In many areas of the world, it is hot and summer is on the way, so it is time to break out the shells and other summer related jewelry components and get busy making jewelry you can enjoy for the next few months. I have a place for you to start, my list of Summer Jewelry Project. Pearls, shells, and turtle charms are just a few elements you will find over there to get you in the mood to start designing summer time jewelry.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene highlights some of the handmade beads that are entered in the Bead Star competition. Come and see some of the entries and place your votes for your favorites!

Beading Arts
We're celebrating everything to do with wire this month! Come and visit with some fabulous wire artists and try your hand at working with wire yourself!

Carmi's Art/Life World
A fabric bead is always fun to create and uses up leftover beads too!

Resin Crafts!
Working in a shell pendant with resin...difficult but possible!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
What do you think of the idea of making your business more successful? Sound good? Check out what's on Jean's blog today!

Jewelry making book publishers continue to crank out some amazing books for jewelry designers to enjoy, and this week I have two new book reviews for you. The first is Showcase 500 Rings: New Directions in Art Jewelry, a junk of a book packed full of amazing and inspiring and sometimes "out there" ring designs.

The second new book review is for Heat, Color, Set and Fire: Surface Effects for Metal Jewelry by Mary Hettmansperger. Another book published by Lark Jewelry and Beading, this hard copy book is a how-to text that explains how to add color and texture to metal.