Tag: beads
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TierraCast – Why Was This Allowed to Happen?
I want to know why.
Why was this allowed to happen?
Why did a company that has been around for 45 years, made their products in the USA and who had thousands and thousands of customers pass quietly from the scene of the bead and craft industry as of January 1st and no one helped them.
Why did no one fight this?
(Sorry the image is so small. Here is a larger version.)
This is why when I shop on Etsy, the sellers in the USA and Canada are ALWAYS first in priority when I make my purchase orders for beads, toggles and other beady supplies.
I struggle to remember all the reasons Tierra Cast cites in their goodbye message as to why they’re going out of business, but this still DISGUSTS me that compliance, regulation and overseas competition were some of the deciding factors in this.
Sometimes overseas competition is healthy and good for those in other countries who are gifted artisans, who are struggling with feeding their families and can bring us the beauty of their craft for less than we can buy domestically – but I am a STRONG OPPONENT to the Chinese market FLOODING the world with poor quality GARBAGE made at the expense of their environment (Ask me about the Yellow River, or better yet, look up what they have done to it and its surrounding ecosystem in the name of becoming the number one competitor in the overseas market.)
Other times I remember that it is the law of natural selection that the strongest companies and artisans survive, but with the death of 75% of the jewelry businesses in Southern California over the 29 years I have been selling jewelry, this hits a raw nerve. Three of the major Delica bead vendors in Southern California (Beads & Other Needs, Creative Castle and The San Gabriel Company) have died off in the last ten years alone, forcing all of us locally in the jewelry designer business who use Delicas to go online for our larger-scale and hard-to-find colors orders and DAMMIT, one absolutely CANNOT accurately choose these colors without seeing them in person.
So today I light a candle to these four companies – greats that have passed before us – and continue my search for U.S. based artisans and Delica vendors with a heavy heart and debit card in hand.
)O( Luna
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Chaos in the Bead Cave – How to Modify Colors in an Existing Pattern
So this week THIS Happened…
Yeah…I bought a peyote-stitch bracelet pattern on Etsy I fell MADLY in love with without checking if I had the colors in stock. Guess what?
I DIDN’T.
*sigh*
*and FACEPALM*
Sound familiar? It happens to all of us…Pattern Makers/Masters and their customers alike. And I have done a few new pen wrap patterns in the past month (6 to be exact) and expanded my already extensive collection of Miyuki 11/0 Delica colors to make them, so I was taken completely aback when out of needing a dozen colors for this beautiful peacock bracelet, I had only ONE COLOR in stock.
Now What?
We always have options when running across a situation like this. It’s why when I started listing pen wrap patterns in my Etsy Shop, KC Dragonfly, I always include a visual of the colors used, like this:
(Well, for that reason and because I want to seduce buyers with the pretty, shiny & colorful side of the pattern XD) But is also for the convenience of letting a customer know what kind of expense they are getting into ahead of their purchase, so they can avoid going broke buying all new bead stock.
So even if you can afford 11 new colors, there are other considerations to uh, consider when doing a purchased pattern and getting it so you are happy with the final result. And those are:
- Expense
- Color Scheme
- Pattern Accuracy
- Your Personal Skill Set
- Time
So let’s take these points one at a time in the case of the peacock bracelet design I am currently working on and you’ll get the idea – and hopefully some ways to troubleshoot any future problems you run across in your own pattern-making/purchasing.
Expense
As mentioned above, this is on the top of the totem pole for a lot of beaders – especially serial beaders like me. After all, what good is having that shiny new bracelet if every time you look at it, all you see is you sacrificed food money for a week to buy the beads to make it?
In this new pattern’s case for me, it was eye-opening to shop online as opposed to running out immediately to my local bead store. And I actually hate saying this because there is only one bead store with a large, dedicated section of Delica beads within 50 miles of me, so I go there all the time to feed my bead obsession and ensure they stay in business. I knew I would be spending more money than I had budgeted to make this particular piece, so I checked out the prices online and found them everywhere from 40 to 90 cents cheaper than my local source!
So why didn’t I buy them online? The problem came with the next consideration and that is…
Color Scheme
Are you sure you will like the colors in that shiny new pattern you just acquired? I was happy with mine and ready to buy the Delicas online, but since I wanted to make it now (heh, don’t we all?), I called and spoke to the owner of my local Delica supply store. In going over my list, she said it wasn’t the colors she would use. In the case of the peacock feather bracelet, I grabbed an actual peacock feather and compared them and to my horror, she was right!
Pattern Accuracy
In a lot of cases, you don’t have to worry about this if it is an “I ♥ Cats” or a geometric/subjective design – unless of course there is a glaring error in the pattern itself. In the case of the peacock bracelet, I wanted to modify and add colors I thought were missing that were both more accurate and would make the bracelet pop. The original suggested colors of orange and yellow did do this, but I wanted a chance to play with some beautiful, inside-dyed, pearl-lined copper colors! I also discovered in comparing the pattern to an actual peacock feather, the interior surrounding the eye itself is an amazing shade of coppery bronze. And guess what? Have you ever looked at a peacock feather? Believe it or not, some of them have a lining of hot pink at the top of each eye!
Photo by Margaret Jaszowska on Unsplash Here it’s oversaturated to emphasize the color and where it is, but even on an untouched photo, if it has it, it’s visible:
Photo by Eran Menashri on Unsplash So in the end, I took a trip to my local Delica bead shop, pattern, notes and a peacock feather in hand and continued our phone conversation whilst perusing her hundreds and hundreds of vials of colors for that perfect look.
Your Personal Skill Set
Another thing I ran across that made me pause before hitting the “Buy” button for this pattern was that it was a “two-drop” peyote pattern. I have never done two-drop before, but knew I could master the stitch with video tutorials and advice from my favorite local Facebook Peyote Stitch Patterns group. And expanding your beadwork skills can only lead to bigger, better and more beautiful projects to tackle, like this one:
Beadwork Cacti photo by Nancy Wesseling-de Wit This amazing beauty took the photographer 12 hours to complete, being a combination of peyote stitch, herringbone and embroidery. And one day, when I have the time, I’m going to buy that pattern and make this!
So the takeaway on this point is if you want instant gratification from your pattern purchase, don’t get something you don’t currently have the skillset to make. Buy it if you have to, but for maximum satisfaction out of the purchase – and the “build” – make the goal of developing the skill to do it and do it right.
Time
Ah, yes…Time. The friend and enemy of us all. It all depends on whether you have the skills to master it such as planning, organization, focus and discipline. And being a good juggler helps too. You don’t have to wait to be a master at one or all, just be aware you have to take all of them into consideration when embarking on pattern modifications. There will be trial-and-error periods where you might end up tearing out a row or rows because you don’t like the colors, but with these experiences comes wisdom which will win you time back in future projects.
In Summary
So don’t be afraid to change up/throw out/add to those colors in the patterns you buy. Just remember to check with the seller if you plan on selling the finished piece – many sellers allow this, but not all of them. And if it’s for you or as a gift to a friend, the only rule of thumb then is to have fun and go nuts!
Kristine
Resident Bead Whore
KC DragonflyCredits and Sources
Peacock pattern by Diushes available through her store here.
Cacti pattern by BeadCreativeByFiona available through her store here. -
Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update part three
On our way
We are finally on our way to Gallifrey One 2019. It feels strange after over a month of doing beadwork on bracelets every day to not have a bead project in hand, beading and ignoring everything else around me.
I miss it already.
Is that weird? Not when you’re addicted to doing beadwork like I am and have been doing it for so many years. When you do something this intense and it’s something you don’t love, it’s easy to get burned out. Me, I’m already going over ideas for my next art show which hopefully will be for a My Little Pony convention up in Northern California. Of course I’ll stop once in awhile during the panels to pay attention to who’s on stage and hang out with my sister and brother-in-law. But there is always downtime when I’m hanging in the lobby and people watching. Those are the times it’s I sit and sketch out what I want my next project to be.
And now what you’ve all been waiting for
The 13th Doctor Bracelet
The 5th Doctor Bracelet
Tarot & Angel Deck Divination Bags
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Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update part two
Table Display SignageAs I mentioned in a teaser earlier this month, I went shopping for lettering for a new name for my Doctor Who-themed creations in the Gallifrey One 2019 art show. Creating the new logo last week took more time than I had expected due to planning, measuring, gluing and painting. After the bulk of the painting and gluing was done, I went back to beadwork. Still, project pieces were slowed down because they were worked on in between touch-up coats of paint and lettering adjustments. Once the logo pieces were finished, I made a scrabble game out of the letters and posted it on Twitter. Alas, no one guessed the name I had done too good a job of mixing up the letters!
The final touch to the logo display was one my husband provided, creating a table riser to lift the lettering slightly above the level of the table so it would stand out better.
Beading on the Go
I keep my client company at my job while he watches t.v. – a lot of it. Luckily this allows me to sit and bead a few hours each day. Because I bead there and at home, my carrying case has gotten more and more portable. I hated this see-through, plastic carrying case at first. I didn’t want everyone to see what I was carting around, but later I grew to love it as I could easily see its contents as I packed it the evenings. In the pursuit of the life of a bead whore, it has become one of my new, best friends.
My second best friend is a wooden bead board that divides different colors of beads into organized sections. I was wary of using it at first since I have knocked over a seed bead tray or two. You only do that once, then learn to use cases with lids the rest of your days, believe me! After years of being very careful, I was now tempted to try this new sorting tray I discovered years ago at the Pasadena Bead & Design Show. It was just too cool to pass up, especially after the creator personalized it with a dragonfly on its cover.
Still, it sat for a couple of years until I decided to bead the 13th Doctor’s shirt stripe into a lariat scarf. The tray easily holds all 11 colors where I would have needed two of my usual, round plastic cases. Two cases would have been fine except the pattern for 13’s scarf requires I use one bead color at a time. Because of that, I needed all colors open at once, rendering the lidded cases useless.
Next time – a preview of our newest beaded designs to premiere in the art show.
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Day 6 – 2014 So. Cal Bead Shop Hop – Store #10 – Garden of Beaden, Upland
Who knew Upland, CA was such a cute, quiet, sweet little town? That’s the impression we got rolling in off the 10 fwy and it was a welcome one. You can’t help but get antsy in that last stretch of the day – and the Hop – when you’re this close to finishing.
If I were in the middle of nowhere with the nearest other bead store 30 miles away, Garden of Beaden would fill my needs quite nicely. All the basics, and more to boot. There was an added bonus of some lovely vintage glass you don’t see in every store..kinda of like going to the sticks to find that one antique chair or table that’s the last of its kind. With a nice area in the back for classes, this is another one of those stores I can imaging the local secret society of Beadin’ Babes would hang out on Friday nights ordering pizza, trading tips and techniques and teaching those new to the craft their age-old rites.
It was a Jungle in there – no, literally a jungle, right out of the Jungle Book. The pineapple punch was particularly good and they were quite generous with the snacks. This store has a nice vibe, along with a steady, store-packed stream of Bead Shop Hoppers like us. When they showed us their Make n Take I was so tempted to stop and make it there, having gotten the Make n Take fever from the last store, but my stomach was growling and we had one last store stop before our victory dinner at Slater’s 50/50 in Pasadena. I could see my husband itching to get there as well.
Here’s what they offered –
Theme: The Jungle Book
Charm: a cute little monkey in silver or gold AND one that had moving parts and one that didn’t. I took a silver one that didn’t move and Dennis took one that did.
Goodies: A discount upon returning in the future. Not sure what they had as far as if you bought $25.00 or more as I was hanging on to those last dollars for dear life!
Not surprisingly low on funds set aside for this trip, the only item I picked up was their Make n Take Genie’s Lamp. It was just too darn cute to pass up!
After discussing the possibility of me teaching a class there, we jumped back in the car, enjoying what we could of the nice (and cooler) evening air settling in and headed for our Final Destination – Pasadena Bead & Design Company.
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Bead Shop Hop Winners Announced
We interrupt this blog and store #10’s review to announce that the SCLBSA (Southern California Local Bead Store Association) announced the winners today of the So. Cal Bead Shop Hop.
I knew today was announcement day, but was still surprised when my husband called saying a store had called him to say HE had won the Participation Prize! How did he do it?!? He had only signed up to do the LAST THREE STORES!!!
I told him on the drive home Saturday night that this would happen. That HE would win something and I wouldn’t and that would be the funny part of all of this. I just didn’t think my joke would actually come true!
Now I know what I’m getting for Christmas.
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Day 6 – 2014 So. Cal Bead Shop Hop – Store #9 – A Rolling Stone, Redlands
The Eastern most store in Region 1 of the Southern California Bead Shop Hop is way out in Redlands – about an hour and 40 minutes from my studio in the San Fernando Valley. So close to the Autumn Equinox and the season change into Fall, we were blessed with slightly cooler temperatures both at home and this far out into the desert. My husband, Dennis, being the chivalrous soul that he is, was willing to accompany me into the deepest regions of San Bernardino County IF we hit the Spaghetti Factory for their legendary mizithra cheese AND finished the day off with a trip to his newest favorite restaurant in Pasadena – Slaters 50/50.
It was an equitable trade for dragging him all over the county bead hopping.
This was the first of virgin territory bead stores for today, and, it turns out, the most fun. Easy to get to off the dead-ended 210/10 freeway junctions, a HUGE Bead Shop Hop sign gave no doubt we were where we were supposed to be. (That was a tricky sentence to write!).
This year’s Hop has themes of books and there was no friggin’ doubt what their book was when we were stared down by this imposing greeter RIGHT INSIDE THE DOOR!
This couldn’t be much more perfect this close to Halloween!
The friendly staff checked us in, giving us goodie bags and explaining the prizes and Make n Take on the cute little white desk behind us.
The Make n Take was necklace centerpiece of a small photograph in a frame. There were pages of beautiful retro images featuring nature, bird’s nests, etc., but when I saw the page of Disney Frozen images, the one of Elsa somehow reached out, grabbed my hand and I was sitting down making not one but TWO necklaces! To see the video tutorial on how I did it, go here.
This store really gets the prize for best presentation of theme throughout the 11 stores so far. The store had converted their classroom into this:
So, here’s where the store fell as far as what every store was offering:
Theme: Little Red Riding Hood
Charm: The little girl from Little Red Riding Hood (complete with basket!).
Goodies: Wow, so many! A little cardboard basket stuffed FULL of beads (even the clasp was a button bead!), a bottle cap necklace pendant with Red Riding Hood on it for spending $25.00 or more, TWO spinners – one for what discount you got and one for an additional a charm like the one we made, but with a butterfly.
Now on to our haul:
There was no surprise after making the pendant and seeing how easy it was, that the haul is ALL pendant-oriented with complete supplies to make more. Top left, clockwise: 3D Crystal Lacquer, some BEAUTIFUL peacock pics for the centerpiece of the pendants, double-sided, sticky Jeweler’s Dots to hold the finished image firmly in the frame, crystal domes to protect the image and the frames to hold the whole thing together.
And here are the goodies we came out with:
What a great store! This, so far, as far as creativity and fun with their theme, was the crown jewel in Region 1.
Tomorrow – Garden of Beadin’, Upland.
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Day 5 – 2014 So. Cal Bead Shop Hop – Store #8 – Beadahs, Santa Monica
Ahhhh….the store I have been waiting to do ever since the heat wave struck Southern California! We are finally within sight of the Pacific Ocean, walking distance from Santa Monica Boardwalk. Beadahs, you are a welcome sight for this heat-stroked bead hopper!
A block West of the fabled (at least the signs say it’s world-renowned) outdoor Third Street Promenade, Beadahs is tucked away amongst clothing stores and vegan restaurants. Steering VERY clear of the vegans (hard-core carnivore here, thank you), the husband and I have an easy time of finding our target. Yes, the heat has gotten to the significant other so much, he decided to follow me to cooler climes.
I love what they have done with their chosen book theme – The Great Gatsby. The greeter and staff are decked out in lovely 20’s dress. As we check in, we are given our charm and the chance to play a boardwalk game of tossing olive ping pong balls into champagne glasses. My aim only started to get better with the last couple of throws – which I bet happens to everyone. They still gave us a beady gift for trying and turned us loose to shop.
The store interior is a pleasant mix of touristy and African trade style with wooden trays, bamboo legged tables and ethnic decor. As usual, I hit the seed bead wall, then looked for unusual items.
With a budget wearing thin and three more stores left after this in order to complete Region 1, I was very picky about what I procured. Sometimes, yes, a girl can have too many beads – and definitely not enough time to do anything with them. I stuck with some beautiful, antique raspberry satin seed beads, an unusual, oval copper spacer bead tube and some STUNNING, iridescent insect wing beads I have been longing to get but have not seen in all seven stores until now.
Stats:
Theme: The Great Gatsby
Charm: I believe it was an olive glass. I can’t locate the charm to confirm this, but that’s what I recall.
Goodies: a welcome bag of candy and a $5.00 off coupon with a $30 purchase in between October 31st – November 26th.
The Haul:
Clockwise, starting top left: iridescent insect wing beads, TierraCast Charm samples, oval Copper Spacer bead tube and Size 11 and 8 Raspberry Satin Seed Beads.
Beadahs was a fun store and a pleasure to visit. Thanks for the olive toss. Can I bring one home?
Next – A Rolling Stone, Redlands.
