susanstars

Portland, OR, US
contributor

I'm a jewelry designer, writer, and crafter in Portland, Oregon, and I love making things, vintage and thrift-store shopping, and writing about it all. I contribute the jewelry-making and beading posts for CraftStylish, which is a lot of fun!

I'm the author of Bead Simple: Essential Techniques for Making Just the Jewelry You Want and the co-author of Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-To Projects with Cathy Pitters, Torie Nguyen, and Rachel O’Rourke. I also write a daily craft blog, westcoastcrafty.com, and contribute to CRAFT, BUST, ReadyMade, Venus, whipup.net, supernaturale.com, and burdastyle.com. You can find my handmade work and kits to make jewelry and skirts at susanstars.com and more of my crafty projects and writing at susanbeal.com.

craft interests: embroidery, fashion, gifts, home decorating, jewelry making, paper crafts, quilting, restyle, sewing

my etsy page:
http://susanstars.etsy.com

Member Since: 03/24/2008

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Live Crafty How-Tos at Etsy All Month!

Jul 3, 2008

Check out these great how-tos at Etsy: screenprinting, glass etching, sewing, and of course some amazing jewelry-making and beading projects.

The Amazing Rose Bowl Flea Market

Jul 2, 2008

Flea markets are fantastic sources for crafty and jewelry-making supplies, and my favorite one of all is the magnificent Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California—don't miss it!

Jewelry and Decor Projects with Cathie and Steve

Jun 30, 2008

I love Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza's craft show, Creative Juice. They have a ton of great jewelry, beading, and embellishment projects online to check out, too!

How To: Simple Drop Earrings!

Jun 29, 2008

Choose two of your favorite beads and turn them into a quick, simple pair of earrings or embellishments...all you'll need are pliers, wire or eyepins, and a few minutes!

Video: Make a Basic Bead Dangle

Jun 29, 2008

I made this video to show my favorite technique for creating embellishments, earrings, or pendants using wire and beads.

Bead Expo Recap!

Jun 23, 2008

I had the chance to check out the Bead Expo when it came to Portland—I highly recommend going when it visits your city! Here are a few of my favorite vendors and teachers from the event.

Spotlight on SoftFlex

Jun 20, 2008

I have been using SoftFlex beading wire for years, but I spotted a few other cool products—not to mention some great free resources for beaders—while I was at the Bead Expo.

Interweave Craft Books to Check Out

Jun 18, 2008

I saw these titles at the Beadwork Bead Expo recently and thought they looked amazing. These new jewelry-making books are fantastic, whether you're into glass beads, metalwork, or bead-stringing.

Make It: Ridiculously Easy Wineglass Charms

Jun 14, 2008

Seattle crafter and blogger Megan Reardon shares this gorgeous, simple project to make: a set of wineglass charms to give as a hostess gift or keep for yourself.

Gorgeous Beads and Unusual Pieces to Check Out

Jun 11, 2008

Whether you're looking for vintage Lucite, trade beads, or semiprecious beads, Dava Bead and Trade has a very cool selection of unusual pieces to browse online or in person at their shop in Portland, Oregon.

Try a Vintage Beading Project: Tri-Bead Fun

Jun 7, 2008

I love vintage beading pamphlets and magazines. Here is one of my favorites from 1972.

Find Amazing Handmade Jewelry and Accessories at Renegade Brooklyn!

Jun 6, 2008

The Renegade Craft Fair is coming to Brooklyn on June 14th and 15th. If you're in New York, don't miss it -- there are great handmade treasures to shop for!

How to Make a Basic Bead Dangle

May 31, 2008

Here is an easy to follow video tutorial based on a wrapped loop technique from my book Bead Simple. I used this simple step for the Wedding Ring Pendant.

Make a Pendant out of Your Wedding Ring

May 31, 2008

Here's how to turn a wedding ring (or any ring) into a pretty pendant. I've made an easy-to-follow video tutorial in the companion post so that you can learn how to make the center-bead dangle, using a wrapped-loop technique.

Organize Your Beads and Charms

May 28, 2008

Once you've been collecting jewelry-making treasures for a while, storing and organizing them can become an overwhelming endeavor! I have a pretty huge collection at this point, so I've done my share of endlessly arranging and rearranging ... but here are a few things have worked well for me.

Beaders Adore Toho Shoji

May 24, 2008

Toho Shoji is one of my favorite bead stores, and every time I’m in New York, I go there to browse everything and pick up new bits and pieces to work with. If you should ever find yourself in the Big Apple, be sure to stop in. Give yourself plenty of time because there is a lot to see.

Untangle that Mess and Organize Your Handmade Jewelry

May 21, 2008

If you're a jewelry maker, sooner or later, you're likely to end up with a dilemma: how to keep your work organized, i.e., untangled and nicely arranged, and how to store all of your finished pieces. Once I realized that I had a problem on my hands, I came up with some solutions that have worked out well.

Beadage.net is a Fantastic Resource for Jewelry Making

May 17, 2008

Yes, my great passion is beading, and every time I visit Emma McCreary’s incredible Beadage.net, my passion is fueled, inspired, and ready to take on new things. The site also has a very fun blog.

DIY Bride Interview and Giveaway!

May 14, 2008

I recently had a chance to catch up with DIY Bride author Khris Cochran to ask about the inspiration for her book and her current crafty idea favorites.

Etsy Selling: How to Raise Your Profile Profitably

May 7, 2008

Selling your jewelry on Etsy is easy. What requires a bit of skill is learning how to draw attention to your shop on a site that has more than 400,000 listings. Here are some great tips on how to get your work the attention it deserves.

Vintage Bead Book Spotlight: The Family Creative Workshop Series

May 6, 2008

I love all things vintage, and some of my favorite sources for vintage jewelry-making inspiration come from the craft books and magazines of the past. You can find these treasures online and in thrift stores. Here are some great places to hunt for true vintage crafting magic.

California Designer Creates a Paradise of Jewelry

Apr 30, 2008

Meet the inspired jewelry-making world of Laura Stokes. From her own line of unique jewelry creations to her amazing hand-crafted supplies available via her Web site, this California-based designer does it all. Here is a jewelry resource that you won’t want to miss.

Shopping for Jewelry Supplies on Etsy

Apr 23, 2008

If you’ve never been to Etsy, I highly recommend that you go to their site. It is an incredible resource for all things crafty: great supplies, handmade items, and of course brilliant inspiration. The site is super-easy to navigate and is one of my favorite places to go looking for awesome jewelry-making finds. Here are some tips to help you find what you’re looking for.

Tips for Buying Beads and Jewelry Supplies Secondhand

Apr 16, 2008

Finding a vintage trinket, charm, or bauble at a yard sale or a favorite thrift store can feel like you've struck jewelry-making gold! Here are some of my best tips for spotting treasures among castaways.

Craftypod Jewelry Projects

Apr 13, 2008

Craftypod is the blogging home of Portland crafter, Diane Gilleland, aka, Sister Diane, leader of the Portland Church of Craft. This extremely talented lady has a new project that I'd like to share with you.

Bead Bloggers

Apr 7, 2008

Meet this talented group of jewelry designers. These ladies have banded together to share their favorite resources and links, and promote all kinds of exciting work, too! Super inspiring.

Hot Deals on Beautiful Baubles!

Apr 6, 2008

Here is one of my all-time favorite sources for beading basics and beyond, especially since they're so affordable.

Katie Hacker and Beads, Baubles and Jewels

Apr 5, 2008

If you've got just three minutes then Katie Hacker can change your whole approach to jewelry-making. Her beading tutorials are great!

Wire 101

Apr 4, 2008

Whether you’re a beginning beader or you’ve been making jewelry for quite awhile, you probably have plenty of favorites in terms of wire—both materials and gauges. But if you’re wondering what the best choice for a project might be, or whether craft wire or sterling is the better bet, here are my recommendations for what to use in your jewelry-making projects.