I think sometimes we get so caught up in needing things to be perfect, or just seeing the end result that we forget that there is often a learning curve or worse, not starting something for fear of failing.
Honestly, I think it is something we need to bring up more, that it is ok to dive in and more importantly it is ok to fail.
So long as you learn something no attempt is a waste.
Not everyone just picks something up and creates perfection. Nor do we know everything about a craft right from the get-go, we might have to revisit something several times.
So why would you ask do I bring this up? Because today I tried to make a simple string of beads for my Viking. I had been putting it off for ages, most of it was just not being sure of what I really needed. Silly yes, but I felt foolish not knowing how to string beads more so after watching it be done several times.
I had the sense to chat long time cosplay buddy ConspiracyOfCrows, who happens to have a fair mastery of wire and beading. They recommended beading wire, and that memory wire might be above my skill set but I may want to look at it down the line as a stronger alternative.
Confidence boosted I took advantage of Michale’s sale paired it with some coupons to get crimping beads and some beading wire before setting off to A&S. Laying the beads out was easy I had picked up a beautiful bead a few years ago and once I set that in the center I was quick to lay the rest out.
The first issue; Gravity still works. The second issue, a lack of a spacer.
I tried adding the crimping bead…it would have worked save for the fact that some of my hand selected beads had larger holes than others.
At that point, I realized well that didn’t go as planned, back to the drawing board. Feeling vexed I stuffed the beads back in a ziplock vowing I wouldn’t let this set back best me.
So where do I go from here? After some google work and some thought, I realized a few things.
One I need more beads, namely spacer beads to help hold things in place.
Two I need to find my proper needle nose pliers. I was told I don’t need the crimping tool, a lifesaver as I don’t plan on doing too much more beadwork unless it is sewing them on fabric.
Three don’t put this off again, honestly, it is a good addition to my Viking garb and helps elevate it from meh to I might know what I am doing. And if it takes a few more tries then so be it because, in the end, I can say I did it my self.
