A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity My new hobby - UH OH!

WELL!!!
A very nice person here sent me some very nice stone beads for my birthday back in September with a note to "make something for yourself". I had never done any serious beading before, so it took me until now to ask my friend, Liz, who works at Michael's if she would do it for me if I bought the rest of the supplies. She was more than happy to do it! We spent 1 1/2 hours in the beading aisles at Michael's the other day looking at all sorts of things from clasps to spacer beads, etc. Of course I had to buy MORE beads while I was there!!!

Today, I went back to Michael's and asked Liz if she would show me how to make the necklaces and bracelets - I mainly needed help learning how to crimp the ends and add the clasps. She's an excellent teacher and even lent me some tools to take home.

The first bracelets I made are for Amy - she loves red lately, and the last time we saw her at school, we had all gone to a street fair. She was looking for a scareb pendant. We didn't find any, but I did find some ladybug spacer beads at Michael's and thought she might like them since they are both in the beetle family.

So here are my first "nice" bracelets -
you know... other than the plastic ones we used to make with the kids on elastic thread!

The beds are all more of a candy apple red - couldn't capture the true colors.


I said UH OH because this could get to be a very addictive and EXPENSIVE hobby!

Ohhhhhhhhhh Lynne,,, anther talent you have there!!!!!!!,, You did an excellent Job,,, I'm sure Amy will love those,!, ,,,,
I used to' bead ' a long time ago,, when the kids were in grade school,,, There is a specialty bead store here with beads from plastic , to glass, to ceramic,, brass ,
s steel, rare woods, stones, and antique,, very expensive shop,, I only go in there to ooooooo and awwwwwww,,,,

Soooooooo is this going to be an on going New hobby,, and maybe incorporate them into some of your knitting projects??,,

Lynne !!!! THose are beautiful!!1

I think Amy will love them.

Well Diane - I do have some beads that I want to put in some knitting or crocheting projects, but that's another problem - if I get so caught up in making jewelry now, how will I ever have time to knit???

I know of a couple of those beading stores, but I will need to stay out of them except for findings that I can't find at the box stores. Findings are things like clasps, spacers, links, etc. Right now I am looking for a silver enhancer bail - I got a nice agate stone to hang from a necklace that someone gave me, but need a special bail for it and the box stores do not carry those unfortunatley. Beads are usually pretty pricey in the smaller beading stores.

Thanks, Carol - I hope Amy does like them - we'll know on Sunday when she comes home.

Those are awesome, Lynne. I am sure Amy will like them.
I have been hunting beads that have holes big enough to string on regular weight yarn. Not plastic pony beads but something that will hold up for washing, stone or glass. It is an uphill battle so far unless I order them online and pay a fortune. I think I have given up.

Keerful! Them thar beads'll git you addictumated! I started doin' hit nigh onto 40 yar ago and ain't ne'er been able to stop doin' hit fer long since! 'Corse I use them thar Injun beads, I think they calls them seed beads.

Tina - what are you hoping to do with those beads with large holes?
I haven't seen any, but then again haven't been looking really - will keep my eyes open for them now.

Thorny - got any pics of the seed bead works?

You can crochet beaded designs right into things. I'm thinking scarves with beaded initials. Or a whole (short) name.

I like red too. Those are so pretty.

Those are great looking bracelets. I mess with some too , but are too lay to put the fastners on like that.

I like sukowarski beads most...However it is spelled.

Nice work .

Those are really beautiful The neat thing about doing beading is that you can make some wonderful pieces the possibilities are endless.
And you never run out of people to give them to! LOL
Have fun!

LOL

Love the bracelets Lynne!! I went to a beading party a few months ago. We made bracelets at the party and then could order kits. Well I ordered a couple and haven't done anything with them since I got them. I really should do that...I enjoyed it but I kinda forgot about them!! I agree that it could definitely be an expensive hobby. Knitting can be too!

Go to goodwill or garage sales, an buy up old necklaces for your new projects.
Lots of beads dont age......

I made a key chain out of beads and leather string.. Like it .

b

Thanks everyone!


pssssst - Dodge - it's Swarovski!

Now that Liz has finished and given me the necklace she made from the beads I mentioned above, I thought I'd share them here. Our wonderful Diane sent me this strand of turquoise beads for my birthday last September, and wrote on the bag "make it yourself". :wink: At that time I didn't know how, so I asked Liz if she would make it for me.

I think she did a terrific job, don't you?



Yesterday I met Liz at a "bead expo" at the Holiday Inn just down the road from me. We spent several hours combing through all sorts of beads and findings. Here is the first bracelet I made from my purchases - since Amy also loves amber lately, I made one of these bracelets for her, and had enough to make the same for me.

I am going to try to post here again=--I know I already typed up a note--ah well---

Both of the pieces of jewelry are beautiful.

I KNOW you love the turquois necklace, as do I---

But the lovely amber bracelet is VERY nice too.---you can be proud of your work.--and of your friends as well.

Diane that was a perfect gift to send to Lynne...

I love them both Lynne! That bracelet is fantastic!! Can't wait to see what else you make!!!

love that turquois.

They are gorgous...........
I wear my homemades and ladys compliment them.
I never do like the ones in the stores..
Torq. is one of my inventions..
Thanks for photos .
Show us more.

dodge

you guys are so talented.

very nice lynne. i'm glad you have found something to give you joy!

Liz did an awesome Job in stringing them Lynne.. I like that she incorporated the barrels !

OMgoodness I love the shape of the amber Beads in the braclet,, You designed the bracelet to compliment the amber even more,, Gooooood Job! Looks like your going to be really busy between knitting and Beading! ,, Sure wish I could have went to the bead show I would have been in Awe just looking at everything

Thanks again all!

Dodge - I'd love to see some pictures of the ones you have made.

Diane - I soooo wish you could have gone to the expo with us too!!!


I spent the better part of today, trying to get a decent picture of this set that I made to give to my mom tomorrow. She wears a lot of black, so I used hematite - the long beads, and snowflake obsidien - the round beads.


And here is a set I made for my cousin's wife, Lisa - I will give it to her when we visit on Friday. The green beads are ceramic.



This is really getting addictive already - I went out and bought a 3 drawer storage unit to put all my supplies in - now I will need knitters AND beaders anonymous!

OMG Lynne you do Professional work for a beginner,, YEP you have the talent and excellent taste in designing,,, Beautiful bead work! Your HIRED!!!!!!!

Those are really nice, Lynne. Have you invested in your own tools yet?

Those are great Lynne!!!

I agree with Diane--your work and the quality of the beads are both beautiful.

Hey Lynne are there any New pictures of your jewelery to show us??

Thanks again for all your kind words, all!

Well... since you asked, Diane...

My mom really liked her set, and has worn it out twice already and received nice compliments - makes a person feel great! She was so excited about it when I gave it to her on Thanksgiving, that she asked me to make 3 necklaces for 3 of her friends. Two are sisters who look like twins but are actually 2 years apart, and she said they wear a lot of blue colors. The other is a new friend this year through the others.

I made this one for the new friend... hematite and silver


And these for the sisters - the blue beads are glass cat eyes.
the 2 strands were slightly different in shade - one a bit darker than the other...


different view of one of the necklaces...


in a gift box where you can see the colors better...

Wow!! They are great Lynne!! I bet they will be greatly appreciated!!! Nice work!

Beautiful

Boy Lynne, you don't let grass grow under your feet. I'm still working on the scarf I started last year. And I started a pair of socks that I haven't worked on in probably 9 months. I'll bet I'll have to start over to figure out where I am.

Lynne, all 3 necklaces are beautiful !! I think you mother (and then her friends) will be so very pleased.

I just love that light blue.

did someone on this forum send the beads and I missed it?

here Sheri---see??, Apparently someone bought just the first set of beads as a gift to Lynne. I cannnot find who the someone is.....

Lynne I Love the flower Clasp That is really really nice,, I've never seen one like that . did you get it at the Expo.. or at Michaels??

Every time I read the title of this thread, I mistake it for My New Hubby. I do a double take.

Ok - Sheri - Diane had sent me the turquoise beads, that I then asked Liz at Michael's to make a necklace for me with those beads. At the same time, I asked Liz to show me how to do the beading - with the crimping, etc, and she did show me. I have bought all the other beads aside from the turquoise ones, to make all the projects I've posted here so far.

Diane - that is a toggle clasp, and while they do look very pretty, they don't always sit right, and I'm not all that fond of them. I have one on a bracelet that I bought years ago, and it's always falling off, so I will never put one on any bracelets that I make. I got some of them at ACMoore, and some at Michael's. They work best with the lighter beads I've found - I would not use them again with the ceramic beads.