beading center tour

Hello...
For many years I have investigated the process of how to accomplish this dream.
I was accepted into a gallery up north.
The drive time with my little family became an issue.
So for now the business is on hold.
All ready to get up and running perhaps in the fall.
It has been rarely shared by others how to do the set up of a beading/jewelry making studio.
Offered up to you is a tour.
My garden is to the left of my hand.
If this can be an inspiration to others or perhaps there may just be a tip to help you in your endeavors.
I have found for the most part jewelers and beaders are a pretty secretive lot.
This is to conserve their creative license.
For every where ideas are copied.

This is the jewelers desk
Here is the station if soldering or tooling with mallet may occur.
It is also used to display as creations are in process.
It was a birthday gift a few years ago.

Business at hand in the top drawer.
Pricing and mailing.

Middle Drawer for the earring backs and other items used.

Lastly bagging

Center is simple storage right now.

The armiture is for steadying of hands a place for a vise and such.

This is all removed or slid in when not in use.
It is my dream to one day tack further study in soldering and silver smithing.

Directly behind the desk.
The show case, storage of made items.
Lower to upper is labeled with like bead together.
Glass and wood are here.
Along with chain and metal that is uncommon.
It is hung on removable 3m products.
Click on image to enlarge.

Tools within reach and easily identified at a glance.

A foot stool is a real help to my comfort.

Lighting is a must.
Good direct out door lighting helps with color identifications.
The magnifier is wonderful.
The crook neck lights were form my husbands former employer of long ago.

Reference papers at a glance are great when I am labeling the selling tags.

One of my favored area to work in is gemstone.
However these are a more expensive item.
In the gallery they would really become expensive with the percentage of their cut added in to the price.

I call my acrylics plastic only on the shelf.
These are best served for light weight less expensive items.

Lamp work glass is a favorite.
Watch at Michaels and Wall Mart every once in a while they change out the selection.
Clearence my middle mane at least it ought to be.

Stones

Reference books.

Fine tuning the space is an on going process.
It was at one point packed up and ready to move.
It is now coming back together better than ever.
Today labeling of the containers for fast reference was updated along with sorting of the types.
My supplies (for the most part) were accumulated via e bay.
Folks clearing out crafters estates and such.
Bulk distributors, 50% off sales and clearance racks.
Many of you dear friends have given me things to enjoy (thank you).
This is my candy and flowers so to speak.

There is a lot of organizing still in progress.
My last few days have afforded me time to give it some attention.

Tools
buy the best you can buy and/or save up and get that.
Do not be in a hurry to invest in tools .
By researching you only need to buy once for a life time.

A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind
:)

See the cabel and thread on spool at the left of the work space...
The tape rule is attached to table top via packing tape.
On the table (tape) is the increments marked for each type of item lengths of necklace with 1-2 inch added for knots or the crimping method. When I measure for a peice with a clasps the cllasps is layed on the rule along the end of measure. as Well as any findings. Length has a way of escaping you once the findings get attached. This is my fail safe.
Making work faster and the minial tasks an ease.
Creating is the real fun...gives me more time and thought to put into that part of it.
This is my work area.

Click to enlarge

Sunlight is in front and beside me.
That is the garden at my left.
I can listen to the crop if it needs to tell me something.
It speaks in it's own way...

See all the beads in the tin.
All the wooden beads mixed up.
So it is time.
The other day I asked for a box.
I was at a $1 store and decided not to spend money.
The next day a friend said "oh I have something for you"
Yep!
The box.
This is normal, it is the way that we are to expierence that life more abundant.
We see the normal as miracle when often it is abiding .

Any way...
Sorting time.

This blue sorting try has two screw off ends of different diamiters.
Great to use to gather tiny beads.

All of my wooden beads were in a big box.
Now I have then back in action.

The new box used to sort all wooden under 6 mm.
Smaller compartments smaller bead storage.
Larger beads like wise.
If I have a surplus, those are stored in such containers that are large and hold a surplus for big projects that call for a large haul of bead.

Now the wood is sorted and each drawer is noted of the size.

These placed in order by size into the storage box that holds all the drawers.

Here are the tiny assortment.
These are often of more use to me.
They are often used as spacer beads.
The assortment at a glance is to have a faster aqusition of parts.
Less time hunting more time crafting.
I can now make count and then asses what I might need if anything.

this is a beaders ruler
Note the fast reference on bead size.
After some time you'll nknow the size just by holding or looking at it.

Nice tool.

I will speak more on this craft in the future.
If any questions please feel free to ask.

My Loving, Creative Husband

When I went out Sunday to see where my darling was
I found him at the mill.
Recently we began a shop for him.
There is yet a lot of organizing to do...
When I asked him what was up he said...
" I am making you a surprise"

I have been neglecting my beading lately for my magnifying light was out of service.
It would not stay secured on the table.
We had rearranged the studio when we moved back in and I lost the place to connect it.
Without it beading had become a chore.
My vision is dimming a bit and it is very hard to see.

This is his creation.
A very stable jig to hold the light strong.
It is a very heavy fixture and when in use it is under great force and strain.
He made a brace to secure it well.

Now you sweet ladies in waiting (for the thanks offering gift and the pay it forward...
Now I can get back to your projects...
oooo.....I gave you a hint
:)

Thank you Darling for making it important to you!

Baby Shower Gift.

Tonight We gather to celebrate my dear new...
Great Nephew
Neco
"Vicory for the People"

I had the thrill of holding him yesterday for the first time.
I have struggled with what to do or get for this child.
He is perhaps my 30 Th? Great.
Now so many of them I have not been able to celebrate for one reason or another.
This baby is center to recognition for recently his Uncle gave up his life.
This Mother needs life celebrated, and this is her first child.

I have really struggled trying to come up with the gift.
I picked up some things like safety corners and outlet covers and shampoo, lotion.
The main gift was just not clear to me.

After sitting with the Mother (my niece) yesterday and hearing her heart.
It was crystal clear. I am now thankful that I waited.

I stopped by the Whole Foods store and found some flush able inserts and fanny covers that can also be used with the cloth her heart so longs to use.
I admire that...so It is my heart to support her in it.
Also her heart is to nurse, yet any new mom will soon know the struggle and she is facing it with tenacity. I admire that too.
So I found some Mothers Milk Herbal tea support, and some nip-le cream.

A few of the items that I have grown to favor with my own children.

Teething drops, and unscented wipes that have no drying alcohol.
Now if she wishes to continue, and make the budget sacrifice to do so she has a foundation and the information she may need to begin.

I was trying to come up with a wrapping for it and decided to use netting.
Folks this is a basic supply in my studio.
Netting has a million and two uses.

So she has a heart to reuse...I used elements in my whap that are re usable it honors her heart.

Now for a card well....
This is the "box of collected cards" found on a clearance or purchased for a endearing reason and kept at the ready for use at any given moment. This is a staple for all homes in my opinion. No need to ever be harried when a last minute gift is needed.

After perusing it I found non for the purpose.
This box has diminished because I began to switch to home made cards...
This is how I did it.
Scrap booking is an art form that gained great notability in the last several years.
I one had a dear friend Mrs. Peterson, those of you long friends of mine...we all miss her.

Now Mrs P. would have socials at her house every so often with open doors she set up tables in her humble abode.
She was an amazing woman of resourcefulness.
She is the most talented scraper I have ever known.
She began to sell, and on and on month after month, the years well...
Every night I would attend I would set aside a portion of mine own portion and purchase those basic supplies and tools to set up a paper scrapping center of my own.
I am not talented at this art form, but I enjoy the freedom of expression through it.
I have YEARS to set to albums.

I abandoned the box


My Scrapping Center

This a left over cupboard (it was our old office, now turned into the sewing center) left to find good use.
I store it under the cutting table.

I'll let you peek inside.

Using binders I store papers.

The drawer is all of the tools and ink, calligraphy pens, stamps, punches, glue tape and all.
These things gifted me as I shared my grocery funds to gift her.
Beading is my passion.
Scrapping is a social activity, creative it too is a part of me.

Thes tools used to scrap however over lap into many venues of art form.
I make good use of these things.
Today it is to make a card.

In the old disk file I store paper cut outs and punch outs.

Card stock separated into color

Card blanks and envelopes.

Paper stock for matching sheets with cut outs.
She (Mrs. P.) was so industrious. She would spend late nights putting things together to sell to help her family. She is an amazing woman. She moved up into Montana territory. Sure miss her.

I am a saver of tid bits and treasures. I do not waste things as a rule if I see a use or beauty in them they are kept for a creation of my imagination at some later point.

This is textures of paper scrap.
Rulers and ideas of images I found pleasure in. Ideas are often the hardest thing to come up with. Any time you see things you admire, some day wish to create...well save it in a file and you will just one day do so.

Printed paper and partials and scraps.

These pockets are wonderful with the little snaps on them.
The page protectors are protected and kept together and flat. this type of thing can get slippery to store.

See how the snap envelope keeps the papers perfect.

Large ring binders at least 2-3 inches work well. They do not have to be new. Many of mine are recycled from work orders or yard sales.

Here is a trick you can do with paper or real rick rack when sewing.
The technique is really pretty.

This is my process.
I chose color first then topic and then character.


This is what I came up with.
Color theme; blue, green, brown
Character ...boy, baby, and family.

Theme...
a new member of my family tree

Name meaning
The leaves are punches.

The calligraphy pens are used on the inside, the image had to be deleted. It had the child's name meaning written and a few embellishments.
I once had a real lovely hand...but alas my penmanship is not what it once was.

Opening the package seemed to be a hassle for the new mother to consider the netting may pose an issue for some.