Archive for Beading
Bead Buying Tips–Part III
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Today’s post is a continuation of my previous posts about basic bead types, (Bead Buying Tips I and Bead Buying Tips II ) why and when you might need them, and some links to several online resources.
So, where was I? Oh yes, that’s right–I was planning to wax on about the wonderfulness of spacer beads, so let me get right on that.
The Wonderfulness of Spacer Beads
It’s important to own a variety of “spacer” beads. Spacer beads are small or flat(ish) beads that you put in between your larger beads to create “visual interest”. (Warning: “visual interest” is a big phrase of mine…) Seriously, using spacer beads will make your projects look more sophisticated and professional (because of the aforementioned “visual interest”) and besides that, they’re fun. Spacer beads are often metal, but really, you can use any small bead as a spacer.
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Beads: Buying Tips Part II
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A Fabulous Ensemble Cast
If you don’t already, one day, you’ll have a bead collection that’s a fabulous ensemble cast, with you as the director arranging them into wonderful and interesting combinations that are somehow greater than the sum of their parts.
In Beads: Buying Tips Part 1: I wrote about strategies for visiting the bead store without going broke. In this post and the next one (about beading, that is), I’m going to review several basic bead styles for folks who might be new to beading and provide a few links so you can see some examples and have somewhere to start if you need to buy your beads online.
Today’s post will focus on a few glass beads that I consider staples –beads I tend to use very often in my own projects–and my next post will focus on spacers, gemstones, and pendants. Read More→
If you liked that post, then try these...
Beads: Buying Tips (part 1)
Posted by: | CommentsGood Strategies for the Beginning (or just broke) Beadaholic
Gorgeous beads are why most of us started beading in the first place. But it can be hard to know where to start (or where to finish for that matter), so I thought I’d share some thoughts on strategic bead buying.
The (Good and Bad) Bead Frenzy
What you need to do, of course, is buy beads that get you excited to make things. The tricky part about buying beads is the dizzying array (pretty colors everywhere!) and everything seems so cheap: twenty cents here, five cents there, a dollar over there.-ooh, cheap and pretty! But it all adds up, and the next thing you know, you’re whipped into a shopping-endorphin-driven-bead-buying-frenzy and wake up in a doorway somewhere three days later (alone and broke) and can barely remember a thing. Either that, or you wander around in a daze of visual over-stimulus and leave empty-handed. Ah, it’s a tangled retail web we weave, my friends. Read More→
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The Four Must-Have Beading Tools
Findings: Basic Beading Supplies
Posted by: | CommentsFindings, Components, and Supplies You Need to Start Beading
Pretty beads are only half the story when you want to create jewelry. Just as important are the bits that hold them together and they’re called findings or components. It’s always easier (especially at first) to see things in person when you buy them, so visit your local bead store if you have one-even Michael’s or AC Moore will do in a pinch. However, sometimes that isn’t possible, so I’ve armed you with lots of links on where to buy your findings online.
FINDINGS
What the heck is a “finding” anyway? Findings are the parts that connect your beads together. These include ear wires, jump rings, head pins, eye pins, and clasps. This post is a great list of what you need to get yourself started.
Ear Wires
There are hundreds of neat ear wires to choose from, but most are variations on three basic styles–Lever Backed, French Hook, and Kidney–French Hooks are in the picture on the left here. These can be found at any store or online beading venue. Read More→
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The Four Must-Have Beading Tools
Posted by: | CommentsAnd Where to Buy Them Online
You don’t need to spend a million dollars on your basic beading tool kit, but if you get the very cheapest, it’ll probably just make your life harder-especially if you’re just starting out.
You’ll see some cheap tools if you search on Google, but if they’re ridiculously cheap, they also might be ridiculously small, which can be hard to tell from a picture online.
I’m providing links for places that sell the tools I am suggesting, because I thought it would be a lot more helpful than just some vague recommendations. That said, I haven’t bought from all the retailers listed here–I just found them when I searched and their prices seemed fair.
Read More→
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Opening and Closing a Jump Ring
Posted by: | CommentsA great jewelry-making basic is how to correctly open and close a jump ring. It’s important because when you do it correctly, your beading projects are stronger and are less likely to break. They will also look more professional.
This video shows you how to use jewelry pliers to correctly open a jump ring. I am using my old pliers so you can see that your tools don’t have to look fancy to do the job.
One thing I didn’t emphasize in the video is that you don’t have to open the jump ring very wide–just enough to slip on your beads or connectors. The less your jump ring is distorted, the better.
Happy viewing and write to me in the comments section if you have any questions!
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5 Great Reasons to Start Beading Today
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Compact and Friendly
The first two great things about beading are; 1.) It takes up very little space in your home, and 2.) you can bead and still be social with your family and friends. You don’t have to “go away” or have a special room to bead, you can bead in your lap. And this allows you to sit in front of the TV and make things.
This also means that you don’t have to give up your creativity to be with your family or vice versa. You just can’t say that about every creative activity!
In fact, if you have kids and you sit down to bead in front of the TV, they’ll probably want to join you, and wouldn’t that be nice? Read More→
My name is Sarah Bush and this is my blog dedicated to helping busy artistic people like you weave creativity back into your life again.
