Need some instructions/ideas - Pony beads & beading wire

Where have you been, young lady? hhhmmm? For some reason, you've been on my mind for the past week or so--I was trying to recall your Lj name so I could go see if you were still kicking around the jewelry sales over there. I'm glad to see you back:)

Have you figured out a way around the whole AU bank fee thing yet? I know you were having trouble trying to figure out the cheapest way to get paid for your items, from out of AU.

Pony beads? Look for websites with instructions for keychain animals, lol! That's really the first thing that comes to mind. The second is that pony beads have wonderfully large holes, and work great with hemp cord.

Wire? I'm a curling and spiraling kinda girl--check Sooz's link list for tutorials--there are about a gazillion:)

A friend spilled sea monkeys on my computer. So for a few months I was stuck with a crappy loan computer and didn't bother much with newsgroups.

It seems that the fees outweigh any profit to be made selling overseas unfortunately (unless I can be paid in Aussie cash). I do offer trades for pieces however (none have happened so far). I really haven't been doing much promotion of my stuff for a while. When semester ends my b/f should have time to do me up a spiffy new website. On the 30th there is a student swap-meet at my university so I'll try to sell stuff there.

I came back here mainly because of what I just got from my friends for my birthday. A PILE of beads (many of them ponybeads), some earring hooks - which I badly needed), and 2 spools of beading wire (which I've never used before).

I did do some looking around online and discovered pony bead critters/keyrings. So far I've made a mouse and got halfway through a dragonfly and ran out of cord, so I'll need to get more. I also have a pattern for a beetle that is rather vague and infuriating because the beads won't sit where they're meant to. I think I need to invest in some hemp cord or something similar to make bracelets and stuff.

Do I need any special tools to work with the wire? At the moment all I have are some 4 in one pliers which are really only good for looping pins and squishing crimps and a pair of "Swiss army" pliers that have a flat surface and really good wire cutters. I'm looking for some really fine chain nose pliers so I can do stuff with the chain I have.

Where's the link to Sooz's stuff?

Thanks for the help. Gemfyre :)

Are they glass or plastic? You can use either in trying out various beadweaving techniques; they can be used in a similar way to a cone to hide the ends of a strand(s) of other beads; glass ones, strung on sport weight cotton can be crocheted into hot pads; plastic ones, on yarn or plastic twine, can be used to make purses; "Beady Babies" (many patterns on line); transparent ones can be bead-woven and used for suncatchers-- patterns intended for Delicas work well.....

Both can be used with seed beads to make "French beaded flowers", or little critters and such (lots of Japanese patterns for such).

The 28g is usually pretty easy to crochet or knit, with or without beads. Both can be used to make woven or braided pieces.

A pair of wire cutters and some chain nosed pliers, for sure; round nose pliers would also be nice. Steel crochet hook or knitting needles, if you're going to try those techniques. Kaytee "Simplexities" on

Plus Bead Notes: >some 4 in one pliers which are really only good for looping pins and >squishing crimps

Ack! No no no! ~~ Sooz To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph Chilton Pearce