BeadStyle : ornaments

Swarovski holiday project ideas

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Swarovski has released a PDF of this year’s holiday project ideas! Download and print their “Twinkling Yuletide” inspiration guide as a PDF, or view the projects on Fire Mountain Gems and Beads’ Web site. My favorite projects are the ornaments: angels, wreaths, and Christmas trees, all aglow in sparkling crystal! If I start now, I should have plenty of time to make my own holiday gifts this year (emphasis on "should"!).

Dancing, dangling, reindeer dropping beads!

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:34:00 GMT

From the bloggers who brought you lint ball beads and dead cicada jewelry comes a new beading material that can’t be beat when it comes to going green (or in this case, brown). I’m talking about reindeer dropping beads!

The Miller Park Zoo, in Bloomington, Ill., has been harvesting crops of droppings from the zoo’s two reindeer, Ealu and Rika. The droppings, which approximate the size and shape of marbles, are dried and clear-coated before receiving a coat of festive paint or glitter. Then the beads are strung onto holiday ornaments, such as the ones shown here.

The ornaments are available at the Miller Park Zoo gift shop for $5.00 and come with a certificate of authenticity (believe me, you’ll need it when you show off your ornament to incredulous friends). If you call or visit the zoo, just ask for “magical reindeer gem ornaments,” the official name of the products.

For more information, see this blurb by Yahoo News, also the source for these fantastic photos.

Ornament Thursday: December 4

Linda Augsburg — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Another Ornament Thursday on deck. This week, the whole Ornament Thursday crew is sharing holiday decorations. Talk about talent! And speaking of talent, don't forget to share your creations by posting a comment on the latest post on the Ornament Thursday blog along with a link to your project. As is my custom, first, the links to everyone else's projects, then the information about my project.

Beading Help Web's Holiday Candle Wraps
Super easy and festive "ornaments" for your candles!

Brandi's keepsake childrens coaster ornament!
Super fun and easy ornaments to make for the whole family!

Christmas Past and Needle Magic at http-design.com
Michelle is addressing the ghosts of Christmas past and Helen gets down and dirty sewing a Christmas ornament - stand well clear, she is dangerous with a needle.

It's ORNAMENT Ornament Thursday!
Michelle's got some cheap, easy mini clipboard ornaments to share!

It's Ornament Thursday Again: Icicle Time!
Lisa takes a look at handmade icicle ornaments from Ruskin Designs

Strands of Beads
Melissa makes cute and quick Christmas tree earrings this week.

As for my little stocking (which is approximately 4-1/2" long and 3" wide), it's needlepointed. I used 14-count needlepoint canvas and six-strand embroidery floss. I traced the shape on the canvas, leaving 3/4" between the top of the stocking and the bottom of the cuff so I could actually fold down the cuff for dimension. As for the stitches, from top to bottom--

Cuff, red: Hungarian Diamond Stitch

Horizontal green row below cuff: Fern Stitch

Left, gold: Double Cross Stitch

Right, red: Twill Stitch

Left, red: Some combo I worked up--a quarter Diamond Eyelet Stitch mixed with Tent Stitch

Center, green: Diamond Eyelet with red Backstitch worked above it

Right, gold: Slanted Gobelin Stitch

Horizontal, red: Cross Stitch

Heel, green: Scotch Stitch

Left, green: Brick Stitch

Heel, gold: Byzantine Stitch

Toe, gold: Leaf Stitch

Center bottom, red: Hungarian Stitch

Now you can feel free to challenge me on the names of these stitches, because I've found several stitches with the same name or the same stitch with several names. But I used the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework, copyright 1979, which is such a great resource that I recommend anyone interested in needlework own one. Yes, it's dated, but the basics are fabulous.

To finish it off, I sewed a backing on it, turned the top of the cuff inside, folded the cuff down, and added a hanger.

Ornament Thursday: Holiday preview

Linda Augsburg — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:45:00 GMT

It's Ornament Thursday and it's the start of our Ornament Thursday Invitational. Check out the ornament I made (shown here and on the Ornament Thursday blog) and get involved. Between now and Christmas, our group will be posting ornaments online each and every Thursday, and you can join the fun by adding a comment on the Ornament Thursday blog along with a link to your blog where your ornament is featured. If you'd like to let us know you've posted a comment with your link there, leave a comment on my weekly Ornament Thursday blog posts on BeadStyleMag.com! So get busy and play along--I can't wait to see what you make!

Happy Thanksgiving and here's to a creative weekend.

Shopping for ornaments

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:40:00 GMT

Even though any time is a good time for ornaments, I get especially fixated on them in November and December. Yesterday, after discovering beautiful glass and metal ornaments in my new Crate and Barrel holiday catalog, I went online to order. Not a single one was available. I realize I'm not the only person who'd jump on geometric silver mobiles for $3.95, but why bother putting them in a print catalog if they won't be available for order?

Moving on: I bookmarked the instructions for an ingenious ornament: a photo ball. I haven't made one yet, but I did visit Alicia Kachmar's site, which then compelled me to visit her Etsy shop. Alicia crochets whimsical foodstuffs like cranberry jelly, cupcakes, ice cream cones, Granny Smith apples, and eggs (deviled or sunny-side-up!). My favorite, though: a sad s'more. He will join Crochet Oreo and Angry Gingerbread Girl on my tree this Christmas.

I love handmade ornaments (as well as bargain buys from Crate and Barrel, obviously) and am always on the lookout for new art for my tree. Let me know who your favorite ornament artists are.

Snowflakes in August

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:04:00 GMT

Even though it's only August, I've been working on some snowflake ornaments. If you want to see my tips on finishing them, visit my personal blog. Or, just stop by anyway. I blog about jewelry, books, and other stuff of interest.