View Single Post
  #6  
Old August 27th 04, 01:46 AM
Kalera Stratton
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I just looked at his site and those are absolutely wonderful! Thanks for
sharing it.

I think you'll like the Czech crystal pallette. I ordered 11 colors to
start and everything I got it gentle and muted. They have bright colors
as well, but they're more versatile as spacers if they're lighter and
more muted than the beads I'll be matching them with.

Here's the URL I got mine from:

http://www.czechbeads.com

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Christina Peterson wrote:
I'll check out the Czechs. Hopefully I'll find some of the muted colors
like Erinite and the satins. (Especially for winter).

And speaking of Czech beads, I got some Czech artist lampwork a while ago.
Made by Patrik Bubik. http://www.bubik.com/shop/customer/home.php Tiny,
I think the biggest was 8 mm. The colors were noticeably Eastern European;
they are for my Ukrainian DIL.

Tina


"Kalera Stratton" wrote in message
...

I got my Czech crystals today! OK, so I have to say... if the Swarovski
people aren't wetting themselves yet, they should be. Although the
cutting isn't *quite* as fine or precise, (there is ever so slightly
more room around the holes, and there are a few more rejects than I
normally see in a Swarovski order (which I suspect is partly because of
careful culling on Letrinka's part... thank you, Letrinka!) THESE ARE
DAMN GOOD. They have the sparkle and the prettiness, at half the price.
I realize that I am basically repeating what Kathy N-V said, but it
bears repeating... Swarovski needs to watch their behind! These are
nothing like the rather flat, dull Chinese crystals I ghave seen.

My thoughts on these: they don't come in as many colors as the S. does.
I didn't order any ABs, so I can't address the quality there. I have
spotted a few in my order that are included or pitted, and will need to
be discarded. However, overall, not only am I sure that the unwary might
be taken in if these were subsituted for Swarovskis, I am now *positive*
that I have myself been taken in! My lesson learned: only order from
known, reputable dealers in Austrian crystal.

In summary, I think I like 'em. I'm only using them to space my bead
sets, though, so I may not be the pickiest customer in town! I have a
LOT of Swarovskis left, so it may be a couple of weeks before I am using
the Czech consistently, but I will make note in my listings whether I
use Czech or Austrian crystals, just as an FYI, so that buyers know what
they're getting and can re-label them accordingly if they use them in a
finished piece.

Delivery from Czechbeads was, BTW, insanely fast.

--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay




Ads