5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Carla@54 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:33:56 GMT

Who knew? In the middle of redoing my home office, I discover beading! It is like waking up and realizing what I've been missing. However, I'm finding myself having a few problems. I want to try everything at once and can't decide what sizes of beads and colors look good together and other options I have.. I find that as i start, I don't like how it's looking so I'll take it apart and try something different. I'm reading and buying books and trying, but I'm wondering what it is that makes a piece look elegant, and "rich"? What kind of stringing material do you like the best - when using the small seed beads? I'm really enjoying all of the articles, advice, and tips. Thanks

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

naufrage — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:08:10 GMT

I find that those plastic utility containers (the rectangular ones with the snap-down or fold-down tops) are indispensable for keeping organized. I keep all my 15/0 beeds in one box, 11/0's in another, delicas in another, findings in another and so on and so on. At the end of the day, they stack neatly in the corner of my stash room. Smaller plastic boxes are good for organizing projects; as you are planning a project, gather all the beads & other items into one box along with the instructions. When you are ready to start, everything is together and at the end of the day, there is a tidy place to keep all the pieces together ready for the next day's beading. The boxes go on sale at hardware/household stores and craft stores like JoAnn's from time to time. Watch for those sales and stock up.

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

gingerpeaches — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:07:43 GMT

I am brand new at beading. I want to do bracelets, earrings and pendants mostly. Thank you all so much for this thread!! I know now some more stuff i need to get. Happy beading! Also if anyone could tell me what type of wire to get for beading what i want to bead that would be great.

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

CindyC@53 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:07:24 GMT

I agree with KarenL. Wire guards are wonderful and give a professional look to the piece. I love the tiny, extremely strong little magnet clasps that my local bead shop carries. They come in silver, copper and a gun metal color. They are only about 1/4" big but they hold even heavy bracelets. They're easy for people to fasten and to get them off you have to stick your nail between the 2 ends then push them apart, they're that strong. But at least you can do it one-handed unlike many other clasps. Customers love that. There are wire guards in those colors too.

Another nice finding to have are cones - if you do multiple strings it's nice to bring them together under a cone to hide all those ends. The ones I use are pewter and they look nice and more affordable than sterling and require less polishing.

CindyC

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Nemeton — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:38:33 GMT

I am a dyed-in-the-wool beadweaver and struggle with stringing - it takes me forever to make all the decisions, and I am very bad at picturing what the beads will look like strung. My most useful tool is a bead design board so I can lay out the beads and tinker with the sequence without having to string and unstring them so many times. My other essentials are crimping pliers (I have the 'magic' ones that make a 2x2 sterling tube into a little round bead) and after many years of using bits of masking tape and old paperclips to stop beads falling off un-crimped wires, I have finally been converted to BeadStoppers!

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Jsmaz — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:38:56 GMT

Jean, you sound like me-I had to "graduate" to making jewelry from beadweaving. I always thought stringing a necklace was too easy to bother with-until I tried it! Now I do a lot of stringing, mostly because I don't have as much time to work on the more intensive weaving projects I really love. Stringing at least gives me a sense of accomplishing something.

Tess, I share your collecting obsession. I don't NEED everything I buy-sometimes you just gotta have it though. But I can stop any time I want to-yeah, sure I can...

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Jaelle2 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:25:54 GMT

My suggestion for first time stringers is to find a good bead shop, if possible. I define a good shop as one with a reasonably wide selection, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and reasonable prices. My favorite bead store, Beads by Blanche in Bergenfield NJ, has all that!

Keep in mind that these are independently owned shops and the best will still have prices somewhat higher than big box craft stores or some on-line catalogue sites. But the assistance they can provide is worth it. The wonderful folks at Beads by Blanche (Hi Blanche and Wendy!) create a truly artist friendly, nurturing atmosphere and have even saved me time finding the right seed beads from their stash of 1000s (yes, you read that right) to match my projects. New bead stringers, if you are lucky, you will find a bead shop like this within traveling distance. They will give you guidance as you branch out in beading.

Mystery Beader in NY

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

KarenL@77 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:01:27 GMT

Hi Jean! I really enjoy reading your thoughts, I can hear your voice as I do so. I feel that there is another essential to add to the stringers stash, they are "Wire Guards". FOr those of you who do not know what those are; they protect the wire from wear as well as complete the finished look of your design. It's a never version of french wire or boullion as it used to be called to cover the threads as it fed through the clasp. These are especially helpful when using magnetic clasps.

Peace~ Klew in Tehachapi

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

CharmaineD — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:35:08 GMT

Another type of clasp to avoid, for bracelets in particular, is the lobster claw! Too, too often I need someone else to fasten items with them - very frustrating!

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

MarissaM — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:55:47 GMT

Hi Monica,

I was (and still am) a bit of a findings snob, but sometimes, for those fun little bracelets, pewter is the way to go. I just get so sick of having to polish up the Sterling if I don't wear it often enough and I have too much jewelry to store it all "properly". :) Plus there are a ton of fun toggles in pewter!

Also, one thing I wish someone had told me? Don't buy barrel/screw clasps! You can't use them on bracelets because you can't use 2 hands to screw them together and on your neck they either roll around and fall off or roll all your hair into them. Steer clear!

Thanks for a great site!

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

MonicaC@20 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:17:24 GMT

I highly agree about using quality findings. I used to be a findings "snob" and would only buy sterling silver and gold filled items. However, I found these GREAT clasps by Mobile Boutique that my customers LOVE!! They are base metal but are awesome because they are fold over magnetic clasps that my customers find extremely easy to use and very secure. Many people tell me ease of use is more important to them than what the clasp is made of.

How does everyone feel about pewter clasps? I picked some up at the Philly Bead Fest b/c I saw a bunch of people going crazy over them but I don't normally use pewter. Any comments??

Thanks,

Monica

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

TheresaM@25 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:17:59 GMT

I think the organization from the beginning is a big thing to think about. I hated trying to find something I knew I purchased but couldn't find so I had to buy more to finish a project. I also purchase everything for a project and put them in a little baggie and staple it to the instructions or the idea. This way you have everything right there when you need it and no more double purchases.

Terry

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Jean Campbell — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:51:10 GMT

Hi Suzan-

I'd try to click on the link at the end of this blog again...I just did so and the article popped up with no prob. Hope it's helpful!

Jean

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Allpatches — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:17:59 GMT

My suggestion is, read the instructions even if you think you know how to do something. This is something I'm finally learning after many years of opps I shouldn't have done it that way.

re: 5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

SuzanR2 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:32:48 GMT

I am still looking for the download of the article "Your First Stash." I clicked on it and found myself at the Beads Baubles and Jewels website. I assume it is there....., but where?

Suzan