Hello there. My name is Bethany and I live in Lubbock, Texas. A few years ago, I started beading. And at the very beginning of this year, I started selling my beaded creations online. Lately I have been wondering about how people get their inspiration. How do you get your beading ideas? I get mine in many different ways. Sometimes I am inspired by specific beads that I have. Sometimes it is an idea that just sort of pops into my head. Other times I am inspired by life around me. I have decided to write down some beading ideas for you to explore, as well as some ways to come up with some of your own!

Sometimes I really have a hard time getting inspired with new beading ideas. I think it is mostly because I become so overwhelmed. I have a ton of beads, and I want to use them all! I have also expanded what I make to include drop earrings, chandelier earrings, anklets and necklaces. I suppose my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) doesn't help either. Sometimes I really need to just slow down look at the beads, see if any color combinations catch my eye. My fiancé thinks I am crazy at times because I have a huge pile of bagged beads sitting on the coffee table, and I will just sit and look at them for a long time.

So my first bit of advice is to let your materials inspire you! I have a very large collection of Swarovski Crystals. I love them. I love their colors, and the way they sparkle. But I am not always entirely sure how to use them. While going through my metal beads the other day, I had this idea:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/butterflyswarovski.jpg

What better way to show off the beauty of Swarovski Crystals then to display them with a butterfly? For me this pairing just makes sense.

One good place to find beading ideas is just by watching the world around you. Watch what people have on at the mall, or on T.V. I have a hard time breaking away from some of my patterns sometimes. My solution to that is just do something completely out of the box for me. For example the other day I was watching one of those ridiculous court shows on T.V. You know, the ones that you shake your head at in public, but watch every day! A woman had a pair of chandelier earrings on. They were a nice length, but the middle dangle went all the way down to her shoulder. I had never made a pair like this, but I loved the movement of them. So this is what I came up with.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/chandelierforblog.jpg

These are something I would have never come up with on my own, just because I end up fixing myself into such a little box. But these sold the same day I listed them! And they have inspired me in lots of different directions. Sometimes it just takes one little thing like this for me to go on a creating binge! And it always seems to catch me by surprise.

So basically... Pay attention! Read forums; watch what people are wearing on shows...see what people want! Listening to my customers has helped me to create a lot of my items.

My very favorite types of earrings to make are called brick stitch earrings.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/brickstitchex.jpg http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/brickstitchex1.jpg

The upper part of the earrings is the actual brick stitch part. Looking at it, it is clear to see where the name comes from. The bead layout looks like a brick wall. I love this type of earrings for so many reasons. I guess that the most sentimental reason is that when I was very young, my mom wore this type of earrings all of the time. I was always on the lookout for them to give to her as a gift. I never found a large selection of colors, and I had it in my mind early on that I should just make them for her! Then a few years ago, I started to bead. I had a very hard time finding good instructions on brick stitching, so I concentrated mostly on necklaces and bracelets. Then about a year ago, I became determined to learn. I found some instructions, and didn't give up until I had it! Now I am completely addicted to brick stitch. I love the colors, and endless possibilities of patterns. So if you are looking for a new beading idea, I highly suggest learning to brick stitch. Your possibilities are nearly unlimited. There are basic geometric patterns to do, shapes, and even highly detailed pictures that you can do. I have not delved into the highly detailed pictures yet. My favorite thing to do is the different geometric patterns. But I also have a few shapes I do. Shamrocks and hearts are my most popular. They are both of course very seasonal, but I also sell them when it is not Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day. They are fun to use, and very easy to customize!!

This is my heart pattern.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/heartforblog.jpg http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/finishedheartsforblog.jpg

I started off doing them in just red and white for Valentine's Day. But I ended up making them in lots of different colors. Including Black and Red for our town's sport's team.

Here is the shamrock pattern.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/shamforblog.jpg http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/kred79/blog/shamrockfinishedblog.jpg

In the pictured beaded example I added a few gold accents, just because I thought it made those colors look better.

So as you can see, both patterns can be customized to fit different needs. They are fun to make, and really do seem to posses the "Wow!" factor when people see them.

Would you like to see examples of my geometrical earrings? I really have too many to list here. Just look here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5710650&section_id=5366017

I have a lot of seed and bugle beads, so I really have fun making new patterns and color combinations.

My brick stitch earrings tend to run very long, usually over 3.5 inches. Recently I sold a customer a pair of earrings that I made when I first started brick stitching. They were very short, less than 2.5 inches long. For some reason I got it in my head that nobody would want a pair. I was very wrong. Someone ordered them from me, and as soon as she got them she sent me a message telling me how much she loved the short version! This led to my new line of earrings that I call my "Mini Series". I suppose that that goes directly back to my "Pay attention" advice.

I hope that this has helped you with your beading ideas, and even inspired some beading ideas of your own. With the materials available to us, the possibilities are endless. And considering out medium, the possibilities are quite gorgeous as well. So get out there. Don’t be afraid to try something new, to learn a new technique, or to learn by watching others. Beading ideas come to us all in different ways. How you get yours is up to you. So go out there and bead! Talk to other beaders.