>Plastic vs. Glass
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Semi-beaded Buell motorcycle. Bead embroidery on felt. 10"wide x 6". Beadwork in progress. Click to enlarge.
Has you ever mixed plastic beads in with your glass beads when beading? I don't make a habit of this, but I did it yesterday because I wanted to use a few square-shaped rhinestones that I had. There are 5 total, and you can see them in the photo above. I purchased these in Prague. I thought they were glass or crystal at the time, but when I took them out of the bag, I could tell that they weren't. They had a bit of excess plastic (or flash) around the holes. So, I just removed the plastic and continued beading. I don't know if anyone else will be able to tell by the time I am finished with my beaded motorcycle...
Next time, I will have to check to make sure before I buy. The best way to do that is to rub the piece against a tooth. The piece in question will feel very hard and cold if it is glass, and warm and softer if it is plastic. If you have ever touched your tooth to a drinking glass you will know what I mean.
Have you ever bought something that you thought was glass but turned out to be plastic? Was it a disappointment? And, do you think the inclusion of a few acrylic beads affects the overall value of the finished beadwork? Why or why not? Thanks for your opinions!