Lesson Learned
Above, you see a cuff that I was very excited to design and bead, as you know from previous posts. This cuff was my pride and joy.
But, I am a very unhappy beader/designer right now. I was working on a pattern for the Mirrored Images Cuff. I needed to get some bead count information for the loops and figure out how I attached the toggles. I was surprised to find that the pink in most of my cuff was no longer pink but crystal clear This even included the toggles. I had used the most wondrous silver lined pink seed beads by Matsuno. The curious thing about it is that the cuff had never been worn. The only time it has been handled was when I took pictures of it and had it at 1 craft show……well, maybe to move it around in the box it is stored in. It had never been in sunlight nor been around water or alcohol.
While talking in a chatroom with a few beaders/designers, Shala informed me that pink has a tendency to come off because the glass seed beads are not pink. This was the first I had heard of the pink seed bead issue. Then a beading friend, Loretta, told me the same thing the other day. Wish I would have known this before I created the cuff. Oh well, we live and learn.
I will have to create another cuff in a different set of colors to put in the pattern, as a lot of beaders, especially new beaders, want their finished piece to look exactly like the one in the picture. It would break my heart to hear from one my customers that the same thing had happened to them.
Following is a picture of the cuff as it looks now.
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That is so heartbreaking! I was given a tube of beads by my favorite bead shop simply because they were once pink and she had them in a case that was by a window so half the tube had turned clear. She thought I could have some fun playing around with them. Who am I to turn down free beads…faded or not!
I am SO sorry about your cuff though, it was so gorgeous!
You all warm my heart. I want to thank all of you for commenting. It means a lot to me.
I will be getting all of the pink out of the cuff and put it back up for sale as crystal and amethyst.
I feel your pain, Marilyn! But the design is fantastic and I’m looking forward to seeing another one in different colors.
on the upside, the pattern is incredible
also, it has nothing to do with them being silver lined, or even pink. it has to do w/ the fact that they are dyed. I’ve NEVER had this problem w/ silver lined beads. I work w/ Czech though
Marilyn, Ouch! That hurts, but as others have pointed out it is still beautiful. Thanks for sharing your lesson, so we can all learn from it. Hugs, Paula
How awful – this is bad news since I just bought a ton of pink beads to make stuff for Valentines Day. It really is a great pattern – such a shame about the pink!
I LOVE the way you’ve set up your blog! How did you put that list of EBW members on the right so that when you click on them it opens their shop? Maybe it’s just HTML – I’ll have to see if I can figure it out. VERY nice embellishment. I’d like to do that to my blog too; mind if I pledgerize your wonderful idea?
Oh, Marilyn, I’m crying for you. Here’s a big HUG, can you feel it? What a d–n shame and a lesson learned for many of us, it seems. Thank you for taking the time to blog about this and teach those of us who didn’t know about the “pinks” in this world. The bracelet is gorgeous – such fine work, I’m in awe. Call it your “pattern sample” and make another one soon – it’s really stunning.
Oh no
Sorry to hear it, Marilyn!
It is still great design, though!
It’s still a thing of beauty– just a bit less pink and shiny:)
I feel for you Marilyn! I had a similar incident with silver lined matte purple beads made by Toho … the dye came off on my hands as I was weaving. The color is so deep and rich, that I hate to just throw them away. Think I will try MaryLou’s (time2cre8) solution of spraying them with fixative.
How strange! I haven’t encountered that problem but I’m glad you brought to our attention! And it is a beautiful bracelet!
I would contact the company and the place of purchase if I were you. To put all that work into something and have this happen is just a shame. You never know, this may have been a bad batch of beads. I have had it happen to me before with some purple beads. I think they were blue moon or something I had bought at Wal-mart. I also had pieces fade that were made with Matsuno, but the color didn’t come completely off. That is just sad.
Hugs,
Marie Starr
That is so so so frustrating. All the work put into this cuff, designing, choice of beads, colors and execution, then have this happen. I have a batch of pink matsumos lying around, that I have never used yet. I am wondering now what to do with them??
The only thing to do is to create a design that would integrate a faded, shabby chic look with them…but that is so not my vision of jewelry….
They were such a pretty shade of pink, too. Sorry this happened for you. I wonder if all brands of pink seed beads have this tendency or just the Matsuno? Think I’ll check my pink pieces I have packed away.
oh that is awful!!! I’m so sorry to hear.. it happened to me with some turquoise beads when I first started beading, I was heartbroken… such a shame, the cuff is gorgeous!
I’m so sorry about your cuff. It was gorgeous. After our EBW seed bead color discussion I’m worried about some pink pieces I’ve made in the past. So far no one has complained.
Sooooo frustrating. It seems almost every seed bead has it’s own personality. Some are better behaved than others, but what a way to find out
Oh what a shame after all that hard work Marilyn! Oh oh – I’m working in pink seed beads right now
Wow – I had no idea about this either Grandma Marilyn! I learned something today as well! That has to be a real bummer – it’s such a pretty bracelet. Have you been able to find another seed bead that you can use instead to make it that won’t fade?
I wish you lots of luck on finding a decent bead. I hope it all works out!
Oh, rats! I’m so sorry. How frustrating!