My first bead memory

I suppose they'd be classified as beads.

When I was a kid we lived in Downer's Grove, IL. It was a great place to
live, much like being inside a Ray Bradbury story without the scary bits. I
was only five when this happened, and today playing with my son who is
almost 5 now, it made me remember the bracelet I was given that year at
Halloween.

We had those really cool older neighbors, the kind who would feed you tomato
soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and never did we worry about them being
anything but lovely, kind people with nothing on their minds but enjoying
being around their neighbors. I remember them well, but can't tell if they
looked old to me because they were or if I was so young.

Anyway, they gave me my first 'real' set of beads at Halloween. It was a
bracelet, with discs of glass that looked like Life Savers almost, linked
together. I remember trying to eat one, because they looked so good. I
came close to cracking a tooth, I bit down on one so hard. I remember my
parents laughing at me and explaining that it was something pretty to wear
on my wrist. It was days before they could talk me into taking it off
again.

That started my lifelong love of beads and bracelets and shiny things. I'm
really a magpie at heart, and one of these days I think I'll have to find
some glass disks with holes in the middle and make up a new bracelet to
remind me of the one I had back then. In 1958. Almost a lifetime ago now,
but as fresh in my mind as the day it happened. Ever since then I've been
an avid accumulator of things shiny. I think if I'm ever reincarnated I'd
have to be a magpie.

-Su

--
My Floating Needle blog at:
http://www.floatingneedle.co.uk

Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was three yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

I had to laugh when I read your first bead memory Candace because it was
sorta similar to mine!

My first bead memory is when I was about six years old and I was on a school
bus playing with a pretty little plastic faceted bead. I put in my mouth
(as you do) and rolled it around feeling the texture with my tongue and then
the bus jolted and the bead went straight down my throat.

I remember being terrified that night when I went to bed because I was
certain I wouldn't wake up the next day after having swallowed a bead. I
didn't want to tell Dad when he tucked me in because I thought he'd be mad
so I just hugged him goodnight and then prayed that I didn't die in my
sleep.

I don't remember what happened the next day, most likely I'd forgotten about
it by then!

"Candace" wrote in message
...
Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of
tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was three
yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

For me it was a grommet or eyelet up the nose. Why oh why do kids think
putting objects in the nose is a good idea? LOL

On the positive side, I always loved my grandmother's jewelry... she had
lots of nice "paste" pins... a few of which I'm priviledged to own. And she
loved beaded necklaces. Her favorite costume was gypsy... loaded with
necklaces! She also was very creative, she sewed, crocheted, knitted and
taught me how to do all of those and more. She loved embellishments - She
didn't believe a dress was finished unless it had some rickrack or fancy
lace. And forget "store bought" patterns! She taught me how to make things
and create my own patterns. It's amazing when you think about how one
generation seeds the creativity of another.
--
Karleen Page/Vibrant Jewels
Vibrant Jewels Online Bead & Jewelry Store
http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
JustBead Auctions
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
PayPal Merchant Account
https://www.paypal.com/mrb/pal=7XJ98L86Z7S2C
"Candace" wrote in message
...
Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of
tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was three
yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

On Sat, 8 May 2004 21:43:27 +0000 (UTC), "Su/Cutworks"
wrote:
When I was a kid we lived in Downer's Grove, IL.
We had those really cool older neighbors
Anyway, they gave me my first 'real' set of beads at Halloween. It was a
bracelet, with discs of glass that looked like Life Savers almost, linked
together.
That started my lifelong love of beads and bracelets and shiny things.

I wish I could say my love of beads started that far back.
With me it was rhinestones. And bits of broken jewelry
with rhinestones in them. I collected and hoarded them.
They were my "treasures". I didn't start stringing beads
until the 60s, when everybody was wearing "love beads".
Then I had to work for a living, and beads weren't paying
the bills. But even then I had sporadic periods of jewelry
making and I would sell what I made to people from work.
I never envisioned doing it full-time. Now if I could just
get well and do it full time again!
Tonight my son took his lady love to her prom. They
looked wonderful. She was wearing a necklace that
I made for her. She thinks Matt made it (he did help).
She never takes it off. I hope it sees her thru the weeks
and months to come, as he leaves for a year in Japan
on Wednesday. She's a wonderful girl. I hope she
brings me grandchildren to play with some day a few
years down the road. Meanwhile, his older brother
is out drowning his sorrows at a buddy's house.
Big brother's lady friend called him long-distance
to break up with him this afternoon. Seth and
Matt have always been each others best friend,
always there for the other. Now Matt is head over
heels for Emma, and Seth is licking his wounds
alone. I feel so sorry for him. It's strange having
them home to visit at the same time and have
them not be together every minute. Probably
even stranger for Seth. At 22, he's too old to
sit in mommy's lap for comfort, but right now I
can almost bet that he would be glad to be
little again for a few days......boy did this get off
track! But I think I'll leave it alone, just the same...
Barbara
Dream Master
www.dreamweaverstudio.com

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future
plans.
Woody Allen

LOL!

That may make my top ten list of Reasons I'm ChildFree g.

Glad you survived the incident, and even ended up beading after that.

Cheers,
Carla

Candace wrote:

Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was three yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

My first bead memory was certainly before I was three years of age. My
mother took me to see my grandmother who was ill in bed. Grandmother
died soon after.

During the visit my grandmother asked me to pass her a trinket box of
the shelf. Inside was a necklace of beads. The clasp was broken. The
bead are an unpolished moon stone I believe, but I could be wrong.
Grandmother gave me the necklace. However it never got the clasp
repaired and the chain got taken of the beads which were on wire links.

Those beads went with me through house moves and I still have them. I
put a new chain on them. I have had them at least 65 years.
Shirley




In message , Su/Cutworks
writes
I suppose they'd be classified as beads.

When I was a kid we lived in Downer's Grove, IL. It was a great place to
live, much like being inside a Ray Bradbury story without the scary bits. I
was only five when this happened, and today playing with my son who is
almost 5 now, it made me remember the bracelet I was given that year at
Halloween.

We had those really cool older neighbors, the kind who would feed you tomato
soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and never did we worry about them being
anything but lovely, kind people with nothing on their minds but enjoying
being around their neighbors. I remember them well, but can't tell if they
looked old to me because they were or if I was so young.

Anyway, they gave me my first 'real' set of beads at Halloween. It was a
bracelet, with discs of glass that looked like Life Savers almost, linked
together. I remember trying to eat one, because they looked so good. I
came close to cracking a tooth, I bit down on one so hard. I remember my
parents laughing at me and explaining that it was something pretty to wear
on my wrist. It was days before they could talk me into taking it off
again.

That started my lifelong love of beads and bracelets and shiny things. I'm
really a magpie at heart, and one of these days I think I'll have to find
some glass disks with holes in the middle and make up a new bracelet to
remind me of the one I had back then. In 1958. Almost a lifetime ago now,
but as fresh in my mind as the day it happened. Ever since then I've been
an avid accumulator of things shiny. I think if I'm ever reincarnated I'd
have to be a magpie.

-Su


--
Shirley Shone

I don't have any beady memories until adulthood and moving to Austin. I
guess I was too much of a snob only thinking 'real' jewelry was only
gemstones. I'm not that way any longer.

I'm not even sure how or why I got into making jewelry a few years ago. I
know that I saw Nomadic Notions in one of the free Austin newspapers and was
interested in their classes. Once I took a class I was hooked. I think one
of the things that kept my interest is that they only used top quality wire
and findings. It was all sterling and gold. And the beads were wonderful.
That's when I first saw the lampwork beads that I had a cow were so
expensive. I know better now.

"Carla" wrote in message
link.net...
LOL!

That may make my top ten list of Reasons I'm ChildFree g.

Glad you survived the incident, and even ended up beading after that.

Cheers,
Carla

Candace wrote:

Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as
nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of
tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was
three yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

My first bead memory is of finding a beautiful cobalt-blue glazed
ceramic bead outside by the trash heap at my sister's art school. I'm
not sure how old I was, but I think she was 16 and she's 8 years older
than me.

I carried that bead around everywhere for years. I wish I still had it!

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


Candace wrote:
Su, that was a really nice post. I wish my first bead memory was as nice.
*sigh* Mine is that of my mother spending three hours with a pair of tweezers
up my nose, trying to get a square yellow bead out of it, when I was three yrs
old. *sigh again*

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

My personal favorite costume I made for my daughter was the Last Supper that
she wore to a Harvest celebration at our church. I took a box and cut a hole
in it for her head, put a "tablecloth" on it, glued a glass, a plate, some
plastic wear, some grapes... and she won a prize too! I can't remember how I
decorated her head... maybe a halo of garland or something... I'll have to
ask her...
--
Karleen Page/Vibrant Jewels
Vibrant Jewels Online Bead & Jewelry Store
http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
JustBead Auctions
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
PayPal Merchant Account
https://www.paypal.com/mrb/pal=7XJ98L86Z7S2C
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
On Sat, 8 May 2004 23:38:18 -0400, Karleen/Vibrant Jewels wrote
(in message et):

On the positive side, I always loved my grandmother's jewelry... she had
lots of nice "paste" pins... a few of which I'm priviledged to own. And
she
loved beaded necklaces. Her favorite costume was gypsy... loaded with
necklaces! She also was very creative, she sewed, crocheted, knitted and
taught me how to do all of those and more. She loved embellishments -
She
didn't believe a dress was finished unless it had some rickrack or fancy
lace. And forget "store bought" patterns! She taught me how to make
things
and create my own patterns. It's amazing when you think about how one
generation seeds the creativity of another.

I never had a "store bought" costume, either. At first, I thought my
parents
were just being cheap, not letting me have one of those cool princess
costumes *with a mask* that we had been eyeing at Woolworth's since the
end
of August. No, I had to wear a bridesmaid's dress that my mother got at a
yard sale, cut down and *sewed.*

I figured that Mom just didn't get it, and that I would be mocked for
being
different. Like Karleen's Grandmother, my mom believed in heavy
applications
of rick-rack that she bought in enormous quantities from Home Sew. Yet, I
was pleasantly surprised when I won the "best costume" prize at school,
church and at Girl Scouts.

The next year, I went as Pilgrim, and my mother made over some old brown
curtains into a reasonable pilgrim dress, with a white bonnet and collar.
Again, by some strange coincidence, I won all the costume prizes again.
Light still hadn't dawned, and I was still jealous of "store bought"
costumes.
I think I "got it" the next year, when I was a gypsy. Mom put rows of
rick-rack on my head shawl, and everything was fringed. (Old kitchen
curtains and a tablecloth) By then, the other kids were muttering with
discontent that Kathleen was just going to win again, so why bother? Hmmm.
Maybe all the work my mom put into the costumes was actually worth it.

My own DD never wanted a store bought costume - she always wanted to be
things that you'd never find in a sto penguin, tooth fairy, squirrel,
clown fish, turtle, iMac and some others I've probably forgotten. She was
much smarter than I was at her age: she never thought I was being cheap -
she just looked forward to winning the best costume prize every year.

Kathy N-V

P.S.: The "Tooth Fairy" costume had a very original set of beads: mini
marshmallows strung on thread and allowed to dry out. They looked a lot
like
a string of teeth.