September Class Schedule (2011) & Pudgy News

BASIC BEADING WORKSHOP - BRACELET - This is our basic beginner’s stringing workshop. In this class, you will learn how to choose and attach clasps. You will learn about the different stringing materials and tools required to design with. You will leave with a finished bracelet. Materials not included. (Kits Priced from $7.00- $25.00. Saturday, Sept. 10th, 1pm-3pm.

SOLDERING WORKSHOP 1/BRACELET - Learning to solder can open up a whole new world of jewelry making to you. Though the process is fairly simple it does take practice. In this class you will be learn to solder Sterling or Copper square rings then fabricate them into a bracelet. We will spend some time on safety aspects and learning how to handle and adjust the flame. Class Fee: $65.00, Materials not included. September 17, 12:30pm – 4:00pm

Crochet wire cuff- If you have never worked with wire before then this class is for you. You will not only learn how to frame a wire cuff and you will also learn how to design a pattern around your frame with a smaller gauge wire. You will decide just how much wire or beads/crystals you want on your cuff. After learning the basics in this class you will be able to alter it to meed the needs of your prefered art form. (YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO DO A SINGLE CROCHET OR CHAIN STITCH).Class Fee: $40.00, Materials not included. September 24, 1pm – 3:30pm



Earring Trio - These three pairs of earrings would make great stuffing stuffers. You will use these wire designs over and over, especially the chandelier findings. You will learn trade secrets for making perfect bends in your wire without nicking or marring it. If you are new to working with wire you will be able to make these. I you are experienced with wire you will definitely learn some new techniques. Class Fee: $40.00 October 1, 1pm-3:30

PEARL KNOTTING - You will learn how to complete an elegant pearl necklace using the traditional European method of knotting between each pearl, which is an elegant way to protect the pearls or beads from rubbing each other and is a safeguard against loss if the strand breaks. You will master the use of finishing with French Bullion, which is found on most “better” pearl strands and attach the clasp. Materials not included. Class Fee: $25.00 October 8, 1pm-3pm .

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Birthday Bash Invitation

Class Schedule,June 2011 & Pudgy News

This weekend June 18 join us for a beginners workshop. sharpen up your crimping skills and bring any designing questions you might have to this class.

BASIC BEADING WORKSHOP - BRACELET - This is our basic beginner’s stringing workshop. In this class, you will learn how to choose and attach clasps. You will learn about the different stringing materials and tools required to design with. You will leave with a finished bracelet. Materials not included. (Kits Priced from $7.00- $25.00. Saturday, June 18, 1pm-3pm.

STAMPING & FORGING - In this class you will learn how to stamp metal shapes with words and texture. We will cover cutting your own shapes from metal sheet and using heat or a patina to color your creations. We will show you how to use a dapping block to add curves to your forms. This is definitely a fun and informative class. Class Fee $45.00 Saturday June 25th,1pm-3pm.

KUMIHIMO (JAPANESE BRAIDING) -

Come learn the age-old Japanese art of Kumihimo. You will learn this interesting and versitile braiding technique by interlacing strands of cords and ribbons. You can use your creations to create a bracelet neclace or purse handle. Embellishing it with charms or beads can make it even more special. (you may not finish the project in the class but you will have enough knowledge to finish at home) Class Fee: $35.00, Sunday June 26, 1pm – 3:00pm.

PEARL KNOTTING - You will learn how to complete an elegant pearl necklace using the traditional European method of knotting between each pearl, which is an elegant way to protect the pearls or beads from rubbing each other and is a safeguard against loss if the strand breaks. You will master the use of finishing with French Bullion, which is found on most “better” pearl strands and attach the clasp. Materials not included. Class Fee: $25.00 July2, 1pm-3pm .

BRIDAL SHOWS- A GREAT WAY TO SELL YOUR JEWLERY!

Bridal shows are different than "regular" shows . If you are thinking of doing a bridal show, here are some things to consider before jumping onboard. First, brides are planning in advance. Usually when they attend a Bridal show, the wedding isn't happening for at least six months. The brides are usually working on setting their budgets, themes, colors, and all the big picture stuff.

This means they probably aren't buying jewelry on the day of the show. They probably aren't even ready to think about it yet. They won't be ready to pick out jewelry until well after the dresses have been selected, and possibly not until 2-4 weeks before the wedding. So, don't expect to sell much, if anything, on the day of the show.

For your show samples have different colors and think about simple, complex, formal and casual. Also consider the mothers of the bride and groom and the flower girls, make sure you have some designs for them.

What you want to get out of a bridal show are future sales. So hand out lots of cards. Have a sign up book to get names and emails, plus wedding dates and colors if they know them, so you can send information about new pieces when they are ready to think about jewelry. Talk to the bride, her mother, her friend, her little sister - they will all likely be participating in the process and you want them to remember you.

Also don't feel shy about promoting yourself to other vendors. Find the wedding planners and bridal shops and make sure they see your work, as they are most likely the ones who will be helping the bride finalize their wardrobe details. Perhaps the cake people too, since they often are pretty well tied in to the network and are in a good position to give referrals.
If you can afford it consider a brochure to describe your services. Do you do custom work? Do you make kits for bridal parties who want to make their own jewelry, or will you do a home party to help the girls make their own? Do you have any jewelry to offer the men?

Carefully weigh the cost of doing the show to consider if it’s worth it for you. Remember this is an investment in growing your business. Good Luck!

Class Schedule April 2011 & Pudgy News

BASIC BEADING WORKSHOP - BRACELET - This is our basic beginner’s stringing workshop. In this class, you will learn how to choose and attach clasps. You will learn about the different stringing materials and tools required to design with. You will leave with a finished bracelet. Materials not included. (Kits Priced from $7.00- $25.00. Saturday, April 16, 1pm-3pm.

BASIC WIREWRAP - In this class you will learn basic wire wrapping skills. You will use wire to create a structural frame or saddle around a glass or stone cabochon. The frame will securely hold the piece and convert it into a pendant. This class is a must for enhancing your beading repertoire. Class Fee: $35.00, Sunday April 17, 1:00pm – 3pm. Materials not included.


Pudgynews And Views

If you're like me I'm happy it's finally spring although the first days of April are very winter like, I'm hoping for signs of spring soon. 

Thank you to all who attended our "Tucson Sale". It was a huge success. We will continue to bring you bead show prices at our store.

We just struck up a deal with one of the largest pearl dealers in the business and although we have great prices and selection on our freshwater pearls you can expect to see even more selection and as always at unbelievable prices.

Please note...because of this months show schedule we have a limited amount of classes. Stay tuned for next months class schedule.

Pudgy Beads just got in new basemetal chain in four colors Sterling Silver, Black Ox, Gold and Antique Brass. To introduce it to you..we are offering it for $1.00 a foot...yes you read it right. We already have the best prices on chain in the the city or at the shows and for this month only you can purchase the new chain styles for half price..what a deal!!!



Creative Ways To Display Your Jewelry At Craft Shows
How you display your jewelry at a show can have a tremendous impact on your sales. Great jewelry presented poorly will give an overall poor impression of what you are offering. On the other hand you don’t have to get totally carried away in trying to create a display that overpowers your jewelry either. Clutter creates confusion in the customer’s mind and you definitely will not make as many sales…remember simple and tasteful is usually better.

Create a mood with your display and whatever you choose be consistent throughout your booth. For example if your jewelry is created with natural gemstones. Use natural fixtures like driftwood, rocks or sand. If your jewelry is vintage use a few antique items like antique photos or vintage hatboxes or even hats. A visit to second hand shops should reward you with some great props for your booth

Remember to stay with a limited color scheme don’t use multiple colors. Doing so will not only weaken your overall concept and image but take the focus from your jewelry in a negative way.

Here are some fresh creative ideas to use for your next show. Use them and see your sales soar…Good Luck at your next show!
1. Find an old frame at a thrift store. Staple wire mesh from your local hardware store and staple it to the back. Use a can of spray paint in your color scheme to spray the entire display. You can use this display on an easel or make smaller ones for your table and support it with bricks. For a table display I added a slat of wood to the back of the frame and used a hinge to support it.

2. Use a natural or painted wood shutter to display your earrings if you have them on cards. You can make your own cards and put a crease in the top to fold over the shutter, or if you use already made cards use a display pin to secure your carded earrings.

3. Try displaying your necklaces and bracelets on some inexpensive glass gems sold in craft stores or better yet collect some sand and seashells from the beach or some rocks from your local hardware store.

4. From a thrift store or yard sale buy a small Christmas tree and hang your necklaces and bracelets from it. You can spray it in your color theme or buy one in silver or gold.

5. Use some pillows. How about some rich Velvet pillows to strap some of your necklaces or bracelets over.

6. From a thrift store find a mirrored vanity tray. Use it to display a few chosen pieces on. If your jewelry has a vintage look use some old or new tea stained handkerchiefs and new or vintage gloves to give your display class and a vintage feel. , While you are at it add a black and white photo in an old frame.

7. Look no further than your kitchen and choose some unique bowls and saucers at to drape your jewelry. If you add some rocks or sand to the containers you can add some earrings or pins to make an interesting display.

These are just a few ideas. Use your imagination and create beautiful effective displays to not only compliment your jewelry but to sell it.


Wire Part 2

If you use wire in your jewelry, the more you know the better your projects will turn out. Check out some basics below.

Wire Shapes

The most common shapes of wire are round, half-round and square. The most popular of these shapes is round, although for wire wrapping the square and half round are used most often.

Wire Sizes

Wire is sized by its thickness. If you want to hang charms from a chain, the gauge of your wire should be thick enough so that the charms don't twist and bend. If they do, they may eventually break off. 24 and 26 gauge are relatively thin and are used primarily for wire crochet or coiling. 20 and 22 gauge wire is used most often and will suffice for most wire work like looping your beads or components together.18 and 16 gauge is a thick gauge should be used when you have heavy beads or pendants or when you are creating Hand-crafted clasps.

The most popular wire gauges are 14-guage to 26-guage. Remember the thicker the wire the smaller the gauge number. 14-gauge wire is thicker than 18-gauge wire and 26-gauge wire is thinner than 24 gauge. In countries other than the U.S. wire is sold in diameters measured in millimeters. The chart below gives you a gauge to diameter(approx) conversion. Popular wire sizes are 18-gauge to 22-gauge.

Gauge  Chart with Diameter size

26gauge = .4mm                24gauge = .5mm

22gauge = .6mm                20gauge =  .8mm

18gauge = 1mm                 16gauge =  1.3mm

14gauge = 1.6mm


What is Wire temper and why it is important to you!

The temper of wire refers to the hardness or softness of the wire. Softer wire is easier to work with and gets harder as you work with it. Wire is sold in three tempers: dead-soft, half-hard and full-hard.

Which kind of wire temper do I want to use?

Dead-soft wire has been heated or annealed to make it more malleable and easy to work with. It will bend and coil without difficulty. You can create your piece and work harden the wire as you go or at the end in a tumbler.

Half-hard wire is harder to work with then dead-soft, but some wire jewelry makers prefer to use it. I usually let the project I’m working on help me determine the size or gauge of the wire. If I’m using a thicker gauge like 16 or 18 I prefer dead soft because its easier to work with. If I’m wire wrapping and using a thinner gauge like 20 or 22 I will most often will use half-hard. If you ever find yourself with only dead soft wire, remember you can work harden it by pulling on it, oftentimes just forming it into the shape you want it in is enough to harden soft wire.

Full-hard wire is wire that does not bend easily and is not generally used for wire jewelry making. You can use this type of wire to make spring back or hat pins.

We hope our articles are helping you to become a more knowledgeable jewelry maker. If you have any questions please send them to info@pudgybeads.com and we will answer it in our next newsletter or on our facebook page. Please be our friend on this blog and on facebook.

The Ugly Bead Necklace Contest

Class Schedule March 2011 & Pudgy News

BASIC BEADING WORKSHOP 1 - BRACELET - This is our basic beginner’s stringing workshop. In this class, you will learn how to choose and attach clasps. You will learn about the different stringing materials and tools required to design with. You will leave with a finished bracelet. Materials not included. (Kits Priced from $7.00- $25.00. Saturday, March 5, 1pm-3pm.

SOLDERING WORKSHOP 1/BRACELET - Learning to solder can open up a whole new world of jewelry making to you. Though the process is fairly simple it does take practice. In this class you will be learn to solder Sterling or Copper square rings then fabricate them into a bracelet. We will spend some time on safety aspects and learning how to handle and adjust the flame. Class Fee: $65.00, Materials not included. Dates: 3/12/10, 12:30pm – 4:00pm 

PMC WORKSHOP 2 - This class is for those who have already taken PMC 1. Taking this class will elevate your knowledge or working with PMC. You will learn how to create and embellish hollow beads and also various methods to set stones into PMC. Class Materials not included. Class Fee $65.00, Dates: 3/26 12:00pm – 4:00pm

WIREWRAP COMPONENTS - This class is for anyone who wants to take their wirewrap and fabricating skills to another level. You can even take this one if you are a beginner to wirewrapping. We will be making components and connecting them into a necklace. We'll be working with a large gauge of aluminum wire to make your components easier to construct. We will also fabricate your pieces using a bench block and a ball peen hammer. This class is perfect to make the long necklaces that so in style now. Class Materials not included. Class Fee $45.00, March 26, 1pm-3pm



BASIC PEYOTE (BASIC STITCH) In this fundamental stitch class you will master even count peyote. You will create a tubular bracelet and learn about thread tension. To give your finished bracelet a unique look you will use two colors of 6/0 or 8/0 seed beads. This is an intermediate class and it requires that you already know basic peyote. Note: This is a technique class and you may not finish this project during the class. Class Fee: $ 35.00 – 2 hour class Materials not included. March 20, 12pm-4pm

Show Listings
Show season is upon us and if you make your jewelry to make extra money the following show listings can help you get a jump start. We have included some links and referrals. Be sure to do your research. It’s a good idea to visit the shows before you do them..but sometimes that’s impossible unless you want to your homework for the next time that promoter is offering a show. If you need more tips on doing shows you can refer to our book “You Made It Now Sell It”.


April 30 & May 1   San Diego, California   Mission Federal ArtWalk   Deadline: January 14
For more info: http://www.missionfederalartwalk.org/

Scottsdale Arts Festival    March 11-13    Scottsdale, Arizona     Deadline: October 12, 2010
For more info: http://www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org/

Lake Tahoe Festival of the Arts  August 20 & 21   Lake Tahoe, California   Deadline: March 1

Malibu Arts Festival, Malibu Civic Center 23555 Civic Center Way   Application Deadline: 6/30/11
Show Dates: 7/30/11 - 7/31/11

San Diego Holiday Art Festival 2011   Del Mar Fairgrounds   California   Application Deadline: 4/30/11
Show Dates: 12/2/11 - 12/4/11

Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Festival, Buena Park Downtown Mall   04/14/11 to 04/17/11 http://www.sugarplumcrafts.com/dates.html

The Long Beach Bike Festival & Tour of Long Beach, May 13-14, 2011 for vendor application http://www.dlba.org/uploads/Special_Events/Bike_Festival/Vendor%20Participation%20Form_2011.pdf

Although some of the application deadlines are passed you can contact the promoter and get on their wait list is you are interested in a particular show. Don't forget to contact your local farmers markets for vendor information. This is just a sampling of listings for more show dates visit:
http://festivalnet.com/craft_shows.html
http://www.zapplication.org/shows.phtml


Wire - Part 1

Sterling Silver and goldfilled wire are precious metals and traded as commodities on the stock market. Because of this the metal prices can go up or down. Reasons for this vary from conditions with the world economy usually dictated by the stock market.

Today’s economic climate is making most of us take a serious look at other metals for jewelry making. For most customers where price is of concern, having the look of a precious metal without the price can be a definite plus for selling your items. So my advice get the best of both worlds by offering your designs in both precious and non precious metal.

This is where craft wires come into play. Trust me when I say that not all craft wires are created equal. Some wire brands are difficult to work with and the sterling or gold plating will rub off quickly.

You might see wires branded as Nickel Silver or German Silver..don’t let the name confuse you there is absolutely no silver in these wires, however there is lots of nickel and about 5% OF THE POPULATION IS ALLERGIC TO NICKLE.

To confuse you just a little more, there's also a "German Silver" wire that is also know as "silver-fill". It is 40% sterling, bonded to a copper core…. Just as "gold-fill" is a certain karat of gold bonded to a base metal core.

There is also a "non-tarnishing Sterling Silver wire", Argentium. It is Sterling wire that's been coated with a clear coating and keeps the wire from tarnishing. It’s a little more expensive but you may find the non tarnishing aspect appealing especially for intricate wirework.

There's "gold color" wire, which is usually made from Brass (this can also be found in the coated, non-tarnishing variety).There is also "German Gold" which is 10 parts gold for 40 parts base metal. (Remember Gold-Fill is generally 14 parts gold for 20 parts base metal.

Real Gold wire will be sold in karat form. Gold wire is not plated or filled with added alloys. 24k Gold isn't used for much because it is absolutely to soft. To use Gold it has to be mixed with other metals to make it stronger and harder. What it's mixed with is called an alloy.
• 24k Gold is also called "pure gold" because 100% of it is gold.
• 18k Gold is 18 out of 24 parts gold, so about 3/4ths gold; can also be marked "750", for being 75% gold.

• 14k Gold is 14 out of 24 parts gold, so just over ½ gold; can also be marked "585", for being 58.5% gold.

• 12k Gold is 12 out of 24 parts gold, so ½ gold.

• 10k Gold is 10 out of 24 parts gold, so just under ½ gold; can also be marked "417", for being 41.7% gold.
Now that you’ve gotten some hard core info under your belt, to help you get the look of silver and gold without the price, Pudgy Beads just got in some square and half-round anti tarnish wire ...it’s hot …it’s brand new and it’s definitely got the look and we’ve got it on sale for all your wire wrapping needs.
Stay tuned for part 2