Beading in the New Year!
We’ve migrated from the tryptophan induced coma in November, through the wild-eyed crazed pace of December to finally arrive here… in quiet, blissful January! The beginning of a new year is a renewal in so many ways. We purge the burdens of our lazy habits and quest for greener pastures! For beaders, it means we are able to shift our focus from making gifts for others, to finally having time to tackle some glorious beadwork for ourselves!

The new resolution for 2012

I’m going to make a lot of beadwork… the right way. What??? I’ve been doing it all wrong for the last 25 years??? No. Well, not intentionally. Ever spent a lot of time on a beaded piece only to have something go unnoticeably wrong? For instance, a braclet that won’t actually fit the wrist properly because its too stiff, or a necklace that’s too long or short because the recipient is much smaller or larger than you are? 

A gift well received, but then not worn
When I spend time making a piece of beading for someone, I surely make it with the intent that they’ll actually wear it. Hopefully if you’ve paid attention to the style, color preference and design that the person prefers, you should be home free, right? Wait… you have to consider if its actually a fit for that wrist or neck, and also if its going to lay properly. One time I received a lovely lariat from a friend in the prettiest shade of amber and soft browns, with a drippy pile of lacey leaves clustered at the bottom of each end. But when I put it on, the leaves twanged out from side to side and just wouldn’t lay flat, because the tension was too tight in the fringe. It made it impossible to wear because those little leaves reached out and grabbed everything. What beautiful, albeit annoying, beadwork! What to do?? Now I have a lovely lariat that decorates my dresser and not my neck.

Wrist schackles
If you make a bracelet too tight by pulling the Softflex until its rigid and then setting the crimp, then you’ll find that it won’t drape around the wrist nicely. How about the cuff bracelet that you bead-embroider flat, and then its constricted won’t bend around the wrist. Voila! A beaded bookmark! :-) Keep tension in mind for bracelets and necklaces so that they’re comfy to wear. 

Supple bead weaving
Tiny glistening seed beads are stunning when woven into a bracelet, necklace or bag, but if the tension is off, whoa-Nelly! Be careful to be consistent in your weaving tension. Years ago I made woven pieces stiff as all get-out because I thought it made them stronger and it didn’t occur to me to make them with easier tension. I have some amulet bags from 15 years ago that could chip ice off your windshield! Oh, those were the days! Since then I’ve learned to be careful with each bead, and that surely is the trick.

Easing the tension in your body
What a lovely feeling to sit and bead, feeling your shoulders and neck relax, your body melting into the chair in meditative bead bliss! We daydream about moments like that, when we can actually sit and spend some time with our beads. There’s no better therapy for me, and I think I speak for most of us on that subject! I mean, if it wasn’t tranquilly exhilarating to bead then we would be doing something else, right? But remember not to bead so long that your body becomes permanently hunched into a Quasimodo-crick. Be good to yourself, and ease your body tension by stretching, bending and breathing. Take breaks! Your body will thank you. And your beadwork will, too, since you’ll notice the tension in your beading is affected by what’s happening with your body. Ever notice that when you’re stressed your beading just doesn’t come out the same? Hello peaceful, goodbye stress!

In 2012, resolved to…
Clean up old projects! Get real with yourself to what dregs are laying in your bead case taking up precious space. If you don’t plan on following through with completing them, then send them on their beady way! Dismantle, gift them to another willing beader, or send them off to the local thrift store. 

Straighten up the bead mess! Baggies with holes where beads are falling out. Scattered seed beads mixed together from old projects. Piles of strands that went from an ant hill to Kilimanjaro because I got lazy and didn’t put them away as I worked. Who works well in clutter? I’m resolving to make my space clean and uncluttered this year, and maintain it!

Make a beading space for me! My children have moved into my bead area. They needed bedrooms, darn it! I had to sacrifice my blessed space for beading, and so now I work in a temporary space that’s cramped and on top of that I have to move my stuff and put it away when I’m done for the time being. But no more. I’m going to claim a small tranquility base and set up permanent shop in a small area that I can call my own. So excited about that! Do you have a space that’s your own to bead in? Get one!

Collect beads that are meaningful, interesting, rare and beautiful! Too many times I’ve passed up purchasing some beads or a pendant because I felt that I couldn’t justify it for some reason or another. But no more. If a bead is calling my name, I’m going to listen to it. I’m frugal with my money, so I won’t feel bad about spending it on something I love.

Be challenged! Some people I know are challenging themselves to make a beaded bracelet every day for a month! Someone else is joining a bead challenge. My challenge is two fold: spend MORE time beading, and teach more beading. Two things I really desire but haven’t focused on as much as I know I can.  What’s your challenge for 2012?

Have a safe, healthy and happy 2012 everyone! Happy beading!