I made one of these today. They make lovely gifts, I made quite a few as christmas presents and they were well received. A suede thong is used as the middle part, the beads are threaded onto silver plated wire and each end is finished with a pendant of some sort.
Did you get your beads online Jesse. And are both ends weighted with beads or just one - trying to evisage it in a book - just spent almost 4 hours up the allotment doing hard labour so brain not in gear.
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 04:54 pm Post subject:
Lottie what you see is one bookmark, the suede....erm....thong (that's what it's called, I promise!).....connects the two ends, so yes, both ends are weighted with beads. I bought the beads, findings and suede thong on ebay. I'll take a photo of what the bookmark looks like in a book, that will be easier to explain.
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 05:00 pm Post subject:
Good book. Alison made me read it. Read the bit about supermarkets and you'll see that some of the ooutragous stuff I come out with is confirmed by him (ie farmer blinded by money and not seeing the true amount of work involved). Free range, organic radish anyone?
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 05:18 pm Post subject:
Oooh lovely. Those are similar to the bookmarks I've been making but I've been using fine cord.
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 06:44 pm Post subject:
If you can Plocket I'd love to see photos. I've found some spiral things (not sure what they're called) but they're the bits that fit on each end of the cord (I dare not say thong )where the beads attach, think it might make for a neater finish.
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Becki
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 06:52 pm Post subject:
It's a cage Becki, I've put a bead inside the cage which you can't really see so well in the photo, first time I've used them and think they're quite nice.
I'll do a photo when I get a moment Jesse but mine aren't nearly as pretty as yours.
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 08:05 pm Post subject:
I had lots of bids going on beads but the prices ran away from me, but I have won some pink hearts!
Do you know the size of the beads for the middle ones Jesse. Does 8mm ring a bell or are they big ones?
If I get the beads whilst I am all enthusiastic, then at least I can do them when I get a minute.
It is better to have the things 'in stock' so that I can do them on impulse. Like I could be doing it now whilst OH watches TV. Instead I am sitting with a little old lap top my son gave me a few years ago when he got a modern one, on a bean bag tray, with ducks on which was a Christmas present years ago! Very comfortable.
So here I go again - if to the land of beads on ebay
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 09:32 pm Post subject:
Lottie, on the first photo if you look at the string of beads on the right hand side (the ones above the heart pendant), the silver bead near the top (which looks white in the photo) below the purple bead is an 8mm bead. So the other larger beads are quite a bit bigger than 8mm. Look out for mixed bags of beads when you're starting your bead stock. The wire I used to thread the beads onto is a 0.6mm wire (23 gauge) which is easy to bend and work with.
I do flower arranging so might some reels of that be ok?
So beads are threaded on wire and wire attached to the suede thong - which presumably you get from ebay.
Right - think I've got that!
Off for another look.
Doh - worn out from hard labour today, face got sun burnt (I know but its true. I should have put suncream on but it was so dark and grey when I went out. Maybe it is wind burn, but OH says I look like a carrot.!)
Right mixed bags
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Jesse
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Posted: 06 Apr 2006 09:43 pm Post subject:
I use silver plated wire but that's because I'm a bit untidy with my beading and some of the bits of wire show. But you could use any wire so long as you're happy with it and find it easy to work with. The beads need threading onto wire or something similar because the thong is too thick to thread through the beads. But, I have seen bookmarks made using ribbon and I think the beads were threaded directly onto the ribbon.
You can get £30 worth of stuff as long as you think we'll be able to flog it at the summer fayre.
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Greenlady
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Posted: 07 Apr 2006 09:16 am Post subject:
Those are lovely jesse, another great idea for chrostmas pressies, my auntie makes jewellery and has loads of beads and wire cages and stuff, i'll raid her stores when I go home!
Actually, not just christmas pressies, I'd give them for all special occasions!
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Jesse
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Posted: 07 Apr 2006 09:37 am Post subject:
I rekon you could sell the bookmarks at a fayre, I've used quite a few beads and spacers but you could reduce the length of the beaded ends to reduce costs. You could also use colour for meaning, perhaps attach a printed card with the bookmark explaining the colours used, see here http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm
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agapanthus
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Posted: 07 Apr 2006 09:38 am Post subject:
Jesse, they really are lovely. Do you ever actually go to sleep?? Now I have to go back to the beginning to see if my addled brain can actually take in how you make them
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Posted: 10 Apr 2006 07:38 am Post subject: