Amanda's Finished pieces for 2014

Jan...
Nothing to be intimidated by. I taught myself through books and websites. I never took a single class. Learning to bead, learning to use the Metal clay is a lot easier than most folks think it is. It's a matter of being willing to take the time to research and read. That's all it takes. That and being willing to experiment.

The biggest hurdle to overcome with the metal clay is the initial expenses of investing in the right firing equipment and tools along with the clay as it's pricey. Once you're over that hurdle it's simply a matter of replenishing your metal clay as you use it up.

Beads - well they are an addiction, but in the grand scheme of things, if I have to be addicted to something, let's make it beads. Beads don't cause altered states of consciousness or make you crazy or even send you to the hospital. Beads are a hell of a lot cheaper than regular mental therapy.

The cabs in my beaded works are adhered to a backing material using E6000 - this means once that is cured they are not going anywhere. After the adhesive has cured I do my beading. In the odd chance I'm beading on leather or suede I adhere the cab to felt with E6000, let it cure, do my work etc, then take the piece and glue it to the suede/leather using washable fabric glue so if a person sweats or something gets wet the piece won't come apart. E6000 won't work on leather or suede, but the fabric glue holds it firmly. I don't use some of the other glues folks say to use because over time they can break down. There is nothing worse than doing a piece and a couple years later having the stone fall out on you because the adhesive deteriorated. I've experimented and E6000 works the best for me. GOOP works as well and is essentially the same stuff by the same manufacturer - smells just as bad too, use with adequate ventilation!

Right now I'm teaching Gina how to do beadwork. She could probably tell you that it really isn't as hard as it looks. I think her biggest frustration is the thread wanting to knot up! We wax the thread too and now and then we still get knots. Knots and beadwork go hand in hand like aphids on roses.