Beads – A Brief History by Felicity Walker

What do you think the earliest recorded use of beads is – is your first thought perhaps beadwork created by the Egyptians? Yes, there certainly were a lot of beaded items in Egyptian times, but beadwork has been found dating back to the Stone Age (the Upper Paleolithic period). Beads were added to rudimentary clothing; these beads were made of shells and ivory. Of course, the beads weren’t as finely crafted as later beads, but still, they were beads. So even in caveman times, men and women were interested in improving their clothing and appearance with the use of beads.

The beads that we tend to think of as traditional beadwork are called seed beads – because of their small size they resemble seeds. These beads were used in early beadwork – the work of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians used a type of bead called faience beads. Our seed beads today are made of glass, but Egyptians were using beads long before the invention of glass. Their faience beads were made from quartz particles fused together. A glaze was applied over the quartz. The beads were then woven or strung into a variety of jewelry and clothing.

Beaded necklaces were found in the tomb of King Tut. Other beaded items in his tomb were a pair of slippers he perhaps wore as a child and a hassock. It’s unusual for ancient beadwork to survive since it was strung on cords made from leather and cloth, which tend to disintegrate with age. We are fortunate to have these few examples to give us a perspective on the history of Egyptian beading.

Some religious texts from India refer to beads being woven into hair and into horse’s tails. These references were recorded around the 9th century BC. And beads were also widely used throughout Asia in ancient times. There were beaded items found in temples in Japan that date back to 800 A.D.

Early beads were fashioned from shells, ivory and stone. Early Egyptians valued the beads according to the stone that was used to create the beads. Different stones were thought to have different properties.

Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful blue stone, was believed to protect the wearer’s health. This stone was often fashioned into beads, as were carnelian, feldspar, amethyst, turquoise and jasper – many of the same stones we use today.

Glass was introduced as a component of beads around 1480, when Venice began drawing glass tubes and turning them into beads. Once the technology for pulling glass tubes was invented, it was easy to suddenly produce thousands of beads, all uniform in size, color and shape.

Modern jewelry and beading certainly benefits from the advances made in the production of beads, but there’s no doubt that even today, an individually handcrafted bead can be the star attraction of any beading piece.

The author recently released “The Ultimate Bead Lover’s Guide”. To find out more, check out http://www.beading.learnheaps.com for more information.

CraftiBlog � crochet beaded leather scrunchie

CraftiBlog � crochet beaded leather scrunchie: "I raided my old beading stash and found some leather cord that screamed to be crocheted into something. I added some cheap silver beads and made it the first scrunchie I�ve actually made for myself and would wear! lol"


For those of you who are crocheters as well, this is a great idea - and there's a pattern there too!
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Felicity 8-)

Felted bead bracelet

"Ever since my trip to Morehouse Farm yarn store, I can’t stop thinking about little felted balls. I mentioned the idea of trying to make a felted bead bracelet for her friend. She was excited about it so we picked up some colorful wool at A Child’s Garden after school. An hour later Ella, Liam and I were circled around a tub of hot soapy water felting away. After felting, I put the beads in the dryer and then strung them on some stretchy beading cord. That’s it. It was a simple and fun project to do with kids and I’m sure we’ll be making more of these."


These are so cute - my daughter saw the pictures, and now she wants one too!
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Felicity 8-)

Sorry for the break...

Hi everyone!
Sorry there's been a bit of a gap in posts for this blog - I guess technology affects us all sometimes! But with a new hard drive and everything running smoothly, things should get back to normal now.
Fingers crossed....
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)

Artist on display

:: The News-Courier :: Athens, AL: "Artist's beadwork to be displayed here
By Charlotte Fulton, charlotte@athensnews-courier.com

Though Julia Harper began beading just six years ago, she's so enamored of the intricate craft that her 'stash' has grown to include thousands of beads in every shade and hue imaginable.

The Huntsville woman says she never goes out without wearing one of her beaded necklaces - and usually a bracelet as well.
Harper will be at the Beasley Center in Athens from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Monday, at the invitation of the Southern Stitchers Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America. The public is invited to meet her and see the beaded items which Harper has spent hundreds of hours crafting."


Sounds interesting! I particularly liked the description of her bead "stash".
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Felicity 8-)

Wild Wire Product Review - Crafts for Kids

Wild Wire Product Review - Crafts for Kids: "Wire jewelry and wire creations are a great way to introduce
crafting to kids. They can make necklaces, rings, flowers, animals, insects, creatures and sculptures � whatever they can imagine!

To make wire crafts you need at least 4 things; colored wire, wire cutters, round-nosed pliers and a pair of flat/chain-nose pliers. The materials are available in most craft stores and can be purchased inexpensively. Beyond that, there are all sorts of fancy tools available to help make shaping the wire easier."

This article mentions some great resources for introducing wire crafts and beading to kids.
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Felicity 8-)

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25: "Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza, promoted by The Down the Street Bead Show, is coming to the Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23rd, 24th, and 25th.

Atlanta�s Bead Extravaganza will prove to be a fun and exciting event for all who love beads and jewelry.

All will be amazed at what some bead makers and designers are doing in glass, seed beads, metal, polymer clay, and many other mediums. The beading business is hot right now and is spawning a very large new interest in jewelry design. The bead business alone has grown to a $1 billion-plus industry nationally.

Many beaders, jewelry designers, and glass bead makers are moving towards adding metals including PMC, Precious Metal Clay, and other mediums to their bead and jewelry designs. At this time, the jewelry design business is in a major renaissance and is at the most exciting time that it has ever been. "

Great news for anyone near Atlanta!
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Felicity 8-)

Beading - so many possibilities

The Network of If: Beading - so many possibilities: "One of my favorite styles of necklaces to make is a really long strand of seed beads interspersed with a contrasting, larger bead. I saw Ashley Judd in an interview once and whatever the necklace she was wearing stuck with me. I don't know the materials, or even if it was made of a string of beads. But it looked like it was a long strand wrapped twice or thrice. And so I've been making my own variations ever since. This week I've made a few, and also these 'everything' necklaces. Actually had a couple of commissions when someone saw one I was wearing. There's absolutely no pattern and I love how you can wear these with lots of things.

The two on the right, that is. All of these are glass beads and since they include any kind of bead I like, you really can wear them for an occasion or just with jeans and a teeshirt. I've worn - and seen - them worn each way. Obviously the first two are more appropriate when matched with complementary colors. But the nicely versatile quality they possess is that you can wear them long or wrapped multiple times for a shorter outcome. "

I love the amazing mix of colours.
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Felicity 8-)

MVTimes Online - The Martha's Vineyard Times: Island News Now

MVTimes Online - The Martha's Vineyard Times: Island News Now: "�We should have a store like this in our town.�

Sally Roesler of Vineyard Haven, the owner and operator of Beadniks, has overheard this phase within the walls of her beading and craft business enough times to expand once again. This time to a franchise.

An investor may now bring the Vineyard Haven-based storefront into a town of his or her own � provided they receive the approval of Beadniks Group Inc. and pay a franchise fee of $35,000, included in the overall estimated start-up cost of $244,667 to $419,183.

Franchising was the next logical step to Ms. Roesler, whose business began as a one-room store and mail order catalog, The Bead Goes On, in 1989. Since then, Beadniks has expanded into a crafting compound with offices, warehouse, and expansive showroom that swallowed a neighboring building. "


Maybe we should all think bigger....
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Felicity 8-)

beading interrupted

beading interrupted: "My little Sajji man thought the perfect way to get my attention was to lay down on the beads. Now he is blissfully taking a nap and my work is apparently done for the day...or at least he says it is."

What a gorgeous photo! Guess who rules this household....
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Felicity 8-)

Unusual earrings....

a tale of two knitties: i wish i could crochet: "
i wish i'd made these
check out these crocheted, beaded earrings i got at anthropologie"

What an unusual use of beading!
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Felicity 8-)

Some different beads...

Lori Anderson Designs: Bead Mercantile: "But by far the best thing was a set of porcelain beads by Joan Miller -- for ME! I met her at the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee -- very nice lady who I actually met on the plane on the way over because I admired her necklace. At Bead and Button, I bought one of her beads for someone as a gift but ran out of money before I could buy something for myself. I'd already purchased some very cool, unusual (and expensive, yikes) 'jacks' silver beads from her, and these beads will go with the silver....

I love how eclectic they are! And these are so not my colors -- well, the purple is, but I was looking for a set that was a total mix of colors and patterns and textures. "

These are gorgeous - I've never seen beads like these before.
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Felicity 8-)

FluffyKnitterDeb: By special request, Beading Made Easy!

FluffyKnitterDeb: By special request, Beading Made Easy!: "As promised, here's the scoop on beaded knitting, crochet style. I much prefer this method because it saves me from having to string hundreds of beads onto my yarn, a pretty onerous task if ya ask me! Plus it saves wear and tear on the yarn since you don't have to slide all those beads along the length of the yarn as you do with the knitted on method. Lastly, I feel this method 'seats' the bead on the knitting better because you place the bead over BOTH legs of the stitch, unlike the knitted on method where sometimes the beads slip to the purl/private side and are difficult to see in the knitted fabric. So let's begin...."

If you are interested in learning how to add beads to your knitting, then I recommend you click on the link to read this lady's blog, it's a fabulous explanation. I've included a photo of some beaded knitting she's done as a sample.
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Felicity 8-)

More on beaded bookmarks....

EZ Crafts - BLOGestates.com - FREE BLOGs for the PLANET: "Beaded Bookmarks
Materials
17 inches of 3/8 inch wide double-faced satin ribbon for each bookmark
Scissors
Beads with large openings

To Make A Fringed Bookmark You Will Need:

Beading needle
2 silver beads
Silver seed beads
White beading thread
Silver-lined, large rocaille beads

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Tie a knot 1-inch from the end of the ribbon. Slide bead (or beads) from the opposite end of the ribbon up to the knot. Tie a knot on the other side of the bead(s) to hold in place.

2. For the other end of the bookmark, measure 10 inches from the inside knot and tie another knot. Put on the bead(s) and slide up to the knot. Tie another knot against the last bead.

3. Trim the ribbon ends.
Concept from Sierra Pacific Crafts

Hints
1. To personalize a bookmark, write a name on the ribbon using a permanent marker.
2. Make both beaded ends the same and use your ribbon as a gift tie to cinch up a surprise sack.
3. Use alphabet beads to spell a name or word. Wisdom, Love, Friends etc.
4. Make a fringe with seed beads and mirrored beads and sew to each end of the ribbon.
5. Use school colors for quick 'n easy fund raiser projects.
6. Make up a batch of these and award them to friends for Thank You gifts."


I thought these instructions might be useful!
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Felicity 8-)

tinkerhell gets buff: Chill day

tinkerhell gets buff: Chill day: "Kristin, MIL and I have been doing some beading (I have an embarrassingly disorganized collection of beads of various types and sizes) and that's actually been quite a bonding experience. MIL designs Nepali jewelry and she brought along some beautiful stones (plus some awesome jewelry for me -- emerald drop earings and a lovely matching necklace). Fingers x'd it continues to go well!"

Getting along with your mother-in-law is always a good thing. Hooray for beading!
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)

New Pearl Earrings - The Jewelry and Beading Blog

New Pearl Earrings - The Jewelry and Beading Blog: "I've made a few pair of threader earrings for her daughter who works at the court house, and now "mom" decided she needs a pair too. The pearls are round freshwater, very nice quality, about 8mm. I got them from the last wholesale show I went to. I strung them on 24-gauge soft gold-filled round wire, and included a gold-filled corrugated bead on top. I used the wrapped loop technique to attach the beads to the threader component."

I love these - so simple and yet so elegant.
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)

Clean Sweep Jewelry Studio - The Jewelry and Beading Blog

Clean Sweep Jewelry Studio - The Jewelry and Beading Blog: "Here it is...the top of my jewelry making desk! This is where I make most of my jewelry in what I call my corner studio. After Rocky and Jasper went ballistic, I had to put everything away. Of course, now the challenge is to get back to work. It looks so nice and clean. I can't remember when I've seen the top of the desk like that before. "

This is just plain scary.... hehehehe!
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Felicity 8-)

Jewel Mine - Semi-precious Stone Pebble in Wire Wrap

Jewel Mine - Semi-precious Stone Pebble in Wire Wrap: "I have a batch of semi-precious stone pebbles, rose quartz and cintrine, all without a hole to string through, rough cut but smooth surface.
Bought it during a cryatal shop closing down sales, quite a good bargain, so without second thought I just bought a bag (about 20 pieces in one bag).
After brought it home I seriously have no idea what to do with it, it didn't come with a drilled hole, smooth surface, not a single cut on the surface for the wire to hold.
Since I don't do soldering, the only way I can think about to hold the beads is wire wrapping."

The original blog entry has a great photo too! Very pretty.
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Felicity 8-)

Those beaded bookmarks...

Hi everyone!
I've had a few people ask me how to make the beaded bookmarks mentioned in an earlier post, and the author of that blog post has very kindly passed on some information about how they are made. I hope you find it useful
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)

I learned how to do the beaded bookmarks in a basic beading class I took. They're really simple. You put seed beads in the middle so it fits in the book. Then you put a design of lager beads on either side, which will hang outside the book. You just string them on basic beading wire and place a crimp bead on either end. I like to finsh off the ends with charms but it's not necessary.

Laura

The Basics: Weaving Beads on a Loom

The Basics: Weaving Beads on a Loom: "One of my favorite beading techniques is to Weave Beads on a Loom. You can make bags, purses, tapestries, necklaces, bracelets and more. There are so many beautiful pattern books for loom weaving, including Out on a Loom by Margie Deebs, Designs for Beading on a Loom by Don Pierce, Those Bad, Bad Beads by Virginia Blakelock and The Little Coin Purse by Carol Devlin. "

Some good references there.
Keep smiling
Felicity 8-)