Postal Disruptions

For the duration of the current postal disagreement, we will be shipping orders via UPS.

Not all addresses are serviced by UPS, unfortunately. (i.e. some P.O. Boxes, Superboxes, some apartment buildings, condominiums and gated residences). If there is no UPS-serviceable address available to you, then we will hold the order here at beadFX until Canada Post is moving again. If you are uncertain if UPS serves your address, please call your local UPS number to confirm with them.

As the cost of shipping orders outside of Canada and the USA via UPS is prohibitively expensive, those orders will be held until the postal strike is over.

We apologize for this - but it's beyond our control!

Finding royalty and copyright free images

...to use in your mixed media jewelry or artwork can be difficult/costly/time consuming. I'm always on the hunt for images that I can either use as is, or alter digitally, or by hand. The majority of these images will be black and white. You can open them in your favourite photo editing software - or put to use those crazy expensive Prismacolor pencil crayons, or copic markers (I need some of those!), and colour them in.

This one can be found at OldBookIllustrations.com

Source: yestercards.com

Source: The Graphics Fairy

Be sure to read each websites terms of use. Some images are freely available to do what you wish - others may have restrictions.  Enjoy!

Happy Hour Torching Expands to Two Nights!

Happy Hour Torching has become so successful - we've been turning people away, so we've decided to expand it to two nights!

Starting next Monday, June 20 - Happy Hour Torching will be on both Monday and Thursday evenings, from 5 - 9 p.m.

Happy Hour Torching is our lampwork studio evening two-hours-for-the-price-of-one event. From 5 pm to 9 pm, Torch for two hours for the price of one.

As we are doing this to expand the opportunities for lampworkers - we are restricting this to one night per week per user. So, Happy Hour Torching is available for either Monday or Thursday evenings for studio users, but not both.

In addition, I'd like to welcome Carol Cooper as the hostess with the mostess of the Happy Hour Torching sessions. Carol will taking over the hosting role, acting as den mother, answering questions and putting out fires - hopefully, those fires will be metaphorical, not actual. We have a great deal of confidence in Carol and are very pleased that she has agreed to take on this role.

Zentangle at beadFX Plus More Stuff You Don't Want to Miss

You might have heard of it. Zentangle is a meditational art form that allows you to create beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It's fun, relaxing and gets your creative juices flowing! All you need is one pen, pencil and paper.

Susan Stortini, a glass bead maker and certified zentangle teacher, will be hosting a special Zentangle Class at beadFX Thurs June 23rd 6-9pm. Don't miss it!

And here's some zentangle inspired jewelry...

This one is by our very own Jennifer Tough:

Zentangle on Polymer Clay


This is a video on how to make a zentangle bead:



Other Classes Coming Up:

June 19 11 - 2pm
Around the Colour Wheel with Pamela Kearns


June 19 11 - 4pm
Intro. to Lampworking with Amy Waldman-Smith


June 21 6 - 9pm
Pan Chang Knot with Angela Peace


Adios Amigas!

Earrings on Parade

Oh, last week's update with all the pretty new brass findings has me really inspired!

I've been making earrings! Pretty pink and gold earrings!

This is the Findings - Link - 3 : 1 Cup Connector - Brass (1) plus a Swa flatback - Swarovski Elements Hot Fix Rhinestone - ss20 - Xilion Rose (2028) - Light Rose (144) I used the Hot Fix stone, because it was what I had - but the hot fix glue is not so hot on metal, so I just glued it in place with regular glue. You can glue the hot fix stones with whatever glue works for the surface you are sticking to, if you need to. The SS20s fit in the cup, but there is a little extra room. Not sure if you could go up a size though!





A left and a right version of this link means you can have mirror image versions of this earring! (I love it when earrings are mirror-image pairs!

Findings - Link - Double Nosy Posy - Inline Connection - Brass (1)
Findings - Link - Mirror Double Nosy Posy - Inline Connection - Brass (1)





These don't come in mirror image pairs, but I didn't realize that for a while as they are so nicely finished on the back, you can flip one over and it looks like a mirror image. From a reasonable distance, hardly anyone will know. From an unreasonable distance (really, really close) - well - they probably aren't looking at your earrings!

Findings - Earring - Chandelier - Double Nosy Posy - Oval Drape - Brass (1)

The Joy of Metal Clay

This week I worked on a bracelet made of metal clay and fine silver wire. The entire bracelet is of fine silver. It was made with fused fine silver wire to make some of the links (this both lightens the bracelet and reduces the amount of metal clay needed). Metal clay was used to make interlocking links, heart charms and the toggle pieces. It is not an inexpensive piece and used a total of 40 grams of silver (wire and metal clay combined).

Sometimes, I teach a class on making the links using copper as a less expensive option.

The Business Chat - Wholesale buying

Lately I’ve received quite a few emails from readers and colleagues asking advice about wholesale buying and the best prices on silver these days. A couple of you have also asked me to list places where you can buy wholesale.

Buying wholesale is very important if you are trying to make a profit from your craft business. You cannot go to your local craft store, pay retail price for your supplies and think that you can make money, it’s just not going to happen. Once you start doing any volume at all you absolutely must buy wholesale.

That said, I am not going to post wholesale lists for 2 reasons. First, I don’t know where you are. I’m in downtown Toronto and although there are great online options I shop in downtown Toronto. I like to touch and feel my supplies and since that is an option for me I take it. I’m unfamiliar with other locations although I’ve certainly done my share of browsing online.

The second and most important reason I won’t post a list is because it is not always appropriate to buy wholesale. I would hate for someone to see a list of wholesalers and think “wow, cheap supplies, I’m going to buy a cart load.” Just because you can buy wholesale doesn’t mean you should. (If you want to buy wholesale you must be registered as a business. Registering your business is next weeks discussion.)

When you are making jewelry or other crafts as a hobby you can buy whatever you want just because you like it. You go into a store and see something shiny, go ahead, take it home. When you are making jewelry or other crafts as a business you do not have this freedom, you buy what you need when you need it; just because an item in a store is pretty and shiny doesn’t mean it’s going home with you. Making work as a business changes your relationship with your craft. A lot of new businesses (myself included) make the mistake of thinking, “I’m in business I need 1000 of everything”. Wrong. You need to buy enough to sell and no more.

Buying wholesale sometimes encourages people to overbuy (trust me, I know, I still do this all the time but I’m getting better.) Buying a large quantity of any one item is no good if you don’t use them all. 100 toggle clasps may be cheap but if you only use 2 and put 98 on your shelf then those 2 have cost you a lot. Yes you still have the other 98 but if you don’t use them for 2 years then that’s a lot of money sitting on your shelf and not in your bank. In this case you would be better off buying 2 clasps at retail. If you decide that this item is going to be a standard in your inventory, and you have a show coming up, or are selling a lot online, then you should look to buy the item in quantities at a wholesale price.

One of the trickiest parts of running a business is keeping your expenses down. Going to a craft show and selling $2,000 is fantastic, however if you spent $1500 on supplies in order to make inventory before the show then you really haven’t made a profit at all. Of course you still have inventory left over, but now you have inventory sitting on a shelf and no money in the bank.

The bottom line for running a business is that if you are selling a lot, then you can buy a lot and you must buy wholesale. If you are not selling much, then buying in quantity means that you are accumulating a lot of stuff and not a lot of cash. Your expenses are too high and your business is sinking before it’s even really getting started.

So I’m happy to share wholesale information with anyone who emails me. Just make sure that you really need to be buying in large quantities. As shiny and pretty as jewelry supplies are, cash is even prettier.

A last tip, just about every supply store has a bulk buy policy. If you’re spending serious cash, ask for a wholesale discount, usually they say yes.

Bead and Button Show

The fabulous Bead and Button Show in on this weekend, Marg left earlier in the week as she had signed up for some classes. Her classes are now over, and it's time to shop, mingle, and network with anyone who's anyone in the beading industry. Our in-house Swarovski Ambassador Stephanie Dixon is also there teaching this week.

Curious about the show? I noticed on the show website they have a variety of video's taken during previous events. Have a look!

Hopefully, Marg, or Stephanie will have a few minutes to post here and let us all know how it's going at the show.

Birthday Sparkle PomPom's and other random bits

My oldest daughter turns 8 today! Next weekend for her birthday she wanted to have a Victorian Tea Party - That's all planned and organized, but now it's time for me to make all of the decorations - or buy them...We'll see how the timing goes :-)  I have started dying and painting coffee filters to make huge glittery pompom's. Like these:

Source: Snowy Bliss - click on the link for the tutorial

To take it up a notch for a little girl who wants everything to sparkle and glitter - I've decided I'm going to hotfix some Swarovki Crystals to the edge the filters after they're dyed and dry.  Last night I managed to paint a few dozen filters - but for the rest I'll go get some RIT dye today. Painting with water colours (which was all I had) was taking far too long. 
Some of these will have Swarovski Crystals, some will have the edges embellished with glitter.  Most I'm sure will be left plain :-)

Completely unrelated - but far more awesome.... The best Dad - ever.  Check it out! 

http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com

And one other little thing for you Zentangle fans - I came across these plates the other day. You can make your own!

Source: A Merry Mishap

New This Week!

Show us your Mettle!

Or, more precisely - allow us to show you ours! Because if you didn't get enough metal beads last week - we have more! And if you did - well - please explain the concept of "have enough beads" to us - because we don't get it. You can't be too rich or have too many beads. Or too much chocolate. Or wine.

Annnnyway - I'm getting sidetracked here. This week, we have some absolutely lovely linking elements flowers and leaves - we call them the Nosy Posy collection - and they have little extra curlicues and stuff that you can hang extra bits off, or not, as you see fit!

And, we have them in an enticing array of colours, including:

• Antiqued Silver


• Brass and Antiqued Brass


• and Antiqued Copper

You can whip up some earrings, or link the links into a necklace or bracelet. You can stick with one style or mix and match!

If you'd rather divide and conquer than join together - or, if you're looking for separators instead of links ... ;-) - Check out these in 3-hole and 5-hole. Also available in many metals:

• Bright Copper and Antiqued Copper


• Bright Brass and Antiqued Brass


• Antiqued Silver and Silver-Plated (Bright and Shiny)


• Gunmetal, and even


• Sterling Silver

This week's project is a cool way to use the 3-hole separators. Just 'cuz they have 3 holes - doesn't mean you have to use them all!

Need some big chain with big links? Nice big links, and we have individual links of the hole and post variety, so that you can seamlessly join these up!

Again, you have a choice of:

• Antiqued Silver


• Bright Copper


• Antiqued Brass, and


• Gunmetal

But Wait! That's not all! We have cool new cones, bead caps, and yes, even beads!

So check out the metal beads and findings sections for all the cool new stuff. Because - with this weather, staying inside in air conditioning and beading looks like a mighty fine option!

You can click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Urban Beautiful

The semi-finalists in the 2011 European Design Competition have been chosen. There are some absolutely fabulous Swarovski creations!  Here is a tiny selection of designs featured on the site.

Classes Coming Up Next Week at BeadFX

Add texture, colour and depth to jewelry design by using woven fiber cords!

Try the Four Strand Cord Making class with Angela Peace, June 12 11-2pm

This class will teach cord weaving technique and how to finish the cord ends with and without metal findings for a fashionable classic look. You can add beads and pendants to your beads to give it just the look you want.

Jazz It Up

Summer is bangle season. Jazz up your bangles with beads, beads, and more beads. June 14, 6-8pm.

How to Run A Successful Craft Show

Are you looking to set up a booth at your local craft or bead show? Catherine Winter will tell you what you need to know June 16, 6-9pm to make your craft show debut a success.

Basic Bead Crocheting

Learn the basics of bead crocheting. You'll design and create (with the help of Amy Waldman-Smith) a solid or patterned crocheted necklace.

Flowering Branches
This design is rated: elegant, super chic and gorgeous. A cluster of pearls, crystals, fire polish and leafy accents that can be adapted to make a necklace, hair ornament or pin.

Take a look at our full June schedule as there are always more classes than I can mention in one post.

Adios Amigas!

Memories

One of the gals on the Facebook group "Bead Unique" asked this question on the weekend - "What is the most memorable item of jewelry you had as a teenager?"

It was such a great question - I thought I'd steal it. Post your answer in the comments - you can leave it anonymous if you like!

Here's my answer:

There were a few - but the one that pops to mind was a neckpiece - hinged crescents of metal with a big round pendant about 2 inches or more across, gold plated and crusted with jade chips. I saved a long time to buy it - it was on the bargain table of the "good" jewelry store. (Tells you how "good" they were.) It was like wearing some huge piece of Incan ceremonial jewelry. The gold wore off on the edges, but it still looked surprisingly good, years later. I wore it as "something old" at my second wedding. Yep - I still have it. It was funky, it was avante garde (for the town I lived in!) - I was never surprised that it was on "sale." It did not suit the town and it's small-town "make no statements" mentality at all. I loved it.

The Joy of Metal Clay: Oymaru Molding Material

Oymaru Molding Material, is a funky type of molding material that you can soften using hot water impress with texture or a item you want to mold, cool and then use as a mold or texture. I bought this stuff, about three years ago and it has sat in my studio waiting to be used for about three years (please tell me I am not the only one to do this, buy something to find that that it gets squirrelled away to be forgotten). Anyway, I had a student a couple of weeks ago bring some to one of my classes and asked if she could try it out during the class. Yes, I told her and sure enough it worked easily and fine, so this weekend I decided to bring out my package and see what it could do.

Funny enough package does not have any directions in English, I am not sure if this is the case if you buy it now but back in 2007 when I bought mine it did not come with English directions, so I can't give you exact directions.

Here are the directions from the package...I can only make out the numbers!

Luckily there are directions on the Art Clay World USA website: "Heat softened molding material. Reusable. (1.4oz)Directions: Dip the Oyumaru into hot water (more than 176ºF) for 3 minutes. Take the Oyumaru out of the water with a pair of tongs and wipe it dry with a towel. While it is still soft, press the material you wish to mold into the Oyumaru. If the Oyumaru gets hard while you are working with it, place it back in the water and begin the process again."

All I did was boiled water in a kettle, poured it into a container and added the pieces of material and timed it for 3 minutes. After three minutes, I pulled it out and impressed texture into.

Here is a sample of the molding material in which I rolled various leaves in it.

Here is what the texture looks like in clay.

Here it is with a key impressed in it.

The material comes in numerous coloured blocks they can be rolled and can be squished together (after heating) to make a larger piece. One thing though is that it can stick to stuff, I tried putting a peanut shell into one piece and pieces of the peanut shell stuck to the texture. Yes it can be reheated and used again with a different texture. It is kind of fun and remarkably easy.

Go forth and mold!

The Business Chat - Wearing your Salesperson hat

Being a tiny company of one means I wear many hats during a workweek. This weekend I’m off to the first craft show of the summer season and it’s time for me to put on my Salesperson hat. Being a salesperson doesn’t come naturally for me, I would much rather just chat and hang out with people than give them a hard sell. As a customer I hate when a clerk is “salespersony”, pushy and with one of those scary all-teeth fake smiles. As an artist (artisan, crafter, maker, whatever you are comfortable calling yourself) it is important that we are genuine in our approach, after all, we are part of what we are selling. Yet at the same time as being ourselves, we do have to sell our work, it’s a balancing act.

A trick to finding the balance is to pretend that we are working in someone else’s booth. If you were standing in a friends booth how would you treat the customer? Or try this, if you hire someone to work in your booth, how would you expect them to treat the customer?

Here’s some of my pointers to being a good artistic salesperson. They’re what I would want someone to do should I ever hire someone. They’re what I try to do when wearing the Sales hat. (ooooh, maybe I should buy myself a new hat this weekend!)

1. Stand.
Standing is a much better vantage point for engaging customers. When standing you’re at eye level and it shows that you’re ready to talk. It’s a long day and sometimes you will need to sit so use a tall chair (Ikea has great bar stools) and put it out in the booth, rather than behind a table. You can sit later when you are off work.

2. Smile.
Even if you are grumpy, hungry, disappointed in sales and/or tired, make sure to smile. A very large company spent a humongous amount of money on marketing and came up with the slogan “Smiles are free”. You know what? It works.

3. Engage people.
No one like to be ignored although not everyone wants to be your best friend. Start with a greeting and see how they respond. By beginning a conversation it is up to them if they want to continue it.

4. Sell to the customers.
Whenever customers enter your booth, stop chatting with your helper or friends, you can chat with them later. If a customer can’t interact with you they can’t give you money.

5. You are not a cashier in a big box store, you are an artist.
Don’t ask, “May I help you?” or something similar. You aren’t selling underwear at the Bay, you are selling your handmade work. Come up with a good greeting that fits your personality and your style. I use something along the lines of “Hi there!” or “Welcome to my world”. It fits me and people seemed to respond well. It sets the tone and often leads to more conversation. Remember, you are selling yourself too. People shop at craft shows because they want to meet the artist, they want a piece of the magic. Be professional, knowledgeable, friendly & helpful.

6. Share your work.
When you see customers engaging with your goods, tell them a little about the process and/or materials, especially it involves something special or uses materials they might not recognize. For example, I make lampwork (handmade glass beads) jewelry, when I see people picking up my beads I tell them I make the beads, I don’t wait until they ask. I also have photos and a sign that explain the process. Don’t be too pushy though, let it drop if they clearly aren’t interested.

7. Do NOT read in your booth.
Seriously, did you spend money on a booth to read? No, you spent money for the opportunity to sell your work and connect with your customers. Same goes for talking on the phone and listening to your iPod.

8. No gossiping, complaining or whinging.
While we can’t always be Suzy Sunshine it’s important to put on our happy face when dealing with people. If you are negative in your words or body language your work will be coloured with this bad feeling. Find something nice to say. Even if there’s no customers in your booth except your friend, don’t whine, voices carry and someone walking past may hear. I also never allow friends or colleagues to gripe in my booth. Keep it a happy place.

9. Dress well.
Look like your work. Ripped jeans and a grubby shirt are appropriate for cleaning the basement, not for selling jewelry. If you sell expensive high-end jewelry wear really nice clothes. If you sell demure pearl earrings, leave the tie-dye shirt at home. If you sell jewelry, wear it (really, I’ve met jewelry designers who wear other people jewelry in their booth.) Wear clothing that showcases the jewelry, not competes with it, plain colours work well.

10. Most important, have fun.
Even though selling may not be your favourite part of your little business, it’s absolutely necessary. So find something about it you can enjoy and let that show. If you’re smiling and having fun you’ll attract people. People are customers, they give you money. And that’s fun!

Inpiration Friday

Hi all,

I'm still without a working camera - with the exception of my cell phone (which takes lousy pictures). I won't be able to take any pictures of what I've been working on - but I do have a post planned for later. My kids are off school for  PA day today - So i'll be back once I'm relieved by the other parental unit ;-)


If you have something to share for Inspiration Friday - please send it to info@beadfx.com

Medieval Jewellery

Earlier this morning I came across a few pictures of some medieval style jewellery. I was intrigued and decided to go hunting for pictures of the real thing. It's now been 2 hours, and I must stop. I do have other things to do today :-) The Victoria and Albert Museum (link at the bottom) has a ton of articles on the history of jewellery.

These are a few that particularly caught my eye:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Title: Jeweled Bracelet
Date: 6th–7th century
Geography: Made in probably Constantinople
Culture: Byzantine
Medium: Gold, silver, pearl, amethyst, sapphire, glass, quartz, emerald plasma
Dimensions Overall: 1 7/16 x 3 1/4 in. (3.7 x 8.2 cm) strap: 15/16 x 7 7/8 in. (2.4 x 20 cm) bezel: 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm)
Classification:  Metalwork-Gold
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number17.190.1670

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Title: Cloisonné Disc Brooches
Date: 6th century
Culture: Frankish
Medium: Copper alloy cloisons, side and back; glass and patterned copper alloy
Dimensions Overall: 1 3/8 x 13/16 in. (3.5 x 2 cm)
Classification: Metalwork-Copper
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number17.193.259

The Winchester Horde - Iron Age gold jewellery from the British Museum

 Diptych Pendant, maker unknown, about 1450-80. Museum no. 213-1874 From the Victoria & Albert

New This Week!

Ar, mateys -- Welcome to Treasure Island!

Arrrr - ahoy there ya lily-livered landlubbers! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Did you know that virtually ALL of those swashbuckling pirate stereotypes - the treasure map with the big X, the peg-leg, the parrot, the tropical island - all come from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, "Treasure Island."

This week's treasure - 'cuz - let's face it - every week we go treasure hunting around here - this week's treasure features gold, silver, and copper! These fun and fabulous beads add an instant hit of metal. Or - you can say to heck with the design accents and make the metal the main course, like with our inspiration, "Loot!"

Lots of metal beads to choose from - how about these brushed-texture silver-plated-over-copper Penne? Or maybe you prefer your noodles thinner? Or maybe you need a bead with a 7 mm hole?

This, being the first Wednesday of the new month, means it's Stone of the Month day too. This month's stone is Sardonyx - a lovely high-gloss black and white stone, also known as Black Line Agate. A handsome addition to your treasure chest!

Check out these majorly huge clasps too (also available in silverplated) - featured in one of designs in the also new Canadian Beading! (As a matter of fact - I was very honored to have two submissions accepted for

publication!)

So, consider this your invitation to plunder!

You can click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are a fearless pirate, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.