Blue Tara Bliss!
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Nov 11th 2023
Blue Tara Quartz is all the rage right now! For good reason, it sparkles with pure magic! It is a rare and breathtakingly beautiful work of art made by Mother Nature. Blue tara is mined in two locatio…
Pink Lithium
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Sep 18th 2023
Have you heard the buzz about Lithium Quartz yet??? I am beyond obsessed with this stone! Originally there was only Pink Lithium Quartz, well there's a new Lithium on the scene folks! Welcome to the f…
Lumerian Quartz
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Aug 7th 2023
Breathtakingly beautiful and mysterious is what comes to mind when I see a Lumerian Quartz Crystal. Lumerian Quartz is apart of the clear quartz family, it is a silicon dioxide mineral. They are found…
Natural Crystal Rainbows
Posted by Lauren O'Dell on May 10th 2023
We all know and love rainbows in crystals! They are breathtakingly beautiful & make a crystal extra special! Rainbows are a sign of hope, optimism & good fortune. You don’t see a rainbow in the sky ev…
Sensational Super Seven Crystals
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Apr 21st 2023
Super 7 also known as the melody stone is rare a metaphysical powerhouse made up of 7 different minerals. The crystals are Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, Quartz, Goethite Lepidocrocite, Rutile and Cacoxeni…
Mala Mala Everywhere!
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Mar 29th 2023
What are these Mala bead bracelets all about? I know you’re curious about mala just like I was, so I wanted to share some pretty neat info with you about them! Mala means garland in Sanskrit, they ar…
Pink Amethyst Buzz
Posted by Lauren Branca-O'Dell on Sep 4th 2022
You may have been hearing a lot of buzz about Pink Amethyst recently! Wait, I thought Amethyst was purple?! That’s what I thought too! However, Pink Amy is in fact a real thing! An out of this world…
What is a Baroque Pearl Bead?
Posted by Suzanne Branca on May 2nd 2018
What is a Baroque Pearl exactly? I was asked this very question recently. My answer...It's all about the shape! The term baroque is used to describe the shape of the pearl bead in a technical manner o…
Tourmaline Gemstone Beads Create Pure Joy at A Grain of Sand
Posted by Suzanne Branca on Apr 23rd 2018
We just love tourmaline gemstone beads here at A Grain of Sand. When a shipment comes in, the whole lot of us gals get all excited. We just love to pass the tourmaline beads around and feel the m…
Cherry Brand Glass Beads: Vintage Bead Spotlight
Posted by Suzanne Branca on Apr 17th 2018
Cherry Brand Glass Beads: Vintage Bead Spotlight
Sometimes here at
A Grain of Sand, we discover some glass beads which are so amazing, we simply must tell you about them. This week, ou…
Back to the Future
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Feb 11th 2015
I’m going to brag for a bit before getting down to business.While I was down home for the holidays, I had the opportunity to coach two people through a beading project. These were two people I’d often…
Time, what time?
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 21st 2015
tried something new this month, a speed challenge! I made every project on this month’s blog in one Saturday morning. And in case you’re wondering no, I did not start my morning at 12 am. I am gu…
In a Seedy Place
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Dec 26th 2014
Hooray, a box of seed beads. This month’s gonna be a breeze! Sometimes what seems like a breeze is really the beginning of a gale. SO many ways I could take this...should it be vintage beads with new…
I Did The Mash
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Nov 2nd 2014
Before I get going, I have to gush about the new magnetic clasps. So far I've only gotten the long clasps, but the rose gold is most certainly on my list. It is perfect (of course) with the rose gold…
I'm Stuck On Glue
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 31st 2014
Somewhere along my beading journey, I picked up the habit of scoffing at glued projects. I suspect this had a lot to do with “Oh, you bead? I do too! I made this necklace!”So I joined the ranks of bea…
Around We Go
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Sep 16th 2014
This month I wanted to beadweave. I looked upon the contents of the treasure box and saw my opportunity to brush up on my basic skills. But I also didn’t want to get bogged down. So how do a lot of we…
Why be little?
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Sep 1st 2014
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..." -Ralph Waldo Emerson 1841 This may make some people cringe, and others may nod in agreement… But I don’t like every bead. In fact, I’m…
Conjunction Junction
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jul 29th 2014
What’s your function? Hooking up strands and chain and designs. Thank you, Schoolhouse Rock, for reminding me that just like the English language, jewelry has a type of component that brings mult…
RAW and Uncensored
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jun 1st 2014
I bought a terrific costume jewelry book this month: Coppola e Toppo by Deanna Farneti Cera. Coppola e Toppo was an Italian costume jewelry manufacturer who produced designs for top couture fashi…
Finding Closure
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on May 12th 2014
I am a findings fiend...and yet, even with my stockpiles, sometimes I have to search for the right clasp. Lately I've been lucky indeed, because I have my new springtime love...fold-over clasps.…
Ring in Spring
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on May 1st 2014
Well, I think we were all starting to believe it would never happen...but spring may be arriving after all. When it hit 80 degree this week, I started joking that snow must be on the way for next week…
Bi-polar Vortex
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Mar 13th 2014
So, umm, yeah...the weather. Yesterday, I was driving to a friend’s house in short sleeves- with the windows down. Today it’s 33. So I figured if the weather couldn't give me two similar days in…
Multi-Strand Madness
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 31st 2014
The January Box contents could have been called “A Plethora of Purple” just as easily...but madness really captures this month so far. I’m writing this entry as I wait for my airport shuttle (aka: Mel…
A Series of Tubes
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 30th 2014
One of the great things about most vacations, is that I get time to bead. My holiday trip to Florida provides ample time for me to whip out some projects while the rest of the family watches sports.&n…
Frosty and Colorful
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 3rd 2014
Every month when my box arrives I sort and bag the contents. That’s typically when I come up with my self-challenge theme for the month. The November Club box held a bevy of frosted Vintage Lucite bea…
Focus on Focals
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Nov 4th 2013
When I first peeled open October’s box I thought…either this is some sort of Bead Hoard Arc, with many things being pairs…or I’m supposed to be thinking about earrings. Yeah, well, I’m focusing o…
The Hoard Inheritance
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 17th 2013
I’ve had a number of people bequeath items to me, since they know that I’ll give them a good home in my personal hoard rather than just throwing the stuff out. The first time I received a major inheri…
Play with Clay Part One
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 15th 2013
I've got a strange relationship with polymer clay… I’m in awe of what some artists are doing with the medium…while others make me shake my head in a very different kind of awe. I never really thought…
A Stitch in Time
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 14th 2013
The old warning against procrastination is “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine”.But when it comes to bead embroidery, a stitch in time saves nein. A good summary of beadwork in general would be “stitching ta…
Haven't We Met?
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 1st 2013
Forget “Confessions of a Bead Hoarder”, this month it is “Confessions of a Hoard Stalker”! Luckily, Suzanne encourages me rather than getting a restraining order. I’ve been on an internet scaveng…
Bakelite Schmakelite
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Aug 27th 2013
Perhaps you’ve heard about 3d printing…whip up whatever you can dream up (if you have a mastery of the right software)…need a part for that broken gadget? Print one? Need a new ear or kidney? Print on…
Talk to the Hand
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Aug 5th 2013
First things first…it’s late July/early August. I live in the south. Which means it’s hot. Which also means that I am cranky. As a team building exercise at my other work we built wire sculptures…
Ye Olde Hoard
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jul 29th 2013
Earlier this month I returned to Wisconsin to attend a family wedding…and a bit of the Bead Hoard traveled with me.One of my cousins had her wedding at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, and our family at…
Facile Facets
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jul 22nd 2013
Perhaps I got a little carried away with the vintage plastic beads in the June club box. But I think that in the end, that’s a fine thing. I’ve become quite geeky about vintage plastics over the last…
Progression Procession
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jun 18th 2013
In Milwaukee for the Bead and Button show this month I saw intricate jewelry proudly on display. I wore one of my beadwoven pieces on Thursday and got a complement or two. I can’t remember what I wore…
Wrist Watch
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jun 4th 2013
People have their favorite types of jewelry, and it changes over the years. When I was in middle and high school I had one necklace and one ring, and pairs upon pairs of earrings. My favorites were ye…
Cap and Round
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on May 28th 2013
It’s graduation season again. And horse racing season as well…and to me the highlight of both of those are the special hats. Afterall, a graduation without mortarboards is really just a really bo…
Bring on those May Flowers!
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on May 14th 2013
The April box was much like the spring weather here in the Carolinas…stormy and grey one moment, and all sunshine the next. To celebrate that shift, this month I stuck to a palette of silver and yello…
Nothin' But Net
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Apr 23rd 2013
What do tax season and NCAA men’s basketball have in common? They’re both about getting to the net.So in honor of a sport I don’t watch, and a paperwork process I don’t mind…I whipped up some netting.…
The I'ds of March
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Apr 12th 2013
Ah, yes…March…when the trees try to kill me, and we get another box of goodies from the Bead Hoard Curiosity Club.Perhaps it’s all that pollen that led me to design with gold-tones this month, or perh…
Hoard Hawker
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Mar 15th 2013
This past weekend I got the opportunity to help others take home their own little part of the hoard by helping Suzanne and Jean at the A Grain of Sand booth at a show. And yes, I did actually enc…
Happy Precedents Day!
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Mar 11th 2013
The two questions people typically ask me when they see my beadwork are: “how long did that take you?” and “where do you come up with this stuff?”They can be equally hard to answer. Let me tackle time…
Workin' on the Chain Gang
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Feb 22nd 2013
I’ve grown to love vintage chain. I like its variety and patina. There’s something even in its rarity that makes it feel less precious. I should also admit that I’ve got a soft spot for base metals. I…
Let's Kick Some Brass!
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Feb 11th 2013
I’ve never really gotten into the whole New Year’s Resolutions thing. I suspect my early resolution failures as a kid helped me abandon the whole shebang. But January’s Treasure Box has provided inspi…
Just Like the Holiday Season
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 16th 2013
This year the time between my Mom’s birthday, my birthday,Thanksgiving, and Christmas seemed shorter than usual. In fact, it’s rare that the order works out that way. Typically my family’s schedule is…
All Those Leftovers
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Jan 12th 2013
We all have ‘em…and some of us have more than others. Holiday left-overs. You may have made it through yours by now…I still have one container in my freezer. My stockpile of beading left-overs is much…
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Brick Stitch
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Dec 15th 2012
Happy December to everyone! And I’ve reaped some festive rewards from my Merry Treasure Box this month. We have a winner for the November Brooch Embellishment Challenge.......And, it's Pat Silber!!! C…
Sequins of Events
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Dec 2nd 2012
The holidays are upon us, and for many folks this means it’s time to load up on sparkle and shine. Bring on the crystal, right? How else would you sparkle like the night sky? Yes, I too default t…
I Vote for Beading
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Nov 21st 2012
November has brought me peace! No more signs littering lawns, no more fund-raising pleas for me to ignore. This year (and every year) I elect to bead. November’s box built upon my growing BHCC co…
I'm All Ears
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Nov 2nd 2012
This month we wanted to hear from you and see what you've been up to with your Hoard treasures. And in honor of the listening theme in this blog I'm all ears—or at least all earrings. Earrings ar…
Rake and Pillage
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 22nd 2012
Welcome to October... I hope that you all are whipping up wonderful things from your box materials to enter in our Facebook contest! Growing up in Florida, fall meant that it was college football…
Danglers: Leaf Me Hanging
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Oct 8th 2012
I haven't always been a dangler fan. When I started beading, I was learning to be a bead weaver, so seed beads were (and still are-honestly) my first love. Yes, I'd stray into crystals and some f…
Gearing Up for Fall
Posted by Elizabeth Hamilton on Sep 18th 2012
I've been storming through the September box. I hope you've been as fascinated by this month's treasures as I have been. I read a lot of magazines, so I always get a little excited when the fat f…