Beading wallpapers: another way to bring beads into your life

In the process of paying some bills online today I was distracted by an advert for computer desktop wallpapers. Computer desktop wallpaper, for those who don’t know, is the image that fills the background of your computer screen.

You can choose to leave the computer desktop blank or use the default backgrounds provided by the operating system of your computer. Often this is stock photograph or an abstract design that comes with your computer. As I learnt today, you can also get images (many free) online to use as your desktop wallpaper.

As part of my distraction from paying bills, I’ve also learnt today that I can custom make my desktop wallpaper from images on my computer. My first attempt used a photo I had of some beautiful cabochons (Dendritic opals) that I keep meaning to bead around. Here’s the result. I really love it.


It was so easy to do I’ve decided to try a new one each week using images of beads and beading to inspire my beading for the week.

By the way: re-instituting my Friday FB Fans, Friends and Blog Followers freebies -  if you’d like to use my Cabachons for your Desktop wallpaper, just email me and I'll happily send you the image.




There are several ways that you can create your own beady desktop wallpaper. It depends on your computer and the software you have which will be easiest for you. 

I’ve tried  the three below and each worked brilliantly for me as a MAC user.

1. Follow the simple advice on this site: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-create-top-quality-computer-desktop-wallpapers/ NB: For MAC users you find your screen resolution in System Preferences, then Displays.
2. Visit this site where you upload an image and it converts it for free to Desktop wallpaper: http://bighugelabs.com/wallpaper.php
3. If you use Picasa to organise photos you can also use to to create Desktop wallpaper. Choose your image from your Picasa files, go to Create and then choose Create as Desktop wallpaper.

You can also download free beady wallpapers from several sites. Here some I found:

• Softflex beading wire have images of bead designs. http://www.softflexcompany.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=FreeArt-Wallpaper.html
• Massai necklace image - http://tommyimages.com/Stock_Photos/Africa/Tanzania/Countryside/slides/Tanzania_3083-Massai_Bead_Necklace-orig.html
• Art Jewelry magazine has several beady wallpapers you can download. Just Google it.
• Beautiful image of Glass beads - http://wallpaper.wallpedia.org/29__Glass_beads.htm
• To improve the photos you take of your beads for your desktop wallpaper pop by this site – very practical advice on photographing glass beads: http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/glassbead_photography.htm

Enjoy - its a great way to have beautiful beady things in your computer life!

Sample Cards and beading organised - a free DIY tool to try

Organising beads seems an inevitable part of my life as a beader and ideas to ‘bead organised’ persistently pop into my mind. The latest idea to arrive was to create my own sample cards so that I could keep track of my stash. I felt more than a little daunted by this ‘popping by’ idea until I found a couple of beading sites that help you do just that. You can download templates to print on stock card that you can then add samples from your stash to.

• Bead-patterns.com - sample cards for your Delica Stash
• SilverHill Design: http://www.silverhilldesign.com/patterns/BeadSampleCards.pdf Sample cards for Delicas and beyond…
• My own DIY Bead sample card - download free here - http://www.daxdesigns.com.au/FreePat/Bead%20Samplecard.pdf

I’m curious to know if anyone out there has done this and if, and how, it has worked for you.

I also found some organising software designed just for beaders:

• http://www.beadencounter.com/demo.html

Has anyone out there used it?

As always, one thing led to another and I found myself also checking out the sample cards you can access online and/or purchase. I thought I’d share where that little diversion led me as a way of making sure I don’t loose the information too:

Sample cards for purchase: (just put sample cards into the online store's search facility)

• Bobby Bead - TOHO sample cards 
• About Beads - Delica sample cards
• Bead Cats - Sample cards for all their stock
• Fire Mountain Gems - Sample Cards for Delica and some other manufacturers
• GardenofBeadin – Sample cards including Czech beads 
• Caravan beads - Myuki beads including Delica beads
• RingsnThings - Swarovski Crystals

Manufacturer’s sites – online cards

• Myuki Size and shape of seed beads http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/01.html
• Myuki Categories of finished beads - durability http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/02.html
• Myuki Number of beads per gram http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/05.html
• Myuki Delica colour and durability http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/05.html
• Myuki Delica to round colour conversion http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/08.html
• Myuki Sample Cards http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/e-samplecard.html
• Toho Sample Cards http://www.tohobeads.net/sample/sample.html
• Vintage Italian micro seed bead charts - http://www.beadmatch.com/beadmatch.html 

UFOs can turn into FOs - from UFO to Pink Arabesque

Great to start the week with another UFO finished - had a lovely time finishing it at my local Bead Society group in Geelong (VIC, Aus) yesterday. So satisfying to come home with it finished. Now to writing the pattern for what has become my Pink Arabesque bracelet.