Bead shapes (Or, Am I the only one?)

Today I decided against a set of beautiful aqua floral beads. It was
reaching the high end of my price range. Because they were tile shaped, I
deleted it from my yearnings. If they had been round beads, I might have
bid higher.

While I am impressed with press shaped beads, I am less willing to spend on
them because I like wearing and working with "round" beads better. I prefer
round beads for designing purposes.

I also have idiosyncrasies that make round things more attractive to me. I
like beads to turn and give new views, and I like the fact that the do turn
more instead of keeping one face forward, I like that they are "in the
round" and that they cycle and go around (in circles). So I like things to
be either round or sculptural for personal reasons too.

Often more advanced bead makers like to use the different shapes available,
but given the choice of that same skill level, I'd pay more for it in round
beads.

What do other bead buyers feel about this?

Tina

I'm at the opposite end. G

I'm still making jewelry, especially bracelets (I get a lot of requests,
and they're certainly faster to string). I (and many of my customers)
find round beads more difficult to design with. The main reason I
finally gave in to presses was because a) the only non-round freehand
beads I make easily are teardrops and rather large bicones...not good
bracelet candidates and b) I was sick to death of making round beads.

I've been amazed by the positive feedback I've gotten since I started
making lentils and tiles. I could kick myself for being such a heel-dragger.

My favorite freehand shape is still bicones. I like all the design
possibilities and they just feel good.

KarenS

Do you mean round round or bead shaped round? I'd love to play with all the
presses, but my favorite shape is always that bead shape round.

--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com
To subscribe to my mailing list, send an e-mail to: with
"Subscribe" in the subject line.

"Christina Peterson" wrote in message
...
Today I decided against a set of beautiful aqua floral beads. It was
reaching the high end of my price range. Because they were tile shaped, I
deleted it from my yearnings. If they had been round beads, I might have
bid higher.

While I am impressed with press shaped beads, I am less willing to spend
on
them because I like wearing and working with "round" beads better. I
prefer
round beads for designing purposes.

I also have idiosyncrasies that make round things more attractive to me.
I
like beads to turn and give new views, and I like the fact that the do
turn
more instead of keeping one face forward, I like that they are "in the
round" and that they cycle and go around (in circles). So I like things
to
be either round or sculptural for personal reasons too.

Often more advanced bead makers like to use the different shapes
available,
but given the choice of that same skill level, I'd pay more for it in
round
beads.

What do other bead buyers feel about this?

Tina

Same here - although lately I have really enjoyed playing with the round
shape - making a more chunky round and also making disk-shaped rounds. But
even though I like messing with shapes sometimes, I will always return to
the round - mostly because I just really enjoy making them.

--
Kandice Seeber
www.lampwork.net
Vote for my site!
http://tinyurl.com/bbcon

Do you mean round round or bead shaped round? I'd love to play with all
the presses, but my favorite shape is always that bead shape round.

--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com
To subscribe to my mailing list, send an e-mail to:
with
"Subscribe" in the subject line.

"Christina Peterson" wrote in message
...
Today I decided against a set of beautiful aqua floral beads. It was
reaching the high end of my price range. Because they were tile shaped,
I
deleted it from my yearnings. If they had been round beads, I might have
bid higher.

While I am impressed with press shaped beads, I am less willing to spend
on
them because I like wearing and working with "round" beads better. I
prefer
round beads for designing purposes.

I also have idiosyncrasies that make round things more attractive to me.
I
like beads to turn and give new views, and I like the fact that the do
turn
more instead of keeping one face forward, I like that they are "in the
round" and that they cycle and go around (in circles). So I like things
to
be either round or sculptural for personal reasons too.

Often more advanced bead makers like to use the different shapes
available,
but given the choice of that same skill level, I'd pay more for it in
round
beads.

What do other bead buyers feel about this?

Tina

Beads is beads. I likes them all.

Becki

Whoops, I liked. I likes them all except the freaking bones. LOL

becki

TEE HEE Becki. I think the bones are weird too.

I'm a beadmaker and make jewlwery for myself. The reason I like the
pressed beads, especially for bracelets, is that I can make a larger
bead that will lay flat on the wrist. If I made a round bead of that
size it would stick up too much for my taste.

However, I like almost any shape.


Lara

(ebay ID lutrick)


wrote:
Whoops, I liked. I likes them all except the freaking bones. LOL

becki

I like making rounds the best (ironic since I have a million
various-sized presses with my name on them) but when I buy, I actually
prefer pressed beads... the flattened ones are my favorite to wear,
whether they be lentils, kaleras, squeezed, or any of the other flat shapes.

Christina Peterson wrote:
Today I decided against a set of beautiful aqua floral beads. It was
reaching the high end of my price range. Because they were tile shaped, I
deleted it from my yearnings. If they had been round beads, I might have
bid higher.

While I am impressed with press shaped beads, I am less willing to spend on
them because I like wearing and working with "round" beads better. I prefer
round beads for designing purposes.

I also have idiosyncrasies that make round things more attractive to me. I
like beads to turn and give new views, and I like the fact that the do turn
more instead of keeping one face forward, I like that they are "in the
round" and that they cycle and go around (in circles). So I like things to
be either round or sculptural for personal reasons too.

Often more advanced bead makers like to use the different shapes available,
but given the choice of that same skill level, I'd pay more for it in round
beads.

What do other bead buyers feel about this?

Tina




--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.bridgetownglass.com
On eBay: http://www.snurl.com/1sfe

Lara, I think you nailed it in terms of why I like the pressed styles. I
spend a lot of time at the computer... for work and for play... and
round beads are uncomfortable if you lay your wrist on the desk or on a
wrist-rest. Flat beads, especially Squeezes and Nuggets, are very
comfortable. They also lie nicely under jacket sleeves, and I noticed
that I rarely wear bracelets in the cooler months because of sleeve
issues, but flatter beads work very well even under jacket sleeves.

Lara wrote:
TEE HEE Becki. I think the bones are weird too.

I'm a beadmaker and make jewlwery for myself. The reason I like the
pressed beads, especially for bracelets, is that I can make a larger
bead that will lay flat on the wrist. If I made a round bead of that
size it would stick up too much for my taste.

However, I like almost any shape.


Lara

(ebay ID lutrick)


wrote:

Whoops, I liked. I likes them all except the freaking bones. LOL

becki



--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.bridgetownglass.com
On eBay: http://www.snurl.com/1sfe

I like flat and tabular beads for the reasons above and also I like
having it lay a certain way, especailly focals. A tabular bead drilled
through the upper third for instance can be relied on not to flip
around or backwards. I find that easier to design for, also bigger
rounds feel clunky to me, sticking out too far. I also find odd shapes
creatively more stimulating than rounds.

Ingrid
http://www.mermaidscove.com