Beads and Baubles

You, Too, Can Have a Beady Name!

My Beady Name is: is Turmaline Sparkly Bead.

Generate your own Beady Name!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Jewelled Eyes Choker

Jewelled Eyes Choker

A simple pattern for you to follow this week. One of my favourite things about loomwork is the way it lends itself to graphed patterns like this. Of course, you can graph patterns in brick or peyote, but loomwork is, I think, the easiest. If you are a keen cross stitcher, check your books for patterns to adapt; border patterns work best. The diamond shapes look like eyes to me. I used AB finish and silver lined seeds in rich jewel colours, but feel free to substitute your own colours if you like. The picture shows only a bit of the choker, to give you a general idea of the pattern. You Need:

• Bead loom
• Bead thread
• Beading needle
• Seed beads, size 11:
• - Silver-lined amethyst
• - Silver-lined gold
• - Silver-lined Capri blue
• - Crystal AB
• 2 jump rings
• 2 callottes/beadtips
• 1 clasp (I used silver, but you can use a different metal if it woks better with your colours.
• Half-round or round nose pliers

Warp the loom with 11 warp threads and tie a long thread to the outermost warp. Begin weaving the chart pattern. Each square represents 1 bead, so the first row is 4 amethyst, 2 blue, 4 amethyst and so on (reading from top to bottom). You follow the chart in one direction only b; don’t zigzag like you would if following a knitting chart. Note: I made the chart as a word table so it would be easier to import into the blog. As shown on the chart, the design will be slightly elongated due to the shape of the seed beads. If you want a completely square design, use Delicas or other cylinder beads.

A	A	A	A	B	B	A	A	A	A
A	A	A	B	B	B	B	A	A	A
A	A	B	B	G	G	B	B	A	A
A	B	B	G	C	C	G	B	B	A
B	B	G	C	C	C	C	G	B	B
B	B	G	C	C	C	C	G	B	B
A	B	B	G	C	C	G	B	B	A
A	A	B	B	G	G	B	B	A	A
A	A	A	B	B	B	B	A	A	A
A	A	A	A	B	B	A	A	A	A

A = Amethyst

B = Blue

G = Gold

C = Crystal

Repeat the chart 15 times.  This will give a choker about 40 cm/16 inches.  If you want a longer one either add more rows of purple before beginning the chart, or use an extension chain on the clasp.  Alternatively, work fewer repeats and make a bracelet, or more repeats for a belt!

            Gently remove the beading from the loom and cut the knots off.  We need to attach a clasp to the beadwork.  To do this take each warp thread in turn and weave it through the first row of beads, coming up through the centre bead.  When all the threads are together in the centre, thread them up through the base of the calotte and tie them in a knot.  Close the knot cover and repeat at the other end.  The ends can look a bit raggedy, so take care doing this and push the beads together to create a tight fabric.  This is only one way of dealing with the warp threads but its advantage is that you don’t see much of the threads as they are hidden inside the calotte.  Attach a jump ring at one end, and the clasp at the other. I’m sure you know this, but it is important to twist the jump rings open rather than pull them.  If you pull them apart you’ll never get them to close properly, and the clasp will fall off.

            That’s it!  This is a basic choker; you can embellish it in all kinds of ways.  Use different colours (if you look closely you’ll see I swapped round the centre colours every repeat).  Add fringing to the bottom or a picot trim along the edges.  If you want to design your own patterns you can either do what I did and use a computer to colour a grid, or do it the old-fashioned way with coloured pencils and graph paper!

A Beginner's Guide to Clasps

A Beginner’s Guide to Clasps

By AJ Reardon

There has probably never been a better time to be new to beading. Beads are everywhere, and the market is practically flooded with books and magazines geared towards beginning beaders. Not to mention all of the classes available, and the fact that there’s even a TV show to teach you about jewelry making!

However, it seems as if many of the tutorials geared towards new beaders want to only teach you how to do a specific project, using very specific materials. In my experience, there’s a dearth of material on basic beading supplies and how to use them to make your own stuff. If you’ve noticed the same thing, or if you’re new to beading and not ready to buy lots of books and magazines, then this article is for you!

One question that I hear very often from new beaders is "What clasp should I use for this project?" While for many people (myself included) the clasp will be hidden under their hair and maybe not seem important, a good clasp can make a world of difference! The best clasp combines form with function, being at once attractive and secure.

When choosing a clasp, there are a couple of factors you should consider. First is what sort of piece you’re attaching it to. Some clasps are great for necklaces, but not so good for bracelets. Next is size. You want a clasp that will neither overwhelm nor be overwhelmed by your beads. Another important factor is security vs. ease of use. Some very secure clasps can be difficult to fasten.

Clasps come in a variety of materials, mostly metals. If you’re making jewelry up for sale, I recommend using sterling silver and/or gold-filled or vermeil clasps. Nickel, brass, and cheap plated clasps will all tarnish or loose their plating pretty quickly, leaving your jewelry looking quite dingy.

I’d like to cover the pros and cons of the most common clasp types... after that, we’ll discuss a few other useful findings.

First and foremost - never use a barrel clasp. This is a very common beginner’s mistake. When I was new to beading, I loved barrel clasps. They weren’t too expensive, they were easy enough to fasten, and they seemed quite secure. However, barrel clasps can untwist as they slide up and down your neck or arm, resulting in lost jewelry. Barrel clasps are also sometimes called "torpedo clasps".

Spring-ring clasps are something we’re probably all familiar with - they’re the typical clasp on a standard chain necklace. While they are inexpensive and rather secure, spring-rings can be difficult to fasten. They are also usually quite small, making them inappropriate for bulky necklaces.

Lobster claw clasps (also sometimes called trigger clasps) work similarly to spring-rings. They are more expensive, but easier to use because they have a larger "trigger" and a larger opening to slip the ring or tab into. Both lobsters and spring-rings are incredibly difficult to fasten by yourself on a bracelet... but lobsters are a good call for most necklaces and anklets.

Box clasps have a collapsible tab that slides into a box. They are easy to use, and often very attractive. They start out fairly secure, but over time and extensive wear, the tab can loose its springiness and have a looser fit in the box. Many box clasps have loops for multiple strands - and some fancier styles even have glass or semi-precious stones set in them. Box clasps work well for necklaces, bracelets, and watches.

Magnetic clasps are currently very popular, especially for those who have difficulty fastening more traditional clasps. They tend to be strong and secure, and very easy to fasten. Most are plain, but I have seen a few designed to look like fancy box clasps. There are a few drawbacks to magnetic clasps, however! First, they can interfere with pacemakers and patches. Second, because they are magnets, they can attach themselves to all manner of things - your fridge, perhaps, or a shopping cart. If you use a magnetic clasp on a bracelet, you should stretch a small "safety chain" between the two ends.

Hook-and-eye clasps come in a variety of styles, including the "s-hook" which attaches to a ring on either side. They are very good for necklaces, as the weight of the beads keeps the "eye" settled down on the hook. They are not quite as good for bracelets, as the weight doesn’t come into play as much - and also the hook can catch on things, such as loosely-woven sweaters, long hair, and spiral-bound notebooks. If you are good with wire, you can even make your own hook clasps.

Toggle clasps are another very popular option. They come in a wide variety of sizes and styles. Some even have gems set in them. Like a hook-and-eye, the weight of the necklace helps keep the toggle fastened. Unlike a hook and eye, it’s less prone to catching on things. Toggles are fairly easy to fasten and work well for necklaces and bracelets.

If you’re doing bead-weaving, you can also use a button-and-loop clasp. This is one of my personal favorites, as it tends to add a little more character than a normal clasp. Simply attach an appropriate button to one end of your piece, and a loop of seed beads just big enough to go around the button on the other end. Many bead stores offer vintage and modern glass buttons for sale, and your local craft or fabric store should have at least one aisle of buttons. These clasps work great for bracelets and chokers.

There are many other clasp options out there, including velcro, snaps, and the ball-and-socket clasp. However, since I’ve never played with any of those options, I can’t really write about how effective they are.

When the time comes to attach your clasp, you have a couple of options available to you. If you’re using thread, you can tie it directly to the clasp. If you’re using beading wire, you’ll probably want to crimp it. I recommend crimp tubes, as they’re stronger than the corrugated "crimp beads." If you can afford it, also get a pair of crimping pliers, as they’ll make a smoother, stronger crimp. You can just smash the tubes flat with a pair of chain-nose pliers, but that’s much less professional.

When using crimps, you can cover the exposed wire around the clasp with French wire, also known as bullion or gimp. This is a small coil of very fine wire. It gives a professional, finished look to the piece. Unfortunately, most French Wire is plated, and tarnishes rather quickly. As well, if you’re using thread, you must be very careful not to snag your thread on the end of the wire, or you will pull the coil apart.

You can also use clamshells (also known as bead tips). You can knot your wire inside the clamshell, or use the clamshell to cover a crimp. The clamshell will have a little hook to attach to the clasp. If you’re using thread, you can tie the thread around a little bead inside the shell.

I hope that this helps you pick out the perfect clasp for your projects! Good luck, and happy beading!

Apologies

Hi everyone,

        A quick note to apologise for the lack of tutorial last week.  I'd begun preparing a loomwork chart design for you all, but came down with a terrible cold (so bad I lost my voice). 

I'm almost done making the example piece, so it should be up by the end of the week, so keep checking back for it.

Once again, sorry for the delay

Penny

La Vida Vintage

Vintage jewelry is always hot. Every year, the magazines show more and more. But what gets hotter and more popular each year is the flashy, rhinestone jewelry. BIG jewelry. Jewelry that, to be honest, most of us cannot wear, or at least cannot wear every day.

Here are some things I found on the web to give you an idea what I mean:
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But what about the more subdued vintage jewelry that hardly gets any attention? At its most basic, the kind of vintage jewelry I am talking about is the classic strand of pearls. And not the big strand of 18mm+ of pearls, either. Some older jewelry was muted, understated, and perfectly appropriate for everyday wear. Naturally, I cannot find so many examples of this type of vintage jewelry on the web.

I did find several of these lovely and understated tortoise-shell bracelets:

And there are lots of delicate, smaller pieces that are simply silver-tone or gold-tone, like this one:

So what to do when you're an old-fashioned girl but you can't find anything that's not big and rhinestone-filled to go with your classic clothes and antique accessories?

Why, you make it yourself!

"Pepper" Mentz, who runs Pepper Mentz Eye Candy, writes a vintage newsletter. In her first Vintage newsletter, Pepper shows a lovely pendant that is partially new and partially old:

But you don't have to start with something old. Even totally new pieces can be created with a vintage "feel". Just pick some colors you like and go to town! Create something new to wear with every classic outfit and you'll be feeling "up-to-date" in your "vintage" look every day. Here are a couple of pieces from my own shop that--although they are very different from each other--both seem to me to have a vintage feel.

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So have fun, and don't forget to show us what you make!

Swept

Well, here it is. The project I made for the Clean Sweep Challenge.

Last winter, I took a metalsmithing class. I meant to bezel-set a lot of my glass, but I didn't learn how in the class and I toasted the first several bezels in one way or another, then made some I wasn't really happy with, so I gave up for a long time.

I knew what I wanted to do with this cab as soon as it came out of the kiln, but I kept putting it off. So the cab, and a coil of bezel wire, and the little carnelian stars, sat on my bead board looking pathetic until yesterday when I finally got it together. I am not 100% happy with it. I think if I were going to do another one, I would solder a ring to the bottom rather than cutting the back sheet to create the little circle.

Clean Sweep Challenge

I was watching Clean Sweep the other day and they had this guy who had TONS of paper craft stuff. It was EVERYWHERE and there was no way he could ever have known where something was when he wanted it...if he even knew he had it. Even when they were done, there was a fair jumble of stuff, even though it was neatly boxed up.

Now, I am not that bad. But I do have a bead board (ok, two) that cannot really be used for beading because it's covered with stuff I need to put away, need to sort, need to remake, need to...well...deal with. I know I am not the only one with this situation. Lots of us have trays, boards, bowls, containers of one sort or another filled with stuff that's not quite "bead soup" but it's definitely not organized, either.

So here's the challenge: make something(s) using the beads in your "to deal with" pile. A significant number of beads in the item(s) must come from your "to deal with" stash (ie: not just a singe bead from that stash and the rest beads you'll have to put away later)!

If everyone emails their pix to me, I will post them all on a single page so we can all see each other's goodies! Shall we say by August 15 so that those who like to do complex work will have plenty of time?

Who's up for it?

Easy-beady Loomwork Bookmark

This bookmark is an ideal project to begin with if you are new to loomwork. It is quick to do and makes an ideal gift for a bookworm. It also serves as a reminder that loomwork has many non-jewellery uses!

Note: I’m going to assume that you have never used a beadloom before and give as much detail as I can about each stage. If you are already use a loom feel free to adapt the basic idea and make up your own bookmarks.

You Need:

Beadloom (mine is the springy metal kind with wooden rollers)

Beading needle

Beading thread of choice. I used Nymo

Size 11 Seed Bead mix.
Using a Seed Bead mix means you can get beautiful variations without following a chart. You can buy they fairly easily, look for ‘Colour Mix’ or ‘Bead Soup’. My bookmark was made with a mix called ‘Dwarf King’s Desire’ from Beadfx.

Decide on the finished length of your bookmark Mine is about 15cm (6in) including the tassels. Cut 10 lengths of thread to this lengths plus 30cm (12in). It will look like you have way too much thread but you need the extra length to wind onto the rollers. If you are using Nymo as I did you will need to stretch it to get rid of the kinks. Tie the bunch of threads together using an overhand knot (like tying the neck of a balloon), at one end

Look at your loom: on mine there is a wooden roller with a screw in the middle of it at each end. If yours is different look at the instructions that came with it; if it’s the same read on!

Slip the knot over the screw so that an equal number of threads are on either side, and bring the bundle of thread over the separators (on mine they look like large springs on each end of the loom)

Begin turning the roller to wind the threads onto it.When you have enough thread left to go across the loom to the other screw plus 10cm (4in) stop turning and tighten the wing nut on the roller to hold it still. Tie another knot in the loose thread ends, slip it over the screw on the other roller and turn it until the thread is taut. Tighten the wing nuts. Using the tip of your beading needle, guide each thread into a separate channel in the separators, making sure they are spaced equally.

Congratulations! You’ve just warped the loom. The warps got along the loom; the wefts go at right angles to the warp. When instructions say ‘warp the loom’ the above is exactly what you do It looks long-winded, but gets quicker with practice.

Now, the weaving.

Cut a length of beading thread, how long is up to you, just use what you feel comfortable with. Stretch if needed. Thread your beading needle and tie it to the warp nearest to you with a double knot.

I work left to right, so position the loom with the roller with the most turns of thread on the right. This allows you to slacken the treads and wind more thread into the middle of the loom should you need to make the bookmark longer. I didn’t need to but obviously I don’t know how long your loom is!

Pick up 9 seed beads (SB). Don’t choose the colours, just do it at random. Slide them onto the thread and down towards the warp threads. Bring the needle up and under the warp threads (i.e. away from you) and with your spare hand push the beads up into the spaces between the warp threads, making sure each is in its own little space. Thread the needle through the beads, this time making sure the thread goes over the warp threads, thus keeping the beads in place.Pick up 9 more SB and repeat.

That’s it, basically. Carry on weaving until you get to the length you want. Every few rows push the beads up against each other, so you get a nice snug fabric.

If you decide you need a longer bookmark, undo the wing nuts at both ends and wind some more of the warp threads into the centre of the loom before tightening them again. This might mean you wind the beadweaving onto the roller, but don’t worry, it won’t come to any harm. When you’ve finished, work any thread ends into the beadwork and clip the thread.

Unscrew the wing nuts and carefully unwind all the warp threads, lifting the beading off the loom. Now you have to deal with all those warps, which is the worst bit in loomwork! In this project we’re going to make them into a fringe.

Take a pair of warp threads and thread on 13 SB. Tie several overhand knots in the thread next to the last SB. It might be a good idea to put a drop of glue on the knot to make it extra secure. Repeat with the other pairs of warps to give 5 tassels at each end.

Finished! I hope you’ve enjoyed the project. It looks long because I’ve deliberately given very precise instructions to help those who’ve done little or no loomwork. Really it takes very little time-it took me longer to type this out! If you have any questions post a comment and I’ll try to answer them.

Penny

What's That Metal?

Metals have so many different names these days that it's hard to keep up. What does it mean when the the lovely necklace you thought was sterling makes you break out? What exactly is "German Silver"? How about "Rolled Gold?" I hope this little primer will help you out.

Silver

Things that get called "silver" are very often not silver at all. If it says anything but "Sterling" or "Fine", or is not marked ".925" or ".999", you may be in for a surprise.

German Silver, Nickel Silver, Alpaca, Alpacca, Mexican Silver, Brazilian Silver, Austrian Silver, etc.
These are not silver at all. They are nickel, or nickel alloys. Loads of people are allergic to nickel, so if you find yourself breaking out like crazy, you may have a nickel piece.

Irish Silver
I've never seen this sold anywhere but Ireland, and it appears to be mostly pewter.

Silver Plate
A thin layer of silver bonded over a base metal -- often nickel.

Sterling Silver
An alloy that is 92.5% silver. In the USA, the other 7.5% must be copper, which is also true in Bali. In other countries, I don't know that the alloy is specified. I do know that a lot of people complain of rashes when wearing sterling silver from India, and I have heard that the alloy often used there is nickel, but I cannot swear to it.

In the 1980's, particularly, bright sterling was the fad and to get that super-shiny look, the silver was "rhodium flashed". The rhodium would prevent tarnishing, but it's also allergenic, so it tended to make people break out. There's less rhodium flashed silver around now than there used to be, but it's still available, especially in big box stores.

Fine Silver
Fine silver is 99.9% silver. It is softer than sterling, but also--oddly--more brittle. It won't tarnish nearly as easily as sterling because what discolors in sterling is actually the copper. Fine silver is gaining in popularity due to the introduction of "Precious Metal Clay", a product that combines microscopic bits of silver with a natural binder in a clay form. Once the clay dries, it can be fired in a kiln to burn away the binder, leaving you with a fine silver piece. This has allowed a great number of jewelry designers who cannot do traditional metalsmithing to work with metals.

UPDATE: Other types of silver: Coin Silver is 90% silver. Sometimes, you'll see silver measured by percentage, so a piece may be identified as Silver:80%, which is self-explanatory, but you may wonder "why would someone do that"? Well, in Europe, you'll often see an 80% silver alloy.

Someone has told me recently that "Mexican Silver", which usually means "nickel" as above, has another version, which is 95% silver. On that one, I cannot speak from experience, never having seen it. If so, I suggest asking someone who knows the particular piece in which you are interested to be sure what the silver content is.

Thai Silver: If it's actually hand-crafted Karen Hill Tribe silver, the silver content is higher than sterling but lower than fine silver. There's no exact measurement because it varies from piece to piece. These pieces are made with a higher quantity of silver because the copper alloy makes the silver harder to work with the hand tools used by the smiths.

Gold

Pure gold is 24k (gold is measured in karats, unlike stones, which are measured in carats). 24k gold, however is far too soft to stand up to the wear and tear of jewelry. The highest you see in solid form in jewelry is 22k, while the vast majority is 14k. 10k gold, which was very popular in the past (lots of vintage stuff is 10k) seems to be on the rise again, perhaps because the price of gold is getting prohibitively high.

Gold Plate
A thin layer of gold over a base metal, usually brass.

Rolled Gold, also known as Gold Filled
You will sometimes see things marked 18kr or 18kgf. This does not mean that the items is 18k gold, it means that it is 18k gold filled or rolled. The terminology is confusing. Gold does not actually "fill" the item. Rather, like plating, the item in question is a base metal coated with gold. The difference between gold filled and gold plated is both the thickness of the gold (much heavier in gf) and the process by which it is attached--the heat and pressure bonding of gold-filled is much sturdier than plating.

You will usually see gold-filled items marked "1/20 14kgf" or something similar which means that the 14k gold makes up 1/20 of the item by weight.

Vermeil
Vermeil is a plating of gold over sterling silver. This creates a different look than either gold filled or gold plated and has the additional advantage of being precious metal throughout so that should the gold ever wear away, the item still has inherent value.

I am sure I missed something in all this, so if you have suggestions or questions, please let me know!

UPDATE:From John Madsen comes this useful addition:
"Hi Laura - Was pleased to see your notes about the different types of metal nomenclature - a recent addition to the roster of metal variants is bi-metallic sheet - consisting of a relatively thick layer of karat gold hot-rolled (or eudecticallt bonded) to sterling - it is useful for fabrication where the artist wants to iclude gold in the design prior to finishing processes, which is when plating would be applied."

UPDATE II:This fascinating information comes from Abigail Miller:
"You might also add to this excellent summary the Japanese alloys shakudo and shibuichi. Shakudo is 4% gold in copper, and is used as a base for gold plating, and to get really deep black oxidized colors that contrast well with gold and silver. Shibuichi comes in two varieties, 15% silver in copper, and 25% copper in silver. Its polished color is a pale copper color. The 25% is useful for depletion gilding the surface when you heat and pickle it repeatedly until the surface is fine silver."

Hi Everyone

    Hi everyone, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself; I’m Penny and thanks to Laura I’ll be contributing to this blog from time to time.  First off let me tell you a bit about myself.   I’m English, have been beading for a while and mostly do beadweaving.  I love the fact that I can make something beautiful out of something as basic as tiny beads and thread.  I first saw beadweaving demonstrated by someone at a craft exhibition several years ago, but it was a while before I could bring myself to try it! At the moment I'm begining to experiment with PMC, but I think beadweaving is still my first love. I'll be writing some tutorials to share with you soon, but I just wanted to pop in and say hello.  Look out for a basic loomwork tutorial next week.  Penny