LBS - Local Bead Store Alliance

Here is a great way to make simple and easy earrings and use your left over pieces of beading wire.  Start with a piece of beading wire twice as long as you want your finished earrings to be plus 1 inch.  Loop the wire thru the loop on your earring wire, and double it over so that the ends are even.  String your desired beads onto both wires and push up snug against the earring wire.  Add a crimp bead.  Crimp the bead and trim the wire close to the crimp.  You may want to add a crimp cover for a more finished look.   There you have it, easy simple earrings.

Peggy Long

The Garuda and I

Friday Harbor, Wa

www.thegarudaandi.com

I had a necklace come apart at the crimp and it taught me a lesson.  While the crimp looked perfectly secure, it wasn’t.  Now, when using crimping pliers, I add a step.  After squeezing the crimp in the top groove of the pliers (the second step), I use the tiny flat section of the jaws on the crimping pliers to give the crimp a final squeeze to make sure the crimp is good and tight.  I always give the wire a good pull to test the tightness of the crimp. 

Contributed by Susan Howard, Plumb Alley Beads, Abingdon, VA

Need to put your bead weaving project away for awhile? Grab one of those plastic tabs (like you use on hanging files) and wrap your thread around it. Insert your needle in the slot for the label. No more tangled thread and no more sticking your finger with the needle.

Contributed by Teresa Davis from www.beadlesbeadshop.com

Answer - No matter how many beads your friend has, a special centerpiece bead that *you* choose, will fit perfectly into her collection.

If you want to buy:

ONE bead - pick a bead that is exciting enough to be the STAR in the center of a necklace.

TWO beads - find two matching beads to create a pair of earrings.

THREE beads - put together a large bead and two matching smaller beads in the same color family - she will be able to make a pair of earrings AND a necklace.

If you are worried about what COLOR beads to pick, find your friend’s favorite color OR your favorite color. Either one will be beautiful and make a perfect gift.

contributed by:

erica raspberry
Knit 1 Bead 2
Jerome, Arizona
Knit1Bead2.com

Ever wonder how you get the jump of next season’s colors? If you are adventurous, fashion forward, or sell your creations, you’ll want to check out Pantone’s color forecast: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?ca=4&pg=20378

Lori Lamb

www.giniasbeads.com

Keizer, Oregon

Want to make sure your wire wrap loops are uniform without using a jig? Use a pen to mark the spot on your round nose pliers.
Contributed by Batel from Beads of Marin http://beadsofmarin.com

When you are ready to add your clasp in beadweaving projects, add new thread, so that if the clasp ever breaks, you don’t have to worry about the integrity of the rest of the project.

Contributed by Genevieve Martineau from Bead Gallery Inc.