The Bead Spot

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.

Some of my beadwork is seen through the magnifier on a new floor lamp my husband bought for me. My husband surprised me with a combination light/magnifier that I can use while working on my crafts! How sweet is he? It has a flexible arm that can be positioned however I need it to be. It also stands firmly on the floor, which I love, because every time I've had a light on my table, I've knocked it over or have accidentally knocked it into my beads, which is never a fun cleanup. One section has a stronger magnification than the rest of the glass, which I assume I'll be using a lot as I work with my seed beads. I also love how big the magnification glass is. When I've beaded before, using my reading glasses to see my beads or doing (more often) without glasses altogether, I could only see a small section in detail at once. But this magnifier is big enough to show a large area, making it easier to see how all the pieces fit together. I'm so excited! We...

1st snowman attempt using Beader's Canvas My daughter liked the jack-o-lantern necklace I made for her so much that I've wanted to create another glow-in-the-dark necklace for her for winter, and what better project, I thought, than a snowman? On Sunday, I tried to map out a snowman's head on Beader's Canvas , and after having done so, I no longer think that it will make a good necklace. I think a full snowman, using the glow-in-the-dark pony beads I have, would be too big, but if I create only a snowman head, I'm not sure people will get that it's a snowman instead of just some guy with a top had and a very red nose. I might still try it, but I think that ultimately, the project will just be a wall hanging.

Earlier this week, I bought this handy little gadget at Big Lots . My aunt, who also does beadwork, was using one when my daughter and I dropped by for a visit a few days earlier. I've tried several types of lamps to get decent lighting for beadwork and other craft projects, but each had its own shortcoming. Moving the living room lamp, for instance, left the rest of the room too dark. A lamp I had that could be clamped to a table came apart, and the flexible flashlight I bought worked great but was too easy to knock over. This headlamp, though, gives off enough light and can be adjusted to shine just where I need it without making the rest of the room dark or running the risk of knocking it over into a pile of beads. I love it. I don't know why it never occurred to me to look for something like this sooner.

As I tried to figure out how to make feather earrings a few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to do some in-depth work with Beader's Canvas  software. The Pluses Size Adjustments : One of the biggest challenges in plotting out a pattern by hand on graph paper is that all beads are not made the same, but all squares on graph paper are. Some beads are perfectly round, some are wider than they are long, and some are longer than they are wide. That means that a pattern will vary according to the type and size of bead used. Beader's Canvas allows for that, with the dimensions for Miyuki beads, including Delicas, and Toho beads already programmed in. Users can simply select the type (I used Delicas) and the size of the on-screen graph automatically adjusts. If you aren't using Miyukis or Tohos, you can manually enter the dimensions needed. Stitch Switch : I first started the feather project in square stitch, but unhappy with how all attempts were turning out, I sw...

My wonderful husband, who reads my blog to give me feedback, surprised me with Bead Canvas , one of the few bead design software programs I mentioned in a September post . Here's a screenshot: Bead Canvas screenshot I haven't had much chance to work with it yet, with the holidays, snowstorms, freezing temps and nephews' basketball games all affecting my schedule, but so far, I'm very pleased with it! Setting the size of a project is as easy as setting up a table — set the rows and the columns — and assigning colors is as simple as dragging the tool across the cells you want. Users can change the format between brick, peyote, herringbone, loom, square and 3-drop gourd. I haven't made any patterns I intend to make yet; I've just been tinkering, trying to see how versatile it is. Once I have more experience with it, I'll do a follow-up review.

Over the last few weeks, my toddler has had a tummy bug -- twice -- and I've had pneumonia. My husband has had to work extra to make up for sick co-workers, my sister had a baby, and wasn't there a holiday in there somewhere? In short, I've worked on no crafts at all in that time. But there is one thing I did do: I downloaded and installed Inkscape , software recommended by a reader a few months ago that can be used for charting bead patterns. I'm very eager to view the tutorial on 3Dbeading.com that she also mentioned. (Thank you, Merris Hawk!) I can't wait to do some patterns, and I love that the free software is available. Once I get the hang of it, it will come in handy for more than just beadwork. (Also, thanks to Debra Wilson for her tip on Gimp . I downloaded that one, too, and it helped me to work from home when a snowstorm blew through where I live this past week.)

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? ...

Usually made of metal, lobster clasps have a long body and a half-circle hook, a segment of which can move to open and close the hook. That segment is operated by a spring-powered lever located on the outside of the hook. Users push the lever up or down to open the clasp, then let go, which causes the moveable segment of the hook to snap shut, much like a lobster snaps its pinchers.

Split rings look just like key rings, only much smaller. Like jump rings, split rings can be used to connect parts of a jewelry piece together, but because of their tight spiral design, they're much more secure, making them a good choice to hang charms from. Also because of their spiral design, split rings can be tough to separate. That's where split ring pliers come in. One end of the nose of the pliers has a notch for separating the bands of the split ring. I've had some success opening split rings just by sliding my thumbnail between bands of the ring, but that doesn't always work.

Typically made of metal, crimp beads come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors to best match your beadwork. With the pair of pliers or crimping tool, beaders mash the sides of the crimp bead together to block beads from sliding and/or to secure the stringing material (typically tigertail or similar material).

Tigertail is a coated cable made up of strands of braided steel. Its coating making it a good choice for sharp-edged beads. More flexible than wire but not as bendy as string, tigertail works best in projects that do not require the stringing material to make sharp turns or several passes through the same bead.

Tools and supplies for jewelry makers (and other crafters). Examples include (but are far from limited to) clasps, jump rings, earring hooks, crimp beads and bails.

Flush cutters are cutting tool with blades off to the side of its mouth, allowing beaders to cut their stringing material much closer to their work than a pair of scissors does.

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 published the following post a few weeks ago, then my husband pointed out that I forgot to include the photo of my looms. So here is this post again, with the missing photo.) I wish there was a place where I could try out the loom on this link . For years, I’ve looked at it at Fire Mountain Gems and have wondered about it. These are the looms I own: I wonder how the Mirrix loom differs. Is it easier to use? Harder? Can you make things with it that you can’t with the looms I have?

Like many beaders, I often chart out a pattern on a grid such as this: (This grid works for ladder stitch and loom projects, in which the beads in each column or row line up.) Grids come in very handy for knowing what beads are needed for the row your working on. I don't, though, have enough colored pencils to allow for every color of bead I have, so, unfortunately, the grid for me is more of a basic outline. I can use my red pencil for all reds, but what if, say, I want to use two or three different reds? Do any other beaders have this problem? Or have a solution?

I admit, I buy far more beads than I could possibly ever use as long as I work full time. This is just one drawer of my stash. It's kind of a catchall for the beads I couldn't fit in my other containers. I love these roll-away drawers, though. I bought them when I was pregnant. In order to give my daughter a bedroom, I rounded up my craft supplies out of my old home office and put them in these. I like that they can roll, so I can take them anywhere in the house that I need them.