help a beginner re suppliers etc

[sk8agrrl]

Hi - pleased to meet you all

I'm new to jewellery but not craftster. I was looking for some advice regarding suppliers. I've trawled the net looking at various eBay shops, beads shops, metalcraft shops etc but I have no idea of quality or sizes (when discussing 0.2mm I'm a bit agog!)

I'm Based in West of Scotland, so if anyone knows of any local walk in places, I'd love to hear of them but alternatively any online stores that are reliable and have good quality goods too.

If anyone has any hints and tips on getting started, good sites, books, youtube videos on the basics, I'd be grateful. Mostly construction at the moment until I win the lottery and can buy the metalworking kits I need to build from scratch.

Also if anyone knows of the essential must haves, please let me know.

Thanks 

[Diane B.]

Not sure exactly which kind(s) of jewelry (there are many!) you're wanting to make, but this page at my site has a list of suppliers for many kinds of stringing as well as all knds of metal findings for jewelry.  Some probably have wire too (various qualities) and perhaps even metal sheeting.  They probably also carry "beads" though there are millions of kinds of beads (basically anything small with a hole through it) that you might have to just google "UK bead suppliers", or go to a local bead shop (or craft shop for a smaller selection). Are you interested only in "seed beads" and smaller ones like that, or the jillion larger ones?

http://glassattic.com/polymer/jewelry.htm
...click on Suppliers near the bottom of the list...and also on Cords for Beads and Connectors
You can also use those large jewelry supply sites in the US just to browse and get loads of images so you'll know exactly which findings and cordings, etc, it is you want (then google sources for them locally, or mail order in the UK).

These pages have more info/etc on larger cording, and on wireworking + making your own findings/connectors, if you're interested:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/pendants_cording.htm
...click on Cording
http://glassattic.com/polymer/wire.htm
...click on Basic Wire Shapes and on Other Sites especially

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