Needles and Needleworkers

So, I finally got busy going through my papers. You'll understand what I mean if I say 'procrastinate' and 'avoidance'.

The envelopes contained my bank statements: I don't like them because they tell me how little I have and how much I owe to Visa. But I bit my bottom lip to keep it from quivering and maintained a stiff upper lip as I learned from my mother.

I found something scribbled on one of the envelopes. Here goes:

In needlework of any description, and that includes beading because a needle is used, the bigger the number the smaller the needle. Even using wire, the larger the gauge the smaller the wire. 

In our needlework the beginner starts with a lower number and moves to a higher number. And as we age and our eyesight starts playing tricks we needleworkers move from a high gauge ( I mean #28, or # 26 ) back to the lower gauges ( #18 or # 16). 

So, if you are looking at a piece of work by 'Anonymous' and it was done with a large needle it's a safe bet it was done either by an inexperienced needleworker or an experienced needleworker. Clues found in the work will tell you which is which.

Update in my Crazy Life!!!!!

So here's the thing. My emails were piling up and I am getting ready for the Bead Oasis Show (that's this weekend, OMG!!) and I haven't visited my email friends for ever so long and my sister has cancer. And that's why I've got over 1000 yup! One Thousand. YEAH ~~ OMG !!! 

So I got busy today clearing my emails and I found one from Shiela of http://www.makingjewelrysupplies.com.

I won't tell you how they found me but they did. 'We operate the largest Jewellery Supplies website featuring more than 30,000 blogs. Our site averages 200,000 uniques visitors per month. ' They have featured my blog at http://makingjewelrysupplies.com/blog_awards/index.php?id=4530 

Now wasn't that a nice thing to do? Now I'm putting a link to Shiela's site on this blog.
Beads Jewelry Supply 

And I'm going to put it in my sidebar.

Thank you Shiela.

Helen

Interesting Site

Well, first I got an email from my friend Romayne. She told me of this great site. Then I went to look at it and ya know what?! Ramayne was right. It has a lot of interesting stuff.

There's lotsa stuff for the wireworker and the PMC / metal clay people. And beading is represented too. She's Laura McCabe and just look at what she can do. 

Check out the rest of the site. It's worth it. http://www.beaducation.com

We went to the One of a Kind show in Toronto a week or 2 ago and it would seem our economy is doing quite well. We stopped to visit with some of our friends but had no time to really catch up. Business was booming and we didn't want them to lose any sales. Of course, this show is close enough to Christmas that people were really shopping for this season's gifties.

We lovce love love Tickleberrys: chocolate covered dried fruit. They are in Okanagan Falls BC but do the rounds of the big shows. We went with a budget as always but this year we werer able to score a big batch of tickleberries.

So what was the highlight of the show? My sister said it is the harp she bought - harp is her favourite instrument. I've been banned from playing it. For my cousin it was the Tickleberrys (available with no sugar for diabetics) and all the other food stuffs.
And for me? I was interested in artisan jewellery. There was only 1 jeweller who made something close to artisan jewellery I design and make. Putting aside the jewellers making precious gems and metal jewellery the bulk of ready made was with chains and wirework. There were a couple of new people selling just their beads and their beads were wonderful. But nobody made bead artisan jewellery. Now I am being encouraged to get a small booth at the spring One of a Kind show. I think I'll hold off on that for now. The fees are frighteningly high for somebody like me!
It took about 5 hours to 'do' the whole show and by the time we had finished looking and shopping we were well hungry. My sister was extra tired because she pushed me through nearly the whold show; my legs gave out after only a couple of aisles. Nobody was interested in cooking a meal and cleaning up after it so off we went to a local restaurant.
For all who have not been to a One of a Kind show really need to go to one. Even if you don't buy anything the stimulation and inspiration you can get there is well worth the day. No photos please and no helping yourself to another's designs.
At this show there was an obvious copy of a longstanding designer and participant in art and craft shows. Even the name was almost the same! It surprised me that the organizers permitted the copier a booth. What it did was urge the originator of the product to think up variations of her design. What it does for potential customers is confuse us. Is it Berry xxxx or Mary xxxx? I really didn't appreciate the obvious theft of product design and thinly altered name. The moral is: theft is theft. Don't do it.

On Experimentation

'Painters and poets alike have always had licence to dare anything. We know that and claim and allow to others in their turn the same indulgence. ' ......Horace

You've heard 'there is nothing new under Heaven.' And it is infuriating when somebody goes public with your design. It happened to me in September but I expected it, thank goodness.

I had made 3 necklaces where the clasp was replaced with 2 long long bead ropes. I got the idea from 2 places: 1. the beautiful tunics out of India with a bit of embroidery at the nape of the neck, and 2. from jewellery, again from India, that did more or less the same thing. I had my 3 necklaces in my booth at the September Bead Oasis show in Toronto. And on the first day a woman came through my booth wearing a necklace with trailing chains down the back. All I can say is that my necklaces were prettier and better made.

Well, you know just as soon as I finished that show I completely forgot about this wee innovation and carried on with peyote and right angle weave (RAW) and spiral and ..... you get the idea.

I came across these necklaces the other day and now I'm thinking about adding a couple more to the collection. And I think I'll stay in the same deep gold and gemstone colours: they look a bit like enamel from a distance. I don't have any more agate pendants but I do have lots of wonderful 'special' beads to take their place.

Now it's to be expected that other designers will come across this idea and may be inspired by a totally different something. But the difference between their idea and mine is the same as the difference between s/he and me. And I think that's what Horace meant. Take an idea and run with it: change the colours, change the techniques, change the pendant and ..

The difference between those of us who believe we have no talent and

artists and artisans is our belief in ourselves and the willingness to experiment. When it comes to trying one must have the attitude that it is just an experiment and no matter the outcome we have an answer. Sometimes it's what doesn't work but the answer is still positive: you'll know what NOT to do next time.

Get it? Whether you make jewellery for sale or as gifts for you and your family and friends you must approach the process as would a child. Learn through your experiments and don't beat yourself up if you don't like the first attempts. Dare to experiment. Have fun doing it. If it isn't fun then it's not worth doing it.

Well, that's just my opinion. ....Helen

Something from Rena Klingenberg

http://www.making-jewelry-now.com/sterling-silver-wire-per-ounce.html

and http://www.making-jewelry-now.com/14k-goldfill-wire-per-ounce.html

Hiya everybody. Look what I've found!! These 2 URLs send you off to Rena Klingenberg Land: they are tables of measurements of how much different wires weigh per ounce. I'm told that's how companies charge for their wire. It's helpful if you need to replace what you've got or what you'll need to finish a project.

I've tried wirework on my own and I've even taken a class or two. If you ever have a chance to take classes with Jelcy Romberg, Judy Feskun, Marilyn Gardner, then jump at it. These are talented people who know how to teach.

It's important to know your strengthes and your weaknesses. What I've learned about wirework is that it's not the technique for me. That isn't an opinion relating to anybody else but me. So my wireworking efforts sit to one side while I focus on beadwork. There are a host of really wonderful wireworkers and I'm not one of them.

But I do admire them!

.........helen

Addendum! Still regarding wire sizing but from Beading Daily's newsletter.

http://whatcounts.com/dm?id=CD1C29CD77F711BEBCFB6FFB3F0A4C30A1CD49487D3A97A7

.........helen

Stratford Fringe Bracelet

So I was in Stratford on Saturday. We 3 sisters took in Cyrano de Bergerac at the Festival Theatre.

We picniced in the Theatre grounds overlooking the small knot garden. I had my fav PBJ and fresh fruit followed. A quick turn through the Giftie Shoppie and a visit to the Ladies and we were set for the 3 hour performance.

Colm Feore was Cyrano. He was in every scene and had great long speeches as well as running around. It was a wonderful

performance!

And I wore a new bracelet. The picture doesn't do it justice.

The whole thing measures 9.25in (nearly 24cm) but the bugle bead fringe takes up a lot of that extra room. The spine' is 10/o silver glass seed beads and the fringe is #3 black glass bugle beads with the silver glass seed beads at the ends. I made a fancy button clasp.

The bonus, well really several bonus-us-us, is that it works up quickly. And all the silvery bits sparkle and gleam when the house lights are up. They even sparkle in the ambient lighting from on stage lighting. The bracelet has little weight and it's a great bracelet to play with. It feels good. So I guess you could consider it a grown up toy to wear to the grown up theatre.

I also have made a set ~ necklace, bracelet, earrings ~ using the spiral technique and primary coloured bugle beads. It's different than the fringe technique of the Stratford Fringe Bracelet. Instead of using seed beads in the spiral part, I used #2 bugle beads and 10/o seed beads. And it was fun to do. I wonder how much I enjoyed doing this up is related to the cheery primary colours?

Now. I've been so busy and loving every minute of it. Even when my beads fall on the floor I cannot say I don't like beads. Picking up all them there lil beggars is among the yuckiest of beading tasks but .....

My 2nd cousin, or is she my 1st cousin once removed? My cousin Gwynith asked for a Ladder Garden bracelet way back last Christmas. It's finally done. And we're planning to visit her in August and I'll deliver it then.

Why did she ask for this bracelet? She saw the Ladder Garden Bracelet my sister wears. She wanted one but with her colours. And that's what I've done. And that's the pic right there on the left. I hope she likes it.

What's in my lap now? I've done some more work with the spiral technique using bugle beads. I'm looking for a way to simplify a double spiral piece. I can do it in several passes but that means I have to guesstimate the length of the bracelet and take into account the 'fluffiness' factor. I'm working on it because I want to write up a kit to sell at the next Bead Oasis show in Toronto in September.

That's it for now. ...Helen