Bead Info & Trivia

Bead Info & Trivia / Projects — No Comments
12
Jul 10

Star Fruit Bracelet

For the avid beaders among you – Heather’s Star Fruit Bracelet appears in the upcoming August/September issue of Beadwork Magazine.

The colors for the purple bracelet are (from the middle out) 8mm Jet, 6mm Purple Velvet, 5mm Tanzanite, 4mm Lt Amethyst and 3mm Violet.

The colors for the brown bracelet are (from the middle) 8mm Smoke Topaz, 6mm Crystal Copper, 5mm Fuschia, 4mm Ruby and 3mm Amethyst.

You can purchase the magazine or the kits here.

You can also purchase the completed bracelet on her website Chrononaut Mercantile.

Beadwork Magazine Aug/Sept 2010

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15
Apr 10

New colors of C-lon Bead Cord!

Due to popular demand, we have another 8 lovely colors of C-lon Bead cord which just arrived – Blue Morning, Blush, Chinese Coral, Heavy Cream, Indigo, Lemongrass, Mahogany and Wheat. This brings us to a total of 104 colors!

Perfect for bead stringing, micro-macrame, bead crochet, cordmaking, kumihimo braiding, half-hitching, tapestry knotting and more.

C-lon Bead Cord Blue MorningC-lon Bead Cord BlushC-lon Bead Cord Chinese Coral
C-lon Bead Cord Heavy CreamC-lon Bead Cord IndigoC-lon Bead Cord LemongrassC-lon Bead Cord MahoganyC-lon Bead Cord Wheat

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9
Apr 10

Tiny Miyuki Cube Beads

Not everyone has seen or used this extra small size of Miyuki Cube Beads, but they are extremely cute and versatile. We sell 1.8mm Miyuki cube beads in a standard wholesale package of 250 grams (approx 21,000 beads), or in a retail 9-10 gram tube (approx 850 beads). Miyuki cube beads are also known as square beads, and are available in three sizes. Square or rectangular Japanese seed beads are made as 1.8mm cube beads, 3mm cube beads, and 4mm cube beads. 1.8mm size is the smallest and is shaped the most like a square, while the 3mm and 4mm cube beads are more rectangular.

Shop for the 76 colors of 1.8mm Cube Beads here.

You can also buy the SB18 Sample Card, if you want to look at all the colors in person before you choose.

1.8mm Miyuki Cube Beads

Tiny Green 1.8mm Miyuki Cube Beads

Tiny Purple 1.8mm Miyuki Cube Beads

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3
Apr 10

Tila Beads – New from Miyuki!

Tila Beads

These new 2-hole Tila beads from Miyuki are gorgeous and just what we’ve been waiting for – and we’ll have to keep waiting until the end of July for the first shipment to arrive.

If you hurry, you can be one of the first to buy a Tila Bead Sample Card, or pre-order them now if you are already in love with the new Tila Beads, because we expect the first ones to go very very quickly.

They measure 5 x 5 x 1.9mm with .8mm double holes, and are first being produced in 30 colors. The first Tila Bead colors include some metallics, matte-metallics, whites and transparents, blacks and grays.

Tila Beads Jewelry

As you can see from some of the photos Miyuki has sent us, they can be used in some really neat and unexpected ways. Stay posted to see our first experiments using the Tila Bead samples they sent us.

Tila Beads Designs
Personally, I just have to say “LOVE!”

You can see the colors as well as look at the new beads (soon) here on the Caravan Beads site.

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25
Mar 10

Social Network For a Mirrix Loom

Our friends Claudia and Elena have asked us to tell you about “Social Network For a Mirrix” which will be launched in late April. For now, they are accepting applications for participants. You will get a FREE Mirrix 12″ “Little Guy” Loom (http://www.mirrixlooms.com/looms.html) worth $230 in exchange for blogging, taking pictures, making videos and simply sharing with the online world your experience using the loom. If you have ANY questions, ask here or email Elena Zuyok, Marketing Director at elena@mirrixlooms.com.

12 inch Mirrix Loom

On Wednesday, April 7th they will choose two people who will receive FREE 12” Mirrix Looms in exchange for 3 months of consistent blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and YouTube posting about their experience with the loom. Applications will be considered both from the experienced weaver and the newbie and from both bead and tapestry weavers. The only thing they ask is that our participants are experienced with social media and possess the technology necessary to do things like take pictures and videos. They will choose applicants based on their social networking abilities, perceived passion for weaving and writing/photographing/videoing ability.

They will choose one TAPESTRY weaver and one BEAD weaver plus two runners-up who will get a 25% discount on a loom and if/when they decide to buy one, will be required to post once-a-week blog posts for 3 months.

REQUIREMENTS if chosen:
(contract will be sent out for signing at time of decision)
-Blog AT LEAST four (4) days a week at least 250 words a day.
-Submit at least one (1) video every two weeks to YouTube.
-Post at least one picture with every blog post.
-Post about your experience on Twitter and/or Facebook and other relevant social networking sites or emails lists at least two (4) times a week.
-and more..

The application can be found here:
http://www.mirrixlooms.com/marketing.html

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22
Mar 10

Silk Satin Delica Beads

Silk Satin Necklace Detail

Detail of Silk Satin Delica Beads Necklace

Silk satin Delica beads have a flat glitter that reminds me of mica. They are slightly wider than regular Delica beads, and come in a range of grays, browns, pinks, corals and other pastels. The first Silk Satin Delica beads always remind me of moonstone, because they have a similar shine and color palette.

Silk Satin Delica Beads

Since the series from DB0670 to DB0680 and DB0820-DB0833, Miyuki has come out with another DB1800 series of Silk Satin Delica beads. The new colors move away from the pale pinks and corals of the first silk satin Delicas, and add more purples, greens, and even better grays than before.

Shop for Silk Satin Delica beads here.

Silk Satin Delica Beads Necklace

Silk Satin Delica Beads Necklace

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19
Mar 10

C-lon Bead Cord Sample Cards

C-lon bead cord is now available in 96 colors – and another 8 will be arriving soon! C-lon is a superior bead cord for micro macrame, bead crochet with 8/0 or larger seed beads, stringing, and kumihimo. It has a 34 lbs breaking strength, and is approx. 0.5mm diameter. (4 or 8 per pack, 82-86 yds per bobbin).

Wholesale customers can now purchase new C-lon Bead Cord sample cards. Our devoted staff lovingly hand-wound and assembled these sets of cards. They are helpful when choosing the perfect color for your latest project.

C-lon Bead Cord Sample Cards

C-lon Bead Cord Sample Cards

Shop for our C-lon Bead Cord sample cards here.

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9
Mar 10

Duracoat Galvanized Seed Bead Finish

We all remember how frustrating it was to have a bead finish that you couldn’t really recommend for the heavy wear and tear of everyday use. Lots of people sprayed these shiny galvanized beads with fixatives to keep them looking sharp. Miyuki has just come out with the Duracoat Galvanized finish and so far they are looking really good.

My sister Jocelyn has been wearing a bracelet made from the 11/0 Duracoat Galvanized beads day and night for about four months. (She actually sewed it on herself and can’t take it off without cutting it off). The bracelet has gone scuba diving and snorkeling in Hawaii, it has gone out on the town, it has gone in the shower and played with the cats. It still looks shiny and only three or four beads show wear on the finish. A definite improvement over the older galvanized coatings, this bracelet has been worn every day since the beginning of November.

Shop for 11/0 Duracoat Galvanized beads here. The new Duracoat Galvanized series begins at 11-4201.

Duracoat Galvanized Beads Bracelet

Duracoat Galvanized Beads Bracelet

Due to popular demand the pattern for the bracelet is as follows -

Materials-

Japanese Beading Needles
Miyuki Beading Thread (or C-lon Beading Thread)
11/0 Duracoat Galvanized Silver (11-4201)
11/0 Duracoat Galvanized Gold (11-4202)
11/0 Duracoat Galvanized Hot Pink (11-4210)
11/0 Duracoat Galvanized Dk Berry (11-4212)

Section One

Step 1- Add twelve 11/0 Duracoat Galvanized Silver (11-4201) seed beads to your thread. Begin even count peyote stitch and complete 3 rows of silver.

Step 2- Add three rows using Duracoat Galvanized Dk Berry (11-4212).

Step 3- Add three rows using Duracoat Galvanized Gold (11-4202).

Step 4- Add three rows using Duracoat Galvanized Hot Pink (11-4210), then repeat Step 1.

Section Two

Step 5- Add four rows of Duracoat Galvanized Dk Berry (11-4212).

Step 6- Add four rows of Duracoat Galvanized Gold (11-4202).

Step 7- Add four rows of Duracoat Galvanized Hot Pink (11-4210), then repeat Step 1.

Step 8- Repeat rows 2-7 until desired length is reached. The silver beads are always grouped in three row sections, but the other colors alternate 3 rows each and then four rows each. You may alternate sections one and two randomly, or always do one after the other.

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5
Mar 10

Bead Sample Cards

Shopping for seed bead colors online can be frustrating because computer monitors are different everywhere and the bead colors are never exactly the same as they appear online. The next best thing to having all the colors of Miyuki beads in your house or store is to have Miyuki sample cards as a comprehensive reference. About 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch of each color bead is hand-sewn onto each numbered card.

Bead Sample Card

part of the 11/0 Miyuki Sample Card

Sample cards are a great reference when trying to match a color, plan a new project, or check out the huge variety of Japanese seed beads that Miyuki offers. There are quite a few cards because Miyuki makes so many colors of seed beads and Delica beads. Most customers start out with the Delica Sample Card set and move on to the whole collection over time.

You can also see bead sample cards with Flash player on Miyuki’s website. Of course the colors may still be a bit wonky.

Shop for sample cards here.

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1
Mar 10

C-lon Beading Thread

C-lon Beading Thread

C-lon Beading Thread

Our popular C-lon beading thread comes in 36 vibrant colors in sizes D and AA. We like to use the D for on and off-loom beadweaving. It’s especially good for Delica beads and other wide-holed Japanese seed beads.

The size AA beading thread is wonderful to use when working with 15/0 seed beads as well as 15/0 Delica beads.

Try using contrasting colors with your work – yellow with teal, teal with purple, orange with lime green. It can add some excitement to a simple beadwork project, as well as being strong, easy to work with and versatile.

C-lon Beading Thread in size AA

C-lon Beading Thread in size AA


Nylon Monocord Size AA (CLBAA)

* uses: Off-loom beadweaving with size 15 seed beads
* current # of colors: 36
* breaking strength: approx 4 lbs
* diameter: very thin – comparable to nymo size 0
* put up: approx. 75 yards/69m per bobbin.
* type of beading thread: UV resistant nylon monocord
* made in the USA

C-lon Beading Thread in size D

C-lon Beading Thread in size D


Nylon Monocord Size D (CLBD)

* uses: On and off-loom beadweaving with size 10-11 seed beads or Delicas, mini micro-macrame, bead stitching and embroidery, etc. Also in use for making Teddy bears—who knew?
* current # of colors: 36
* breaking strength: approx 7 lbs
* diameter: comparable to nymo size D
* put up: approx. 80 yards/73m per bobbin.
* type of beading thread: UV resistant nylon monocord
* made in the USA

Shop for C-lon beading thread at your local bead store or ask us for the name of a friendly distributor.
Wholesale customers can purchase it online at Caravan Beads

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