The Bead Spot

I have an idea for a Halloween-themed bead project, but in order to get it to look right, I'll have to map it out on paper and create a pattern. That means a lot of time with colored pencils and graph paper, coloring, erasing and redrawing until I get it just right. It occurred to me, though, that perhaps there is software that could automate part of the process. So I did a Google search, and it turns out, there is. I have no idea why I never thought to look for this sort of software before. I like to hear from other beaders who use software to create patterns. What do you think of Easy Bead Patterns ,  Bead Tool , Bead Creator , Bead Canvas or Bead Wizard ? I'm mostly interested in Easy Bead Pattern, Bead Tool, Bead Canvas and Bead Wizard because of cost (Easy Bead Patterns is free; Bead Tool costs $45; Bead Wizard is $50; Bead Canvas costs $40; and Bead Creator ranges from $150-$250), but I'd like to hear opinions on any program. Is it useful? Is it worth the cost?

Fire Mountain Gems Giveaway Because of a tweet, I found out Fire Mountain Gems is having a giveaway. You enter through the shop's  Facebook page for free supplies. The first giveaway is today. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll be among the winners, but I still wish good luck to everyone else who enters, too. Stretchy String Not Good I made some children's necklaces out of wooden beads and stretchy string one day last week and gave one to my toddler. Within minutes, she had the stretchy string stretched out so that there are now some huge gaps between the beads. I think next time, I'm going to use monofilament. Deer Skin Project On Hold A few months ago, I mentioned  that I was stitching beads onto deer skin for the first time. I got into a rhythm with attaching the beads, but it was slow going and the further along I got in the project, the more I wished that I had used a different color. The brown of the skin and of the beads is just too close. I th

I made this bracelet on a loom a little over a year ago. Overall, I like the way it looks, but I think it needs something on the edges. I'm thinking a black fringe might be just the thing. Putting it on, though, is easier said than done. When I worked the warp threads back through it, I wound up passing through the edge beads several times on both ends. As a result, I cannot fit one more thread through the beads at the far ends. I've tried several times. This was my first loom project of this type in several years, so I had forgotten just how crowded the edges can become. Lesson learned. Next time, I'll try to better plan where I weave the warp threads to prevent this problem. The only questions I have are: Is this bracelet hopeless? Should I just break it down so I can save the beads? Or do I see if anyone one Etsy might be interested in buying it without the fringe? Any thoughts?