Aquamarine, a generally blue colored gemstone is the birthstone this month. From the light blue color of the sky to the deep blue color of the sea, aquamarines vary on a beautiful spectrum of blue colors. It’s shades compliment nearly every hair, skin, and eye color.

The gem sparkles – it’s cool and crisp. Aquamarine is often described as optimistic, hopeful, and youthful. All of which are appropriate for the month that welcomes spring.

With it’s shades of blues and soft shine, it’s no wonder legend has that this gem originated in the deep blue sea. Some say it was first discovered by sailors who came across an enchanted mermaid treasure chest. It has since been regarded as the “sailor’s lucky stone.” In fact, the name aquamarine is derived from the Latin “aqua marina,” or “sea water.”

Legends about this gem have prevailed throughout history. In the Middle Ages, it was thought this gem could heal individuals ailed by poison. Even today, some people consider this gem to have healing powers, such as muscle tension reduction and anxiety release.

At Brazos Collection, we have quite a few varieties of aquamarine beads. Chip, disc, kite, nugget, round – there’s lots of options for aquamarine beads!

Here in Texas we are celebrating the 70+ degree weather in many ways. No more heavy coats and long sleeved sweaters – hooray! Finally, we can drink iced tea again  – hooray! And above all, the most exciting aspect of winter’s departure – a chance for us to throw on our jeans and enjoy quality time outdoors – hooray!

What better way to enjoy the beautiful weather outdoors than by packing a bag filled with snacks, drinks, and goodies, grabbing a blanket, and inviting friends and family for a picnic!

If you’re as excited as I am about the beautiful weather (and about picnics of course), then you’ll likely want to make your picnic just a little extra special. It’s fun to add sparkle and flare to the ordinary picnic basket, and it’s a great way to welcome the new season. Beaded napkin rings are just the craft to make your picnic even more fun and memorable. It’s like making handmade jewelry for your picnic.

Making custom napkin rings for your picnic is simple, you’ll just need  some colorful ribbon and beads. Choose any ribbon you like. It can be shiny, colorful, or earthy. You could even pick ribbon to coordinate specifically with your picnic blanket or napkins. And choose any beads you like. Clay beads, crystal beads, magnesite beads – it’s up to you.

Cut the ribbon into 18- to 22-inch lengths; trim the ends on the diagonal. Wrap a length of ribbon around a rolled napkin so the ends meet in front. Thread the ribbon ends through a bead, and pull taut. Simply repeat as you add more beads. You could even add beads to the ribbon before you wrap the napkin, to incorporate beads all around.

Happy picnicking!

“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. No time to say hello, good-bye. I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!”

- Alice in Wonderland

We’ve all been late at some point in our lives. Whether it’s late to a meeting, late for a date, or late to class – it doesn’t feel good to be the latecomer!

The best way to avoid being late is by keeping track of your time. In our world of technology, this isn’t difficult to do. Think of all the places you can see the time at any given point in your day. The time is displayed on your TV’s cable box, and it may even be displayed on your oven or microwave. Most cars display the time on the radio panel. And, when you’re working, you will most likely be able to see the time on your computer screen. Additionally, as most of us now own cell phones, we often rely on this device to check our time.

But, despite the abundance of time tracking tools, some of us still find ourselves perpetually ten minutes late. So, to keep yourself on schedule, why not wear a watch? If it’s literally attached to your body, you may have a much better chance at noticing the time.

Perhaps because of all our devices, or perhaps because of the perception of watches, they seem to have disappeared from the list of essential accessories. But, for those of us desperate to be on time, they can be quite handy. And, despite the perception that watches are “nerdy,” “clunky,” and “hard to coordinate with” – they can actually be quite fashionable.

Watches are in fact a great jewelry accessory, and at Brazos Collection, we carry a variety of stylish watches. Especially as winter departs, and we’re coming out of our coats and long-sleeved sweaters, watches are a great way to accessorize your newly freed arms and wrists.

So, grab a polka dot watch, or a zebra face watch and refuse to be late ever again. With Brazos Collection watches, you don’t have to sacrifice your style to be on time.

Crystal is formed from natural elements and requires just the right conditions to take shape.  It has been mined and used for thousands of years. You will see crystal in everything from ancient royal crowns to modern day jewelry. Some people even believe that crystal has powers, and it is often associated with increasing energy and encouraging healing.

As for jewelry, crystal has long been recognized as a sign of elegance.  It has a way of catching light and tends to sparkle. For beaders, crystal beads come in a variety of styles:  Barrel, Bicone, Disc, Oval, Round, Rectangle, and more. We offer a wide selection of crystal beads on our website for beaders to browse.

Crystal beads are great for necklaces, bracelets, and all kinds of handmade jewelry. So, for your next beading project, try using crystal beads – they’ll make you shine!

It’s color can be described as deep, vibrant, royal, and pastel. And no matter what shade of purple it is, it always looks exquisite.

Brazos Collection has many different options when it comes to selecting the right amethyst beads. Whether they are teardrop, tooth, nugget, or disk shaped – you can find it all at on brazoscollection.com.

Are you looking to create a new piece of handmade jewelry with your birthstone? The color of Amethyst really seems to couple well with crystal clear glass beads. You could create a necklace or bracelet alternating the two colors. It also seems to pair very well with turquoise.

Perhaps you’re not making new jewelry, but trying to incorporate your birthstone in your existing jewelry collection. Amethyst can go well with both silver or gold jewelry. Pairing it with gold would give a more warm, traditional feel – seeing how these are the colors of royalty! Pairing it with silver might offer a more chic look. It can portray a cool, modern, and even wintry vibe.

Either way, the beauty and versatility of amethyst shouldn’t be hidden, especially as the short month of February passes!

Valentines is around the corner, and it’s time to cast that loving spell!

What better way to accent your look than with Valentine’s themed beaded jewelry. Creating new jewelry will not only be fun, but it will also add some flare to your outfit.  Flare that is sure to catch some much desired attention this Valentine’s Day.

For starters, I would stick to the traditional colors of red and pink. But, instead of using white, I’d venture to go with black as an accent color.  I really like using red chip beads because they look like little chili peppers and will be sure to spice up your jewelry. Along with this, they have a good variation in color ranging from darker red to a more true vibrant red.

To contrast both the red tones and smaller size of the chip beads, I recommend mixing in some heavier, dark-colored beads, such as these black bean beads. This will provide some weight and balance.

To top off the jewelry (be it necklace or bracelet), I would perhaps finish with a heart medallion or other pendent utilizing silver, black or red once again.

After you’re finished, you can admire how great you look in your new jewelry. You know you won’t be the only one to notice!

If only there was a place where I could  shop for a wide variety of creatively designed beads that were both high quality and affordable.

Lucky for me it just so happens that there is! While browsing brazoscollection.com, I came across the new items that they had listed. It was almost as if they were reading my mind. They had everything from apples to roses to skulls to coins.

There were so many fresh and creative bead ideas. You should check them all out for yourself.

Happy Beading!

Ok, as you know, beads don’t come from outer space. However, some beads are made from materials that can be linked to outer space.

One such material sometimes used to make beads is iron. While iron can be found in abundance on Earth, it is also known to be found in some meteorites. Meteorites come from meteors, which are basically giant rocks floating in outer space. When meteors get close to Earth, they are pulled in by Earth’s gravity. As they enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up. If they don’t burn up completely, they fall to Earth (and are then called meteorites). Some meteorites are made largely of iron, and pieces from these meteorites can be used to make tools, knifes, and of course – beads.

Another “space material” sometimes used to make beads is tektite. Tektites are pieces of glass formed when a large meteorite impacts the Earth’s surface. They are like pebbles formed from the melted sand and rock surrounding a meteorite’s impact site.

Outer space has not only influenced the type of material used in beading, it may  also be inspiring jewelry making in general. Fashion jewelry and handmade jewelry alike incorporate themes, designs, and other inspirations from outer space.  From beads in the shape of stars to glow in the dark beads – outer space’s influence on the art of beading is apparent.

Whether we have incorporated outer space into the beading world deliberately and intentionally, or whether it’s sheer wonder has inspired our use of material and process unconsciously may be something we’ll never know.

What I can say with certainty, though,  is that if you ever find yourself with a case of “beader’s block” and need inspiration for your next beading project, you are sure to find it from browsing the Nasa website. The unique colors and shapes of the planets and stars combined with the wonder and mystery of the formations are likely to get your creative juices flowing.

Perhaps you plan on sticking with the same resolutions you made last year – get more sleep, eat healthier, or exercise twice a week. Maybe, you’ve developed some new ones – make more of an effort to recycle, clean the garage, or plant a garden. But, how many of you have made resolutions about your craft/hobby of choice? about beading in particular?

If resolutions are supposed to focus on areas of your life you wish to improve, enhance, alter, dedicate more time to, etc.. then why not focus on one of your passions? From small steps that can be incorporated into your daily routine, to larger project goals than can be executed throughout the year, there are so many resolutions you can make to incorporate your jewelry making skills and beading hobby.

Have your beading kits become increasingly disorganized throughout the year? Make a resolution to get your beading tools and beading supplies back in order by spending one hour a week sorting through the clutter.

If you have become very comfortable working with glass beads and cracked glass beads to make beaded jewelry, but have never tried making fashion jewelry with jade beads or tiger eye beads, then make a resolution to step out of your comfort zone. Try using materials you’ve never worked with before in your first project of the new year.

Maybe, as part of your resolution to spend more time with family, you could plan a monthly family craft night. You can make a goal that once a month you will sit down with your family and teach them a new beading craft.

These are just a few ideas of ways you can make a resolution to spend more time with your beading hobby, incorporate your passion into your other established resolutions, and develop ways to make your craft more efficient in the new year. You don’t have to have started New Year’s day and you don’t need to make any major life changes to incorporate your resolution into the new year. The simple intention of dedicating extra thought and effort to your passion is likely to get your new year started off on the right foot!

I guess this may be an analogy only a true beader could appreciate, however it does serve as a very vibrant form of inspiration to create some Solstice inspired handmade jewelry.

In ancient times, the Winter Solstice was a celebration of the sun coming out of the long dark winter months. It was a time for feasting and celebrating, because for the next six months, the days would grow longer – giving off light, and heat which helped sustain life for early cultures.

This dichotomy of light and dark creates a very exciting dynamic for not just celebration, but for jewelry making as well. Using more earthlike, natural stones, you can create necklaces, bracelets and earrings that give a more nature- oriented feel to your collection.

Along with this, make use of the colors of the season. Using black, purple, and blue stones or beads can help represent the night accompanied by a yellow, red or orange stone as your centerpiece. White would also be a good accent color to really contrast the dark.

And of course, seeing as holiday parties are a must, this presents the perfect opportunity to show off how divine you look adorned in your new necklace, bracelet or earrings. Your new collection will have all the benefits of high fashion jewelry, with a low cost price tag, which is something that is especially helpful this time of year.

Happy beading and happy Solstice!