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?
posted by Jennifer @ 2:31 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I've got a bead container or two but they don't store them well, so I'd love to find something better.
I had a subscription to Jewelry and Craft but I didn't think I'd make anything in it so I didn't resubscribe.
I use a ginormous tacklebox I got from Walmart for $15 to store half of my beads. It has four different compartments that slide out for easy access. The others are kept in old shoeboxes. I am half organized! Actually, about a third of my beads are sead beads in long tubes, and I haven't really figured out a way to store them conveniently. I also use those small plastic ziplocs for bead organization.
I like Bead & Button the best, but my general rule for buying magazines is thus: I have to like at least three designs/patterns in the issue (technique articles don't count for some reason) in order to buy it. I hardly ever make anything from the magazines either, but they're sure fun to look at!
I'm often inspired by clothing/jewelry trends (I see something at the mall and think, "I could make that! Fer cheap!"), a particular focal bead, a challenge request from a friend ("I need something black, silver and dangly by Friday!!1"), Celtic designs, etc. Sometimes I try to think in terms of themes, like making something holiday-ish without being overtly Christmassy, or inspired by a particular custom like Day of the Dead or something like that.
I have scanned through that magazine and while it does have beautiful beadwork, I haven't made anything from it yet. One idea I got for making a beautiful pair of earrings was from a nice upper scale handmade jewlery store. This was this beautiful pair of earrings, price $169. Ouch! I studied it and went home that day sketched it out while still fresh in my head and made it. Of course it's not exactly but close enough for me. I'll have to post them some time. Most of the time I just will see things in a store and that will inspire me, other times it visiting a rock shop and the stones itself will stir up the creativity.
I read: Bead & Button, Beadwork, Ornament, and Belle Armoire. I will do some of the projects out of them (with personal modifications) but mostly get them for the eye candy... BEAD PORN! I also have a ton of beading/jewelry books for the same reasons.
As for storage, I have storage for supplies and I have storage for projects. I started with, and still have, various divided boxes I either got at craft stores or hardware stores for all the different kinds of beads I use. I'm still looking for the best way to store seed beads though.
For tools and projects I was trying to force them into the same boxes or putting them in sandwich bags. That is until trip to IKEA lead to a discovery of the best kind. In the childrens' department they sell sets of 3 stackable project boxes in an assortment of colors for cheap. In these I store the supplies for various specific projects and they are perfect in size. I also have a few Crayola project boxes that are flatter and wider (good for working within) but they don't stack.
In the container area of IKEA I found a larger variation of the children stackable project box. These are larger and divided and are perfect for tools, thread, and other odd size necessities.
I suscribe to the three B's: Bead & Button, Beadwork, and Bust. They are all wonderful for inspiration. I keep my beads organized in tackle boxes and various plastic organizers.
Katrina that pattern sounds awesome, and I'd love to see it when you finish = )
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