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Hi friends!
To start 2016 off with a bang, I’m looking at stocking up for many projects on the horizon. (It’s going to be a huge year in many ways!!) Here are a couple of my favorite projects for the New Year (with [affiliate] links to the beads you need):
Serena sported this beautiful vintage-style necklace in an early episode of the addictive Gossip Girl TV series. Its charm was its modern take on the beautiful art of crochet – and the delicate balance between darkness and fragility. Plus, with some appliques from the sewing store it’s a cinch to make. Here’s how: (more…)
My eye fell upon this pair of gorgeous, over-the-top, beaded rhinestone cat-eye sunglasses in a recent issue of Marie Claire. Of course they were by A-Morir: a sunglasses company that’s been making waves on the music and fashion fronts with their opulent designer specs. With a pair of cat-eye sunnies that Sunglass Warehouse so graciously sent me, I was able to craft up an embellished dupe of the Mitchel Neon Yellow Sunglasses ($350) for a fraction of the original’s cost. Here’s how: (more…)
So finally I’ve finished a DIY video for my latest creation: a Pretty Pearl Beaded Ring. It’s taken a super-long time from the planning to the execution to the editing, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of my co-creator, Emily Dokken. (She’s just awesome – she has a discerning eye for framing artistry and a wonderful energy. Check out one of her other videos: Burning the Behemoth on Vimeo…it’s a fascinating story of an artist’s journey to burn his wooden mammoth creation in Washington.)
I had waited to release this video until after I had re-branded with my new logo and everything…plus finding the music took searching through 600+ tracks on the FreeMusicArchive.
Thank you so much, Emily, for your amazing collaboration!
DIY Pretty Pearl Ring
Camera/Storyboards/First Edit: Emily Dokken
Concept/Tutorial/Second Edit: Carly J. Cais
Music: The Easton Ellises ~Dance It Dance All Motel Costes Mix
http://theeastonellises.com/ under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
from FreeMusicArchive.org
Hope you guys enjoy! Leave us your feedback below 🙂
First of all: What are Maruti Beads? you may ask.Answer:They are amazingly-detailed, handmade beads in the rich tradition of Indian beadmaking. The clay beads are often adorned with metallic paillettes, braided wire, and tiny rings to bring a textured, glamorous finish to each bead. And each is made by hand!
A little more info about these three types of beads, straight from the MarutiBeads.com website:
Kashmiri beads are made from a mix of marble powder and manufactured resin (polymer clay) while the resin used in Lac beads is from a natural source.Also known as “Bollywood” beads, Kashmiri beads are hand decorated and use a variety of materials for embellishment such as mirror chips, seed beads, silver plating and rhinestones.
Maruti Beads artistically blends the beauty of Kashmiri beads with silver plated side caps to culminate in a one of a kind creation exclusive to Maruti International.
Lac beads are made from a mixture of Lac and marble powder, ornamented with silver plating, seed beads and rhinestones: detailed with metal elements, mirror chips and various embellishments…In short, Lac beads are highly valued individual works of art…Lac is a substance secreted by a tiny insect called Kerria lacca. The Lac insect is so small that a magnifying glass is needed to see it. This little bug dwells in the twigs of host trees and lives off the sap from which they secrete the hard Lac resin. When first harvested Lac resin is brittle and tough however, through a process of slow heating the resin softens into a workable material.
Lac beads to the back, Kashmiri beads to the right, and Maruti beads to the left.
To be honest, I had never heard of Maruti beads before (nor Kashmiri, nor Lac beads), not until a rep from Maruti Beads International contacted me to see if I wanted to review their beads.
As you can see, each bead is beautifully unique. The attention to detail is just marvelous – and the rhinestones are top quality that really sparkle. Due to their ornate nature, the beads are a bit heavy but each exquisite one stands out. Thrown together into a piece of jewelry they may compete with one another – so probably the best use of them is to carefully choose where to place each one in designs for maximum impact.
I made this pretty beaded bracelet in a flash, using imitation leather cording and a fish-hook closure. The beads would also be perfect as a single focal of a bracelet in an arm party stack (or many bracelets!!), or linked up together Shamballah-style. (You can also see Shamballah bracelets designed with Maruti beads here, and regular bracelets using Maruti beads here.) They can also be linked together into necklaces, or used in drop-style earrings. I love how each tiny bead tells a little story – and in some (not all) the hole is large enough to accommodate Pandora or Dione bead systems.
MarutiBeads.com also sells beautiful copper, glass, and gemstone beads, besides finished jewelry, on their website.
For any bead-lover or jewelry enthusiast I’d definitely recommend trying out these beads in your designs – and with the holiday season coming up they may make a wonderful present for the proverbial woman who has everything.
Which is your favorite style of bead? (I just love that big black barrel one in the center of my bracelet!!) Or what would you make with these? Let me know in the comments section!
xo
Carly
FTC Disclosure: I was sent a Bead Mix Pack from Maruti Beads containing Lac, Kashmiri, and Maruti Beads for review purposes (ARV=$60). I have not been compensated for this post. The opinions above are my own. My full Disclosure Policy is here.
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
*This is a project I shared in 
Serena sported this beautiful vintage-style necklace in an early episode of the addictive Gossip Girl TV series. Its charm was its modern take on the beautiful art of crochet – and the delicate balance between darkness and fragility. Plus, with some appliques from the sewing store it’s a cinch to make. Here’s how:
My eye fell upon this pair of gorgeous, over-the-top, beaded rhinestone cat-eye sunglasses in a recent issue of Marie Claire. Of course they were by 
With 
First of all: What are Maruti Beads? you may ask.
Answer: They are amazingly-detailed, handmade beads in the rich tradition of Indian beadmaking. The clay beads are often adorned with metallic paillettes, braided wire, and tiny rings to bring a textured, glamorous finish to each bead. And each is made by hand!
I made this pretty beaded bracelet in a flash, using imitation leather cording and a fish-hook closure. The beads would also be perfect as a single focal of a bracelet in an arm party stack (or many bracelets!!), or linked up together Shamballah-style. (You can also see 
