Beads and Wires

I’ve not been able to update this blog because I was so downright busy with my freelance writing projects. They’re coming in one after another, only get to take a breather today! Well, good and bad. Good is - money is coming in. Bad - no time for other things.

Tomorrow I will be making a trip to Penang, coming back on Sunday. Next Tuesday, I will be making another trip to the east coast. So I’m pretty much left with little time for any beading project.

Since the crystal pendants I last made, I have not completed any beading project. I did start on a bracelet project using the materials I mentioned in my last post. I made two of its flower focal pieces, but I will need to redo them.

I experimented by making one using Nymo D thread, and the other with 0.25 mm nylon fishing line. Results - one turned out to be flimsy, and one too stiff. :P  According to the instructions, I should be using some braided bead thread, which I didn’t know what it was until today. It’s more known as Fireline. Duh!

I only found out today because my order for Fireline 6 lb from BeadSmith and thread conditioner from Thread Haven just arrived. Both available at Beading.com.my (while stocks last). I’m so glad that Beading.com.my is bringing in a lot more variety of beading supplies and tools from popular brands.  My love to Beading.com.my!

After my trip back from the east coast, I will start the bracelet project all over again. Err, if I manage to squeeze some time out of a tight writing project deadline, that is.

Sleepy… even if I’ve just finished a mug of coffee. Perhaps I have to wait a while before the caffeine starts to kick in.

I have to stay awake for the rest of the day, not because I want to spend time on my beading projects, but because I have writing assignments to work on! Yeah, busy weeks for me again.

I have recevied my order for a new batch of colorful Swarovski 4 mm bicone crystals and pearls. I purposely ordered some colors in larger quantities because I have a couple of bracelet projects in mind. One of them is actually a necklace project showcased in a beading magazine, but I decide to use its design to make a bracelet instead - save on materials, haha! The bracelet will be made of round and bicone crystals plus seed beads.

The bracelet project requires 2 or 3 8 mm round crsytals (depending on my mood, haha!) and more than  10 6 mm round crystals. I found that round crystals are expensive compared to 4 mm bicone crystals. So again, I decide to do things my way - instead of using 6 mm Swarovski round crystals, I will be using 6 mm round glass beads.

Well, if the bracelet turns out to be nice, then I will consider making one using all Swarovski round crsytals.

For the time being, I have to get back to my writing assignments. Bracelet project has to wait. Hmmmm….

It seems that I’ve been ‘hybernating’ for quite a while without working on any beading projects, huh? Well, that’s not true.

After completing my writing assignments a week ago, I have been working on two bracelet projects. But both are still half-way dangling there, haha!

The first bracelet is made using bicone glass beads and seed beads. It’s a earring-turned-bracelet project. How? I’ll leave it till later, after I’ve finished this project.

The second bracelet is a project shown in Bead & Button Easy-Does-It series. The project requires mainly cube beads for the bracelet band, and some pearls and seed beads strung on the edges. I happen to have 4 strands of cube glass beads, but I lack of pearls. So now I need to think of what to replace the pearls with.

See, that’s my problem, always short of materials. Haha!