Beading Tips & Facts

What’s so great about our Czech pearls?

Czech glass pearl beads from Jill Wiseman Designs

I’m SO GLAD you asked! LOL!

When Swarovski exited the DIY (including bead) market, one thing I didn’t fret about was losing access to their pearls. And that’s because I already carried a fantastic lineup of Czech pearls!

With over 40 colors in 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8mm sizes, the Czech pearls I carry are the result of careful research for the best quality non-Swarovski pearls I could find.… Read More

Clasp Options for Flat Bracelet Kits

We’ve been carrying bead packs/kits for some of Sue Arrighi’s flat bracelet patterns for several years now, and we’re launching 8 new ones this week! There are two questions I get the most regarding the kits:

  1. Where do I buy the pattern?
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Weighing Delicas

Recently there was a post on Facebook in a seed bead group from a beader who purchased Delicas from an online site and didn’t end up with what she expected.

The website stated that there were 7-8 grams of Delicas in their tubes, but the customer discovered, after running short of beads for her project and weighing the remaining tubes, that many of the tubes only contained 6 grams.… Read More

Will this finish last?

I can’t even begin to tell you how often I’ve answered this question about bead finishes. Will it hold up over time? Will it rub off? How do I know?

The answer is: it depends.

Maddening, isn’t it? I agree! But that’s the truth of the matter.… Read More