Beading

Carmel · Jan 26, 2004

Does anyone do beading? Or jewelry making with beads? I love it! I only started about 18 months ago and I find it very relaxing - and very rewarding! It's so nice to be able to make pretty and unique gifts for friends and loved ones

Worddancer · Jan 28, 2004

LOVE beading . . just discovered a really great source of high quality beads and accessories that offers sterling silver and even Swarovski crystal beads! Since I'm allergic to most metals, I was THRILLED to find something I can wear, and the finished product looks expensive and awesome! One look and I've got my entire staff from work interested in making some of their own, so I'm ordering a couple hundred dollars of supplies and we're going to make a night of it!

*Can you tell I'm a bit excited? *grins*

faerieevaH · Jan 29, 2004

Swarovski Crystal beads, eh, Worddancer? Care to share the site with me??? *G* My Swarovski shop only carries the finnished Swarovski products.

I don't do beading/ jewelry making in itself (though I am interested), but I do embroidery and am currently teaching myself to work more with beads after having seen some lovely work done with it.

Carmel · Jan 29, 2004

I'd like to know too

Worddancer · Jan 30, 2004

*Waves towards Belgium* I was shocked and delighted to find out they were actually Swarovski crystals, since I cherish a certain Swarovski crystal rose pin that has become my fondest possession.

I hope it's ok to share the link, I thought I saw something concerning that . . I'll take the risk: www.firemountaingems.com

An amazing place, chock full of awesome stuff! Enjoy! (I ordered a catalog, but haven't received it yet. I do better with something in my hands to order out of, since my computer is so slow. But it looks like you can order from the catalog online)

Koryu · Jan 30, 2004

I love beading. Mostly I work with a loom. It is relaxing and I do have lots of fun figuring out new patterns I want to weave. My only problem it finishing them. It never looks quite as nice as I would like it to. Lose strings or the clasp is right up against the last beads I put on. Any suggestions from you veteran beaders there? Thanks!

Carmel · Jan 31, 2004

I usually weave the actual thread I've been passing through the beads over and under each strand on the loom. Do that 2 or three times and then knot it on one of the outer strands.

Then, if it's a choker or a braclet, I plait (braid) the strands and tie them off with an over hand knot. Then it just becomes a bracelet or choker that ties rather than clasps.

The other option is to use extender chains. So do the piece a little shorter than you need, connect the exteners to either end and your clasps to the ends of the extender.

Hope that helped!

And thanks Worddancer! I'll be sure to check it out! Sounds awesome!

*huggles*
Carmel

Koryu · Jan 31, 2004

Thanks Carmel, I'll try that!

Carmel said:
I usually weave the actual thread I've been passing through the beads over and under each strand on the loom. Do that 2 or three times and then knot it on one of the outer strands.

Then, if it's a choker or a braclet, I plait (braid) the strands and tie them off with an over hand knot. Then it just becomes a bracelet or choker that ties rather than clasps.

The other option is to use extender chains. So do the piece a little shorter than you need, connect the exteners to either end and your clasps to the ends of the extender.

Hope that helped!

And thanks Worddancer! I'll be sure to check it out! Sounds awesome!

*huggles*
Carmel

princess heart · Feb 3, 2004

I love beads from seed beads to great big clunky wooden beads. I own more than some crafts stores do.

Finishing loomed projects is kinda tricky for me also. The trick of brading the ends is the best method that I have found.

For narrow projects such as bracelts I have found that if you carefully weave in all the loose ends, knotting them off and securing the knots with a drop of superglue that you can attach your clasps into the last row of weaving. Just slip the jump rings between two beads. Be sure to allow for the findings when determining the length of your weaving so the item fits properly.

I haven't ventured into the world of higher priced beads. One day, perhaps, but my favorite thing is to take apart junk shop and rummage sale jewelry and reuse the beads in new projects, mixing them with new beads and handmade beads. I love to work with polymer clay and making my own beads is so satisfying and widens my design choices.

mrversatile48 · Feb 4, 2004

Do forgive a "Scouse" male comic bustin' in, girls..

The Venerable Bede, he say, "I got my beady eye on ewes!"

princess heart · Feb 4, 2004

Silly boy, you may laugh now... it would just be perfect if the bead bug bit you too... LOL, right now so you can collect some Brit Beads that I might not otherwise ever get my hands on... LOL... gotcha...

Girl_of_God_88 · Feb 4, 2004

I love beading I find it really relaxing. I sort of have an obssession with beads.... lol Ive recently starting selling some of the bracelets ive been making and have been donating the money to Opendoors which helps persecuted Christians.

mrversatile48 · Feb 4, 2004

princess heart said:
Silly boy, you may laugh now... it would just be perfect if the bead bug bit you too... LOL, right now so you can collect some Brit Beads that I might not otherwise ever get my hands on... LOL... gotcha...

Guess I better bead a trail outa here fast, huh?

princess heart · Feb 4, 2004

Sit still long enough you might find yourself beaded....

Worddancer · Feb 5, 2004

*Grimaces and giggles, trying not to say "Bead it!!"

From the looks of all the other serious posts you do, you NEEDED a good place to cast your beady little eyes and have a good laugh!

*sings*
Let us bead
Let us bead
Let us bead, oh
Let us bead . .
Whispered words of wisdom,
Let us beeeeeeeeaaaaaadddd . . *grins*

faerieevaH · Feb 6, 2004

*ROTFL, then gets up and casts my vote for 'silliest thread ever'* Thank you. *G* I needed that laugh.

Crazy Liz · Feb 6, 2004

I got a lovely cross necklace for my birthday last March. Instead of a chain, it is strung on a double strand of lovely pink glass beads. In July, a friend came to visit and brought her cockatoo, who is very smart and loves to take things apart. I was having fun letting him sit on my head when suddenly I noticed my cross down inside my shirt. I tried gluing it, soldering it, and I only made things worse.

My friend is Jewish, and I've tried insulting her Jewish anti-Christian bird, but it still doesn't fix my necklace, which means a lot to me.

Need to have the beads re-strung or just break down and put it on a chain. Any suggestions?

princess heart · Feb 11, 2004

Hi Liz,
I am not really sure what you are saying happened. It's difficult to give advice without a clear picture of what the damages actually are. Restringing the beads would probably be very easy, but what did you glue and solder? Was the cross itself damaged?

Leah/princess heart

princess heart · Feb 21, 2004

Does anyone work with tigertail and crimp beads? I have a terrible time with crimps... I smash them and break them... I can use the big crimps for cording, but the little ones just baffle me and yeah, I have a crimping tool and I STILL squash the things past breaking... maybe I need higher quality crimps? been trying with the 2 for a dollars brands... I really love making bracelets with glass beads and they would be more sturdy on tigertail than beading thread... I do use memory wire (oh, I love that stuff!), but tigertail would involve more design freedom if I could just conquer the crimps... I have a new roll of tigertail and a different brand of crimps to try... anyone have suggestions?

Carmel · Feb 22, 2004

I use tigertail and crimps.

Are you using micro crimps - they're about 1mm thick? Because if you are, and they keep breaking, perhaps you could try tube crimps...lol ...hard to describe...hang on...

I use bent needle nose pliers for crimping. Otherwise I just suggest cutting of a length of tigertail and using a few crimps and just practising - it took me a few turns to get used to them.

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