Happy Valentine’s Day, to the things that make us feel alive.

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We started a tradition last year of doing an unconventional Valentine’s Day post.  In 2012, we celebrated the love we have for our (many) B3 pets and this year, we wrote some sweet nothings to some of the creative pursuits that make us feel alive and sometimes even keep us sane.  Reading these, we think you’ll relate to many of the sentiments.  You’ll also get to learn a little more about the eclectic group that is the B3 team.

What creative outlet would you send a Valentine to?  Leave your love notes in the comments of this post, share them on our wall on Facebook or post them to Twitter using hashtag #craftlove.

Aimee’s Love: Wire Wrapping

Wire wrapping,  I love you because you allow me to express my creativity in amazing ways.  I can turn a bad mood into a beautiful piece of art, and a good mood into a masterpiece :)

Jen’s Love: Metalsmithing

Metalsmithing, I love you because, well, I miss you. And they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder which is why I really, REALLY love you. You are my obsessive, compulsive outlet. You help me to express myself when I cannot otherwise because I am such a self-conscious weirdo. You have been absent from my life for too long now, metalsmithing, and that is going to change.

Lisa’s Love: Designer Vinyl Toy Collection

Designer Vinyl Toy Collection, I love you because when I look upon your vast array of colors, they make me smile and sometimes do a happy dance. You inspire me in my creative pursuits, also reminding me to keep a high standard of cute in my life.

Jenna’s Love: Tap Dance Improvisation

Tap Dance Improvisation, I love you because I used to hate you, but now you provide a time when I can access the unique part of my brain where I am thinking, but not planning.  You’ve helped me find my artistic voice and become a better choreographer.

Rebeca’s Love: Dinner Group 

Monday Night Dinner Group, I love you because you inspire me to reach new levels of culinary creativity.  But you also support me when the cake falls or the khorasan wheat is too al dente.  Here’s to another decade of deliciousness!

Kat’s Love: Chainmaille Clothing Projects

Audible Odyssey clothing project, I love you because, you are a really fun challenge and I look forward to collaborating with this great company on a dance production from one of the founding members!

Jason’s Love: Miniature Painting

Miniature Painting, I love you because when we’re together everything else fades into the background. I don’t think about anyone else and I only have eyes for you. We’ve told some fantastic stories and brought so many characters to life.

CRE8TIME to make what you love!

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As busy adults, there are days when it can be difficult to find time just to eat lunch or respond to an email or even just to breath for a minute.  It may sound cliché, but it’s true we definitely live in a fast-paced world.  As such, we often find ourselves responding to the question, “How on earth do you find time to make chainmaille?” Or even hearing, “Oh, I would never have the time or patience for something like that.”  Sound familiar?

Open Maker Studio at Blue Buddha Boutique

There seems to be a number of misconceptions about people who love to make things.  Sometimes it’s that people think that’s all you do.  Surely you must not have a life outside of making if you can actually find time to do that.  Other times it’s that people think we must have super-human patience in order to take the time to create.  The truth is though, all of us (the B3 team, our customers, our peers, etc.) are people with full lives including work, families, school and personal lives.  And we can probably all agree you don’t need super-human patience when you’re doing something you love.

It’s for these reasons the new CRE8TIME movement resonated with us (and why we’ll be hosting an open studio for makers of all kinds on the 8th of every month starting in March.)  We’re all for encouraging people to carve out time to be creative and we’re excited to be a part of this larger movement.  Should you need some motivation to make time to create, we thought we’d share some really incredible responses we got from our community on Facebook about why we all are making the commitment to make more time to create.

Warning: you might just want to get up, get out and get making after reading these answers!

Rich Y.…because I’ve finally learned to see value in my own work.
Meta G. I’m retiring and will have PLENTY of time.
Tish V. It inspires my spirit and helps me focus.
Tatianna A. I no longer have to go to college anymore.
Paul G. It is who I am.
Megin V. I enjoy giving what I create to others!
Paula A. I want to!
Christina P. I have to spend time doing it to make my creativity thrive!
Lora B. I must.
Deanna D. If I’m listening to my soul, it’s the only thing I can do.
Jennifer R. It feeds my creative soul and fulfills me.
Janine D. It helps make the world more beautiful and bring joy to those I share my creations with.
Peggy B. You have it wrong. The sentence should end with “because”.
Dorie H. I deserve it. After a long day working 2 or 3 jobs (depending on the day), I love to work on chainmaille to relax and zone down.
Micheladas M. …it’s what I love to do.
Maureen M. It makes me happy!
Sandra D. It is the best thing to do. And it is very relaxing.
Debbie T. It brightens my soul and strengthens my heart.
Charlene A. …creating things for myself and others makes me a better person, inside and out.
Judith D. …it keeps my emotional being strong.
Sibera N. …it completes me.
Elisabetta S. è il modo migliore per rilassarsi (It is the best way to relax.)
Linda S. I really slacked off in 2012 due to having surgery and just not feeling like getting crafty!
Elizabeth C. I want to!
Joanne H. …creating something keeps the little grey cells active!
Khristine C. …the more I create the more rings I can buy.
Sherri T. It feeds my soul, so I can deal with reality.
Jessica S. …it makes me happy and forces me to stop and see the colors around me.
Tiffany H. …sleep is overrated when you have a newborn! (I’m joking, I just need the “me” time.)
Mary Ann A. …it provides such joy in my life!
Cheri M. …after 3 years of staying focused to my bachelor’s degree, I will be done in Oct.
Jen M. My soul needs it.
Benjamin P. I am losing money I can make making Chainmail!
Lauren M. Creating makes me a much nicer person to be around.
Jessica A. …I’d die if I didn’t!
Dori B. I deserve it!!
Mary Pat T. It helps me focus and lifts my spirit to make beautiful things! And I should be done with my Master’s in May!
Sheila J. …it’s when I can be the “real” me.
Vanessa C. It is my stress reliever and I enjoy it so why not make more time for something I really enjoy!
Darla J. Because time spent creating creates time for everything else.
Monica G. I want to inspire myself and other and give them something to smile about.
The Alchemists Vessel I need to. It is a compulsion. Must. Create. Something.
Wolfsong Dreams I have so many project ideas in my mind my head might explode if I dont! lol

Customize a Rondo à la Byzantine kit for March’s “Maillers’ Choice”!

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B3’s “Maillers’ Choice” kit continues to be a hit! So much so that, in order to make sure our inventory can keep up with the popularity of these kits, we have bumped up voting by a month. Below you can vote for the kit we will release in February.


For March, we’re inviting you to customize a classic: Rebeca’s “Rondo à la Byzantine” bracelet project. We’ve offered kits for this project in solid base metal for years, but we also love playing with color in this weave.  You’ll be voting to customize the project as shown in the sample, with two colors, one used for the byzantine connectors and small helm chain rings, and another for the center connector rings that run through the middle of the piece.

 

Color Forecast: Spring 2013

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Maybe it’s because we still have snow on the ground here in Chicago, but we love putting together the spring color forecast.  Looking at all the bright, floral colors we can’t help but start to feel the warmth.  After all, seasons are really a state of mind, right?  Ok, so maybe it will be a little while before we can start busting out our shorts and sandals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start creating beautiful jewelry in the season’s hottest colors!

This time around, we decided to do our color palettes a little differently and let each one be inspired by a different project.  We all know how much changing colors can change the feel of a project completely and we love looking at new color palettes as a way of inspiring creativity.

Try one of the projects below or get creative and mix and match your own.  Keep your pliers busy and before you know it, spring will have sprung! (Find instructions for all the projects below an dozens of others on our Projects page.)

Spring 2013 Color Forecast & project ideas - Blue Buddha Boutique

(click for larger view)

You can find all these products on the following pages:

Glass Rings
Seed Beads
Crystal Beads
Anodized Aluminum
Enameled Copper
Anodized Niobium

Congratulations to January’s “Featured Weave” Winner!

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Voting for January’s Featured Weave contest is officially closed and the winner as chosen by you is……

 

Chrys M. with his piece “Bermuda Blue Byzantine Necklace”


Congratulations, Chrys! Your creativity has earned you a B3 gift certificate for $25! To claim your prize, please send an email to [email protected].

 

Our contest is changing for 2013!

FEATURED WEAVE FOR FEBRUARY – Dragonscale


For 2013, we’ve changed our “Featured Product” contest into a “Featured WEAVE” contest. January started the year with a bang! We featured byzantine and received so many amazing submissions (it was almost impossible to narrow them all down to the finalists above!)

For February, we’re featuring dragonscale. This weave can be tricky to learn but is a big favorite among many of our community members and was enthusiastically requested to be featured by fans on Facebook. Submissions are now open so get creative and show us what you’ve got!

 

Never tried this weave but feeling up for the challenge? You can purchase Blue Buddha instructions for Dragonscale here on our website. Like many customers we’re heard from, we’re sure they will help you conquer this beast once and for all.