Wednesday, April 01, 2020
April 1, 2020 ~ It's now been 2 weeks since the quarantine took effect and I became busier than ever having everyone at home. Cooking day and night and all house chores had doubled without any single help from everyone. Only consolation I had was when I could retreat into my beadroom for some much needed unwinding and rest... at last !
My beadroom urgently required a much needed overhaul. My beads and findings had now mixed in their respective drawers and boxes so I needed to sort them all out .
Not an easy task but it was about time for me to start organizing them all into their respective containers and boxes.
My beads needed to be arranged accdg to color, size and type.
Same system for my metal findings too.
Can you imagine separating the size 15/0 seedbeads which were super tiny from the others? Haizzzzz a lot of work indeed.
Beads were categorized from semi-precious , glass, crystals and metals. All my pearl beads were neatly packed in new ziploc bags finally too. I was happy with the outcome after about a week of sorting them all out during the night when everyone was fast asleep except for me. I was like a vampire awake at night sorting out my stuffs.
But I would say all the sleepless nights of sorting out had paid off. I found so many missing beads that got underneath the stacks and discovered the unopened new packs. I also now could finally see all my drawers filled up by my organized beads and findings.
I am again a Happy Beader soon !
😁😁😁
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Labels: Beads
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
March 24 2020 ~ 2nd week of stay home orders to contain the spread of Covid 19. I know it's not easy but people must think of things to do while being held inside their homes. A hobby can be of great help but for some who got no artistic talents or without the necessary materials to create some forms of art are faced with such a dilemna. I know it sucks when you got something in your mind but doesnt have the resources to put them into physical forms . Very frustrating ! 🙄😔😵
I was happy I got my gelish nails done before the lockdown. At least they are beautiful to look at and and makes me smile when I get bored.
Aren't they awesome ?
Now with my nice nails, I am happy to bead my frustrations away.
I got enough materials to perform my hobby and be busy even for the rest of the year. Even with pandemic, there is no stopping me with my passion for beading.
Life is good... covid or without covid , my beading will continue.
Stay home ...
bead some more ...
be safe !
🙏🙏🙏
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Saturday, March 14, 2020
March 14, 2020 ~ another productive day is almost over . I have gone back to my room trying to remember all that had happened several hours ago. Yup, my brain is still working so I can still manage to blog before going to sleep. What did I do today ? 🤔 The morning was started with my early rise from bed at 7:15 am through the help of my phone alarm. Tha ks to this gadget... Lol! Then I went downstairs to pet my excited doggies, had a coffee, fed their tummies to the maximum and immediately made a quick lunch to leave for my family. Spaghetti is the quickest and easy menu I had prepared .
I had the charm bracelet and the wire wrapped earrings lined up for 2 students. Due to fear for Covid19, lesser people had signed up and it was saddening, but still, I needed to uplift my spirits and those of my attendees and continue to tend to my supportive students. Like any artists would say, the show must go on ....😍😙😘
The main focus of today's lessons was wire wrapping for beginners with silver tone artistic metal wire using gauge #24 which is soft , pliable and easy to bend with pliers or even with their figertips . All supplies were bought from Koi Ming Enterprise. which is one of the biggest craft stores in Singapore and my most reliable source of beading materials for all my crafts - crystals, gemstones, glass beads, metal parts , tools, etc. With a vast variemty of items they have and incredibly lovely and friendly staffs , yiu won't be going anywhere else to shop.
All my beading lessons were hosted by them as well. 😍😘😗
Saturday
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All my beading lessons were hosted by them as well. 😍😘😗
Saturday
Saturday and I found it quite quiet today in Chinatown. Covid 19 had scared many oeople here and even I was scared too. But we all need to practice good hygiene and make it a habit to always wash our hands and sanitize. Avoid touching our face too to avoid being infected.
Anyways, Koi Ming did their best best taking the temperature of each of their staffs as well as anyone who came to the shop today. Every staff was wearing a safety mask. Safety comes first wasn't it ? Good job !
My first lesson was the " Pearl Charm Bracelet " at 10:30am. Swarovski pearls and silver tone metals were used for this basic wiring project . Freely provided for use were the beading mats, pliers , bead trays and plastic bags for their finished project.
With this bracelet project, students were taught the correct & appropriate pliers to use ( round nose and flat nose stainless pliers + the cutter in particular ) and the best ways to combine the use of 2 pliers , gripping 1 plier in each hand to manipulate , hold and cut the wires. May not be simple at first try but with patience and perseverance, things would get easier . It takes time to master this wirewrapping technique and based on my own experience, a month of training is the minimum time to master this craft all by yourself which I did.
We had an hour break after the bracelet project and came back at 1:30pm to get to the next lesson which was the wire wrapped earrings with Swarovski pearls. I hardly use crystals in my wirewrapping projects due to the delicate and easy to break characteristics of crystals when handled by beginners. Swarovski materials were not cheap so I try to minimize the breakage of materials and especially the material cost for my students. Once they have mastered the craft , then they can opt to get much better materials according to their preferrence. For now, they better use the easy materials for their beginners' projects.
Congrats to my students for reaching another milestone in their beading journey. The Swarovski certificate was given after finishing all their projects.
I hope they will strive & continue to learn more techniques and venture into more delicate styles in the future. Thanks once again for being my supportive students and wish you the best in your projects.
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Monday, March 09, 2020
March 9, 2020~ A Good Monday Evening to everyone . Past 10pm here in Singapore and I just arrived home from being a driver fetching my dear son from his work. Today was again a very hectic day driving here and there . i had managed to include some house chores and errands in between. Multi tasking was my calling as usual and happy to admit that I was good at it 😜😜😜
Today actually was a very interesting day blessed with a sunny afternoon. I was lucky I didn't spend all the day in the car driving and doing my errands . I got lucky to spend a few moments at home doing some clearing/ recharging .... not clearing of mess like I normally do each day but what I meant was cleansing / recharging my newly acquired crystal stones I got last Saturday after my beading class. Yup ... I raised them both to the light and how amazing those moments were. Both stones were sparkling and glowing like crazy. I was so mesmerizefd by the rainbow of colors that came out of them. Looked so magical !
Breathtakingly beautiful !
Labradorite & Carborundum Stones |
Vitality, love and abundance are the qualities that resonate from charging crystals with sunlight. Morning or early afternoon will find the crystals most receptive due to the strong rays of the sun. Set out in direct sunlight for 12 hours of charging for best results. There are a few crystals that cannot be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. These include Aventurine, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Beryl, Citrine, Kunzite, Sapphires, Fluorite, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz. Although the charging will still be sufficient, fading colors can result. ( Best Way To Charge Crystals - Sunlight or Moonlight ? )
Carborundum is a man-made or synthetic crystal combining silicon and carbon atoms fused together which sparkles in rainbow colors of gold, pink, green, blue. |
Silicon Carbide Carborundum ignites magical energy around you and encourages creative thinking. As a very fragile mineral it should be handled with care. It is a gemstone for dreamers and those who look to the stars & astrology for answers. Silicon Carbide Carborundum encourages expression and self-awareness of your creative energy. As a mineral for dreamers it is best placed by the bed for lucid dreams, and works as an amazing prism in crystal healing as it quickly disperses negative energy from around you.
Silicon Carbide Carborundum is black with a rainbow iridescence that flickers. It energetically purifies the mind, body and spirit while encouraging intuition and discernment.
The stone crumbles easily and will flake when touched. Also to be considered are some precautionary measures when dealing with Carborundum. why ?
HAZARD SUMMARY * Silicon Carbide can affect you when breathed in. * Silicon Carbide can irritate the eyes and nose on contact. * Repeated high exposure to Silicon Carbide may result in Pneumoconiosis (chronic disease of the lungs) with chest x-ray changes, and a decrease in lung function with shortness of breath, wheezing and cough. * If Pneumoconiosis develops, chances of getting Tuberculosis are increased.
Now I need to be extra careful when handling this stone huh !
HAZARD SUMMARY * Silicon Carbide can affect you when breathed in. * Silicon Carbide can irritate the eyes and nose on contact. * Repeated high exposure to Silicon Carbide may result in Pneumoconiosis (chronic disease of the lungs) with chest x-ray changes, and a decrease in lung function with shortness of breath, wheezing and cough. * If Pneumoconiosis develops, chances of getting Tuberculosis are increased.
Now I need to be extra careful when handling this stone huh !
Nevertheless, I am so happy 😍 now that I got the Carborundum as insisted by the seller. in fact he begged me endlessly to take it as it was the last piece left in his crystal shop. I tried to ignore him at first but as I saw the magical colors when touched by the light, I changed my mind. I was drawn into it like magic ! At first, when he said Carborundum, I didn't have any idea what it was and tried to ignore what he was trying to tell me about the said mystery stone. I even thought why the seller was very persistent to sell such stone to me. So he went inside his store room where he had been keeping it and took it out to show and convince me. It was huge ,heavy but very attractive indeed. Absolutely Wow, the more I looked at it, the more I got interested to have it. I decided to take it together with the Labradorite that I bought first and the very reason why I went in their shop. I saw the Labradorite stone a month before and told myself that I would come back for it.
Since I did not have the car to get home last Saturday after my beading lessons, I happily carried both stones all the way from the shop to the train station. I gave up carrying them once I reached the final station near my place. I didn't have the energy anymore to walk again for about 30 mins carrying the 2 stones with a combined weight of almost 10kg. So instead of walking home furthermore, I took a taxi after the train ride. Great thinking ... and great timing coz there was a taxi waiting by the taxi stand the moment I popped out of the train station. Hurrraaayyy ... Lucky me 🙏🙏...what a relief ! LOL!
Honestly, my back ached like hell before I went to bed that night. What a torture to carry these stones all the way home . I learned my lesson painfully , so.... Never again would I carry such heavy weight !😭😭😭
Since I did not have the car to get home last Saturday after my beading lessons, I happily carried both stones all the way from the shop to the train station. I gave up carrying them once I reached the final station near my place. I didn't have the energy anymore to walk again for about 30 mins carrying the 2 stones with a combined weight of almost 10kg. So instead of walking home furthermore, I took a taxi after the train ride. Great thinking ... and great timing coz there was a taxi waiting by the taxi stand the moment I popped out of the train station. Hurrraaayyy ... Lucky me 🙏🙏...what a relief ! LOL!
Honestly, my back ached like hell before I went to bed that night. What a torture to carry these stones all the way home . I learned my lesson painfully , so.... Never again would I carry such heavy weight !😭😭😭
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Saturday, March 07, 2020
~ Beading For Beginners ~
( Skill Future March 2020 )
March 7, 2020 ~ I had 2 students for the basic beading tutorial today. They were both clueless and had no experience in beading and handling tools for wiring whatsoever at all. Both of them were kind of very curious on how they would start the 2 projects. I just assured them the weaving and wiring techniques were not that hard to tackle. I told them that these 2 projects will surely test their patience and abstract thinking. Nothing to worry about ... trust me !
The 1st project we did was the Pearl charm necklace pictured below which required some basic wire wrapping :
Pearl / Crystal Charm Necklace |
I slowly guided them to be familiar with the tools , pliers , wires and beads. Naming all the materials and their uses for easy handling.
when it comes to wiring, a jewelry maker needed to learn how to handle and manipulate 2 pliers at the same time. To know which plier is appropriate to use is very important inorder to achieve the desired shape of the wire.
Necklace done , Hurraayyy ! |
Pearl Woven Bracelet Done ! |
Good job ladies !
I will look forward to seeing both of you again next week for the next set of lessons on basic beading
!
😍😍😍😍😍
I will look forward to seeing both of you again next week for the next set of lessons on basic beading
!
😍😍😍😍😍
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