Archive: August ’12 on The Blog

Hi All! Kate here. I’m the newbie here at Lima Beads and this is my first blog post. (You can read more about me and where I come from on my bio page). Today I wanted to introduce the inspiration behind this week’s Tip & Technique: the Simple Knotted Leather Cord Bracelet.

I just recently created and posted my first Fresh Pick and was really struck by the Lima Community and their encouraging words regarding my pick. (Thank you!) The truth is, I haven’t done much beading lately– not since high school when my hippy friends and I spent Friday nights in someone’s parents’ basement making hemp necklaces and listening to Phish or Dave Matthews or Smashing Pumpkins (OK, I know that last one wasn’t very hippy-esque, but we liked Billy Corgan’s voice). What are your earliest memories of pursuing “the craft”?

So, after working here at Lima for a few weeks, I’ll be honest, I’ve been blown away by the creativity flowing through your fingers in the Design Gallery and Fresh Picks! I asked Ali what would be the next step for me, acknowledging my limited experience in hemp all those years ago, and she suggested a leather cord bracelet. It’s simple enough for me to do AND Ali’s years of experience point out some great tips for anyone who’s using the knotted technique or working with leather cord in some other way.

We made this video after our chat about the technique. Check it out! And I’d love to hear about your earliest memories of jewelry making!

We have additions to 3 product lines this week.

Nunn Design

Today, we’re adding 80 items to our collection of great Nunn Design pieces. These items include everything from bead caps to ornate bezels, links, and bracelets. I love the bangle bracelets. I know it won’t be long before Ali comes in with a bracelet made of several bangles tied together with ribbon and who knows what else woven into the mix. There are a lot of good pieces here and the quality of Nunn Design stuff is awesome.

New Gemstones

There’s really no theme to this week’s gemstone additions. There’s something for everyone with stones like sunstone, green garnet, amazonite, and tourmaline in the mix. You could get big and funky with a 16mm faceted round or stay small and subtle with an amethyst briolette. See all the gemstones now.

More Irish Waxed Linen

We’ve expanded this line to include a thicker option (7 ply) and some new colors! These items have turned out to be super popular for good reason–the colors are awesome!

Alright Lima Beaders! We’re ready to delve into this magical and mystical thing called Fashion Week. “What? This is a beading website!” you might be thinking, but Fashion Week does have a certain relevance to our humble age-old craft: color schemes.

Fall Fashions: Pantone Color Report

New York Fashion Week was way back in February, but at the time we had no intention of thinking about the Fall. Ew, here in Michigan with all its sloppy, soupy snow in February (it was a mild winter, but winter nonetheless) if anything, we were dreaming of Spring. But now the Autumn season is upon us. (I know because I’ve started buying all the back-to-school pencil cases, lunch boxes, and back packs for Payton.) And now I feel it’s an appropriate time to start matching the new Fall Fashion colors with some of our offerings here at Lima Beads.

I wanted to be really selective when matching these colors. For example, when you see Bright Chartreuse in the Pantone chart, you’re not going to see every green thing we carry. You’re going to find the best components for creating something with this color scheme in mind. I also tried to group some of our multi-colored beads conveniently so you can instantly recognize how hip these beads will be in your new Fall creations.

New Designs

My sense of design and style drew me in to these Pantone colors because of the versatility of the colors. There are some great accent shades–Tangerine Tango? Pink Flambé? Some wonderful neutrals (“blendy” as Payton might say)– French Roast and Titanium. As well as some “cool” yet bold hues to work with– Ultramarine Green and Rhapsody.

Lately when designing, I’ve been really drawn to the raku by XAZ. It’s going to pair extremely well with the Ultramarine Green, Titanium and Honey Gold. Of course I would need to throw in a Turquoise and few rusty harvest colors to make it pop – maybe from some boro glass beads of Sea Shore Glass or some carnelian and amber. It’s always fun to have something new to play with and I feel like the possibilities suggested by Fashion Week 2012 for the Fall are nearly endless. What strikes your fancy? I’d love to see some ideas from you! Fresh Picks anyone?

I have 3 things for you to shop this week:

1. We’ve added to our selection of designer Czech glass in a big way.
2. There are new metal beads and findings to see and the prices are great!
3. Heather at Humble Beads sent us some amazing designs she’s been working on.

New Designer Czech Glass

The Czech glass additions include lots of fire polished rondelles, nuggets, flowers, and more. Each time we receive a shipment of new Czech glass, I just want to get on a plane and go to the Czech Republic. They seem to have a never-ending supply of awesome colors and I’d love to see how they do it! Kadie and Ali obviously had some fun this week with color names like: bisque, artichoke fire, spicy tuna, and grasshopper pie. See them all.

More Metal Basics

We’re covering the basics this week with metal beads and findings that are a great value. You’ll find staples like silver plated round 4,6,8, and 10mm as well as awesome stuff like the large stainless steel carabiner style clasp. We’ve also added to our selection of cord ends (finally). See all of the metal beads and findings additions now.

New Humble Beads

Heather has been busy! Today, we’re adding a handful of designs that just came in. Heather Powers, owner and artist at Humble Beads, creates enchanting beads and pendants with polymer clay. Her inspirations stem from her childhood home on the shores of Lake Michigan and in the woods of her sleepy hometown. Birds, tree branches, leaves, flowers and sundries from the sea reflect the beauty of nature that inspires all of her polymer clay creations. See the entire line of Humble Beads now.

Last, but not Least…

Don’t forget to check the Back in Stock page for some of your favorites that just arrived back at the shop this week… TierraCast, TOHO, Nunn Design, and more!

Today, we’re adding to 3 of our most popular lines: Lillypilly metal discs, Green Girl Studios artist beads, and Vintaj brass and arte metal components.

New Vintaj

This Vintaj addition is full of goodies. You’ll find versatile decorivets, large brass sheet metal, blanks, bead caps, lobster clasps, and more! Ali had fun with some of the new components in the Armored Cuff design she posted today. Check out all the new Vintaj!

New Lillypilly

You’ve got to check out the patterns and colors on these new anodized aluminum Lillypilly discs. I don’t know how they come up with all of this stuff, but I love it! The possibilities are endless. The looks range from vintage to funky and they’re all handmade in the USA.

Green Girl Studios

Green Girl Studios was the first artist we added to our shop. That was about 5 years ago and the line is still growing. We’re only adding a handful of new pieces today, but if you’ve never taken the time to browse the entire Green Girl line, I’d highly recommend it. Cynthia’s many designs are drawn from a wide range of subject matter and are sure to pull you in