Shamballa style has taken the beading world by storm so we couldn’t resist a show and tell! We loved all your entries (so many of them) and all the varied styles you came up with. The ones shown here are just a few of our favourites. You can see all the other entries on our facebook photos page.

Congratulations

This month we will be awarding a £10 Beads Unlimited gift voucher to Fiona Tate. Fiona posted up many lovely designs but we particularly loved her multi-strand statement bracelet.

Get yourself showcased

Thanks for all your great entries and sorry if you didn’t make it into the gallery this time. The current theme running is ‘Tales from the Sea’. For a chance to be featured, please email your seaside inspired jewellery to creative@beadsunlimited.co.uk or post up your photos on our facebook wall by midnight, Sunday 3rd June 2012.
If you have your own website or blog that you would like linked to if you are showcased, please let us know with your entry. All we ask is a mention with a link to Beads Unlimited on your page (with the link on the word ‘Beads’).

The Gallery

See more

See more work by Fun Gifts for Wrists and Design by Orla

Related posts

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Bead Doctor Tutorial – Shamballa Style Bracelet

Reader’s Gallery – All Things Bright and Beautiful

Reader’s Gallery – All Loved Up

Silly grins have been spreading like a rash as news of our triumph at the Craft Business awards has permeated through beading headquarters. For the third year running, we have won best bead supplier so we definitely have something to smile about!

We would like to offer a big thank you to all of you who voted for us.

And that is not all

In total, Beads Unlimited won 3 major categories:

• Best bead supplier
• Best website
• Best support and service

Win a £25 gift voucher

Big chief Geoff starts the celebrations!

Now it’s your chance to join in the jubilation and try your hand at winning one of three £25 Beads Unlimited, online gift vouchers.

All you need to do to enter is tell us why you think Beads Unlimited is simply the best in the comments box below. Three lucky beaders will be picked at random to each win a £25, online, Beads Unlimited gift voucher. All entries must be in by midnight on Sunday 27th May 2012. Good luck everyone!

A winning team!

A winning team

We couldn’t let our reviews of our Silver Jubilee year go by without a special mention to, husband and wife team, Heather and Steve Smith who run the company. Their gorgeous lacemaker’s bobbin was sold on their website and at craft fairs around the country to help us raise money for the RNLI throughout 2011.

Familiar face

You may recognise Steve from previous posts on here when we supported him in his 2010 London Marathon run in aid of Diabetes UK. Steve more than returned the favour by fundraising tirelessly and producing more handmade bobbins as demand continued.

Steve told us

We sold a grand total of 324 in the end. Additional funds were made up from the sale of the ‘lifebelt’ pins and other donations from our customers. The lacemakers have been really responsive and appreciative to the work the RNLI does (even those slap bang in the middle of the country and miles away from the sea!).

A helping hand

Fellow lacemaker, Mary Smith, fills the boat!

As if this wasn’t enough, their friend and fellow lacemaker, Mary Smith hosted a sea and cakes party and raised a fabulous £172 to add to the cause. So extra thanks to Mary too! All in all Winslow Bobbins raised a grand total of £763.75, which is a huge chunk towards our total. We cannot thank them enough!

We wish everyone at Winslow Bobbins continued success. In this age of imports it really is heart-warming to see a homegrown business surviving and thriving and keeping this ancient craft alive. The company is currently celebrating its Ruby anniversary – that’s 40 years of bobbin making! Congratulations Winslow Bobbins!

Our fundraising page is still open for a little while longer if you would like to donate.

Helen Bowen is a big fan of these stylish findings so we asked her to share her tips.

Helen Bowen shares her top tips

Breaking the rules

In the kitchen, I’ve never been one to follow a recipe despite a shelf full of cookery books. Instead, I will come up with some new concoction based on the contents of my fridge and this approach seems to work just as well when designing jewellery.  In my creative world, there is never a concrete design, more an idea in my head and the intention to try something new. So whilst some things turn out just great (like my cranberry and white chocolate muffins at Christmas), other things find themselves relegated to the dog’s bowl or, in the case of jewellery, the rework box!

Using wrapped loops rather than rosary loops will stop bead caps moving about

As nature intended

Let’s begin with some helpful tips on using bead caps as they were intended.

My Nature's Treasure bracelet uses bead caps in both conventional and unconventional ways.

Every which way

Bead caps can be used simply to enhance a bead or add detail or texture to a design.  You can put a bead cap at either end or just one end and there are no hard and fast rules about what size bead caps to use with what size bead.  It all depends on the shape of the bead cap (how concave it is), the shape of the bead and the effect you want to achieve.  Experiment a little and you’ll find some interesting combinations.

Choose the right size bead cap for the effect you are trying to achieve and not for the size of bead

Size matters

Oversized bead caps can be wonderful for representing elements of nature.  I’ve made blackberries, strawberries, acorns, pine cones and flowers using bead caps that are deliberately larger than the bead.

This bracelet uses three different types of bead caps

Mix and match

Don’t be scared to mix your bead cap styles within your design.  I love to highlight my ‘star’ beads by using different bead caps on them to the rest of the beads.  You can also layer them or turn them upside-down for some lovely effects. The number one rule is there are no rules (well, not many anyway)!

Bead caps give detail to these 'Dusky Bell' earrings

Bead bold

Endless possibilities with bead caps

Anything is possible

My ‘Taste of the Orient’ earrings (see picture right) use two bead caps facing each other to form a bead.

In my cameo bliss earrings (picture left) I have used them as a feature on their own for added interest.

Hammer it out

Filigree bead caps take a hammering

Filigree bead caps can be hammered flat and connected together with jump rings to form a fancy chain or pretty connector.  The symmetrical design of filigree caps also makes them the perfect base for creating beaded flowers that are then easily attached to other components such as brooch pins.

A final word

About the author

See more of Helen's work

Helen Bowen is a member of the Guild of Jewellery Designers and is a Self-Representing Artist Jewellery Designer (SRAJD). She is owner/creator of Ring O’ Roses – Handmade Jewellery and writer of the ‘A Pocketful of Posies‘ blog.  From her home in Warwickshire, she designs and makes beautiful individual pieces with a strong reference to nature and a real eye for colour and detail.  She works on commission but also creates for general sale in her Etsy Shop.

JoBlogsIt is pleased as punch

We’ve come a long way baby!

As you probably know we really do spend a lot of time and effort making Bead Barmy beautiful and informative and it is lovely to have this recognised. We have come a long way since Bead Barmy first went live in 2009 with what started out as a little experiment. Since then, the blog has grown and become a thriving, friendly community where we show you the latest news, tutorials and giveaways and where your work gets showcased and you can have your say!

Over the moon!

Loving the Bead Doctor’s work

We have also been nominated in the ‘Best Jewellery Making Kits’ category which also has us over the moon! The lady responsible for all those gorgeous kits and projects is our very own Bead Doctor, Gemma.

Spread the love

If you would like to vote for us please follow the link and have your say. If you would like to show your love for Beads Unlimited we can also be voted for in the ‘other’ box of all other relevant categories. Thank you!

Vote for us here!

A momentous year

Linda and her friends fly the flag

Bake for the prize

When we made the call for help we thought it would be fun to add a bit of competition to the proceedings. We decided that there would be an award for the tea party that raised the most money and also for our favourite event or cake. Of course, we couldn’t do the taste test so we had to go on looks alone! Here are the results.

An RNLI flag completes Linda's spread

The hostess with the mostest

Special thanks go to Linda Peace. Linda managed to raise £210 at her event back in May 2011 and then donated another £30 from another little event earlier this year. We loved the way Linda decorated her event with the RNLI flag and even dressed for the occasion! We will be sending Linda a Beads Unlimited gift voucher as a token of gratitude for all her hard work.

Queen of cakes

Tracey lets us in on her secret

Our award for our favourite cake goes to Tracey Mallaby. Tracey held the first tea party of 2011 and made an array of gorgeous edibles. We will be sending Tracey a Beads Unlimited gift voucher for sharing her delicious recipes with us including her, now not so, secret pumpkin cake! Thanks again Tracey.

RNLI round up

When, vision in pink, Irene Munro visited us at the recent Craft, Hobby and Stitch show in Birmingham we were delighted to hear what she was up to.

Irene told us that she was helping to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. She gave us a leaflet about an Antarctic Ice Marathon being run by John Killingworth in November 2012. The race is extremely gruelling and has only been completed by 19 British people before. John  is trying to raise over £50,000 for the cause. If you would like to find out more about the campaign please visit his Just Giving page or www.80degreessouth.co.uk.

Say hello

Come and say hello!

If you see us at one of the bead fairs around the country this year, please do stop by and say hello.

Our next stop is The Big Bead Show on 31st March in Esher, Surrey. If you can’t make that one you can find us at many events around the country during 2012.

We hope to catch up with you somewhere!

Congratulations

Get yourself showcased

The best of the rest

A sunny day in Durham inspired Mo's Jewels

Tree of life pendant by Maila Maturan

Colourful chain-maile from Yvonne Letschka-Millen

Beautiful blues from Ellorias Boutique

Intricate flowers from Beadhouse UK

A Stunning necklace from Lisa Marie Marshall

A bold design from Dee Wingrove-Smith

Rainbow colours from Aleksandra Diamante

Beautiful design from Bead Time

Everything but the kitchen sink from Fizzy Beads!

A riot of colour from Caroline Banks

Greetings from the Bead Doctor

Taking a break from profiteroles!

Whew, it’s been a hectic week! Beads Unlimited is growing and we’ve taken over the unit next to ours to make room for more lovely beads. So we’ve been having a major spring clean in the office ready for our imminent move. Earlier in the week I managed to burn my hand baking for a profiterole competition! In-between all this I’ve been making a new chain maile bracelet for you all to have a go at. I hope you enjoy it, now I’m off for a lie down!

Materials

I used 82 8mm jump rings and twelve 4mm beads for a 17cm bracelet before adding clasps.

Order all materials

Let’s go!

Step 1.

Step 1

Cut 20cm of plastic coated wire. Thread on a crimp and pass the end of the wire back through the crimp to make a loop. Squeeze the crimp flat. Open a jump ring, thread on a jump ring, the loop of the wire and another jump ring. Close the open jump ring.

Step 2.

Step 2

Next add two jump rings so that they sit either side of the wire. Add another two, followed by two more. This is a standard 2-2-2.

Step 3.

Step 3

Now for the fiddly bit! Hold the end of the chain section, let the two most recently added jump rings flip open – one falling to each side. Let the previous two jump rings move away from each other exposing a small section of the jump rings flipped to the sides.

Step 4

Use a new open jump ring to hook through the exposed sections of jump rings one side of the wire, close the jump ring and add another in the same way so that the wire sits in the middle.

Step 5

Thread on a 4mm bead and move along the wire until it sits snugly in the middle of the most recently added jump rings.

Step 6

Add a jump ring each side of the wire to the previous jump rings. Make sure that they sit snugly between the bead and the jump rings. Add two more jump rings. Follow steps 3 and 4. Thread on a bead then follow steps 5 and 6. Continue repeating until your bracelet is the desired length. Mine is 17cm before adding the clasp.

Step 7

When the chain is the desired length add a single jump ring so that it matches the beginning of the chain. Pull the chain taught. Thread a crimp onto the wire, pass the wire through the single jump ring and back through the crimp. Squeeze the crimp flat and trim the excess wire.

Step 8

Open the single jump ring at one end of the chain. Add one half of a toggle clasp and close the jump ring. Repeat on the other end to add the other half of the clasp.

Top tip

Related posts

We have space on the guest list for two pairs of eager beaders for the beading event of the year.

Read on if you fancy free entry to a great day out!

Big beady treat

Get on the guest list

Come and say hello!

We have space on the guest list for two pairs of eager beaders for this ‘must do’ event. If you’d like to win, all you need to do is tell us, in the comments box below, what you are looking forward to seeing, doing or buying at the Big Bead Show.

Say hello