EBW Christmas

Christmas is almost there, but there is still plenty of time to make new decorations for your tree - and for yourself.
I'd like to show you what my fellow beadweavers (and myself) have to offer!
From me, you know I have a fixation with stars, so maybe you'll like my little penguin tutorial

you can have it on your tree or on your keys, it will bring a happy atmosphere! Also check his "friend" Santa here!

You can't miss this snowflake decoration tutorial from Crystalstargems

white, sparkly, and a bit edgy with its spike pendant.

Then let's have some gold with these cute bells and a pudding from Beadflowers,

who offers an amazing ebook to make these cuties.

Let's move to packaging with this gorgeous beaded box from Amethyst Ravenstar

I think the box alone is a wonderful present, perfect  to put your preciouses in a special place, or can be used as central piece on your Christmas table.

Let's talk about outfits. You should really wear something red on Christmas, especially if it is as festive as this amazing piece from Maewa

or this from Beauty Glamour Luba

Complete the look with some easy but beautiful earrings from Olga Terranova's tut

which you could also make as gift for your besties.
Did you get any good idea???
I hope so!
Check all the amazing items under EBW on Etsy to see more beauties!

Clematwin

I have been waiting for the right beads to make this pendant for so long. Then another beautiful gift from Preciosa Ornela arrived, and I couldn't wait more

The free tutorial is from Ad Perleade, so generous and, most of all, so absolutely easy to make.
These Twin Beads are beautiful.

They're transparent and dyed in white only in their holes, so they create a striped effect which enhances the pattern of this beautiful flower. I'm going to sew it on a headband.

A necklace for Mom

My mom had this simple multistrand necklace, made of coral beads, bought a million years ago nobody remembers where.
Last year I decided to destroy it since threads where getting yellow and the toggle was half rusty and not really safe...I wanted to make her a whole new necklace.
So I started to make experiments but most techniques didn't work right, because these beads are so irregular...I got discouraged and left everything here while getting back to Milan.
This summer I found the perfect way to use these beads, adding some sparkly rondelles, and made half the necklace; but I left it here again.
After 4 months here I am home again and it's finished:

It looks wonderful on my mom's neck and I'm happy she will wear it on new year's eve, since I'll not be here this year

Time to pack everything now: my vacation is over and I have my train back to Milan tonight.

Last minute gifts...

I'm still MAKING gifts. With my own hands.
Three days here and I've only managed to make custom orders and to be my parents' personal shopper...so here I am, this time crocheting, until the very last minute available.
Last night I finished these simple necklaces

for some of my aunts.
The donut pattern is from artbead.com, it's so easy and fast you can make dozens of these in a day!

Beadwork for men

If you have always thought beadwork was only for women, get ready to be disappointed.
This Christmas I made 2 nice gifts for a young man who is crazy for soccer and loves bracelets.
The first is a simple keychain with a soccer ball

You might add a beaded t-shirt or a string with the name of his favorite team to enrich it.
I left it quite simple 'cause over the years I've already made him enough black/red presents (he roots for Milan)...
If you want to make something similar you'll find a gorgoeus twin bead ball on Preciosa website or a peyote graph on etsy from Lost in Paradise shop.

The bracelet I made is adjustable and made with matte black seed beads and twin beads, so no risk of making it look "too beady"

If you look it from a distance it looks like kumihimo made with some leather rope, and looks pretty good on a man wrist.

You can find a lot of ideas for beaded man bracelets on Etsy: for the game-obsessed boy by Tarpan

for the country style loving guy by Beadbound

for the hidden rockstarby Thebeadedlily

Now I need to think about the ladies and time is running out...

Why beadwork is better: UNIQUENESS!

If you're still wondering why buying and gifting beadweaved objects is better...the "Wow effect" is the answer.
You will always have the "Wow effect" with something beaded.

Beads are everywhere, but beadweaved object are not.
Thousands of people can beadweave, but only few of them show it to the world on blogs or have online shops.
Many of them make really big, complicated and expensive jewelry which are not affordable by anyone (even though EVERYBODY would dream about buying one!).
Simple and original beaded objects are not that common. Finding an artisan who can make something personalized to give might be the best occasion to make a wonderful present spending less than you would ever think.

An examples:
My first sale ever on etsy was this turtle keychain.

It was december and this guy bought it telling me it was a surprise for his girlfriend, who was about to receive a lot of turtle-themed presents for Christmas.
He was so excited about something so small, because it was unique.
He might have found turtle-mugs, t-shirts or toys, but beaded turtles?
Mine was the only one.

Another example are beaded dolls, that you can shape to look like the recipient (as I did with a swap partner) or a cartoon charachter.

Just a small pendant you can attach to a key-ring, to a USB pen drive or to a cell phone can be a beautiful present. Something you'll never find anywhere else.