Beads Talk

Last week, icy went to Swarovski (Singapore) regional office to attend an Appliation Workshop traning. She has brought back some free gifts for you all, i.e: Swarovki’s Monthly Inspiratioal Guides since Feb 2006 until latest June 2008. We have granted the permission from Swarovski to distribute the CD as a complementary FREE gift.

How to redeem your Free Inspirational Guide?

Method 1: With any purchase of RM100 and above in a single order, claim your free copy of CD with the following keywords (to be filled in the comment field during check out process) : “INSPIRATIONAL CD“. Remember, No keywords No CD ! (do not want to miss our free gifts anymore? Please consider to subscribe Beads Talk via email update!)

Method 2: With any purchase of our Beadmaster DVD/VCD, Back Issue Magazines OR Books, you will get a free copy. No need to key in any keywords.

Method 3: We will upload to our website one Inspirational guide per week. Thereafter you may download from Beads Talk.

Terms and conditions:
(1) The above Method 1 & 2 might be ceased at any time without further notice. Make sure get it fast ya?
(2) Only one copy will be given per single order.
(3) In the event whereby the CD is unreadable, we will replace one copy in your next order with any purchase.
(4) In the event if we have forgotten to include your free copy of CD, we will deliver to you using normal post (not courier service).

CONDITIONS OF USE:

Please bear in mind, the Inspirational Guide is especially designed for Swarovski Create-Your-Style Partner like Beading.com.my to organise Jewelry making workshop and to use it as part of the marketing tools. You are only allowed to use it for personal use and may NOT distribute it, sell it, bundle with your products or use for jewelry making workshop.

Here is the first Inspirational guide for you to download. Right click your mouse and Save Target As to download the pdf file.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Swarovski’s Inpirational Guides June 2008: Travel Shape & Memories

It’s a simple yet fantastic technique that i believe not many of you know how to do it. You will learn how to Wrap a Knot Chain using waxed cotton thread. If you don’t have the beads as shown in the guide, you can always use alternative beads. Remember, you are a Bead Artist right? Following are Preview of this Inspirational Guides.

Coming up next will be the review on the Swarovski Application Workshop Training attended by icy. Stay tuned!

Technorati : Swarovski Inspirational Guide

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Filed under: Freebies & Promotion Code, Inspirational Guides by Swarovski | 1 Comment

As i mentioned in the earlier post, Icy and I was cheated by the shop 3 years ago. I need to make a correction here, it’s not exactly 3 year but 2 years 5 months!

Back to year 2005, the 4mm Swarovski Bicone Color was sold at RM26.00 for 1 gross (144 pcs), i.e: 18 cents per pcs. By the time we discovered this shop, it was few months after we started to learn beading. We were so excited because their “swarovski” bicone cost only RM14.50 for 100 pcs, i.e: 14.5 cents per pcs. That is a great difference! But then hoh….that was when our nightmare began……

Below are 2 boxes of fake 4mm swarovski bicone that we still keep until today.

Well, how to distinguish the Genuine and Fake Swarovski Elements? To be fair, let me take a photo of a genuine and fake 4mm swarovski bicone side by side under the same lighting condition. Normal point and shoot digical camera might not be able to perform a good job, therefore i borrowed a better quality camera and a Macro lens especially used to snap tiny object. Here is the gadget shown:

Alright, let’s begin our experiment!

DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU LEFT OR RIGHT BICONE IS GENUINE? I don’t think so Thanks to the great Tamron SP90 1:1 Macro Lens!

Steve’s Methods to inspect your Swarovski Beads:

(1) Buy few packets of Swarovski Beads from Beading.com.my as samples, you can be rest assured that you will get genuine Swarovski Beads.

(2) Place your suspected fake and Genuine Beads of same color side by side, in a group of at least 20 pcs each. Are their color same?

(3) Examine those beads from different angle, are their sparkling apperance similar?

(4) On closer look of the fake Swarovski beads, they are dull and does not capture the light very well. This is mainly cause by the reason that there are tiny bubles inside the fake beads.

(5) Examine closely on the opening edges of the beads as shown in the picture below. Genuine beads has thicker, more lustre and shinning opening edges as compare to the fake one.

(6) Fake swarovski beads has limited colors (about 40-50 colors) while Swarovski has up to 75 normal colors. You might not be able to get Fireopal for fake one!

(7) This point may only be determined by experts with proper equitment, which i don’t have. Swarovski are precision - cut lead crystals that are created through an innovative patented technology by Swarovski® A.G. While normal crystal glass contain only 12-28 % lead oxide to increase light refraction, Swarovski contains approximately 32% lead oxide. This increased lead content refracts light more efficiently, hence adding more lustre and sparkle to each crystal bead. The lead content also increases the weight of the crystal as compared to normal glass.

(8) Finally, check the seller’s receipt. If you have noticed, the seller didn’t write down the exact name like 4mm Swarovski Bicone / Swarovski in the receipt! What he wrote was 4mm only!!! Is this a tricks to escape from a legal proceeding?

Alright, hope the above tips would help you to distinguish genuine and fake Swarovski Beads. However, please bear in mind, Swarovski beads are not created by God, therefore ocasionally we might get some defect beads like the following in an original pack. It shouldn’t be more than 1% normally.

Images (left to right): Wrongly drilled hole and no hole at all

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Filed under: Know-How | No Comments

If you are getting 4mm Swarovski Bicone Color (Not Crsytal/Clear) at 12 cents per pcs with the following condition: The seller is able to supply you continuously. That being said the seller is not doing some promotion or special purpose marketing strategy like what i have done before (remember the Test Kit #1 and #2?).

GOD BLESS YOU !!!

Our newly hired Associate Designer, Wendy has told me that she was getting Swarovski beads from the shop towards the end of Jalan Petaling at 12 cents each. At such price, i can only say (borrow from Mr.Lingam):

“It looks like fake Swarovski Beads, sounds like fake Swarovski Beads, but i will not say 100% that is fake Swarovski Beads”

Back to the point where if the seller is not doing a genuine promotion, he must be a Super rich fellow and somewhere short-circuited in his brain!

Please do not ask me exactly the name of the shop, otherwise Zhen Zhu would not be happy with me!

I have no intention to put the sand into other people’s bowl until the seller has cheated a passionate young beader, Wendy. FYI, i was also kena cheated 3 years ago by the same shop before Beading.com.my was established. Wendy has written a good post on How To Distinguish Between Fake and Genuine Swarovski Beads. I shall add in few more tips and proof of being cheated 3 years back in next post.

I’m not a kind of person that would like to Hard Sell my products. I also don’t used to create Price War in this beading business world, therefore i don’t like to counter offer for lower price if you approach me and tell me that you have got such a low price and usually buy in bulk (blah blah blahh……..slaver flying here and there)…… My usual feedback is: You have got a good supplier….continue buying from them

I know my products very well……and i love them! Hey, who said a guy cannot love beading, huh? I’m a genuine guy…. need a proof?

We (icy and i) have “somethings” that other sellers are missing…..

We are disclosing our products price over the net for the convenience of beaders. I’m sure competitors are using our price as reference, and hence selling at cheaper price. It’s alright if you buy from others and we can still share the joy of beading! Why not? Competitors can steal all the pricing strategy from us, but they can’t steal the “somethings” from us.

Can you guess what are that “somethings”?

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Filed under: General | 9 Comments

Gosh! I have almost forgotten that tonight is my friend’s wedding dinner. I thought it falls on tomorrow night

Beading.com.my is only a small company, therefore we have to close earlier in the event like this. Would appreciate if you could give us a call if you plan to drop by after 7pm in future to avoid disappointment.

We regret for the inconvenience caused!

Oh ya, please take note that we will be closing from 5th August to 11th August. We are going for vacation in Hanoi, Vietnam with a group of crap friends. We booked AirAsia tickets few months back and it’s quite cheap….. only RM 289 return per pax!

Sapa, i’m coming soon!

Images (left to right): Sapa Countryside, Sapa Market, Sapa Rice Field

Credit: Images courtesy of Vietnam Travel Guide

Technorati : Sapa Market, Sapa Rice Field, Sapa Tourism, Vietnam Sapa Countryside

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Filed under: Announcements | No Comments

Hey beaders, very sorry to inform you that a very well known company loves the charms so much that they Sapu all the charms that are available in our store.

The charms will be used in the special jewelry making workshops somewhere in August. We, Beading.com.my is proud to be their instructors in the event and will be teaching their clients to make Charms Bracelets. I shall talk more about this later.

Therefore……..sorry…… the charms are no longer available. Need to reserve for the event!

Oops, don’t be Red Eye oh???

Say bye bye to the charm!!

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Filed under: Announcements | No Comments

I’m sure everyone likes Free Goodies, Me too!

Breathe Mobile is offering a totally free of charge SMS service. Just log on to http://www.Chawt.com, register as their member then you are allow to send 15 free sms per day. Sounds too good to believe?

Here is the interface page:

Key in our country code: 60 and your friend’s phone number without a 0 in front.

How do they afford to offer FREE SMS service?

Well, this is a totally ad supported service. Each message you send carries a simple, non intrusive advertising text at the end. I’m not too sure how long can they offer this service because in the past, there were many companies had ceased their free service.

Try sending one to yourself now! If you are happy with this free goodies, send me an sms with your name as well My phone number is as shown in the picture above.

Technorati : Breathe Mobile Free SMS Service, Free SMS service, www.chawt.com

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Filed under: Freebies & Promotion Code | No Comments

Gemas Golf Resort (Seremban) will be organising an Wirework Jewellery Making workshop on the coming school holiday. Emi and i will be the instructors of the day. You may refer to the brochures below for details.

Beaders from the south, if you are unable to attend our Wirework class in KL in the past, here is a good opporturnity for you to join our event! Fees including all the beading materials and one tea break. We will lend you tools if you don’t have a set.

Oh ya, forgotten to mention in the brochures…….. we do limit the seat to 30 pax only because we can’t afford to provide so many sets of tools, there are 3 pcs x 30 pax = 90 pcs of Professional Stainless Steel Pliers you know? We also reserve the rights to cancel the event if the minimum of 10 participants do not meet. No worry, full refund !

For registration, you may contact:

Ms. Catherine : 012-738 2202 or email: info {at} gemasgolfresort.com

For enquiry, you may contact me: sales {at} beading dot com dot my

To locate Gemas Golf Resort, you may visit:

http://www.gemasgolfresort.com

See you there!

Technorati : Gemas Golf Resort, Wirework Jewellery Making Workshop

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Filed under: Announcements, Jewelry Class | No Comments

It’s a boring afternoon….. after the price hike of petrol, Berjaya Times Square is getting lesser crowd.

Icy and i will be going to attend our friend’s wedding tomorrow night. She is in the process of personalised her newly bought shoes.

I also picked up some Swarovski Flat Back #2028 to stick onto my car’s alarm key. Here is how it looks:

It’s cool right?

Well, I know it doesn’t look really nice, but come on….. do give some support lah!

I will post up the photos of the shoes that icy has Blinged ~!!!!! You will see how this ordinary high heel shoes can be transformed into a Fu-YooOooOoh!

Technorati : Bling your shoes using swarovski flat back crystal, Crystallised your Shoes

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Filed under: Gallery of Designs | No Comments