How long have you been beading?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 29, 2008 at 12:26pm

I began beading in September last year. I fell in love with lampwork and have hoarded it ever since. I LOVE Jelveh's (she's a member here) Jen Zeiger from Zbeadz.com, Donna Mehnert from Blackberrybeads.com and Marie Andre-Marchand of Bleuverre.com . ALLLLLLLLLLLL have magnificent quality, the best around that I have found, especially for the price. Some are higher than others, but well worth every single dime!

I worked two craft shows last fall and have been non-stop so super busy since! Between the lampwork, which I tell everyone I purchase and do not produce myself, and my compositions/designs, I feel I found a nice little niche that I really enjoy!

I DO admire seedbeaders and have dabbled in it just a tiny bit, I do enjoy wire-work, too, but my real love is for lampwork! I will eventually learn to do it myself when my kids (now 18, 6, 5, 3) are all in school fulltime, but till then, I will purchase from only the BEST!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Billie Sanchez--Wicked Oak Designs on July 31, 2008 at 1:31am

I have been beading for 10 years and designing patterns for 8 years. I find that my favorite things to work on are 3-D type objects like boxes. I bead as often as my family allows me to. Some days I get a ton done and others, not so much.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jo-Ann on July 31, 2008 at 5:20am

I guess it has been since 2000 that I have been beading seriously. I started out doing netting as taught by Maria Rypan of Rypan Designs. I slowly added many other beadweaving techniques including loomwork. My favourites are herringbone and netting. I am also going alot more stringing and wirework lately. I learned to do chain maille from Marilyn Gardiner of Gardiner Designs.
I am an active member of the Toronto Bead Society.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Barbara Sanderson on August 1, 2008 at 3:05pm

I have been beading since 1997, love my seed beads and started designing patterns in 2002 for my own use and then got brave enough to start selling them online.

I have dabbled with polymer clay, chainmaille (which I *LOVE*) and some bead embroidery as well.

I crochet, knit, bead crochet and used to cross stitch, but the beads have really taken over and they are my main hobby these days. I have also done a little wirework, but my hands can't take it anymore.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Arline Lewis on August 18, 2008 at 9:05am

I have been beading for 7-8 years. Like many, I started out stringing, but soon found beadweaving to be more fun for me. I like doing most stitches, but peyote is probably my favorite. This past year and a half, bead embroidery has become my obsession. I joined the Bead Journal Project 2007 started by Robin Atkins last year and now all I want to do is bead embroidery. I do occasionally branch out into polymer clay, and want to learn chain maille, but seed beads will always be my first love.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tina Holmes on August 19, 2008 at 9:52pm

I started threading about 18 months ago. I soon got bored with that so i taught myself netting and started to make nets for baubles.... i had disovered what i could do. i am a seed beader, i net, wire weave, loom weave and off loom weave.
i make sculpture and 3d animals. my next big challange is to make a grand piano mini for my neice.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on August 20, 2008 at 12:10am

I have been beading for about 5 years...I tried to book on an C & G embroidery course but it was full so I thought I'd have a go at beadweaving and signed up for that instead! I went along with a beading mat, some needles a reel of beading thread, 2 packs of size 11 seed beads and 2 packs of size 8...how little I realised how addicted I would become to beads and beadwork! By the way I never did do the embroidery course!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karin Chilton on August 20, 2008 at 8:13am

I have been making beaded jewellery for about 14 years. It's very addictive!! I've been glass fusing 5 years, and that is addictive too!! Hopefully in next couple of months will get all my addictions sorted out! and will be lampworking too! Just got to get the workshop finished. I love Gemstones, Pearls and Swarovski crystals, but also adore glass beads! especially, Venetian glass.Lampworking beads in Britain is really taking off, and there are some super beadmakers here too.:-)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mary Tafoya on August 25, 2008 at 4:32am

I'm thinking maybe about 15 years? Before that I did batik...

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by The Lone Beader on August 29, 2008 at 10:10pm

I've been seriously beading for the past 6 years. I have tried other beading techniques, but I find that bead embroidery is my favourite! :D

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mortira on September 23, 2008 at 9:32am

I've been working with beads my entire life, but I only got serious about bead weaving and jewelry design 2 years ago. Before that I made beaded tapestries with strung beads. I was right in the middle of a project when I got hooked on jewelry, and I never got around to finishing it. I was so reluctant to use my beads for the half-finished tapestry, so I decided to turn it into a necklace. It's the "Once A Peacock" multi-strand necklace in my photo album. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite pieces!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Regal Beads on September 23, 2008 at 3:54pm

I have been beading for a little over seven years...and the more I bead, the more I become addicted!!
The beautiful thing is, you never run out of new things to try when it comes to beadweaving!

As said, I am a beadweaver all the way!
I usually spend part of each day doing such...if I don't I can get grouchy lol it's true. My dh will ask me why I haven't been beading and tell me to b/c he knows what a stress reliever it is!

▶ Reply to This