For the Love of Beads Blog» FTLOBusiness Archives

Favorite Materials: Red Coral

Antonio — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:36:36 +0000

Would you be a little surprised if we tell you that we have skeleton beads in our stock and that they look terrific in jewelry?

Well maybe not, if you already know that red coral is in fact the remains of a marine animal. But it´s interesting to know that even today, a lot of people still think that coral is a plant and not an anemone-like animal.

There are at least 27 coral species in the world, ranging from white to black colors, but just one is red and it can be found in the Mediterranean Sea only. For some reason it’s the red coral species that has drawn so prominently the attention of humanity throughout history. Maybe because the red color has been perceived for ancient jewelry designers as the most versatile color that can match with almost everything you put on or just by its seductive look, red coral has been much sought after for jewelry since the beginning of civilization. It´s well known that has been traded for at least 6,000 years.

From Europe to the world, red coral has crossed oceans and continents and it has been highly appreciated in different cultures. For example, ancient Greeks thought it was formed with the blood drops coming out of Medusa’s head after it was chopped off by Perseus. Maybe that’s why they related it to courage and bravery. They used it not only as a piece of jewelry but also as a powerful symbol in very important ceremonies. Native Americans valued this gem as well, incorporating it in their jewelry, after the Europeans brought it to the New World.

Because red coral is an endemic animal of the Mediterranean area, the best skilled artisans in the world to shape raw coral into the finest beads the jewelry industry needs are based in Italy. After centuries of working with this material, they have developed a technique to shape red coral in the forms we now use in jewelry.

But it’s not only its red color that has motivated peoples imagination. Like almost every known gemstone, it has also been regarding as a healing tool with specific properties. In the ancient Rome it was used as a amulet against danger and also to protect children. It’s said that it’s very useful as an auxiliary to help to remove complexes and fears and it gives courage to the wearer and also the ability to stand strong in challenging situations. Red coral is considered very helpful in cases of infertility as well.

Here at FTLOB we offer you the best quality coral beads available in the market, in nine different models and thirteen sizes, all of them with an incredible texture and at a terrific price. But take notice that although red coral is well known for its deep red color, actually it can be found in a huge variety of hues from soft pink to dark red. As its price has been increasing lately, its very important to take care of our coral beads and keep them in good shape, so in order to preserve it and enjoy it for many years. we suggest you avoid cosmetics and hot water when wearing it.

Please let us know why you love Red Coral, we’d love to hear from you!

Hearts in Every Color!

Emily — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:32:21 +0000

Because at For the Love of Beads, we think everyday should have a bit of love in it, we are proud to present these gorgeous hearts in 8 different colors (+ some rustic designs)! Sure to match any outfit or jewelry style, these carved vegan ivory pieces are a great way to add some love to your designs! Pick out the heart you like best and then use our handy color wheel to find beads that complement and match your choice. With these colorful pieces you can have Valentine’s all year round!

From now until Valentine’s day, any order including one of these pendants will get a small, free, surprise for your beading pleasure! For your convenience, I have linked each one of our vegan ivory hearts right here, in amongst these little Valentine’s jewelry ideas.

Hearts Keychain
For something a little different, why not try use one of these heart shaped pendants to create a beautiful and strong keychain, sure to remain beautiful even after lots of use.

Two Hearts Necklace
A beautiful way to say “I Love You”, this easy necklace incorporates hearts of two different colors, representing you and your significant other. Personalize it by choosing each of your favorite colors and adding some sparkle with silver or gold accents. Simply string a slider (that fits snugly) around both ends of a long piece of leather, string a heart on each end , and secure them by folding the leather over and wirewrapping it tightly.

Key to My Heart Necklace
A common theme is to combine a heart shaped pendant with a key accent. Strung on ribbon and tied at the side with a bow, this idea can be dressed up or down with ease! Replace the ribbon with chain for a more grown-up look or, for more color, create a beaded ribbon by stringing seed beads.

Happy Valentine’s & happy crafting!

New Vegan Ivory – Stars, Squares, & Hearts!

Emily — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:38:02 +0000

At For the Love of Beads, we just can’t get enough of this great material – it’s nowhere near as popular as it should be! It looks beautiful, comes in lots of shapes and colors, and is good for the environment! And its not just that it prevents elephants from being hunted for their ivory either, by buying products made with vegan ivory you are supporting the natural lifestyles of indiginous tribes who plant the trees and harvest the nuts. And it doesn’t even stop there! The more nuts they are able to sell, the more trees they plant to support demand thus replenishing otherwise rapidly diminishing rain forests.

Even if you don’t care about all that, these beads are strong, bright, and look wonderful when mixed with other natural products, metals, or glass – the possibilities are nearly endless! (In fact, here’s one design I made using the above stars and another one using similar hearts.) These are just a few of the new designs just added – remember there will be more colors added next week as well!

Happy crafting!

Button!

Emily — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:47:33 +0000

Click more to grab our button!

For anyone who feels like showing us a little love on their blog or website, I present to you: the FTLOB button. Just copy the code in the box to put this cute little logo wherever you want!

Happy crafting and don`t forget to check out our Just Arrived section which is updated weekly!

If you would like to be included on our Resources page, just let me know and I will be sure to include you!

New Products!

Emily — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:38:17 +0000

Having spent all week doing the unfun stuff, counting, pricing, etc, I am happy and relieved to get to the fun part of new inventory – sharing it with others! The pictures below represent a small part of the new products we have just added and more is coming soon! In fact, we have so many new beads to add to the store that you’ll be seeing new stuff pop up every week for the next little while, as I get to it. I do hope you like them!

New Products!

Emily — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:08:37 +0000

It’s always a happy day for me when I can say this! I love new products, they fill my head with ideas and make me forget all about the other things I need to do.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Also, since we are feeling super generous at the moment, our free shipping offer for the holidays is extended to January 4th, so order now to take advantage!

Happy New Year!

Holiday DIY Chainmail #2: Christmas Wreaths

Emily — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:20:56 +0000

Hello again!

Before we get started, I completely forgot to mention that we are offering FREE SHIPPING for the holidays so order now!

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s Christmas Tree tutorial ’cause here we go again! Its time for part 2: Christmas Wreaths!

Materials
- 66 green 18 gauge 3/16″ID anodized aluminum rings
- 5 yellow 3/36″ID anodized aluminum rings for decoration
- 1 red 24 gauge 1/2″ ID anodized aluminum ring (helps hold shape)
- 6″ green cord
- 4 red beads

Step 1:
Close ten green rings. Loop ten more green rings through the closed rings to make ten interlocking pairs as shown.

Step 2:
Connect your pairs together into a long strand. Use three rings to make each connection as shown in the first picture below. Now, add a third ring next to every other interlocking pair to add some stability to the final piece.

Connect the strand to the large ring by looping a single ring through a set of three. Remember this connection is through the connectors, NOT the interlocking pairs, as shown above.

Step 3:
Once your strand of chainmail is connected all the way around the large ring, close the circle with three more rings and connect this set of three rings to the large ring. Add some cord with a few beads to one side and you’re almost done!

Step 4:
Add the small rings as decorations. Remember from the tree tutorial, these small rings only fit around a couple larger rings so you will likely have to force them in between some rings to fit them in.

All done!

Happy holidays!

New Findings!

Antonio — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:01:13 +0000

Hello!
I have been keeping extremely busy with holiday preparations and picking out some awesome new products for the store (don’t you love the vegetable ivory? completely gorgeous and completely animal friendly). More new colors and styles are coming soon too!

For now we have something almost as exciting: new findings! All the little bits you need to put your beads together just how you want them, plus some cute little charms.

I hope you like them!

(We also have some gold ones.)

New Products!

Emily — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:28:48 +0000

Adding new products to the store is always so exciting! Right now we are testing some new tagua designs, if people like them we will get in a whole bunch more but for now we have only a few each of several new funky designs!

All of these designs are available in multiple colors too! Take a look at our New Arrivals section to see them all.

The Etsy Adventure Continues

Emily — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:36:20 +0000

Just so you know, I’m not slacking off. I have been busy busy busy rephotographing and listing all of my various treasures that have been sitting around and waiting for a purpose. My etsy shop grows and I begin to contemplate the featured listings, they seem worthwhile as someone new to etsy but I have to decide which piece to have featured.

I have also been playing around a bunch with wire, making a ton of coiled beads with Swarovsky’s and other colorful accents and I am finally feeling a lot more comfortable with it, more in control.

My big project at the moment is taking, as always, longer than expected but thats what happens when you try to make a functional purse out of 3mm jump rings. Work is slow but rewarding – pictures to come! If I find the energy I may even put together a tutorial for the finished product, I have been snapping some pictures of the process.

Oh! I almost forgot, we have a bunch of new tagua beads coming next week! They are lots of fun and I am sure you will like them!

Anyway, TGIF
Happy crafting!