Seed Bead Mania
One of my ongoing burning questions has NEVER been “to bead or not to bead” but rather “WHAT to bead or not to bead.” That is a serious question, is it not?
A bead explosion in my closet
Seed beading, wireworking, gemstone beading, lampworking, fabric beading (a personal favorite), stringing, silver fabrication: they’re all appealing. But I simply haven’t found a way to stay awake 24/7 in order to do all the types of jewelry making that I crave.
I have an entire closet full of crafting impulse buys—kits, books, etc. These are constant reminders (or closet reminders) of temporary, insane, expensive moments when I actually thought making my first appliqué quilt in a weekend was possible (that’s what the kit said). I’m sure many of you Beading Daily readers share my inflated crafting optimism.
Beading confessions
My first Beading Daily confession follows. My deep, dark secret is that I’ve bystepped any and all seed beading. Not because I don’t enjoy the bazillions of tiny explosions of colors, shapes, and finishes seed beads offer or the luscious creations, from jewelry to purses, you’ve all shown me over the years. My hesitation comes from the fact that once you get the hang of that almighty peyote or herringbone, you can never go back: spending every waking moment hunched over a tiny 6×6 area piled high with teeny beads, missing out on various parts of your lives (OK maybe not that far)-all for the thrill of the “almighty seed.”
I’ve heard the stories of skipping and racing down the aisles of bead shows, grabbing for the newest and latest seed-bead vials as if they were gourmet chocolates. I’ve watched bead show attendees hide masses of those precious vials in unmarked brown paper bags in the trunk of their car so husbands/boyfriends/kids don’t see them. I’ve even seen my friends skip a meal to shop another 15 minutes (there’s always a vending machine nearby). I’ve asked myself, “Do I really want another crafting obsession?” I’m running out of room in my closet.
Seed beads are my new treat
Content to hold out for many years, happy with my chosen forms of beads and beadworking, I felt safe and secure, knowing none of my 401K would ever go to those addictively pretty little vials. Until I stepped into Beading Daily. I didn’t even last a month seed-bead-free in this candy store. My recent assignment: review Leslie Rogalski’s new Doodlebeads Volume 2 DVD. I calmly sat down with a cup of java, knowing I’d need it to stay awake.
I haven’t been this wrong since Beanie Babies trumped real estate as the ultimate investment (totally different story)! Thanks to Leslie’s ultimate temptation—video beadweaving lessons that break things down into easy 1-2-3 visual lessons—my resistance is disappearing. Now, I’m fighting every urge to run out to the nearest supplier to buy my own precious bead vials for my first seed-bead project. Darn you, Leslie, and your Doodlebeads. You got me. Wish me luck!
Tell me how you got started with the almighty seed!
Reprinted from BeadingDaily
kristalwick 