Happy 2012 from MrBead! Shamballa Beads, Bead Resolutions & Your Bead Planner

Shamballa Beads – The hottest hip hop accessory of the year & the next big bead craze!

The jewelry is hand-made from semi-precious stone beads strung on macramé braided cord, and can cost as much as US$30,000 for a single bracelet. This price would buy an exclusive design with diamonds and stone beads set in 18-carat gold – for wealthy ex-or would-be hippies. Mads Kornerup was the first to sell expensive shamballa jewelry in Paris in 1994, followed shortly by another store in Soho, New York. Now this beaded jewelry is sold from Switzerland to Russia, to top London stores like Harrods, Frosts, and Tresor Paris.

King Ice, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, TI, P Diddy, Dr. Dre, Nelly, and Busta Rhymes, are among many artists appearing on magazine covers and music videos sporting these Buddhist disco ball beads. King Ice’s shamballa bracelets are made from nylon string with a traditional macramé manual toggle fastener. The beads are made from plastic and a base metal with either cubic zirconia stones or hematite diamonds. He raps with shamballa inspired disco ball bead necklaces too.

However, shamballa beads are more than just jewelry inspired from traditional Tibetan Buddhism. Individual meanings can be expressed by their style, color and shape. And not only hip hop artists wear these beads for their own beliefs – other celebrities like basketball stars, Michael Jordan and Lamar Odom, and ladies like Demi Moore, Heidi Klum and Beyonce also dance with the bracelets.

These stunning and stylish beads are a unique mix between jewelry and spirituality. Today’s turmoil brings no better time to get in touch with hip hop fashion and your inner self. Express your individuality and spiritual needs by designing your own unique shamballa bracelet and matching necklace. Create a mystical effect using skull and Buddhist beads with sparkling crystal beads to add bling.

To buy our Shamballa Beads go to MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

New Year Bead Resolutions

Think
Now is the time to decide what you'd like to make to start your New Year's beading projects. This can be a large or small project, a necklace or bracelet, an intricate item, even wall hanging. Or something significant, such as a baby announcement for a new child or grandchild, a wedding announcement in beads, a beaded plaque with a quote that means something important to you or loved ones.

Now!
The important thing is not to think I’ll start when “I get around to it” – you must start right away, go for it! You don't have to have every item you'll need to complete the project to begin. And it doesn’t have to take all day - just set aside an hour or so to get the project started. As long as you have something to begin. Often you'll find new beads along the way that will fit perfectly with the project.

List
Make a list of all supplies you need for the project. Tick off what you already have and order online what’s missing. Check for beading thread, needles, a loom if it necessary, the pattern, any instructions or tutorials you'll need, a bead board etc. Also, make sure that you have a place to do the beading, any work surface covers, plus somewhere to store the project while you’re not working. Keep the work in a secure place so it will not be tipped over accidentally or knocked off a shelf.

Organize
Plan some time, at least an hour, to get your new beading project underway. Have all the supplies you'll need in one spot so you can sit down and begin beading. If you need a particular book or print-out, be sure to have it ready to use. Mark the place in the book or have instructions from the internet printed out for reference. If you know you have some of the supplies on hand but that they are "buried", take a few minutes to dig them out and look over.

You don’t want to be put off a new project because the thread is the wrong color or your clippers are too dull. If you are missing something for your project, you can often substitute it for something else. Use your imagination with what you have. Customizing or changing a published beading pattern is a way to add a bit of "you" to the original designer's creative vision and makes your beading even more special.

Gather all the items you have, even if it's just the beading needle, thread and pattern. If you have none of the other supplies, then at least thread the needle and read through the pattern. You could take time to mark rows on the pattern or to gather tools and look through the beads in your stash to work into the project. Go for it! Once you've taken the first step - the rest, including beads, tools and time to bead, will come easy!

Use our monthly 2012 planner to organize your beading schedule - click here

Garnet - January's gemstone

Garnet is a name given to over ten gemstones with similar chemical structure. Although red occurs most, there are also shades of green, pale to bright yellow and fiery-orange garnet. Some rare garnets even change color from daylight to artificial light.

The name “garnet” derives from the Latin “granum” meaning "grain”. Describing the typically rounded shape of the gemstone and similar to pomegranate seeds. Garnet comes mainly from Africa, but also from India, Russia, central and south America.

Benefits
Garnet makes good jewelry because it’s very hard, and so resistant to wear. Garnet is said to symbolize happiness as well as deep and enduring love and friendship.

Garnet has been found in jewelry from ancient Greece, Rome, and dating back to 3100 BC in Egypt. Oriental warriors made garnet bullets because they believed these would inflict more harm. Others thought garnet brightened the night because of its high refraction of light - explained Noah’s garnet lantern to steer his Ark.

Travelers’ wore garnets to protect against evil, poison and wounds. It was also believed to help depression and prevent nightmares. Red garnet in particular is said to break a fever, stop bleeding and to reduce inflammation.

Modern garnet
Today, garnet is prized for its beauty rather than its magical powers. People like its naturalness, its brilliance, and color of a sun-drenched Indian summer. Deep green garnets are the rarest and therefore expensive. Emerald green and colorless garnet is next rarest, followed by pure red.

See garnet beads at MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

Almost 7-Years of MrBead Newsletters!

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2012 MrBead Year Planner

This planner will help you organize your beading projects and craft fairs in 2012. Print it out and write your schedule and bookings in the date boxes. In green is the gemstone of the month to help you plan ahead.

You will need Adobe reader to open this - but the program is already on 99% of computers and free download from Adobe. When downloaded, save to your computer and print.

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