Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Therapeutic attributes of beading
Posted by ginagalli
We all have our vices and our special something that we turn to when we need to decompress from the weariness of the day.
Besides turning to chocolate when I’m stressed I open up my bead box and look at all of the wonderful shapes and colors and stones. I like to touch then and enjoy their textures and how they feel in my hands. Before you know it! I am designing and creating. It helps to get lost and refocus on something positive. I truly believe these little trinkets do possess a “therapeutic” quality.
Every Wednesday at my store I had two ladies that came in and would bring their bags of goods and various projects. Occasionally we would have a few others that would join us. We would talk about our beads, life and what was going on in the world. We would have lunch and a cup of coffee and YES! occasionally there was chocolate.
After an hour or so there would be some laughs and sometimes a finished project (or sometimes not). The key is that for a little while we got to escape and feel good and you don’t even need health insurance for this kind of “therapy”.
Sassy up your spring designs with Lucite flowers
Posted by ginagalli
Spring will officially be here in 3 weeks. I have seen the hint of baby buds of crocuses and daffodils peaking through the last hints of snow. These delicate blooms get me so inspired. I was resistant for a long time against using Lucite because basically it is plastic. However, if you look at some of the great jewels from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s with their big bright baubles and colors they were made from Lucite. Actually vintage Lucite is very chic and hot and has been for some time.
Some of the great qualities of Lucite are the enormous range of colors it comes in. It is very light in weight and the shapes are spectacular. As I mentioned before I am partial to the Lucite flowers. The variety of sizes and types of flowers are numerous. You can create a virtual garden. Actually, they are perfect for the garden bracelet design.
Lucite flowers combine perfectly with shiny crystals because their matte, pearly finish picks up the shimmer and shine. You can use fire polish beads, seed beads and virtually anything with them. I love to embellish a flat peyote stitch using the small size flowers and putting a 3mm bi-cone crystal in the middle.
Where do you find Lucite beads? Two of the most popular sellers of Lucite are Beadin’ Path and the Hole Bead Shop. Beadin’ Path does specialize in vintage Lucite and both vendors have a great selection that you can purchase from their websites. You can also find some Lucite flower beads on Art Beads and Fusion Beads or look at your favorite local bead shop.
Need some ideas and inspiration? Check out the spring issue of Bead Unique Magazine that features on the cover Fairy’s Garden ring designed by the Hole Bead Shop.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)