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Good Beading Advice: Dear Beady Tells it Straight |
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Written by Dara Spiotto
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Monday, 24 March 2008 |
 GOOD BEADING ADVICE:
DEAR BEADY TELLS IT STRAIGHT
Dear Beady, On a recent buying trip to a bead store I bought a delightful, carved tiny bead sculpture, and managed to spend a small fortune on it in the process. When I showed it to my friend she said it was a NUT. That’s right, a NUT. Carved in some other country. I really think I got ripped off. Should I go get my money back? This bead store is passing off nuts as beads. Are you as appalled as I am?
~Going Nuts in Newport Beach
Dear Nuts, You really are nuts!! I think what you’re talking about is the Tagua nut carved beads. These nuts are indigenous to the rain forest areas of our world, and the locals carve them into amazing things, including beads. They’re lovely and collectible. I possess a toad and a snake in carved tagua, amongst my collection of other carved nuts. I have some tiny Japanese wise men carved from walnuts, too. This is a great type of bead to keep in your collection. Keep an open mind! And it helps if you’re a little nuts, too. :-)
Dear Beady, Seed beads or Delica’s. Help! ~NoBeadOnMyNeedle in Knoxville
Dear NoBead, Er, yes. What kind of a question is that? Are you weaving? Stringing? Well, I guess my answer would still be yes. Hm… Let’s think this through. Smooth, rounded donut shaped yummy seed beads? Sleek, stacked like Campbell’s Soup cans, delicious Delicas? I guess it depends on your appetite. Enjoy them both. There is no bad bead.
Dear Beady, I’m going to begin my own jewelry business and I’m having trouble coming up with a name for it. Any suggestions? I’m excited and can’t wait to get started!
~Bejeweled in San Bernardino
 Dear Bejeweled, I’m so glad you asked! It gives me a chance to tell you not to name your business something stupid! I have to be honest. I’m so sick of names in the bead world like, “Anne’s Creations” or “Designs by Lisa.” That’s so UNIMAGINITIVE!! If you do a search on so and so’s creations or designs by so and so, you get MILLIONS of examples. Do you want to become one of the multitudes??? No! Stand out. Pick something that is unique to your style, yet short and sweet and memorable. Here’s an example: a colleague of mine makes kitschy jewelry that is really just fun body adornment, like jewelry for your jeans, or shoes, or funky brooches and hair stuff that’s unusual. She calls her company Bawdy Jewels. I love it!! So be unique. If you name your company Gina’s Creations, then I’ll assume your jewelry is as unimaginative as your name! Now don’t let me down!
Dear Beady, Help! A small group of beading friends invited me to be a regular at their bead gathering on Tuesday afternoon, which is fun. However, what usually ends up happening is that everyone there gets interested in the project I’m working on, and I end up spending all my time teaching them how to do what I’m doing. I don’t get any beading done! Everyone there is hungry to learn new things since they’re mostly beginners. What to do?
~Frustrated in Fresno
 Dear Frustrated, Oh my. This is a problem. I think the best solution is to offer it to them as an official class, with a class fee and everything. Then you’ll know who’s serious and who’s just jumping on the proverbial bead wagon. Or you can do what I’d do… hang a sign around your neck with a beaded string that says, “The teacher is officially off duty!” and then just smile while you continue beading.
In response to my last post, this e-mail came in from a reader with a comment about Irene in the Historical Village, and asked a very interesting question. As a refresher, Irene has a bead store and has a hard time sharing the beads she buys with her customers. They often end up in her own hold bag!
 Dear Beady, What the hey... Irene is definitely holding out on all of us in the bead world. She should be flogged with a lovely strand of Swarovski Jet AB2X. But anywhoo, I have a question that has been plaguing me for YEARS... Heh heh heh. I have a one of a kind, original, extremely rare, mint condition Dara Ward (now Spiotto) first edition set of earrings from the first collection she ever released, I also have the matching bracelet and necklace...what should be done with it all?
~Your Niece, not in Nice (xxooxx)
Dear Kristen, Er… I mean Niece, Well, I think the obvious answer is that you should rush that amazing, and I’m sure STUNNING, set of wicked vintage jewelry to Southeby’s so they can determine how many bazillions of dollars it's worth. Without a doubt you’ll be rolling in cash, but of course you’d never want to sell such an astonishingly beautiful set of gorgeous, one-a-kind jewelry. I think you should wear it every day. In fact, you don’t even need clothing with jewelry like that. Just wear the jewelry. The world will be aghast at how lovely it is. You’ll be the envy of all.
P.S… For Pete’s sake! Just put that stuff in the Goodwill donation box, for crying out loud! And I don’t want to receive it back for a Christmas gift in 2012!! How embarrassing! You’re in big trouble, missy! I’m telling your mother.
Also… In the last post, Annoyed in Augusta’s comment about the pronunciation of jewelry and jewellery inspired a ton of mail. One e-mail in particular came from Annette in Australia and she says this…
“... I happened to be passing your blog and saw the problem with jewelry and jewellery. The latter is our spelling and pronunciation. But, I assure you, we are just as professional with our hobby (and I don't like ravioli, anyway!) ha ha.” Thanks for your comment, Annette. I’m going to have to send an e-mail to those spell check people to tell them to take it off their list!!
Just keep those questions coming, bead boys and girls! Remember… Dear Beady says: It’s not just a bead… It's an adventure!
Send your questions to Dear Beady! |
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