Thank you for your business, loyalty, and friendship in 2015.
We look forward to working with you in 2016 and for another 10 years...
This January, Marion Jewels in Fiber, the online store, is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. The website was started on a whim with a page with 30 colors of C-Lon Bead Cord and another page with two jewelry kits. I just revisited the site archive on the WayBackMachine. At the time we were having problems finding bonded nylon as Mastex had stopped production and when I found C-Lon, I created the online store with my new found bonded nylon for my students. Now, 10 years later, we have such the amazing array of C-Lon colors available, and in 4 sizes. The website now offers so many items, I stopped counting... All of this would never have been possible without you, my wonderful and loyal customers, colleagues and friends. I can wait to see what we will do in the next 10 years! - Marion
SHOPPING CART ISSUES
Right now some of the newer versions of Safari with iPhone, iPad and iMac do not let customers check out, timing out instantly instead of proceeding to the next page. Paypal is trying to fix this issue, but it could be a problem on Apple side. Some of my customers called Apple and were advised to download a different web browsing app as in option 1 or you can bypass the shopping cart as listed in option 2 & 3. Thank you for your patience! - Marion
Here are the best options:
1. Try a different App/Web browser such as Firefox or Chrome. 2. Paypal Invoice - Email your order, shipping address & billing address if different We will generate a Paypal invoice payable with any major credit cards. 3. Email/Phone - Email your order with address, phone number and best time to call. We will prepare your invoice and call for credit card info.
I collected more Italian metal buttons. Some have holes rather than shanks. I also found some amazing copper colored metal buttons with a white silver finish, buttons with 3 bars over 3 slashes, lovely small hearts and more flowers. Size vary from 8mm to 23mm. Prices start at 50 cent a button... > Metal Buttons with Holes > New Metal Buttons with Shanks
October 2 - 3 New Colors of C-Lon Bead Cord Tex 400
Aurum, Green Olive & Myrtle Green just arrived - Medium Brown the last color of this new set is a bit late, but expected soon.
> C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord
August 22 - New Kumuhimo Kits with Rayon Bouclé, 4mm Magatamas, C-Lon Bead Cord, & Peyote Sleeves
The Bracelet Duo was released at the Portland Show last week and was very well received. The Bracelet Duo Kit makes two bracelets with different bead placemenst. It makes an interesting duo and the two bracelets can be worn together.
The Necklace Plus Kit is brand new. The kits still need to be packed, the instructions finished, but it will be ready within a few days. The kit makes 2 necklaces, or 1 long necklace and 1 bracelet. The bracelet can be stacked together with the Bracelet Duo for a trio.
August 20 - 4 New Colors of C-Lon Bead Cord Tex 400
Copper Rose, Venetian Red, Popsicle Orange and Fluo Hot Pink are in. Aurum, Medium Brown, Green Olive & Myrtle Green are expected in September.
The quilt exhibits were fabulous with many museum quality quilts on display. Thanks to everyone who came by. You made the show well worth attending. If you are getting an order sent by mail or a PDF by email, I will be working on them later today and tomorrow. Please note that the show next year is moving to Houston. That's a bit far for me to drive... Let's hope they bring a show back to the West Coast in the future.
August 1 - Tassels - Make your own silk tassels
One of the latest trend in jewelry making is tassels. They are featured on malas, attached to bracelets, earrings and more... In fashion you can find them everywhere, on belts, shoes, purses along with fringes.
After receiving a number of inquiries regarding the best silk for tassels, I tested all the silk I carry and wrote a tutorial. If you are interested in making your own, check out my latest blog entry. > Silk Tassels for Jewelry
July 15 - Just Added - Buttons...
Metal shank buttons are perfect for jewelry and more... I have been collecting them for a while for various kits and projects. When organizing, cataloging, and photographing them for the website, I was astounded by how many gorgeous buttons I have in my drawers. > Metal Buttons for Jewelry & More
Chinese Knotting Cord - Prices Lowered
We changed the way we wound the cord from card to bobbins and it saved time, so we are passing the savings on. The cord comes in many colors and many sizes, but we only carry selected brands of Chinese Knotting Cord that have a proven quality record.
Read a new blog post about Chinese Knotting Cord with closeup pictures of the actual cord and if you are still confused about the best size for your project, do not hesitate to ask for samples. > Compare Cord Sizes
Just added after talking to a thread representative...
Thread Heaven is a thread conditioner and protector. It extends the life of the thread and protects it from UV rays. It does not freeze or melt and it is acid-free & non-toxic. > Adhesives & Thread Conditioners
A customer gave me a box a few years ago, so it has been in my tool drawer for a while, but I resisted trying and using this product, thinking beeswax was the best natural product... But after a long talk with a thread rep, I am giving it a try. We talked about the shelf life of bonded nylon and I found out that if it is stored properly - with no moisture and in a clean place, bonded nylon has an indefinite shelf life. But the thread rep suggested that if the thread or cord gets a bit brittle, a thread conditioner, something like Thread Heaven, can restore it to its original condition and further protect it for the future. Plus, it is non toxic, acid-free and can be used in conbination with beeswax if desired, so yes, I will be using it in the future.
July 1 - 4 New Colors of C-Lon Bead Cord
Aurum, Medium Brown, Green Olive arrived July 1; Venetian Red came a bit later in on August 7.
It is getting harder as more colors are available to choose between options available, unless of course you get all the colors... and that's a total luxury. I started a series of post comparing colors on my blog with close-ups of a color range > Compare New July Colors
June 1 - KO Beading Thread - A new addition to the store...
It is a very fine thread equivalent to C-Lon Bead Cord Size AA, but with the addition of the pre-waxed component. I like several of the colors, but as far as I am concerned C-Lon Bead Thread Size D and AA will work well too, as long as you add a bit of wax to the ends and a light coat across the full length, so they thread onto needles more easily.
The very last spools of a rare find, Vintage Mastex Nylon #18 thread, circa 1990-2004, all on the tall black plastic spools arrived today. The last colors still available are Slate, Delft Blue, Rose, Maple & Cognac. Maple shown on the left is one of my favorite color.
Vintage Tex 135 and Nylon 69 in 1 oz spools also arrived in this shipment.
May 10 - Just Arrived - New European Magnetic End Clasps for Braids, Kumihimo & Cords
I first saw one of these clasps on a men's wrist. He was inquiring in my booth to see if I carried any clasp similar to his. I found some sources since and I am looking forward to using these clasps on some of my pieces...
These zinc alloy clasps are nickel and lead-free. They have strong magnets and most have added security making them ultra secure. The inside diameter is 10 mm by 7 mm. More > European Magnetic End Clasps
March 29 - New Bracelet Kumihimo Kit with Long Magatamas and C-Lon Bead Cord Tex 400
At shows, I braid sample pieces as examples and one finished bracelet in particular attracted so much attention that a new kit was born. I spent some time making a bunch of bracelets until I was satisfied with the results. Along the way some technical problems were resolved. A center core was added so the length of the bracelet will remain the same over the lifetime of the bracelet. The C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord can be peaked at through the Long Magatamas. It gives a color background to the beads and it is a great way to show off all the new colors of Tex 400.
This rendition of a braided Long Magatamas bracelet has some unusual twists, so check it out. Get a Bead, Cord & Clasp Pack and receive a complimentary PDF 12 page manual with over 30 pictures sent by email. Or if you already have all the material and tools on hand, get the PDF by itself. This project is suited for beginners and for anyone wanting to refine their kumihimo skills or try a braid with Long Magatamas. > Kumihimo Bracelet with Long Magatamas & C-Lon Tex 400
Bead Society of Northern California
ANNUAL BEAD BAZAAR
This show was moved to a new gorgeous location right on the bay with free parking.
The show was great but it will take getting the word out about this great new location. I had the time to shop and got some fabulous one of a kind beads, plus got to demo the new kit listed above! - Marion
March 15 - Chinese Knotting Cord - New Stock just in
Braided nylon cord is made in Taiwan and in China. There is no domestic manufacturers as far as I know. It is a beautiful cord that can be used as is for jewelry cording, stringing beads, Malas, and Shambhala bracelets. It can be knotted using nautical knots or fancy Chinese knots, braided and even crocheted. It comes in many diameters and braid quality. > Chinese Braided Nylon Cord
Champagne 3 (left) - the newest dye lot
Champagne 2 (center)
Champagne (right) - original dye lot
Rhubarb (left) - the new dye lot
Cerise (right) - the older dye lot
Boxes of Chinese Knotting Cord arrived last week from several sources. Days later after countless hours of work, all was catalogued and compared. Cord quality and diameter was checked. New colors or dye lot variations were named or renamed. Jpegs were made or adjusted and the website got finally updated Saturday morning with all the new stock or replenished stock.
The cord is unique, and even though I sometime find it a pain to deal with as dye lot variations are so wide, it may as well simply be another color entirely. See the dye lot variations found in the 1mm Weight shown above… Finding good sources is not always easy. Cord quality needs to be checked… But I still find this cord to be well worth the hassle as it is so beautiful and yes, I decided to embrace the variations, they are new colors to explore, right? ~ Marion
February 23 - 8 New Colors of C-LON TEX 400 BEAD CORD
Order the original 72 colors, all 32 new colors or the full collection of 104 colors. The 4 neon colors need to be ordered separately, as they are their own and they only play well with a few colors, mostly the Black, Grey & White range > Order Tex 400 Colors
SANTA CLARA CONVENTION CENTER
SANTA CLARA CA - BOOTH 1439
I thank everyone who came to visit. It is always a pleasure to meet in person. I came back inspired and ready to design new items for the next show, so, yes, keep tuned! - Marion
February 17 - Turkish Flat Bead Crochet Bracelets
New colors just got added to the bead & button packages and bracelet kits.
Rainbow Beads with a Silver Cushion Top Button crocheted with Cocoa C-Lon Bead Cord Tex 400, & Silver Lined Beads with a Silver Flower Button with Argentum C-Lon Bead Cord Tex 400.
Also shown in between the two new versions, see the Purple Raku made up as a double wrap bracelet, and on the right, the Gold Lined Beads with a Moon Crater Button. The Indigo Blue Bracelet is not available at this time as the black lined buttons are not available at this time. > Turkish Flat Bead Crochet
January 12 - 4 More Colors of C-LON TEX 400 BEAD CORD
Next Arrivals
February: Hyacinth, Steel, Cerise & Blue Morning
March: Periwinkle , Light Maize, Lemongrass & Peach Glow Keep in mind that this schedule may not be exact.
Wow, 100 colors, 8 more to arrive! I played musical chairs with the colors and come up with a new arrangement > see large pictures of all the spools. Order all 32 new colors or the full collection and get the last 8 colors sent to you at no extra charge. > Order Tex 400 Colors
January 10 - 2 NEW COLORS OF C-LON TEX 400 BEAD CORD
The last 2 colors of December just arrived - they are still in their boxes. Fern is a great color reminiscent of craftsman era art & design. Gunmetal is a great alternative to Grey, especially when no blue is desired. > C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord
Still to arrive:
January: Blush, Cyan, Pearl & Golden Olive - these colors are in transit and should be here this coming Monday or Tuesday.
February: Hyacinth, Steel, Cerise & Blue Morning
March: Periwinkle , Light Maize, Lemongrass & Peach Glow Keep in mind that this schedule may not be exact.
