Top Ten Boo-Boos LBers (and knotters) make.

[waimeamomi]

Yesterday I spent an inordinate amount of time making this necklace. First I strung it and then wrecked the gimp, which I'm not sure I'm on board with as a finishing item. Then I did several other dunderheaded things that caused what should have been a simple stringing to take well over an hour. Can you charge someone for time you spend crawling on the carpet looking for lost stones? So I created this list (and yes I've done all of these) - thanks to David Letterman. Please feel free to add to it!!!!

TOP TEN STRINGING MISTAKES

10. Failing to count out the pattern so that you are left without the correct number of beads to complete your work.

9. Crimping the clasp on and then finding that the necklace will not fit anyone over the age of 11.

8. Crimping a wire guard on without the clasp.

7. Finishing a necklace and modeling it only to have your daughter (son, husband, friend) exclaim, "you missed a bead there."

6. Finishing a piece and realizing that gold and silver findings look the same color at night under your light.

5. Cutting the excess wire after making the final crimp, and accidently cutting the main stringing wire as well.

4. Holding a necklace up to see it against your neck and dropping one end of the necklace. (this is how I've come to find that my cleaners don't really vacuum very well near my work space, probably a blessing considering what I've found while crawling on my hands and knees).

3. Crushing and ruining crimp covers (especially 14k ones argghhh).

2. Hitting or flipping the beading board during construction.

And the number one mistake this Lowly beader makes:

1. Thinking about what I'm going to write in PG about what I'm working on while working on it, causing me to make way too many of the above mistakes at a time!

The above mentioned necklace. 6mm sapphires, White SS pearl, white gold.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Love it!

11. Assuming that the pattern that looks so nice on the beading board will look equally nice on one's neck. I can't count the number of times I had to make changes --now I make sure I hold it up to my neck before crimping.

 

[pattye]

LOL, LOL,

I can certainly attest to #4, sooooo many times, even though I have the bead stoppers, I get in a hurry to look---------and #2, could be a problem with too many bead boards piled atop each other And #11 if my neck was grayer the necklace probably would look more like I expected------

Love the sapphires and ss pearl necklace, BTW!!

 

[waimeamomi]

I just went upstairs to work and committed #8 because of #1. You'd think I'd learn.

BTW Pattye, thanks! I'm finally getting to some of the gemstone strands I brought home from NYC.

 

[dkan 168]

Wow, what a necklace!

Knocking over a tray of beads and findings accidentally is the one I remember the most

Making a knot very close to the end, before realising it was not tight enough is a close second

Breaking the tip of a rimmer inside a pearl and can't get it out is the most recent boo boo I made

DK

 

[Mervione]

I really recognize the thing about knocking over things... I think it?d be a great idea to put a white carpet under your worktable so that you can easily see what you?ve dropped.

 

[waimeamomi]

I'd have to to the whole room, I think. It's incredible how far things bounce and roll when they spill. My favorite of all time was dropping a strand that I was restringing for someone so I had counted bead numbers to be exact. I dropped the end of the strand and could not for the life of me find 5 small tanzanite beads. I had rehearsed all kinds of apologies, until that night getting ready for bed I found them all stuck to me inside my bra.

 

[dkan 168]

.... until that night getting ready for bed I found them all stuck to me inside my bra.

Good job you found them!

Scratching the pearls when using a awl during knotting is another boo boo that springs to mind

DK

 

[Hanaleimom]

I had rehearsed all kinds of apologies, until that night getting ready for bed I found them all stuck to me inside my bra.

Haha, Sheryl, you made me LOL. I meant it. The sapphire strand is gorgeous!!!

 

[pattye]

Well, I want to offer the top stringing/beading mistake I am most guilty of-----------------

Number 12. Not clearing the beadboard before starting the next project!! And/or buying another beadboard to start the next project!!! Results in tarnished sterling findings, and too many little baggies of "stuff." Have even gone so far as appropriating muffin tins from the kitchen to hold beads!!!!

However, after Raisondetre's great example, I have spent hours sorting and putting away during the last two days, and made great progress!! I hope this will help alot as the upcoming Christmas Bazaar is only 1 month away, and I need to string like crazy! Ahhh, confession is a good thing!!!

 

[GemGeek]

Have you seen the black boxes filled with little round acrylic gem jars? Those tight-fitting acrylic lids come in handy when you, or a cat, flips your tray.

 

[waimeamomi]

Except the lids have to be on. I have those as well.

 

[Sueki]

The stupid things I do are too numerous to mention; but probably the number one and two are thinking about my next design whilst stringing the current one.
This results in necklaces etc. being put aside half-finished and I end up with half a dozen or so lying on boards (with covers) which take up all the available space.

Number two is knocking the beading tray.
However, I've managed to reduce the effect of doing this by using a blob of blutac in each corner of the underside of the tray.
It helps.....

 

[pearlescence]

With my groove in my worktop I don't have a bead tray to knock!

My number one is jussssssst running out of silk when I think I can just eke it out

(and I had a spate of cutting right through the silk at the finish when trying to trim it really close. Not done that for a while now, thank goodness- though watch it happen today now)

 

[jerin]

I tend to forget to put the clasp on after the French Wire at the end of a strand, which is very annoying when the ring is soldered....

 

[Sueki]

Oh, yes, Inge,
I've done that too.....

Wendy, I use one of those loupes that clip to spectacles so's I can see clearly and in close-up where to cut/zap the thread.

 

[pearlescence]

Yes, I could see clearly enough where to cut, I just didn't cut there!

 

[barbie biggs]

13. making the last knot, passing the strand through the next three pearls, the gimp, and the clasp and having it all come out looking like the knots are spaced perfectly when it's done.
Three wearings later the knot by the 3rd pearl unties itself somehow and there is a space the size of a pearl in my necklace near the clasp.
aarghh!
This has happened twice! I can't figure out why. You'd think it would happen all the time because I tend to do things in a very methodical way. But noooo.
I can't figure it out.
Anybody else ever have this happen?
barbie

 

[Sueki]

Hi Barbie,
I haven't had this happen to me yet.
But after the final knot, I thread the silk through the next pearl and then cut/snip/zap it off.
Although I don't use it, maybe a spot of glue on your last knot will solve the problem ?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

In addition to bumping the beading board, I have been known to drop pliers onto it. That sends the beads in all directions!