Cord for lampwork beads

I just got a spool of 1 mm. waxed cotton cord from Rio Grande (100
meters for less than ten bucks); has a nice sheen and a good drape to it.

Cheers,
Carla

Christina Peterson wrote:

Thanks, Kandice,

I checked out beadaholic. Thanks for the suggestion. I see an imitation
leather woven cotton cord in FMG. Is that the same thing? (Their catalogue
is a useful reference).

Thanks for the cord size vs mandrel size too.

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...

I've been using 1-2mm black pleather cord. It doesn't crack, is finished
nicely, and drapes really well. Beads made with 1/16" mandrels fit really
well on the 1mm cord. The larger holed beads fit well on the 2mm cord.
I got my pleather cord on ebay - from javabead, I think, or beadaholique.
Both are great sellers.
You can get the cord end crimps from beadaholique - sterling silver works
best.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net


I have some focals I'd like to feature simply on a cord. With a little
silver and maybe a couple accents.

What is a good cord to use?

For myself I'd probably just want to put it on a soft leather or suede
cord,
and just knot it in the back. Even make it up as the mood strikes me.
Some
of the more nicely finished leather cords crack with use. I've also

seen

nicely finished rubber cord. Satin cord snags too easily, and I worry
about
the scratchiness of ribbon.

And then there's color.

I think of leather in blacks and browns. Lighter colors of leather get
darkened by oil, and even a little dirt -- especially suede. Red still
seems like leather, or else a cut. What do you all think of purple
leather
or turquoise or green? Does it feel like a wrong color for leather?

As I said, I've seen very nicely finished rubber cords. And it seems to
come in a lot of colors. But while the black rubber sounds "nice", the
colors seem kind of "plastic".

I love to hear thoughts on this.

Tina

A few months ago (maybe in the summer?) someone posted pics of some
Chinese knotwork stuff she had done, so of course I ran right out and
bought a book so I could try that, too. A friend of mine really likes
knotwork jewelry, so I decided to make her a necklace and hang a
polyclay pendant on it.

I can't even guess how many cord ends I overmelted trying to make sure
the ends wouldn't come apart g, or how many *hours* I spent on those
darned sliding button knots before I gave up and used fold-over crimp
beads

Cheers,
Carla

vj wrote:

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson"
:

]Sounds like the cord Emmett was referring to. How do you finish it? Will
]it take a "crimp end"?

with a match.
it's 1/4inch - never saw a crimp that big. some people wrap wire
around the end - - i just tie knots, melt the end with a match, and
then make them adjustable.

On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 23:58:46 -0500, Christina Peterson wrote
(in message ):

I've used a tiny SS snake cord. My only concern with that was that the
clasp, tiny enough to go through a bead, might not be reliable.

It wasn't. So what I did was use my side cutters to cut off the jump
ring (saving it of course for later use), then put on my own jump
ring and clasp. Much safer.

On Manda's necklace, I also put a drop of watch crystal cement on
each end of the chain where the vendor had put the looped terminator.
The way that the snake chain was made, there was a tiny space where I
could insert the needle tip of the cement tube. That way, no one
could see the glue, and it added a little more "oomph" to the stress
point.

Every beader needs an Amanda - if a piece holds up to her, you know
that it will hold up to the most abusive of customers. :-)

Kathy N-V

Yes, Buna is rubber. I got mine from Whole Lotta Whimsy as a "bonus" with
an order. I just checked, and apparently they don't sell it the way they
sent it to me (length of plain cord). It seems they only sell it already
cut to size with the clasps attached, and it doesn't seem worth the price:

http://www.wholelottawhimsy.com/wo/p...?c=137&p=10929

But maybe I'm just not "getting it." I went to Savannah yesterday to visit
some jewelry boutiques for inspiration. There's a very large jewelry
community there thanks, in part, to the local art college's
jewelry/metalsmithing program, which draws students from all over the world.
What did I see, but *tons* of rubber cord with just about every type of bead
you can imagine hanging from it.

Some of the jewelry artists were working in their studios. I asked two of
them about the cord, and they both told me it was Buna. Shows what I know
about style and fashion! I still think it looks pretty "plastic."

;-)





"Christina Peterson" wrote in message
...
I didn't see a reference for "buna cord" in my catalogues or on eBay. Is
that one of the colorful "rubber" cords?

More good reports for Pleather. Thanks

Tina


"Peggy" wrote in message
...
I have one of Kandice's bracelets that she made with pleather. I've worn
it
a lot, and I'm hard on bracelets because of all the work I do
restoring/repairing our house. The pleather gets wet all the time, and
has
had a couple of pretty good tugs, too. So far, it's held up great and
still
looks really nice.

And, Tina, I agree about the "plastic" look of some of the colored cords.
I
have a small length of blue buna cord. I don't like it at all for
exactly
that reason, though I've heard others rave about it. I'm going to try
designing a bracelet where the beads are fixed with tiny bits of the blue
buna showing in between--I think that might look good. But I sure
wouldn't
use buna for a single focal with a couple of other beads. It's very
"plastic," as you say.



"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
I've been using 1-2mm black pleather cord. It doesn't crack, is
finished
nicely, and drapes really well. Beads made with 1/16" mandrels fit
really
well on the 1mm cord. The larger holed beads fit well on the 2mm cord.
I got my pleather cord on ebay - from javabead, I think, or
beadaholique.
Both are great sellers.
You can get the cord end crimps from beadaholique - sterling silver
works
best.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I have some focals I'd like to feature simply on a cord. With a little
silver and maybe a couple accents.

What is a good cord to use?

For myself I'd probably just want to put it on a soft leather or suede
cord,
and just knot it in the back. Even make it up as the mood strikes me.
Some
of the more nicely finished leather cords crack with use. I've also
seen
nicely finished rubber cord. Satin cord snags too easily, and I worry
about
the scratchiness of ribbon.

And then there's color.

I think of leather in blacks and browns. Lighter colors of leather
get
darkened by oil, and even a little dirt -- especially suede. Red
still
seems like leather, or else a cut. What do you all think of purple
leather
or turquoise or green? Does it feel like a wrong color for leather?

As I said, I've seen very nicely finished rubber cords. And it seems
to
come in a lot of colors. But while the black rubber sounds "nice",
the
colors seem kind of "plastic".

I love to hear thoughts on this.

Tina

Kathy N-V wrote:

Every beader needs an Amanda - if a piece holds up to her, you know
that it will hold up to the most abusive of customers. :-)

LOL My stress-tester is my 26 y.o. daughter Jennifer. When I first
started making necklaces I tried several different stringing materials
and closures before settling on soft-flex, crimps and split rings to get
something that would survive her and yet be something that I liked the
look of! She has a tiger eye necklace that I have 'remade' for her at
least 3 times before it survived, not to mention the bracelet she keeps
bringing me to fix! The only problem is that she wants to 'test' every
piece I make!

Polly

I can see those pastels for "fashion jewelry". But I have a hard time
seeing it on something I want to wear for a couple decades on a regular
basis.

And yeah, at the prices for those cords, I could buy nicer sterling.

Still, I could see using black beads on red cord with a little red showing
through -- like red lace peeking out under a black outfit.

Tina


"Peggy" wrote in message
...
Yes, Buna is rubber. I got mine from Whole Lotta Whimsy as a "bonus"
with
an order. I just checked, and apparently they don't sell it the way they
sent it to me (length of plain cord). It seems they only sell it already
cut to size with the clasps attached, and it doesn't seem worth the price:


http://www.wholelottawhimsy.com/wo/p...?c=137&p=10929

But maybe I'm just not "getting it." I went to Savannah yesterday to
visit
some jewelry boutiques for inspiration. There's a very large jewelry
community there thanks, in part, to the local art college's
jewelry/metalsmithing program, which draws students from all over the
world.
What did I see, but *tons* of rubber cord with just about every type of
bead
you can imagine hanging from it.

Some of the jewelry artists were working in their studios. I asked two of
them about the cord, and they both told me it was Buna. Shows what I know
about style and fashion! I still think it looks pretty "plastic."

;-)





"Christina Peterson" wrote in message
...
I didn't see a reference for "buna cord" in my catalogues or on eBay. Is
that one of the colorful "rubber" cords?

More good reports for Pleather. Thanks

Tina


"Peggy" wrote in message
...
I have one of Kandice's bracelets that she made with pleather. I've
worn
it
a lot, and I'm hard on bracelets because of all the work I do
restoring/repairing our house. The pleather gets wet all the time, and
has
had a couple of pretty good tugs, too. So far, it's held up great and
still
looks really nice.

And, Tina, I agree about the "plastic" look of some of the colored
cords.
I
have a small length of blue buna cord. I don't like it at all for
exactly
that reason, though I've heard others rave about it. I'm going to try
designing a bracelet where the beads are fixed with tiny bits of the
blue
buna showing in between--I think that might look good. But I sure
wouldn't
use buna for a single focal with a couple of other beads. It's very
"plastic," as you say.



"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
I've been using 1-2mm black pleather cord. It doesn't crack, is
finished
nicely, and drapes really well. Beads made with 1/16" mandrels fit
really
well on the 1mm cord. The larger holed beads fit well on the 2mm
cord.
I got my pleather cord on ebay - from javabead, I think, or
beadaholique.
Both are great sellers.
You can get the cord end crimps from beadaholique - sterling silver
works
best.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I have some focals I'd like to feature simply on a cord. With a
little
silver and maybe a couple accents.

What is a good cord to use?

For myself I'd probably just want to put it on a soft leather or
suede
cord,
and just knot it in the back. Even make it up as the mood strikes
me.
Some
of the more nicely finished leather cords crack with use. I've also
seen
nicely finished rubber cord. Satin cord snags too easily, and I
worry
about
the scratchiness of ribbon.

And then there's color.

I think of leather in blacks and browns. Lighter colors of leather
get
darkened by oil, and even a little dirt -- especially suede. Red
still
seems like leather, or else a cut. What do you all think of purple
leather
or turquoise or green? Does it feel like a wrong color for leather?

As I said, I've seen very nicely finished rubber cords. And it
seems
to
come in a lot of colors. But while the black rubber sounds "nice",
the
colors seem kind of "plastic".

I love to hear thoughts on this.

Tina

I can see those pastels for "fashion jewelry". But I have a hard time
seeing it on something I want to wear for a couple decades on a regular
basis.


Maybe that's why I was turned off. The necklaces I saw in the artisan
galleries in Savannah certainly were not priced like fashion jewelry. Most
using Buna were several hundred dollars (with, I might add, some *killer*
beads). But since Buna is new, I wonder about how well it stands up to
wear. I'd hate to have expensive beads go tumbling into the sewer
because the Buna broke, no matter how beautifully the color of the cord
complimented the them.

Still, I could see using black beads on red cord with a little red showing
through -- like red lace peeking out under a black outfit.

That does sound very nice. I have a similar plan for my blue cord. *If* I
ever get around to actually using it.

;-)

Christina Peterson wrote:
I like leather too. For my own use I'd be happy to just cut a cord, or use
a black leather shoe or boot lace, and wear it with a square knot.

I bought some beads which were strung on "rubber". I didn't like how it was
finished -- rather large black hard plastic "crimp", about 6mm, to form a
loop, and a black plastic bi-cone/toggle about 15 to 18mm. But the cord
itself looked nice. I would want to use SS crimped cord ends.

Tina

For my pendants, I send them strung on the same kind of satin rattail
that VJ uses, with the same kind of adjustable knot. I wouldn't mind
going to a more "finished" sort of clasp, but the cord, for me, is
simply a temporary "for presentation" item, which will likely be soon
replaced with something of the customer's choosing. I do like the rubber
cord, and Kandice finished hers with a lovely silver hook clasp, but
it's much more expensive and I might have to charge more than $10 for my
pendants, then.

-Kalera

No - the pleather I got is unbraided - it's just one strand. Braided would
be pretty, but I am not sure it would lay right.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Thanks, Kandice,

I checked out beadaholic. Thanks for the suggestion. I see an imitation
leather woven cotton cord in FMG. Is that the same thing? (Their
catalogue
is a useful reference).

Thanks for the cord size vs mandrel size too.

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
I've been using 1-2mm black pleather cord. It doesn't crack, is finished
nicely, and drapes really well. Beads made with 1/16" mandrels fit
really
well on the 1mm cord. The larger holed beads fit well on the 2mm cord.
I got my pleather cord on ebay - from javabead, I think, or beadaholique.
Both are great sellers.
You can get the cord end crimps from beadaholique - sterling silver works
best.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I have some focals I'd like to feature simply on a cord. With a little
silver and maybe a couple accents.

What is a good cord to use?

For myself I'd probably just want to put it on a soft leather or suede
cord,
and just knot it in the back. Even make it up as the mood strikes me.
Some
of the more nicely finished leather cords crack with use. I've also
seen
nicely finished rubber cord. Satin cord snags too easily, and I worry
about
the scratchiness of ribbon.

And then there's color.

I think of leather in blacks and browns. Lighter colors of leather get
darkened by oil, and even a little dirt -- especially suede. Red still
seems like leather, or else a cut. What do you all think of purple
leather
or turquoise or green? Does it feel like a wrong color for leather?

As I said, I've seen very nicely finished rubber cords. And it seems
to
come in a lot of colors. But while the black rubber sounds "nice", the
colors seem kind of "plastic".

I love to hear thoughts on this.

Tina

Hey, Kandice.. usually I let sleeping dogs lie.. but this time.. I have to..
and Im so sorry to correct your grammar in public, its just the mental image
of a braided pleather not laying right is so funny to me right now.
Im seeing it either producing eggs badly or flunking out of hooker school.
Put up with me a while longer, Im almost out of pain meds (toothy came out..
healing nicely).
Diana

--
Weird people need beads, too
"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
No - the pleather I got is unbraided - it's just one strand. Braided
would
be pretty, but I am not sure it would lay right.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Thanks, Kandice,

I checked out beadaholic. Thanks for the suggestion. I see an
imitation
leather woven cotton cord in FMG. Is that the same thing? (Their
catalogue
is a useful reference).

Thanks for the cord size vs mandrel size too.

Tina


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
I've been using 1-2mm black pleather cord. It doesn't crack, is
finished
nicely, and drapes really well. Beads made with 1/16" mandrels fit
really
well on the 1mm cord. The larger holed beads fit well on the 2mm cord.
I got my pleather cord on ebay - from javabead, I think, or
beadaholique.
Both are great sellers.
You can get the cord end crimps from beadaholique - sterling silver
works
best.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I have some focals I'd like to feature simply on a cord. With a
little
silver and maybe a couple accents.

What is a good cord to use?

For myself I'd probably just want to put it on a soft leather or
suede
cord,
and just knot it in the back. Even make it up as the mood strikes
me.
Some
of the more nicely finished leather cords crack with use. I've also
seen
nicely finished rubber cord. Satin cord snags too easily, and I
worry
about
the scratchiness of ribbon.

And then there's color.

I think of leather in blacks and browns. Lighter colors of leather
get
darkened by oil, and even a little dirt -- especially suede. Red
still
seems like leather, or else a cut. What do you all think of purple
leather
or turquoise or green? Does it feel like a wrong color for leather?

As I said, I've seen very nicely finished rubber cords. And it seems
to
come in a lot of colors. But while the black rubber sounds "nice",
the
colors seem kind of "plastic".

I love to hear thoughts on this.

Tina