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August 11, 2008 :: New Handmade Finished Jewelry Cords :: Twisted Three-Ply Cable Type Cord
Beautiful finished jewelry cords are hard to find. Many years ago I started making my own. Over the last several years, customers at shows have been ordering cords as alternative or replacement cords. Some like them so much, they wear them just by themselves. This section will feature my handmade cords. I am starting with one type of cord, a twisted 3-ply cable type cord in three colors, three diameters and three sizes. I plan to add more styles, especially a braided kumihimo style cord and more colors over time. ~ Marion |
| Also newly added :: Reamers, new scissors, bead awls.... >>Go to Tools |
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June 30, 2008 :: 16 NEW C-Lon Micro Cord Colors are here. Order the 16 new colors now. To order individual colors and for more info >>
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Grape |
Lt Orchid |
Orchid |
Amethyst |
Caribbean Blue |
Teal |
Lt Copper |
Shanghai Red |
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Oyster |
Sea Shell |
Wine |
Brown |
Lt Blue
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Peridot |
Olive |
Forest Green |
Order all 16 new colors :: 1 spool each :: $64.00 |
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June 12, 2008 :: One of my customer with experience writing manuals offered to test all my kits. Since then during our spare time, a sparse commodity for creative minds, we have been busy editing, or writing and re-writing all the manuals for my workshops and kits. ~ Marion
New Kit :: Kumihimo Medallion with Nine Beads
This kit comes with a 14 page manual with illustrations, color photos and step by step instructions. It includes all the material for the project: donuts, beads, nylon and sterling or gold filled clasp. The techniques covered are: Four Strand Kumihimo Braid, Maru Dai-Free and Disk-Free. Bead Edging around the Donut. Square Knot Loop. Finishing. More>>
Mastex :: New Golden Tan
On the short spool with a slightly different shade than the tall version produced up to 2005.
Mastex is now completely out of the tall spools on the black plastic cone in all colors. Very limited supply of the tall spools is still available now, but get them while you can. More>>
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May 10, 2008 :: New Thread from C-LON :: C-LON® TEX 400 BEAD CORD
The new heavyweight Tex 400 C-Lon® Bead Cord is the latest addition to the C-Lon family. As its siblings, the C-Lon Bead Cord and the C-Lon Micro Cord, it is a bonded 3 ply twisted multi-filament thread with diameter of 0.9mm. A 75 lb breaking strength should guarantee long-lasting creations for micro macrame, stringing beads and other techniques such as bead crochet, finger weaving, kumihimo, tatting as well as many other uses where a strong bonded nylon is required. It fits through most 4mm gemstone beads, Miyuki 8/0s once with a self needle and passes easily twice through Miyuki 6/0s. Made in the USA. 16 colors available to start.
Personal Note :: Many times I have wished for a cord heavier than the Nylon #18 and C-Lon Bead Cord. Until now I often made my own cords, an extra step, when needing a thicker cord. The C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord will provide us the designers with new design possibilities. It knots very well between beads when stringing and for micro macrame. The thread is gorgeous by itself, it has a beautiful sheen and the 16 colors are a great start! |
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More about the new thread from C-Lon :: I usually think about thread in the context of making jewelry with it, and I can already think of many ways of using this heavier thread. I want to thank C-Lon for adding new colors and now a new weight of thread to its thread line. It is such a pleasure to play, design and work with such a fabulous range of colors and now 3 thread weights all color coordinated. I can't wait to play with the new thread...
I am also always intrigued by the wide range of work done with the thread and cords I carry. I just posted new pictures and comments, among them several showing musical instruments and finger woven treasure bracelets. ~ Marion
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| April 10, 2008 :: New Blog :: marion jewels in fiber has an official blog!!! Check it out, it is just in its infancy... as I just set it up two days ago. So we will see how it evolves... I posted pictures, comments, landscapes/cityscapes mostly in a slide format from my trip to New England. Here is the URL: http://jewelsinfiber.blogspot.com/ A new posting on the blog talks about the red coral piece shown here, a commission, and about the collaborative process a commissioned piece represents. Photo by George Post © 2008.
A Feedjit map has also been added to the website. See it below in the left column. It shows a world map and tracks the latest visitors on a map by red dots and if you click on the map, it will take you to larger map with the towns where the visitors are from and the pages they visited. It adds a cookie to your visit to my site, but the site will function even if you refuse the cookies from Feedjit. The info they collect is general enough as to not be intrusive to your privacy. I find it fun as it illustrates the global reach of the internet. I will post on the blog regarding this map. Please post your comments there! If I get a lot of negative comments I will remove the map. ~ Marion
Special Congratulations Notes :: To Jeanne W for being published in Bead & Button Magazine, a full page no less from what I hear. I have yet to see it as I do not subscribe to the magazine... See her work and link in the customers' comments page December 30, 2006 entry. Additional note: Jeanne just sent me the picture its beautiful!
And to Donna Littlewood on her upcoming 'Spiral Anklets' project to be published in ' Step by Step Beads' July/August by Interweave made with C-Lon Nylon Bead Cord. See one of her piece and comment on February 15, 2007. |
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April 2, 2008 :: Back in California... More to come on my trip as soon as I get a chance... In the meantime all the orders placed while I was away have been shipped. I now need to get caught up with custom orders for jewelry! ~ Marion
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C-Lon News :: Mint is the newest color of C-Lon Bead Cord. It replaces Mint Julep. It is right in between Peridot and Sage, a really nice soft color.
If you like Mint Julep, order it now while it is still available as it has been discontinued.
'And more colors of C-Lon Micro Cord are coming in the not-too-distant future.' I am quoting C-Lon... More to come on this soon.
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CLC-M |
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Mint Julep |
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March 26 to March 31, 2008 :: Marion Jewels in Fiber goes on the road to teach in the Boston Area at Bead Designer International. No processing of orders, answering of emails.. while away. Fast and friendly service to resume on April 1-2 ;-) ~ Marion
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March 20 , 2008 :: The 8 new C-Lon Micro Cord color are here ready to ship. To see the colors arranged by Jewel Tones/Earth Tones or to order the full collection of 16 colors go to more info >>
THE NEW C-LON MICRO COLORS :: Individual Colors $4.50 per bobbin/spool |
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White |
Grey |
Purple |
Sienna |
Chocolate |
Sable |
Chartreuse |
Capri |
Order all 8 new colors :: 1 spool each :: $34.00 |
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BOOK REVIEW :: Marie Le Sueur "Micro-macramé de la dentelle aux bijoux"
(Micro-Macramé from Lace to Jewels) published by LTA 2007 Paris, French Text
I met Marie Le Sueur online in 2006 when she purchased supplies from my online store such spools of C-Lon Bead Cord, Kanagawa Silk, tools, adhesives, clasps and a kit. We have corresponded since then by email. At the time she was in the process of researching and writing a book on micro-macrame. I got to become familiar with her work through her website and one of her earlier book 'Bijoux en cristal, Dentelles de perles" (Jewels in Crystal, Beading Lace) published by LTA in 2004 and now with her new book on micro-macrame of course. Her work seen through her books and her website is quite distinctive. Her style is exquisite, full of opulence, reminiscent of a bygone era. Even some of her color choices somehow allude to a more romantic and sentimental past.
This book is worthwhile for anyone interested in micro macrame. It forms a seamless bridge from beading lace to micro-macrame, so it is of particular value for someone with beading lace experience interested in taking a foray into micro knotted jewelry.
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Micro-macramé de la dentelle aux bijoux" is a 96 pages hardcover book, 10 inches x 10 inches. The book includes 9 micro-macramé projects. The step by step instructions are full of good clear color photos, making it possible to follow the directions without reading or understanding the French text.
Several of the projects combine several versions, one as a bracelet, another as a neckpiece for example, so altogether 8 bracelets and 6 neckpieces/necklaces/pendants are possible choices. Of course the projects can also be simply sources of inspiration for your own designs. The written text and instructions are clear and easy to follow even for beginners with some understanding of French. Most importantly even with no knowledge of French, the color photos of the step by step instructions are clear enough for anyone with some prior micro macrame experience.
The book has a chapter on material: the thread for micro-macrame (C-Lon, Mastex and Conso), the boards (Marie's preferred is the Lacis Board), the T-pins, Marie's recommendation of Fray Check, tools such as Tool Zap/some as thread burner and of course her choice of glass pearls, charms and findings. Some of her choices of findings are may be hard to find in the U.S but alternatives are available. There is a very well illustrated chapter on the common macrame knots, followed by a chapter about finishing. The chapter on finishing is a little light in my opinion, but finishing is a big issue for me as I sell my work, so my past mistakes come back to haunt me as pieces not finished perfectly are sent back to me for repair. Then it goes on to the actual projects. Each project gets a full page close-up color photo. The step by step instructions have between 16 to 145 color photos for each project respectively.
Marie Le Sueur's website :: www.marilazuli.com
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| January 11 :: New Additions |
C-Lon Bead Thread Size D is a nylon monocord thread available in 36 colors. It was specifically designed for bead weaving on and off loom, bead stitching and embroidery with seed beads and English beading needles as a better alternative to Nymo thread (Nymo was originally created for the shoe industry). Unlike its siblings the C-lon Bead Cord and C-Lon Micro Cord, this thread does not have any twist or plies, it is like a floss. It is UV resistant and vat-dyed, the color does not rub off. The vat-dyeing process involves high heat and pressure which forces the dye completely through the thread resulting in a permanent dye. It comes in two thickness, Size D and Size AA. Size D is suitable for use with Delicas, 11/0s, 10/0s, or larger beads. Size AA is thinner (so not as strong as D), and is best for 15/0s. Only Size D is stocked at this time.
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Personal Note :: I originally ordered this thread by mistake as it is primarily a stringing thread for seed beads and not intended for micro macrame knotting. However when looking for an alternative to silks for the knotting, I found it behaves like a silk floss, with the advantages of lower cost and better stain resistance. I would recommend its use for Cavandoli style knotting over C-Lon Bead Cord or Nylon #18. In the double half hitches it works well as the knotting cord only, not as the anchor cord. In the cabochon rings posted here, I used it doubled or tripled and may have done one or two rows of vertical double half hitches. - Try it out!
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January 11, 2008 :: New color cards for the C-lon Bead Cords 64 Colors Collection are now available. They represent a tremendous amount of works by the producers of C-Lon and a minimal mark-up by marion jewels in fiber, well a labor of love all around, especially at the $16.00 price for a set of 4 cards! |
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Order the C-Lon Bead Cord Color Cards :: 4 Card Set:: $16.00 |
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Happy New Year! Wow it has been a long time since I did an entry here. The store will soon celebrate its two years anniversary. I can hardly believe it, I must I fallen into a rabbit hole... I wish you a great year to come and it's been a pleasure to share my expertise on micro-macrame and knotting thread. I am amazed again and again by the wide range of applications done with the thread I carry. Send jpegs, comments and links for my customers' comment page. The page will be updated soon, so send your anything you wish to post online, pictures and links!
Lots of exciting news are in the pipeline: the array of cord and thread carried in this store is growing. The store will now carry C-lon Bead Thread in Size D as I found it good for micro-macrame. C-Lon has made new color cards for the C-Lon Bead Cords. As it is available in 64 colors, it is very convenient! Also just recently I finally found a brand of thread/cord I was searching for a long time, the Tuff Bead Cord Line. It comes in 16 colors, in many sizes. Size 5 is perfect to intermix with the C-Lon Bead Cord/Nylon #18. I can't wait to play with it and have more options. It's here, I just posted all the new pages. Read more above and check it out! |
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November 17, 2007 :: A weekend at home... catching up... A few new items like 4" classic gingher embroidery scissors, thread zapper replacement tips (I still using my original tip! ~ Marion)
Need ideas for gifts for your friends, micro-macramé fans, beaders, embroiderers, tatters...? A beautiful 24karat gold plated needle safe with a pair of gold plated Gingher Epaulette Scissors, or a practical plastic needle safe loaded with T-pins and needles. Beeswax, needles, t-pins, Nylon Cord, Silk thread make great stocking gifts... Just request your purchase gift wrapped at no charge! Check the US Postal Holiday Shipping Schedule>
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October 31, 2007 :: T-pins and needles are available now in the tool section... Happy Halloween!
I am getting ready for The Contemporary Craft Market on November 2-3-4 in Santa Monica. If you are in Southern California come by to visit! More info>
As I will be away Thursday and Friday, all store orders will be shipped on Monday and Tuesday November 5-6. Thank you! ~ Marion
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September 11, 2007 :: New sizes of sterling silver end clasps for kumi cords, some changes and lower prices on some of the items. More info>
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July 24, 2007 :: The C-Lon Sage Micro Cord arrived yesterday, the last of the new 8 colors. All the pre-order have been shipped.
A New Product :: C-Lon Micro Cord :: Introductory Sale Price :: $4.50 per bobbin :: 8 Colors |
| 320 yards per bobbin. A thinner version of the C-Lon Bead Cord in Tex70/Size E similar to Nylon #69. List price $6.00-6.25. Made in the USA
The Micro Cord is great for stitching, wrapping, finishing, hidden construction, and micro-knotting/macrame with a high count of knots per square inches. It is also a great thread for stringing beads or bead crochet with small holes beads (15/0s, 11/os, semi-precious and precious faceted beads). It can also be used as a a warp or weft thread for loom or for off-loom bead weaving where a twisted thread is desired.
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Black |
Red |
Cocoa |
Gold |
Khaki |
Rose |
Flax |
Sage |
Order all 8 colors :: 1 spool each :: $32.00 |
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I use this kind of thread all the time. Conso #69 is available either in large cones or small bobbins in a limited color range. So the C-Lon Micro Cord is a great addition especially as it matches the colors of its bigger sibling the C-Lon Bead Cord.
Ask for a sample, I will gladly send you one at no charge! - Marion
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July 16, 2007 :: The C-Lon Bead Cord Chocolate has just arrived. All the pictures have been redone as it is such a great color and many colors have been moved around the chart once again. This time it looks like it will be this way for a while, so I will get some color chart printed again :: J'aime vraiment le Chocolat, it is rich, dark and scrumptious!!! In addition, just back in stock, genuine Gingher Epaulette Embroidery Scissors, Fray Check, and more Kanagawa 1000 Denier Embroidery Silks.
6 new colors of C-Lon Bead Cord :: $3.15 each |
Order all 6 new colors
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new CLC-CHO |
new CLC-LV |
new CLC-MP |
new CLC-PER |
new CLC-SG |
new CLC-SLV |
CLC-6NEW $18.90 |
Chocolate |
Lavender |
Medium Purple |
Peridot |
Sage |
Silver |
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July 14, 2007 :: Lavender & Sage arrived, great colors by the way. The C-Lon color chart has been changed and adjusted and a C-Lon Bead & Micro Cord Express Ordering page has been set to allow you to order multiple colors faster, check it out! Chocolate will arrive on July 20. Oops, I thought Chocolate, not Sage was on its way here. I also had some code issues with some 'add to cart' buttons not functioning, it has been fixed today, at least as far as I could test it, although some previous versions of web pages may still be on the net out there! Please contact me if you are encountering any problems or difficulty with your shopping experience. - Marion
July 7, 2007 :: New Colors of C-Lon Bead Cord :: Medium Purple and Silver are here. Medium Purple is exactly in between Purple & Orchid, Silver is its own color, a light warm grey with touch of lavender and heather. The colors on the jpegs have been adjusted to better match the actual thread. Chocolate & Lavender are on their way. One more color, Sage, to arrive soon. Check out the new color chart. Chocolate, Lavender & Sage will be adjusted when they are here. The full 64 color collection and many other color mixes are now available. Enjoy browsing!
June 29, 2007 :: Peridot has just arrived. Peridot is misnamed as it is more like the color of New Jade/Soft Green Serpentine, or a new spring leaf.
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Notice the new sign 'this site is green'. Well for whatever it's worth, Dreamhost, my web server since 2001, has gone green by purchasing green credits for their greenhouse gas releases. I kind of like these guys as they are non-corporate, a little wild, but seem to deliver pretty good service, at least most of the time. Their email support is fast and friendly, delivered in readable English for non-techies like me, if such a word exists. Mainly, they don't play 'advertising games' with their customers. They don't offer short term introductory deals and ignore long term customer loyalty, as many unnamed corporations out there that force us to change service every year to save money or generally behave like sharks whenever they can get away with it. |
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March 24, 2007 :: Books are very easy to order online, even out of print books. After careful consideration I decided not to include books for sale on my site at the present time. However finding the right book is not always easy. I spend a considerable amount of time answering emails regarding my recommendations. So I will try to include a book review every once in a while. When I have enough reviews I will allocate a special page just for them. - Marion |
BOOK REVIEW :: Micro-Macramé Jewelry, Tips & Techniques for Knotting with Beads by Joan Babcock
I met Joan at a show a number of year ago. We traded slides for presentation on our work. Her work is exquisite. She has developed her own style with some pieces reminiscent of Tina Johnson-Le Puy.
It is 77 pages book published in 2005, 10.8 x 8.3 inches in format bound with staples. Only the outside cover is in color with photos of all ten projects included. The inside is all black & white, but full of diagrams and beautifully illustrated by Jeff Babcock. Lots of work went into these illustrations!
The book includes 10 micro-macramé projects: 4 pairs of earrings, 2 bracelets and 3 neckpieces/necklaces/pendants and 1 brooch/pin or barrette. The instructions appear to be clear and easy to follow even for beginners, but I am not automatically the best judge as I could do the projects without instructions. |
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The book also comprises chapters on materials, knotting tips and the basic knots. All these chapter is well put together. 'The Basic Knots' chapter is very good for beginners and has some good tips for all knotting levels. If you are learning to knot, I usually advise students to use more than one source as one may help with one knot or combination, another with another one. As to 'Materials' for Micro-Macramé', we do not always share the same opinions on basic supplies. For example, I hate sewing pins or quilting pins as I bend them right away, I much prefer 1" T-pins (small ones, not the usual huge ones that come with boards or are sold in most stores) as they hold up to my abuse!
The last chapter 'Design Essentials' is full of useful information to help the reader create their own design. So although Joan did not really share the full scope of the design that comprises her current collection, she gives the reader the tools to go beyond the limited scope of the projects included. That chapter alone makes buying this book worthwhile.
Order directly from Joan and let her know you read my review:-) :: http://www.joanbabcock.com/Order/Order.html |
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March 19, 2007 :: New additions :: Tools :: New macramé board from Lacis :: Adhesives :: Fray Check with comments and tests done so far. |
Notes from a newsletter...
About all Nylon #18/C-Lon Thread :: Manufacturing thread is not an exact science. Each time a specific color of thread is manufactured minute differences may occur. The color may vary a little bit even though the same dye lot formula is used, also known as 'dye lot drift'. The finishing or bonding process may also vary a little bit, so one lot/batch of spools have a slightly different hand or feel. When noticeable differences in dye lot or feel occur, I try to annotate them in the color close-ups. Actual dye lot affect the thread itself as well, so as a general rule darker colors have a heavier feel than lighter colors. The actual thickness of the thread is changed. White nylon thread for example is always slightly thinner and has a lighter hand than colored nylon thread as it does not have any molecules of dyes attached to the molecules of nylon!
About C-Lon Bead Cord Curling up :: I worked with the curls for while just ignoring them, refusing to take the time to steam the thread or iron them as some of my customers suggested. This last weekend (3/25/07) one of my student discussed her frustration with curls in the thread with her husband and sure enough as a good fisherman, he came up with the perfect and simple solution. Simply pull hard on the thread an arm wide length at a time when unwinding it and guess what: no more curls!!!!
It really made me feel like a complete idiot as (from the original Greek meaning: idiotes, able to vote but no doing so)!
For previous news>
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