Back to destashing!

I'm doing some spring cleaning on my bead collection, tidying up and reorganizing and rediscovering things that I forgot. This is also serving as good inspiration to list some of my excess beads on Etsy! I have entire hanks of Czech glass leaves that I really only need one or two strands of, so it's time to get them listed again.

I started with these grape leaf beads because I think they are just perfect for Summer designs. Such a nice clean, crisp color!

There are more leaves and other shapes of beads coming soon, so keep an eye on the Destash Beads section of my shop.

Where did you get that one?

 At the Desert Shakedown, there was a kindergarten-age girl in our booth for a few minutes, and she decided to entertain herself by asking "Where did you get this one?" about the focal pieces of every necklace within reach, which lead to the realization that I get beads from a lot of different places. Between that, and a conversation yesterday about whether stories help sell products, I was in the mood to talk about where my beads come from. Married to the Dance (above) is a new necklace, and I included its provenance in the description. But it left me thinking about the varied beads I use in each project, and where I get them, and how I get the idea to bring them together.

Take The Hungriest Pixie Ever as an example. I of course got the focal bead from Green Girl Studios at a Tucson bead show. I ordered the ceramic pomegranates from Earthenwood Studio specifically to go with it, and then the colors of those charms set the palette for the necklace. The freshwater pearls were purchased in bulk at a gem show years ago. The green crystals came from the same gem show, but more recently. I think the moss agate is from a Rings & Things trunk show in Phoenix. The padparadscha crystals are leftover from a Beading For A Cure kit. They all came together beautifully, as if I bought them all to be together, but in truth I just have an extensive bead collection to pull from.

Are you curious about the origins of the beads in any of my other work? Just ask and I'll do my best to answer -- though sometimes I may have to say that I honestly don't remember! As of last month I've been doing this for 14 years now. Whew!

Return of the Destash

Many members of FAETeam are working on tackling our supply stash this year. Whether it's using things up or selling them off, we'd all like a tidier work area and maybe more money to spend on new supplies (it's a vicious cycle). As such I am working on restock the Destash Beads section of my shop. Etsy has made it easier by now charging only 1 listing fee for multiples of an item, so I currently have three strands of these fun Czech Glass Spiral Beads available in my shop. Hopefully later this week I'll also get more leaf beads listed. I've never met a leaf beads that I didn't like, and I used to buy them by the hankful from Raven's Journey because I really, really wanted specific styles and colors.

Anyway, so far the destashing is not going amazingly. I have been making things with the beads I already have, but then I had all this trade credit from Beyond Beadery and they had new mini-spike beads. As if that wasn't bad enough, one day I went to Michael's when I was bored, just looking for some crystals to glue onto my face for belly dance, and I came out with $40 worth of miscellaneous bead stuff because there was a sale going on. I have a problem!

The return of Operation: Buried in Beads

Last year, I had too many beads and I decided to undertake Operation: Buried in Beads to try to use up some of my massive stash. Well, I still have too many beads, and I still can't figure out a way to get them all properly organized and put away, and I still don't have a dedicated workspace, so I'm doing it again. It is time to make some friggin' jewelry, and hopefully use up lots of stray beads and components in the process.

I already started, but I can't tell you what I made because it's a present for somebody! So I'll post it after it's been given. I've also got the start of a few other projects laid out, but first I have to make a couple more presents. Seriously, why is everyone having birthdays in April? And Mother's Day is right around the corner, too! Plus my birthday is just over a week away on the 1st, so I need to make myself a present because hey, I deserve it.

Anyway, back to slaving away in the bead-cave.

Buried in beads!

I'm currently in a battle against bead clutter. I have beads in at least three rooms of the house, and they're not particularly organized, and I keep having trouble finding what I'm looking for while working on projects. Then I go out and buy MORE beads, which just makes things worse.

So it's time to spend more time beading, and putting beads away, and getting rid of excess beads. It's time to stop putting off major projects, but to also work on some smaller, easy-to-sell projects. It's time to organize, and condense, and get a better grasp on what I have and what I need more of.

In the following weeks, you should see a lot more new jewelry on this blog, and a few new listings in the Etsy shop. And I might even do a bit of vending this Autumn. GASP! Stay tuned.