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Archive through April 05, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: The Hobby Hall: All About Beading (ARCHIVES): Archive through April 05, 2009 users admin

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Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 2:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
You're most welcome, Sugar.

I know what you are saying. I'm the same way. I have so much stuff that sometimes it's hard to find exactly what I'm looking for or decide which ones I want to use.
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in that.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 6:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Heyltslori turned me onto youtube for polymer clay, hate to admit I didn't think to check for videos on beading! I love the videos, they are so much easier to follow than printed directions, especially if its something new and you aren't all that sure about the terms they use.

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 6:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
new messages is hilarious

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 7:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Oh geez, lol!

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 7:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
Heyltslori, you gotta see this. lol

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Friday, March 27, 2009 - 11:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
I was all excited about the spiral rope I did the other night, but after another inch or so done, it looked nothing like the picture and I figured I was definitely doing something wrong. I went ahead and finished it with simple stringing for Dakota to have a play bracelet (though she loves it and has been wearing it.)

Watched the youtube Bee found for me and figured out where I was going wrong. Today I started messing around, just practicing with smaller pieces of wire/thread. I tried my beadalon again, tried a thin gold plated wire, and some beading thread (not the nymo, haven't gone to the bead store yet.) Wasn't too impressed with any of it, though I was learning how to do the spiral rope, but the beadalon was too thick to put through 2-3 times, the gold plated wire kept snapping, and the thread didn't stay tight enough to keep a good spiral going. In a fit of frustration, I decided to take a break and make a simple bracelet for my niece out of seed beads, she loves it:

bb

After that, I grabbed (shhh, don't tell) Darren's fishing line, lol. Out of all the little practice pieces, the fishing line one turned out the best!

Decided to go ahead and do a spiral rope bracelet with 11/0 purple seed beads and 8/0 pink seed beads on the fishing line.

KB

Kota claimed it as soon as she saw it, lol.

kb2

I made one big mistake somewhere 1/4-1/2 way in that of course I can't ignore, but I know exactly what I did wrong and would have fixed it if I'd seen it at the time I did it (I looped the line on the wrong side of one of the 8/0 beeds so the 11/0's on that part want to fall the opposite way, if that makes sense.) Took me about 3 hours to finish it and I noticed that once I really had the hang of it it went much faster (the 1st half took about 2 hours.) I'm hoping with a lot of practice, doing a spiral rope will be pretty quick work.

I have some ideas for later on, once I'm a better at it, of using several different colors and different beads and maybe adding some kind of charms or flowers or something. This weekend I'll probably try a necklace with it.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 12:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Way to go, War. Those are awesome. It must feel pretty cool when Kota wants to claim one right away.
Glad you got it all figured out!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 12:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thank you!

Dakota has a jewelry box full of my stuff (so do my nieces) so when one of them claim one right away it's a yippee moment, lol.

I'm really looking forward to a week of working with the spiral rope. Next week I need to shop for my friends rosary and get started on that so I'll have to put the spring/summer jewelry on the back burner for a bit. Until then though I plan to keep practicing.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, March 30, 2009 - 9:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Lum, how are you doing?

I stopped by Michaels today and picked up some beading thread (Wildfire, they didn't have Nymo and I didn't feel like running to the bead store.) Did a double strand bracelet, one strand a spiral with dark pinkish seed beads and I guess champagne? colored crystals. Dakota said she liked it but would like it better with pink crystals too, so the second strand is simple stringing with the pink crystals and the dark pinkish seed beads. She loved it.

a

b

I really like the spiral ropes, but definitely need more practice. This one wasn't tight enough I think and too much of the thread is showing.

Also did another illusion necklace (or whatever it's called) for her. When it's on it hangs so the strand with the black flower beads is longer than the dark pinkish circle beads (and even though the picks don't show it, the colors of those circles is the same as the seed beads from the bracelets.

c

I'm kinda practicing with the illusion style necklaces cuz I really like it and think I may do something similar with the rosaries. Ok, I'll admit I'm also stuck on a bookmark I've been working on, I just can't seem to get the right colors for it.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Monday, March 30, 2009 - 11:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
War...is that only your second spiral?? It's great!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 12:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thanks! And yes, it is. Before I did the first one (the pink/purple) I did 4 or 5 short versions, a couple inches long, to get the hang of it and try to figure out what I was doing wrong, but I've only done two full legnth ones. I did go back and rewatch the spiral rope youtubes (there were 2 of them) again cuz I was kinda nervous doing a second one by memory.

I really liked the way hers looked with the crystals (have I mentioned I love crystals, lol?) and decided to try doing that. There are a couple things I don't like about it, that it's still too loose and the thread showing in places, but I'm very pleased with how well the spirals came out and I like the overall look.

Besides the girls spring jewelry, I can see so many options with these ropes. Necklaces, anklets, and the girls love to carry pretty little purses for their lip gloss and small things (nothing heavy) and I think replacing the straps might be cute. I won't be doing any for my two 5 year old nieces since both are hard on jewelry and I'd have no idea how to fix them, lol, but for Kota and my oldest niece and some of their friends its perfect. Nothing too mature, nothing too little girly.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 9:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
Those look great, War!!!
I haven't had a chance to hit the beads all weekend or since. Appointment and some shopping this afternoon. Hoping for some time tomorrow, though. Keep your fingers crossed.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 11:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Fingers crossed, Lum, that you get enough free time to play! BTW, when I was in Michaels yesterday, I noticed they had a ton of beads on sale.

When I was at my aunts this morning, she handed me a handful of beads (square, flat, silver plated, with two holes and little turquise flowers on them.) They were from a bracelet she had bought out of some magazine that broke and she asked me if I could do something with them for her.

I set there at her therapy appt looking at them and thumbing through a bead catalog trying to figure out what exactly I'll do with them. I think I might just go simple and do a double strand bracelet with torquise (I'm pretty sure I mangled the spelling of that!) chips or rounds between the silver beads. I'll need to go to the bead store to get the torquise beads and a clasp, would really like to find a magnetic double clasp, but don't think I'll be able to. Oddly enough, I'd planned on stopping there before coming home...and just didn't feel like it! That's so not like me.

Oh, that reminds me, it's obvious this was a bracelet she wore frequently and the beads show quite a bit of wear...any ideas of the best way to clean them up and with what? I'm not sure if they're sterling silver, silver plated, or something else altogether different and don't really know how to clean them up.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 4:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
Wargod, I wonder if you would be so kind as to give me some advice? I thought your daughter was about the same age as some of my nieces. They are 9 & 10 yrs old, both slender and I want to make bracelets for them. I have no idea how long to make them. When making for myself, I just cut off a long string and check it against my wrist, then do the same after I have the beads on and adjust as needed. For the girls, I have one strung and it is 5 1/4 inches long. When I put it in a circle, it looks impossibly tiny! Looks like it would fit 2 yr old niece. They live in other states so I am unable to try to fit them as I do myself. Perhaps my being a BBW completely screws up my size perception. I can tell everyone that one size does not fit all, lol.
The 10 yr old also has a 6 year old sister and I suppose she might need a bracelet as well. I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings. So how long for a 6 year old?

I appreciate any help you may be able to give me.
Thank you.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 4:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
Wargod, sorry to bother you with another request. I also have a 13 year old nephew who likes to play the guitar and I know he wears necklaces. I think you mentioned your son was about the same age with similar interests. Would it be asking too much for you to post a photo or two of some of your adolescent boy necklaces?

Thank you.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 10:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Sugar, you're no bother! I called my sis one day and asked her to measure my nieces wrists for me (one is 5, one is 9, both pretty slender as well) and I actually wrote it down cuz I didn't believe her when she told me how small they were, lol. I don't know what I did with that paper, and I'll check the girls tomorrow to double check. If your nieces are pretty small, 5 1/4" should be good and might be a bit big. I usually do Dakota's (she's 10, but doesn't have the skinny wrists my nieces do) about 6".

Are you planning on using clasps on them or knotting them? One of my favorite tricks with bracelets, and with necklaces, is to use extender chains. You can either buy the extender chains, Michaels has them and Walmart might too, or you can make them yourself. If you want to make them, you can pick up cheap silver chain (I think I paid around $2-$3 for a several feet) at Michaels. All you do is cut the chain to an inch or two, attach a split ring or jump ring to one end of the chain and put that on one end of your jewelry, then add a lobster claw to the other end. What I love about it is that if you aren't sure on sizes, it doesn't really matter cuz the chain will make it so it fits right. The only thing I'd suggest with that is to make the beaded part of the bracelet a little smaller, the extender chain will make up for it. Heh, benefit for me too, since my wrists swell with carpel tunnels, if I use the chains I can still wear my bracelets.

Ack, I just checked and don't have any pics of the boys necklaces. Caleb's already in bed so I'll have to wait til tomorrow to go in and grab one out of his room, but I'll post a pic of it/them as soon as I can for you.

His are very simple, he's not too big on jewelry. The one I'm thinking of is a dragon charm with a hematite bead on either side that's on a leather cord. My nephews wear jewelry more often and they like things like wood beads, shells, hematite, even some torqoise (still mangleing the spelling of that, lol.) My rule of thumb with the boys is if you can use the words pretty or sparkly, they ain't gonna wear it, lol. Oh, oh, you can also find sports charms! Little footballs, basketballs, baseball mitts, etc. And since you said he plays the guitar, you can also find musical charms.

Huh, I do have another idea, you could take a guitar pick and carefully drill a hole in it, attach it to a split or jump ring and make your own charm. I just bought Caleb a pack of picks so I'll have to try it out, but I'm thinking that could be pretty cool. I don't know if you've seen guitar picks lately, but they come in all kinds of styles and colors (saw some the other day with skull and crossbones on them!)

I'll also take a look around some of my favorite bead and jewelry sites to see if I can find some good pics of boy necklaces for you. I haven't looked at boy stuff lately so that'll be fun.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 11:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
Thanks Wargod, I do indeed appreciate it!!!

I had planned to just use my usual stretchy string but after seeing some of the youtubes Beekindpleez made me aware of, I may try a clasp. I like your point that this may help if I am off with sizes.

I love the guitar pick idea. I may even have an old pick of mine from the 5 or 6 lessons I took years ago. Sold my guitar to sister in law for one of the nieces a few years ago.

I'm excited to do some beading again.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 1:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Hey Sugar, even if you don't have an old pick, you can get a pack of them at Walmart, Target, etc for pretty cheap. Caleb loses his all over the place so I'm constantly buying them, lol.

I'm going to see my nieces in about an hour so I'll measure the size of their wrists again (have to do my aunt too) and double check the size for you.

I love beading and am always looking for things to do and new projects. I took Kota to the bead store the other day and ended up letting her choose some beads out. She has tons of plastic beads and different sets but these are her first glass beads and she's pretty excited about them. Told her I'd sit down with her this weekend and show her how to do a bracelet with clasps.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 3:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
War...another thing I do when I have a few left over beads from a couple of projects is make a thing-a-ma-bob that hangs from a belt loop or purse strap or something. It takes a smaller amount of beads and is quick to work up. Plus, you can mix the different kinds of beads and it's still cool.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 9:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thingamabob, lol. That's actually not a bad idea.

One of my problems with beading is that I can't think outside of patterns and matching colors. Not so much a problem, but it's hard to break out of. I've seen some really cool assymetrical necklaces with mismatched, but complimentary beads, some stringing, some chains, but it's not something I've tried yet cuz that would just drive me nuts, lol.

Sugar, my 9 year old nieces wrist is just a tad under 5", but she is very slim so that might not be the same for other girls her age.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 9:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
Thank you Wargod! You are an

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 10:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
You're very welcome. I hope your nieces like they're jewelry!

Hehe, sis asked me to take her to Michaels earlier before the girls softball game to pick up some stuff for a project my oldest niece has to do for school. We dropped oldest niece and Kota off at the park and took the two younger ones with us. Michaels is having a sale on some of their beads right now, including the swarovski crystals, and anytime they do that I'll pick up at least a couple packs rather I need them or not. I took middle niece with me to look and while I was picking out a couple different colors, she was looking at some other beads and came back with two strands and asked if I'd buy them for her. Told her sure. She's coming to spend the night Friday night, all by herself (her older sister had her alone night last week) which rarely happens so I figure we can set everything up at the table and have a little beading party, her, Kota, and me.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Thursday, April 02, 2009 - 3:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
There is some conspiracy going....still haven't had much time for beading, but I opened a Picassa album of the stuff I have lying around so far. (Big Michael's 50% sale next week).

The wood strings (#2) are just about ready to get knotted and glued, if I can figure out how.

There is double the amount of the chips in #1. I am thinking 3 string necklace?

#3 as a bracelet, just about ready to get toggled, maybe?

The colours on #5 are a deeper pink than on the pic and I was thinking of alternating them with the off-white #4 beads, because by themselves they are awfully stiff on the string from the manufacturer.

#6(7) are wood again and I was thinking of sticking a few of the orange beads from #8(9) on there to brighten things up a bit. I am hoping to get a necklace and bracelet out of that.

#10(11) are chips again in earth tones. Not sure yet what I'll do with those.

#12(13) might be destined for a necklace. Don't think there is enough for a matching bracelet there.

I def. want a bracelet out of #14(15). Don't know yet how to make the larger stones into a necklace.

So there you go....stick your oar in, add your 2 cents, pleaaaaaase.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 02, 2009 - 4:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
LOL, Lum, it's the same conspiracy that's had me not doing any beading the last 2-3 days. I thought about it last night but was too tired to deal with the teeny tiny holes!

Let me say first, I do a lot with more girly colors, pinks, peaches, yellows, purples, because a lot of what I do is for the girls. Dakota's just getting into wanting things with more blacks which is kinda fun and different. However, given the choice, I prefer blues and greens, doesn't matter how light or dark or what shade, I love those colors. So seeing all your blues and greens is making me drool, lol!

A 3 strand necklace with those blues in #1 would look terrific! The different shades are great.

I really like the set in #2! Is the necklace as long as it looks? There's so many ways to wear long necklaces.

A toggle would look pretty cool with #3. I really like those beads as well!

The beads on #5 are very intresting, I don't think I've seen those before. They should look nice with #4. Pinks (or any of the lighter colors) are pretty hard to get good, true pictures of, you can take them outside or set them next to an open window with natural sunlight, but even then it's kinda 50/50 getting a true picture.

Hehe, I'm not saying this as a bad thing. When I was a kid, my granny's kitchen was done in browns and oranges (with some yellow) so anytime I see those color combos, I think 70's. But, I agree, I think the orange beads will look good with the brown wooden beads. What I really like about those though are that they're different shapes and sizes, that'll be fun to do!

I think #10 might look good on memory wire, though they might be a little pointy for a bracelet. Or you could try matching them with #12 (which btw are my favorites, I love those!) Do a groups of chips seperated by the greens for a necklace. You wouldn't even need that many of the greens, four or five maybe, and then use the rest of the greens for a different necklace.

I don't normally use the larger beads, but for a necklace I'd probably use them with more smaller beads. Same as I was saying with the chips and green stones, have several small beads, then a large one, then smaller. I like the tear drop shaped ones.

Despite how much jewelry I make, I don't wear a lot of it. Usually just a bracelet or two, once in a great while a necklace. Not only do I do more with the girly colors, I also tend not to use anything bigger or fancier for the girls stuff cuz they're too hard on jewelry. I like everything you picked out and your ideas with them.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Sunday, April 05, 2009 - 9:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
Thanks for the many cents, War.

Ok, here goes….
My spare set of hands kept disappearing on me. Damned if I could manage to tie that cord on #2 by myself. Is there a special trick to doing that?
We finally managed and the necklace and bracelet look quite nice for a first project.
Yes, War, the necklace is quite long. This way I can wear it hanging loose or double it up. I have a scrawny neck (the only scrawny thing about me), so t-shirt type tops leave a bare space between neck and collar which I need to fill. Scarves can get too warm, even the silky ones.

The toggles I have here are not shiny silver, but all the thing-a-mah-jigs (links, crimps and bead covers) are, so I’ll wait for Thursday for the big 50% sale to pick up better matching parts.

I threaded the small set of #14/15 onto some wire, but it feels really stiff. The wire is .24 gauge. What gauge should I be using?

For the 3-strand (#1), do I have to use wire, or can I just use the flex cord and stick those into those cone thingies?

Forgot that I had a few smaller round beads to match the big ones on #3, so I changed the design, but waiting first for your 2 cents on the wire question.

Bought #8/9 at a discount store for € 1, but the set was probably meant for a kid, because the necklace strangled even this goose neck. So I cut it and used the orange beads with #6/7. That will be another one of those once or twice around the neck ones. Still needs the spare set of hands to get knotted, but is looking pretty good already.

Can’t mix #10 with #12, because they are strong on the brown tones whereas #12 is strong on green/pink. I put them next to each other, but they just doesn’t mesh colourwise.

Generally, I don’t wear a lot of jewellery either, but I have always had a weakness for bracelets. This is one way to afford them.

A lot of the beaded custom jewellery patterns around often go one step too far for my taste. I like the natural materials, but am tempted to try something with synthetic components. We’ll see. For right now, I got enough on my plate. Still, don’t think I’ll manage to pass up Thursday’s 2 days only big sale. I’ll probably comes back with more.LOL