Beading and Jewelry Links

Beading and Crafting

Mega Beading Sites

• The Beadwrangler  Join me in an adventure through the beading and fiber world : trying new artforms, combining old and new techniques, finding new materials and tools, sharing the successes and the mistakes, discovering all the great beading and fiber ideas on the Internet and pushing the leading edge of the bead and fiber arts.

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• Debra - the Bead Fairy  Hello and welcome to Bead Fairies Page. If you love beads, this is the place to surf! Hundreds of bead sources; listings of worldwide bead shops, retail and wholesale catalogs, books, magazines, videos, bead societies, plus lots of beads tips, including patterns, a glossary, a dictionary, and an area to share your inner most bead fantasies with other cyberbeadoholics! Also, web stores and instruction links I hope you enjoy them as well!

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• Craftlinks (UK)  Craftlinks has become one of the largest sources of information in the UK for both finished crafts and crafts materials. Each entry is updated personally by the submitter ensuring up-to-date and relevent information.

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Beading Tutorial's and Instructions

• Beadworking Materials  Only four things are really needed to do beadwork: needle, thread, beads, and time. Oh, and patience, lots of it. All right, so five things, then. But while there's a lot one can do with simple needle and thread, one soon desires to branch out, to learn more. Loom work, wire work, findings, different cordage, different beads, different styles, all quickly become part of the beader's art. On this page you'll find much basic information relating to those topics and more. I hope you find it helpful. Enjoy!

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• BOB'S BEADING TUTORIAL PAGES  There are many online resources available for beading and jewelry interests But almost all of them are for commercial sites attempting to sell products or supplies. To my knowledge, there are no instructional sites out there that actually teach jewelry or beading techniques. So, with admittedly limited knowledge and experience in this area, I have created a family of illustrated tutorial pages dedicated to teaching the basic techniques of beading. More advanced training must be obtained from professional teachers and classes.

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• Seed Bead Projects   Several of Anne "Checker's" original beadwork projects. This section includes a tutorial on making tiny peyote stitched characters.

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• WigJig University  1435 Pages of FREE Designs & Tips. Wire Work and wire Wrapping.

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Bead Research and Museums

• the Bead Museum  The Bead Museum was founded in 1984 to establish a safe haven for a permanent collection of beads and adornments of all cultures, past and present, which would provide an enduring opportunity for the study and enjoyment of these magnificent examples of art and ingenuity. We welcome you to the exciting and surprising world of beads.

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• Center for Bead Research  Why beads? Because they are the oldest and most universal art form. No people are without them. Beads are or have been made in every country of the world. Yet, our focus is not on beads, but people. People make, trade, use and loose beads.

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• Center for the Study of Beadwork  Although recently updated (04/21/03), this web site is still in the early stages of development. The initial activity of this site will be to sell books and magazines, the profits from which will be used to support this site.

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• International Society of Glass Beadmakers  Glass beads have been used for adornment, trade, currency, and religious ritual in cultures all over the world. Yet throughout history, the art of making glass beads has been shrouded in secrecy. One of the primary goals of ISGB has been to foster the rebirth of ancient glass beadmaking traditions through the sharing of techniques and information among both members and the public. Interest in ISGB has grown rapidly. In the first five years, membership rose from 60 to 450. Members hail from all over the U.S., as well as several other nations, including Canada, Mexico, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan. Regional subgroups have sprung up to provide members the local support needed between annual conferences.

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• the Medieval Bead Page  Welcome to the Medieval Bead Page. I consider myself a Dread General of medieval beadwork. I am obsessed with locating these pieces of beadwork tucked away in obscure books and back rooms of museums. It truly IS an lost art. Most so-called mundane bead scholars don't even know it exists.

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• The National Bead Society  The National Bead Society is dedicated to the academic study of beads and dissemination of bead information. We accept bead-related articles and invite interested parties to discuss bead problems on our Bead Forum discussion list.

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• Picard Trade Bead Museum  The museum is dedicated to the history and aesthetic display of beads traded in Africa throughout the centuries. Over 50,000 beads and ornaments are encased in 48 showcases and 58 lucite wall panels in a 3,500 square foot gallery. The museum is complemented with pieces of African sculpture and textiles, as well as a gift shop with a large selection of collector beads and new styles from the Czech Republic.

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• Society of Bead Researchers  The Society is a non-profit corporation, founded in 1981 to foster research on beads of all materials and periods, and to expedite the dissemination of the resultant knowledge. Membership is open to all persons involved in the study of beads, as well as those interested in keeping abreast of current trends in bead research. The Society publishes a biannual newsletter, The Bead Forum and an annual journal, Beads. Contents of the newsletter include current research news, requests for information, responses to queries, listings of recent publications, conference and symposia announcements, and brief articles on various aspects of bead research.

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Bead Shows

• Bead Expo  Why attend the International Bead Expo? There are as many reasons as beads on a necklace to take in the world’s largest, most eclectic, colorful, and exciting gathering of bead experts, artists, collectors, vendors and bead aficionados. No matter what aspect of beads you’re drawn to there will be something to satisfy your interest and your curiosity.

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• Bead Renaissance Shows  The Ultimate Bead, Button & Jewelry Event - Retail and Wholesale - Bead Artists, Merchants & Traders - Ancient, Vintage & Contemporary Beads - Designer Beads, Buttons & Jewelry - Free Admission & Parking at all Shows

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• Intergalactic Bead Shows  The Intergalactic Bead Shows (IBS) was started in 1995 in Dillsboro, Indiana, as an extension of the twice annual Leo Kraus & Art Seymour End-of-the-World Bead Sale. The early participants in the End-of-the-World Bead Sale included Art Seymour Chevrons, Sticks + Stones, Curious Goods, October Mountain, and Jim "Swopie" Swope. These vendors wanted a moderately priced all-bead show, which became a reality with the first Intergalactic Bead Show in 1996. That show featured a balance of historic, ancient, and contemporary bead vendors from around the country.

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• The Whole Bead Show®  At The Whole Bead Show® you will find beads of every kind: glass beads, crystal beads, gemstone beads, silver beads, handmade beads, antique beads, as well as tools and supplies used in making beaded jewelry. The Whole Bead Show® is open to the public as well as to the trade.

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