| Author |
Message |
Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 6:32 am 
Sugar, I have sold a little, but not much.
What I would love to do is have a booth at some of our local festivals. The thing is in order to make it a really good booth I would need to carry loose beads and all the trimmings. That would take mucha moolah.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 9:48 am
I think it'd tick me off to try to sell at a booth.
One of the things I enjoy about the craft fairs and flea market and stuff like that is talking to the people who actually make their own jewelry, beads, and components. Also love to buy stuff from them, even knowing I could buy something similar for cheaper at Michaels or online, but it's so much fun to talk to them about their work and buy something from someone who actually made it themselves. I rarely buy finished jewelry since I can make a lot of it myself, but still enjoy chatting.
Part that would tick me off...at the flea market, I was chatting with a woman who makes her own glass beads (she was the one telling me about the classes she did out of her studio) and in probably half an hour, I was the only one who even stopped by her booth. Yet, down the ailse a bit was a guy selling jewelry and glass pendants. He had a little "Handmade" sign on his table and was selling stuff left and right. When I finally got down there, and wondered what exactly it was that he handmade! All he was selling were these glass pendants (the foil backed ones or whatever they're called) that Michaels sells for like $4. I knew exactly what they were cuz Dakota had just bought two of them and she had cracked me up in the store cuz she took forever choosing the two she liked best! He was putting the glass pendants on a cord and tying a knot and charging $15 for them and people were snapping em up like crazy!
Wasn't just that, but handmade jewelry too. There were several folks who had their booths set up with handmade stuff, crystal, seed beads, clay, etc and they'd sit there working on a new piece and chatting if anyone stopped by to look but not selling too much and then folks a few tables down taking cheap jewelry out of the wrappers or off the original packaging and selling like crazy.
That would tick me off as a seller at a craft fair/flea market/whatever (ticked me off as a buyer!) To see people who spend hours crafting their own pieces after years of learning and practice and hard work hardly selling anything while the guy across the row with the cheap Oriental Trading Company necklaces is making money all over the place.
One of the best pieces of advice I've read is to know your market (think that works with pretty much anything.) You probably won't sell too many elaborately crafted, time consuming, expensive peices at a flea market or yard sale anymore than you'd sell cheap, pony bead bracelets at an upscale craft fair or boutique.
|
Lumbele
Moderator
07-12-2002
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 2:22 pm
It's been a while since I have visited in here.
War, tell Kota from me that bracelet is gorgeous. She did really well with that. Now send her North to teach me.
And those party shoes, Biloxi, how wonderful!
You done reall good with your bracelets, too!
When I looked at those itty-bitty seed beads, Sea, I got scared of my own misplaced courage, so I might just try a bracelet with just a bit bigger ones.
Discovered that my sewing place is selling beads now, too. So I dragged dh (whom I got a senior's membership there) to have a look-see. They have some stuff buy one get 2 free and some with 3 free. Might drag him again on Wednesday. Thanks to that membership, I saved over 25 bucks last time.
Now I am off to do some serious clean-up on the beading table. Happy beading, all!!!
|
Crzndeb
Member
07-26-2004
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 4:53 pm
I agree with War...unfortunately, you don't ever get back the money on the time you spent making something unless you sell on a place like Etsy, where people will pay the price. I think the average markup is about 3 times what you spent, maybe 4 if it is an intricate piece that took longer to make...like the ropes. I use a lot of gemstones in my jewelry and mine would end up costing in the $85-$125 range if I sold them. Most people at flea markets are looking for items in the less than $20 range.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 9:14 pm
Not exactly beading but I just found this 17 year old's etsy store.. she started following me on Twitter.. anyway if she's creating them herself, she's talented.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5923057
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 01, 2009 - 9:57 pm
Wow, she does beautiful work! Not to mention the fact that she has 14 pages of positive reviews from buyers alone!
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 11:42 pm
It was one of those beading days. Nothing worked right.
My aunt gave me an old pearl necklace (and I think the pearls are real, but not 100% sure and she didn't know.) I took it all apart and cleaned it, then sat here pondering what to do with them. Then thought I'd make a flat spiral rope bracelet.
Started out great, I got five inches done pretty quickly...and then my thread broke. Had to take off a couple pearls and some seed beads just to have enough room to knot the thread. Did that, and restarted with a new piece of thread, and very quickly, like 1/4 inch or so, it snapped again! Started a third piece of thread and it broke too. I gave up. At that point the bracelets in danger of breaking later...can only tie in so many new threads before it starts to weaken it.
Decided to work on something else and once again, the thread broke. At that point I'm thinking there's something wrong with the thread (new nymo too) cuz there's no way it's breaking that much for no reason. Breaking thread isn't anything new, but breaking 4 different strands in such a short time, especially when I wasn't pulling too hard or getting it caught up or being rough, is very unusual.
I'll probably wait to start anything new til I get some new thread. I'd rather spend a couple bucks that deal with the frustration of breaking it an inch and a half from being done!
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 10:41 pm
My aunt gave me a bunch of beads for my birthday. Very happy! Sis did the shopping and when she went I guess crystals were on sale so I got 8 packs of the swarovski's, plus some silver spacer beads, thread, and seed beads.
Thought about pulling them out tonight and doing something, but I think I'm too tired to play with them.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 12:22 am
The girls team colors for all-stars is red/white/blue (all the teams have the same color combination) so I thought I'd do a little something for them. I made them zipper pulls for their bat bags:
I only have five done completely, need to get the clasps for the others to finish them.
Sis and I like to support the team (for regular season we had the angel cell phone charms) so I made us the all-star cell phone charms:
|
Alliet
Member
07-11-2005
| Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 1:31 am
Oh wow! I didn't know TVCH had a beading forum too! Wow! :o) Lovely work, ladies. I melt glass and make things (used to make beads) with it. It's a lot of fun but don't have much time for it these days. But it's nice to see other topics in these forums.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 1:46 am
Oh, man, I'm very jealous, Alliet! I want to make my own glass beads, but Darren insists we don't have enough insurance on the house or me, lol. He does have a point, I can't even wash dishes without cutting myself.
Besides beads, what else can you make with glass?
|
Alliet
Member
07-11-2005
| Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 3:04 pm
I make little animals and people and pendants. I haven't had as much time as usual in the past 15 months since I went back to working FT and I am also writing a book and, of course, there's family thrown in for good measure. Still love it when I have time to melt glass. Our DD (12 now) has melted in the past and made a few beads. She was scared of popping molten glass (she was 10 when she tried it) but, with hard glass - well, it's all hard but not really - you don't get popping glass happening. It's fun. You might want to try it some day. You could always get a hothead and set it up outside (that way you don't have to worry about ventilation) and see how you like it.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 29, 2009 - 12:58 am
I love handmade glass stuff. I don't buy too much of it cuz I prefer to buy it somewhere I can talk to the artist who did it (flea market/craft fair.)
I've been trying to get into polymer clay and I do pull it out and make things with it ever so often, but the one thing I like about stringing beads is that no matter what I'm working on, I can set it down and go back to it later. I so rarely have the time for hours of work so it's hard to do anything more time consuming. Like you, between work and family and everything else there just isn't much creative time.
|
Alliet
Member
07-11-2005
| Saturday, July 11, 2009 - 10:04 pm
Right. Not getting much time to melt glass these days with work, family, writing. Wish there were 48 hrs a day! LOL I bet you would enjoy it too. I tried polymer clay too but, once you go glass, you can't go back to clay. DH and the children pull out the clay from time to time (we keep it air tight in food saver bags to prolong it's use) and make some cute things. We all made some really cute Easter eggs a couple of Easters ago with Polymer clay.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 12:36 am
I haven't had no time this week for beading. Totally sucks too.
Right now I'm starting to put together scrapbooks of the softball season for Kota and my niece.
I think glass would be a lot of fun. I'm starting to use it more and more and it'd definitely be more convienient being able to make exactly what I want instead of having to search for it. One of these days though.
|
Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 3:50 pm
Well I finally went to a local beading society meeting and hope to learn how to do more than just string the beads on stretchy string. The members were very welcoming and it seems like an interesting group of people and some fun projects. I am very much a beginner, but believe this will help me learn and improve. One of the women suggested I buy some fire line (fishing line) I didn't think to ask about a size/thickness. Does anyone have any suggestions? Typically, I don't use very heavy beads although the bracelet & necklace I'd like to make for my nephews wedding in August does have big heavy beads. I bought a package of needles with various sizes. I would appreciate some feedback as to what size thread and needles typically go together.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 9:35 pm
I don't use fireline, Sugar, not even sure how the size is measured on it. I know it's pretty popular among beaders though.
|
Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 11:49 pm
What do you use Wargod? And how do you decide what to use? Of course, the hole on the bead has to be able to go on the string but are there other criteria?
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, July 17, 2009 - 12:20 am
I use the beadalon (soft, flexible) wire mostly. I especially like it with the bigger, chunkier, heavier beads, but it also requires using the crimp beads and clasps to finish it off.
I will use nymo thread if doing anything like the spiral ropes. And once in a while stretchy cord.
I know you can buy the fireline (and the beadalon) at different, er, dang, going blank, lol. How many pounds of pressure you can put on it (pull it) before it'll break.
The beadalon softflex wire is several strands of wire put together. I prefer fewer strands (and a lower gauge) because it's way more flexible than the one with more strands of wire.
The biggest criteria for me, other than bead hole size, is who I'm making something for and what I'm making. If it's something I expect to last (I'll explain that in a minute, lol) or for someone else, I'm going with beadalon softflex (think that's what it's called) wire. If I'm making something for the kidlets, I'll usually use either stretchy cord or some other kind of cord. That's where I don't expect it to last...the kids can be rough on jewelry.
I've not used the fireline so I can't really compare it to the others or how to decide what size/type/guage to use for what project.
Not sure I'm making much sense tonight and if not I'll try to be more coherent in the morning, lol.
|
Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Friday, July 17, 2009 - 6:08 am
I have been using fireline for my spiral ropes. I have used both the 14lb test and the 16lb test. I use the 14 for the bracelets and the 16 for the anklets. I have yet to have a problem with any breaking.
I use softflex mostly when I am making an all crystal bracelet or lanyard. However, I am thinking of making a spiral lanyard for work, so I will use the 16lb for that one.
|
Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Friday, July 17, 2009 - 1:43 pm
Thank you Wargod and Biloxibelle!
|
Bbfreak
Member
07-06-2009
| Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 3:49 pm
I am so glad I found this thread! I have been a rabid beader for about 8 years. Mostly Native American beadwork, Lazy stitch, brick stitch and 3 drop peyote. I dabble in making earrings but they always seem to sway back to the Native style, since DH is Native. Anyone else do Native Work?
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 8:45 pm
Welcome Bbfreak! I don't, but I've seen some Native work that is very pretty! I'd love to see some pics if you have any.
I can sorta do some of the stitches, like brick and peyote, but after the first little bit, it all goes to hell, lol.
|
Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 5:47 am
Hi Bb! Like War I would love to see some pic if you have them. I love Native American bead work, it is such an art to me.
|
Bbfreak
Member
07-06-2009
| Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 9:05 pm
I tried to upload pics to the site last night and today, I am in No Man's land in Texas and still on Dial up. I have several pics but it looks like I can only send them in Email. I left them to upload for over 30 mins and it still didn't do it. My MEail is Jeanno67@aol.com if anyone is interested.
I am currently working on a pipe bag for my Husband, I am working with Size 11 opaque rounds.
My Best work was an old Hawk Feather Fan, I beaded the handle for an Elder Lakota. Those beads were size 13 Cut beads in Old Peyote stitch. It took me a month LOL.
|
|
|
|
The Hobby Hall
