Supplies Fro Making Jewelry

Q: I'm a relatively new lampworker, and would like to start making some of my beads into jewelry. I've been doing stained glass, painted glass, and fusing for a while, so this is just another facet (pardon my pun!) to my glass addiction. I just got a Fire Moutain catalog and am totally overwhelmed. Can someone give me a basic list of things I need to start? There's a few things I know I want: crimping beads crimping pliers round nose pliers bead board string If you were just going to start with a couple, what kind or colors? I was thinking maybe black and clear? clasps french hooks

A:If you use string, you'll knot it. If you use crimp beads, they go with tigertail, SoftFlex, or similar beading wire. (If your beads are large/heavy as lampworked glass often is, I'd recommend the SoftFlex, which is stronger and more kink-resistant than tigertail. Clear is fine, unless you want it to show and want some other color.) To start making simple, one-strand glass bead necklaces and bracelets, you should have: SoftFlex clear in .019" (medium) weight crimp beads crimping pliers clasps - whichever kind you like jump rings - if your clasps require them as the "other end" hypo-tube or superglue chain nose (flat) pliers the beads This is all you need to start out. To get a little neater finish, also get clamshell bead tips The clamshells hide the ends of the beading wire and crimp bead. So instead of running the wire through the rings on the clasp to attach it, you run the wire into the clamshell, crimp it with the crimp bead, cut off the end, and close the clamshell. This leaves you with a strand ending in the clamshell, and you attach it to the clasp using the little hook. Large glass beads with large holes can also look nice on heavy cord, worn as a choker or short necklace. For a necklace like this, you'd use 2mm satin or leather cord

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