Beading q's

[powdermonkey.livejournal.com]

I checked the memories and couldn't find anything, if I missed something, sorry.. Also, if there's a good beading community any of you know of, please send me there!

I'm trying to make some beaded earrings & things that I might be able to sell, so I want to work out how to do a really good job. There's a few problems I keep running into, though.

The fishing line I'm using comes wound into a circle, so any length I cut has this pesky curl to it. How the hell do I get the stuff to be dead straight?

Secondly, the only way I really know of securing ends right now is with those metal crimps, but for some of the things I have in mind they'll stand out too much.. I've seen beaded necklaces and the like in shops, where the beads don't move along the wire, they stay put.. But I can't see how they've done it. So I guess my question is, what's a way of securing the ends of earrings and holding beads in place and so on, without having a big ugly crimp showing?

Sorry if none of this makes sense, it's late >.< Thanks!