And frankly, I think it happens for a number of reasons–one, of course, is that it’s like the honeymoon period for a project when everything is still lovely and perfect (because we haven’t made it yet). The idea we have in our mind’s eye looks wonderful, and the supplies are the exciting first date–full of romantic possibilities.

And then of course, if we start trying to actually make what we’ve imagined, it stops being like a first date fast and becomes more like a long term relationship–you have to try hard, it’s not exactly how you fantasized at the beginning, and if you want it to work, you have to stick around and pay attention and love it even when it’s snoring on the couch not doing what it said it would–or what you thought it said it would.

But enough with the metaphors! There’s another really important reason that I’m sure you’re not telling yourself. But you should consider it, because really, it’s much nicer, just as true as all the other reasons, and more important.

Honoring Your Creative Self

Lots of times, we don’t even get as far as starting the project. We buy the supplies and they languish in the closet–maybe they don’t even make it out of the bag. We feel bad–chastising ourselves for wasting money. Vowing not to do it again.

And then the supplies themselves get caught up in the complicated emotions–guilt, frustration, disappointment–and strangely, even using them can become loaded—like now it’s about proving something to yourself, or to your husband or partner who has their own thoughts (or ones you’ve imagined for them) that haunt you about all those supplies as well. And if you do use them and start to hate what you make, well, then you quickly start thinking those underused supplies just show what a joke this all was to begin with! More mean thoughts directed at self. Ugh!

So harsh. And unfair.

Because you know, here’s the thing. When you buy supplies, what you’re really doing is honoring that part of yourself that yearns to make things, even if you have trouble finding the time. You’re showing yourself what you need, even if you can’t figure out (yet) how to make it happen. And that’s cool. In fact, that’s very cool.

Consider this: the part of yourself that buys the supplies you haven’t used yet is on your side. In your corner. Maybe it would be good if you didn’t give it such a hard time. It wants you to be happy.

Maybe you could look at these unused supplies with fresh eyes. Not evidence that you’re a flipperty-gibbet. Just evidence that you’re an overextended artistic person who is trying to get back to making things, to being creative. Let’s give her a break.

Or maybe you do make things, but your eyes are bigger than your calendar, and you buy supplies for many more projects than anyone could ever get to in one lifetime.This just means you’re thinking BIG. It means that making things excites you and you have a lot of ideas. It means you’re an interesting person who is excited by life. How is that bad? It’s not.

So all right. You don’t know how quite yet to find the time to be creative. That’s okay. You know you want to, and that’s a start. Go visit your supplies and forgive them. They’re quietly loving you unconditionally from inside the closet anyway.

And if you want, get out your timer (read this post here if you don’t understand what I’m talking about), set it for 20 minutes and just look at what you have. Maybe sort it a little. Remember stuff. Stare and think. Who knows, the supplies might start whispering sweet nothings in your ear and the next thing you know, you’re making a little something.

What do you think? Does this resonate with you? Other thoughts? Leave a comment–I’d love to hear from you!

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About scrapbook paper, of all things.

Hip to Be Square?

What is the origin, do you think, of the 12″ x 12″ standard size for scrapbook paper? It must have been existing albums that dictated that size at the beginning of this scrapbooking craze,’ lo those many years ago now. But who uses an album anymore?

If you didn’t go to art school, (or maybe even if you did) nobody told you that it’s harder to create an effective composition in a square, because it’s so darn STATIC. Which is why all the graphic design professionals (who did go to art school) who create the gorgeous layouts you see in all the scrapbooking magazines basically break that 12″ x 12″ square up into rectangles.

And that’s cool, because it works.

But I say, unshackle yourself from 12″ x 12.” From now on, you call the shots on size.

12″ x 12″ as a starting point is harder to work with, takes longer to finish, and generally requires waaayyy more bits–embellishments, titles, etc. to make it look right. And you probably don’t have the right bits you need anyway, even with that huge stash you’ve accumulated in the closet (sigh, a bit like sewing in that way…). And that either stops you altogether or sends you to the store to buy more bits.

Okay, you’re thinking, Sarah is saying we should just use 8.5″ x 11″ paper that runs through the printer. That’s economical. A lot of digital scrapbooking uses that format. Yeah, yeah, we know that already. But a lot of that paper isn’t as pretty as all the 12″ x 12″ out there.

Nope. Not saying that. (!) I’m not a slave to standard paper sizes. They’re not the boss of me.

But it’s nice to start somewhere. Why not use the size norms of the framing and fine art worlds for some guidance. I say, let’s start with 8″ x 10″.

Way easier and way faster.

And perfect if you have one great photo–and admit it, most of the time, you only have one really nice photo, not three. (And the great photos you see on the scrapbook pages in the magazines are there because that graphic designer also minored in photography!).

And one photo almost always looks a bit lost on 12″ x 12″ paper, which means you either have to enlarge it (and know how to do that), rummage up some awesome embellishments, or start journaling on that page like a madwoman in order to fill up some space.

And does anyone really journal except the super hard core? I mean, you have to feel pretty confident about your writing, (Is it witty enough? Are you capturing the moment? How bad does my handwriting look?) because everyone knows you don’t hide your finished scrapbook pages in albums anymore, you hang them on the wall.

Which gets me to my next point (well, my whole point, really):  8″ x 10″ raised wood panels.

Fleeing the tyranny of 12″ x 12″

When I was first designing scrapbooking projects for novice scrapbookers, I was contemplating how to make the scrapbook thing feel more achievable and fun for folks who wanted to preserve their favorite memories in this fun way, but didn’t feel super artistic or have time to scrap 24/7.

So I decided to design scrapbook projects on 8″ x 10′” stretched canvases, and thought, this is it! The canvases were cheap and the end product looked super cute and finished (ready to hang on the wall as soon as you were done, no framing required). Loved it.

Alas, I found out the hard way that the glue has trouble adhering completely to the canvas for the long haul, and often over time, things would slowly start to peel up. Poo.

What’s the solution?

Well, for a few dollars more, I think you should get a raised wood panel–shaped just like a stretched canvas, but with a clean hard surface. Snazzy. Finished. Professional.

You should do this and pay more because:

1. Your worth it.
2. It’s easier.
3. You can really press down when you glue so your work won’t peel up.
4. You’ll feel incredible giving them as gifts because they’re substantial and ready to hang on the wall as soon as you’re done.
5. You’ll end up being more productive and creative because it’s so easy to finish an 8 x 10 project.

Of course you can still buy that gorgeous 12″ x 12″ paper, just cut it down to 8″ x 10″ and start from there. And if your paper is two-sided, now you have bits of the back to work with.

Presto!

What do you think? Any thoughts/strong opinions, questions about paper sizes, composition or layout issues? Do you like to make scrapbook pages? What do you think of the 8″ x 10″ option?
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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.

Metal Spacers

I usually prefer metal spacer beads myself–there’s wonderful variety (although simple is often best) and I love a hint of shiny metal to break up all the color. Rio Grande has a great selection of base metal and sterling spacer beads. Bali Silver beads are also very pretty spacers but often quite pricey. There are, however, some nice imitations in base metal that are much more affordable. Check them all out and see what you think.

I’m really crazy about African beads in general, but I especially love using African metal beads as spacers–often rough hewn, I love how they look against polished glass, gemstones, etc. I noticed Rings and Things offers a good selection on their site–in fact, I’m a little scared that I just found that link, as I just woke up the insatiable little bead buyer inside me!

Glass Seed Beads

Seed beads are tiny, like seeds, hence their name. They make great spacer beads, are super economical (per bead) and come in a wonderful array of colors and finishes.

Glass seed beads always have a “number” associated with them and it’s their size–it’s supposed to tell you how many seed beads per inch–a size “1″ seed bead is the biggest size and a size 15 is the smallest.

In my experience, people generally use seed beads sized between “6″ and “11″–and 11 will probably feel pretty darn small to you. (In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a size “15″, let alone used one.) Seed beads are often sold in tubes, small bottles or clear wrapped packs of 100s because they are so small.

I tend to use metallic, silver lined, and AB finishes the most. Although I usually buy my seed beads locally, I’ve provided a link below–I’ve never heard of this company, but they seem to specialize in seed beads. They sell them by the “hank”, but don’t let that freak you out–it’s actually the traditional way to sell them: http://www.allseedbeads.com/index.htm

Delica Beads–A Specialized Seed Bead

“Delica” beads are perfectly cylindrical machine-cut Japanese glass seed beads. Use these beads when creating woven jewelry or for beading on a loom because they’re a very consistent size, and that really matters when you’re weaving beads.

Fire Mountain gems sells a lot of delica beads:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/seedbeads.asp?navsrc=2

Bead Caps

Bead caps are like a spacer bead on steroids–almost opposite of a basic, they can make a dull bead fab and a fab bead killer, but they can be expensive, and you should probably just buy a few at first to get a feel for how to use them effectively. A good strategy might be to make a pair of earrings using one to “cap” the  main bead of each earring. Rio has a nice selection here.

• Gemstones

These are kind of fancy to call a  “staple”,  as they generally cost much more than glass beads, but they’ll find you sooner or later, and you’ll suddenly desperately “need” some, so I might as well give you a quick overview.

Gemstones, or semi-precious stones (same thing) tend to be sold on strands, so the initial investment is usually greater than buying glass beads. Sometimes the strands are graduated, (getting smaller at the ends and bigger in the middle) which might affect your design plans, so think about that before you buy.

Some beginning beaders also wonder why those strands aren’t already considered finished necklaces-what’s left to bead for goodness sake? Well, the string holding them together isn’t strong enough for wearing, and there’s no closure or room to attach one, if it were. And once you start using spacer beads and mixing and matching, you’ll realize how not finished that strand was until you came along.

You’ll also find that there are a million stone names you never heard of–don’t worry, neither has anyone else really. All it means is that some semi-precious stones are more semi-precious than others, but the price usually reflects that. And these obscure stones are usually in similar colors to stones too expensive for the average person to buy–maybe you can’t afford lapis lazuli, for instance, but you can afford sodalite and get a similar look. And hey, that’s all good.

I usually buy stones locally, and while I’ve never bought from this online company in the link below, they have a pretty straightforward site that’s actually a little clearer about the whole gemstone thing than my usual suspects, so I thought it might be worthwhile to check out: http://www.vitabeads.com/index.htm

• Pendants or Focal Beads

If you’re designing a necklace (and any artwork for that matter), it’s great to have a focal point that draws the eye in. Pendants can be that focal point and also function as an effective anchor for the whole design–from determining color size and length of your necklace, to providing a starting point for building your piece (just start with the pendant and work you’re way out from there).

Vitabeads has some great pendants in stone to inspire you and Fire Mountain Gems also offers a big variety, (some more exciting than others).

• The Tip of the Iceberg

Okay, I’m sure there’s lots more, but that’s a start. Just remember–there are truly great beads in every medium: polymer clay, paper, porcelain, wood, metal clay, you name it.  It’s also important to remember that you can actually make many kinds of wonderful beads yourself for very little money–and we’ll be getting to that shortly!

In the meantime, get yourself some beads, make something cool, and show me your creations, I’d love to see!

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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.

Glass Beads

Glass beads seem to come in every shape and style and there’s a ridiculous number of choices to sift through in just one lifetime. I personally find many of these styles a little on the boring side, so I’ll ignore them for now and just focus on a few of my favorites that make great staples for your stash:

• Fire Polished

Czech Fire polished glass beads are machine faceted and come in lots of shapes and sizes. They will be your go-to beads that you’ll reach for again and again in your designing. The facets help catch the light and give your beads a subtle sparkle. Fire polished beads are offered in a variety of finishes–two of my favorite finishes are metallic and Aurora Borealis–AB for short. The AB finish is a thin metallic sheen that enhances the bead color and creates sophisticated color variations.

They also come in a wide range of sizes from 2mm (very tiny) to 20mm, although you’re most likely to see 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. They also come in bicones, teardrops (which can be great for earrings), and a rondelle shape–kind of a flattened circle that ‘s very nice and makes a great spacer (see below for more about spacers).

Fire Mountain Gems has a nice selection you can take a look at:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/czech_firepolished_beads.asp

And this company has a good chart for sizes:
http://www.modebeads.com/system/scripts/search.cgi?category=325

• Cathedral Beads

Cathedral beads are usually Czech and have some faceting as well as a metallic glazing on the top and bottom of each bead–they add a bit of texture and variety to your design and the metallic touch is subtle but nice. Another good staple.

Fire Mountain Gems also has a nice selection in this style:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?skw=KWGLCZECHCATHEDRAL

• Glass Pearls

The more I work with glass pearls, the more I like them, even though they aren’t the real thing. Actually, they’re easier to work with than the real thing (no tiny holes), cheaper, and come in a fun range of colors.

This site had a nice explanation about glass pearls and a lot of other interesting beading information you might like:
http://www.beadinglife.com/glass-pearl-beads.html

I hope this information helps and the links get you excited to bead. If you’ve got any favorite glass bead styles I didn’t mention, please suggest them in the comments section–I’d love to hear from you.
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Tips for choosing handmade or rice paper that will work for my Fast & Easy Rice Paper Decoupage Project:

~Choose a paper with an all-over repeat pattern because that will definitely work well when it’s torn up.

~A paper with a very large motif might be beautiful as a whole paper, but will probably be tough to use in this project because once you tear it up, the image might not have the same impact.

~Avoid papers where the motif is small and very spread out for the same reason as above–if you have too much negative space, you’ll have a lot of wasted paper when you tear it up.

~If you want to use several papers together in one project, you might want to avoid papers that are too high contrast in relation to each other–the combination could work out really well, but because you are patching together lots of  varied pieces of torn paper, it could end up looking a little choppy, leaving your eyes nowhere to land.

~Make sure the background color you see on the front of the paper is the color of the paper itself (same color on back)–if the paper is white on the back, you might be a little disappointed when you tear it up because you’ll have white torn edges which will have a big impact on the final design. (This can actually work for some projects, and I’ve got a few coming up that do just that, but it might be tough here on a large piece.)

~Don’t be afraid to keep it simple–just because you’re not suffering doesn’t mean you’re cheating!

A Few Online Handmade Paper Resources

If you want to try the Fast & Easy Rice Paper Decoupage technique, and need to buy your handmade paper online, it’s not so easy to find.  To help out, I’ve listed a few links here, including where I bought my paper for this project.

New York Central Art Supply
This site is kind of confusing, because the pictures and the text don’t line up that well, but I buy from them in person and there are a lot of papers on these pages that I’ve used and know work well for this project:

http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/asiaii/thailand3.html

http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/asiaii/thailand.html

Specifically:

• All the Marbled Momi papers: Earthquake, Tsunami, Firestorm, Forest, etc.
• All the solid color Unryu and Unryu Momi papers–I’ll be using some in the video where I combine Stamping and Embossing with the Decoupage
• The three Tribal Papers–I used them on the round vase in the picture on the first video…
• And the Climbing Vines also work well and come in a of of colors….
• I don’t think they have the tie-dye papers I used in the video online yet, but I’m sure you can call and still order it. It comes in several colors.

You can order a catalog and/or a whole swatch book or just order individual swatches (up to 5 are free of charge). I definitely recommend that, as their catalog is black and white.

Creative Papers Online
http://handmade-paper.us/ : I’ve never shopped here but it looks promising. They let you buy samples, which is key when you’re buying online so you don’t waste your money. Remember if the paper is a little stiff, it has to be very thin, and if it’s thick, it has to be very soft.

A Couple Suggestions:

• The pattern on this paper would work really well, you just need to check if it’s soft enough: http://handmade-paper.us/page/CPO/PROD/CP-71
• The pattern on this one would also work: http://handmade-paper.us/page/CPO/PROD/blf/29-20-03

If you know any other places to order great handmade paper online, please let us know in the Comments section below.
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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.

While I think the beginning beader should generally use base metal findings when they’re just starting out,  it’s probably a good idea to spend the extra money to get sterling silver or gold ear wires (especially if you’re making a gift) because many peoples’ ears are bothered by base metal.

Any bead supplier online will have ear wires, but here are two links to simplify your life:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?skw=KWEARFISHSS

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?page=GRID&free_text|1240428259817=ear%20wire

Jump Rings

Jump rings are small wire circles with a slit in them so you can open and close them to attach beads and connect chain and different findings together. Very handy. You need to get a variety of sizes of jump rings-2 or 3 is probably good to start.

The jump ring thing can be a little complicated because there’s a million sizes and styles.

Ideally, jump rings are described by their circumference and the thickness of the wire. Get wire that’s around .040″ or .032″ thickness if you can–they should be nice and strong. Not everyone describes their jump rings this way (or at all for that matter), so I’ve provided two links to PDF catalog pages of a Manhattan jewelry supplier (Metalliferous) that has a great selection of both base metal and silver jump rings.

To get the the base metal PDF catalog, click here and then click on the Base Metal Findings link, and that will open the base metal findings catalog. If you view it at 100% or print the pages, the sizes you see should be life-size. Even if you end up buying somewhere else, I think it’s a good visual aid.

If you do want to buy from here, and you’re not sure what to get, you might try these styles to get started: BMF372W and BMF374W.

For their catalog of silver findings, click here and then click on the Silver Findings link, which will open up a huge alphabetical list. Click on Jump Rings and the PDF of those findings will launch. I’d personally go with SRJ6, SRJ7, and SRJ9.

If you’re shopping somewhere where there  isn’t any information about the thickness of the jump ring wire, try opening one.  If you can open it easily with your fingers, it’s too soft. You should need pliers to open and close it properly because you don’t want your beaded project to break.

To learn more about how to correctly open and close a jump ring, watch my short video.

If you want the check out other sterling silver jump rings, Rio Grande also has a great selection:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?page=GRID&free_text|1240428294303=jump+rings&category|cat_132|502=Jump+Rings&category%7ccat_502%7c1990=Silver

Head Pins

A head pin looks kind of like a sewing pin, but it’s not sharp on the open end and won’t hurt you. It’s a good basic for making earrings or drops for a necklace. They come in a big variety of lengths, but just get the 2″or 1 ½” size to start with-unless you know you like to wear very big earrings, then consider something longer.

Very thin base metal (24 gauge) and sterling silver will bend more easily (tempting when you’re still learning your way around your pliers), but a thicker wire would be a better choice at the beginning.

Here’s a nickel head pin that could do the trick:

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=68061015&page=GRID&free_text|1240939452775=head+pin

Eye Pins

Eye pins are like head pins and have the same job, but eye pins have a loop on the end so you can dangle other beads off of them and create nice movement for your earrings. Again, 2″- 1 ½” is a good standard size, but they come in all lengths.

It’s really best if your head pins and eye pins aren’t too soft, since it takes more skill to create a wrapped loop to secure a soft wire. If you can’t open the package to test if you can easily bend the wire, then just buy a few of a style until you find a sturdy version. Rule of thumb: If the wire looks very thin, the pins are probably not very sturdy.

Here are eye pins  from Fire Mountain:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201724FN

Clasps

There are hundreds of very pretty and interesting clasps, but just start with a lobster clasp to get yourself going and be able to finish your necklace and wear it. Lobster clasps come in a variety of sizes and finishes, but I recommend a medium sized lobster clasp at first–easier to open. But if you make really delicate things, go ahead and get a small one to match.

Here’s a page of options from Fire Mountain:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/search.asp?skw=lobster

Beading Wire

You need to string your necklace or bracelet onto something, and I strongly recommend that you use beading wire unless you are using leather or are knotting pearls in a traditional way. Why struggle with knotting and awkward gluing when you can use bead wire which is strong, flexible and clean. I like Soft Touch bead wire from Soft Flex because it’s very flexible and doesn’t kink as much as some others, but there are a lot of styles and you can do fine with any of them. Accuflex and Acculon are two other brands as well as Beadalon. (The Michael’s near me only carries the Beadalon brand.)

Soft Touch/ Soft Flex

Bead wire comes in a dizzying array of options, but I generally use the Soft Flex brand’s medium (.019) size for my general beading activities. Anywhere from .015 to .019 is good though, so if you use another brand, just check the size is somewhere in that range. If you are making very delicate pieces, then you can get very lightweight bead wire, and if you are using giant stones, I recommend the heaviest size so your necklace doesn’t fall off your neck someday and all your beads start rolling away from you in different directions like they’re on a jailbreak or something. Somebody stop those beads!

You can buy a 100 foot roll of Soft Flex Medium Wire from the company itself:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=4CCB0000-1158935157

Too expensive? Start smaller and just get 30 feet:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=4CE50000-1158935172

And their premium brand, called Soft Touch, costs a little more but you might find it worth it:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=Soft+Touch+Wire

Crimp Beads

Not really beads, crimp beads are the way you close beading wire when you are done with your necklace. You can’t tell from the picture, but you “squish” them with a special crimping plier to close your necklace. They create a nice strong, professional finish.

Basically you can determine which size crimp you should buy by doubling the number of the bead wire you’re using. So if you use the .019 medium size Soft flex wire, you’d want a crimp bead around .038 in size. A little bigger or a little smaller will also do in a pinch.

Try one of these from Rio Grande:

Silver: (Item # 693-393)
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetName=693393&page=GRID&free_text|1240497418171=crimp+bead&category|cat_132|432=Crimp+Beads&category|cat_432|1686=Silver

Base Metal: (Item # 42015612) Slightly bigger but they’d work fine.
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetName=42015612&page=GRID&free_text|1240497996926=brass+crimp+tubes

Stretch Bracelet Elastic (optional)

I added this category at the last minute because stretch bracelets are easy and fun to make-and you can make a nice fashion statement wearing several at once. And depending on your bead choices, you can create very different looks.

I usually use Opelon brand elastic, but I don’t have a strong opinion about which elastic is superior. Opelon comes in a bunch of cool colors, but you really don’t see the color once you string all your beads and tie your knot.

Here’s a vendor that sells Opelon (never used this site myself but it came up high in my Google search:
http://www.janesfiberandbeads.com/opelon.htm

This elastic is a little thinner, but if you like to use semi-precious stones, which often have smaller holes, you”ll probably  want this one instead:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=63532990&page=GRID&free_text|1240499053332=elastic

And Fire Mountain sells one slightly thicker:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/search.asp?skw=elastic

Big Eye Beading Needle

You don’t necessarily need one if you’re making a stretch bracelet, but it can make your life easier.  A Big Eye Needle in the beading world is a needle whose entire length is an “eye” or hole-so it’s super thin and go can thru a lot of beads. You can tug sheer ribbon through bead holes using the Big Eye Needle as well. Just remember it’s not a sewing  or embroidery needle with a thick eye at the end, it’s a super slender needle just for beading. (I scanned one of mine so you can see how they sell them–individually taped to a piece of paper.) I tend to use the 2.25″ size.

This example on Rio’s site helps you see how the whole needle is one big eye:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=635050&page=GRID&free_text|1240499458472=big+eye+needle

Bead Reamer

You only need a bead reamer if you are going to work with semi-precious stones because often the stone holes are uneven and some can be quite small (especially in fresh water pearls, for example). So as you can see from the picture, it’s a very hard pointed needle type thing with rough, sandpaper-like edges that allows you to gently grind a bigger hole in your stone. It’s sort of like a pen, and the style on the left comes with several tips and they’re stored inside it–the top unscrews.

Here’s one example:

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=111020&page=GRID&free_text|124094171

Bead Boards and Jewelry Trays

Bead Boards can be great because you can lay your design out and also know when you have enough beads laid out for the necklace length you want.

A simple flat tray is also a handy work surface because it’s a great way to keep your latest beading project both portable and all together in one spot. You can even have a different tray for each project.  Love that idea. Classic jewelry trays are shallow and black. You can buy a velvet insert to keep the beads from rolling around too much, but of course a regular tray you have lying around the house works perfectly fine, just place a towel or a piece of cloth on the bottom to keep your beads from rolling back and forth and driving you crazy.

Here’s a basic bead board at a reasonable price: http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201014BS

Here’s an example of a classic jewelry tray:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=40500011&page=GRID&free_text%7c1240434605123=tray

And here’s an example of a velvet insert pad:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=40505011&page=GRID&free_text%7c1240434757364=velvet+insert

Storage

You also need to store your beads and findings somewhere. There’s a lot of cute little storage containers out there, but I like your basic translucent plastic organizer box that many places sell. You might find it useful to keep your findings in one box and your beads in another–and as you accumulate beads (don’t worry, you will), it can be good to keep like colors together in their own boxes.

Another nice feature of the unromantic plastic storage bins is that they stack well, so you can slide them under the bed or in the closet when you’re not using them. In addition, when you’re sitting on your couch watching TV and beading, your bead storage trays can stack nicely on the floor near your feet taking up very little real estate, so you can have your entire bead stash in a tidy pile and just pull out a few beads as you need them.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. but Michael’s also has trays like this too:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201088PK

Phew! I Think We’re Done

Well, this should definitely get you started on a lifetime of happy beading. Do you have favorite findings you consider a “must have” that I didn’t include here? Other sources that you think are great and would like to share? Please add your thoughts in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you!
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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.

PLIERS

You need two sets of pliers: round nose and chain (flat) nose.
I know that there are a lot of choices of pliers out there and it can feel overwhelming. Don’t believe the hype–at least at the beginning.

So really, for almost everything you do, you just need two types of pliers. I’ve been beading a long time and I just use these two styles. Some folks will disagree with me and swear by different styles of pliers, but no one would disagree that if you are just starting out, round nose and flat nose are the way to go. There’s plenty of time to be a plier snob later. (More likely is that if you continue to bead, you’ll just get yourself another set of both styles in slightly different sizes. Two of the same can be handy.)

Here’s a couple of link for simple decent pliers from an online retailer I haven’t bought from, but they’re both a good price:

Round Nose Pliers

https://www.beadaholique.com/p-10569-beadsmith-jewelry-fine-round-nose-micro-pliers.aspx

Chain Nose Pliers:

http://www.beadaholique.com/p-11124-beadsmith-jewellers-micro-pliers-chain-nose-flat-nose.aspx

WIRE CUTTERS

You can get wire cutters that are called  “side cutters”, and they are fine. But you can also get wire cutters specifically designed to cut bead wire called “flex wire cutters”. Since I’m basically recommending in another post (coming soon!) that you only use beading wire to create your necklaces and bracelets, I recommend that you get yourself some “flex wire cutters”. I own a pair myself. The flex cutter will also cut your other wire too–head pins, eye pins, etc., so no need to get both side and flex cutters.

NOTE: Neither the flex nor the side cutters will cut memory wire, which require its own specialty cutters because the wire is so very hard, hard, hard. If you want to create pieces using memory wire, buy the cutters especially designed for them so you don’t ruin your everyday workhorse wire cutters.

Here are two links for the flex cutter–I haven’t bought from either retailer myself, but not everyone carries these, so I thought I’d share what I found:

Flex Wire Cutter

https://www.beadaholique.com/p-10546-xuron-sharp-flush-cutter-pliers-wire-soft-flex.aspx

https://www.lr-assoc.com/BrightonBeads-Secure/product_info.php?cPath=48&products_id=189&osCsid=ad251af8c06dfff2c4bf4260a7744a36

If you already have side cutters or flush cutters, great, use them in good health and don’t worry about it.  They might wear out a little sooner when you cut your bead wire, but no biggee.

CRIMPER

Okay, you need this weird tool if you are going to make necklaces because I believe you really should use flexible bead wire to make necklaces and that requires using crimp beads to close them off. I mean, gluing and knotting cord is usually just a big drag (and harder than it sounds to make a strong decent knot), and why bother when crimping bead wire is strong, easy and look so profesh?

Not sure what I mean about bead wire and crimip beads? I’m going to have a blog post about that soon, but in the meantime, Artbeads.com has a great lesson on how to use the crimp tool to finish your necklace–make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the excellent video:
http://www.artbeads.com/howtousecrto.html

Oh, and here’s a link to buy the crimper (they offer several sizes, but I think this is fine for getting started):
http://www.artbeads.com/tool-100.html

I hope this helps.
Did I forget to mention a tool you think is a must-have? Please share your thoughts and experiences about beading tools in the Comments section below!
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The Color Wheel

Staring at 25 beautiful colors of ink pads–how do you decide what to get? They all look good! Oh lord, you think, at this rate, I’m either gonna break the bank or never get started.

I say, rely on the color wheel to help you get the most bang for your buck.

What the heck am I talking about? Let me explain.

Yellow, Blue and Red are considered the 3 primary colors, right?

(Unless you use Ewald Hering’s color wheel, which has four: yellow, red, blue and green.  I think this webpage does a great job introducing the basics of the different colors wheels before I get too far off track.)

Now, when you’re painting or dyeing, you can mix your colors from the 3 primaries plus black and white and save yourself a lot of money. Well, even though you’re not “mixing” colors in the same way when you stamp with inkpads, using the color wheel as your guide still works for buying great inkpad colors that you’ll use time and again in your stamping projects.

When you look online or go to the craft store, it can be difficult to figure out what to choose or to overspend and buy colors you just don’t use very often. What you want is a good range of go-to colors that you are drawn to again and again–a versatile selection that is still affordable. (Of course, buying all the colors is very versatile, but generally not affordable.)

So we all have our favorite colors. But the key word here is versatility. Sometimes just buying our favorites doesn’t give us enough versatility in creating things and we don’t find out until it’s 10pm and we’re waist deep in a project. Ugh.

What you really want to do is buy your favorites from each section of the color wheel.

Let me say that again: What you really want to do is buy your favorites from each section of the color wheel.

For instance, in the deluxe set that we offer here, the Topaz is my “Yellow”, the Turquoise is my “Blue” and the Raspberry is my “Red”.  I gravitate toward the pink-y end of red (most of the time), the orangey side of yellow, and the green-y side of blue. That is my palette.

Maybe you like aqua, bisque and coral. Or maybe cobalt, fire-engine red and lemon. Just pick your favorite color in each of the three “sections” of the color wheel. (It’s true that some secondary and tertiary colors are really starting to straddle two primary “sections”, but if you’re really not sure where a color lives, bring a color wheel with you to the store.)

Using this technique, we create a small versatile palette that speaks to us and still covers each main area of the color wheel.  And once you add Black, then you have a nice dark that functions easily as the focal point–stamp your image in black and add the other colors around it. Perfect. (You should try using this technique whenever your buying color–paint, beads, dye, etc.)

When I do overlap my stamp colors on a project, my turquoise and raspberry make a nice purple, my topaz and my turq make a nice green, etc. And if you don’t really “mix” them or overlap them by rubbing colors on top of each other on the page, they still look great next to each other–in either twos or threes. I love using just the raspberry and topaz on a project, for instance.

Have a few more dollars now and want to get one more? Buy a green! (See the color wheel link at the top of this post.) And then one more? Okay, one purple–but that’s it!! Any more than that and you’re just getting sucked into the marketing machine that’s endlessly trying to get you to part with your money. You’ve got other supplies to buy!

Speaking of buying supplies–want to skip the searching and just get one of our stamping and embossing kits using supplies that I rely on every time I stamp and emboss? That would be great! Click here to learn more.

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You can watch it here:

Here are some important additions or that I either didn’t mention or didn’t elaborate on in the video so that the how-to explanation wouldn’t get too confusing:

• I personally feel that metallic embossing powders are basically the only way to go. There are a few more styles out there that are also good basics–black is one, and clear is another–kids seem to dig clear because you see the ink color underneath. So if you plan to emboss with kids, make sure you get clear. But most metallics create a sophisticated end result that can’t be beat.
• How do you know when you’re completely done embossing? Check your image for dark areas–sometimes, they’ve been heated a little and don’t quite look powdery anymore, but they haven’t completely melted yet  and don’t glisten. Just hit the area again with the embossing gun, you’ll see it melt and you’ll know you’ve gotten it.
• If you get really close to the image/paper with the embossing gun to speed up the process, you could burn or discolor the paper. Just be patient, keep the embossing gun a couple of inches away and keep it moving.
• Generally, your ink doesn’t show through the embossing powder (unless you don’t emboss it completely–on purpose, which can be very cool–or had  trouble getting an evenly inked image), so the inkpad color doesn’t really matter for the embossing part. Multiple inkpad options are great for adding color before  or after you emboss, but if you’re on a budget, just get a black pigment inkpad for embossing. I use Versafine or Versacolor from Tsukineko myself. Both work great. We sell the Versacolor black in our basic kit and several colored inkpads in our deluxe kit.
• You must use pigment inkpads for embossing because they stay wet long enough to accept the embossing powder. Or inkpads that call themselves “embossing ink” stamp pads. Dye-based inkpads are really great for just stamping, but not for embossing because they dry too quickly. If you want to start stamping and don’t want to emboss, dye-based stamp pads are the way to go. Otherwise, stick to pigment inkpads.
• Be careful of some metallic pigment ink stamp pads as they never seem to dry. Never! On either your stamp pad or your project. And that’s a bummer if you’re trying to make a card in a hurry, as I know from experience. If you love metallics like I do, you’re better off using embossing powder to get them.
• I almost always rub color on the edge of my tags–I think it gives a nice subtle finished feeling to the project. Definitely give this a try. When I just press the edges of my tag or card in inkpad ink to add the color, I’ll rub it in afterwards with a paper towel to make it dry. But I do like the color to smudge a little, so experiment first with scraps before working on something you’re attached to.
• One fun addition to adding color to the edges of your tag is to emboss them afterward. I’ll pour out a little embossing powder onto  scrap paper and then place the edges of the tag  into the embossing powder until all the wet ink is completely covered. Then I just hit it with the embossing gun again until it melts. Very finished looking.
• Speaking of embossing the edges, remember that you can emboss your tag multiple times–in the video examples at the end, for instance, I show a tag where I stamped the central image and embossed it in gold embossing powder. Afterward, I stamped a small hearts stamp all over the edges and embossed those images with silver. Just keep going until your satisfied.
• That said, there’s no point in trying to exactly stamp over a previously stamped image that didn’t come out well–you’ll never line them up completely and it’ll just look weird. (Unless, of course, that’s what you’re going for–a  kind of vibrating or out of focus thing that could be cool in the right circumstances.)
• Once you invest in an embossing gun, a stamp or 50, embossing powder(s) and a few inkpads, you’ll be able to make A LOT of projects and realize that it’s really quite an economical creative pursuit.
  I’ve got a couple of great kits that make it super easy to get started right away.
• And finally, you’ll probably become a little addicted to accumulating cool stamps–but hey, it happens. At least, when you’re someone who collects a particular something, people know what to give you.

There are a lot of possibilities with rubber stamping and embossing. I like to use this technique in some really neat home decor projects, so keep your eye on this space for more cool projects using this technique that you won’t see anywhere else!

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