Need help!

I travel to mainland and want to take my beadwork with me so I packed my #15 seed beads several tubes in Ziploc bag and ship by FedEx to myself in the box.

But when I received my box, seed beads tubes was open not only one tube but 8 tubes.  All the seeds mixed up in the bag.  

Question is how do I do to source the seeds, any technique?  All eight colors will take me a long time to source out.  Anyone has any idea????

Unfortunately I don't know of any fast ways to sort seed beads, and I'm sure someone could make a bunch of money if they could figure out a way.  The best advice I can give you is to do a scoop at a time and sort the beads either into containers, or in another thread someone suggested threading several needles with long threads and stringing each color onto a different one.  If you do a forum search for "bead soup" you'll find several suggestions.

 I'm sorry that I can offer no help or advise! The only way is to sort the beads one by one. Putting every color on one thread is an idea I personally like. Or sort only small amounts every day, so you don't get crazy.

Sorry, but that's all I can offer.

 At least you only have 8 tubes/colors to deal with.  How big are those tubes?  Why did you ship them instead of carrying them with you?  Maybe next time, put each tube into a plastic baggie individually -- that way even if the tube does pop open, all the beads will be in the baggie, each color by itself.

 I have no solutions for the current soup you've got.  As they've said, sort a scoop at a time until you've got the colors/tubes back in order.  Hopefully, with only 3 tubes/colors, the sorting might go faster than you think.

 Good luck!

 Dawn

 Hi pwong,

sometimes an egg carton, the styrofoam kind, works well to sort small beads.  Be sure to wash it well first. 

Also it is easier for me if I just take out one color at a time from the mix.  It goes pretty fast that way.

Beth

When sorting seed beads I find that a straight, narrow metal implement, like a painter's pallet knife, works very nicely to separate beads from each other.  I put the beads on a flat tray with raised edges.  Then I can use the pallet knife's edge to separate beads of one color from the others and push them into a pile.  Several piles of different colors can be worked on at one time.  And the flat palette knife can even be used to carefully lift the beads from a pile and then pour or dump them into a container.

Hope this is helpful

Lynn

 welcome to BD Forum. I make "Bead Soup" Bracelets". When I need one color for something else. I like to use my "long needle about 3" and I can unconsiously touch the end of on one color at a time, it slips on the needle. I can go from needle to tube easily.

note, I said, one color.I never tried this with 8 colors.

Just an idea.

Mary

My daughter loves to help sort bead soup (tho it does cost me $1 per every color).  She gets a needle and string, then just grabs one color at a time until the sting is full or the color is gone.

 I have to second PurpleLynn's suggestion!

PurpleLynn:

When sorting seed beads I find that a straight, narrow metal implement, like a painter's pallet knife, works very nicely to separate beads from each other.  I put the beads on a flat tray with raised edges.  Then I can use the pallet knife's edge to separate beads of one color from the others and push them into a pile.  Several piles of different colors can be worked on at one time.  And the flat palette knife can even be used to carefully lift the beads from a pile and then pour or dump them into a container.

When I sort out "bead soup" this seems to be the quickest option...this way you can sort multiple beads out at a time instead of one at a time.  I would think that stringing them would take longer.  I would suggest that when you carry or mail bead tubes that you take regular tape and tape the top of the container.  One of the staples in my bead box is a roll of scotch tape - I have had many MANY many beadspills through the years and have found this to be the most effective way of avoiding it without having to use up all my sandwich bags.  Plus when you have a bunch of tubes in plastic bags...even if they are clear, I always feel like I can't see them as easily.  LOL...does that sound wierd?  Well anyway, thats just my 2 cents!  =)

 Thanks, What a Clever Lady you are!

Now I can add Scotch Tape to my "Basic Tools".

I can tell you for sure, duck tape, is not a good way to keep the tubes sealed in travel.

Arthritis +duct  tape=(just guess how I know that:)

Mary

ps. the new owners of our last RV, E-Mailed me this morning, Ask,"why are there different color seed beads showing up in my vacum, after a year."? She found the reason, much funnier than I  did

 *laugh*  Mary...you must have been DETERMINED not to have a bead spill!  Sounds like you self-proofed your bead tubes!  lol!  Another thing to try instead of scotch tape would be painters tape or masking tape...  I have never had a bead top fall off or open with scotch tape though...and it doesn't hinder your view of the beads!  Glad I could help!!!  =)

LYILHA:

One of the staples in my bead box is a roll of scotch tape

I find it useful in repairing cracked tubes also.

LYILHA:

..does that sound wierd?  Well anyway, thats just my 2 cents!  =)

There is nothing wrong in being wierd!  And it is fun, some even find it to be refreshing.

CrystalCubeBead.:

There is nothing wrong in being wierd!  And it is fun, some even find it to be refreshing.

Hehehe...very very true!  =)