The Bead Spot

A few weeks ago, I went to a Joann Fabric and Craft store for the first time in years, and I found these two items: On the left are some connectors for making eyeglass lanyards, which have recently made my to-do list. One of my aunts used to make them, and back then, I used to think, "I just don't see why anyone would want that." However, now that I need reading glasses myself and realize how often a person has to put them on and take them off, I can see just how practical eyeglass lanyards can be. On the right are some clasps I found on clearance. I'm not sure how they work, or even if they work, since I haven't opened the package yet, but hey, they were on sale. On my to-try list is this item I found while flipping through a Fire Mountain Gems catalog that came in the mail, Tuesday: I am intrigued by this. I can't wear earrings for more than a day because they always irritate my ear lobes. But if this works as promised, I could wear my own e...

Screen grab from a Facebook group for seed bead fans. I recently joined a couple of beadwork-related Facebook groups. I love seeing what people make in my feed mixed in along with posts about which of my high school classmates recently became a grandparent. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to look for some FB beading connections sooner. The best part is that I can get feedback fairly quickly. If I'm working on a project and cannot decide between two shades of green, I can post a photo of what I have so far and the two colors, ask for other group members to weigh in, and within a couple of hours, I'll have enough responses to feel like I'm making the best choice. But there is a small downside: Most of the people in the group, I feel, are much more skilled designers than I am, and I cannot help but feel like an amateur compared to them. But I also feel like they inspire me.

When I don't shop in stores for beads, I order online, which might make looking forward to getting catalogs seem a little pointless. But I look forward to each and every one. There is something to be said about the print format. One of my favorite catalogs is the  Fire Mountain Gems  big book. Like other catalogs, it has page after page of beads, string, wire, tools and other materials, but also, sprinkled all throughout are photos of completed jewelry. Instructions might not be available for all projects shown, but even without the step-by-step, beaders can draw inspiration from what they see. The big book also often contains the color forecast guide shown here, which has a perforated edge so that crafters can tear it out and take it with them wherever they bead. The chart shows predicted fall/winter and spring/summer color trends through summer 2014. I have yet to put much effort in selling my work, but when I'm ready to give it a shot, having a guide for color trends will...

Bead stoppers are tightly wound metal springs with loops on each end. Beaders thread the end of their stringing material through the stoppers to keep beads from sliding off of the string. As a cheaper alternative, some beaders (myself included) just tie a bead that stands out from the ones they're using in their project to the end of the thread. This is called a stop bead.

I'm still having trouble getting a decent photo of my beadwork when the beads are shiny. I looked everywhere on my camera for the option to take it from automatic to manual settings, but I don't see anything that will let me do that. I don't know that I can really get a better photo without the aid of the camera's automatic settings, but I thought that with more options available, I might be able to find a combination that works. Hopefully, one day I'll get the hang of it -- without having to buy a new camera.

For any beaders, myself included, who love to look at bead books but can't afford to buy them, here is a little tip. Many public libraries participate in interlibrary loan, a program through which patrons have access to books that their local library might not carry. I'm not sure how many people are aware of that service; until I worked in libraries myself in my 20s, I had no idea the program existed. My husband didn't know it existed until he met me and I told him about it, and it's really come in handy for both of us because our local library is small, has a rather dated selection of craft books and doesn't get new books in very often. If there's a bead book (or a book on any other topic in which you have an interest) that your local library doesn't have, it's worth the time to ask the staff if you can get it through interlibrary loan. I've worked in three different libraries, all of which offered the service and none of them charged for it...

I thought I'd do this week's tutorial a little differently. Rather than give instructions on how to do a stitch, I'm going to give a few tips. While they work well for me, they might not for everyone, based on personal preference and how you like to hold your work, etc. I'm open to any other suggestions, too, from people who read this, so feel free to comment with your own tips. Even if the project doesn't call for it, I always leave enough of a "tail" at the beginning of my string that I can hold it between my index and middle fingers. This helps me to keep the thread taut. (I hold my work with my thumb and ring finger.) When using a stretchy or monofilament stringing material, I like these needles best. They'll stand up to the weight of the string better than anything else. Pulling the string very fast through the beads make it more likely to tangle. It won't happen every time, but for me, it's often enough that I find that having to s...

Yet again, I've made only marginal progress on my latest project. My baby girl was sick recently, and the first day she was sick -- last Tuesday -- she spent the bulk of the day sleeping. I got quite a bit done that day, hence the progress I made last week . However, on Wednesday and Thursday, she spent most of the day wanting to be held. She still slept more than usual, but not enough for me to drag out my beading table. I've done one more row over last week. That's it. I did find a way to take my beading with me to work, though. As I mentioned in my May 30 post , I had taken the bracelet to work but spent most of my lunch trying to unravel the thread. Since then, I've carried it with me, but rather than just dumping it all in my bag, I wrap it around a rolled up sheet of paper towel, just as if it were on a spool, then I fold the paper in half, leaving the beadwork on the outside. So far, it's held up to being hauled back and forth. Yay!

Every now and then, I like to branch out and try other online bead stores, but I still get quite a bit from Fire Mountain Gems . Not too long ago, I discovered it has a page for user-submitted tips, which cover subjects such as organizing your beads, findings, marketing and the different types of stringing materials. It's worth checking out by beaders of all skill levels. For a direct link, click here .