Beading Inspiration

I have been looking at other sites to get an idea of what I want to do with my blog and I have decided to make this one about beading. I will feature the history of beading, interesting information about beading trends and useful tips for all beaders. It is not my intention to feature a current project that I am working on or have just finished, unless it is something that is extraordinary.Having said that, I am featuring an article about the history of beading. I hope you find it interesting reading.

The art of beading has been around nearly as long as humans have been. From the moment an ancient human found a shell or stone with a natural perforation and strung it on a piece of vine to wear around their neck, beading has been popular in one form or another. Whether those objects were worn as a religious symbol, for personal adornment or to permeate them with special powers doesn't matter. Bead stringing is the first form of beading and it persists to today.

Thousands of years ago, ancient tribes of humans strung hollow animal bones on a fiber. It is believed that wearing the bones of the animal would either protect them from that animal or fill them with the animal's spirit, making them a less fragile human. When early humans developed the tools required to pierce another object, creating a hole, then many varied items were strung for many different purposes. Sea shells, seed pods, nut shells, fresh water mollusk shells, and even animal teeth and bones have been found by archaeologists with man-made perforations. Some people made actual beads of clay and others learned to add pigments to color the beads. As humans progressed, they began to enamel the clay beads.

About 3000 years ago, the Egyptians learned to make glass and the next logical step was creating glass beads. They elevated the art of beading to a high level that is still admired today for its beauty and elements of design. The Egyptians become skilled at adding pigments to the glass to craft very colorful beads. They combined these colored glass beads with precious and semi-precious gemstones and precious metals, such as gold and silver, to fashion jewelry pieces that were stunning. Beads became a much sought after commodity, so much so that they were used in commerce and exported throughout the ancient world.

Other cultures embraced the art of bead making. Most people think of China when they think of an abacus, or counting frame-a calculating device that utilizes beads that are slid on wires that have been strung on a wooden frame. The Babylonians were actually the first to use an abacus, although theirs was drawn in dust or sand and small pebbles were used instead of beads. The counter abacus with strings and beads can be credited to the Egyptians, or the Ancient Indian people, possibly. The Chinese played an important role in the evolution and development of the abacus.

Romans traded beads all across their empire, and even the ancient Celts and the Vikings were bead craftsmen who used beads to adorn themselves in the form of necklaces, amulets, and bracelets. Ancient Amerinds used beads as personal ornaments, in religious ceremonies and to decorate clothing articles. Native American bead art is popular in fashion, today and an important source of revenue for many people. Nearly everyone has seen turquoise beaded watch bands, or Native American necklaces and belts.

Beading was-and still is-a part of Native American Society. Many tribes had quilling societies that were sacred to the women. To join the society, a young girl had to be recruited and then she was tutored and carefully trained in the bead making arts. The process of making the quillwork was sacred, but the finished piece -- to be worn or used by someone -- was not considered sacred. The product was of secondary importance to the process of manufacture. The focus was on the thoughts and prayers and the work, not on the finished piece -- very different from Western society, which tends to value the finished product and ignores the process of creation.

There are contemporary beaders who report that beading is almost a spiritual experience for them as they embrace the art of creation as much as the finished work, the focus being on perfecting the art rather than a race to complete the final product.

What are Czech Beads

Glass making and glass bead making within the Czech Republic is dated back as far as the early bronze age, when the region was settled by Celts who possessed the skills of glass-making and enameling. Not only were the Celts involved in bead making and glass making, but so were the Monks in Benedictine monasteries. A glass mosaic titled “Day of Judgment” which embellishes the golden gate of St.Vitus's Cathedral in Prague is a testament to the skill of these medieval glass-makers.

Czech glass can be found in Corinthian excavations dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. During this time, the art of glass making ceased to the solely the milieu of Monks and it moved out into the forests where many cottage glass-works arose. Vast quantities of wood were needed to fuel the furnaces, so the densest forests became the centers for this early art form.

The forest glass-works created "forest glass" of a greenish color created by imperfect refining of raw the materials potash and quartz sand—the main ingredients in glass.

In 1588, Emperor Rudolf the 2nd invited Mr. Ottavio Miseroni, the first person to perfect the art of cutting and shaping diamonds, to Prague. Miseroni opened a workshop for cutting diamonds. With his diamond cutters, he discovered a way to decorate glass by using stone or copper wheels. Engraving was born. The most important craftsman in Prague to come from Miseroni's workshop was Caspar Lehmann, who became an Imperial Court engraver. Rudolf the 2nd became a generous sponsor and Prague became the center of this new glass craft. From Prague, the craft spread to all of Europe.

During the 1600s, the popularity of engraved glass continued to increase and by the end of the 17th Century, Czech glass achieved world wide recognition. Particularly fire-polished beads, have been produced in the area of the Czech Republic for over 200 years. This craft started as a cottage industry with the forest glass makers, but today the art of crafting Czech faceted beads is done in a factory.

They are such a huge part of Czech industry that the Soviet Union created a state agency called Jablonex to distribute the beads. The breakup of the USSR saw a resurgence of onesproduced in cottage industries. Today, there are many companies that export Czech facetted beads to over 80 countries. The small enterprises are greatly assisted by the fact that Jablonex is no longer taking on any new United States clients.

The most common shape for the Czech bead is round, although the fire polished beads are more oblong. They are available in other shapes, too: bicone, rondelle, roller, roundlet, pear and parachute. The fire polished ones come in a variety of colors. The richness of color is one of the earmarks of Czech beads.

Most people think all fire polished beads come from the Czech Republic. In the last ten years or so, India has begun producing them too. Fire polished beads are distinguishable by there soft rounded edges on the face.

A garland of fall leaves for your wardrobe

With the last days of summer blazing overhead, now is a good time to think about special fall bead projects, good practice before delving into Halloween jewelry and gifts. We found this lovely leaf garland pattern on About which would work wonderfully with our size 11 Czech seed beads. Don't forget a spool of Size D brown Nymo thread, or a good beading needle and clasp.

Which bead is which?

If you are new to beading, you may soon realize you're going to need to know certain things about the projects you want to tackle. What is the size difference between a Swarvoski crystal and a Japanese seed bead? What size needle will you need for a specific bead? How many noodle beads for that bracelet?

Luckily for you, The Bead Cottage has on sale this beautiful Bead Chart poster, perfect for hanging on the wall of your craft room! Easy to read, informative and durable laminated 11" x 17" poster - vital bead and string information available at a glance - excellent resource for all skill levels - charts include bead sizing from mm to seed beads, string materials and sizes, needle types and sizes, formulas for determining number of beads needed and cost per bead and more.

The Bead Chart is on sale for a limited time. Be sure to get yours today!

Back to school

...beading school, that is!

Sure, you need pencils, paper, a calculator and a new lunchbox, but a new year of school can also mean a new opportunity to show off your fashion sense! When you take one of our upcoming bangles beading classes you'll learn how to make an eye-catching bangle bracelet with matching hoop earrings, just in time for the first bell. We encourage talking in class (passing notes is another matter, unless it's about beading), and hope you'll come visit us at the store. If you can't make it, keep checking out our site for the latest specials. Note that shipping is FREE with orders of over $75!

Come in out of the heat...

...and cool off at The Bead Cottage with one of our fun beading classes. Next week beaders can learn how to create a colorful, Southwestern style Peyote stitch bracelet.

This is a Native American stitch that is lots of fun to do and gives you a real sense of pride when it's done. This stitch is commonly found in geometric and animal/nature patterns. It can be used to make bracelets, necklaces, belts, headbands and more! Come learn the stitch and take the beading world by storm!

Our next peyote stitch class will be held August 9 by instructor Pam Hunt, Class Price $15, Time 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Click here to get directions with Google Maps.

Learn the N'Debele stitch at the Bead Cottage

Next month at The Bead Cottage proves to be busy, with many different beading classes available to the public. One exciting class coming the first week of August involves learning the N'Debele stitch, a unique African stitch used to make beautiful jewelry. One you have mastered the stitch, you can go on to make stunning, exotic choker necklaces. About.com has a terrific pattern for a herringbone choker.

Toggles shouldn't boggle

If you make jewelry, you certainly know that a closure is one of the most important elements in any necklace or bracelet, especially since you don't want your handiwork falling off! The Bead Cottage is happy to offer a variety of toggles for your beading projects. Whether you want a simple, gold-filled toggle, a fancy heart-shaped toggle, or a daring copper alloy toggle, we are certain to have the right closure for your beaded strand.

The Bead Cottage is also proud to announce that we will soon begin shipping via UPS! And shipping is still free with orders of $50 or more. So toggle on over to the The Bead Cottage today!

Colorful, like a harlequin's costume

Do the colors remind you of anything in particular? These erinite swarvoski crystals are certainly festive, and will definite lend any crafting project a whimsical burst of color. Priced six beads to a pack, these tear-drop shaped beads are useful for many different projects, from clothing to lampshades to rosaries or jewelry.

Now is the time to browse our site for specials on these and other swarvoski crystals. Don't forget that we now offer free shipping for orders over $50, take advantage of the savings.

Ride a painted pony, let the spinning wheel ride...

Okay, so our spinning wheel has nothing to do merry-go-rounds, but it is a great tool to have if you work with seed bead to make projects with fringe or multiple strands. Simply pour seed beads into the cup (and we have plenty of seed beads for purchase), insert the spinning wheel needle, spin and watch the beads climb onto your thread - an excellent time saver.

Don't forget, every online purchase over $50 includes FREE shipping!

Make a caterpiller bracelet

This is one caterpillar that doesn't need to change into a butterfly to be beautiful!

This class is a combination of two techniques First, basic stringing and second, weaving using needle and thread to complete the fringe. You'll make a fun and funky bracelet that will go great with any outfit! This class is still on the basic level, so even if you haven't taken the Basic Stringing class you can leave knowing it and more!

Our next Caterpillar Bracelet class is June 30th at The Bead Cottage. See you there!

It's magic

You don't have to be a magician to use the Magical Crimp Forming tool, but enough practice with it will have you crafting jewelry and bead projects like magic! This tool offers a quick and easy way to give your jewelry a professional finish - this unique, patented tool was created exclusively for use with 2mm sterling silver and gold-filled tubular crimp beads - just a few easy steps will form a 2mm crimp into a more appealing round bead - designed exclusively for use with .019 diameter Flex wire.

Proud to bead an American

We have red swarvoski crystals, white opaque delica beads, and blue myuki triangle beads, everything for your patriotic projects. How about making a patriotic beaded sunglasses holder for your sunglasses?

But you can just me "Your Majesty"

We are more than just an ordinary bead store, we are your headquarters for all these beading, beadwork, beadilicious, and any other words we feel like inventing. The Bead Queen mousepad is just one of our new items in the store and online inventory, the perfect gift for the bead queen in your life or to show off at work. Show the cyber world the pride you take in your crafting hobbies. Tiara not included.

Be sure to stop by the store to what else is new. We just got in these terrific spinning wheels to expedite stringing time for seed beads, and our new sets of Speader Beader tools make the time fly just as quickly. Just in time to purchase with our wide selection of red, white, and blue beads for your 4th of July projects!

Love that Lapis

What we like best about these 8mm lapis heishi beads are their exotic beauty. Not quite blue, not quite green or yellow, these beads display an earthy blend of color that lends itself to many jewelry possibilities. Imagine these beads in a choker strand necklace with a long, batik-patterned dress. Complement with a bracelet or anklet with the same beads and you have the perfect look for summer, beads that match any skin tone.

Be sure to stock up now on the lapis while you can. Summer projects keep us busy, and our beaders are collecting supplies for various projects. Don't forget to check our calendar to see what exciting classes we are offering this June.

If Midas could see us now

We would bet even the gold-loving king would take up beading to get his hands on our Gold-Filled Round Half-Hard Wire.

This wire wears like gold because the outer surface is 14K gold - it should be cleaned periodically with hot water and mild soap which will help insure its brightness and wearability. This is a great item to have if you enjoy creating fancy jewelry that looks store bought. Priced by the foot, you'll enjoy this item for miles and miles.

Hanging by a thread

Nylon threads resist breakdown by sunlight, or weak acids or alkalis and are color and sunlight resistant. They have poor resistance to strong chlorine bleaching, but pool chlorine is still safe. Nylon stretches a lot like silk does. This thread is the most commonly used beading fiber and is readily available.

Thought all beading threads were the same? You'd be surprised to know that certain threads work better than others when it comes to making beautiful beaded jewelry. About Threads has some terrific information on the types of threads used commonly in beading projects. As always, too, you can drop us a line (no pun intended) at our website and ask us which type of thread or cord would be appropriate for what you want to create.

Kyanite Oval Beads

If you want to get technical about Kyanite, you can take a (web) page from Wikipedia, which reads in part:

Kyanite, whose name derives from the Greek, kyanos, meaning blue, is a typically blue silicate mineral, commonly found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and/or sedimentary rock. Kyanite is a diagnostic mineral of the Blueschist Facies of metamorphic rocks.

Kyanite is a member of the aluminosilicate series, which includes the polymorph andalusite and the polymorph sillimanite. Kyanite is strongly anisotropic, in that its hardness varies depending on its crystallographic direction. While this is a feature of almost all minerals, in kyanite this anisotropism can be considered an identifying characteristic.

Of course, we don't need long, scientific words to know that kyanite gemstone beads make very alluring jewelry. Buy a strand or two of these beads for a matching bracelet or necklace set...people will think you spent hundreds of dollars at a jewelry shop for this stunning look!

A rose for Mom

With Mother's Day on the way, now is the time to think of a gift. Only the best for Mom will do, and we certainly believe nothing says "I love you" better than something homemade, something from the heart.

In our regular Internet for the best of beading patterns, we came across this delightful page for creating a beaded rose. All you needs are a few hundred beads, some #16 floral wire, and the time to devote to creating something beautiful for Mom. It's a wonderful project that definitely suits our selection of red, pink, white or yellow Japanese seed beads, which are still 30% off if you order online. Only the best for Mom!

Ole!

Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching, but you still have time to create a quick and fun bead decoration. We found these patterns for beaded chili pepper, cactus, and maracas designs. Cute and quick, these would be great for keychains or decorative pendants.