Bead Weaving is BACK Baby!

Well Show season is pretty much done for me, so like always at this time of the year, I start reflecting on what's next artistically.  

I also clean out my photo files -- and since this year I've been absolutely rotten on posting to my blog, I have a bunch of pics to catch up on.

I actually started my jewelry journey by seed bead weaving over 25 years ago, on a loom.  Then on to off loom techniques like brick stitch and peyote.

A couple of years later, I started to string, then I started to do metal working... etc.  Now my main line is recycled materials. 

During all the years I worked on weaving, and on occasion since, I've bought seed beads in multitudes of shapes and sizes.  

Nothing beats seeds beads for adding pops of color.  I miss weaving, and I seriously have 1400 + different seed beads just begging to be played with in the studio.

  

Sometime in 2013 (? ) a new wave of seed beads came out, or rather 2-hole shaped glass beads made to be used with seed beads.  

Sometime in late 2019 I had to buy a few to play with - even if I've not really done anything with weaving in over 10 years.  

I know that seems a long time to "discover" something that's been out for years, but at this point I rarely bought beads, as I only use them here and there with my Mechanical Romance line.  Once in a while I would string up some bracelets or earrings just for fun, but like seed beads, I have THOUSANDS of them in the studio.  Buying beads, when I rarely use them, is wasteful.  

 I'd stopped buying bead magazines, and when i ordered supplies it was mostly findings.  It's hard for me to resist buying beads, so I made it a point not to hit regional shows or bead stores much.  When I did, I would buy some, enjoy looking at them, maybe pop out a quick pair of earrings and then store them away. 

 In the past few years I've actually concentrated on destashing my beads, cause it's crazy even for bead-hording me to have so much "stuff" without actually using them!

So anyway, for Christmas in 2019 I bought a few Ginkos', Tila's, crescents, Super-duo's, etc to experiment with.

There are over 100 different types of these specialty beads now, btw.  Check out this link to see some pictures of the different beads available.

I adore playing with these beads!! and I have an excuse to play around with seeds again.    All the pics in the posts are pieces I've made in the last 10 or so months.  It's truly a joy to get back to where I started, but with a new twist.

 I have to hold myself back and not go too nuts on buying them, since there are seriously thousands of different 2-hole shaped beads out there, between the type, colors and finishes.  This is still a business after all.  For items I sell, I'm sticking to quick to make.  And these beads are expensive.  But I'm having sooo much fun with them, and it's such a pleasure and life is too short not to do what makes you happy.

I have had such a good year with sales this year, you can bet I'll be buying more beads to play with in the near future.  And you will see the end results in my booth!