A BEADERS CONUNDRUM by: Cathy Scott

While I ponder my creation, And see it in my mind, I wonder what kind of beads, To implement in my design.

The possibilities are endless, A palette of a color fair, A blank canvas for the beads, That I may choose to wear.

Should they be made of wood, Or glass or bone or shell, Maybe I'll use some gemstones, And some acrylic beads as well.

Perhaps I'll use only metal, And mix the different colors, I adore the look they have, Nestled next to one another.

Maybe I should string some pearls, And scatter in a few crystals, Even add some shell or bone, And some gemstones shaped like lentils.

Oh my imagination is soring, My mind is working fast, I must decide which beads to use, To fulfill my creative task.

I have now, at last, decided, I will implement them all, A creation of a multi-strand, Just as my minds eye saw.

I hope you enjoyed the poem.  I do enjoy writing them. 

I believe that I am a very unorthodox beader.  I have to be in a creative mood in order to make an exceptional piece of jewelry that I can design from beginning to end.  I see the design in my head and try to bring it to life using my hands and the wire, beads, and clasp.  I measure nothing, I draw nothing.  What I see in my mind is precisely what I try to create and I do it by eyeing it.  The exciting part, for me, is that I know precisely how to make the piece simply from my imagination.  That always astounds me.  Fortunately I have been able to do this from the first day I began to make jewelry.  The techniques I use to actually make the pieces, I have learned from tutorials and books.  But the designs are usually totally mine.  Although I will admit that I often look at jewelry in stores and if I see something I want to make I will keep the over all look in mind but will tweak it to make it my own.  I don't do that very often unless the piece is something exceptional and one I really would like to have.  I'm uncomfortable doing that because, I feel,  it isn't truly my design.  But nonetheless, I have done it from time to time.

The selection of beads available to make your designs can be truly overwhelming.  I personally have no problem mixing glass, acrylic, bone, gemstone, metal, or wood together in one piece.  I believe that mixing the different textures gives the jewelry more depth and interest.  However, I will admit that the texture of the beads chosen should be predicated on the way in which you are going to wear the piece or pieces.  If you are designing something for formal wear you would probably want to choose beads with consistency of texture and style.  While pieces made for daily or casual wear can be extremely unpredictable and fun.

If you are just beginning to try your hand at beading and are unsure of what types of beads you would like to use.  Go on-line and visit some of the jewelry supply stores and buy assortments.  You can get assortments in many materials from gemstone to acrylic.  I buy these often because they usually contain samplings of different sizes or colors.  I hope you have enjoyed this post and have gleaned a little insight into jewelry making.  Until my next post, "Happy Beading".

FINDINGS-CLASPS

I realize that when many people think of a clasp it is thought of as simply a way to close two ends of a necklace or bracelet. Although functionality is an intricate part of a design however, the clasp should also compliment the overall design of the piece. They are used not only as the ending for you beading projects but can also be used as the focal point of a design. Just as an artist selects the colors for his palette and the subject of his painting so should you select the components for your designs. Versatility, functionality, and uniqueness should be three of the primary factors involved in your interpretation of a courtier piece.

If you are designing jewelry for yourself or perhaps to give as gifts to friends, then you will know what lengths that you or your friends would need . However, if your designing to sell your work to others then the pieces should be made to appeal to a larger group of people. For example: if your making bracelets, design them with an extender attached. A bracelet made for a small wrist of say 6 inches with a 1 inch extender can be transformed into a 7 inch bracelet. This will appeal not only to those with small wrist but also to a larger group of ladies with a medium wrist size. The same applies to making necklaces always add an extender so that the necklace can be worn shorter or longer. You may want to wear a necklace short under a blouse with a high collar, however, you would probably want it longer with a turtle neck top. Be creative with the extenders add beads or charms. You could even use particular beads or charms with all your pieces that would identify your work. Use your imagination and be very creative.

There is a plethora of clasps designs to choose from, Toggle, Hook & Eye, S Hook, Magnetic, Tab, Lobster Claw, Fish Hook, Spring Ring, and Locking Slides, just to name a few and all come in single or multi strands. However, one of my favorite clasps is the Hook & Eye design. I favor these for both bracelets and for necklaces. The simple and easy function of this clasps seems to be very appealing to a large number of people and is a wonderful selling point to anyone who may have any kind of dexterity problems with their hands or fingers. Toggles and Magnetic clasps would also fit into this category. Be thoughtful and creative when designing your pieces and you will have much success.

ODE TO A JUMPRING by: Cathy Scott

Oh little rings of silver or gold, That glimmer in the light, Their simplicity as they shine, A finding of much delight.

They attach our beads to each, Or maybe to a wire, And allow them to swing to and fro, A designer's hears desire.

When I first began to use them, I wondered, How hard can it be, To open and close this precious wire, And attach it to a bead.

I opened up my first Jumpring, And placed on both beaded wires, And tried to close it back again, Using two pair of pliers.

The purveyor of the beaded links, To my beads I did attach, When I picked it up and looked at it, I had not closed it back.

Undeterred by this observation, I opened the ring once more, I thought I'd closed it back again, But my beads feel to the floor.

The frustration from my failure, Began to erode my composure, For no matter how hard I tried, I could not make the closure.

What was once a pristine ring, Had become scarred and mangled, I was determined to conquer this, And give my bling its dangle.

As the day began to falter, And the light was growing dim, I took out another ring to bead, And with hope for success, I'd win.

In my struggle to close it back, I think I yelled some expletive deleted, Oh little ring of rounded wire, I will not be defeated.

The battle went on for hours, But my skills began to grow, And finally, through dedication, I conquered this wiry foe.

My design had finally come to life, With jumpring unmarred and closed, Now I wear my jewelry proudly, And design it to match my clothes.

Do not give up easily when your trying to learn something new. I had a most difficult time trying to learn how to close jumprings. But no matter how frustrated I became I never stopped trying. I was unaware that the Internet offered many opportunities for beginners to learn the basics through on-line tutorials. Most of what I have learned came from trial and error, mostly error.
Go on-line and visit tutorials that give you insight into jewelry making techniques. I just visited one at http://www.etsy.com/, then click on the blog Jamberrysong's creations. She has a great tutorial for making your own headpins. Check out other tutorials at beading suppliers web sites. Most have free tutorials and many have design ideas that are free. I can't stress enough the importance of utilizing the free lessons offered by these companies. I visit them often just to make sure that I am making my designs correctly and making myself aware of the techniques used by the experts. This also will give you the opportunity to browse through their catalogs and provide you the ability to decide what beads or findings are available for your next project. Check out the sales and clearance buys while your there. Buy jewelry making craft books and magazines. What I have learned from books, magazines, & tutorials, I feel is priceless. To give you an example, I love wire wrapping and everything I have learned has come from either a book or an on-line tutorial. I've made pendents, wire wrapped bead earrings, and rings some which are adjustable. These are made with plated wire. However, I believe I have now progressed enough to work on an hand carved 40mm Italian cameo which I intend to wire wrap using sterling silver wire. Believe it or not the cameo only cost $20.00 and she's a real beauty. There isn't a jewelry store anywhere, that I know of, that you could but this cameo for less than several hundred. I'll post her picture when I get her completed. Until next time, I wish you happy beading.

ANOTHER FINDING

The Jumpring is a must, it gives the design a finished look and connects the pieces to clasps or anything else your trying to connect. When I first began beading I was totally intimidated by these little guys. I simply could not get them closed tight enough to hold my beaded wires. It got to the point where I dubbed them the "Dreded Jumpring", my "Arch Nemesis". I began to believe that, there was a good possibility, I might be, "Jumpring Impared". So frustrated, I wrote a poem about it called "ODE TO THE JUMPRING". Determined and undaunted by this obivious deficiency, I worked tirelessly to learn to close these precious rings and became very successful at it. I learned if you twist the ends away from each other several times this will increase the tension in the wire. Doing this will give you a tighter fit. If you are a beginning beader, do not be frightened by my tall tale of woe. There is a little implement called a "Jumpring Tool". This is a wide band that is placed on the finger, it has different size slots for different size jumprings. Just insert the jumpring into the correct size slot and turn the jumpring to open or close. Very simple and very easy to use. I now own one and use it all the time. This wonderful tool cost between $1.00 to $2.50 and it's worth every penny, in my opinion. Jumprings come in many different sizes and shapes and are sold in millimeters for diameter and the wire is measured by the wire gauge. There is such a variety, I suggest you go on line and check out all the different styles available at the beading suppliers web sites and maybe purchase an assortment.

FINDINGS CONTINUED

Head pins and eye pins are used to connect beads together or to other findings. Two of the most familiar usages would be in beading earrings and in making pendents. They are sold in inches for length and in wire gauge for dimention. Wire gauge is the opposite of what one may think. For example: A 24 gauge wire would be much smaller that an 18 gauge. So the larger the number in wire gauge the smaller the wire. They are usually sold in lengths from 3/4 inch to 4 inches. I usually buy the 4 inch head pin and take the unused portion of the wire to make a eye pin or pins. These pins are normally sold in packs of 100 if your buying the plated wires and depending on the length and the gauge of the wire the cost for a package can be $1.00 to $9.00. Or if your really creative you can buy plated wire by the roll and make your own head pins and eye pins. I always keep a roll of gold & silver plated wire in 18, 20, & 21 gauge for making head pins and eye pins, and ear wires. I personally like mixing different colors of metals and when I began beading I bought rolls of copper wire from our local hardware store so I could make my own head pins & eye pins in copper. Learning to wrap, bend, and manipulate the wires can only be learned through practice. So watch videos on the internet to learn the basics. These tutorials are offered for free at many beading suppliers web sites. Order a few catalogs from different suppliers, many are free or are free if you place an order, buy some wire and practice, practice practice.

FINDINGS

I consider findings as any component used to hold your jewelry designs together. Crimp beads are one of these findings and is mandatory if your beading necklaces and bracelets on beading wire. Crimp beads come in different sizes to use on different size wires. I usually buy either gold or silver plated crimp beads in a variety pack which has four (4) different sizes. Each size is in it's own vial and each pack contains 600 beads and cost $7.65. You will also need a pair of crimp pliers which can cost from $8.00 to $15.00. This is the tool used to close the crimp bead over the end of the wire to end the strand. Crimps can also be used to hold beads in place on a strand. Here are the crimp bead sizes I buy and the size wires they will fit. Beading wire comes in sizes which is the diameter of the wire measured in inches. Size 0 to 1 crimp bead will fit a wire 0.010 to 0.013 this wire size is used for light weight beads. Size 1 crimps also fits 0.010 to 0.021 which is light to medium weight beads. Size 2 crimp beads fits beading wire 0.021 to 0.024 which is for medium to heavy weight beads and size 3 fits 0.024 to 0.036 which is heavy to very heavy beads. The sizes I have used for the crimp beads are based on the sizes which I buy in the variety pack. Crimps purchased from other sellers may have sizes by millimeter for example 1.5x1mm. You can also get crimp tubes, crimp tubes with hooks, and crimp tubes with loops. Choosing the one you use is totally up to the designer and the look you are trying to achieve. Look through catalogs, beading magazines, and jewelry craft books for ideas and inspiration.

BASIC TOOLS & FINDINGS FOR JEWELRY MAKERS

If your following my blog, in my first post, I talked about basic tools for jewelry makers. Those are chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, end cutters, and side cutters. These five tools can be purchased in economy sets and can cost from $7.00 up to $20.00. Other tools that are necessary are crimp pliers used to end your necklaces or bracelets by closing the crimp bead over the beading wire. A pair of these can cost from $8.00 to $15.00. A bead reamer is another basic. This tool will smooth the inside of a gemstone or glass bead. All beads are not precisely drilled. It cleans out any debre left inside by the drilling and can smooth the inside and rim of the beading holes. This tool is extremely necessary if you are working with real pearls and some gemstones. The bead reamer will cost between $2.00 to $6.00. Two other tools are a bead board which allows you to lay out, measure, and change your design before beading and "Tool Magic" this is a rubber coating which you apply to your pliers only (not cutters) that prevents the wire from getting scared while your bending and manipulating the wires. For the beading board I will suggest buying the larger size which usually measures 21 inches by 10 1/2 inches. The larger size allows the designer to create not only the short but also the longer length necklaces. The price of this size beading board cost between $3.00 up to $6.00. The price of the "Tool Magic" is $4.00 to $7.00.