Challenge---Paper Beads!

Two years ago I got into a beading funk.  I just couldn't decide if I wanted to keep beading as a part of my life or just move onto something else.  Even though I had been doing it so long I felt I needed to know more.  So I began to challenge myself to learn things that I felt would be difficult to learn.  I took classes in wire work, crochet wire, and I even started viewing some tutorials and began to make my own beads out of paper!

To this day I still love paper beads, and even though I realize my heart is dedicated to bead weaving, especially netting, I do enjoy the theraputic feel of creating paper beads.

There are two major website I follow; http://paperbeads.org/ and http://www.paperbeadgirl.com/index.html.  Both of these websites taught me a lot and they are chocked full of videos and great ideas for making paper beads. 

You first want to get some supplies, which both sites sell by the way.  A rolling tool is necessary and of course some paper to get the ball rolling.  Below are some examples of rolling tools.

The metal ones are from http://www.paperbeadgirl.com/index.html.  As you can see in the closeup there is a little open ridge in the metal one.  That is where you insert the paper before rolling it tightly.  The wooden ones slide open so that you can remove the paper bead after you have made it and it allows you to insert the paper. The wooden ones are from http://paperbeads.org/.  They are cute with their paper bead handles! 
I have both because sometimes different types of paper react better on one than the other.

Strips of paper are then cut into long triangular shapes which when rolled will give you a saucer like shape. Triangular paper gives you the saucer shape, but you can experiment with other shapes of paper as long as they are long they can be rolled into cones and other shapes! At http://www.paperbeadgirl.com/index.html she sells several templates which create different shapes including the one below.

Next you will need some type of glue which you will put on the very end of the bead to secure it after you have rolled it tightly.  There are many types which you can purchase.  Also http://www.paperbeadgirl.com/index.html sells their own sealant which is museum quality.  I have not tried it as of yet, but will be purchasing it soon. 

After you have glued them together you can then dip them into a glaze which makes them water resistant. At  http://paperbeads.org/ they sell a wonderful glaze which I have used for quite some time now.  I love the way it hardens the beads and gives them a glass like finish!  I usually dip them 5 or 6 times.  I love the glossiness!!!!

Here are some examples of paper beads. 

The black and white ones are the side of a Sephora department store bag, the orange and yellow ones were a magazine ad, and the black ones are origami paper with bronze leafing. 

Below is some jewelry I made with the paper beads.

Note----The glaze makes them water resistant, not waterproof.  This means you can wear them in the rain, where they may get slightly wet, but you should not shower or place them directly in water.

So challenge yourself and make some paper beads!

Tools and Things February 7, 2013

It is hard to believe that I have been beading for over 20 some odd years now! 

I feel like beading is one of those things that you never really know everything.  The minute you think you got all the stitches down, something new comes along or your brain allows you to think of something that really shakes things up!!!!

Since I have been beading as long as I have, I have collected over the years an assortment of tools which have helped me during my journey.  I think that each week I will pick one of those tools and let you know how it benefited me in my beading quest.

So, first up I've decided to review Wubbers Looping Pliers!

 

I come from the world of bead weaving, but every now and then, and that time is coming soon, I have a project which involves wire and making loops.  I hate making loops!  They never seem to come out perfect when I free hand them, and I love symmetry and perfection too much to create anything less.  With that said theWubbers Looping Pliers get you as close to perfection as your gonna get!

Here are some things you should know about them.

• They are a little over 5 inches and the handle feels comfortable to the hand.  It is soft and easy to handle, especially for someone like me who has small hands.
• They were specifically designed to wrap loops and to make eye pins.
• These wire loopers consist of 1 round jaw and 1 curved jaw.  I know I have seen some out there with more than one sized jaw, but through the years I have realized that I have only really used or needed 1 size.  Not saying that you wouldn't need another, but for eye pins and wrapped looped you usually just need one size. 
• They grip tightly without making grooves or ridges in the wire.
• 20 gauge wire is best to use with this tool.  A few times I tried 18 gauge and it almost destroyed the tool by stretching the 2 jaws apart a little. 20 gauge dead soft or artistic wire is best. 
• Unfortunately, practice is still needed, but the result that is achieved is best, and it still was not as long as the practice I needed when I was trying to free hand them ( I still can't do it!!!).  Practice on cheap wire until you have developed a system for yourself.  I'm a lefty so everything works differently when I do it!

The above video shows how they work.  Let me know what you think and if you have used them before what are your thoughts on them.

Happy Beading!

New In My Etsy Store February 6, 2013

This week I added 2 new items to my Etsy store. 

I had been thinking about peyote stitch and wanted to do something that had a pattern.  I love it when you see peyote bracelets and they have pictures or just different geometric shapes.  I aspire to make something like this one day when my brain can calm down and I learn how to follow the patterns or have patience to create some of my own.  I realize I am a visual learner.  I have read patterns before on this but don't seem to grasp the concept of how to do it, so if anyone knows of any video tutorials, please let me know!!!!

In the meantime I figured out how to create a block pattern and this is what I came up with.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122145421/black-white-red-beadwoven-peyote-cuff

 

I loved making this bracelet!  The challenge for myself was to make the clasp out of the same peyote stitch.  I have done this with other pieces, but keeping it with the pattern was new for me.  I love the way it came out!

 

 

As most of you know I love Tila beads, and I also love netting!  I have combined the two before but this time I was thinking more on creating a wedding necklace.  I think because it is February my thoughts have turned to love, and decided to create a new wedding section for my Etsy store.  This will be the first piece to start the collection.

 



https://www.etsy.com/listing/122752127/ivory-white-netted-tila-bead-wedding

 

Enjoy your day!

The Bead District

Living here in NYC during the winter can become depressing!  It is cold and there is not much sunlight.  The streets are gray, and peoples attitudes can be more somber than usual.  When the weather is like this, I like to go down to the bead district for a quick pick me up. 

The bead district runs for several blocks in Manhattan between 33rd and 42nd street between 5th avenue and Broadway.  There are several stores which are on the side streets and the avenues that I love to visit. 

My first stop is usually at City Beads, which is located on 15 West 37th streets, between 5th and 6th avenues.  They have really good prices on thread and seed beads.  I like to use specific seed beads which are very uniform and they carry what I need in several colors and sizes at an affordable price. They also have a really nice collection of Preciosa crystal.  I also enjoy the sales help here.  The ladies who work there seem genuinely interesting in what you are doing with the beads and are always so encouraging when you talk to them about your latest project!    You can find them on the internet at http://citybeadsny.com/index.html.

Second I make a stop at Toho Shoji.  There I purchase some items in bulk and receive a nice discount doing it!!!  Now, this store can be a little overwhelming, and I often feel like a kid in a candy store because there is so much variety!

I usually shop there and get discounted tila beads, and Swarovski crystals.  They also have a good selection on quality glass pearls and fresh water pearls in all different colors as well as findings and beading needles in all different sizes.   As you can tell from the pics they have a large selection of just about anything you might need in a two story building! They are located on  990 Avenue of the Americas(6th avenue, between 36th and 37th street)

 



I then head over to 39th street where there are several stores on both sides of the street.  The one I frequent the most is Fun to Bead.  They have a nice selection of Toho seed beads and also Chinese crystals which are very good quality. They also give bulk discounts and have a nice supply of beading tools such as jump ring makers and craft lamps.  They are located at 1028 6th Avenue.  They can be found on the web at http://www.fun2bead.com/.

Next on our bead trek is Beads World, located on 1384 Broadway between 37th and 38th street.

You can find anything here from feathers to displays. Seed beads in large bulk bags in every color and size greet you at the door, and their swarovski inventory is amazing! They are online at http://www.beadsworldusa.com/
When I reach this point in the trip I am usually very happy because I have received some pretty nice buys and can't wait to get home and start working!!!!!

If you are ever in New York and want to go bead shopping, let me know.  I would personally like to give you a tour!

Blue

Two weeks ago I started an early spring cleaning in my beading workspace.  When it got to my bead storage I started to do an inventory on what types of bead colors I purchase the most and found out that I have more blue beads in my collection than any other color. 

I have blues which range from navy to cobalt and also aqua and turquoise which are in the blue family....I counted over 100 vials of beads ranging in different sizes!  I was very shocked to find this, considering blue isn't even my favorite color.  Then I started thinking maybe it's how those blue colors make me feel.  When I look at blue I feel calm.  I also think of the beach and the ocean and how much I love going there.  Turquoise also makes me think of my days as a college student in Long Island when me and my friend Christine, use to buy a lot of Turquoise jewelry.  We would go into the village of Southampton and buy necklaces and earrings and we were always attracted to silver and turquoise. 

During the holiday break my friend Christine and I connected and she purchased a pair of turquoise earrings in my Etsy store....she said it bought back memories of our school days as well! 

Earrings my friend Christine purchased from my Etsy store

 

These are more of a green turquoise, but nevertheless still in the turquoise family. 

 

My husband loves blue...especially cobalt, which I seem to have a lot of in my bead stash.  I made this tila bead necklace with him in mind.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122032036/cobolt-blue-tila-bead-netted-beadwoven

 

 

I researched the meaning of the color blue online and this is what I found at http://crystal-cure.com/blue.html 

 

Color Blue

Blue is the coolest color - the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli to represent heaven. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. Blue is often the chosen color by conservative people. Blue is the calming color. That makes it a wonderful color to use in the home, especially for babies. Blue is so soothing that is a good choice for pajamas. Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation. A blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. Wednesday's color is blue. Blue gemstones to wear to feel calm are blue sapphire and blue topaz. Lapis lazuli and azurite are said to heighten psychic power. Turquoise is the symbol of youth, both the color and the gemstone. This color has a soothing affect. Turquoise is the color of communication. It contains the growth quality of green with the blue quality of communication. Turquoise has long been used in amulets to provide protection, health, confidence and strength. Aqua is the color of high ideals. Blue Energy Blue gives a feeling of distance. Artists use it to to show perspective. This is a good way to understand the energy of the color blue - it allows us to look beyond and increase our perspective outward. It contains a cool vibration that is helpful to communication. The vibration if blue can be used to open energy flow where it is blocked. Using blue to relax will encourage feelings of communication and peace. Put some blue in your life when you want: calm and relaxation to counteract chaos or agitation to open the flow of communication to broaden your perspective in learning new information solitude and peace Blue gem stone properties Blue gemstones promote peace and are used to calm ragged emotions. They are used to provide relief to people who have difficulty sleeping or who have nightmares. They offer inspiration and enhance the quality of communication.

 

Very Interesting!!!!

 

Here is some more jewelry I made using blue and turquoise!

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/94602335/turquoise-netted-beadwoven-necklace-with

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/107902120/long-dangle-bluegreen-and-gold-pierced

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/118391519/blue-crystal-netted-beadwoven-necklace

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/118516819/turquoise-and-teal-netted-beadwoven

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 



Beading and Winter

It is now the middle of January already and the days are becoming gloomy and gray.  All of this gray weather has made it difficult for me to feel motivated to do anything, so instead of beading with dark colors I have decided to alleviate the gloom by working in bright colors!!!! As some of you know I LOVE netted jewelry!

Egyptian necklace displayed in the Metropolitan Museum

 

I first fell in love with netted jewelry at the Metropolitan Museum here in New York City.  The Egypt room there is filled with art and jewelry from ancient Egyptian times.  When I first saw the netted jewelry there it made me think of beaded lace.  Egyptians used beads, shells and metal pieces to weave there magic into fantastic statement pieces just like the one above!

So this week I used my love of netting and some bright colors to lift my spirits and made the following,

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120483419/yellow-and-orange-seed-bead-netted

 

 

I love the way that netting feels and looks like lace in this necklace!  The colors are bright and sunny, and helped me through a very gray and rainy day. 

 

Here are some other netting pieces I created.

 



 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112268576/yellow-mustard-tila-bead-netted

 

 



 https://www.etsy.com/listing/98492195/topaz-and-mustard-yellow-tila-bead

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/94608105/bronze-tila-bead-netted-beadwoven

 

Catching Up..........The Holiday Season

This past year the holiday season seemed to pass by so quickly.  I know it has been awhile since I have blogged but decided to catch everyone up on what has been going on with us. 

Let's go back to Thanksgiving.  This was the first time in about 20 years that I did not cook Thanksgiving dinner.  The kids were unable to come home because of work responsibilities and so it was just me and the hubby. 

It was the first time I ever in life went out to dinner for Thanksgiving!!!  We went to Neely's Barbecue and the food was fantastic!!!!

 

In case you didn't know, Pat and Gina Neely and their family own and operate own several BBQ restaurants in Tennessee.  They also have a show on the food network, Down Home with the Neely's.  I am a huge fan of their show so I just had to try their restaurant! 

 

We had reservations and were seated right away near a romantic fireplace.  We ordered the Thanksgiving pre fixe dinner.  It felt as if my grandmother cooked for us!!!!  Smoked Turkey, stuffing, candied yams, southern green beans and to finish it off a huge slice of pumpkin pie with whip cream!!! The meal was just too delicious to describe!  We decided to walk home afterward because we were totally stuffed!

 

The one thing I like about the holiday season in New York is how decoratively lit the city becomes.  The walk from Neely's was over 30 city blocks but we enjoyed the lights and each other's company.

 

Lights on Bloomingdale's....yes they are that bright!

 

Christmas came so quickly!  My daughter was able to visit and we had a great time Christmas eve.  It is our tradition to have a nice meal Christmas eve, and then go out and see the tree in Rockefeller Center. We then walk home to see all the city lights one last time as a family! 

 





 

Some of my favorite people and the tree in Rockefeller Center

 

New Years came so quickly!  My husband and I stayed in but my daughter went out and partied with friends! 

 

Reflecting back it seems almost as if it was a dream.  The holiday's came and went in a flash!  I hope that everyone out there had a safe and happy holiday and will have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!  And to all my beading friends....HAPPY BEADING in 2013!