Showing posts with label bead stash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bead stash. Show all posts

Sunday, April 24, 2016

5 Ways to Use Leftover Beads

Ways to Use Leftover Beads

It’s rather unfortunate that we can’t devise a way to have all of our favorite beads on tap, with a never-ending supply of them ready to use at the touch of a button. Because even bulk beads come in a finite quantity, only to be replenished on our next trip to the bead store, leftovers are a common occurrence. If, like many beaders, you also tend to purchase new types of beads on a whim, they are even more common. The last few grams of seed beads, or the last bead or two on a strand have a tendency to hang around, too low in quantity to make their way into a design. Even if you purchase beads specifically for each project, leftovers can happen.

There are two major downsides to having leftover beads: they take up room in one’s stash, and they have a tendency to drag down our reserves of creative inspiration. Leftover beads can seem to call out “why haven’t you thought of a way to use me, yet?” Short of sweeping all leftovers into a broom bead box and shutting them away in a dark cupboard, the only solution is to just go ahead and use them up. Here are 5 fun ways to put those pesky hangers-on to good use.

1. Make a Charm Bracelet

All you need is a bit of chain and a pile of headpins, and you can eliminate almost any assortment of random accent beads from your stash. They don’t even have to match! In fact, the more eclectic, the better. Of course, if you do want to turn a motley crew of beads into a polished looking ensemble, you can always sort them by color, shape, or size and attach them in a pleasing pattern.


Sea Glass Charm Bracelet Tutorial by KeepsakeCrafts.Net
and
Paisley Daydream Leather Charm Bracelet by Artbeads.com


The sorting method would also work for a quick pair of asymmetrical earrings. By creating a visual relationship between two piles of beads, you can make a pair of earrings that looks like a match with a twist.

2. Do Some Bead Embroidery

Whether it’s traditional bead embroidery, soutache, or shibori, random beads are perfect for these kinds of projects. If you have multiples of some beads, you can make matching earrings. Otherwise a pendant or cuff is the perfect place to showcase not only your leftover accent beads, but those random few grams of seed beads as well. In any embroidery method, one or two accent beads is plenty, so this is a great way to use up just a handful of leftovers.


Shibori Ribbon Embroidery Tutorial by Cyndi Lavin at Beading-Arts.com
and
Augustine Soutache Earring Tutorial by Beadaholique


3. Colorblocking and Patchwork Patterns

Seed bead addiction is no laughing matter, especially when it means that we end up with so many packets and tubes of colors that lost their appeal after the first project. When these seed bead leftovers start to pile up, it’s time to make use of stripes and geometric patterns. Luckily, abstract designs and multicolor palettes have become super trendy for jewelry lately, and of course the possibilities are endless.


Blocked Up Bracelet by FusionBeads.com
and
Our own Patchwork Cuff Tutorial


When mixing and matching multiple bead colors without even glancing at your color wheel, a strong neutral can really help to bring everything together. Try incorporating opaque black or white for at least a quarter of the beads in your project to get a nice, cohesive look.

4. Make Bead Soup

Few things are more satisfying than tossing a bunch of beads together to make a lovely mélange of color and sparkle. If you happen to have lots of leftovers in monochrome or analogous colors, all you need is a package to mix them in and you’re halfway to a gorgeous project. Bead soups are great for adding interest to plain stitches, or for making…

5. Freeform Projects

Many beaders feel a bit intimidated by freeform beadwork. It’s hard to work without a net, but the results can be amazing. The nice thing about leftover beads is that we’ve already lost some of our attachment to them – otherwise we’d be restocking and they wouldn’t be leftovers at all. Use your random beads – alone or in a soup – to create a freeform project. Peyote stitch cuffs are a great place to start, and there are tutorials for them everywhere. Netting and right angle weave can be easy to work in freeform if you don’t mind breaking the rules. Flat and circular brick stitch also allow for lots of tweaks that make freeform beadwork possible.


Freeform Peyote Cuff Tutorial Video by PotomacBeads.com
and
Our own Striped Brick Stitch Tutorial


Do you have a favorite treatment for leftover beads?

Mortira

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Saturday, April 9, 2016

April Bead Stash Favorites

Have you ever been at a loss for what to do with your beads? I’ve been in this spot for a while now with some of the accents in my collection, and I finally figured out what I’m going to do with them. I’ve got something very special planned, and suddenly my bead stash has taken on a whole new level of inspiration. I can’t wait to start using them.

Lime and Cobalt Indonesian Glass Beads


Right now I’ve got my eyes on several different goodies in my bead cupboard, particularly my collection of lovely Indonesian glass from Happy Mango Beads. Colorful, organic, and stripey – just can’t get enough of these beads. I picked out my two all-time favorites to pose for this photo, and I liked the combination of lime green with striped cobalt so much that I think they’ll be paired with my first special project. Why didn’t I think of this combo before? It’s my favorite color pairing, and these beads have been staring me in the face for years.

Long Magatamas and Rizo Drops


I’ve also got oodles of drops, magatamas, and daggers that will be making much-awaited appearances soon. I’ve only just reached the point where I don’t feel like I need to save these beads for something really, really special. I just want to make pretty things with them. They’re also perfect for the idea that I have cooking, and I’m looking forward to seeing how many new ways I can come up with to make them shine. These long magatamas in lime and Rizo beads in opaque white might not go together, but I definitely want to use them both very soon.

10mm Sky Blue Glass Rounds


Also in the top of my to-use pile is this delicious strand of sky blue glass rounds. These baubles are a part of the nautical-themed March bead box from Blueberry Cove Beads. Of all the collections so far, this one is definitely my favorite. Nautical themes are not only classic, but they have so many amazing design possibilities. Boats, beaches, sailors, treasure…the list is endless. I don’t often have glass rounds of this size in my stash, so it’s great to have some new dimensions to work with, and the color is awesome.

What beads are tantalizing your creative side right now?

Mortira

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Thursday, March 10, 2016

Dollar Deals and the Accidental Seed Bead Stash

Size 15 Seed Beads

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.

Size 15 Beaded Rainbow Flowers


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.

Size 15 Seed Bead Stash


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.

Beaded Starfish Lariat


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.

Custom Size 15 Seed Bead Mix


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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Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Frog it or Wear it Update

One of my creative resolutions for this year was to finally try frogging some old designs and salvage the beads. I’ve never really bothered with this beading step before, since it always seems a shame to cut up Fireline when I could just wear the designs instead. After my most recent jewelry shop overhaul, I was left with a lot of pieces that actually seemed to be worth ripping up. I thought I would give it a go and see if the resulting salvage would be worth the time spent.


I went through the box in my bead cupboard labelled ‘Frogs’ and sorted them into piles – one to wear and one to deconstruct. There are quite a few pieces that are mostly seed beads – I think it would probably be cheaper just to purchase the same beads again than to go to all the trouble of ripping out those stitches. I added a few pieces to my jewelry collection, including a spiral rope pendant and a couple of fun bracelets. At first I wasn’t sure about the peyote tube and cat eye bracelet, but decided that I didn’t want the beads that badly, and it would be more fun to just wear it instead.


The pile of pieces to be frogged was a lot bigger. There were a few designs that I really liked, and I almost added them to the wear pile. The stick pearl necklace was definitely a tough one. But with this piece, I like the beads a lot more than I need another necklace, so I decided to rippit! I also decided to finally dismantle a necklace set that I made for an Egyptian Hallowe’en costume about 20 years ago. Most of the beads are acrylic, but there are some really great teal Czech glass beads in both pieces that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. I’ve always liked having the necklaces around as decoration, but since I was going to be frogging, I thought it was time to take back those glass beads.


I ended up with a pretty good haul of worthwhile accents. I’m particularly happy to have some black and white druks again. I’m not sure how or when I’ll use them, but it feels good to have them in my stash. I wasn’t quite brave – or patient – enough to take apart the beaded flowers from that piece, so I’ll be saving them to use in other designs – possibly a set of rings!

I also got some lovely bead soups out of the deal. When I was finished frogging, I mixed the seed beads with assorted leftovers from my stash and now I’ve got all kinds of new inspirations for later. I think there might be a few multistrand necklaces and herringbone cuffs in my future.


In all, I think this particular frogging session was worthwhile. I still can’t see myself sitting down to rip a single piece at a time, but I would definitely like to keep them saved up for an occasional destruction fest. It was rather therapeutic, and it gave me a break from the monster collar that I’m currently working on.

Do you find it difficult to dismantle unwanted or unfinished designs? What do you like to do with your mishaps?

Mortira

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Saturday, January 23, 2016

Bead Color Ideas: Leftover Druks

I’m currently working my way slowly through my workspace clean up and as always I’m making new discoveries and inspirations along the way. One thing that occurred to me as I was putting beads away in their proper places is that I still have way too many druk beads that haven’t been used in years. Some of them are nearly 10 years old, while others seemed really exciting a short time ago, but haven’t quite lived up to their expectations. I thought it was time to pair some of them up with seed beads and see if any ideas arise.

Romantic Turquoise Bead Color Idea
Romantic Turquoise Palette


The first trio was surprisingly easy to build, considering just how long I’ve been holding on to the pink druks. I so rarely have a reason to use pink, and this particular shade of transparent rose is way too subtle for anything I’m making these days. At first glance, I couldn’t possibly imagine what I could make with them. That all changed once I started adding the right seed beads, though. First came transparent topaz AB, which I love with this shade of pink. It’s a romantic, champagne-in-Paris kind of pairing. All it needed was a dash of lustered turquoise and...voila! I definitely think this palette needs a spiral design - perhaps a rope lariat or an embellished bangle.

True Blue-Green Bead Color Idea
True Blue-Green Palette


The next druk color still makes me a little sad. When I ordered them I was so excited to have this color in my stash of accents, but in person they just didn’t deliver. It might be because these are actually a coated finish, and not a true lime green. Even though I couldn’t wait to use them at first, I’ve barely touched these beads. The first color I chose to go with them was black-lined aqua – definitely my favorite blue right now. When the light hits both beads, they really zing. To finish the palette, I didn’t want to use a contrasting color, so I added lustered emerald instead. I almost went with metallic June bug, but it looked much too moody next to the bright green. I’d love to use this trio in something netted or freeform with lots of fringe.

Cherry Bomb Bead Color Idea
Cherry Bomb Palette


The last palette was actually a pre-planned one. I’ve got something special in mind for these colors, but I wanted to test them out first and see how they played together in person, not just my mind’s eye. This palette begins with opaque cherry druks – a long time favorite that have started to lose their appeal after all these years. Although I’m sure a project or two might come up in the future where they would work, I’d really like to move on and try some other reds instead. The first seed bead color I chose for them was opaque lime. I’ve used these two colors in projects before, and they always look fresh and fruity. To keep things looking chic, a backdrop of jet black was all the trio needed. I think the palette would look amazing in flat beadwork like a cuff, but I’m planning to use it for something light and fringy!

Do you have any not-so-inspiring beads just hanging around? What was the last project you used them for?

Mortira

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

December Bead Stash Favorites

December is always a very hectic month, and I can usually tell when things are getting to that tipping point when I start to prefer easy and familiar things. I usually re-read favorite books, as they’re a much better escape than something new. In my workspace, I crave familiar materials and techniques. This month, I’m looking at some old favorites and a few standbys.

Lately I’ve really been in the mood for bezels, and I’ve been thinking of my stash of glass nuggets a lot. It’s been many years since I’ve used these in a project, and I haven’t even considered them for some time. I can’t say why, but I’m really looking forward to coming up with a project for using some of these little baubles – perhaps for a geek inspiration piece.

Glass Nugget Cabochon Mix


Drops and daggers are always a staple in my bead stash, and right now I’ve got my eye on some chunky cobalt blue briolette shapes that I have yet to cut into. They’re a little bit too big for most of the projects that I like, so I haven’t been able to come up with an appropriate design for them just yet. I’m thinking that they might be perfect for my next fringe experiment.

Cobalt Blue Glass Drops


Also from my stash of drops, these SuperUnos have been calling to me lately. I’ve been working on a few different design ideas featuring two-hole beads, but these single-holed variations are always so appealing. I love the pinched shape of the SuperUnos, and the Picasso finish on both of these colors is very inspiring. I’m hoping to use them for an extra bit of texture in some upcoming projects.

Picasso SuperUno Drops


What kinds of materials are you favoring right now?

Mortira

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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Bead Surprise Inspiration from Blueberry Cove Beads

New inspirations are a constant quest for beaders, and one of the best ways to find them is to try out new materials. But whether we shop in a store or online, the choices can often be overwhelming. It can be difficult not only to choose a few new beads from the thousands available, but also to coordinate our choices in a way that will make a great piece of jewelry.

Vintage Tea Party Bead Box from Blueberry Cove Beads


At Blueberry Cove Beads, a lot of the guesswork in finding new beads to try is done for you, and comes with the added bonus of a delightful surprise. This new bead subscription service offers hungry beaders with gorgeous ensembles that are perfectly coordinated, in quantities that allow you to make multiple pieces with a variety of techniques. When you subscribe, a box of gorgeous beads will be sent to you each month, featuring a fun theme with materials that are easy to mix and match. Subscriptions are available in 3, 6, in 12 month packs. You can also purchase single boxes from past months, or a mini box featuring a few essentials from each theme.

Autumn Bead Box Samples from Blueberry Cove Beads

Autumn Bead Box Samples from Blueberry Cove Beads


Each month’s box is reasonably priced, and you get a lot of beads to mix with your stash. Pictured here is just a small sampling of the pieces from the September 2015 pack “Autumn”. The combinations of orange, yellow, dark red, brown, and copper are totally mouthwatering. When I opened my packaged I wanted to drop everything and start creating! There are several types and sizes of beads included, as well as findings that perfectly evoke the month’s theme. My favorites from this pack are the orange shell pendants and the amazing strand of orange glass beads.

The full contents of each month’s bead box aren’t revealed until after they’ve shipped out to subscribers, so you’ll get a wonderful surprise whenever your package arrives. Your beads come in a pretty drawstring bag, ready to use however you like. You’ll also get a pretty postcard to match the theme, which also contains a beading challenge. If you make something with your beads that fits the challenge, you can enter it in a draw to win your next month free!

Caribbean Bead Box from Blueberry Cove Beads


Want to give it a try? Purchase a box or subscription from Blueberry Cove Beads by November 3rd to get the next available pack. When you subscribe, payment for each new themed bead box is deducted on the 3rd of each month, so you’ll never miss a batch of inspiration!

I would like to thank Blueberry Cove beads for allowing me to sample one of their amazing bead boxes. Inspirational Beading has not received compensation for including products in this post. Subscriptions are currently available for Canada and US residents.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Blueberry Cove Beads
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Thursday, July 2, 2015

Operation Inspiration: Phase Four

At last my mission to find new inspirations is complete with the arrival of my first bead order of the year. I didn’t spend a whole lot, and did a bit of stocking up on important elements like jet black 8/o seedbeads and Fireline, but there are some pretty exciting new beads in my stash now as well.

My absolute favorite grab from this haul is a pair of dyed horn rondelles in red and amber. I first tried these natural beads in a round shape last year, and I absolutely fell in love. The natural translucent finish and warm colors are so fantastic, and perfect for the designs I like to make. I can’t wait to start using these!

Natural Horn Rondelles


I also picked up a few things that were on sale and just called to me for the fun of it, including a big bag of carved mother of pearl butterfly pendants. I have no idea what I’m going to do with them, but there were some pretty great colors in the bag, including these turquoise, lime and black pieces.

Mother of Pearl Butterflies


Now I feel pretty much back on track, and I’m ready to start creating at my normal pace again. Although I’ll be working a lot throughout the summer – not to mention spending time at the beach – I know I’ll be able to make time for beading and sharing ideas, too. It’s good to be back!

Do you like to try out new beads for inspiration? What styles do you tend to go for?

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Saturday, September 27, 2014

September Bead Stash Favorites

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a really good stock up on beads, and although I miss having a big order to sort through, I’m actually starting to run out of space for new goodies. I’m looking forward to a time in the not too distant future when I can set about really using up some of the great pieces in my stash and combining a few favorites.

In the meantime, I have picked up a few odds and ends, and some of them are really special. My current favorite is a strand of bright red natural horn beads from Fusion Beads. They have a fabulous, warm glow and the color can’t be beat. They’re going to be perfect for some Egyptian necklace recreations. I haven’t had a chance to try these out yet, and I think I’ll need to do a colorfast check before I sit down to work. The mono that these beads are strung in is tinged a bit read, which isn’t a good sign, but I’m hoping for the best.

Red Horn Beads


This strand of bone tubes from Happy Mango Beads has been calling to me for awhile now. I love the striped design, which will be perfect for tribal pieces. It’s always tricky deciding whether to dole beads like these out a few at a time, or use a whole bunch in a single design. I’m still hoarding these ones until just the right project comes along. I definitely have some fringe in mind, though I still have some experimenting to do with new stringing materials.

Bone Tube Beads


Finally, I have a new little stash of carved bone ankhs. I was missing having some in my stash just in case I wanted to do a simple Egyptian pendant or two. I love the simplicity of these pieces, which are ready to be embellished or paired with just about anything. I still have some nice tagua slices, which always look great paired with a simple front-drilled pendant, so I might have to whip something together when I need a break from more pressing projects.

Carved Bone Ankh Pendants


What beads are you excited about right now?

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

April Bead Stash Favorites

Although there’s really no such thing as too many beads, it can be a bit tricky finding inspiration when there are so many wonderful baubles waiting to be stitched. I’ve really beefed up my bead stash recently, and now I just don’t know where to begin! Spring and summer inspirations are definitely having some influence, which is why these three bead picks are at the top of my list right now.

I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled lately for great buttons, particularly those that are metal free. This usually leaves rather expensive crystal, glass, and ceramic buttons, so when I saw these totally affordable beauties at Artbeads.com, I couldn’t resist. These hand painted flower buttons are made from coconut, so they’re really lightweight despite their size - 35 mm of flowery goodness.

Coconut Flower Buttons


The only thing better than a lovely, organic baroque pearl is a blue one! Although these beads aren’t always drilled ideally for bead weaving, I can’t get enough of the fun shapes. I'm planning to experiment a bit with any culled pieces and see if I can work them into bead embroidery in a satisfactory way. It's not good to waste such gorgeous beads, even if the holes are a mess. The dark blue color of these pearls from Fire Mountain Gems is definitely beach worthy, but I can see them just as easily in some Egyptian inspired pieces.

Blue Baroque Pearls


And finally, in my quest to find great seed bead colors to substitute for gold, I recently fell in love with matte mustard yellow from FusionBeads.com. They’re a little bit yellow and a little bit brown, and the matte finish gives them a wonderful earthy look. Although I usually stay away from matte finish seed beads - I find them far too crunchy for beadwork - I can't pass up a good shade of non-metal gold. I can’t wait to try them out with cobalt and jet black!

Matte Mustard Yellow Seed Beads


What beads are inspiring you right now?

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

January Bead Stash Favorites

Looking ahead to a new year of beading ideas, I can’t help but get excited about all of the designs and techniques I want to try. Of course, there’s always a fresh crop of interesting beads on the horizon, too! I’m compiling a new year’s resolution list of beads to try in 2014, but in the meantime, I’m also eager to try out some of last year’s acquisitions.

I had so much fun getting back into bead embroidery in 2013, and I hope to experiment with it even more. I’ve been slowly cultivating a new collection of coin beads to help with inspiration, particularly for medallions. These tiny 6.5 mm Czech glass flat rounds from Fire Mountain Gems are perfect embroidery accents, and the gorgeous opaque blue color will make for some beautiful designs.

Opaque Blue Czech Glass Flat Rounds


Several weeks ago I needed to stock up on pinch bicones for a custom project, and I couldn’t resist grabbing a few for myself from The Dutch Tulip. It’s been ages since I’ve had any in my stash, and most of them ended up featured in my destash challenge, so this time around I went with a color that I’d be sure to use often. The opaque lime green is just calling out to be paired with some delicious aqua!

Opaque Lime Czech Glass Pinch Bicones


Finally, I’ve got my eye on a few lovely tagua pendants from Lima Beads. I had many plans for simple jewelry designs last year that didn’t really get off the ground, but I’m still thrilled to have the supplies. I can’t wait to find new ways to use these pieces, if only because they are so touchable.

Tagua Nut Gypsy Hoop Pendants


Do you have a favorite bead type for the new year?

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

November Bead Stash Favorites

Yesterday morning all of the puddles in the neighborhood were frozen solid - winter has arrived. I suppose that means it’s time to start thinking about festive bead colors and holiday jewelry designs. Although I love a good red and green combination as much as anyone, I often find myself drawn to the more elegant and fancy holiday palettes, like burgundy and frost, gold and emerald, or plum and cobalt.

This month’s bead picks include two new favorites, and some beads that I’ve been neglecting lately due to so many other ideas and designs vying for my attention.

First we have a lovely bunch of shiny, gold dyed freshwater pearls. I love the organic shapes - not only are these slightly imperfect pearls very affordable, but they have a primitive quality that I adore for ancient inspired designs. Although I’ve added a lot more pearl and shell to my stash this year than I usually do, I couldn’t resist snapping these ones up.

Gold Freshwater Potato Pearls


I’ve been so busy with Egyptian Gods and craft fair goodies these past few months, I keep forgetting that I’ve been eager to make ladder cuffs using my new selections of Czech bugles from Shipwreck Beads. These opaque white bugles are perfect for Egyptian and tribal pieces, but would make for lovely frost and ice designs in winter as well. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do.

Opaque White Bugle Beads


Finally, I have some transparent cobalt 8/o seed beads that I can hear calling to me daily. I recently started keeping a list of bead styles and colors that I wish for when designing pieces, so that I can remember to add them to my purchases and bead shopping time. I don’t know how I ever got by without one of my favorite colors in this size, but it’s been remedied thanks to these beauties from Fire Mountain Gems. The large boxes that Dyna-Mites come in are a little too big to fit in my usual storage bins, so they’ll soon be heading for some baggies.

Cobalt Blue 8/0 Seed Beads


Do you have a new favorite bead to work with this winter?

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

October Bead Stash Favorites

Although the biggest crafting season is now upon us, I find that inspiration for fall and holiday designs have yet to cross my workspace. I’m skipping way ahead and looking forward to next year’s beading challenge, and just making lots of old favorites with new colors and textures. This month my favorite beads are all about shape and color.

One of my favorite things about making netted collars is adding just the right accents to the outer edge for a fun trim, and the beads I look back on most fondly for this job are wood heishi. I recently treated myself to several strands in jet black and turquoise from Happy Mango Beads. They’re perfect for Egyptian collars, and they‘ve really been calling to me of late.

Wooden Heishi Bead Strands


While shopping around for accents that I needed for a custom piece, I came across a great little shop with lots of lovely Czech glass called The Dutch Tulip. I couldn’t resist grabbing several strands of these gorgeous multicolored lustered 3/o seed beads. They’re not that much bigger than Japanese 6/o’s, and I hope to find lots of fun ways to use them - the colors are so cheerful.

Czech Glass 3/0 Seed Beads


I’m not sure how just yet, but I’m determined to incorporate a few of these Czech glass tubes into some Egyptian designs. The blue hues and bold shape are just what I’ve been looking for. I picked these up on sale at Fire Mountain Gems - one of my new favorite bead sites for general beading supplies.

Czech Glass Oval Tubes


What kinds of beads are you working with right now?

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