Dollar Deals and the Accidental Seed Bead Stash

My current embroidery experiment is just the latest attempt in a long line of destash missions for my large collection of 15/o seed beads. Over the past 7 years, I’ve tried many times to put a dent in the quantities of 15/o’s that are in my stash, but it never seems to get any smaller. They’re just so tiny that no matter how much I use them, their volume never seems to get any lower. I once tried making beadwork bookmarks, I’ve made what seems like millions of beaded flowers with them, and of course I went through a brief rivoli obsession before moving on to other things.

The stash just never seems to get any smaller. Of course I’ve also added a few colors here and there as well. Once I discovered 15/o seed beads, I found that they were really quite useful - at least once in a while. Part of the trouble is that I didn’t know what I was getting into, so there are lots of colors that hardly ever get used – and a few that I like too much to use all the time. Bead hoarding comes in all shapes and sizes.

There’s currently a Dollar Days sale running at Fire Mountain Gems, which got me to thinking about the story behind how I ended up with an entire tackle tray of 15/o’s - even though I only use them rarely, and in such tiny amounts. I suppose you could call it a cautionary tale about making assumptions, but I like to think of it as a happy accident.

When I placed my very first online bead order back in 2009, I had never set eyes on Japanese seed beads before. I had been using Czech seed beads from my local bead store for years, happily stringing and stitching without much awareness of the other possibilities out there. In that first order, I only included one package of 11/o TOHO seed beads, along with a bunch of other beads that were totally new to me. So, when the store mixed up the seed beads in my order and sent me 8/o’s by mistake, I had nothing to compare them to. A tiny voice was telling me that I knew there was very little difference between Czech and Japanese beads, but I was essentially working without a net. I assumed that TOHO sized their beads a little bit differently, just like Miyuki does with their Delicas.

A few weeks later there was a Dollar sale at my new favorite site, and I went a little nuts ordering packets of 15/o seed beads in my favorite colors – and a bunch of exciting new ones! – thinking that they would be about the same size as the Czech seed beads I was used to. Imagine my surprise when the package arrived and I discovered a gaggle of little baggies containing what looked like colored sand at first glance. For a few moments I was totally heartbroken; I had been so excited to try out all of my new seed bead colors – what was I ever going to do with beads so tiny a single bead is practically invisible? Eventually I got over my initial disappointment and started thinking about ways to use these beads. It didn’t take long before I was stitching up little beaded flowers and using 15/o’s for accent fringe. Then I learned how to bezel and never looked back.

Although I may have eventually tried out 15/o’s on my own, I’m not sure if the design discoveries I’ve made would have been possible without a big stash of little seed beads to choose from. If it weren’t for that one little mix-up, I’d probably have two or three essential 15/o colors and not much else. There’d almost certainly be no beaded starfish rings, and that would be a shame. Most seasoned beaders will say that mistakes can be the start of a great new design or technique. It turns out this is just as true for bead shopping as it is for the actual beadwork.

Have you ever had a big surprise in a bead order? Were you able to turn it around and make it work for you?

Mortira

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February Bead Stash Favorites

I haven’t yet been able to shake my very serious case of beader’s block, so I’ve been searching for ways to spark some new inspirations. I started by looking through my bead stash and taking out some tried and true favorites, to see if they could draw out some creativity.

Of course I went directly to my collection of trade beads, and took out my lovely African Christmas beads. No matter what, just looking at these beads always lifts my mood. The chaotic combination of colors and the organic shapes are so essentially beady, and I’m always reminded just how much I love working with this medium. The stripes don’t hurt, either.

My next pick is one of my current favorite finishes in Japanese seed beads. I’ve really been missing working with TOHOs lately. Although Czech seed beads offer a great value so I don’t have to worry about quantity, I really love the hefty shape of Japanese seed beads, and the exotic color combinations. I might have to think of a great project just for these black-lined blue beads and see if that can steer me back to my beading groove.

Finally, my favorite thing in my stash right now is Fireline. I usually wait to purchase new beads until I’m running out of Fireline, then fill out my order with whatever beads catch my fancy. My budget hasn't been big enough for that in a while, but I was lucky enough to snag a roll each of Smoke and Crystal with a gift card recently, so I know I won’t run out of thread any time soon. I just have to find the right beads in my stash to get things rolling again.

What kinds of beads are you most inspired by right now?

Mortira

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Seed Bead Aught Size Comparisons

The aught sizing system is probably one of the things that frustrates new beaders the most, along with the first few rows of peyote stitch. Although it’s easy enough to remember that the larger the number, the smaller the bead, even seasoned beaders can get confused sometimes. After working with beads for a while, we start to associate their aught numbers to them and all is fine, until we come across a size that we don’t use very often. While I was putting this post together, I had a moment where I couldn’t remember if 7/o comes before or after 8/o.

The word aught – meaning null, or nothing – is sometimes used to size things that are smaller or larger than standard. A product might come in sizes with regular integers as well as aughts. Seed beads are always and – as far as we know – have always been sized entirely with aughts. Though it’s not completely confirmed, the general story is that each size refers to how many beads will fit into an inch when lined up side by side, with the holes facing up. If true, that rule was created many, many decades ago. Although the overall process for making seed beads hasn’t changed much, standards have, and there are a lot more seed bead makers in the world today.

I decided to test out the aught sizing theory, and compare how each bead size measures up to an inch, as well as each other. I gathered one color of each size in every brand I had available, and counted out the quantities to match each – fifteen 15/os, eight 8/os, etc.

TOHO 15/o

I wasn’t surprised that the 15/os didn’t quite measure up. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting any of the beads to match their size exactly. What’s interesting is just how close these beads came to making the full inch length. Spoiler alert: almost no other bead sizes came quite as close.

Preciosa 11/o and Toho 11/o

Another interesting development was that all of the 11/o seed beads came in at almost exactly the same length. The TOHOs are a little bit longer, which isn’t surprising since they tend to be a bit on the bulky side. Otherwise these seed beads were all pretty much the same when lined up this way, even though they can seem drastically different in actual beadwork.

Matsuno 11/o and Delica 11/o

I included 11/o Delicas in the test, even though they are sized by a completely different scale than round seed beads or rocailles. I thought it would be interesting to see the difference, and since I happen to have some, why not? It’s interesting to see just how diminutive they are next to round seed beads of the same size.

Vintage Czech 10/o and Matsuno Dyna-mites 8/o

I only had white-hearts in size 10/o, and I wish that I had a few more styles to test out. After only 3 sizes, a pattern seems to emerge. Except for the Delicas, each size seems to get progressively further away from the 1 inch length as we go up. What makes this very interesting is that these particular 10/o seed beads are vintage – which could mean that bead sizes haven’t changed much in the past 50 years or so. It makes one wonder just when the 1 inch standard fell by the wayside.

Preciosa 8/o and TOHO 8/o

The 8/o seed beads sort of smashed the reduction trend, as each brand came pretty close to the 1 inch mark. Unlike all of the other sizes so far, there was less than a full bead’s length left to fill. Once again, all 3 brands came in at almost exactly the same length.

Preciosa 7/o and TOHO 6/o

The 7/o beads so far have the record for being the closest match. It almost seems that the shrinking trend in the smaller beads has reversed for the larger ones. The inconsistency seems to make the entire theory of aught sizing origins rather unusual. Imagine what our seed beads would look like if they all followed the 1-inch standard!

Preciosa 6/o and Matsuno Dyna-mites 6/o

Finally we have the 6/o seed beads. This group was the only one with a noticeable size difference between brands. It could be argued that accuracy is more important with the smaller bead sizes, as they tend to be used in large quantities at close quarters. On the other hand, it’s really hard to make a nice Cellini spiral if your 6/o beads are way too big.

How did you feel about aught sizing when you started beadweaving? Which size is your favorite?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Beading Thread Brand Comparison

There are many different types of beading threads available, and each of us has our favorites. Just like seed bead brands, every brand of beading thread has its own unique qualities that can affect not just the beadwork itself, but also how we work with it. I wanted to experiment with a variety of threads to see just how different they are. The comparison would not be a competition to see which brand is best, but an overview of all their qualities. To keep it simple, we are comparing two types of braided line, and two types of nylon/upholstery thread.

Unlike the seed bead comparison that we did awhile back, I included prices in these comparisons. The price gaps between thread brands is quite a bit larger than those within bead brands, so I think it’s worth noting. To make this comparison, I looked at the single item (non-discounted) price of the largest and smallest spools available – from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads for all but WildFire – and calculated the price per yard from each spool.

This experiment isn’t exactly scientific. I did not cut a particular length of thread or set aside a particular amount of beads to work with. The overall look of the beadwork and the features of the threads themselves are the main focus. I took a bit of each thread and worked a small strip of beadwork with it. This time around I went with flat herringbone weave. I wanted a flat stitch that would showcase different qualities easily, and whose overall look wouldn’t be affected much by the beads themselves. For each swatch I used the same color – transparent emerald.

Nymo

Price: $0.03-$0.02 per yard
Colors: Black, white, brown, blue, red, yellow, green (varying shades)

Probably the most common thread used by beaders, Nymo is a nylon thread that got its start in furniture upholstery. It usually comes on smaller spools or bobbins, and is available in a variety of sizes. I worked with Size D Nymo in three colors: black, white, and shoe red.

It’s very easy to see in the photos just how much thread color affects the look of the transparent beads. Although the color of the shoe red does get masked a bit, the shade of the seed beads is definitely different compared to the beadwork done with white Nymo.

I waxed both the white and red threads, but left the black untreated (all 3 were stretched). The lack of wax didn’t change the beadwork much, but it did make the thread a little trickier to work with. Nymo is very limp and slippery, so a coating of beeswax helps to prevent the thread from slipping off the needle while working, and makes it easier to grip tail threads when starting a new piece. In theory, a bit of wax can also help prevent fraying of the beadwork over time.

This type of thread is very prone to fraying, particularly at the ends, making it a little difficult to thread a needle. Nymo is also very soft, and doesn’t change shape much. You can see that there are almost no kink marks in the working thread from where it was folded over the needle. This quality also makes for incredibly flexible beadwork – it folds over easily without breaking or becoming misshapen.

Fireline

Price: $0.23 per yard
Colors: Smoke (gray), Crystal (translucent white), green, chartreuse, red, orange, pink

Fireline is another popular beading thread that began as something different - it is also a very popular fishing line. Fireline is made from a fused nylon-Dyneema blend. It comes in very small diameters, giving it the look of thread, but is incredibly strong. I worked with 6lb test (Size D) Fireline in two colors: smoke and crystal.

Because neither of the common Fireline colors is very stark, there isn’t a lot of difference in the beadwork colors. The color of either thread is most noticeable between the beads, so it’s important to consider the type of stitch as well as bead color when choosing which type of Fireline to use.

Fireline is the thinnest of all the threads that I worked with in this experiment, so it is great for beadwork requiring lots of thread passes. It has a very plastic-y texture and kinks readily. This also means that it holds the shape of the beadwork it is used in, making it very sturdy, but also a bit inflexible. Fireline is more suitable for weaving, but doesn’t work quite as well in fringes.

Although Fireline doesn’t fray – I haven’t seen a strand actually unravel in seven years of beading – it can be tricky to cut without good tools. Dull cutting tools or a lack of tension when cutting can mangle the ends of the thread, and even cause burrs to form that are impossible to thread through a needle.

C-Lon

Price: $0.02 per yard
Colors: Black, white, brown, blue, green, red (varying shades)

Another nylon thread that is great for beadweaving, C-Lon is similar to Nymo in many ways. It comes in several sizes, including heavier weights for stringing, and is wound on a tube like cotton cord. I worked with size AA C-Lon in chartreuse, and size D in light blue.

Even though the two shades of C-Lon that I had to work with were very similar in shade and tone, you can still see a bit of an effect within the beadwork for each color. I left the size D thread unwaxed, and once again there was not much a difference apart from workability. The ends frayed a bit more with the unwaxed thread, which may have been helped along by how much bigger it is for passing through a tiny needle eye.

The C-Lon required a lot less stretching than the Nymo, which always feels a bit springy no matter how much it is stretched. Though the overall texture of the threads is almost identical, there is a noticeable difference in the sizes between these two nylon brands. Although the size D C-Lon seems enormous compared to all of the other threads, when weaving it did not seem bulky or cumbersome; it would likely be suitable for all but the most thread-heavy stitches, as well as all types of fringe.

WildFire

Price: $0.15 per yard
Colors: White, black, green

WildFire is a bonded synthetic thread similar in many ways to Fireline, and was definitely the most surprising thread in this experiment for me. As a die-hard Fireline fan, I have always been reluctant to try WildFire, particularly because it is only sold in small quantities at most stores. I used 12lb test WildFire in black.

The most noticeable thing about WildFire is the intensity of its jet black color. Unlike Fireline, this color does not rub off while you’re working, leaving a gray residue on hands and even beads. The effect that it has on the transparent beads is definitely visible.

WildFire doesn’t need to be stretched or waxed, but because it has a very smooth, thread-like texture it would benefit from waxing much more than Fireline. This line is a little less stiff, and doesn’t kink quite as much as Fireline, but it still has the same sturdiness that creates less flexible beadwork. WildFire is also very easy to cut, and doesn’t fray.

The biggest downside to this thread brand, apart from the lack of spool size options, is the excessive packaging. The larger 250 yard Fireline spools can be re-filled and even recycled at sporting goods stores, but WildFire comes with a spool cover that keeps the thread from unwinding. This extra plastic, along with the hang-tab at the top of the spool, is really unnecessary and is a big reason why I don’t plan to switch.

In conclusion: My personal thread preference hasn’t changed, although it was nice to work so closely with each thread all at once to really get a feel for what they can do and how they do it. Like any material, getting familiar with a particular thread really improves the results that you get with it.

Do you have a favorite thread brand? What makes it ideal for your designs?

Mortira

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Culled Bead Collection Update

Back in January I snapped a photo of my collection of culled and wonky seed beads, in the hopes that it would take on some kind of transformation later. I knew of course that it would get bigger, but I wondered if the ratio of jet black to colorful beads would change much over time.

It’s a little hard to tell just from a photo, but the amount of beads has increased by at least 50%. The color hasn’t really changed all that much. I wonder if it isn’t just my preference for jet black, but the quality of that particular color? I didn’t use jet black in my seed bead brand comparison, so it’s hard to tell.

Then

Right now all of the projects that I have lined up require either a bunch of planning, or I’ll be taking step-by-step photos. This means I can only work on them when I’m at home during the day, but I need something to bead in the middle of the night. So I think it’s time to finally get started on using this big bag of wonky beads.

Now

I recently checked in with the Ugly Necklace Contest, and there aren’t any rules posted for a 2016 contest. I hope this doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be one! I still find making an ugly design really therapeutic, so I’m going ahead with my idea. It’ll give me something meditative to work on, and I’ll get a chance to use up some of the colored bead threads I’ve had in my stash for forever, since I’m sort of hoarding the last of my Fireline right now.

I’m not going to give too many details about my theme for the new piece, but I will say that it was inspired by a mean critique, and it will almost certainly include some UfOs. I’ll be sure to share some in progress photos!

How do you store and use your culled beads?

Mortira

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A Month Without Seed Beads?

Our latest bead giveaway has closed, and our winner is Stephanie! Congratulations to her, and thank you so much to everyone who joined in. For this giveaway, we explored the beady offerings at Inspirational Beading sponsor PandaHall.com. Stephanie’s pick was the seed beads - an excellent choice in my opinion! Even if you’re out of pearls and spacers, you can still make an entire project – clasp, focal and all - with nothing but seed beads.

Of course, you can make entire projects without seed beads, too…

If you had to go a whole month without using seed beads in your designs, what would you make?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Panda Hall
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Work in Progress: Deep Blues

For the past few weeks I've been getting a lot of use out of some new-to-me bead colors that I ordered just a short while ago. I needed some interesting new shades of blue and red, and was really happy with what I found. This week, I'm trying out some new matte blue Miyuki's and loving them. Along with topaz, Montana blue, and jet black, I'm very pleased with how the new color looks in the weave. I'm not usually a fan of matte finish beads, because I find the texture too "crunchy" for close beadwork. They also tend to soak up the gray reside from Smoke Fireline, especially in the lighter colors. I couldn't resist the few shades I did pick up, as the matte finish makes for some wonderfully sophisticated colors, making any texture issues worth it.

Work on my top secret project is almost complete. I'm really looking forward to making totally new designs, and sharing them as well! Hopefully I'll have some of my new bead colors left to play with. Once the craziness of December is behind us, things will be back to normal, and I hope to finally start work on the thread comparison I meant to do this year.

What are you making right now?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Favorite Beads: Miyuki Seed Beads

The meat and potatoes of any beader’s stash is most often lovely and versatile seed beads. They’re essential for beadweaving, ideal for bead embroidery, make great spacers, and can add a delicate touch to a variety of jewelry styles. Today’s guest, Gina of FusionFrenzy, shares her favorite things about beading’s tiniest materials.

Inspirational Beading: What is your all-time favorite bead? Why do you like them?

Gina: My all-time favorite beads are Miyuki Japanese seed beads. They're so versatile with all the different sizes and colors, the creative possibilities are endless. I love how uniform Japanese seed beads are. The end result is a very consistent looking piece.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite technique or method to use them?

Gina: My favorite technique... that's a tough one! It's a toss-up between Cellini spirals and tubular netted pieces. If I had to choose only one, I'd pick the Cellini spiral technique. Although they are extremely time consuming to make, the result is an incredibly detailed piece. It leaves non-beaders wondering how you made it.

I love that the shape of the spiral is dictated by the order and size of the beads you choose. As a personal preference, I try to keep my spiral shape on the conservative side, not too drastic. I don’t usually use any bead larger than size 8 for my Cellini spirals.

Inspirational Beading: Of all the creations you’ve made with these beads, which one is your favorite?

Gina: My favorite seed bead creation is a Cellini spiral necklace incorporating three seed bead sizes in four colors. It was the first time I reversed the spiral halfway to create a unique focal point. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It was an ongoing project. I started a few months ago, planning for fall colors. I put the project aside for a while… honestly I got distracted by other bead projects! Recently I decided to finish what I started. My only concern was that the tension wouldn’t be the same, but thank goodness it turned out perfect. I used tension that was not too tight and not too loose. The result is an even tension throughout the necklace.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any tips for making the most of these beads?

Gina: Keep an open mind when it comes to color. I was surprised what colors actually work well together. Sometimes, I’ll just start beading something and if I don’t like it, I simply undo it and start over with different shades. Don’t be afraid to play with color.

I also recommend to try and keep a good inventory of colors and sizes. Before starting a new project, I let color inspire me so having a variety to choose from is great! I will literally lay out a bunch of bead packs in front of me. Certain colors jump out and grab my attention. If nothing else, keep a good supply of black. Black goes with everything. I understand building even a small inventory can take time and money. I started building mine by asking for gift certificates to my favorite online bead stores for any birthday or Christmas gifts.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite bead or material to pair them with?

Gina: I love to pair seed beads with round Czech glass beads or fire polished Czech glass beads. They're perfect to use in my second favorite technique: tubular netting. Just like seed beads, Czech glass beads and fire polished Czech glass beads come in various sizes and so many beautiful colors. I surprised myself with how beautiful my capri blue and metallic brown netted bracelet turned out.

Inspirational Beading: If you were stranded on the moon, and you could have only one kind of bead with you, would you choose seed beads?

Gina: I would choose seed beads without hesitation! In fact, I usually bring seed beads with me anytime I'm going to be away from home for as little as one night! No kidding, if I could find a way to neatly bead while riding passenger on a road trip, I would do it.

I keep telling people beading is just a hobby, but recently someone told me it was more of an obsession. The more I thought about it, the more I agree. I would be perfectly content being stranded on the moon with my seed beads. Of course, it would be even better if I had some string, a needle, and air to breathe haha! Since I use seed beads, I would never run out of projects considering the amount of stitches and techniques that are out there. You're truly only limited by your own imagination!

Inspirational Beading: What’s your favorite method for storing your bead collection?

Gina: I have a zippered fabric craft bag with a handle on it that stores all my seed beads, well, the seed beads that I have plans to use in the near future. I also have a decent supply of seed beads that I keep on shelves that I don’t use all the time. They’re always on that shelf if I need them.

I keep all the beads in the original bags they come in so I know exactly what size, amount, and color they are. I go even further than this though… I use ziplock bags to separate the sizes. One bag contains all size 15 beads, another bag contains only size 11, etc. This way, they all stay organized and easy to find.

By the way, this is also my to-go bag. If I’m going away, all I have to do is grab the handled craft bag and be on my way. It’s like my bead supply purse; everything is in there ready to go. Never leave home without it!

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a brand preference? In your opinion, what is the best source for them?

Gina: I prefer round Japanese seed beads. They work well in all my projects and the beads have a very consistent shape. I’ve used other brands where some beads were thinner than others from the same pack… it just drove me crazy trying to sort them out so my project would be uniform.

I usually buy beads online from various sites. I seem to find a better quality online for reasonable prices. I’m not fond of the seed bead quality at my local craft stores. There are a couple drawbacks to ordering online though. Sometimes the colors you see on your screen are not quite the exact same colors you receive. What you thought was a very light yellow turns out to be a little on the darker side.

There is also the lack of instant gratification and even the quickest shipping seems slow when all you want is to get started on a new project. On the flip side, it feels like it’s your birthday when the package finally arrives! It is so much fun to open it up and finally hold and see what you ordered days ago. I get a kick out of that if you can’t tell!

You can see more of Gina’s seed bead creations and jewelry designs in her shop, FusionFrenzy, and get news on the latest projects on the FusionFrenzy Facebook page.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and FusionFrenzy
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Bead Shops: Spirit Bear Beads

Nothing beats an indie bead shop when you’re looking for unique supplies. One of my favorite shops to browse is Spirit Bear Beads, which specializes in custom seed bead mixes and gorgeous Zuni bear gemstone fetishes. Shop owner and bead soup chef Mia offers a wonderful selection of supplies that you can’t find anywhere else.

Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Mia: My Mom..... We went to a bead store one day to restring a necklace of hers. I wandered around fascinated by the beads, picked some out and made a bracelet. We were both hooked! Soon we were traveling to bead shows, shopping catalogs and online. Suddenly I had more beads than I knew what to do with. Selling the extra online was a logical step.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or bead style to keep in stock?

Mia: My favorite and mainstay are the size 6/0 Czech seed beads, I create my own mixes and keep the best in stock.

Inspirational Beading: What kind of criteria do you use when selecting new products to carry?

Mia: First and foremost it has to appeal to the Artist in ME! 2nd I want to be able to use that product in a new and exciting way that no one else has thought of, and finally, will it sell? What customer am I appealing to with the item?

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops?

Mia: Well, I have been told, many times, that my unique and original bead mixes are what customers love, and keep coming back for. I also stock, what I believe to be, the largest selection of Zuni Bear Beads on the internet.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become a beautiful work of art?

Mia: All too seldom do I see the finished product. I have several customers whose work I am familiar with and it does make me very proud to see one of my unique bead mixes in a finished product.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your beads?

Mia: I love to make earrings! I literally have hundreds of pairs of earrings!

Inspirational Beading: Baggies, tubes or strands? Which is your favorite?

Mia: Baggies for the seed beads I sell, I weigh my seed beads so that works the best for me. My personal stash is stored in Tic Tac boxes!

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small supplies shops vs. the big bead retailers?

Mia: Personal service and attention to detail. Customers like to be considered special, I often have requests for quantities, colors or a certain type of bead. I enjoy filling those custom requests, you don't get that kind of service from the 'big box store" type of retailer.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Mia: I always have plans! I have this muse that wakes me up out of a dead sleep with ideas! I never know when her inspiration will strike!

You can find current bead mixes and other unique bead selections at Spirit Bear Beads on Etsy and ArtFire. Mia also sells gemstone jewelry and Southwestern accessories at Spirit Bear West. For updates and inspiration, follow along with Spirit Bear Beads on Facebook.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Spirit Bear Beads
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