that and will vebture out to places close to us....but our 4-wheel drive is broken down and I am NOT gonna risk going anywhere in our truck......heck, that dang thing slides around in rain let alone SNOW lol! We are used to this kind of thing here in Iowa, but alot of our customers around the country (and the globe) are either having good weather or are lucky enough to never have weather like this......so I just want you all to be aware of whats going on here, and why your orders may be arriving a few days later than expected. :(
The only good news? The kiddo is off school......the school says they won't even try to guess if the kids will be in school at ALL this week! So naturally our 13 year old is a pretty darn happy camper right now! I predict she will be bored by this afternoon and texting her fingers to the bone. ;)
Thats it for now, I will update again if things change......for now, Have a Beady Good Day!

New Style of Fauxpals!

2011-01-30T23:37:00.000-06:00

Hello All!
Not much to update about, I just wanted to mention some new Fauxpals that are available now on the website, you can check them out HERE. There are some that are in my usual oval style, but there are also some new round Fauxpals that I am very excited about! The optical cap on top of them is much thinner than the caps on my oval Fauxpals, and it gives a different effect.....almost like inlay or mosaic, very pretty!! I also hand picked some to make sets from some ovals.....each set includes one 30mm x 40mm and two coordinating 13mm x 18mm Fauxpals. Fun stuff, easy to make a pendant and matching earrings, or bracelet and earrings, or a large stunning collar or necklace.....just imagine how gorgeous!!! Anyhoo.....thats about it, I will leave you with some pictures of the new Fauxpals to tempt you......although the pictures don't come near doing them justice!

Yay Yippee!!

2011-01-22T10:53:00.000-06:00

I am feeling better finally and am sooooooo glad about it!! Being sick SUCKS! I'm not 100% yet, but feeling so much better that I am going to be cranking out as many cuffs as possible in the shop so we can keep the orders going out in the mail. Heck, I felt good enough last night that I painted my nails....China Glaze Tree Hugger.....what an awesome color! Gorgeous green, yummy! Thats really all I wanted to say, so how bout I end this post with some more Keaton Pictures?? :)

Quick, before I collapse......

2011-01-20T15:45:00.000-06:00

Seriously. I really may.......collapse. At least that is how I am feeling! Sick.....SO sick, sick is awful and hideous and somehow EVIL, ya know? And I AM SICK. Not the sniffle sniffle, get to lay around and watch tv sick. Nope, this is the dreaded and horrifying sickness that makes you feel so terrible that to tell the truth, kinda makes you wish you just would die already and get it over with. The kind that makes you realize that everyone in your family is unusually noisy and demanding. And that maybe pets are for other people. And that I need to make more money so I can hire someone to take care of all the crap I just am not up to doing. And that....well, you get the idea. So I'll stop griping now and go lay back down. In my room. Alone. With the door firmly CLOSED. Oh! The point of all this? I wanted everyone to know that if you called me or emailed me today that NOPE, I did NOT drag my butt of the couch to answer you. I really AM sorry, and will get to everyone as soon as I can remain upright longer than 30 seconds..........ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

Grandmas Little Buddy

2011-01-16T18:41:00.000-06:00

Be prepared! You are about to view actual photgraphic evidence that Angels exsist......

Keaton Lee Henry, Born 10/30/10 at 10:30pm

Saying "I love you Gramma" ;)

The Angel sleeps.....

No doubt about it, he IS an Angel!!!

Snow Days!

2011-01-10T22:10:00.000-06:00

wow, I can't believe that we have finally gotten a real snow fall here in Iowa! It seems like it has been years! Still not near as much snow as we used to get when I was a kid, but enough that tomorrow will be my daughters second snow day off from school in a row...so yay Megann, LOL! On the downside, we have literally been snowed in....can't get out to ship packages! So some of you will probably be getting your orders a few days later than planned, I am very very sorry!! I think if we are still stuck tomorrow we will arrange for the postal carrier to pick up the packages. We don't like to do that because they simply scan how many packages they picked up, instead of scanning each one individually like they do at the post office counter. But it would still be better to at least get the packages on their way! If you are wondering if your package is one that has been delayed, you can email me at hlizzieb1@aol.com and I will be happy to check!
Thats about all for now, wanna get off the computer asap because I may lose my connection again...dang snow storms!! Here is a parting pic of one of my newest Fauxpals, available now on the website!!

KEATON HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!

2010-11-10T08:55:00.000-06:00

I am so happy and excited that I can hardly stand it.....because KEATON has arrived!!! Keaton is our first Grandchild, born to our Son David and our Daughter-in-Law Alyssa. He was born on October 30th, at 10:30pm......see those numbers? Born on 10-30-10 at 10:30......MUST be a good omen, right? :)
It goes without saying that baby Keaton is GORGEOUS, lol.....and I will prove it to you as soon as we get the masses of pictures that we took uploaded onto the computer; so be prepared for some MAJOR baby picture overload, lol! :)
That is it for now, I just wanted to check in and let everyone know our joyous news.....(which is also the reason why we have been a little out of touch lately) ;)
As always, HAVE A BEADY GOOD DAY!!

A Fragrant way to say Thank You............

2010-10-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been awhile since I posted anything! I had several weeks of chaos....I won't go into the whole story but just say that illness, injury, surgery, a car accident and the loss of a beloved pet were involved....and the crazy part is that none of those things were related to each-other, lol! But thankfully life has settled back into it's normal routine, and hopefully I can get back to posting on a more regular basis!
Like todays post; and this one is AWESOME!!! We are so truly grateful for all of our amazing customers, and have been trying to come up with a way to say Thank You....a way that is fun and different, you know? And I am VERY excited about what we have come up with!!! It is......are you ready? PERFUME! Yup, perfume! For only......wait for it, wait for it......ONE PENNY! How amazing is that?? I bet you are asking "whats the catch?", right? No catch, just a minimum purchase requirement, and it starts as low as $35.00. Here is how it works:

Spend at least $35.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level ONE.
Spend at least $70.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level TWO.
Spend at least $100.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level THREE.

Easy, right? Now, here are the finer details:
Wholesale orders are not included. Only one item please.....regardless of how much you spend. Minimum purchase requirements are before shipping. Please also keep in mind that these items may be limited in number and may change at any time; we reserve the right to substitute an item of equal or greater value if the item you choose has become out of stock. These are brand new, never been used scents. Some are for the ladies, some for the guys. Some are in boxes, some are not. Orders including a perfume that do not meet the required minimum purchase will NOT be sent the perfume; you will be sent a penny for refund instead. So please do NOT order a perfume if you do not meet the minimum purchase requirement! :) INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Please note that many countries prohibit the shipment of perfumes into their country; if you choose a perfume but it is prohibited, you will NOT receive it.
Here is a link to the perfume page, check out what we have to offer....good stuff, amazing stuff!!! LINK
I do hope that everyone has fun with this......if you have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Feeling Better & Getting Caught Up

2010-08-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

Good news at last, I am finally starting to feel better after my dental surjury, yaaaa-hooooo!!!! I didn't even take a nap today....wow, gosh, gasp!! (I did want to though, but I resisted the impulse lol) I was able to get caught up on all of our custom cut orders (thank goodness!!) and just have one large order to complete.....then it is back to the daily inventory upkeep. Again, I truly apologize to all of our wonderful customers for the delays in their orders being shipped, I sincerely appreciate everyones patience and understanding! :) You guys ROCK!!

Ow, Pain, Ow Ow Ow......Announcement......

2010-08-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Just a quick announcement, before I go lay back down and take another NAP. I love naps, don't you? Anyhoo.....I just wanted to let everyone know that I had to go to the oral surgeon yesterday for a bit of an emergency tooth situation.....hence the "OW, PAIN" heading. ;) And why am I telling you this? Because unfortunately I have gotten sadly behind in my custom cut orders......so there will be a few of of you having to wait an extra couple of days for your orders. I am VERY sorry about that, and promise to get them done as soon as I possibly can! I am already starting to feel better and trust that I will be back on track very very soon! Ok, thats really all I wanted to say, off to take a pain pill and that nap! :)

This Weeks FEATURED ARTIST is.......(insert drumroll here)

2010-07-04T12:31:00.000-05:00

YVONNE, from Texas!!
(hmm....why do I suddenly feel like saying, "Come on down! You're the next contestant......") *wink*
Yvonne sent me some pictures of her gorgeous pieces the other day and I knew immediately that I HAD to have her as one of our Featured Artists. I feel that her work shows a great eye for color and stone placement, and a VAST degree of skill in putting it all together! (you will see what I mean in just a minute!) Yvonne taught herself how to bead on a loom about 9 years ago and was very involved with knitting and crochet as well, but when she discovered bead embroidery, she was hooked! (hee hee...."hooked"....get it? Crochet.....hooked...hee hee....I'm such a dork, lol)
Yvonne says she finds inspiration everywhere, from travel books and art to everyday surroundings....the world is a colorful place, after all. :) She also loves the books "The art of Bead Embroidery" by Sherry Serafini & Heidi Kummli, "Beading with Cabochons" by Jamie Cloud Eakin, "Beaded Colorways" by Beverly Ash Gilbert, and Laura McCabe's "Embellished Beadweaving". I would have to agree with her, those authors are true inspirations to us all! :)
I also would have to say that, like my first Featured Artist Gerda, Yvonne is a True Artist....and I hope she knows that she is a great Inspiration as well! (and provides some darn fine eye candy!) :)
Ok folks, get your drool-bibs ready because here we go.......Artwork by YVONNE!

Check out these colors, that wire crochet work, STUNNING, to say the least!

And how about the eclectic stone placement in this piece?! Wow!

Even smaller designs get AAA treatment!

I adore this one, the colors, shapes....and look at that clasp!!

This one is my husbands favorite; he could NOT stop staring!! :)

And last but not least; a Turquoise Stunner!!!!

Now, do you see what I mean? Yvonne has that special talent, taste and creativity that creates true artists. I am proud to have her as this weeks Featured Artist, and would like to thank her for sharing her beautiful and inspiring eye candy!!

(and don't forget; if you would like to be considered for a "Featured Artist of The Week", send pics to: hlizzieb1@aol.com)

The First Featured Artist, as well as "An Ode To Gerda & Juergen"

2010-06-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

I am a truly fortunate person; I get to do a job that I love (and sometimes do it in my jammies!!) and, because of that job, I get to "meet" talented artists from all over the world. I LOVE getting to know them and I ADORE getting to see pictures of their work! I am sent pictures of drool-worthy beadwork nearly every day....so often in fact that I have decided to begin doing a post each week or so where I showcase a "Featured Artist"....doesn't that sound awesome? :) I feel truly honored to begin this new feature with an amazing artist; Gerda Petersen!
Gerda is a customer from Germany; yes, a customer.....whom I am proud to now call my Friend. My relationship with Gerda and her husband Juergen began when she placed an order with us at beadwork-supplies.com. Unfortunately, that package became lost......and in emailing back and forth to each other about it, we all got to know each-other and became friends. It would be almost impossible not to like both Gerda and Juergen; they are both amazingly friendly, funny and nice in additon to being patient and understanding, LOL! (that package did finally show up in Germany....guess it took the scenic route to get there, grrrr!!) And best of all, Gerda is a fantastically talented artist! She has only been working with bead embroidery for a few months, which makes the complexity and stellar quality of her work even more amazing. She has "IT"....that true, honest to goodness, genious-talent that produces not only gorgeous pieces but celebrated bead artists. Want to see what I mean? Well, here we go....our first "Feautured Artist":
GERDA PETERSEN!
First, a picture of Gerda. How gorgeous and cool is she??!!

Now, for her work! Here is a photo line up of a piece from start to finish:

See? How awesome is That?? Can you believe she is a Newbie?? Here are some more:

What did I tell you....Great Gorgeous Gerda!! Our first Featured Artist and my new friend! :)

If you would like to be considered for our "Featured Artist", you may send pictures and your information (such as website links!!) to:

hlizzieb1@aol.com

Bring on the eye candy.....and Have a Beady Good Day! :)

Copper and Fauxpals™ and Video, Oh My!

2010-05-23T10:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday to you all!
I am so dig-darn-diddly excited today! (what...thats a phrase, right? Dig-darn-diddly.....pretty sure its a real phrase)
First of all......due to popular demand, we have added copper cuff bracelet blanks to the website! They are so pretty and shiny, but boy do they take fingerprints! Take a peek HERE and you will see what I mean, the copper cuff bracelet blanks are all the way at the bottom. Look at those pictures! Fingerprints galore! Sorry about that, hubby takes all the pictures so lets just blame him, shall we? :)
Also, we have added a bunch of new Fauxpals™ to the website; these are 13mm x 18mm in size and oh so pretty!! And because the pictures don't even come close to showing the true gorgeousness (also a word, right?) of the Fauxpals™, hubby and I shot a quick video of them in the sun. You can check that out HERE! Yup, that is my hand you see there, trying to move the Fauxpals™ around a bit so you can see the color flash. They are still prettier in person, but the video does show them a bit better than the still pictures do. All my Fauxpals™ are introductory priced right now and are selling fast, so be sure to check them out and get em while you can! :)
I think that is everything for now, Have a Beady Good Sunday y'all!

My Latest Obsession......

2010-05-14T16:50:00.002-05:00

So, what is my latest obsession? Well, it is something that I have had running around in my head for a loooong time. I have tried and tried to find a way to make this idea work and this week, SUCCESS!! I am talking about "FAUXPALS™". What are "Fauxpals™" you ask? They are what I am calling cabochons that I am making.....because they have so much firey color-play, that they look like opals! Heck, you could even mistake them for dichroic glass....they have the same type of color-shifting, shimmering quality. I have been working on getting them just right and have finally hit on a technique that gives me the results that I have been looking for; and I am SO happy!!! So....what do they look like? Here, I will show you a picture:

And here is another:

Ok, one more:

Now, aren't those pretty?? And the pictures don't come near to showing the richness of the colors, the depth of the translucency......these cabs are MUCH more vibrant in real life! I just added a dozen 30mm x 40mm ones to the website, you can check all of them out HERE!

I am offering them at an introductory price of only $5 each.....a STEAL!! So if you like them, be sure to snap them up while you can! :) And then tell me what you think of them; I would really love some feedback on these...please? :)

Thats it for now, I hope you all Have a Beady Good Day!

New Items, Yay!!

2010-05-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to do a quick post and let folks know that we just added some cool new items to our hair findings page! A new, smaller barrette and some really great headbands! The smaller barrette is perfect for babies, kids or even us grown ups who just want a daintier size barrette....too cute!! The new headbands are made from white plastic and we have regular ones in three widths, foam covered ones in two widths and one size that is round....perfect for peyote!! A nice assortment sure to get the creative juices flowing! :) You can check them out HERE.

Coming soon: Copper bracelet blanks, aluminum barrette blanks for the ponytail clip and baby barrette, bracelet blank templates, a bracelet blank assortment.....the list goes on and on, so be sure to stayed tuned! :)
Thats it for now, Have a Beady Good Day!

Smaller Barrettes?

2010-04-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking, (dangerous, I know) and I think that we need to add at least one more size of barrette finding to our website.....one that would work for kids as well as those of you who would like a smaller, daintier barrette. I for one have very thick hair and need a bigger barrette just to be able to hold my hair, but I know alot of women do have fine hair, and kids always seem to have such fine hair, too. And those folks just don't need to have a huge barrette, right? So, what do you think? Should we make smaller sizes of barrette blanks? What size(s) would you like to see? Here is a link so that you can see the sizes we have right now: SCROLL DOWN FOR THE BARRETTES! Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated....we want to give our customers what they want, not what we think that they want, lol! So feel free to chime in by commenting here on the blog or emailing me directly at: hlizzieb1@aol.com
Thats it for now, have a wonderfully restful and Beady Good Sunday!

New Camera, Yippee!!

2010-04-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

Yup, we just bought a new camera! Not exactly earth-shattering news I know, but we are just so happy to have a new, BETTER camera that I just can't contain myself! :)
This means we will have better, more accurate pictures on the website.....a very good thing indeed. Sometimes our pictures taken with our old camera just didn't do justice to the subject. But this new camera.....WoW does it do a good job! Here, let me show you an example of the difference between our old camera and the new:
First, with the OLD camera:

And now, with the NEW:

See what I mean?! The difference is staggering! Ok, ok.....those aren't really the same picture.....you caught me, LOL! But seriously, this new camera makes us feel that there is this much difference between the old pictures and the new, it is awesome! (as well it should be, considering what we paid for it) Here is a REAL picture that we just took with the camera:

Now, isn't that purdy? :) And that was taken as soon as we got the camera......which translates to "before we had a clue as to what the heck we were doing." Hubby takes all of the pictures for the website and for a guy with no training and, until now at least, sub-par equipment, I think he has done a darn good job! But I can't wait to see what he can do now that he finally has a decent camera! :) For anyone interested, the above picture is of one of our brand new items, just added to the website under "Druzy Cabochons", HERE!
Thats all for now, Have a Beady Good Day!

More News & a Correction.....

2010-04-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, first things first....the correction! I had posted that we were going to be selling our new brass cuffs individually or by the dozen.....I lied. ;) We are actually only selling the brass cuff bracelet blanks individually, at least for right now. The reason is that our prices by the piece are already lower than our competitors by the dozen price.....and we just can't do a larger discount than that just yet. Sorry about the (my) confusion about that!
Now, on to the NEWS! We are pleased to announce that starting next week, we will also be offering not only aluminum cuff bracelet blanks and brass cuff bracelet blanks, we will be offering COPPER cuff bracelet blanks! YAY!!! Copper is a wonderful medium to work with and while we do not claim in any way that copper has any medicinal benefits, many people feel that it does, and besides....having more options to choose from is always a good thing, right? :)
The copper cuffs will be offered in all our regular widths, 6 inches in length and, as with our aluminum and brass bracelet blanks, with a choice of either square corners or rounded corners. All with prices that just can't be beat....how awesome is that?! :)

In other news, we (meaning me) have added a vast amount of new cabochons to the website in the last week or so; all different kinds such as turquoise, vintage, resin, stone, shell, dichroic glass....super gorgeous cabs in all sorts of shapes, sizes and price ranges including a totally new section of gorgeous Druzy cabochons; Be sure to check them out!
Until next time,
Have a Beady Good Day!~

Yay, Yippee, Yee-hah....at long last, BRASS!!!!

2010-03-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

The day is finally here.....after months of research and testing of material we at long last are happy happy happy to announce that our BRASS production is up and running!! We are very pleased with the type of brass we decided on, it is strong and springy but also a bit lighter weight than traditional brass cuffs on the market. And even I have to admit, they ARE prettier than the aluminum cuffs, LOL! (not that that matters once you cover them up with leather or fabric or beads or whatever.....but they really are shiny and pretty) To celebrate, we have put almost all of our brass cuffs on sale! You will find them on the "on sale" page, located HERE.
We will be offering the brass individually and by the dozen to start, but if you need a gross quantity (144) email me at hlizzieb1@aol.com and let me know what you need and I can get you a price quote. We are not doing the brass cuffs wholesale as of yet (orders of 4 gross or more).....mainly because we just haven't had time to crunch those numbers yet, but we will get to that as soon as we can. We are also not doing custom sizes of brass yet; doing custom sizes always results in lots of scrap or unusable material, and when you are talking about brass, that means alot of money, lol! But if you really need a custom size, email me and I will see what we can do! :) Don't get me wrong, we will be doing custom sizes in brass, we just need to figure out a fair way to charge for it. :)
Thats it for now; be sure to check out our SALE PAGE and as always,
Have a Beady Good Day!

NEWS NEWS NEWS!

2010-03-23T12:55:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I have been on here...we have been uber-busy around the shop and studio! First of all, we purchased a new shear! Whats a shear you ask? Whats it do? Well, a shear is a machine that cuts sheet metal. I already had one of course, but that was a BABY machine compared to my new one! My old machine had a 12 inch cutting capacity. My new one? A 37 Inch cutting capacity!! This shear is big enough that we had to hire professionals to move it into the shop, lol. And it will cut through not only thicker material, but tougher material as well. It also cuts VERY square.....which is AWESOME because it is way easier for me to round corners on a square piece of material than on one that isn't perfectly square. So.....what does all this mean to you my friend? It means faster production, more options and, best of all, a much higher quality cuff. Which is always a good thing!

Another good thing is that with the new shear in place, we are now ready to branch out into BRASS. The brass production will be up and running in a week or so.....maybe less. I will post again when it is, as well as send out a newsletter. If you haven't already done so, you can sign up for the newsletter by following this LINK.

One more announcement, and it is a good one!! With the popularity of custom sizes in our aluminum cuffs going crazy, we have decided to put the two most often asked for sizes into regular production. Yay! 2 1/2 inch bracelet blanks as well as 3 inch bracelet blanks are now available all the time, so come n' get em! :) click here and scroll to the bottom of the page!

I think that is it for now, I'll be back soon to gab some more....until then,
Have a Beady Good Day!

Challenges!

2010-02-14T15:58:00.001-06:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to let everyone know that we have changed the type of aluminum we use to make our cuff bracelet blanks. We are now using what is called "3003"; it is a definite upgrade! It has more "spring" to it and seems stronger even though it is the same thickness as the old aluminum. Does using a better grade aluminum mean that we will be raising our prices you ask? NOPE! How awesome is that?? It IS a bit more expensive than the old aluminum, but we will be absorbing that difference ourselves in order to bring you a superior product at the same great price! Yay! :)
One other announcement:
We have been working with our sheet metal supplier to find a type of brass that will work well for making our own brass cuffs. (like we do our aluminum cuffs) There are many types of brass (didn't know that before we started looking into buying the stuff lol) and what we need is something strong yet lightweight, with the "spring" needed for bracelet cuffs. But we need it to be inexpensive enough for us to be able to buy it, make it into cuffs and then sell it to our customers at a better price than the brass cuffs we sell now are. (those we have to buy from a manufacturer) This has proven challenging, to say the least! We are being very picky; we want to be able to provide our customers with a quality product at a great price! I am confident that we will hit on just the right material soon, hopefully within the month......Just wanted to give you all a heads up to be on the lookout for brass cuffs, coming soon!!! And, while we are on the subject, what would you think of copper cuff bracelet blanks? Should we or no? In the process of looking at brass, our supplier also showed us some copper that we got samples of and made into cuffs.....I was very happy with the end result (very pretty color and easy to work with material) but we don't know how many folks would want copper cuffs. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated!! :)
Thats it for now, have a Beady Good Day! :)

Decoupage and More......

2010-02-06T12:35:00.000-06:00

I have been playing around with Decoupage lately and I am so excited about the results! I used our aluminum cuffs to experiment with and whatever paper items I had lying around....magazines, ribbons, metal leaf, opal papers, tissue paper etc, and Mod Podge. (which I picked up at Hobby Lobby) It was soooo easy, I was shocked! Just apply a thin layer of the Mod Podge to the cuff and start laying down paper, then apply another layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal. Let dry and apply more Mod Podge.....do this several times and Voila! A decoupage cuff!! Here are a few examples of what I came up with on my FIRST TRY.....here, a cuff I made with leaf patterns cut out of a magazine and purple tissue paper:

Not too bad, right? Here is another view:

And here is one I did with opal papers, metal leaf, tissue paper and a picture I cut out of a catalog that I sandwiched in between two silicone bubbles:

And another view of the same cuff:

Here is one I did using Black and Hot Pink tissue paper, special request from my daughter:

And now here is one that I did using tissue paper and metal leaf on top of Lacy's Stiff Stuff, backed with deer skin and beaded around the edges:

Two more views of the same cuff:

Now, I KNOW that these cuffs are not professional grade...but these were my FIRST try! Imagine what you could do if you already have experience with decoupage!! Imagine what you could do even if you don't. I have to tell you, this was FUN. Really fun. And easy. And best of all, didn't cost an arm and a leg! The cuffs (If I had to buy them from myself, lol) were no more than $1.30 each, the Mod Podge was around $5.00, (and will last a long time) and the rest was just stuff I had laying around anyway! So there you go.....$1.50 to make a cuff, maybe $2.00. What could be better? :)

Until next time, Have a Beady Good Day!

We Have a WINNER!!

2009-12-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

We have a winner for our Christmas Give-Away, Congratulations DEB!!! You can check out her gorgeous work at the bottom of this post or on our homepage HERE. We are SO glad that we did this give away as a random drawing because if we had to choose just one winner from all the absolutely stunning pictures we were sent.....I do believe I would have lost my mind, LOL! Every single entry was gorgeous and we can't wait to feature all of them on our Artist Gallery page! The amount of talent out there is amazing and I want to sincerely thank everyone who sent in pics....I adore the eye candy!!!
The give-away was so fun and so successful that we are already planning our next one.....but haven't decided if it will just be for blog followers or for folks who have signed up for our newsletter or maybe even for both.....so be sure to follow this blog, (look to the right for the link to do that) and if you haven't signed up for our newsletter yet, you can do that HERE.
I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Holiday, (and being good so Santa will come...hee hee hee...I LOVE Christmas!) Alot of us are in for some really BAD weather this Christmas, so please...BE SAFE! And Until next time, have a Beady Good Day! :)

Still Time to enter!!

2009-12-13T07:17:00.000-06:00

Just a quick reminder that you still have time to enter for our Christmas Give-Away....one week, in fact! The deadline for entries is December 19th, 2009 at 11:59pm Central time. You can get the full details on our website HERE or from this blog, HERE. You could be the lucky winner of a $100.00 shopping spree on our website or $50.00 in cash......so enter now!!! :)

I also wanted to remind everyone that we are always on the look-out for new, unique, useful and/or gorgeous items for the website; if you have any suggestions, we would be more than happy to hear about them! Maybe there is something you have been looking for? Let us know, maybe we can find it for you! Or maybe you have seen something really neat that you think would be great for us to carry on the website....again, let us know! We want to be THE source for everything beadwork!!!
Thats it for now, I hope you all are having a Beady Good Day! ;)

CHIP STRANDS GALORE!!

2009-11-29T05:47:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to pop in and let you all know that we just received a shipment of beautiful chips strands! Stones are: Tiger eye, Red Goldstone, Rose Quartz, Snowflake Obsidian, Rainbow Florite and Cherry Quartz. You can see them HERE! (And look below for a few teaser pics!)
These strands are perfect to use in jewelry of course, but I LOVE using chips in the fringe of my beadwork.....so pretty and just seems so darn luxurious to see and feel those semi-precious stones cascading from a beautiful piece of wearable art!! :)
Submissions for the Give away have started to come in and WoW! Do we have some talented customers or what?!! Gorgeous pieces!! Keep those submissions coming....tell a friend, blog or twitter about it....we'd love to see this become our biggest give-away ever!! :)
Thats it for now, everyone be safe out there this Holiday season...and have a Beady Good Day! :)

Christmas Give-Away!!!

2009-11-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

We are crazy excited to announce that we are doing our first give away!! It will be fun fun fun and the winnings? Perfection, since YOU will be the one to pick them out!
Thats right, I said that YOU get to choose what you want! How cool is that?! This is how it works:

1. Sign up for our newsletter via our website; if you are already signed up for it, no need to do it again, we just need everyone to be a confirmed subscriber. Need to sign up? Follow this LINK

2. Submit at least one photograph (digital format only please) of a piece of your beadwork (MUST be beadwork such as loomwork, cabochon beading, bead embroidery, etc but can be anything....a necklace, hair comb, cuff bracelet, bolo, etc) along with your name and email address to: cindy@beadwork-supplies.com. Send as many pics as you want, but you only get one entry no matter how many pics you send.

IMPORTANT: you need to submit your digital pic(s) from the same email address that you used when you subscribed to our newsletter!

3. The picture(s) that you submit MAY be used on our website in the artist gallery or other pages; we will always credit the artist if we use a photo of their work so no worries there....just keep in mind that by entering the give-away, you are consenting to our use of the photograph(s).

5. You may only enter ONCE as a subscriber to our newsletter, but can gain an additional entry by spreading the word about the give-away by blogging about on your blog or on Twitter. If you do, include a link with your submission and you will get a total of two entries!

4. All entries will be thrown in a hat and a random drawing will occur on December 20th, 2009. Entry deadline will be at 11:59pm Central time on December 19th. International entries are welcome, just keep our time zone in mind when you submit your entry. This is NOT a contest.....everyone from the beginner to the advanced beadweaver will have the same shot at the goodies!!

Speaking of which.....on to the good stuff!
We thought long and hard on what to give away, and decided that the best thing to do is let YOU decide! Soooo....(insert drum-roll here!) we will be giving away ONE $100.00 shopping spree to the winner!! Yup, that right.....$100 Bucks to spend on anything you want on our website! Pretty cool, right? Well, it gets even cooler! We know how tough things can be at Christmas time, buying presents and everything and yet still needing some cash for the light bill, lol.....so we decided to let you choose either the $100.00 shopping spree OR a check made out to you in the amount of $50.00! Spend the $50 on whatever you need to...presents, the light bill, groceries or charity......its' your cash so do whatever you want with it!

Now then, thats not too shabby for a give-away, right? So what are you waiting for? Take some pics, sign up for the newsletter and submit your entry!

Who Doesn't LOVE Fringe?!!

2009-11-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

I mean, come on! Fringe is dangly and sparkly and gives an opulent feel to any piece.....especially if you use genuine Gemstones! I have always loved using genuine Gemstones in my fringe work and decided to search for some for the website; boy did we luck out! We were able to purchase a nice batch of Gemstone strands from a company that is going out of business.....which means we got the strands at a great price, which also means that YOU will get them at a great price! You can check them out HERE!

You will find Aventurine, Lapis, Blue Topaz, Moonstone, Garnets.....all in sizes and shapes that are perfect for fringe work! These won't last long at these prices, and when they are gone they are GONE. So check them out and get them while you can! :) Look below for a few teaser pics.....and have a Beady good day!

Agate Slices Galore!!

2009-11-04T09:46:00.000-06:00

Hello to all! Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! We had a small turnout of Trick Or Treaters. Not as many as I would have wished, I would have loved to have seen more of the kiddies in their costumes, but I suppose I can always console myself with all that leftover candy! ;)

I added a BUNCH of gorgeous Agate Slices to the website, check them out HERE!
There are lots of pretty colors as well as more natural shades and some really awesome shaped ones too! I love agate slices, don't you?! They are just so pretty.....so shiny and gem like with their banded translucency.....sigh! My favorites are the most transparent ones so that I can put them on top of dyed Lacys' Stiff Stuff; the colors you can get are awesome!!
Keep an eye out because I am going to be adding a bunch of gorgeous gemstone strands this week! Really nice quality and Perfect small sizes for fringe work, but feel free to use them in any way you wish! ;)
Thats it for now, Check below for a teaser pic or two and have a Beady Good Day!! :)

Yippee! New Fun Product Added!

2009-10-28T06:18:00.000-05:00

The testing is done and the new product has been released, YAY! What is it, you ask? It is BEESWAX. Okay, okay....Beeswax itself is not a new idea; most folks who work with needle and thread know of the advantages to using Beeswax as a thread conditioner and keep a bar of it in their workbox. BUT our new Beeswax assortments ARE a new idea and they are awesome!
The biggest problem I have had with Beeswax is that the stuff attracts dust and debris like a crazy strong magnet....not very hygenic and certainly not very attractive, lol! I would break a chunk off the standard 1 ounce bar and use the smaller piece while keeping the rest of the bar in a sealed bag; much cleaner, but still not very attractive! Then one day I decided to try refining the beeswax and MOLDING it.....Eureeka! Smaller pieces of beeswax that are also PRETTY! Such a simple idea but it really solves alot of problems, LOL!
We are offering the beeswax in a variety of sizes and shapes, sold as assortments that equal 1 ounce; the same size as a regular plain bar of beeswax. My favorite shapes are the LION and the EGYPTIAN PHAROH....so cool! Here are a couple of pics:

These are not all of the shapes, but it will give you a good idea of what we have to offer! You can also check them out
HERE!

New Items Added!!

2009-10-22T17:26:00.000-05:00

Yup, thats right! I finally got a bunch of great new cabcohons added to the website, and they are Beauties!! Check them out HERE!

I will be adding even more lovelies as time allows, so keep an eye out! Also a teaser.....I have something new I have been working on, still a secret but I am so excited about it that it won't stay that way for long, LOL! I am hoping to get my final testing done this weekend so that I can get this new item added to the wesbite by Sunday evening; I will post again when it is ready and give you a sneak peek!! In the meantime, just know that it is something that all beaders need, and almost all beaders use, but I have never seen any like these.......not only will these work better, but they are also beautiful! Ah, such fun having a surprise to spring, hee hee!
Til next time....have a beady good day!

Get Ready!

2009-10-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Yup, thats right....Get Ready! Why? Becasue I have spent the entire day getting some great new items ready to add to the website! Gorgeous Sea Sediment Jasper cabs in designer shapes, a stunning Labradorite cabochon, some Dragon Vein Agate pieces, some vintage Bakelite cabochons and some really beautiful Imitation Rainbow Calsilica cabs! The Rainbow Calsilica pieces are super cool, they almost look like Fordite.....imagine if Fordite and Rainbow Calsilica had a love-child......thats what these awesome cas look like!! I am actually not sure what they are made of, it is either glass or the hardest, most dense plastic I have ever come across. Can't even tell by the old standard of tapping it against my teeth! Quite the mystery, but a beautiful one!

All the above mentioned pieces are still waiting to be photographed, so as soon as that is done they will be up on the website under "Stone Cabochons" Keep an eye out, shouldn't be more than a day or two. I'll update here when I get it done.
Thank thats it for today.....have a Beady-Good Day! ;)

Happy Tuesday!

2009-10-13T14:31:00.001-05:00

Hello all and Happy Tuesday! I added a bunch of stone cabochons to the website today, you can check them out HERE.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the newest cabochons! I will be adding new items to the website on a daily basis, we have literally THOUSANDS of items that aren't on there yet! It is a time consuming process, so please be patient with me! And just think; all kinds of awesome new goodies to drool over every day!! :)
Check back tomorrow.....and have a great evening!

Gonna give this blogging thing a try!

2009-10-11T15:51:00.000-05:00

Hello all!
I have decided to give this whole blogging thing a try, I think this might be a cool way to keep everyone updated on what is new at beadwork-supplies.com! We have been busy busy busy lately, adding lots of awesome new items.....new aluminum headbands and armbands as well as lots of gorgeous cabochons. Keep an eye out for the new resin cabochons that we will have up on the site soon; I made them myself! :)
Guess that is it for now; don't forget that we always welcome comments and suggestions....you can comment here or email me at hlizzieb1@aol.com!