A little bit bead-ist

I know some of you will be staring at the screen thinking "What is she on about? What is bead-ist?".. I guess I don't know the correct term for it, but what I am trying to say - as weird as it sounds - but I am the beading version of a racist.. (Man, that sounds terrible, but its not what it looks like!!!)

Verifying
I will only use really GOOD quality beads. For example: swarovski crystals and components, semi-precious gemstones, miyuki seed beads, sterling silver or gold filled findings, etc.

A Bead-ist...

I guess you could call be a bit of a bead snob - that certainly sounds alot better than 'the bead version of a racist'.. It is VERY rare that I will use plastic or acrylic beads, or dodgy japanese seed beads because I figure, these handmade items are things that I want to sell. When someone buys an item from me, I don't want them to wear it once or twice and then have the colour fade from the beads or have the findings start to tarnish because you can bet your money that that customer won't return for my services.

But this in itself presents another problem.. Expenses. I am not in the position to be buying BULK purchases of sterling silver findings to get the best price and hence, keep my prices low.. Wandering around my local markets I see stands that sell sterling silver earrings for like $3 a pair.. Nicely made earrings too and I keep thinking to myself "How can they keep their prices so low for such good quality materials" - which then made me question the authenticity of their findings..

That mid-rant aside, I do have quite a collection of growing piles of plastic and acrylic beads and the 'bead snob' in me is telling me not to sell bad quality items. Not they are all 'bad quality' but having a sign on your gorgeous handmade necklace at the markets that says "Blue and green handmade acrylic necklace - $45" doesn't look as impressive as one that says "Blue lace agate and Jade handmade necklace - $75".. Even though the price is uglier, it certainly sounds more expensive and worth its money!

*Exasperated sigh* I think it just might have to come down to telling my 'bead snob' to suck it up and start being more tolerant of other beads and try to work in some less wallet straining quality beads.

HMMMMMMM!!! decisions decisions...

Emma
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HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

I hope that no one gorged themselves TOO much on chocolate eggs and bunnies - I know I certainly did.. Luckily for me though, swimsuit seanson is WELL behind us (I am currently huddled under the heater at work with no jacket, this cold weather came out of nowhere!!) so, I'm not going to complain to much about my figure at the moment..

I spent the weekend down the South Coast with my family for easter. It was really fun spending time with them and being able to catch up with them.

While I was down that way, I thought I would pop into the bead store I used to work in to see Kerry and to grab some supplies for my UFOs. I was talking to her for a while and then a group of children came in to do a kids class, so Kerry went up the back to get them started. I was standing behind the counter, weighing out some beads and sorting myself out (as I usually do :P lol) and I had a lady approach me and say "Excuse me, can I ask you something? I am looking for these silicone earring backs but in the gold or the silver." I looked up and saw Kerry was still busy so I proceeded to show her where they were. I then rang up her order and kept with my shopping.

Another lady then came over and asked where the ear posts were. I asked if she wanted the stainless steel or sterliing and she said 'sterling' so I was showing her where abouts those were, next thing I know, Kerry calls from across the room "Emma, are you serving customers?!" I turned around and said "I am helping, you were busy and my services were required." She started laughing and proceeded to tell the mother of the children that I am an ex-employee who was just there to shop. Twas hilarious!

...I did however get all of the goodies I needed to complete at least 3 projects, and also got myself some needles.. that I left at one of my friends places when I went to visit him over the weekend too. So I am now without my freshly bought supplies!  I can be a real idiot sometimes... *sigh*

Ah well.. Hope everyone else's long weekend was as fun filled as mine! Shall be updateing soon with some new *hopefully* completed UFOs!

Emma
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You learn something new every day..

And that certainly was the case the other day!

After flipping through endless beading magazines and books, trying to find something to bead (with my ever shrinking stash of beads) for what seemed like HOURS, I finally came across my next project.. It was the 'Haberdashery Bracelet' by Callie Mitchell as seen in the June/July 2011 issue of Beadwork magazine, page 60.

I dug through my collection of swarovski and delica beads, trying to image just how much 3 grams was in my unmarked baggies and how those swarovski colours would look against each other. In the end I finally got together the materials I needed to at least attempt the bracelet.

Now, when I am doing a project, VERY rarely is it that I actually read the instructions.. I can usually just go by the pictures. Then something caught my eye (dramatic drumroll please...) The base of the bracelet is beaded in odd count peyote stitch. I try and stay well and clear of odd count peyote just coz it is so fiddly trying to do the odd turn around.. I hate it! However, I was not about to abandon the project and go in search of another just because I don't like odd count peyote, so I went and did a little research..

I always knew that there were several ways to do the odd turn: There is the figure eight turn, the anchor turn, the 'no turn' turn..

The figure eight turn

The anchor turn

But I came across one that I hadn't seen before:

The under thread turn

This is the 'under thread' turn. On the very rare ccasion that I do use odd count peyote stitch for whatever reason, I have always used the anchor turn, but upon careful consideration, I thought that this would be the stitch for me to use.. As there is quite a bit of embellishment on this particular bracelet, I didn't want to clog up the beads with unnecessary thread..

Seemed logical at the time did it not?

After a few hours of working intermittently at this bracelet, I had finished it to my desired length and I was really, really pleased with how it turned out! I was a bit worried about the colours not matching or one throwing off the other, but I was really excited about this bracelet.

I lay the bracelet flat onto my bead mat to arrange the crystals on it for the embellishment, when I noticed something a little 'off'.. I called Trent in to have a look to see if he could pick it.

Can you see it?

Trent couldn't when I asked him if there was something about the bracelet that didn't quite look right. He was looking at things like the colours, or misplaced beads but he couldn't pick it up.

I didn't know if it was my eyesight or not, so I conducted a little experiment, just to see what would happen..

What happens, when we place something with a straight edge to the edge of the bracelet? 

Oh, you see it now don't you?

My tension had been a little TOO tight when doing my under thread turn and, as a result, slightly curved the entire band to that side.. I hadn't noticed until I had finished the entire length of it! *sigh*

Once I pointed it out to Trent - and then even after I took the page away from the edge - he said that he could notice it, and that's all he could, but only because I had pointed it out. I noticed it, because I made it and - lets face it - I'm a little anal (for want of a better phrasing...)

But what is to stop a potential customer from noticing...? Someone might pick up said bracelet and say "OMG! That is gorgeous!", only for the person next to them say "Oh, but its wonky, therefore defective..."

Oh the frustration!!! The hours of hard work that went into this bracelet, only to notice a slight oopsie that sends me straight to the verge of freak out mode! I know that it probably makes to difference to anyone else, and the majority of the people won't even notice (especially when it has the embellishments added to it) but its the little things! But I digress...

Ah, but all in a days work and hey.. I suppose that this is why I called my blog 'My Beading Journey'. Because it wouldn't be a journey without learning new things along the way..

It is now time for me to de-stress and try to force myself to go to sleep... First night of the end of daylight savings, so my body clock is all buggered up :( stoopid daylight savings... (someone remind me again, WHY we have it in the first place?!)

Emma
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My First Commission Piece!

HOORAY!
One of the ladies I work with told me that her daughter was getting married (how excitement!) and she asked me to do some embellishment on the shoes. Her dress has some beadwork on it and she wanted some on her shoes too. I drew a couple of sketches of different designs and gave them to her to choose which one she wanted and she chose one that had a flower on the toes with swirls around the sides.

I started with carpturing a crystal rivoli in some silver lined seed beads. The petals of the flower were going to be beaded in running stitch into the shoe, but when I put the rivoli onto the shoe it was quite fat.. and flat petals against a fat centre would have looked off. So I had to bead 3D petals onto the centre rivoli and THEN bead some flat petals under that. *Sigh*

But then I thought that the petals might catch on her dress, so I decided to sew the tip of the petals to the shoe, to avoid this problem from happening.

Nearly finished

Then I very, very, very, very drew the swirly patterns onto the shoes with lead pencil and beaded onto the shoes with silver lined 15 seed beads and 6mm crystal marguerite beads.

AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS!!! =D



She was really pleased with them and when I saw her mum again (2 weeks after I gave her the shoes) I asked her how she liked them etc etc. She said that they were exactly what she wanted and she wants them. She then said "By the way, the bridal shop wants some of you business cards."

Gobsmacked!!! She said that when she put the shoes on with the dress, the lady that worked at the store loved them so much that she wants some of my cards to put into the shop!

When I go to speak to them, I am going to buy 4 pair of shoes and on each of the shoes, bead a different pattern to put into the shop as a prototype. So that is my plan. Bead, bead and bead some more (just like I have always dreamed)

YAY!

Emma

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My epiphany!

OMG! Its been like 3  weeks since I have posted on here! Shame, shame, shame, Emma *smacks back of wrist* Haha! I have been uber busy lately (and uber stressed out) and my internet was cut off for a while, and I could use the internet at work (like what I am doing now..) but I had just lost some motivation but now Ima get off my high horse, suck up my problems and get on with life!!!
While beading a bracelet here today - Yes, I said I was at work, I bead when I am bored and finished all of my work ;) lol - I got this HUGE knot in my thread.. Now I don't know if I have mentioned this already, but I HATE ending and finishing new thread! Not what you thought I was going to say was it? Haha! Anyways, I would rather sit here with my needle and knot and work at unpicking it, than have to cut, end and start again..

I am usually pretty good at unpicking my knots from thread, as I have been doing it for so long, but THIS ONE however was a doosy! I had to put it down for an hour and then go back to it otherwise I probably would have thrown it. I finally got the knot out and then went to continue beading when I realised something..

Anyone remember my rant about my bendy needles???

This perfectly straight needle that I had started the project with was now all bendy with kinks in it.. NOW I KNOW WHERE THEY COME FROM!!! And it kinda bums me out that its my fault - coupled with the fact that it could have easily been avoided is just downright depressing.

Note to self: Knot = Bad.. and really.. they aren't worth the hassle!

Emma
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I need to be more gentle

When it comes to my beadwork, I have a bit of a short temper.. If something doesn't work out for me, I chuck the biggest thrombo ever! I have been known to scream, swear and - on some occasions - voilently throw my object across the room.. But I never actually stopped to think about who actually cops the most brutal thrashing of all...

My needles.

I am forever buying new needles because I keep breaking them from being too rough. I just finished a project that I was really proud of the other day and I took the tail thread off the needle and looked at my needle - it looked shocking! It hand more kinks and bends in it than a Friday night at a burlesque lounge! I had even somehow managed to ever-so-slightly bend the eye of the needle, smack bang in the centre, nearly closing the hole and now making it IMPOSSIBLE to thread onto another project..

I am in the middle of my first commission piece (excitement! more to come..) and I have just done the same thing! I realise now why I keep losing needles as well.. I don't lose them so to speak, the buggers run and hide so they don't suffer the same grizzly fate as their bretheren!!!

So, as my new order of business.. Ima TRY to start taking it a little easier when it comes to my projects. When something starts to bugger up on me, take a deep breath and walk outside for a break and some fresh air.. maybe make myself a cup of tea.. and again BREATHE! Hopefully, by doing so I will have plenty a straight needle to choose from when starting my next project!

Emma
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Taking Care of Business

WOW! What a hectic week I have had! Sunday I had a 12 hour heavy metal music festival, then work monday, tuesday, tuesday night I had the System of a down concert, work wednesday then Marilyn Manson concert wednesday night and work thurdsay, friday! Needless to say, I am SHATTERED but I have actually gotten some beading done lately =)

Firstly, I finished the kumihimo necklace that I started a while ago!

As you saw earlier, I did the rope using blue and brown delica beads. The focal piece is a large blue lace agate bezelled bead. The bail is made out of red tigers eye beads. There are 2 little blue lace agate beads and one 1 large red tigers eye bead at each end of the rope to add something a little different (not only that but I accidently made is too short.. WHOOPS!)

The second is a bracelet that I made to wear to afore mentioned music festival..

This is just a simple square stitch bracelet made to resemble the keys on a piano.
It is my own design it that probably took me about 5 seconds to design, and ALOT longer to put together.. This particular bracelet was a bit of a pain in the ass to bead because, I don't know why, but the thing kept breaking on me!!!
Either the thread was the thing that kept snapping or smack bang in the middle of the bracelet, the beads would break - too far away for me to pull apart to replace the broken bead.

The clasp is a 3 loop magnetic bar clasp that fits snuggly on my wrist. I am very pleased with this piece and I'm really glad how it turned out!

I do have a few other projects 'on the way' but they aren't finished enough to blog about yet ;) lol

Emma
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