Solstice Beading or “Tame the Chaos with Beading”
Our world is in chaos. The pandemic, which seemed to ease off over the summer, has returned with ferocity! And in our own beading world, on the heels of the demise of the Bead and Button magazine, an even worse calamity: the Swarovski line of top-quality crystals and (glass) pearls is withdrawing from the retail segments including nails and jewelry making!
For the time being, here’s what you can expect from The Beading Room’s supply of Swarovski products.
While searching for a new source of fine quality crystals and pearls, we will add to our stock of Swarovski where possible. I suggest signing up for notifications of your favorite colors and sizes, and watch for the emails that confirm stock is in. Please also make sure you order enough Swarovski in the color and size that you need to complete your current projects as it may not be possible to restock if you run out. If you ever find yourself short by 1 or 2 however, you can always drop me a line as I do have a couple left of a small selection of colors & sizes.
I think that with all that upheaval it’s super important to make time to chill out. I find beading so meditative! If I do a simple, repetitive pattern, my mind calms as it wanders gently. And if I need to corral my thoughts, I choose a pattern where concentration is needed. This will focus my mind to the point that nothing else has room to seep in and cause trouble!
In this winter solstice period, when in our northern hemisphere daylight wanes and cold winds find their way to our very bones, it’s also the ideal time to contemplate what’s next. I love going through my binder of printed patterns and my Pinterest folder of beading ideas. I find a few that totally grab me and see what the components are. It’s useful to define your list by a cost or time factor, as your circumstances lead you, and make lists of the beads and findings to create your 2021 beady wish list!
One more tip – do keep a notebook with details that match components to a project! I have heard many beaders admit that they ordered a bunch of beads only to realize that they’ve now forgotten what they hoped to make with them!
Stay calm, bead on, my fellow beadlings,
Cathy
(Originally published December 9, 2020)