Do you find yourself wanting to give chain maille a try, but don’t know which of our jump rings will work with each pattern? Have no fear- we did the research for you! We tested every round open jump ring that we carry and created charts in our Chain Maille FAQ for each [...]]]>

Do you find yourself wanting to give chain maille a try, but don’t know which of our jump rings will work with each pattern? Have no fear- we did the research for you! We tested every round open jump ring that we carry and created charts in our Chain Maille FAQ for each of the eight chain maille patterns on our site. These charts will tell you the outer diameter size and gauge size of the round open jump rings that will work with each pattern. You can also find the information that you need on the product page for each round open jump ring. In the Details tab underneath the ring’s picture, there will be a list of every pattern that the ring can be used in and links to each technique. The outer diameter, inner diameter and thickness of the ring will be listed there as well.

I hope this makes getting ready to begin chain maille a little less daunting for you beginners!

Happy Tuesday! –Gabby

If you have ever worked on a bead weaving project with Swarovski Elements Crystals and found that your thread keeps breaking, you may have cursed your project and tossed it to the side, too frustrated to fix it and continue. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault that the thread breaks, you may just [...]]]>

If you have ever worked on a bead weaving project with Swarovski Elements Crystals and found that your thread keeps breaking, you may have cursed your project and tossed it to the side, too frustrated to fix it and continue. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault that the thread breaks, you may just be using the wrong thread! Swarovski Elements Crystals have very sharp edges, and these edges can easily cut fibrous threads like Superlon or Nymo. If you want to use crystal in a bead weaving project, you NEED to use a beading thread that can stand up to it! I suggest using FireLine Braided Bead Thread, which is extremely strong and resiliant to fraying, cutting and wearing out. Now pick up that crystal project and start it over with FireLine!

Happy Tuesday! – Sara

Who doesn’t love Lillypilly’s vibrant and fanciful artisan pendants and anodized aluminum products? We sure do! We were inspired to use this Colorado studio’s delicate shell pendants to add a classy touch to our Love Me Do and Tooled necklaces and our Rising Sun and Bamboo Shoot earrings, while their anodized aluminum blanks [...]]]>

Who doesn’t love Lillypilly’s vibrant and fanciful artisan pendants and anodized aluminum products? We sure do! We were inspired to use this Colorado studio’s delicate shell pendants to add a classy touch to our Love Me Do and Tooled necklaces and our Rising Sun and Bamboo Shoot earrings, while their anodized aluminum blanks dazzle front and center in our Intrigue Necklace. The intricate detailing and rich colors of Lillypilly’s pieces are absolutely breathtaking!

The founder of Lillypilly, Heidi, was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us and give us some insight as to how she creates these beautiful works of art. Here is what she shared with us:

FusionBeads.com: Your decorative shell pendants are what Lillypilly is best known and loved for. How do you choose the designs for these pendants?

Heidi: I am inspired by lots of different artistic styles. I love designs from wallpapers, tapestries, artifacts, architecture and nature and they seem to speak to me at different times. When I am working on a new collection, I am drawn to certain designs or their components. Then, a dance or synergy begins between the design, the feel I am looking for, and how it works with the shape of the piece. It is a satisfying process when it all comes together.

FusionBeads.com: Are there any new shell pendant styles that you are currently working on?

Heidi: I am always thinking about new styles and materials to design with. Over the years, our focus has primarily been on new designs on our collection of shell and other fabulous materials like tagua nut and gemstones. This year we will be adding some new designs but also new shell shapes to our collection. I am excited about a spiral shell that has a playful swirly spiral design that we are debuting in Tucson next week. I just love spirals, and it is a very fun piece.

FusionBeads.com: You recently started working with an exciting new medium, aluminum. What inspired you to add this line of products to Lillypilly?

Heidi: Last year, I was trying to create a certain look on different metals that I so far have not been able to achieve. But, through that process, one idea rolled into another and the idea for the anodized aluminum line was created. Anodized aluminum is just so fun on its own with all the fabulous colors offered. But, add designs to those fun colors and the possibilities are endless. Also, with metal prices at all time highs, aluminum seemed like a great alternative. Anodized aluminum is so playful to me. The colors and patterns make me smile big and my eyes grow wide with delight.

FusionBeads.com: How have your jewelry designs been different when designing with the aluminum as opposed to the shell pendants?

Heidi: What I love about the aluminum is its playfulness. Can you tell I love playfulness? What I like about our shell is that it can stand alone in a very simple way with a cord or chain or can be designed into a very complex or sophisticated piece. The variety of designs that we offer on the shell allows one to create a variety of finished works from whimsical to elegant to bold or delicate. Also, the shell seems to evoke a more organic feel by the nature of its composition. For me, designing with the aluminum has a more contemporary and modern feel. The colors are bright and the designs are fun and bold. What I love about the aluminum is how easy it is to work with. It can be cut, dapped, stamped and riveted just like other metals. It looks great paired up with silver components. And, the best part is that you can add more color and uniqueness to your piece by coloring in the silver part of the design with Sharpie pen and wiping clean with a pro polish pad. This adds a whole new dimension to creating with our collection.

FusionBeads.com: We love the colors that the aluminum is available in – black, red and gold. Are you working on launching any more colors in aluminum in the future?

Heidi: We are very excited to be launching 6 new colors at Tucson next week. All the designs have such a different and unique feel on each color. A design you might not have noticed before can speak to you differently or just pop on one of the new colors.

Check out our selection of Lillypilly Pendants and Anodized Aluminum today!

- Gabby