The Desperate Neighborhood

Bringing you all the gossip going on in the Bead Blogging World....

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy's drooling over the big and beautiful cloisonne beads.

Art Bead Scene Inspired by Steam
Art Bead Scene picks for Steampunk Style.

Art Jewelry Magazine
A holiday gift to you: a sale on downloadable patterns from BeadStyle, Bead&Button, and Art Jewelry magazines.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Getting to know Barbe - 7 random facts!

Jennifer Jangles Blog
It's time to get started on those Holly - day projects, here's one from Jennifer.

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi has rounded up a few fast and easy projects from some of her favorite suppliers.

Naughty Secretary Club
See what fun baubles Jen and her collage artist buddy Traci Bautista come up with this week. Hint: there are vintage cupcake toppers, chunky plastic chain and fabric involved!

Strands of Beads
Melissa is inspired by astrolabes and orreries to create a pendant from a beautiful lampworked bead.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Magic Words – Text-based jewelry components can be a great source of inspiration. Andrew investigates these worded beads and pendants in six new designs.


Have you heard any good dirt in the beading world? We'd love for you to share!

Gossiped...errr...reported by Cindy Gimbrone, The Desperate ABS Editor and glass beadmaker.

Studio Saturday - Unlikely Inspiration

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. This week's winner is Meekiyu! Congratulations! Please send your postal address to the ABS Suggestion Box to receive some buttons from Creative Impressions in Clay!

It's been a while since you've been over to the Humblebeads Studio. This has been a busy month of new beads for me as I prepare to launch a new line of beads. One bead that has snuck out early are my Illuminated Manuscript beads, inspired by the Renaissance.

I'm not much for monograms, but while designing this new line I had a little flash of inspiration and saw these ornate, somewhat bridal letter beads. I quickly whipped up a few samples and fell in love with them. The colors of gold, white and just a tinge of grey-blue, I spotted in a magazine for a holiday table setting a few days before. I would almost say this bead design arrived by happenstance. I didn't wake up that morning planning on monogram beads, but that photo was running around in my mind and somehow the two ideas meshed together.

So these are my beads inspired by a table setting photograph in a decorating magazine. My question today is where is the oddest place you've found inspiration? Leave a comment and next week one lucky winner will be picked to win the Illuminated Manuscript bead of their choice.

Holiday Bead Wish List

Stuffed from turkey? Finished with your Black Friday 5 am shopping madness? And now you're looking for some bead inspiration for your holiday gift list? We are here to help! Here are my top picks for those on your gift list who love to make jewelry.

1. Lindstrom Pliers (You can order a pair at Bello Modo) - You can't even imagine how much you'll love these if you don't already have a pair. How did I live without a pair for 14 years! I can't stand to even pick up one of the old cheap pliers. Lindstrom pliers are designed for ergonomical use and they are so easy on your hands, that's a big plus if you do a lot of wire-wrapping.

2. Elfa Storage System - We all want a better way to store our beads, don't we? What we'd all love is some of Santa's elves to come work their magic on organizing our creative space! But if you are coming up short on elves, Elfa seems like a pretty snazzy alternative. Check out more information at the Container Store's website.

3. Bead Books - Love them and you can never have too many! My top three favorites out this year: Custom Cool Jewelry, Beading with Filigree, Bead Romantique.

4. Bead magazine subscription - The gift that keeps on giving! Share inspiration and style with your bead buddies with a subscription to their favorite publication. My pick is Stringing, which seems to get better with each issue!


Holiday Sales & Promotions from ABS contributors and sponsors:





Creative Impressions in Clay - Free shipping, use code code ABS08








Humblebeads - Free shipping on Humblebeads.com and Humblebeads.etsy.com, use code M2008. Free gift with purchase of $50 from my etsy shop.






Cindy Gimbrone -discounts on the spirals and Niagara Skies on Cindy's website.

Jangles - Free shipping at Jangles.net and Jangles.etsy.com

ExpeditionD - Free shipping until Nov. 30th!

Bello Modo - Big sale this weekend and free shipping always! C-Lon Threads and Cords and all The Frames and Bails sized for Swarovski Crystal, 15/0 Delicas on sale all at 25% off Friday through Sunday. Art Institute Glitter is on sale for 30% off.



Other Art Beads on sale this weekend:

Chinook Pendants - Free Shipping to the U.S. and Canada until December 7th for all purchases! Enter code holiday08 at checkout for a bonus 10% off retail orders!

MamacitaBeadworks buttons on sale until January 1st!

LisaPetersArt: free surprise gift (at least $5 value) with any purchase over $30 (note that this special is being offered through the end of the year)

MAKUstudio: free shipping + 10% off purchases over $50 and 15% off purchases over $100

Beadmakers - feel free to share your shop link and weekend special in the comments section.

Tools a Steampunk doesn't want to be without!

After scoring big at the flea market, a jewelry designer may need to take apart those vintage watches further to mine them for all of those wonderful gears. But if you're like me, you don't have screwdrivers small enough to take the watches apart.


What you need is a set screwdrivers for Watches. I got mine from Contenti which is where I got the photo of this set from. I can take apart my flea market finds and add them to art beads for a true steampunk style!