Bead Resolutions, Garnet Beads & 2017 Bead Planner

A very happy and prosperous New Year - make more jewellery in 2017!

MrBead Shop Re-opens February 2017

To go to the HTML version with colour photos click http://www.mrbead.co.uk/january2017.htm

Content:
Free Shipping from MrBead
Beading Resolutions
MrBead Relocating To The UK
Think Beading!
Free 2017 Monthly Bead Planner
Garnet For January
Almost 12-Years of MrBead Newsletters!
Newsletter Archive
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Tweet a link to this newsletter to all your followers - just click here
Follow us on Twitter at MrBead@UKMrBead and Nigel at Nigel@NigelMckay
Follow Nigel at his site at NigelHayMckay.com

Beading Resolutions

Resolutions New Years is the best time to start something new. People make resolutions to eat better, extra exercise, quit bad habits. In 2017 you should be planning to be more healthy, work harder, sleep more, and make additional money!

How many of us make resolutions about our beading? What better way to imprint the positive habit of creativity, by enjoying time with our beads and making new projects. It can help you find time to do a little something creative almost every day. Make more jewellery!

MrBead Relocating to the UK

The MrBead shop is inside the container in the picture, on its way to Norwich. So all online orders after early-February 2017, will be mailed from the UK, getting to you in a matter of days if you live in Britain. It was a killer packing everything - over 280 boxes, each numbered, labelled, measured and listed. A lot of work, leaving MiMi and I with bruises all over and days to recover from jet-lag and a week of 6-hours sleep a night. I think it's drive me to drink!

The village roads where we were in Hong Kong were too narrow for the rig, so it took three lorry loads to transport everything to the container. Hopefully it will arrive in Norwich before the end of January.

Think Beading!

Now is the time to decide what you'd like to make to start your New Year's beading projects. This can be a large or small project, a necklace or bracelet, an intricate item, even wall hanging. Or something significant, such as a baby announcement for a new child or grandchild, a wedding announcement in beads, a beaded plaque with a quote that means something important to you or loved ones.

Now!
The important thing is not to think I’ll start when “I get around to it” – you must start right away, go for it! You don't have to have every item you'll need to complete the project to begin. And it doesn’t have to take all day - just set aside an hour or so to get the project started. As long as you have something to begin. Often you'll find new beads along the way that will fit perfectly with the project.

List
Make a list of all supplies you need for the project. Tick off what you already have and order online what’s missing. Check for beading thread, needles, a loom if it necessary, the pattern, any instructions or tutorials you'll need, a bead board etc. Also, make sure that you have a place to do the beading, any work surface covers, plus somewhere to store the project while you’re not working. Keep the work in a secure place so it will not be tipped over accidentally or knocked off a shelf.

Organize
Plan some time, at least an hour, to get your new beading project underway. Have all the supplies you'll need in one spot so you can sit down and begin beading. If you need a particular book or print-out, be sure to have it ready to use. Mark the place in the book or have instructions from the internet printed out for reference. If you know you have some of the supplies on hand but that they are "buried", take a few minutes to dig them out and look over.

You don’t want to be put off a new project because the thread is the wrong colour or your clippers are too dull. If you are missing something for your project, you can often substitute it for something else. Use your imagination with what you have. Customizing or changing a published beading pattern is a way to add a bit of "you" to the original designer's creative vision and makes your beading even more special.

Gather all the items you have, even if it's just the beading needle, thread and pattern. If you have none of the other supplies, then at least thread the needle and read through the pattern. You could take time to mark rows on the pattern or to gather tools and look through the beads in your stash to work into the project. Go for it! Once you've taken the first step - the rest, including beads, tools and time to bead, will come easy!

Use our monthly 2017 bead planner to organize your beading schedule - click here

2017 MrBead Year Planner

To download your Free 2017 Planner click 2017 Monthly Year Planner

Garnet - January's Gemstone

What Is Garnet?
Garnet is January's birthstone, a name given to over ten gemstones with similar chemical structure. Although red occurs most, there are also shades of green, pale to bright yellow and fiery orange garnet. Some rare garnets even change colour from daylight to artificial light.

The word “Garnet” derives from the Latin “granum” meaning "grain”. Describing the typically rounded shape of the gemstone and also reminds of pomegranate seeds. Some rare garnets even change colour from daylight to artificial light. The name “garnet” derives from the Latin “granum” meaning "grain”. Describing the typically rounded shape of the gemstone and similar to pomegranate seeds. Garnet comes mainly from Africa, but also from India, Russia, Central and South America.

Benefits
Garnet makes good jewellery because it’s very hard, and so resistant to wear. Garnet is said to symbolize happiness as well as deep and enduring love and friendship. Garnet has been found in jewellery from ancient Greece, Rome, and dating back to 3100 BC in Egypt. Oriental warriors made garnet bullets because they believed these would inflict more harm. Others thought garnet brightened the night because of its high refraction of light - explained Noah’s garnet lantern to steer his Ark.

Travellers’ wore garnets to protect against evil, poison and wounds. It was also believed to help depression and prevent nightmares. Red garnet in particular is said to break a fever, stop bleeding and to reduce inflammation.

Modern Garnet
Today, garnet is prized for its beauty rather than its magical powers. People like its naturalness, its brilliance, and colour of a sun-drenched Indian summer. Deep green garnets are the rarest and therefore expensive. Emerald green and colourless garnet is next rarest, followed by pure red.

See our garnet beads after January 2017 at MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

Almost 12-Years of MrBead Newsletters!

April 2017 is the 12th full year of the MrBead newsletters, and I thank you all for such enthusiastic comments and appreciation. To see the past newsletters click here.

To see all the original old newsletters click here.
To sign-up for the free newsletters click http://www.mrbead.com/beadnewsletter.htm.