What's Going On ...

Here's what Sheila asked:
Questions for you:
1. When you sit down to create beads, do you ask yourself what color mood you are in and choose those rods and limit yourself to just those at that time?
2. Do you pull stringers first?
3. Make canes?
4. What is your game plan for a good bead creating session?
5. How many hours do you work at one time?
6. How long does it take you to create a set like you'd
put on Ebay.
7. Do you come up with those beads in one"beading session"
or, does it take more than one?

Great questions - lets jump right in!
1...When I set out to create a set for eBay or even the recent Blue Pacific Pickings sets, I start looking through my jars of rods to see what I feel like working in. I do kinda go with a mood - purple mood? blue mood? bright mood? and then I start pulling rods. I will add/subtract colors to the basic set of colors until I get a palette I like. I usually add Black because I LIKE how it works with colors, but not always. And I typically add gold dots because I LIKE it, but again - not always...I DO try to use colors I have not put together before, and I'm also trying to use colors I hardly EVER use, like Lt Blue...

2. I do pull stringer first, and I have a jar of left over stringer that I go through and pull colors from as well. Sometimes I end up w/ stringer from there that might not be a rod I've pulled, but having a small stringer of the color would add to the set, so I use it. So, I get all my stringer lined up, opaques separate from transparent. If I mix everything, I can't find it when I need it. So my work station is very orderly and organized. People always laugh and make comments about my neatness, and that's fine with me - its just how I work...

3...I look though my stock of twisties and if I have some that work w/ the set, I use those..if not, then I make 2 or 3 twisties from the rods - assuming my style of beads warrants twisties. I don't automatically make them unless I think I'll use them.

4..My game plan - I work best from 6:00pm to midnight, so I've learned not to try and force anything during the day, unless it feels right. I do my business/errands during the day and make beads in the evening. (although Monday, I made beads all day). I like to just sit and look at my jars of rods until i pull colors i want. Sometimes I do it the night before if I'm inspired, and have the rods ready the next day. then I pull the string and make the cane as needed. I typically start with a bead that is easy for me to do - like a bead w/ a stringer applied - just to get a feel for the day. typically my first bead or two is not that hot, and sometimes I just sit them on the desk or plunge them in the water...then I get a feel for what I'm doing and start making beads I enjoy...

5. I'll be at the torch for 6 hours - but I do take breaks, get up and walk around, get snacks, pet the cats, etc. I guess my long stretch might be an hour or two at a time, then a break...I also watch tv while torching at night and that helps the time go by quickly.

6. The set she's referring to is the Tarantula Goes Dancing - (i think)- That set took me a couple of hours to make. What i did was pull the inital Bright colors and looked at them...I debated on adding Periwinkle to the mix - it would have gone, and was it the look I wanted, so I added it. I wanted the Purple (EDP) as well, but we all know how it devitrifies when working with it, so I decided to make it into spacers instead - it'd stay pretty purple and still add color to the set. I also debated adding the Black - but decided I LIKED the way it looked, so I did....Then I wondered what styles to make - these are all opaques, so my traditional beadstyles would not work...also, some of these colors don't like to be encased, so I stayed away from using clear. Once I decided the black would do all the decorating, I started making designs that would work. With this particular set, my idea was to make 5 different designs from each of the 4 colors - that would get me at least 20 beads for the set. I made 12 purple spacers, not knowing if I'd even USE them all, but I waited until I was cleaning/designing the next day. I like to make extra beads that allow me to design later...

7..I typically make all the beads for a set in one beading session. I know some folks make sets over time - a few beads each session. A lot of folks don't like making sets at all - they get bored- and I can appreciate that! I'm not great at making focals - after awhile, i get bored working on the same bead...and Loren Stump has a great saying about that - "the more you work it, the better it does not necessarily get' or something to that effect. I will overwork focals to where they are in a state of garbage...I have to get in -and get out. That doens't mean other people can't make them - I know someone who spent 7 hours on one bead...but I can't do that myself. I like the instant gratification of bead after bead - this one is done, lets do the next one. Its just how I like to work. But I know it's not how most people do it...I also TRY to make small sets, but I have a hard time coming out with ONLY 7 beads at a time...I can do it - I did it with the Blue Pacific sets, and I did set out to make small number sets, so I know I can do it...but its not normal for me to think in those terms. I tend to think LARGE and try to pare it down. I have another set of Its a Sunshine Day beads just waiting to be offered to ya'll - but it would have made the original offering like 30 beads (again), so I split the sets into 2...

here is an example of how I get inspriation for beadsets...can't you see a set of beads in these colors? Nigella's website (just look at the first page, that's all you need...

Thanks for reading all this and lemme know if you have any questions about any of it...I need a banana and some breakfast...