GetCrafty Craft Facts

Q: Is there a book, or poster, or something that shows the colors of 'Delicas' and other seed beads? I see a number system used on 'eBay' a lot (#112, etc.) but I don't know what the colors are and I know that the photos are often off-color. Is there a good reference book about these?

A: The best way is to look at the sample cards of actual beads. Books or images on the net can be affected by different things, making the colours look different than they really are. 'Caravan Beads' offers the cards for sale, as does 'Carol Wilcox-Wells' and 'General Beads'. Catalog update: because 'Miyuki' simply cannot keep up with the demand for their sample cards, I have decided to offer the color photocopy alternative. The charge for our current pricelists, plus photocopies of the 'Delica' sample cards is $3.00. If you already have the sample cards, or don't need them, you may still request our pricelists alone at no charge (you may, of course, still order the real sample cards: just be prepared for a 1-2 month wait - or longer). So, if you are just beginning with the 'Delicas', and don't want to fork out the bucks for the bead cards, this is a great alternative: www.caravanbeads.com Besides, the sample cards are out-of-date when the next new colors are introduced! For the person who will be buying many of the 'Delicas', I definitely still recommend getting a set of the cards. Some beads need some movement to catch their real essence. Try 'Caravan' beads and/or 'Beyond Beadery' for 'Delica' charts. 'Caravan' also has some online pictures. I have to admit that the bead cards and the pictures of the beads don't seem to help me a whole lot, but they are better than nothing!