I mostly use beading wire from Zambapro. It comes in a nifty case that I leave attached to my wire. When I am done stringing I finish off my first end, then cut the wire and finish off the case end. That way you never have less wire than you need or way too much wire that is wasted. Save your Zambapro cases and wind them with any stringing material that you are using.

The perfect stopper for stretch cord, in my opinion, is a good old fashioned wooden clothes pin.

I have tried many of the ways listed above and have found what works best for me is a small clamp from the hardware store. It is about 2 inches long and has rubber on the ends and handles. Using this method I can easily switch from one side to the other and it will hold lots of weight and not slip even when I hold it up by the clamp.
Elizabeth

might be a little simple, but I work off of the roll of stringing material. That way you always have one end anchored (on the roll) and never run the risk of not having enough stringing material.

Use the little "spring like" bead stoppers on the end of your line. I'm sure artbeads offers them...

I use an alligator clip on the end of the wire and move it back and forth from end to end and I work each side. I don't put my crimp tubes/clasps on until the very end.

if you're only stringing bead onto your material, i would tape one end to your work surface, but if you need more mobility than that i would recomend the bead stopper

There is a product made just for this. It's called a bead stopper. Artbeads sells them. On the lefthand side of this web page under "Jewelry Supplies" is "Tools and Supplies". Bead stoppers are the last item pictured.

You can use a bead stopper: http://search.artbeads.com/?lcr=1&view=&q=bead+stopper

Our you can use a spare bead, double back through the bead. Just remove it when done.

Depending on the number of strands of soft flex wire you are using,if using 7 strands small crimp will be appropiate, If using 19 strands 2x2 crimp will be okay. For 49 strands use 3. Remember to thread your crimp first before passing it through your clasp and back through the crimp. Please note that it is very important that your wire cross over the main wire before you crimp. The problem you are experiencing is because the two wires are lying side by side when you crimp.

I would recommend using the 2x2 Crimp Tubes, I also use Beadalon 7 strand .018 wire and never have a problem.

try putting a dap of water proof quick grab glue before and after you press down crimp

I found it helpful to clamp my work at every step, this would prevent the line from slipping out until well secured

I would suggested "keeping it simple" and switch to a heavy weight 8mm closed jump ring.

Hi CeeCee, I have had the same problems. There are many things you can do. You can use a split jump ring (it looks like the ring you put keys on), you can use an oval shaped jump ring, you can use a locking jump ring, you can use a jump ring that is solid all around (closed jump ring), or finally you can use wire like you would use head pins to wrap beads. (See the guide on this site.) I hope this helps.

You can use split rings instead (like itty-bitty versions of key chain rings).

ceecee, have you tried using wire guardians? I love them, and use them in all of my projects. You can attach jumprings easily, or I attached clasps directly to them most of the time. My customers and friends always comment that my jewelry looks so nicely finished, and I believe it's because I use the wire guardians.

The problem could be the quality wire that you are using. I have found it is better to invest in a good quality wire like ZambaPro. There are less expensive ones available, but I have found they break much more often. Also are you using a wire protector with your clasp. Those work great and youhave less metal fatigue.

Not knowing where your wire is breaking, I would have to guess that you are squeezing your crimp beads too tight and it's cutting the beading wire. Always use the heaviest diameter that your beads will fit through. If you use a 49 strand wire you don't have to give up any flexibility and will achieve the best drape. My favorite beading wires are Beadalon and Soft Flex Soft Touch - 49 strand, a good all purpose diameter is .019, if you are using very small beads or pearls you will need the .012 diameter.

Best guess is you're using too fine a gauge for the beads. Give up some flexability for strength.

I think a crimp tube would work fine as long as your thread doesn't snap

You get the beads to stay in place by using micro-crimps - You can buy stringing wire that is sterling plated or gold plated, you use the appropriate metal micro crimp before and after the bead segments to hold them in place. Using micro-crimp pliers will give your crimps a more professional look. Watch the crimping tutorial to learn how to use the specialized pliers.

Wire rings can be extremely fun to make or absolutely frustrating. The easiest way to make a ring is cut a piece of 22g wire (cheap stuff until you become a pro)at least 10-12inches... thread a bead thru the wire half way down. If you dont have a ring mandrel, find something that is the same size as your finger..a fat highlighter pen,etc. continue to wrap one side around towards the left and the other side to the right.. do this until you have about 2-3 inches of wire loose on both sides. now carefully wrap around the shaft of the ring on both sides and make sure its tight otherwise it wont hold. You can also make cute little spirals to jazz it up a bit. have fun and good luck

stretch thread can be tied, but knots can be tricky, and i would recommend a crimp bead
otherwise a square knot would probably work

yes, definatly.
I myself have made a number of necklaces using crimp beads
I've also found that beads with holes larger than the crimp beads just slide off so be carefull

Soak it in liquid fabric softener - fill a cereal size bowl with water and add about a tablespoon of fabric softener, use cold water if the leather has been dyed to prevent fading - you may have to do it more than once to get the desired degree of softness.