MerryFool's "Making Wool Beads" Tutorial
 

I got my "Making Wool Beads" tutorial done!
It's up in my Etsy store now for sale and some of you lucky LE members will be receiving it as a Secret Santa gift...Ho Ho Ho!
(It costs $15 USD --no shipping fee since I'm emailing it, but I DO need to know an email address that can handle a large file. Yahoo doesn't like them, which is why I'm sending through my gmail account. I usually do all my daily convo on my mmacvoy(at)yahoo(dot)ca account, which is also my paypal contact)

(just click on "My Etsy" in my siggy to go there! or click here!)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/...be80120664.jpg

Those are so cute Mary!
Lori

cool!

Big hugs to you Mary for the tut!! Thanks I can't wait to try it! Becky:waving:

Pretty beads!

Those are really pretty!

I love those beads!! As soon as I can whip up some cash I'll buy that tut!

Good Morning! Hope you recieved my paypal $$$ Let me knowTHANKS!!

Thanks guys!:love:

I PM'd you noodlesaurus... :)

Is there any chance you can post the materials list for these? I'm just trying to figure out what kind of supply gathering I am in for if I buy your tut.

If the materials list gives the tut away I understand if you don't want to post it.;)

Mary Beth,
No problem...it doesn't hurt my tut to say what you need:

Dyed wool roving (I used a silk/merino wool mix)
38 gauge all-purpose felting needle
a foam pad to felt on safely
Cotton or Silk Embroidery Floss
Seed beads in a various colours and sizes
Fine embroidery needle
Small sharp scissors

(I share my sources on where I get my supplies and my techniques in the tut . ;) )

Thank you! That helps a lot! I think the main thing I would need to buy would be the wool roving. I'll have to consider this after Christmas - those beads are really pretty. They would look really cool as zipper pulls on sweaters!

Etsy says that you are out of stock!

ack! That's because I sold one...um, lemme go see what I can do about that! Thanks for the heads up barbara!

Okay, I figured it out and have made it as a "multiple" listing so that it will be there in the shop when people want to order it! :D
Don't forget, you'll need to provide me with an email address that can handle receiving a large file.

I totally want this...hopefully after x-mas!! :D I'm envisioning combining glass and metals and maybe some e-formed stuff in the fiber beads to use in my mixed media pieces...ohhhhhhh it would be cool! :D Thanks for making this tut, Mary!!

I've PM'd you, Pipyr...:love:

Awesome Mary!!!!! I Love Those And So Glad To Get A Ready Made One In An Exchange We Did!!!!!!!!

I just bought this! I want to learn this technique and I think starting with beads is just perfect! Besides the fact that these are so gorgeous!

I'm glad that one of my felted babies is in your collection Susan!

I can't wait to see what you Create, Mary Beth! I like to make up a "supply" of felted wool beads, then I pick and choose which one to stitch on from the pile. I do a number of stitched beads and then decide what kind of jewellery that I want to make with it. It's a very organic process of creativity. :)

This looks like a fantastic Tutorial Mary!

OMG those are so fun looking....now do I have the skills to pull something like that off!!!

...it's entirely possible, Michelle-Marie. All you need is the "know-how", some patience and an open mind! :D

I think the hardest part for me so far is choosing the colors that I want to buy! The tut is wonderful! Very nicely illustrated with lots of good suggestions!

So many delicious choices...
 

Thanks MaryBeth!

To start, I'd suggest buying a package of variegated dyed wool in a colour family that you like. It gives you a lot of choice of coordinating colours to work with. (=The "most bang for your buck"!)

You should have a pretty good idea if you like Natural/Neutral tones, or Jewel tones, or "Candy Colours"/Intense Pastels (like me!), or Primary colours...

Here are some sellers on ebay to check out for supplies:
Winderwood Farm(my fav. seller!), Wistyria, Red Barn Farm

Don't forget when you're choosing what colour embroidery floss to embellish your beads with, that you want to have some kind of contrast in the colours so that your stitching shows up -- whether that contrast is through black or white, a darker or lighter version of the colour of the base bead, or a complementary colour to the base bead's colour.
The same goes for your choice of seed beads. Decide on if you want to it contrast through colour or texture or size...

Thanks, Mary! I'll have to check those sellers out! I found a seller on Etsy that I like also and they are here in Colorado. I might have to try them all;-)

I really like that first seller you listed! Lots of varigated colors and variety packs8)

I'm back!!!

I do have a question. About how many one inch beads does once ounce of the wool make? I've never done this before so I don't know if an ounce is a lot of wool or not:)

Hey Mary Beth...
One ounce should go a long way. I bought a 4 oz. roll of hand-dyed variegated merino wool/silk roving from Winderwood farm last year and I still have some left. I've made LOTS of beads out of that roving.
--Just remember that the amount of roving that you use for each bead is going to start out about twice the size that you want the finished bead to be.
No guarantees of course, but if I had to guess how many beads one ounce of roving can make, I'd say...45-60? (I guess I should pay more attention!) I just make up a bunch at a time so that I have a supply to work from.

Thanks for those links Mary and tips too! I was wondering about where I could get the wool. I really want to try this so let me sell some beadies and I'll for sure be back to gt mine! :D It looks fun and I already know how awesome your graphics are! (eye tut) ;)