15 Gift Ideas for the Bead Lover in Your Life
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Earrings, the Business Shoes of Zoom
We live in strange times. A lot of our lifestyles have been compromised and reduced to follow a set of guidelines to protect ourselves & our communities from an omnipotent force. As a result, many of us are required to work from home, clocking in our hours via zoom. Something that was once an excuse to take a “mental health day” has become an everyday, but six months in and the novelty is starting to fade. While our face-to-face interactions are limited to our housemates and our screens, our attire has transitioned from business casual to…….casual business.
While the pursuit of comfort is very much alive, your environment is not changing as much, and having a shift from leisure to work could do wonders for your mental wellbeing and productivity. This shift could be but a small difference or routine to signal the start of and readiness to work. The decision to shower every day, dressing up in clothes you’d walk out in public in, or wearing accessories that express what you need from the day.
WE GOT YOU!
Read on to find out what earring style best fits you and your needs, and how to craft your own.
Woven Earrings are a quilted assembly of seed beads & twine that offers the wearer a more bohemian aesthetic. Defining its style formality can be argued one way or another, depending upon the designer’s choice of color and pattern.
Professionally, good to wear for Monday morning meetings, “casual Fridays”, & interviews (especially if you crafted them yourself).
Interviewer: “I like your earrings.”
You: “Thank you, I made them myself.”
Interviewer’s thought process: What detail must have gone into those earrings, she/he/they are perfect for this job!
Style: Casual ○○○ Craftsmanship: Advance Level
A skill that calls for a good amount of patience and decent eyesight (or a strong eyeglass prescription) as materials tend to be smaller than most other jewelry applications. There are multiple techniques to master, that range in learning difficulties.
Hoops are a classic that supports all the wearer’s decisions, whether it be a stunning neck piece, a vibrant top, or a nude neckline.
Best known for their symbolism of strength and unity, hoops are to be worn when you’re in the “get it done!” mindset, no matter the size of the challenge or shape of the reward.
Style: Diverse ○○○ Craftsmanship: Intermediate Level
Essentially, you would be learning to form a thick metal wire piece using a hammer and mandrel (or form/object of correct size). Recommended for people with a little jewelry experience, or for those who pick up skills quickly.
Studs are considered the most versatile style of earrings, easily transitional from day to night and season to season.
For when you want to rock the presentation, but don’t want others to be distracted by more than your words. Studs could be the key to unlocking your professional style and performance.
Style: Diverse ○○○ Craftsmanship: Beginner Level
All you need is the right glue (we recommend E600), glue-on studs with backings, and a pair of cabochons (or flat-sided beads). Let your glue cure for 24 hours & there you have a simple pair of earrings.
the Simple Loop has a bit more substance in terms of materiality & work. It is a style that is highly dependent on the beads chosen to create the pair, to determine its level of swank. They can easily be dressed up or down for the wearer’s preference.
As flexible as your schedule, due to COVID; always a reliable choice for any occasion.
Style: Diverse ○○○ Craftsmanship: Beginner Level
The only technical skill is that of creating the loop that sits upon the beads and acts as the connector between the whole and the hook. A technique that can easily be remedied with a little practice and the right kind of pliers, round nose. Click here for a video tutorial on how to create a simple loop.
the Dangle / Drop can transition a simple loop into a little more, adding length and movement to circumstance.
Best for those who go into work but must wear a mask for public safety. Just make sure your earrings are on the outside of your mask straps for maximum exposure.
Style: Formal ○○○ Craftsmanship: Beginner Level
More of an elongated style of the simple loop; if you’ve mastered that technique, you have mastered this one. Add a bit of chain for the length.
Wire-wrapped earrings hold their characteristics in their name, the manipulation of wire to form coils and secure beads. These earrings will add a level of fance to your style.
Good for any occasion or video conference that counts, whether it be of the professional or personal persuasion.
Style: Formal ○○○ Craftsmanship: Intermediate – Advance Levels
The basics are easy to learn. Extra time and wire will be useful in the mastery of more complex variants, like the briolette wrap. But we believe in you.
In the past we have hosted classes teaching all these techniques, join our monthly newsletter or follow us on Instagram to get updates on our new virtual options!
Check out these fun additional resources:
→Click here to read “Interesting things your jewelry says about you.”
→Or here to read about choosing earrings that compliment your face shape
2020 Jewelry Design Contest!
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We put forth a challenge of creating a piece that includes 6 pre-selected beads. Some of our customers rose to the challenge. They did not disappoint!
Five lovely ladies took the challenge by the strings and created their own personal design and interpretation of the featured beads.
We could not make a decision, because they were all so wonderful, so we put the vote to the public to pick a favorite. & you, the public, have chosen the winners for our 2020 Jewelry Design Contest!!!
Congratulations to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who participated! Well done, everyone!
Beads Unseen
Blue Door Beads is a boutique shop submerged in a collection of well-crafted and ethically sourced beads. Eight years in counting and the collection has only grown with volume and pigmentation. To newcomers it is rightfully overwhelming. To veterans it is an experience comprised mostly of habit and memory. And for staff, it is merely a combination of the two; we are repeatedly diving into the waters of quantity, versed in our surroundings, with memory of past and present goodies.
If you follow us on Instagram, you may have noticed an introduction to a new weekly post tagged Beads Unseen. It is a campaign propelled by a compilation of seemingly random beads, with one thing in common—they’re in need of a little love and appreciation. These are not new beads, but beads that may have gotten lost, or looked over, in the masses of sorted goodies stowed in our eclectic dishes and drawers.
How to spot the crystal in the glass jar:
Once a week, we will upload a post to Instagram, as an ode, to some beads we treasure. Each post will have a search bar perfectly placed in the left corner of the photo, a caption leading with “Have you seen these?” & a number of beads/strands of our choosing featured.**
Follow us on Instagram & look for posts such as this to keep up-to-date with the campaign. Featuring pleated metals, tanzanite chips, and ebony rounds.
The next month following the posts, an in-store display will be created and, to help spread the love, the treasures displayed will be discounted by 15%. Currently, for the month of September, we have August’s selected beads/strands showcased.
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AUGUST
Week 1: Indonesian glass strands & Soochow jade carved Buddha beads
- Many may not know, but Soochow Jade is not jade; it is part of the serpentine family, a magnesium silicate. Though serpentine can be found on every continent, Soochow Jade is specific to China. As a type of serpentine, Soochow Jade is said to promote clearing the mind and meditation.
Week 2: Glass nuggets & laser-cut bamboo pieces
- Did you know bamboo is part of the grass family? Lucky Tree Studio picked it as their medium because it is light weight, earth friendly, and pairs well with essential oils.
Week 3: Moss green opal & papier mâché sunflower beads
- Did you know…Masks have been made from papier mache since Paleolithic times. Click here to learn 9 more interesting facts about Papier Mache.
Week 4: Kazuri & Vintage ceramic beads with tiny brass tubes
- In 1975, a tiny workshop was founded on ceramic hand-made & -painted beads. It was given the name “Kazuri”, Swahili for small and beautiful. To help its community, the workshop gave jobs to members of the community, predominantly disadvantaged women in need of a regular income.
- To read more about Kazuri West & its beads, visit https://www.kazuriwest.com/the-kazuri-story/
**a note: in the past, our posts’ format have not been so consistent, we will do better.
