By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

I never make New Year's Resolutions. I don't like them. They are usually too hastily made, and too easily broken. It's depressing. But with bead design, resolutions can be fun to make, to break, or just to think about. They are a great opportunity to get new beads, try new things, and find new favorites. But let's don't call them resolutions. Let's call them "Awesome Things to Try" instead.

Go red with your designs early in the year.  Celebrate National Wear Red Day on February 1st -- this day focuses on "The Heart Truth" -- or provide the festive color throughout February for Heart Month, and of course, Valentine's Day.  

Find a beading buddy.   I've never had one, personally, but it seems like it would be such a great thing to have. Someone to share ideas, tips, and extra beads with; someone who might just have that one bead you need to finish a design.  Someone to help inspire you when you are bead-blocked and can’t think of anything new to try.

Show your colors.  Wherever you live, if you are proud to be there, show it. I'm an American girl, and I may not always agree with everything everyone says or does, but I can tell you I'm proud to be here, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Designs like this help me show it. The yellow supports those soldiers in far-away lands.

Get a pair of crimping pliers to give your designs a more professional look.  These special pliers, when used correctly with a crimp bead, give you a small, rounded, tidy result, rather than the flattened, ridged result that regular pliers often provide. The difference is definitely worth the investment.

Go shopping. This will break your heart, I know. But going shopping at the beginning of each season, when the new styles, colors and patterns of clothing are first available, lets you know what jewelry designs you should make. I try to keep up with this and report on it here, but it never hurts to browse locally.