This CNN special features Bill Weir as takes all of us armchair tourist on a trip to those special places in the world – before we destroy them. His camera crew gives you a spectacular view of Venice, Tops on my Wonder List.
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Sometimes making Murano beads is like one of those games you play where you try to see the differences between two cartoons. Or “one of these things is not like the other”. We were working on a slightly different version of one of our zanfirico* beads to make it a little more production friendly. Two days of working with our bead makers to make one style of beads and I was still trying to explain that it just doesn’t feel right. That while all the components, zanfirico, 24kt Gold Foil, Base color were all there, it just wasn’t what I was trying to achieve. Not that the beads weren’t beautiful – just not what I had in mind. But sometimes the vision they have of a bead (well actually often) turns out better than my own vision. Watch our video as we work to make this bead.
Making one bead, is one thing, making the hundreds and thousands we need for our VenetianBeadShop customers around the world and keeping them essentially the same – well that’s a more difficult task. The variables are so many: the canes we buy from Effetre (known in the industry as Moretti)** who makes the canes as they have been for – did something change in their batch? like carpet or fabric, each batch has a specific color and varies from batch to batch, the heat and how the torch is working on any given day, add in the different beadmakers, and their humor. Any small change in this loose chain will result in a different bead.
Sometimes I envy Swarovski® who makes everything by machine and I am sure precision in their recipe for glass colors that equals rocket science!
But then they don’t get to share any creative ideas! Venetian Beads will never be exactly the same – it’s not a science, it’s an art! And our beadmakers the artists!
*Zanfirico and Reticello are high quality products, belonging to the filigree family and they a difficult manufacturing tasks. Zanfirico consists of lines of opaque glass turned together while pulling the rods creating a spiral then wrapped in a clear cover, while Reticello is so named for the characteristic mesh texture that can be observed inside.
**The processing techniques used by EFFETRE MURANO SRL go back to the XIX century, when Vincenzo Moretti rediscovered the difficult method of the murrine from the Romanesque ages, and created a multitude of coloured glasses and enamels, that’s why Effetre products are known also as Moretti.
One of our favorite ways to make a piece of Murano Glass Jewelry come alive is to use matte beads which gives you a contrast between our shiny Venetian Beads and the soft glow of the matte beads, a luster which resembles a Mother of Pearl glow. There are couple of ways to achieve this look, sandblasting, tumbling but the quickest, less expensive method is with etchall® a trademarked product sold in Stain Glass shops and some hobby shops.
We do sell some of our beads matted, but since it’s so easy, we think you’ll enjoy doing this in your workshop. It is also a cost saver as you do not need to buy both matte beads and the shiny beads, just buy the shiny and matte as you work.
To begin with, we use only etchall® Dip ‘n Etch, which you can find on our website in 4 oz bottles. Shop Now
It begins as a clear liquid but with use it turns dark as you can see in our bottle here as well. The color does not affect the ability to etch the glass.
For our Murano Glass (COE 104) it takes between 15 and 25 minutes to obtain that soft luste. Other types of glass you will need to experiment to find the optimal time.
We work with a much larger bottle of the liquid and pour into a small plastic (because it does not etch plastic) water bottle so that we can agitate easily and watch the process. Then we pour the liquid back into our larger container using a tea strainer to capture the now matte beads.
Rinse the beads thoroughly and allow to air dry.
NOTE: be sure to shake the container every couple of minutes to be sure the coverage is all over the bead. If you do not, you will have small marks where the beads touched, as the touching prevents the liquid from completely covering the bead.
NOTE: Do not use on any of our exterior foil beads as it will etch off the Gold Foil, Silver Foil.
Small Print
We would be remiss if we did not caution you about its use.
We just added this quick little tool from Beadalon to make your own ear wires. It’s inexpensive and comes in so handy when you’ve run out of ear wires and just need a couple.
It is also a good way to use the leftover bits of wire you have in your beading box – you only need a couple of inches for each earwire.
You can find the tool on our website at: EarWire Swoop
You can watch the video by Wyatt White, Product Developer, from Beadalon as he shows you how
You can find this tool and many more at our online store at http://www.venetianbeadshop.com
How many black jackets do you have? Shoes? Pants? Sweaters? If you are like me, your closet has too many of these to count and when you go to the store, you keep looking at more black backets, shoes, purses…..
Well there’s good news. The runways of Milan and Paris were filled with new black high fashion! Seems the fashion houses looked at their best sellers and for once went with logic ignoring the color predictions that have dominated the fashion industry. Designer Alexander Wang’s showing in New York was “defiantly black”. Wang says the retailers were all requesting a black version of his designs. Fashion editors concluded the collection will be a hit….duh they needed to only ask me.
Gracefully even Pantone has endorsed the renegade saying “A perennial favorite, black and white are a classic partnership that continues from strength to strength. (I’m not exactly sure what this sentence means.)
The S/S 15 fashion runways were dominated by pure white, pitch black, and bold combinations of the two. No surprise perhaps – this mono option is usually present in some form or another for Spring. But we were struck by how this color option dominated both Paris and Milan.
We see both black and white working as solids, but even stronger as equal partners in graphic combinations and micro-patterns, and made young and fresh with a small splash of primary color.”
That’s great news as well, that means we can wear our Reds, Blues and Greens along with our all time favorite: Black.
It doesn’t mean we are in mourning, going Gothic, or that we are simply too lazy to color coordinate….
We’re in STYLE! (now I am waiting for Leopard Prints to make a comeback!)
You can find our black authentic #Murano Glass Beads on our website at http://www.venetianbeadshop.com
Making wire wraps are a basic skill set for anyone wanting to make jewelry. The benefits of a wire wrap are (1) it’s secure (2) it doesn’t hang on clothing or hair (3) it looks professional! (4) You’ll be so proud you’ll want to make MORE!
So overcome that hesitancy to tackle a new skill. Your jewelry will be all the better for it. It’s perfect for that Rosary you always planned on making.
You’ll need the following tools and supplies:
We would use our 8mm Venetian Beads of course, but Swarovski would also be good.
The length you want will determine how many beads you need. Assume that a fully completed link with 1 bead and wirewraps on both sides will measure approximately 1-1 1/2 inches. The clasp and jump rings will add about 1 inch.
So watch and learn with Margot Potter of TheImpatientCrafter TM – DIY for the short attention span crowd!
Time to get started on your projects for spring. Here’s Pantone’s choices. You’ll find these colors featured in clothing, accessories like handbags and shoes in all the department stores. You can make your own jewelry to match, just follow these color trends.
You can download and print a PDF of this to have handy by the computer as you shop, or put in your purse to take with you to the store. Click Here for printable: PANTONE_Spring_2015_VenetianBeadShop
We have taken these colors and matched both Swarovski Crystals as well as our own authentic Murano Glass Beads to make it easy for you to shop complimentary colors. Just click on any color to shop. VenetianBeadShop
The theme for Carnevale 2015 is all about the Food and Drink. Saturday night the parade down the Rio Cannaregio Canal bought thousands to watch this spectacular show. The fun continues until the close on 17 February. Read More: Follow our Blog
This infographic was compiled from several online sources (the credits are at the bottom of the infographic). Psychology of Color Infographic. “A lot more is going on behind the scenes than just aesthetic. Powerful psychological cues are triggered when we view different colors.” from Webpagefx.com.
Take a look at the logos that we all know from major brands and learn why they chose these colors. Is it any surprise that Blue is a favorite of men? Or that Green is the color associated with environmental friendly companies (or those wanting to appear as environmentally friendly) or that Red is the choice for so many international brands?
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With 93% purchases based on color, there’s no wonder everyone from furniture makers, carpet manufacturers and of course jewelry and fashion designers live by the Pantone® Forecast and Trends. (You can find the Spring 2015 Color Trends on our website.
40 1 Thief:
The ongoing rumors of Ebay being bought by Alibaba have opened our eyes on how exactly a Chinese seller on Ebay can offer free shipping on an item which they sell for under $2.00, though this dates back a couple of years. And to just why Alibaba might be interested in Ebay, as they would acquire this sweetheart of a deal with the USPS, which not even the giant Amazon has privy. (It does seem to me that this entire deal reeks discrimination – via favoritism to certain businesses.) This Alibaba won’t need 40 thieves!
Just to be fair, I calculated a 2 ounce package (because you can’t ship beads in a letter due to the thickness) from San Jose CA going to San Jose CA.
The cost came up $2.32
But alas if you are a Chinese vendor on ebay, you can ship this same 2 ounces from Hong Kong or mainland China for $.98.
Preferential Treatment:
But this also fosters ebay’s preferental treatment of Chinese vendors – want to know what happens if Alibaba buys Ebay?
READ IT HERE:
Ebay currently has no interest in punishing Chinese customers selling fakes or falsely advertising goods. They are ignoring reports and pushing the Chinese vendors to the top of any search. READ IT HERE: If it says it ships from China or HongKong – It’s NOT Murano Glass. If Alibaba owns ebay, they will have even less interest in flooding the market with knockoffs.
So it’s no surprise that ebay sellers in the US are unhappy as they continually see products (yes produced in China) auctioned, or “buy it now” with FREE Shipping. And with Alibaba at the helm, what do you think their motivation will be? They would inherit this sweetheart deal.
USPost Office Announced Deal with China & Ebay
But it’s real and here is the News Release by the US Post Office of this grand agreement.(Click for the USPS-China-Ebay-Agreement announcement directly from the Post Office.) Yes that’s our US Post Office who seems to loose more money each year, wonder why?
And the Washington Post reported the plight of one US business whose sales suddenly ceased. (Click here for WashingtonPost_Report or visit the website)
“The USPS offers this service, called “ePacket,” to foreign postal operators looking to increase global trade with the United States, spokeswoman Darlene S. Casey said in an e-mail. It has proven popular. Between fiscal years 2011 and 2012, China nearly tripled the number of packages sent under this program, from 9.5 million to 26.8 million. Revenues quadrupled. Casey also noted that the USPS relies on business income, not tax dollars, to fund its operations. (It lost another $5 billion last fiscal year.)
But this has still been a money sink for the Postal Service. In 2012, USPS was paid only 94 cents on average for each piece of Chinese ePacket mail, according to a February report from the Postal Service’s inspector general’s office. That report estimated that the Postal Service was losing about a dollar on each incoming item, adding up to a $29.4 million net loss in 2012.”
But wait, it gets even sweeter. For these same unbelievable rates, the Chinese get tracking. Have you seen what sellers in the US have to pay for International shipments tracking? It must be Priority Mail International (where 2 ounces will cost ~$38.90).
Who Approved this Deal?
Yep, this is the same US Post Office who is continually asking the US tax payers for more money as they are loosing money? No joke, they must have been sleeping in their economic classes as shipping more packages at a loss doesn’t help their bottom line. It turns out they pulled this little number some time ago as the announcement is from 2010 and is a TriLateral Agreement between China, Ebay and the USPS.
What does it really mean?
It means that more small sellers in the US are simply disappearing from ebay and other markets. Ebay pushes, extremely hard, to force sellers to offer free shipping. And they encourage you to build in the shipping costs, citing buyer psychology “buyers know the shipping is built in, but want it shipped for free anyway”. That again makes the smaller seller less competitive. And ultimately the USPS looses again because the actual paying customer is gone! While the $.98 paying Chinese is still shipping,but maybe they are still thinking they can make it up in volume!
What can you do about this?
Write your Congress and Senate representatives. Write the USPS and above all do NOT buy goods on ebay from China. Actually not buying from ebay is ok with me too!!!!
