We are on day 4 of the Everyday Collection : Trees Project. The beads are here and will be finished today ! The finishing stage is quite a time consuming business. I initially, prepare the holes for threading. I use a bead reamer for this job. Each bead needs to be assessed and the reamer will tidy the holes as well as re shape the entry part of the holes. This process transforms the look of the bead and immediately improves the appearance.
The next phase involves tumbling the beads in a mild soapy water. I use various grades of sandpaper on the lining of a tumbler, changing the sandpaper 3 or 4 times, each time with a finer grade. The beads come out of the tumbler with a rather dull, 'washed out' finish - not very attractive ! The finial stage involves polishing with a felt pad using wax polish. After polishing, the beads take on either a matt sheen or a full shine, depending on how much polishing goes on.
The finishing stage does take quite some time - for the most part,I'm dealing with individual beads. I have just over 70 beads to finish. Hopefully, I have enough beads to make 3 individual bracelets. I will string the beads with stretch elastic, this is the 'Everyday' element of the bracelet (read back each day this week for more on the Project). I want the Everyday Collection to be wearable for most situations and will have this in mind when I put the beads together.
Here's a quick look at the beads, ready for 'finishing' :
I'm happy with the beads, especially the longer beads. I was inspired by actual 'trees' and wanted to achieve an individual 'tree trunk' look for each bead. Although each bead has similar qualities, the shapes are slightly varied and hopefully the finished bracelet will turn out well.
Thanks for calling in today.
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