Why you really should wait for sales

It's obvious that waiting for larger purchases really pays off, but by how much?  Why not just impulsively buy all your supplies now?  The pictures speak for themselves.  Each set of beads cost me about $30.

Michaels had a 60% off green label beads and 50% off others.  $32 for 12 strands of beads!  A majority are semi-precious gems & stones or silver-plated.

I returned the next day, but the sale was over.  I paid about $30 but only got 5 strands.  

Today Michaels had an amazing promotion:  buy 1 green label bead strand and get two free!  Ridiculously good!  I spent about $31 and got 12 strands.

Six Tips for Securing a Clasp on Your Necklace or Bracelet

Over time I've made enough mistakes to discover how NOT to add a clasp to my jewelry.  When you first add your crimp beads to your jewelry wire, it's a cinch!  But when you get to the end, it gets complicated. I used to sweat every time I had to finish a piece.  Now I feel much more confident!

Tip 1:  Use the Proper Pliers
I improvised this weird way of trying to bend wire into shape using round-nose pliers.  It was a disaster.  One day I realized it wasn't just my technique that made finishing a piece so sketchy.  It was the pliers!  I switched to regular long-nose pliers and it's gotten instantly easier!  Hook nose also work great.  Both are shown in this photo.












Tip 2: Give Just a Little Wiggle Room
If you are like me, you have strong tension.  This makes for very tight bead weaving and stringing.  Loosen up for Pete's sake!  When you get to the end and put your crimp beads on the wire, give yourself a little space between the crimp bead and the clasp.  Make sure you can move the wire a little around the clasp so that it doesn't lock up when it's worn.

Tip 3: Watch that Wiggle Room!

Before you crimp, make sure you don't have any major gaps in your work.  There's nothing more irritating than having to take apart your project and restring it because you failed to detect the extra wire or thread in some area of your work.  On the other hand, you want to make sure the necklace or bracelet doesn't bunch up.  Before crimping the clasp on, bend it into the shape in which it will be worn.  Remember that saying, measure twice, cut once!

 

Tip 4: Double Crimp
Many people who come to me for repairs do so because of a failed crimp bead.  Having your project fall to pieces as you wear just stinks, especially when you've just told someone your one-of-a-kind necklace is your artisan creation (synonym for homemade).  Add two crimp beads to each end to keep it secure.

Tip 5:  Know Your Clasp!
Obviously you need the right clasp for your work.  A magnet clasp might not support the weight of your necklace.  Some clasps tarnish when worn.  Your clasp should be sturdy and the right size as well as strand accommodation for your project.  I've recently begun using a sealant on certain clasps that I know will turn color from use.

Tip 6: Close a Locking Clasp First
Certain types of clasps lock into place.  For this reason, it's possible to put one end of the clasp on backwards, especially if you are in a rush or perhaps just tired from a long day at work.  I recommend putting the clasp together right before attaching the wire or thread.  This way you are sure to attach it correctly.  It is so frustrating to discover only too late that half the clasp is backwards.  From this point you usually have to restring the entire project!  Yikes!

I hope these tips are useful for you!  Feel free to hit Follow or Subs

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*A Craft Room of One's Own

After many sessions on Pinterest and Google Images, I finally envisioned the way to set up my craft room.  It was a hodge podge of folding tables with materials stuffed in an overpacked closet.  Finding what I needed when I needed it had become tricky.

I was not willing to spend thousands on quality furniture.  Mine was an Ikea-sized budget.  Luckily, inexpensive, cubby-inspired pieces are even on Martha Stewart's radar.  A few trips to Lowe's and Home Depot yielded just the materials I needed to make my space much more manageable.  I love how it turned out!

The best part is the fabric bins, which hide the chaos of spontaneous crafting.  Plus, it frees up my desk so I actually have space to work with my polymer clay or string together a necklace.

I also discovered Harbor Freight, a store for usually known for it's inexpensive tools.  I discovered that the $40 organizer I'd admired at the craft store could be purchased for just $14.  The only difference is that it's construction-worker yellow.  It's the perfect place for crucial findings, like jump rings, clasps, and chain.

I keep it on the floor next to my desk for easy access.  Plus, it's portable so I can just grab it and go when I need to teach a jewelry class at Michaels.



*Virginia Woolf elevated women's role in writing by suggesting that women need the space and material with which to craft their art.

Perfect Beading Storage!

What looks like a book but stores your beading supplies perfectly?  Craftmates Lockables!  I've tried many different types of storage systems and encountered all the problems each one poses.  What I love about the Craftmates Locakables is that you can swap out compartments if you want to transfer one to another storage area.  Also, the compartments are locked, so there's no need to sweat over spilling beads.  This also makes it fantastic for moving one type of bead out of one compartment and into another.

These can be expensive, so watch out for coupons!  While they can sell for $25 and up on Amazon, you can use a coupon to Michaels and get one for less than $15!  Of all the storage solutions, this is the one I find most satisfying!

BTW, I don't get any kickbacks from products I review.  It's all trial by error for me!