November 2, 2009 - Chinese Knotting Cord - I just found a new supplier of extra fine Chinese Knotting Cord - This braided nylon cord is made in Taiwan, and is of the best quality available > Go to Chinese Knotting Cord
October 29, 2009 - 8 NEW COLORS of C-LON BEAD CORD
The next 8 colors C-Lon Bead Cord are here. It is a thrill to see all the new colors in their little boxes after being part of the process of selecting them. I have to admit, I cheated and already used some of these new colors from the sample spools, such as Red-Hot, Charcoal and Olivine in several pieces. I look forward to creating new pieces with these colors, and hope you will also find some of these new colors great for your creative projects.
8 NEW COLORS - October 2009 - C-LON BEAD CORD
CLC-VA
CLC-LMZ
CLC-GOLV
CLC-OLVN
CLC-GM
CLC-CHA
CLC-RH
CLC-BC
Vanilla
Light Maize
Golden Olive
Olivine
Gunmetal
Charcoal
Red-Hot
Black Currant
Order all 8 colors - 1 spool each - $28.00
Vanilla is just like milk cooked with an actual vanilla bean - no short cut such as vanilla extract for this color. It is right in between White and Cream. Light Maize is a blend of Lemon and Antique Gold. It has a very nice sheen. Golden Olive is just as it sounds. Mix Olive with Antique Gold, and you will get Golden Olive. Combine it with Bronze for an ombre effect. Olivine, named after the mineral called peridot when of gem quality, is just like a dark peridot. It is a tone down Moss or a blend of Olive and Moss. Or it is a stop between Chartreuse and Olive. Gunmetal and Charcoal round up the neutral grey's. Considering that grey is the 'new black' in the fashion world in Paris, the addition for these two new greys is well timed. Red-Hot needs no introduction, it speaks for itself, it is smack in between the Shanghai Red - the scarlet red, and Red, the original Red - a bit on the burgundy side. Black Currant is a deep tone with many undertones, hard to pinpoint and to capture as a jpeg, and just as Chocolate it is a mutable shade that changes depending on the colors that surround it. > C-Lon Bead Cord
+ Other New Additions: New vintage Tex 135 nylon cord, available in 10 'rainbow' colors. The size is in between C-Lon Bead Cord/Nylon #18 and C-Lon Micro Cord/Nylon #69. It is perfect for all the times when the standard size C-Lon Bead Cord/Nylon #18/Tex 210 is too large and the Micro/Tex 70 size is too fine. By coincidence two of the colors match Red-Hot and Black Currant perfectly. + New colors of Nylon #69 in both bobbin size and 1 oz spools.
+ New Kumihimo Kits in Bags: Perfect for gift for the holidays or to braid on the go > Kumihimo Bags
September 23, 2009 - 8 NEW COLORS of C-LON BEAD CORD
Great News - C-Lon is releasing 32 new colors of C-Lon Bead Cord. The first 8 colors are in. 8 additional colors mid-October, then 16 more in the first half of next year. This will bring the full color collection of C-Lon Bead Cord up to 104 colors. A new comprehensive color chart will be compiled when all the colors will be in.
As their informal color consultant, I worked with C-Lon closely in selecting the colors. This process was highly educational. I had to use all my color skills to make choices and ponder on the color theory. I may write a blog entry about it as some point. As an artist, working with this kind of thread all my life, I can't wait to play around with the new colors. C-Lon already offers the widest choice of colors ever available, so 32 additional colors is pure bliss. ~ Marion
Notes on the new colors: Argentum is a great neutral gray, right in between White and Grey as to value, a bit on the cooler side when compared to the warmer Nickel or the even warmer Silver. Antique Gold, when compared with Bronze, Tan, Marigold & Gold, is right between Bronze and Tan. In value it is a bit lighter than Gold, but a bit darker than Marigold and Tan. French Lilac is a muted tone darker than Lavender, lighter than Medium Purple. Cerise is a dark rose tone. When compared to all the other pink and rose C-Lon shades, it is darker and more muted than Light Orchid and it does not have of any yellow cast. Cyan is a bright tone, a bit darker and bluer than Aqua. Cerulean is a bit bluer and more toned down than Teal. Periwinkle and Hyacinth are lighter shades of Persian Indigo.
CLC-ARG
CLC-AGO
CLC-FL
CLC-CRS
CLC-CY
CLC-CER
CLC-PKL
CLC-HYA
Argentum
Antique Gold
French Lilac
Cerise
Cyan
Cerulean
Periwinkle
Hyacinth
Order all 8 new colors - 1 spool each - $28.00
September 21, 2009 - D&E/Mastex Colors Back in Stock! Cocoa, Flax & Hunter are back. Flax is a bit darker than the last dye lot. Other shifts: Natural is a bit lighter and even more neutral. It is the best natural yet. With still have 6 spools of the older dye lot in stock, request lighter or darker dye lot at checkout > D&E/Mastex
Upcoming Workshop at BABE! 2009 - November 13, 2009 - Sorry, class is sold out...
Crown knotting or the crown knot sennit is an elegant solution for stringing beads with larger holes such as antique beads and keeping them from touching each other. The crown knots have many advantages over traditional overhand knots. The knots are completely symmetrical. They are easier to keep snug against the beads and are especially well suited when stringing beads with large holes or uneven holes as the ratio between the cord going through the beads and the actual size of the knot is much larger than with overhand knots.
This class will teach how to tie 4-strand crown knots with the use of a kumihimo disk, a method that makes this process much easier to learn and master. The class project will integrate the clasp with a button and loop seamlessly with no loose thread or thread ends remaining.
Tuesday, August 18 - About 'Cord & Thread for Beads & Jewelry' at the Bead Society of Northern California
I want to thank everyone who contributed work to the visual presentation. It was truly stunning. All who attended responded with ho's and ha's. What fun to present a subject I am passionate about to an interested crowd. If you live in Northern California, consider becoming a member. ~ Marion
June 29, 2009 - New Addition - Fujix Tire Silk #16 Buttonhole Twist Weight - I just received the full collection of this silk (new to me) on Friday. I worked as quickly as I could to add it to the store, sorting colors and creating the jpegs with eye breaks in between. The complete collection comes in 121 colors and compares to the Kanagawa 1000 Denier Embroidery Silk. I worked on a cavandoli knotted neckpiece with silk and nylon (C-Lon Sepia) over the weekend and could not differentiate between the two silk brands unless I looked at the name on the card. So if you enjoy working with the Kanagawa silk, you will love the additional color choices this new silk provides.
Tuff Bead Cord is getting very popular - especially Size 3. It is an ideal size for crochet ropes with seed beads size 8/0. This cord is also recommended in the new book on Micro Macrame by Annika de Groot. See my blog on Annika's book. I keep ordering Tuff bead Cord and selling out, and the company I order from seems to have the same problem. They keep being out of stock too so bear with us until we adjust to the increased demand!
May 29, 2009 - D&E (Formerly Mastex) Nylon #18 - New stock just arrived with a few dye lot different enough to be listed as separate colors. D&E is most likely going to be difficult to keep in stock, just as Conso, as the companies are no longer keeping large inventories on hand, so plan accordingly >Go to D&E
May 8, 2009 - A rare find, some Vintage Mastex Nylon #18 thread, circa 1990-2004, all on the tall black plastic spools. The quantities are limited as this thread is no longer manufactured. Some colors may have been private label colors or special orders. >Go to Vintage Mastex
Personal Note -I am so excited to have these colors available. I restocked my shelves and already have used some of these colors. I am in love with Cognac and Mahogany. Cognac, Mahogany and Maple are new colors for me as they were not available from Mastex directly.. A mystery. I was familiar with Cognac from a sample sent by a customer. It really is the topsy turvey world of thread...
New items - Sterling Silver Kumihimo clasps + New End Caps >Go to Findings
March 25, 2009 - I went to teach in the Boston area and while I was away my studio got repainted. The teaching went well even tough the subject was hard. Thank you to all who attended and to Bead Designer International for inviting me. I also got to briefly visit Boston, ride on bicycle along the Minute Man Trail between Lexington and Concord and attend CraftBoston. I worked hard to reorganize my studio upon my return and it's still ongoing especially as I keep getting more thread!
March 6, 2009 - Mastex Nylon #18 update - A new company D & E Thread is producing the same thread manufactured by the same factory who made the Mastex thread released post 2005, so it is the same exact thread. It is welcome news - I am very happy as I was on my last spool of Mastex Black. I like this thread for applications requiring a softer hand than the other nylon brands. So for now it is available again, hopefully for a long time to come. I have been advised that availability may not be steady, by that I conclude that the inventory kept at the factory will be low, so order accordingly. Ah, the topsy-turvy world of thread... More on D & E Nylon #18>
February 20, 2009 - New Addition - Madeira 100% Silk Floss
I have been working with silk thread such as the Kanagawa 1000 Denier Silk, Silk Floss and Silk Cord combined with Nylon #18 or C-Lon Bead Cord. Most of my silk floss supply was purchased long ago in bulk and then hand dyed in small skeins in many shades. Slowly over time I have used up my supply and of course it is no longer available in bulk. I find the Madeira 100% Silk Floss to be one of the best floss currently available. It comes in 108 colors, so a sufficient color range for most applications.
The Madeira Silk Embroidery Floss is a high quality 100% silk 4-stand floss. It comes in 108 brilliant colors that are wash fast. It is a durable silk that is easy to work with for many applications such as needlework including cross-stitching, quilting, smocking and other precious work for which the highest quality silk floss is required. It is packed in a spiral in a little plastic bag 1 7/8" wide by 4 5/8" tall (4.8 cm by 12 cm). The thread is pulled simply by cutting a 'V' at the bottom of the spiral pack. This clever method keeps the thread clean and tangle free... For more info >>
February 18, 2009 - 8 NEW COLORS of C-LON BEAD CORD
Good news: It is a pleasure to announce that C-Lon has expanded their C-Lon Bead Cord colors offered to our niche industry especially at this time. The C-Lon Bead Cord is the original bead cord weight. The 8 new colors brings the color range to 72 colors. As an artist working with Nylon #18 for many years, the color range offered by C-Lon is beyond my wildest dream!
C-Lon has a new information site, go for a visit >http://www.c-loncord.com/
