Beadees

Tugged at a corner of Tanjong Pagar Plaza, it will take a chance encounter for one to discover the little shop. There are some interesting finds, such as clay flower beads and iron on beads in small quantities. Classes are also offered to introduce beginners to jewellery making. For $180 you get 4 sessions of training with all materials and tools included. At the end of the sessions, you get to take home a pair of earring, a bracelot, necklace and ring.


a:Block 1, Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-03 Singapore 082001
w: http://www.beadees.com/
t:6220 8605
Price: $$$

Wired Jewelery Tools - Whats a WigJig?

I have always admired people can make hand make accessories with beautiful even twisted wireds. Just how did they do that?

The secret is using a jig. To be specific, a Wig Jig. his is basically a tool that looks like a board with pegs on it . You can make your own jig by putting nails on a board. A Wig, Jig, however have durable, equal spacing pegs at the same angle so you can get the nice wired shape.

See wig jig in action:
http://www.wigjig.com/wj.htm

Shinobeads

This little bead store has a large variety of acrylic beads and beads from not so common materials such s shell, wood, knitted wool as well as colourful charms. Definitely a place to check out for unique touches for your next beading project.

a:101 Upper Cross Street #02-56A People's Park Centre Singapore 058357
w: http://shinobeads.com/
Price: $$

Beads@Work

This shop in Holland Village is one of those shops that are well organized and make beads shopping a pleasure. Their chains and findings are of good quality and open your eyes for unique finds that add that omp to your beading project.

You can buy premixed packets at a special price too when you need that odd piece to add interest to your project.


a: 17B Lor Liput Singapore 277731 (Holland Village)
t: 64652878
w: http://www.beadsatwork.com/
Price: $$$

Lai Guan Beads Mart

This is a big store with lots of findings, charms, beads, tools. Basically everything you need to find for your DIY projects. You can buy some of the items in bulk, which is much more economical if you need to many of the same items. You need to dig, but you will be able to find lots of interesting charms and findings and beads here. Quality varies, though so you need to take your time and choose.

a: 101 Up Cross St #01-43 People's Pk Centre
t:6536 7838
Buzz: Lots of charms and findings!
Price: $$

Mix and Match

In this store, you can find crystals, beads, findings and charms sold in small quantities. There are quite a number of books and magazine and display for jewelleries.

a: People's Park Centre #02-69t:6532 0181
buzz: Good quality materials at small quantities.
Price: $$

Beads Cage

Shopping for beads at beads cage is a pleasure. The sales assistants are helpful and friendly and give out practical advise on what to buy depending on the project you have in mind.

The shop is organised very well with similar colour findings grouped nicely in little packs. They have a great variety of charms, including some that were sourced specially from Japan. A good variety of glass, woden and unique beads, crystals. Chains are available at a very reasonable price per meter. You can tell that they really put great pride to make beads accessories making a breeze for their customers.

Happy finds : Ready to wear chains for charm bracelots at $2.50, Beautiful silver foil beads with flower details, pretty charms.

a: 176 Orchard Road #02-24A The Centerpoint
t: 6733 2480
w: http://www.beadscage.com/

Millefiori Beads

Millefiori literally means 1000 flowers in Italian. Its is really a type of mosaic glasswork that is characterized by its flowerlike patterns. The patterns found inside the beads are produced by first heating a bundle of thin glass rods of different colors until the rods fuse together. The bundle is then pulled thin, cooled, and sliced. This produce small disks with flowerlike designs, which are then incorporated into various styles of beads.

Bead Shops in Singapore

Unique pieces of beads and charms and friendly sales people who can give you ideas and advise for your beading projects sometimes make so much difference. Below is a list of bead shops in Singapore. Do feel free to give your comments about them and add other stores you know.

People's Park Centre/ Chinatown Area

Applebay Bead Shop
a:133 New Bridge Rd #02-05 Chinatown Pt Singapore 059413
t: 6535 1236
buzz: Large selection of Japanese beads and charms.
Price: $$$$

Mix and Match
a: People's Park Centre #02-69
t:6532 0181
buzz: Good quality materials at small quantities.
Price: $$

Golden Dragon
a: People's Park Centre #02-51
t:6535 8454
w: http://www.goldendragon.com.sg/
buzz:You gotta search but u can get some nice kimono beads there
Price: $$$

Lai Guan Beads Mart
a: 101 Up Cross St #01-43 People's Pk Centre
t:6536 7838
Lots of charms and findings!
Price: $$

Shinobeads
a:101 Upper Cross Street #02-56A Peple's Park Centre Singapore 058357
Price: $$

Orchard/Town Area

The Bead shop by Bead Cage
a: 176 Orchard Road #02-24A The Centerpoint
t: 6733 2480
Price: $$$

Beads Etc LLP
a:No. 1 Scotts Road#04-02 Shaw Centre Singapore 228208
t :6734 6136
w: http://www.beadsetc.com.sg/
Price: $$$$

Beadees
a:Block 1, Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-03 Singapore 082001
t:6220 8605
Price: $$$


Arab Street,Rochor Area

Rashiwala
a:100 Arab Street
t:62933385

Kin Lee
a:107 Arab Street

Ren Ting Trading
a: 149 Rochor Roadd #03-07/08/09
Fu Lu Shou Complex, S188425
t:63347273

Other Parts of the Island

Beads@Work
a: 17B Lor Liput Singapore 277731 (Holland Village)
t: 64652878

Beadspin
a:20 Tampines Central 1 #01-17 S 529538 (near Tampines MRT Stn)
t:6786 6876

Clay Doodle
a:Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre (Cinema Building. Their shop is at the back of the building facing HDB HUB) #01-09
t: 6253 5543
w:http://www.claydoodle.com.sg/

Crystals 'N' Beads (New!)

a: #B1-29/30  Jurong Point, 1 Jurong West Central 2, #03-07 Jurong Point Shopping Centre,
Singapore 648886
t: 6794 4377
 

Chevron bead

Chevron bead or Rosetta were created by glass bead makers in Venice and Murano, Italy near the end of the 14th Century.



These beads are made of a hollow cane and many layers of glass e.g. white, blue, white, brick red, white and finally blue. After this layering of color, these beads are ground to produce patterns resembling concentric stars with points. The canes are then chopped into individual beads. The Chevron bead is distinguished by zigzag patterns.

Acrylic Beads

These are man made beads and can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. They are light weight and comes in a huge variety for your beading needs.

Cloisonne beads

Cloisonne ( Cloisonné) is an ancient technique of creating decorative arts such as vase and jewelry. This technique was developed in the middle east and later spread to China.


The making of Cloisonne is a multi-step process. First an artisan creates the shape of the object e.g. a bead from metal. Cloisonne wire is then solder on the bead to define partitions. the partitions act as a color separator. Powdered glass (Frit) is painted to the partitioned area and allow to dried. There after firing in oven melts the frit on the metal. This process might be repeated several times with various colour and transparencies to get the desired effect.

After this the bead is electroplated with a thin gold or silver film to prevent corrosion create the final bead.

Type of beads

When I first start making bead projects, the myraid of beads out there can be really confusing. Basically, there are too many choices. Names of beads can be base on any thing from the material it is made from, to the purpose of the bead to the brand of the company that make it, the techinique or place it is made from.

As part of my resolution to learn about all beads and beading, I will be starting a glossary on the beads. Lets see where the discovery Journey goes!

MURASAKI's Blogshop

Sharing a cubicle with tinydropletsmurasaki is one of the reasons I started wanting to make my own accessories. After all, its hard not to get inspired when someone siting beside you come into office with a unique and pretty piece of accessory she made every other day.

Just learn the other day that she had started her own Blogshop. Check it out - She have some interesting earings, bracelets and necklaces over there!
http://tinydropletsmurasaki.blogspot.com/

World of Beads

Beads are beautiful creations. They are one of the oldestd most universal art form that exsit across cultures and continents.

There are beads that are made from all kind of materials, from crystal, glass, wood, clay, plastic all kinds of precious and semiprecious stones, metals. Some beads are so intricately created that they can stand alone as the focus of the piece of accessories or be combined with other beads to tell a story.

Recognising the beauty and vasatality of beads to create unique, beautiful and personalised accessories, companies like Trollbead, Pandora, Chamilia, Pasha and Biagi have come out with systems where by one can buy bracelots or necklaces and beads separately to come out with combinations that is one of a kind for the wearer.

(Above) Beautiful troll bracelets & necklaces. This Scandinavian Beaded Charm Jewelry take its inspiration from mythology, astrology, fairy tales, fauna, flora, cultural diversity and in the familiar things of everyday living. Troll charms can take the shape of mythology creatures like fairy troll or depict a wine harvest. Troll beads and troll jewelry does not come cheap. A bead can range from 14.50 for a glass bead to 345 Euros for a bead make from gold and stone.

(Above) Chamilia bead bracelets.

Beads making

As with all crafts, it takes time, patience and dedication. But joys of acquiring new skills and creating something make it all worth while.

Beads and Christmas giving

It was a time where I scramble to find gifts for my friends and after weeks of hesitant, I finally work my stock of beads and findings to create some gifts for my friends. It wasn't all smooth. It took a few trips to the bead shops and lots of late nights. But the results were satisfying for me and hopefully, the friends who receive them