>Culling All Hex Beads
The other day, Joshua asked "So, just how long does it take you to clean up when you're done? Do you pick all of the black beads out of the blue ones? That must take 9 years!"
It certainly does take 9 years! Another thing that takes a long time is selecting which seed beads to stitch onto my piece. Not all seed beads are created equal. Some are imperfectly shaped or broken, and some have smaller holes than others. So, I have to carefully pick which ones I want to use out of a pile of hundreds of beads!
This process is referred to as culling. I haven't had to do this very often. Usually, I use Japanese seed beads, which are very uniform. But, the hex-cut beads I'm using for my DeLorean time machine are from the Czech Republic, and they are not as uniform. You can see a close up of these seed beads HERE.
When I come across a seed bead that I don't like, I put it in this mini Heinz ketchup bottle. The beads in this bottle represent the last 4-5 years of beading! What do you do with beads you don't like? And, now that my bottle is almost full, what should I do with the imperfect seed beads??
(Semi-beaded Back to the Future DeLorean time machine. 10" wide x 4". Bead embroidery on felt.)
The good thing is, I think I am finished using hex beads on this piece. Next, I want to add a coating of beaded ice over the body of the car because this car just came Back From the Future... But first, I need to clean up my pile of beads... :o