Help! How do you...?

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

eeyorefan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:15:37 GMT

Rhonda, I don't picture you as little and green, so Obi Wan works for me...LOL(I am a Star Wars fan). How do you like The Big Book of Beading? I didn't even think twice about buying it. I snapped that baby off the shelf so quick, it left skid marks!!!!

The problems with the show...#1- It wasn't well advertised-#2-It was an out of the way place #3-It was an assisted living facility for Seniors with fixed incomes #4-The weather was cold and windy. The positive was the lessons I learned and I can go from there and make my table better. I may see if I can set up for The Dickens Festival next year. It is outside, but when hubby and I walked through it this year, there was no one who did my type of beading.(Off loom) so, that may help. Why is it our hubby's seem to be not interested in our hobby until they learn you can make money and then they have all the answers. My hubby had basically said the same things your did about it looking "yard sale". That is funny.

Rhinda, you are such a great person and an encouragement to me. I love it!!!

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

Seedbeadz — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:55:24 GMT

Thanks for your nice note eeyorefan, but I think I probably look more like Yoda.

I'm glad if my post encouraged you to look at the books on your shelf. We all need a little inspiration at times, and there are some wonderful examples in Carol's books, and some of the other books. I know you also have the Big Book of Beading (I'm not sure if I have the name right). I ended up buying that one to get Jeanette Shanigan's book (which was out of print as a single publication). She told me about the Big Book. It's a little too BIG to read in bed, where I tend to do most of my reading, but it's a great reference book for a lot of different beading techniques.

I'm sorry your first craft show wasn't a success, but hopefully you learned some things from the experience. Craft shows are hard work, and there are a lot of things that can influence how successful a given venue will be. You can have the greatest stuff in the world, and be put in a bad location, or get the storm of the century, and everyone stays home, or have too much competition and get "lost" in the crowd. I did craft shows for a couple of years, but I wasn't making jewelry at the time. It's HARD work to set up, stay there for the required times, pack up, cart things back inside, etc. I looked at each venue as a learning experience, and our display went from looking a little like a yard sale (my husband's comment), to a much nicer display. I lost my business partner, and don't have the energy at this point to do it by myself, but I have great respect for the people who do this all the time and actually make a living at it. Mine helped pay for all the supplies, and we always made the table fee, but the first one or two were a little disappointing. One of the things people get tired of hearing very quickly is "I could make that." I had one person copy some of my ideas, but in the end it didn't matter. I'm a detail person, and the other person wasn't, and it looked like an imitation.

There's a lot more competition out there now. If you've had success at your inpromptu home party, it sounds like it a wonderful option to pursue. That's terrific that your sister has offered to host the first one. There are some recent threads in some of the folders about doing home parties, and if you haven't read them, it might be worth trying to find them. There's a website that gets posted a lot re: turning your hobby into a business. LOL, every so often I think about it, and maybe someday I'll get an Etsy site, but I've never found it easy to peddle my wares. One thing that surprised me. After doing a couple of shows, I donated a decorated table top tree to a local non-profit, and a lady came up to me and said she had seen me at a couple of shows, and had been trying to find me again. It's a good idea to have business cards made up, and to start a mailing list, so you can let people know if you're doing a show, wherever, next month.

Best of luck, and try not to get too discouraged. Hey, if you sold almost a hundred dollars worth of stuff, you need to get busy and bead more! :-) Rhonda

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

eeyorefan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:35:04 GMT

Hi Rhonda,

I have had Carol Wilcoxs book in my collection for a year or so now. I did a couple things out of it and put it on the shelf, not even realizing the help it would be to me. You encouraged me to pull it off the shelf and use it again. I am now going to start going through all my books at least once a month and maybe I can get out of this funk that Iam in. I am going through a "I feel like a failure" stage that started at my first craft show. Maybe 30 people showed up, No one bought anything, but I did get lots of compliments. I know it was stupid to get down about it, but I did. I have been making pieces, but the joy wasn't there, that I usually had, which is weird, because every time I get into the beads, I want to make something. Now that I am going through the books, maybe I'll get back to where I was before with it.I went to my sister's yearly ornament party and on a whim I took most of my work, to see if any of the group wanted to buy anything. I sold $90.00. Made me happy and more positive. My sister is now on my back to do home shows, she said she'd have the first, so I may give it a try. Sorry I am running on here, but I had a great day and it is partly because of your recommendation of Carols book to use as inspiration.

Again ObiWan, I thank you. I bow before you. LOL

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

Seedbeadz — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:16:01 GMT

You're welcome. As much as I love the Internet and the access it gives to patterns and designs, it's nice when you also have access to books on the shelf. After struggling with even count tubular peyote for a few minutes, I looked at one of Carol Wilcox Wells' books and got it on the first try.

Good luck with the stitch! Rhonda

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

eeyorefan — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:53:33 GMT

Hi Rhonda,

I found that pattern in another Russian beading book I have and btween them I should be able to figure it out. I didn't realize the patten was in this one as I had not looked at for quite some time. It all seems to be new again as far as looking through my many books.

Thanks again.

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

eeyorefan — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:29:35 GMT

Hi SeedBeadz,

Thank you for replying. I, too, have also heard it called Jabot. For whatever reason, my mind won't wrap around the RAW concept, which is probably why I can't get it. I have made RAW pieces in the past, but they take me forever. I saw the pic on the link and she made a circle. I want to do circles like this and there are components such as "esses" and "u"'s as in the B&B necklace that is pictured. Maybe I should do another RAW piece to bone up and go from there.

Thank you for your help, once again.

Re: work the "Russian Wave"?

Seedbeadz — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:34:49 GMT

A search turned up a couple of sites that might help. This link goes to a post in the B&B archives:

http://cs.beadandbutton.com/beadingforumarchive/forums/t/37266.aspx

I see you already have the pattern for a Russian Wave necklace that's available on the B&B website. I've never done the stitch, but according to the post above, this may be a stitch that goes by another name (right angle weave or RAW). Rhonda

Edited to add, another website says Russian Wave also goes by the name Jabot stitch, but a google search didn't bring up any other references to a beading stitch with that name. http://reijo.multiply.com/journal This is an interesting web site. I love the snowflakes. The Russian Wave is further down the page (but I don't think there are any instructions. Perhaps Zoya Gutina could point you in the direction of a good tutorial, but you might have to contact her through her web site. She posts in the SUYW folder, but I don't recall seeing her post in the any of the other jewelry making folders.

work the "Russian Wave"?

eeyorefan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:51:31 GMT

Hi,

I have a couple patterns for the "Russian Wave" that I am trying to figure out. My problem is, the diagrams aren't clear enough to figure out. Does anyone have a link with really good instructions?

I can't figure out the repeat. My first pattern is in a Russian beading book, which have great diagrams, but not clear on directions as far as the repeat. My other pattern is one I purchased from B&B, the Russian Wave necklace, but I get hung up on the repeat, yet again. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I have been wanting to try this for a long time an I pick it up, then put it away until next time. I have tried a few times. If anyone knows anything, HELP!!!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance,