GetCrafty Craft Facts

Q: I am not sure if I'm going to describe these correctly, but...I've been looking for some beads that look like the Czech faceted beads (like the ones shown in the front of 'Fire Mountain's' catalog, if that helps), except with a 'Matte' finish. I've looked in all the catalogs I have, and on several websites that I know of, and haven't had any luck.

A: There happened to be a couple thrown in an assortment I received recently...but naturally, I can't recreate where the heck I got the assortment from (been a bead buyin' fool lately). ;) In case anyone is interested, my local bead shop lady informed me that the company she gets her czech glass from simply puts a bunch into a rock tumble to come up with his 'matte' selections. She had some at the shop, and they really turned out beautifully. You can 'Matte' any Czech beads by using 'Etch All', a pretty harmless liquid that you can obtain from most stained glass dealers, I imagine - I know that 'Arrow Springs' carries it. Just look for them on the internet.