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Best in Show
While attending the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, I saw plenty of the latest styles and trends in beads. Since I'm not one to keep this sort of thing to myself, this e-newsletter is my opportunity to share some of the things that stood out.

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Copper
Copper has a long history of value for its malleability and glowing, warm hues. Many vendors who used to sell sterling beads and findings exclusively have added copper versions of their clasps, spacer bars, ear wires and more. These softly glowing components add a little color to any finished jewelry, making them an exciting addition to traditional sterling findings and a little easier on the budget.

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Cords and Ribbons
The various colors and textures of wire lace, cotton cord, hemp and hand-dyed ribbon are excellent companions to strong focal pendants. Sellers of these silky and sinuous materials are also showcasing customized findings to help clasp and finish stylish and easy designs.

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Brass
Vintaj Natural Brass, Vintaj.com, started a small revolution in both materials and construction with their incredible filigree components. Pieces can be easily bent by hand or with specially designed tools to capture cabochons and other treasures without holes. Beadsmith, Beadsmith.com, has also introduced a line of rich brass findings to provide the glow of gold without the shock to your pocketbook.

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Ceramic
Beads, pendants and clasps are just a few of the items being created by ceramic artists. Ceramic plays well with other materials, adding subtle color or making a perfect focal for necklaces, bracelets or earrings. One of my favorite purchases is a curved oval bracelet component featuring some very cute squirrels. The subtlety and versatility of ceramics are hard to resist.

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Vintage
Vintage crystal and glass beads offer unusual colors and shapes. Although some vintage beads and cabochons are challenging to work with, they lead to fantastic design innovations. Vintage pieces are get-them-while-you-can items, so if you see something you like, buy it on the spot.

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Chain
Chain really never goes out of style and its versatility is unmatched. I saw vintage or vintage style chains, colored chains and a lot of base-metal options. Base metals are great for the pocketbook because they provide a rich look with a moderate price point.

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Gemstones
Gemstones were once rare and expensive and available mainly as 4-or 6-millimeter rounds. Now there are countless new possibilities in cut, color and material. Facets, briolette shapes and rondelles tempt me too much. Gemstones represent the lion's share of my purchases this year.

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Less is More
One of the biggest trends is simple jewelry. I saw countless single pendants on ribbon and long necklaces with mixed beads attached by chain. Handmade pendants, mixed media designs, resin beads, photo pendants and stamped bracelets were also standout trends reflecting a move toward customized adornment.

Get out there, look at catalogs, and check out what your favorite celebrities are wearing. The most important trend is the acknowledgement and celebration of unique, handmade items. Finally, our time has come, so celebrate!

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Looking for crafting, sewing, and beading supplies? Check out our new online Craft Directory.

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A Night at The Opera Design by Margot Potter Ultra-long and swingy, chain and pearl necklaces are showing up in all the fashion magazines. Create your own at a fraction of the cost. Wear it long, doubled up or even tripled as a chunky choker with high-style chic. Materials 8 (12mm) cream pearls 16 (9mm x 8mm) cream Biwa pearls 8 Bali-style silver rondelles 16 silver eye pins 1 silver jump ring Bali-style silver toggle clasp 17 (9-link) segments elongated cable steel chain Round-nose pliers Chain-nose pliers Flush cutters Finished Size 47 1/2 inches (including clasp) Instructions 1) Slide a 12mm pearl on an eye pin; use round-nose pliers to form a loop above pearl. Trim excess wire. Repeat for each 12mm pearl. Set aside. 2) Slide a 9mm x 8mm pearl, a rondelle and a 9mm x 8mm pearl on an eye pin; form a loop above top pearl. Trim excess wire. Repeat seven additional times. Set aside. 3) Open an end link on a chain segment; slide on round end of toggle clasp. Close link. Attach opposite end of chain segment to an eye pin from step 1. 4) Open end link on another chain segment; slide onto opposite end of eye pin. Close link. Attach an eye pin from step 2 to opposite end of chain segment. Continue attaching chain segments and eye pins in this manner, alternating eye pins until all eye pins and chain segments have been attached. 5) Open jump ring and slide it on end chain link; slide on remaining half of clasp. Close jump ring securely. Sources: Pearls from Swarovski Ltd.; rondelles and clasp from Blue Moon Beads; chain and findings from Beadalon. Copyright © November 2005 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved. Back to top. Click here for printer friendly page.

Taking in Orphans: The Shawn Bentley Act
In May of 2008, Congress passed a bill called the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act. This Act was created with good intentions but has turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, especially for visual artists. It has loosened the restrictions on copyrighted materials, allowing a company to digitally remove an artist's signature and use the artwork as it sees fit. Copyright laws prevent misuse of an artist's visual or intellectual property and provide income for the use of original designs.

Using the links and customizable letter found at IllustratorsPartnership.org, I sent letters to California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein expressing my concern that the Orphan Works Act could hurt artists financially. Both sent me back an e-mail.

One compelling copyright infringement story is that of Michiko Stehrenberger, a Seattle illustrator whose artwork was used for cigarette ads without payment or permission. Her signature was digitally erased from the image, turning it into an orphan work. The best source for Stehrenberger's story can be found on her Web site: Michiko.com.

To find out about how to copyright original art or jewelry designs, go to Copyright.gov, which features online applications and any pertinent information.

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