Favorite beading materials?

Here's a discussion question for all of us to ponder. What are your favorite beading materials? What do you love to work with? Things to consider may be stringing materials, bead types, material that beads are made from (glass, stone, crystal, plastic, resin, bone, wood, metal), kind of clasps and findings, beading tools.

I personally love seed beads, glass beads, magnetic clasps or toggle clasps, Nymo beading thread. I also have this really nifty tool that has an element that heats up and cuts beading thread by burning it. It's great! I no longer have those little pesky thread ends when I do bead weaving.

So what about you? Favorite materials?

Ooops ...

Does it mean you're officially a beader if you just spent $30 at the bead store? And I tried to keep it inexpensive!

More earrings!

I made a few large purchases of supplies recently, and threw together some earrings this morning:



I have a great idea for some new earrings, but I need to get more supplies and get some other stuff together and then I hope to host an amazingly popular knitalong! (A girl can dream, can't she?)

Attaching Beads to Knitting Projects

Hi Everyone!
A knitting blogger recently posted a great pictorial on how to attach beads to knitting projects with a needle threader, but I can't find it now. It may be a long shot, but do any of you know who it might have been or the name of the blog?

Thanks!
Ava

Bead organization and magazines

I've been trying to figure out a way to organize my crafting life. I've got a small fabric stash, a ginormous yarn stash, and a sizeable bead stash. How do you all store your beads? I have a lot of mine in a plastic rolling drawer thing, and a large tackle box, but it's hard to see what I have.

Another question I have for you all is do you read beading publications like Bead and Button and Beadwork? I do, and I do get inspired by what I find, although I rarely make anything from a magazine. Do you get inspired by beading magazines or books on beading? What inspires you in your beading?

Earrings Question

Since earrings seem to be on our minds these days, I thought I'd ask a question to the group:

What are you using for your earrings, metal findings wise? I have super sensitive ears and am looking for findings or wire that wont have me flinging the earrings across the room before the day is even out. So far I've found that I can wear the surgical steel earrings used for body piercings but there is no choice there. What else is out there that I can use that wont cause a person with a nasty nickel allergy great pain? Can you buy surgical steel wire?

Thanks.

Convention

Is anyone going to BABE! 2006 (Jennifer?)? Want to meet up? I am really interested in of course a Friday class ("Low Tech Metalsmithing") but then there is the whole childcare issue! Has anyone been to a bead convention?

My new addiction

So now that I made and wore one pair of earrings, I always have an earring hole free to wear new ones, so I've been making them every day now! Here's a collection of my earrings I've made this week:



This morning Devon asked to do some beading with me so we may have some FOs for him as well soon!

Hi From Alum Creek

Hi, I am Jenni from Alum Creek. I am so glad that Jennifer started this blog and I looking forward to some great projects and jewelry making inspiration. I am a high school English and art teacher. I have a minor/second teaching field in art and took a jewelry class in college. I like to design jewelry and make jewelry using wire wrapping techiques. Here are some of my earrings. I briefly sold pairs, until I totally burned out and didn't make that much money for my efforts.

Last fall I took a glass fusing course at a local university. I made some carbochans that are begging to be used in a design. But, alas, I haven't made anything in months. I am so ready to get beading!

Hi!

I just joined the group today. I'm Elspeth and I am a novice beader -- so far I've only made stitch markers for knitting and three pairs of earrings. Here are the earrings I made to wear today:



Sorry for the overexposed, slightly blurry picture. When I bring out the beads my son likes to join in, so next time we do beading together I'll get some photos of his work as well. I hope to get inspired by the group to do more beading! I was also lucky enough to have two secret pals that used to own bead shops, so I have a huge collection and need to learn how to use it!

Beading Resources on the Web

I thought I'd post some of my favorite beading resources on the web. If you have some, please let us know! Once I get a good list going, I'll add them to the sidebar.

Online Shops:
Fire Mountain Gems
2 Bead or not 2 Bead
Whimbeads
Shipwreck Beads

Beading Tutorials and help:
Candy's Beading links: Tons of links to lots of tutorials
Beadwork Magazine
Bead and Button Magazine
Bead Style Magazine
About.com : beadwork

I've enjoyed reading everyone's introductions. If you have not already done so, I invite you to introduce yourself! Keep posting the finished jewelry as well. We have a very talented group!

Katrina's Introduction

Hello, my name is Katrina. I've always been fascinated with beads, but I started beading seriously about seven years ago. My favorite article to bead is bracelets, because that's my favorite piece of jewelry to wear. I mostly love working with crystals, but I have a fondness for all kinds of beads. Here is a picture of two crystal bracelets I entered into the fair this year:I've also had a lot of fun making chain mail bracelets out of jump rings and beaded ornaments for Christmas.

I've done a lot of crafty hobbies like cardmaking with rubber stamps and quilting. My new obsession is knitting. I rarely make cards any more, and though I still adore quilting, it's just not conducive to life with three small children. I've not done much beading since being bitten by the knitting bug, and I miss it. Like Jennifer, I hope this blog will inspire me to do more.

Hello hello!

Hi guys! I thought I'd make an introductory post. My name is Melissa or Lissa (whichever you prefer; I answer to both) and I've been beading since I was ten years old.

I first got into beading after my mom gave me a box of beads that had been my great grandmother's. She was from Mexico and had been into loom beading and elaborate daisy chains. The only item of hers that I have in my possession is a short and fragile daisy chain made out of jet sead beads. I made it into a bracelet but am afraid to wear it! ;)

Right now I am very much into multiple strand necklaces and bracelets. I like loom work as well, but haven't done any of that in ages. I've also started to get into bead embroidery and think that would make a neat cuff bracelet. Here's one of my (sort of) recent works, as previously posted on my blog (my mother made the pendant from polymer clay):


Anyway, I can't wait to be inspired by what everyone else is working on!

Hi There

My turn I guess. Hmm....

My name is TeAntae (Tee-An-Tay). I come from a creative family so creating is in my blood. Specifically to beading, my original thoughts on the subject was that it was that gaudy, cheap looking stuff that I wouldn't be caught dead wearing. It was series of fortunate events that introduced me to what beadwork could really be.

My brother broke a leather necklace he loved and asked me to fix it for him. I tried to explain that I solder, I don't string to no avail. At the same time I was planning my wedding and wanted something unique to go with my island themed wedding. There was a bead shop within walking distance of where I was taking classical guitar lessons so I figured I'd stop by and pay someone there to fix my brother's necklace. Then I noticed the pretty finished pieces and thought I'd also have someone make me something unique. When I approached the lady at the counter (turned out to be the owner) and explained my situation, she looked at me for a second and then flatly told me, "No." I must have looked shocked because she continued. "I'll show you how to fix the necklace and make your own but I wont do it for you." I protest that I didn't want to and would gladly pay but she wouldn't hear of it. She sat me down in a chair next to the counter, showed me how to restring the necklace and left me to my own devices. A short while later I was surprised at how easy it was and was curious what it would take to make what I wanted for my wedding. The owner came back and with a knowing smile, told me about a bead show coming up, what magazines to look into and sent me on my way.

At the bead show I found some lovely glass leaves made by a local artist (Donna Nova) that matched the colors of the leis I had purchased for everyone to wear. Then I met another artist who was teaching a woven bracelet technique at a bead store also within driving distance. After all was said and done, this is what I made for my wedding:

(Need to retake this shot)

You'd think that would have had me off and running but I was still only a casual beader. Stringing something here and there but I still wasn't truly bitten yet. That was until I was at the American Craft Council show a few months later and met Valerie Hector. We chatted casually for a moment (there was a lull in the normal crowd around her booth) and she must have realized something in me because next thing I know she's grabbed one of her large postcards and is writing a long list of teachers, books, and exhibits that I must look into. The list ended up spilling over to a second postcard! I picked up the first book she said I should get, Creative Beadweaving, and fell madly in love with peyote stitch. Now my bookshelves are groaning, my bead containers are bursting, and I've found my passion... in beadweaving.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

An introduction!

I thought I'd start out by introducing myself quickly. My name is Jennifer and I've been beading for about half of my life. I started in junior high with some basic stringing and netting projects. More recently I've been interested in off loom bead weaving stitches and still doing some stringing projects on the side. I'm currently trying to work on bracelets using tubular netting stitch. I've got two young children, and no craft room, so beading has been difficult. I believe that moderating and participating in this blog will fire me up about beading! I look forward to sharing with all of you!

This blog is going to be in process for a little while. I will be adding a participant's list to the side bar along with links to beading resources, online shops, and online patterns. I'm very excited to get started!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Bead Forever, an ongoing group beading blog where we will be able to exchange tips, ideas, and our works in progress and finished objects! Beading of all types are welcome here! Whether you are someone who enjoys beading on or off a loom, beads stringing and knotting, beads and wirework, or knitting and crocheting with beads, you can find a home here.

As the group gains members and interest, we can expand to doing bead swaps, featuring a beading project and running a beadalong, have theme months where any member interested in invited to bead around a theme.

The main goal here is to encourage each other in our beading efforts, and sharing our love of all things beady!

If you are interested in joining, please email me at craftylilly AT hotmail DOT com. I'll send you an invite to join the group blog.