What Do You Remember Most About Being a Beginner?
What I remember most is wanting to do this beading thing day and night, but only being able to do it in the daytime because I could see those tiny beads better. But I tried anyway....black beads and black Nymo was a problem
What Was Your First Beading Book?
"Quick & Easy Beaded Jewelry" by Elizabeth Gourley and Ellen Talbott.
Where Was Your First Beading Class and Who Taught It?
I'm a self-taught beader, but I recently went to a Wire Workshop. It was taught by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong. I love incorporating my bead work with wire! This was my first class involving jewelry.
What Inspired Me to Start Beading/Beadwork
I make custom cloaks (sewing), and during one Craft Fair where I was a cloak vendor, I had to bring my sick 7-year-old. Her dad bought her lots of plastic beads from Michael's to keep her occupied during the fair; she made all the other vendors "name bracelets with stretchy cord, and I had to figure out how to tie the knots! Now, whenever I do a fair, it is my jewelry I sell, and I wear my "Daisy" earring for luck. My daughter's name is Daisy; she will be 15 soon and I will be 55. She was my change-of-life baby who really changed my life that day. I still make cloaks, but beading is my passion!
What Was Your First Beadwork Project?
My first seed bead project was a strung choker necklace using two pieces of wire. I used 11s for each wire, then put an 8 on both wires about every 10 11s or so. I also learned how to attach a clasp and use crimp beads for the ends. Yes, I finished it, and I still have it, but it's pretty awful.....Then, I fell in love with peyote stitch...and have made a gazlillion amulet bags.
Tips and Tricks
- The very best tip for me was to never do a ladder stitch using bugle beads without also using a seed bead at each end; my bugle ladders always fell apart because the ends were so sharp. Now, I use seeds on the ends, and if I need to snug up the seed beads together I ladder them separately from the bugle.
- Fireline! 10-lb test! Love it!! But use it with Delicas only because you'll need that big inside hole if you need to make more than a couple of passes through!
- magnifying light for my desk; it clips on and I look thru it. 15s don't just look like dust, I can actually see them.
