Something important was left out of The Jewelry Architect’s Resources page: where to get the great 26g rhodium-plated headpins I use for The Riverbed Cuff (and The Shag Carpet of Pearls, and the Pearl Cluster). I’ve helped perpetuate the headpin mystery by recommending, in series, stainless steel (which apparently have never existed) and both niobium and rhodium plating. 
What you want are the two inch long, 26g base metal and rhodium pins from the Mighty BeadFX.com, in Toronto.
The second printing of the book will have them where they belong, in the Resources section, and I’m sorry they were left out of the first. BeadFX is also going to be, along with Debi Nicholson’s Beads of Colour in Dundas, your new go-to for the Ram’s Horn clasps. We should have them in stock in just a few weeks. Thanks for your patience.
Bead FX also has pure copper headpins, which are lovely. Because they get dirty, I only use them for single elements, not to include in sewn work that can’t be aggressively or chemically cleaned. I like the rhodium-plated for the Riverbed and the Shag because they stay clean in the piece, forever. Or forever enough.
Here is some cut video from the Jewelry Architect video shoot; not the riveting, not yet, but some silly outtakes and a great demo on bending a Cocktail Ring, why oval shanks are a great idea, and how to use embedded fine silver wires in metal clay as a prong setting.
And here is a video interview that I did with Marlene Blessing, talking about the thread structure, and the glass fabric, and how I realized one day that thread was just thread until it was woven into fabric.…
Wish there was a source, though, in the US for the pins. Otherwise you’re dealing with dollar conversions and extra fees on charge cards – just sayin’. Called various US vendors, however, and no one carries them. So are they only made in Canada?
I made some clusters using 24ga stainless steel pins and they turned out beautious (a word?) Love them. Sourcing those pins for a huge quantity is also a pain. But I’ll keep hunting.
They are so inexpensive, though, that it’s hard to complain. Seriously!
I don’t know of a US source for them, sorry!
wait- where did you find stainless headpins? I thought they didn’t exist?
Thanks for the shout-out, Kate! I’ll make sure we have plenty of the headpins in stock for everyone.
I wish they were linkable! It’s so 1998 to say “go to this page, scroll down, and look for the words “Jill Wiseman and Kate McKinnon.” Ha!
I’m so sorry the link isn’t on the Resources page, but we’ll get a second printing very soon with it added, and I’ll feature the link prominently on my own site for the book.
BeadFX FTW!!!
Hi – actually – you can link to them!
this is the link!
http://www.beadfx.com/catalogue/findingsbaseheadpins.php#22601030b
(Webmistress and database wrangler for beadFX)
AWESOME! But how would a normal user accomplish that? I can’t find anything clickable on the item itself? Click Add To Cart, then back click from the item in the cart?
I don’t believe it’s ever really come up before – no one has ever wanted to be that specific.
With our site it is the page url + the # (for the anchor symbol) – then the sku – which is the number in bold. Now that was more technical than you wanted, right? ;-)
But you are correct – that’ how the shopping cart delivers you back to the same item. That’s what I had to build in when folks told us that just coming back to the same page was frustrating (after putting something in the shopping cart).
One of these days – I’d like to have individual pages for each item, multiple photos, links to projects that use them, wish lists, “goes with” – if you find a secret stash of time machines – let me know? ;-)
: )
Hey, at least now there is a way to sort of link to an item! That’s great news.
Ahem, (adjusts proofreading glasses) the Pearl Cluster instructions call for niobium plated headpins, not rhodium. I can’t find niobium headpins anywhere and had yet to hear about BeadFX, so I used sterling pins and just finished my very first Pearl Cluster, using a wild mix of pearls. Awesome kinetic design. This is a great book.
Niobium and rhodium are almost interchangeable in this circumstance, they are both fine, both very hard to find. I like the rhodium plated ones from BeadFX best for price and availability. Sorry about the confusion.
Sterling headpins are expensive, and they tarnish, and you can’t really clean them once they are next to pearls, so I don’t like to use them for things like pearl clusters, or sewn bracelets.
I’m so glad you liked the book!
The little flowers, oh my! I love them! This is a beautiful, funky cuff, love it.
May I ask a dumb question? What about the cheapo silver tone headpins you can get from Michael’s and the like? Aren’t they supposed to be tarnish free?
Yup! They are all base metal. They don’t tarnish, but they will get dirty.
I like the classy rhodium plating.
Rhodium is one of the platinum elements- it’s one of the nicest metals on Earth.
Rhodium – duh! I just didn’t even think about it.
It’s all in the details.
BeadFX has rhodium 2mm crimps too. Do you like those?? Thanks! I’m enjoying reading the book so They are really affordable too. much, and love the DVD! Time to dive in and try a project!
I meant the rhodium crimps are affordable…, so are they worth a try? poor typing, got it all mixed up, sorry!
I’m sure they are wonderful- I don’t really do much stringing anymore, but if I did, or if I do, I would love to try them.