The Beaded Carpet

Giveaway Time

2012-01-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

So, as I mentioned last week it was time for a milestone Giveaway :)

It was to celebrate my 300 followers milestone, however since then not only have I well passed 300, I also passed the 1000 items sold in my Artfire store and had my biggest month ever!

Makes me feel like this bead designing thing might actually earn me a living ;)

So...rules for the giveaway are :

You need to be a follower of my blog to get a ticket and make a comment on this post.

If you bought/buy from my store this month (January 2012) you will automatically get a second ticket.

Simple huh?

"What do we win?" you ask.

You get to choose one of anything below :)

A GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR $100
TO MY ARTFIRE STORE

Either the Silver or Bronze/gold 18" Angel Bows Necklace designed for the Elegant Elements Challenge

This multi rope 25" necklace, with 2" drop to lowest rope, also designed for the Elegant Elements Challenge

Either one of my Podflower cuffs which are featured in Perlen Poesie

These can be adjusted to fit a 6 1/2" to 8" wrist...let me know the size

This pretty beaded bead 19" to 20" necklace

This Denim Blues cabochon necklace (not sure of the stone) with vintage Swarovski. 20" with a 2" drop.

Oh...and this is up too...the photo disappeared....it fits a size 7 to 8 finger :)

So...there you go.

Start commenting...Rude or mean comments disqualify you...lol :)

I'll be randomly choosing a winner next Sunday.....good luck :)

Putting Your Eggs in More Than One Basket

2012-01-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Oh my Lord! What is she on about now?

I could have said "where there's a will, there's a way"

As those of you who know me on Facebook already know I took the components of the Finger Armor and created a bracelet :)

I'll just have to do a couple of new illustrations for it, nothing major.

It has all the techniques I wanted to teach with the Finger Armor and I'm including the single ring tutorial too :)

So...the winners of all this craziness are my followers and customers because not only do you get a bracelet tut and the ring...I've decided I want to share this so much I'm listing the commercial edition at a mere $15

I had planned on the Finger Armor alone being $25

So...check my store Friday :)

One thing I do need help with....a name!

I've been calling it the Bracelet Born of Ring but I'd love to hear your suggestions.

I'm working hard to get my Angel Bows necklace out on Friday too....the tutorial is written and I have just two more links to make on the silver version but I am also making a gold version....as the Elegant Elements clasp comes in both colors and Steven Weiss of the Beadsmith was kind enough to send me the gold one :)

I haven't forgotten the contest....just with all this baloney to deal with I'm behind on it. I'm going to schedule it for this Sunday so check back on Sunday to see what you can win and how you can enter :)

I hope everyone has a great day and thank you all so much for the support over the last few days...it means a LOT!

The Hitch on the Finger Armor

2012-01-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Ok...so here's the deal....the release of my tutorial is on hold.

Why? You ask.

Yes, it's ready to go and I got up to find a note telling me I have infringed someone's copyright....and now a threat to sue me.

Now this is a story that goes back two plus years.

When I first started beading I frequented a beading forum and there was a loomer/beader who posted a picture of a very pretty (but for me overly feminine) two section ring. It triggered a memory for me of a design I'd done a few years earlier when I was heavily into chain maille. Being a kind of fiesty, costuming gal I was interested in jewelry based on armor just as I had made clothes out of chain maille. And I had designed some finger armor based on gauntlets.

And something else that I had come across in my foray into armor...the arm wraps....look familiar?

So....as you can see...my research led me to seeing that a hinge was needed to create the design I had in mind. I didn't get past the design stage and in all honesty I wasn't bead weaving at the time so hadn't thought of doing them in a technique I didn't know existed. And it wasn't till seeing this gal do something with the basic idea in bead weaving that my memory was triggered. I dug out my old design sketch book....and I had even drawn up a pattern for the finger armor. I got to work translating my original pattern into beadwork and posted my pictures in the forum.

She had a problem. Even though, as everyone said, mine looked completely different, different style, different look. This gal said she was patenting all bead woven rings that covered more than one section of the finger....and then asked me how I hinged mine, because it looked different from her technique and she'd like to include MY technique in HER patent!!!!! WTF?

Anyway, it was a huge thing on the forum with most people feeling she couldn't create a patent like that....that it would be like trying to own the rights to fabric arm coverage...sleeves. A few legal people wrote me in support telling me to go forward....but I didn't push it.

Since then....multiple jointed rings have really come to be quite common with Beyonce's hand jewelry being right up their in the lead. Notice those hinged joints :)

And here are just a few of the armor inspired multiple section rings out there.

Now....what about bead weaving, you say?

Well....in the years since this all started I've seen a few people do multiple joint coverage with bead weaving...I know Cynthia Newcomer Daniel, who I actually met through all of this, did a combination bracelet and full finger coverage piece. Recently Sabine Lippert did a beautiful multiple joint ring.

But apparently I'm the only one being sued.

So....sorry folks I cannot release the tutorial today.

But.....I am thinking that I might release a couple of ring tutorials and maybe a tutorial on creating hinges in beadwork :)

The 300 Milestone

2012-01-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

Back in the days when I started this blog I never imagined anyone would actually read it let alone follow it and yet here I am having hit the 300 followers milestone. WOW!

Time for a giveaway methinks :)

You have to be a follower of my blog to play and I'm still working out the details but consensus is that the prize should be winner's choice of finished jewelry or a gift certificate. So in the next few days I'll be routing through my finished stash to find suitable pieces that I'm willing to part with :) Stay tuned!

Last night I realized I was already falling behind with my weekly workload....yeah, on Monday night...not good. I blame the cold weather, it makes me stay in bed later....I have heavy blackout curtains in the winter so I have no clue how late it is and even when I do wake up it's too dang cold to get out of my nice warm bed. One of the pitfalls of working for yourself is there's no timeclock to punch.

Yesterday I did finish all the illustrations for the Finger Armor and just have the words to write now (not a small task). I did this a little differently I illustrated a section at a time and tested it by working from it. Below is the test ring which at this point just needs it's hinges strengthening and thread worked in.

The thing I was most concerned with about this pattern is fitting/sizing. I've made enough of these to be pretty confident about sizing them but getting all that info to you...well, that's the thing. The tendency is to make your actual ring size and that ends up being too small. You kind of have to make this to fit your index finger if you want to wear it on your ring finger.....just the nature of the beast. I will have a whole page devoted to sizing.

Anyway...the tutorial will be in my store Friday.

The beading part I am behind with is the black tweaked version of my Cufflette. I'm going to try it with a different bead too...not sure it will work in practice but it makes a lot of sense in theory. So, I did get the beads onto my bead board last night and by the time I go to bed tonight I plan to have the cuff part done ready to start the lacy part.

When Rights Are Returned

2012-01-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

The end of this month sees my rights returned for my "Gothic Urchin" or as Beadwork magazine named it "Gothic Butterfly" bracelet. My muse kept me awake till 3am this morning jabbering on about this, throwing design ideas at me....along with three more designs using Corrugated peyote. I sincerely wish someone would tell her how long it takes to develop what she comes up with and write the tutorials so she might consider slowing the heck down.

Anyway....I've had many requests to write my own tutorial for this....with all my step-by-step instructions and illustrations rather than the abbreviated type that magazines need. I'm not one to redo things like that so I had to give it a lot of thought and decided that if I was going to publish something that had already been in a magazine I wanted to add to it, tweak it, do something different with it. Though the instructions for the original bracelet will be included.

I've also had a lot of requests for the tutorial for the Urchin Wings choker which is made up of the same components...not going to do that...but as many people think this is actually a bracelet (those would have to be some tiny assed beads) I thought I might see if I can do a bracelet variant. There will be a pendant based on the choker I'm 99% certain about that :)

These designs will be going on my 'To Do' list for February before you ask ;)

Hopefully to be in my store end of Feb/beginning of March.

In the background....things I can't show you that I'm working on are:

a reversible pendant hopefully for B&B magazine (they asked me) which I'm almost finished with the second colorway but elements for the chain are backordered so it's probably gonna be on hold for a bit,

a summery flatwork cuff, (again because B&B asked me),

and a whole bunch of Corrugated Peyote designs that I'm hoping will come together as a book, if I can get a publisher interested. I've been collecting supplies for these designs and am anxious to start working on them but I have to limit myself to working on them Friday through Sunday evenings.

On top of that I am working on a design that I hope will be a workshop possibly at BABE this year.....IF I can get it done in time to submit and IF they accept it.

So...you could say my plate is as full as a food addict's at a free buffet :)

This is life with an over active, slave driving muse!

Working Hard

2012-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

To say I've been busy would be an understatement, I've been a productive demon the last couple of weeks. I am the typical over achiever never happy no matter how hard I work or how much I produce so I'm a little disappointed I didn't manage to finish the Finger Armor tutorial this week too. But I'm not going to beat myself up too much because it's more important to make sure the tutorial is correct and has all the information needed. It will be ready for release next Friday though.

I have decided that Friday will be "Release Day" as it gives me a goal/deadline and also anyone who is waiting for a release will know which day to look for it.

Today's release is my Sand Dollar pendant

It's shown here with Kabela Design's Antique Brass Filigree Wreath which is available from Artbeads. It's fun to try lots of additions and anything with a center hole of 11mm to 15mm will work.

Reversed the Sand Dollar looks more like a flower

Though I show an elegant version in the tutorial you can fun this one up, switch out the crystals for firepolish and use multiple colors.

These are the flatter version of the Sand Dollar....the tutorial has optional scaffolding to ensure the height of the dome and on the ones below I also skipped a couple of the center rows for the flatter disc.

My Crab Chain was actually designed to work with this pendant and seamlessly works into the design as shown in the tutorial but you would need to purchase the Crab Chain tutorial as the instructions for it are not included.

I have listed ten sets of magnets in my store and I have more on order. The magnets are used in the center component.

Opening a Design Door

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

So, the piece I was struggling with a couple of months ago when my brain was not cooperating is finally finished. Well...the prototype is, this will need some tweaking but I'm happy with how it turned out overall.

I love lace, love wearing it, love making it....and I've really wanted to capture the beauty of crocheted lace in beads ever since I discovered bead weaving.

So this is my first piece....a bead lace version of my crocheted lace Cufflette.

Here are the two cufflettes together

It was an interesting project one where I realised my brain needed to be in bead mode for the cuff part and crochet mode for the lace part.

I get it now :)

And it opens the door to so many possibilities my muse is jumping up and down screaming in excitement with "what if"s. Which actually can be quite annoying when you already have a full schedule.

I have started day 1 of seriously packing up the house, a slow start but I plan on getting a lot done before Monday. I still have to bead because, well....there are beads and there are ideas....and I need an income.

Bead & Button contacted me a bit back asking if I would like to submit a couple of projects and the fixings for one of them have been sitting on my bead board for at least a month and I am hoping to get that one beaded this weekend. It's a pendant.....it's reversible, uses filigree, and one of those big rubber disc beads....and that's as much as I can say....it's also as much as I know right now :)

Happy Friday!

Back in Gear

2012-01-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

I am finally back in gear and working like a normal me again :)

Not that I'm remotely 'normal' as my family frequently remind me and I'm not sure in a good way ;)

But normal for me is over-achieving workaholic and that can definitely be said that that's how I've started 2012....focused and nose to the grindstone.

I did start 2012 early with my release of the Industrial Chic: Corrugated Filigree Cuff in December but I've continued with the release of the matching necklace and the embellished bangle. If you want to buy the tutorials just click on the pictures and it'll take you right to where you can buy them :)

If you want both the Filigree Cuff and Necklace and want to save some $$$ they are available as a package :)

As we really need to get the house ready for sale ASAP I'm cutting my work week down to four days...which means four days of pattern writing or at least one pattern a week though I'll be beading every evening. The goal is to have sold the house and be in Fresno by the Spring...I'd love to be there for the beginning of March in time for the Rogue Festival....but we'll see.

I have a bunch of things that need patterning, I'm presently working on finishing my Sand Dollar tutorial which has been waiting for it's center to be written and I've had the request (many) to write a tutorial for my Finger Armor so it is on my schedule for next week.

These are some of the ones I've made in the past.

Well....lots of eye candy this morning....hope you enjoy them :)

A Sparkling Brand New Year!

2012-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

So....it's here, it's finally here. I've been waiting for 2012 for over 30 years ever since learning about the Mayans and their incredible predictions.

I guess how you feel about the prediction says what kind of person you are....optimistic or pessimistic, whether you have any hope left.

I definitely fall into the optimistic group because I feel December 21st, 2012 will bring about a positive change. I'd like to think it would be a great big dose of common sense, compassion and understanding released into the world-wide water system. My money (hope) is on solar flares taking out all wireless communication....lol! It would totally mess things up, satellite TV ...gone, cell phones....gone (who you gonna text?), and a myriad of things we have become so used to using. We'd actually have to speak to each other again....the new neurosis of face to face contact would keep the shrinks busy :)

I doubt it would last too long....maybe a year? But it might give people time to think and reevaluate.

I'm reading a book right now called "Alice in Darkland" and it's very relevant, I feel. Yes, a take on Alice in Wonderland but with Alice as a gun wielding freedom fighter trying to get the truth out about politicians and the rich getting together to 'thin' the population and bring back slave camps. Yup....the 1% enslaving the 99%....this time by turning people into zombies so it's easy to understand the need for the genocide and make the remaining humans 'pliable'. Of course if you're rich enough, or connected enough there's a vaccination.

The Queen in this is one of the biologists who helped create the vaccine but took it after she had been bitten by a zombie so is half human/half zombie....which I can't help picturing our English Queen in the role as she shows no emotion and has dead eyes :) The White Rabbit and Mad Hatter are zombies of course.

I'm about half way through the book and it's the perfect thing to read as we enter the year of Armageddon...lol! Of course, only if your dark side is out of the closet :)

My advice for the year.....have a cable connection, a landline, get out and talk to people face to face and load up your Kindle to capacity now :) And I'm only half joking!

Happy Armageddon!

Last One Off the Bead Board

2011-12-31T06:11:00.000-08:00

So...if you've been following you know I've been trying to clear a few of 2011's UFOs and last night I finished the last one I planned to complete before the year fades out.

So the second version of the Embellished Corrugated Peyote Bangle is done. This one uses bugles and the new Twin beads....which as luck would have it were released just as I was thinking "gee, I could use a two hole bead for this bangle" . Sometimes things just work out right :)

I managed to get four pages of illustrated tutorial done yesterday, then I was feeling so proud of myself I had a glass of wine with dinner, not thinking it would make sitting at the computor and doing the last two illustrations impossible. But it did so I didn't finish. I should get it completed and published today though and that's before the end of the year so it's good :)

I had hope to pattern up the bangle too before we turned all 2012 but as I was doing the second version I realised it was going to be a bit more involved than I thought....gee, really Mikki....two designs in one pattern is more work? I bite off more than I can chew at times....the problems of an over-achiever!

Clearing the Bead Board

2011-12-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

Making progress on clearing the bead board before the ball drops at the end of the year. Completed last night my herringbone Deco Medallion bracelet.

As you can see I used two different medallions for this one but I think a bracelet of either one of the medallions would be pretty too. When I get to writing the pattern I think I'll put all three styles in because it would just be the joinings that would be different. Of course I'll have to make two more bracelets :)

This was the first time I've used Delica 15/0s for more than just the small beads in a bezel but I felt these designs called for something delicate.

I'll probably try working them up in other beads too...maybe I'll be surprised :)

Anyway...that's one more UFO off the bead board and leave just one to go....not that I don't have a bunch more UFOs but there's only one left of the group I planned to be finished before the end of the year.

I'm hoping to finish the tutorial for the Corrugated Filigree Necklace today...six pages but I think I can do it. That would leave tomorrow free for one last tutorial....an easy one, the Embellished Corrugated Bangle which is also the last and current piece on my bead board...the second version, embellished with the new Twin beads.

And yes...."My name is Mikki and I'm a workaholic"

The Conveyor Belt on my Conveyor Belt

2011-12-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

This week has been a return to my productive little self and my bead board has resembled a conveyor belt as unfinished pieces rolled across it to be completed.

The latest is a piece I think of as "The Conveyor Belt" necklace as it reminds me of the conveyor belts that used to move freshly baked sponge cakes along the factory line to find their boxes at my summer job when I was at college. Funny where inspiration comes from.

The large Steampunk button seemed the perfect pendant to go with this industrial piece. I love the way the corrugations undulate and I'm sure I'll be playing with more versions of the undulations as designs pop into my head...as they are doing right now :)

The Beadsmith Project......DONE!

2011-12-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Finally finished the two projects for Beadsmith, I ended up with two necklaces purely because I couldn't find a matching delica for the silver clasp that I was happy with. After seeing some of the other amazing pieces people made I think mine are a little on the simple side.....maybe I approached the challenge differently? My thought was to make something that showed the clasp off and was simple enough to make people think "I could do that"....so they'd run out and buy the clasp. The black piece in particular....because I figured even if you are a stringer you could work something up similar.

And my sprint to the end of this year

I'm now working on what I call a Steampunk piece though it's not like any I've seen.....the idea for it was a cog on a conveyor belt or gear on a bike chain. It's sort of got an Egyptian feel to it...don't ask how THAT happened....lol!

Sometimes I think my muse and I think very differently. Anyway....I have a couple of inches and a clasp to go on that one....so pictures should be up tomorrow.

Today I'm back at the drawing board...the computerized version, of course.

I completed three pages of the Corrugated Filigree Necklace tutorial yesterday, I can use ten pages for the two components that are the same as the bracelet tutorial....so I figure I have another ten or twelve to write and illustrate. Five new components in the necklace.

The goal is to finish the tutorial and write another (simpler) one.

To finish the Steampunk necklace, make the final link for my Deco bracelet, and finish an alternate using Twin beads of my embellished corrugated bangle.

All by the end of the year...I can see me being up at midnight on New Year's Eve....and not to see 2012 in :)

As for what 2012 holds......

I get my life back

I start sculpting with beads

I paint again

I get on the teaching circuit

Please God!

Finally!

2011-12-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Finally managed to complete and publish the tutorial for my

Industrial Chic: Corrugated Filigree Cuff

You can get it right here !

I've got a sale going too.....spend $50 and get 20% off

Use the code 20OFF50

Plus....I've included a discount coupon in the tutorial so that if you want to buy the necklace tutorial too....should have it done by next week... you'll get a healthy discount :) Once I get the necklace tutorial up it will have a discount code for the cuff too. I feel as some of the components are the same you shouldn't have to pay for them twice :)

I am almost finished with my second piece for the Beadsmith Project. After not liking the match of the clasp with the bracelet I originally designed I switched gears to create an asymmetrical necklace with a variety of ropes. I just have the large back rope to make and it will be a wrap :)

It's sort of a mad dash to finish things before the end of the year so I can start 2012 with a clean beading board. Is that only me?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Whatever Floats Your Boat

2011-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

I'm in full Christmas hermit mode, not a grinch, I hope the holiday is everything people want, but for me I'll just hold tight till it's all over.

For some of us this isn't the happiest of seasons and can actually be pretty rough but I think the best thing we can do is fly under the radar so we don't spread the sadness. So I'm kind of avoiding the social media and all Christmas shows :)

So...if you love the season I hope you enjoy every minute of it and if you're like me....hang in there, normal programming will resume shortly.

Struggling with work right now....I seem to be in permanent slow motion...a Baywatch beader.

I hope to finish writing the words and checking through the Filigree Corrugations bracelet today and hopefully list it tomorrow.

The necklace should be a LOT quicker as I can use a lot of the illustrations from the bracelet. I do plan on attaching a discount code for the necklace tutorial if you buy the bracelet tutorial and vice-versa.

I've been thinking a LOT about art lately, having the urge to paint or sculpt again.....just not the room or time to do it...lol! Being an artist sure does take up a lot of space. And I dream of both a wet studio and a dry one.

I am trying to form a plan for the new year, to get the heck out of dodge and find my life again. I'm gathering projects that I think would be good workshops and hope to put a brochure together so I can set up some classes in California beginning in April....hopefully I'll be living there by then and if not, well, it will be the break I need. So if you have a bead store in California and you would like a new instructor...drop me a line :)

I'm hoping Santa brings me a big shovel for Christmas...or maybe a back hoe so I can dig for all the positivity I need to make the changes my life desperately needs.

Sneaky Peek Saturday

2011-12-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Working amidst all the distractions is proving difficult lately plus I think the only thing I haven't gotten back fully is my attention span...what used to come easy is like pulling teeth lately.

Still.....while working on pattern writing I have managed to keep working on some beading in the evenings and here's a sneaky peek at some of the things in progress.

The turquoise skull piece is for me, a beaded chain maille necklace.

Another piece in the Industrial Chic Corrugated Peyote series and a Deco bracelet that was to be for the Beadsmith Project but on seeing the picture I'm not happy with the match between clasp and beads (that's why it's not even in the picture). Back to the drawing board on that one, I think. Though I like the bracelet so I'll just have to come up with another clasp.

Branching Out

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about bead sculpture lately, mostly because pattern sales have been very slow and I need to make a living. When we eventually move to Fresno I hope to get back in with the art crowd there and possibly get back to painting but I'd also like to do some bead sculptures.

What to bead though....I had a couple of ideas but I don't like just random things....I like to create lines and collections. So...some old ideas raised their heads the other day...a number of years ago I started making some soft sculptured imps or elves and it occurred to me they would be awesome in beads so I think that will be one line. Another is a set of very stylized, happy, dancing people which I don't just think would be fun to make but good for my soul too. Both sets have names but I can't share that as I've had names stolen before so I play it close to the chest now.

How to make them is the next step. The imps will be fairly easy as the armature could be soft with a wire inner....just as the sewn ones were. I will have to sculpt the faces and as my clay is already packed for the move and in storage that will have to wait.

The dancing people however will need a much firmer base and have to be sculpted. I'm thinking I might do some bead embroidery on those too....not something I've done much of though I've done a LOT of thread embroidery. I'm looking at balsa wood for the bases....boy is that expensive! The coffers certainly can't afford that right now...so they may have to wait.

It also dawns on me that I need a LOT of space! One studio is not enough, I need a 'smelly' studio for painting, claying and sculpting and another for beading and sewing. I dream of a little house in the Tower District where I could turn a garage into a studio and be able to open it up for Art Hop and Rogue Festival.

So much to think about....but it's good to have a plan.

One Down, One To Go

2011-12-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

I finished the first piece for the Beadsmith Project yesterday!

If you missed me talking about it, Beadsmith has gathered a group of designers from around the world (some really big, intimidating names) and given us the challenge of creating pieces around their Elegant Elements clasps.

We each got to choose two and this is the first of my choices.

Some see is as an angel but my skewed brain saw it as a bow :)

So, with bows in mind and herringbone stitch, which is a stitch I know people have been asking for more designs using it, I created this wedding style necklace.

The clasp can be worn front or back which is something I know to be important for a wedding necklace or wedding dress....as the back of the bride is seen as much as the front during the ceremony. This really is a perfect clasp for a bride's necklace.

I did an opera length but as this is "bow links" it's easy to make it any length you like. Even though this isn't my Gothic/Industrial personal style I would actually wear this one as I think it's a fun take on classic pearls.

It was actually challenging for me as I didn't want to over power the clasp and I've been heavily embedded in the chunky Corrugated Peyote designs so the switch took some time.

The next one is about halfway done and is a bracelet taking this design up and out and it's already making me want to do spin-offs.

Stay-tuned!

Planning & Getting on Track

2011-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

After distraught discussions at 3am I'm going along with 'The Plan' though not convinced that all the work I'm going to have to do won't end up hurting me or setting me up for another round of 'Blame & Beat Up Mikki'

At least I now know I'm not the only one concerned about my physical safety or the only one to have a defense plan.

So...once again...it's the fight to get back on track and see how long I can hold on before the demo ball hits me again...at this point there's no reason to believe it won't.
For those of you who have shown concern...thank you!

The progress on the Beadsmith Project has been slow going...mostly because I'm very picky and want things to match perfectly. I've had to accept that there's just no perfect silver delica to match the clasps I chose.....unless someone knows something I don't.

The necklace which has decided it wants to be a choker is almost there, three or four more links to go. And it will work with the clasp at the front or at the back. I'm really liking it even though it's not my personal style....at least it will be an easy pattern to write up :)

On the other hand the bracelet will take quite a bit of writing up.

After working on about six variations and not happy with any individual one I laid all the components side by side to see which one I liked the best and realised they actually looked good together though each one needed a little tweaking. So now I know where it's going it should speed up the progress.

After I get through my long list of chores today I hope to finish the tutorial for the Corrugated Filigree Cuff

Then I get to work on the necklace tut which should go a lot quicker.
Trying to get both finished for the weekend.

Something that cropped up yesterday was Heather Collins and I having an occurrence of JBS (Joint Brain Syndrome) or GMTA (Great Minds Think Alike)
Heather published a picture of her "Door Hinge" pendant sending me into a tizzy to get photos taken of my own take on the 'hinge'....something I've been working on for well over 6 months.

So....here is Heather's "Door Hinge" clasp pendant

And here's my "Hinge Pin" clasp cuff.

This also shows my Medieval influence :)

I have a lot of "Hinge" designs including a pendant which has been a UFO for a number of months. Too many ideas and not enough time...I could probably spend the next five years just working from the design sketches already in my design book.

OK.....must NOT overwhelm myself.....playing it way too close to the line these days...so easy go into 'static' mode.

Trying

2011-12-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

After being hit by another mac truck I'm trying to be positive.

I'm trying to not let it destroy me.

I'm trying to be hopeful.

I'm trying to be generous in any way I can.

I'm trying to stay on my diet even though Mom is sabotaging me.

I'm trying not to cry all the time.

I'm trying to work.

I'm trying to be thankful.

But I feel empty, alone and tired of trying.

The Waiting Game

2011-12-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Tap...tap...tap.

I'm waiting for a bead delivery that will bring the last rivoli I need for my Corrugated Filigree necklace. I'm really proud of this one..it falls into the 'opulent' category and I'm totally having fun discovering just how versatile my corrugated peyote is. For me a design is good if it has versatility.

Last night I started working on a Steampunk pendant utilizing corrugated peyote. I must admit I was getting a little disappointed that it didn't pack the punch I wanted but it was early days and the corrugated peyote was working just as I wanted. Before I went to bed last night I realized another way I could work the corrugations that would be way cool and this morning I woke up with the perfect way to incorporate the new idea into the pendant. My muse likes to work when I'm asleep :)

I have some new things to work on too. I have been selected as one of the designers to create new designs utilizing Beadsmith's "Elegant Elements" clasps. I got to choose two and they arrived yesterday :)

There were a LOT too choose from and my first selection was this Arte Deco style....a style I love working in. The design for a bracelet using this one is already in my sketchbook and components should be arriving today or tomorrow.

My second choice was this very unusual clasp which I wasn't even sure how it worked :) There's a little box clasp behind one wing. This is a challenging one....because I plan for it to be up front but it's also small and very delicate. I had in mind a necklace and I'm going to have to bring all the delicate creativity I have to make this work. Of course it would be the perfect back clasp for a wedding necklace when the back is seen as much as the front.

I have to order some things for the design I have in mind and I have to try the idea out first to see if it will work.

BUT what fun!

I love these type of challenges! So thank you Steven Weiss for including me in what is a very impressive group of designers...a little intimidating to be up there with the likes of Jean Campbell, Marsha Wiest-Hines, Linda Roberts (who suggested me...thank you:)) my bud, the amazing Heather Collins and a bunch of other terrific designers :)

Here's one of Linda Robert's designs using an "Elegant Elements" clasp it's called "Enticement" and it certainly is! Thank you Linda for setting the bar so high....no sarcasm there at all ;)

And I just found out Heather chose my second choice in gold....oooo....competition!

One Down Four To Go

2011-11-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over...next up, my birthday, then Mom's then Christmas, then New Years. It's always such a busy time and I tend to get last minute with things as I seem to always be playing catch-up at this time of the year.

Once again I'm trying to be organized and get things done ahead of time.

I have the added chore of renewing my driver's license this year and I'm thankful I have my Kindle to make the wait easier.

I'm busy beading away on the Industrial Chic : Corrugations line with more ideas popping up all the time.

Nothing ready to be photographed yet so I figured I'd show you a couple of rings. The dark one has been sitting around in my components box for a while as I couldn't decide if I wanted to make it into a two-section 'Finger Armor' ring. A larger size too...too big for me but fits Mom :)

I have to say....I like the photo of this one....that sparkle on the cab is not added after...and it's perfect...lol! If only I could get that every time.

The copper 'Finger Armor' ring was one I made with the idea of putting it into my store. The problem with these rings is you have to use two ring sizes and so it's better to try them on than buy online. I did a few for a gallery and they sold like hotcakes. I keep meaning to get around to patterning them...it's on the constant 'To Do' list :(

Other wise I have been working out religiously ....that means just Sundays....right? Kidding! I didn't lose any weight after week two but I got the tape measure out and discovered I'd lost a total of 6 1/2" in the two weeks so with the 2.6lbs lost in week one I feel good about my progress :)

I certainly feel brighter, lighter and more energetic but I'm sleeping a LOT and I'd need to work on not needing quite as much sleep.

That way I can get more beading done and get closer to catching my muse.

I need a New Alarm Clock

2011-11-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

I need one that will tip me out of bed when I hit the snooze button for the third time. Or maybe someone needs to come take my Kindle away from me after an hour :) I'll blame it on Gemma Halliday right now...just started the second of her "High Heels" mysteries and they are a fun read, one I have a hard time putting down.

So, I feel really tired today and actually thinking about taking a rest day. Maybe a day of not hitting the elliptical will give my body time to regulate it's temperature. Ever since I started exercising my body temperature has gone skyward....ten days ago I was wearing two sweaters in the house and now I'm down to a tank top and I'm still hot. I think that has something to do with a confused metabolism :)

I've been sifting through things I've made but haven't done the tutorials for yet....they now all reside in a little chest on my desk. These are some of them.

My "Petite Pacquets" ("Little Packages") series

Chunky with pearls.

Embedded Shells

Diamond Pendant/Brooch

And then something a little different.....a ring from a series I call "Crustaceans" I have a pendant and earrings too but they haven't turned up yet :) I know I put them somewhere safe...lol...you know how that goes!

Sometimes I think I'll never get caught up.

Back to Health and Energy

2011-11-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

A chunk of my time right now is used up trying to get me back to a healthy weight and improve my health....building my body into a fortress so I can take what the world seems to delight throwing at me.

I signed up on FatSecret.com which is turning out to be a spectacular tool for weight loss. Four days of using it and the elliptical and I dropped 2.6lbs. I really thought that, even though I was not eating as healthy as I did when I lived on my own, I was still doing a good job....nyet!

Logging every little thing I eat into FS I discovered my fat intake was way up there, followed closely by carbs....no wonder I was gaining so much. Now I see keeping my fat below 20% and my protein around 30% as a challenge and work it out each day to keep it at that. Then I make sure my calories out are at least 1000 more than my calories in. It's simple :)

And it's only taken me 3 seasons of The Biggest Loser to get it...lol!

If anyone wants to join me....hop on over to FatSecret.com...it's free...and buddy me...Mik335...you can see what I'm eating and doing to lose the weight.

I am finding time to bead though it's still slow going but I did decide to release this one...a soft bangle of Embellished Corrugations

I was planning to submit this to B&B but as I seem to be working on a series of the Corrugations I thought I'd design something else for them :)

I'm working on a second sample right now with a different embellishment, one using the new Twin seed beads. It's less blingy and more day wear...the one pictured is very sparkly though it doesn't look so much in the picture. The outer black beads are Chinese crystal rondelles and very sparkly :)

I ordered some Steampunky things today to go with the Industrial Chic line and I'm hoping the designs my muse came up with work :) The corrugated peyote does take time but I really feel it's worth it when I see the results and I hope others will feel the same way.

Onward and Upward!

2011-11-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

One step in front of the other really works...no matter how small the steps are.

I'm happy to report that I'm making progress, slowly but surely.

Sometimes I think my life is like a game show.... more 'Wipeout' than 'Amazing Race' only I'm not sure what the prize is or even if there is one.

But this whole episode teaches me to just stay focused on the things that make me happy, the things I feel good about and that always comes down to my creativity. A few people have given me some real strength and helped me believe again...and those have been people I've never actually met in real life which helps enormously in the 'faith in human nature' department.

I am hugely thankful for those people...and you know who you are :)

All the encouragement to not quit beading worked and I have managed to almost finish one design (just waiting for the beads I ran out of) that I'd started before it all hit the fan.

This is "Corrugated Filigree" part of my "Industrial Chic" line.

There will be a necklace too and earrings...and, of course tutorials for them all :)

I also managed a variation of my corrugated peyote that I'm really pleased with but can't show as it's destined for Bead & Button. In the midst of all the crap B&B contacted me about submitting a couple of projects for the magazine....completely honored by this but somewhat freaked because my brain wasn't working.

I asked what they were interested in and they said a flatwork design and something like my Arianne Bangles...peyote-ish :) So, one down, the flatwork design in my head but not translating onto paper yet. I can see it in my mind...and it's gorgeous...lol! But my brain is still sticking, maybe I haven't reloaded that program yet :)

Last night I picked up the project that I was working out when my brain shorted out, it's now become the 'challenge'. The idea is to translate one of my crochet designs into beading...not beaded crochet, pure bead weaving.

I did actually get the beads to do what I wanted them to but I'm still playing with it. I got the idea to work with a blend of RAW and peyote on a narrow strip but I would like it to work purely with peyote and on a wide strip. Or it could be herringbone...we'll see :)

I can tell I'm doing better as I'm back to having more ideas than I can deal with but I still find myself really nervous about pattern writing. What if that program hasn't reloaded into my brain....it's a case of plucking up the courage to find out....but that won't be today....or tomorrow. My goal is to give it a try on Monday. Baby steps :)

Climbing Out of an Abyss

2011-11-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

Obviously I've been absent from my blog, I feel like I've been absent from my life. Truth is I feel my life has been on hold for seven years now, the life where I am a social, fun loving, get involved person. But the last five months have been absolutely horrendous.

Stress from family and the realization that I'm just a 'utility' to them, that I have no protection and have to be prepared for things that I know will happen to disrupt my life in the future and of which I have no control whatsoever has all made me a wreck.

The disbanding of the Bead Mavens in not a happy way seems to have been the final straw for me. I fell apart totally....and the thing I had been most afraid of happened. I lost my ability to bead.

I'd been struggling for a couple of months with concentration and my level of production had dropped right down but all of a sudden I couldn't remember stitches or work out things that normally come easily. I know some of you will be worried about me...trust me I know exactly what you're thinking because I've experienced it before. That said I am doing everything I should be...so be assured of that.

After a solid week of not being able to bead a dang thing I decided I just needed to go back to the beginning, so I printed out one of my peyote flatwork patterns and followed the instructions :) I could still follow a pattern...YAY!

That's not saying I haven't unbeaded a hell of a lot more than usual....but for me it was progress.

The thing with me is I am hopeless at dealing with stress when it gets built up past a certain level...and that level is pretty high, but once reached I simply stop being able to function. It actually takes my body physically reacting to the stress to shake me out of it. Then I go into crisis mode (I am the person you want around in a crisis) and my practicality takes over. It cuts through all the crap, makes decisions and gets on with it. It kicks foot holes in the side of the abyss so I can climb out.

I've accepted that I need to have a bag packed for Thanksgiving and Christmas so if the thing we dread... happens, I can leave quickly and go to a hotel. It's the safe thing to do....sucks royally...but whatcha gonnna do? Safety first! Emotional and physical! And so what if I'm alone in a hotel for the holidays...I'll make it fun. And I refuse to think past there right now.

And I'm back to working up a new design. Something I've done before but tweaked and with a new element. It's going very slowly, lots of ripping out because my brain is still not behaving but I'm getting there. My muse hasn't been fazed at all and has continued to throw more ideas at me which is on one hand annoying because I'm not capable of working them out, and on the other hand reassuring that the creative part of my brain is working fine.

I'm challenging myself to work out the new design that showed me my brain wasn't functioning correctly and when I've done that I will feel more like 'me'.

I'm thinking of my brain like a computer....it froze up, had to be rebooted and I still need to reload all the programs. We all know how irritating that can be :)

It took some finding but after turning everything upside down I did manage to find a tiny bit of hope and I'm nurturing it so it grows and takes over my life.

The 'UGH' of it All.

2011-08-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Definitely a word that's in my brain and frequently pops out of my mouth thesedays as I sort through my studio for what I can throw away, give to Goodwill or pack up ready to move.

I still have a fair way to go with my studio but the bones of it are now done and I have a definite office area and a definite sitting/beading area. I am sick of moving furniture...lol! And I still have to get a large set of drawers out of here, move a six foot tall bookcase and a couple of 3 foot bookcases (let's not mention I'll have to do this all again when I'm ready to paint and put new carpet down). I do love my new desk and I have already discovered that the black glass top of it is cool for taking photos on.

I think Mom and I have now toured every furniture store in the area and it did have the desired effect of having Mom realise how outdated the house is....1990 Old Lady is the design term I believe. But you can update things a LOT with the right can of spray paint, fresh colors on the walls, and the removal of all the frills and old lady knick knacks :)

Going around the furniture stores I was surprised to see how Steampunk has become a living design style and blown away that it is indeed my living design style. I realised I had some hints of it amongst my belongings but everything I loved in the furniture shops was totally Steampunk.

So when we move I now know what my home will look like....before I seemed to only buy furniture that folded and that totally said "unsettled".

I've also decided some things I want outside my house....a paved patio with a fountain, some raised planters where I can grow some food and a swing!!!!

I want a swing....not a swinging couch....a real big kid's swing.

I love swings, they are perfect for venting....getting on and pumping your legs hard to get out all your frustrations. Or just to relax and swing gently on while meditating...you can't beat a swing!

When I was nannying in Malibu the couple I worked for began to have problems and even though they were seeing an excellent therapist they did not seem to be able to stop the shouting matches in front of the kids. So whenever one of their arguments started and I knew it was going to be a doozy I would hustle the little boy and girl into the car and take them to the swings on Zuma beach. It was always our escape.

So...I want a swing!!!!

I will be posting some before and after photos of my studio (though I forgot to take the before ones until I'd already started the destruction so they look worse than they actually were).

And as I sit here writing this I'm eyeballing the God-awful frilled window treatment...THAT has to GO!

I have managed a bit of beading this week and I'm rather happy with it :)

I decided to work on a cab I bought from my friend Sandy Spivey last year and it was the perfect opportunity to do some of the 'fair isle' beading I've had in my mind for ages. Knitting and crochet translates beautifully into beads and is so much fun to do :)

And these photos are, of course, taken on my new desk :)

Attack of the Drive-By Muse

2011-07-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Components, components.

Sometimes a vision is just a lot of components and you have to trust that your muse knows what she's doing. That's how I feel about this fascinator I'm working on. So far it's starfish and spheres with loops and twists and just a faint idea of how it will look when finished.

This is one of those things that I have a feeling about but it tends to make my knees shake wondering if I can pull it off. I had the same feeling with my Urchin Choker and that turned out great so I keep reassuring myself with that.

Of course, there is always the issue with finishing a big unusual piece.....sometimes it just doesn't happen. The piece below is still sitting on my mannequin waiting to be finished. It's a little bit further along than the picture shows although the fills have been taken out because they just weren't meeting my vision.

Sometimes our muses have more faith in us than we have in ourselves.

Or maybe they just don't have a grasp on how long these pieces take, and don't realise how frustrating their drive-by design attacks can be.

That said, I am endeavoring to live up to my muse (who might also be visiting Lady Gaga thesedays) and create the wilder, off the wall designs.

As someone who makes her living solely from selling tutorials this is quite scarey but I'm trusting that the components for these crazy pieces will lend themselves to more wearable designs and sales.

I'm not sure how creating a beaded sonic screwdriver will translate but it sure has me excited...and that's just how I need to be.

Kermit Days

2011-07-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a Kermit Day.

(What the heck is she talking about now?)

Someone, I think it was Heather Collins, explained to me that when she had a day of beading where more time was spent ripping out than actually beading she called it a froggy day as in "rippit, rippit". I tried to put a happy spin on it by thinking of Kermit when I'm having one of those days (if you listen closely you can hear me humming "It's not easy being green") so I now refer to those days as my Kermit Days.

And what had me so flummoxed?

A bigger version of this baby, my new Spiral Star.

The plan is to make a bigger one that I can use to create a fascinator, one of those pretty little hat thingies. Of course, I want to do it now so it means working from my stash and that means working with different shaped beads. I had it going quite well, two spokes done with 4mm magatamas in place of the pearls when I realised I was going to be 14 magatamas short. Grrrr!

Rippit, rippit!

It ain't easy, Beading Queen.

I will say this....read Nancy's post on the Bead Maven's blog about knotting your work, finishing threads as you go, because trust me it works for bead weaving too! I had thought ahead and finished off the thread when I finished the bezel center allowing me to actually cut the spokes off without disturbing the part I was happy with! So, all ripped out, beads sorted, magatamas tubed again I pulled out some lentils.

Now, the magatamas and the lentils both change the design somewhat, they decided they wanted to lay backwards....lazy little buggers....however, I decided that maybe they were right.

Now, I'm about finished with the first spoke and I sit back and take a good honest look at it....get my critical eye out of my pocket and brush the lint off it. I then throw said critical eye against the wall.

Rippit, rippit!

It ain't easy, Beading Queen.

The problem this time was that starting the cellini in the way I had been doing did not work for the lentils, too close too the center made them choose to lay in the wrong direction and this time they were not right.

So it was back down to the center bezel again...boy, I'm happy with that though :) I'd had enough for the night and decided to watch a little TV, people buying and selling houses. You can learn a lot from those shows and as that is in the near (please God let it be the very near) future, Mom and I have taken to learning as much as we can.

This morning I'm looking at that sweet little center and hoping that today I can get it right.

Kermit....take the day off buddy!

Christmas in July???

2011-07-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'll be the first one to say I'm not fond of these kind of sales....it's summer, I don't want to think about Christmas. However....after seeing all the 'Christmas in July' notices I started to think about it.

A sale of tutorials in July makes a lot of sense....for anyone who wants to bead gifts for this Christmas. By the time you've figured out what beads/colors you need, ordered them and they finally arrive so you can start beading unless you're a super fast beader you don't want to be deciding all this in November.

So...I rearranged my thinking and there is now a sale in my Artfire store....save 10% for the rest of the month :)

Here are just a few of the things you can save on....and when it comes to beading Christmas IS just around the corner!

New Tutorials ~ The Crab Collection

2011-07-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Finally all the illustrations are done and the words are written and launch day is here...YAY!

Now available in my Artfire Store are my Crab Chain, seen above, which features tutorials for the necklace bracelet and earrings and my Crab Lace, seen below which also has tutorials for the necklace, bracelet and earrings.

I also listed my Medallion Bracelet which came about from the clasp on the Crabby bracelets.

I've listed all three separately but you really make a killing if you buy the collection...a saving of $17.50 and, bonus, you get my Tutorial of the Month with any order $20 or more. July's Tutorial is my Floral Ring....totally fun to make and wear!

Challenged!

2011-07-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's summer! For me it's never officially summer till July 4th and the fireworks have announced it. I spent my Independence day relaxing and actually playing with beads. I took advantage of the day to create my entry for the Etsy Beadweaver's August Challenge which has the theme "Summer Juicy Fruit". As you can see, my fruit was watermelon....THE summer fruit!

As I didn't have time to design a completely new piece I used an old design and spiced it up. In my efforts to teach a difficult stitch, cubic RAW, I had designed this 'conjoined twins' bracelet. Actually I originally designed it as a bangle because I wasn't happy with any of the clasps I could find but with my exploration into magnets I managed to create the perect clasp for it this time.

This picture shows the construction the best, the twin strands coming together in a block medallion and the ends coming together for the clasp.

I'm really happy with how it turned out...it certainly screams summer for me and it's good to revisit old designs and breathe new life into them.

Today it's back to illustrating for me...Sand Dollars and DecaDiscs.

Working hard & Recovering

2011-07-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since blogged, after all the hassles with the wedding and then Mom's angiogram but I'm back working hard on lots of new tutorials with I'll be releasing this month.

The tutorials I'm working on are the ones I had originally thought would be a book. After looking at it from all ways l decided to release into a collection of tutorials. So, there will be 4 main tutorials all with 3 to 6 projects in each, and 2 bonus tutorials, one for each pair of tutorials. Plus, I'll be offering a discount if you buy all 4 tutorials. I'm hoping to release everything by the middle of this month. So stay tuned :) While you're waiting for that why not shop my 4th of July Sale ~ I did a bit of numerology to come up with this one.

July 4, 2011 = 7+4+2+0+ 1+1=15, so it's 15% off Storewide.

Other new things, three of the Bead Mavens including myself have purchased Wacom Bamboo tablets, and are helping each other learn how to use them. They are a totally fun tool and I'm actually writing this post with mine ~ not typing, writing! This means can sign documents online :) While we all bought them to help with writing and illustrating tutorials, they make drawing threadpaths so much easier, we've discovered there's a ton more you can do. Watch for our review on the Bead Mavens' biog. At the moment Heather,Callie and myself have Bamboos but l know Nancy & Linda are intrigued:) I know. it's silly but I actually have so much fun writing with it. You teach it to recognize your handwriting and it translates it into type but every now & then it screws up and puts in some totally off the wall word. Cracks me up!

For those of you interested, my dog is still with us, he's sleeping and breathing better thanks to the new meds, however, his incontinence has gotten worse so he's in a belly band and pads ~ and I got to clean carpets yesterday :(

It's been a productive week and I hope next week is just as productive, it's amazing how much you can get done when you're sleeping well. After a week of sleeping 8 full hours I feel like my old self again!.

Well! hope everyone has a great 4th and don't go playing with fireworks, you might lose a finger, and you need all of them to bead! :)

Wake Me When It's Over

2011-06-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Providing I can actually get to sleep.

As some of you may know I've been battling sleep deprivation and I have to say I understand why they use it as a form of torture. Between my dog being sick and needing to go out every hour during the night and my Mom's heart acting up so I'm on heart attack watch during the day there hasn't been much time for me to sleep. After literally walking into walls, and doing a bunch of stupid stuff and generally not being able to think straight to the point of not knowing who I am at times I caved and took some sleeping pills....I wouldn't be any good to anyone if I'd continued with so little sleep.

So, I'm beginning to catch up, my dog has cut his nightly outings to twice a night and Mom is on oxygen at night. PHEW!

Of course it's slowed everything down. Haven't even opened the drawing program to illustrate a pattern in what feels like months, though it may only be ten days. I did finish the Isadora necklace and earrings set which is also what inspired the Spinal Tap and Blue Danube bangles. I really like the earrings :)

My pet project at the moment is my Corkscrew line...this is the one that has been ripped out and started over about seven times now. The picture you see here was right before I ripped the work out again due to thread breakage. It's a simple little idea that isn't so simple to get right. The picture shows the same piece of beadwork with a Lea Avroch lampwork spiral on the left and one of my polymer spirals on the right. I'm all about things being interchangeable and reversible and this will be a pendant you're able to change out to suit your mood or match your outfit.

Once I get the rope done it will make more sense..lol!

It is a tough design because the cellini has to spiral the right way (there will have to be four set-ups in the tutorial to cover how everyone beads) and it has to match thhe spiral....too skinny a center and the spiral will spin itself right off with a little help from gravity. There is some secret hardware involved which I'm not talking about yet because, well, it's secret :)

I will be carrying it in my Artfire store though.

No beading work for me this week as early Friday morning we leave for a trip up north for my niece's wedding. Me, Mom and the fixings for the nine table centers I have to do. With no fresh flowers allowed (huh?) and no candles with wedding colors of black, silver and purple I had to get creative and so I decided on these cake platters (which is a 13" silver platter atop an upside down painted flowerpot). Mom made some sequined balls (to be saved for my niece's Christmas tree as a memory of her wedding and her grandmother) and we bought some decorator balls which I sprayed silver.

Though the grapevine is silk the grapes are real...about 4lbs for each one.

It's unusual, I know, but for a semi-Gothic wedding they should fit right in.

I will be taking my laptop with me so I can still work my stores, but I won't be taking any beading...I'm being realistic on that one :) My Kindle, which is the best thing I've bought in years, is going with me to keep me occupied in the down time.

I hope to have fun but I will be glad to get home and get back to my normal routine.

My Deal of the Year

2011-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm celebrating myself :)

Three years of bead weaving and a new focus for me...so, I thought I'd share.

Memorial Weekend

3 DAYS

30% OFF

Everything in my Artfire store.

All my tutorials are now commercial editions giving you the right to sell what you make from them.

My flatwork patterns are remaining Personal Use Only with an upgrade option.

My PUCC program is up and running, so if you want a Personal Use Only tutorial you have to get a signed copy of the PUCC contract to me so I can issue you a code for 40% OFF.

You can find the PUCC contract here http://thebeadedcarpet.blogspot.com/p/pucc.html

If you need to snail mail it to me...contact me for my mailing address.

I have listed upgrades in my store so you can upgrade a PUCC design if you decide you want to sell from it and I have also listed teaching upgrades so you can become an authorized teacher of my designs.

(When you purchase an upgrade you will recieve documentation for it.)

I'm done with my weekly beading class and will be filling that time with more designing and more pattern writing. So watch for some interesting new designs from me including a design to make use of these babies

Saturday, Saturday......

2011-05-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know....it's Sunday, but I thought I would share what I did yesterday.

I got a jump on my day by getting up early and heading out to Lowes to pick up some pipe to use as mandrels...more about that later. I'd heard there was a new bead store in town...correction A bead store...so I headed out in search of it. I found it but it was closed due to it being the What Women Want expo and the bead store having a booth there. I considered going to the expo....for a nano second....no way I was up to that or wanted to spend the time it would take....I had things to do!

Anyway, when I got back home I looked up the new bead store, The Bead Closet Boutique, and discovered the gal who owns it has an Etsy store and has just started a blog...so I introduced myself and told her I'd stop by the store this week. For my local friends reading this the store is at 65 North 100 East (between Blvd and Tabernacle). Not sure yet if she caters to bead weavers.

Back to the pipe and mandrels....I wanted to make some spiral beads for a design I'm working on and needed a 1/2" mandrel to mold them on. So it was a trip to Lowes where I got a length of copper pipe and then managed to get blisters cutting it into lengths that would go in my toaster oven. (Yes, I know I should have worn gloves).

In the picture you can see the gorgeous spiral lampwork I bought from Lea Avroch and the polymer spirals I made last night...the ones I didn't burn. Of course my spirals are not sanded and buffed so no shine for those...YET!

The project I'm making them for is a lot of fun and I'm designing it to display these fun spirals....and you will be able to change out the spirals :)

When I wasn't playing with clay I was beading this 40" rope, a snippet you see here. Lots of work, time and beads in this one. I've not made anything like this before...such a long necklace...but I rather like it. The picture is deliberatley not great...lol...because I don't want to show it in all it's glory till it's finished!

Other news

As I was driving to my second to last class on Thursday I realised I was quitting teaching the weekly classes exactly three years after I started teaching them. Three, being the number of creativity, has always been my fave number...I was born on the 3rd of December and December being the 12th month is also a 3 (1+2=3). I also started beadweaving three years ago so I decided to have a celebration so starting next Saturday, May 28th I will have a 3-day sale with 30% off everything in my Artfire store.

I also decided I needed a reward to celebrate so I finally bought the Kindle I've wanted for ages...it arrives tomorrow and I'm so excited. After an unexpected sale at the bead store where I display my beadwork I knew I better do it before something else cropped up and I had to put my reward on hold ...again! So...totally excited to go digital!

PUCC it!

2011-05-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've talked about it and now I need to do it.

So, today I am determined to write the contract for the Personal Use Contract Club and start reorganizing my stores.

If this is the first time you're reading about PUCC let me explain.

Due to the dishonest and unethical people who purchase a 'personal use' pattern or tutorial from me and then proceed to make and sell the design, typically with no mention of me, the designer, I've decided the only way around this is to publish my tutorials only as commercial editions. Commercial editions basically have royalty payments paid up front though they don't give permission to the buyer to teach the design or to claim it as their own.

I'm not the only designer who has wasted a BUNCH of time tracking these people down, writing cease and desist letters to them and generally been frustrated by the lack of ethics of these people.

However, because I hate that the honest, ethical people are always caught in the middle and end up having to pay a higher price due to the dishonesty of others I wanted to create something to get around it.

So....if you sign the aforementioned contract saying you will only use my tutorials for your own personal use I will create a special coupon code for you which will get you 40% off any qualifying tutorial.

Of course I have to do a whole reorganization of my stores so this new program can work. My flatwork/peyote patterns will stay 'Personal Use Only' with an upgrade available for 'RTS' (rights to sell) and will not be part of the PUCC program. I will be creating new sections in my stores that will be 'tiered'.

"Tutorials, Tier 1" will be tutorials which are priced commercially at $15 and will be $9 in the PUCC program.

"Tutorials, Tier 2" will be tutorials which are priced commercially at $20 and will be $12 in the PUCC program.

"Tutorials, Tier 3" will be tutorials which are priced commercially at $25 and will be $15 in the PUCC program....etc.

I will also have a section where you can upgrade a PUCC tutorial to the commercial version with a 'tier' upgrade. When you do this (also when you upgrade a flatwork pattern) you will recieve a permissions cover sheet for the pattern you wish to upgrade.

For people wishing to teach my designs there will also be a section for a teacher's upgrade.

So...I have a fair bit of work to do but I think this will be the way to avoid all the frustrations and still be fair. Some prices may change to fall into the applicable tier. If you like my program and want to use it...please do, the more designers who adopt a common system the more people will use it.

My goal is to have everything in place and working by June 1st with the contract up later today so people can be ready to get those 40% discounts :)

The Lost Weekend

2011-05-16T08:57:00.001-07:00

Yep, it's Monday and I totally lost the weekend due to a ridiculously bad migraine after a bad choice for Friday's dinner.

In my twenties I developed allergies that caused THE worst migraines, of course I didn't know it was allergies and the doctor wasn't too helpful, just kept giving me meds for when I had a migraine....no preventative. It got to a point where if I didn't have a migraine I was knocked out from the meds. And if I had a migraine I could throw up for eight hours straight and would lose my balance so much I would have to crawl around on all fours getting to my dark and quiet room.

I was so sick of being sick I did some research...before the internet...so not easy research. I found that tiny veins and thick blood contributed to migraines...made sense to me and I knew I had both so I asked my doctor for a blood thinner and YAY....it worked. The next step was to find out if it was possible to thin my blood naturally and what I was allergic to. A painful process because I had to get migraines to find out what caused them....a food diary was used and I discovered aged cheese was a major trigger for me.

Red wine, chocolate and stress added to it and if I had all four in the same day I was guaranteed a migraine.

So...I quit cheese, cut down on red wine and chocolate and tried to manage my stress better. It worked and the migraines became a twice yearly thing.

So....on Friday my bad choice for dinner was a five cheese pizza!

I've gradaully been able to bring cheese back into my diet, in small amounts, but obviously the five cheeses were overkill. Somehow we need to learn the same lesson every now and again....I certainly learned mine as I told God many times while I had my arms wrapped around and my head down the toilet.

Of course, there's not much that stops me beading....I managed to create my Blue Danube bangle on Friday before the migraine set in and last night I worked out the kinks of an idea I'd had for a beautiful lampwork spiral I bought from Lea Avroch. That's in progress not to be shown until it's finished and has a working title of "Screwed"....which coincidentally was how I felt over the weekend :)

So, it's Monday...I'll be playing catch-up all day while still somewhat fragile, due in part to not being able to really stomach food yet. But I'm on the recovery road and the silver lining is I may just lose a few pounds.

Snapping Out of Sleep Deprivation

2011-05-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

We're into the last days of my dog pal's 18+ years and taking care of him is topping my 'To Do' list. This includes numerous nights of interupted sleep which has left me sleep deprived and walking into walls.

It's a tough time...on the 'time to go' scale he's up there but on the 'pain scale' he's on the low end....which tends to make the inevitable decision very difficult.

So...I'm getting way behind on work.

The 'book' projects are on hold...all but a couple of small pieces beaded but hardly any of the pattern writing done. I couldn't face pattern writing but as that is a huge part of what I do I decided I better get to it so I'm doing some easier tutorials to get me back into the groove.

I created Goose Bumps, an idea that had been rattling around in my brain for a while and got that into my store. And now I'm working on this set of Geometric Snaps, a basic set that can be used on many projects and will be published as a commercial pattern.

I totally missed getting out my Pattern of the Week this week, it was made but I never got around to putting the pattern together or photographing it. It's the first time I've missed one in six months but I'm not going to beat myself up about it...it will only make my eye twitch more than it already is...lol! So, Mondoshawan will be this Sunday's POTW.

I'm also working on some narrower flatwork cuffs as I've had requests for them. Below is the first of these, Zentangle4, which is all done in matte metallics with a touch of shiny metallic running through and is just shy of 1" wide.

So...if you're waiting for the 'book' which will now be two 'volume' tutorials (five to seven projects in each one) and a bonus tutorial which will only be available when you purchase both 'volumes'...it is coming....just slowly.

I'm on the last month of teaching weekly beading classes and we're also on countdown to my niece's wedding....four weeks from Saturday and I still have things to do for that. By mid-June I should have a clean slate with only business and getting the house ready for sale on my plate.

And that's enough!

Solutions, solutions!

2011-05-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

So, after all the frustrations and chatter about copyright infringement and how difficult it is for we designers to protect our rights I went quiet and did some beading. That's the only way to get centered and realise why I'm following this path and to know that I want to continue doing so.

It also gives all the possible solutions time to marinate and formulate.

The obvious solution is to only sell commercial patterns so people are paying for the rights to sell and I released my first of these patterns, Goose Bumps, this week. But, I am not happy, because I think this system hurts the ethical beader, the beader who just wants to make a design for themselves and to give as gifts and so adheres to the 'personal use only' rules.

I don't think those people should have to pay a higher price just because of a few unethical, greedy people.

So...a solution.

A club where you sign a yearly contract where you agree to only use my designs for your own personal use (for yourself and to give as gifts) and that gets you a 40% discount on the tutorials.

It would be called PUCC ~ Personal Use Contract Club

(added bonus, if someone complains about my prices I can say "Oh, PUCC it!")

I think I have the logistics worked out, basically, you'd ask to be in the club ("Hey Mikki, I want to PUCCer up")

and I'd e-mail you a contract....you would sign the contract, either digitally, or print sign and scan, or print, sign and snail mail it back to me. I would then issue you your own special coupon code and you'd be set to get your 40% discount. You would of course be able to upgrade a tutorial to commercial if you decided you wanted to sell it.

So...what do you think? Would you be willing to sign a contract to get 40% off?

I did come up with a term that someone mentioned might be useful for the beading community....RTS or Rights To Sell and I'm working on making a logo for that.

I want to format a letter with some useable graphics that we designers can send to the magazines....asking that they are used (or something like them) on the patterns in their magazines so that readers instantly know if they can only use the pattern for personal use, if they can sell what they make from it or not, if there is a license to sell available or not (and link to get it), if they are allowed to teach it or not and if there is a license to teach available or not (and the link for it). And of course they would need to make sure these options were included in the contracts we designers are given.

As for a central registry for designs....that would be way too much work.

So, my thoughts are that we create a website where teachable designs are shown with links to where they can be bought. There would need to be a format for listing them so they could be searchable by designer, stitch, type (bracelet, earrings, etc), and experience level. This would give the bead stores somewhere to go to get things to teach without infringing someone's copyright. Plus if the beading community came together to make sure that all bead stores had the web address and we had a page about copyright infringement then these stores would become informed.

We could charge a nominal fee for the listings...50c....and that money could pay for the website and go into a legal fund in case we need it.

It would be good for designers and good for bead stores. WinWin!

Thoughts?

What's Old Is New Again

2011-04-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently I was fast out of the gate when I first put up pictures of my Artbeads Design Team piece. I was told I was actually the first to post...who says I procrastinate :)

Ha'Penny Farthing (pronounced hay-penny)

Anyway, here is the finished piece with it's Vintage woven chain, slider and beaded teardrop beads. I confess to having not used much Vintaj but I am a total convert now.

As you may have read in my previous post I was excited that this was going to be a vintage type challenge because I LOVE creating vintage style. I had found some old English coins when going through my Dad's things after he died and had been wanting to do something with them so this gave me the perfect opportunity.

When I came across the Kabela Altar piece I knew what my design would look like and went in search for beads to match it. Swarovski's brass pearls are absolutely awesome and I can't understand why they weren't in my stash...you can bet they are now:) For some depth I chose a dark bronze fire-polish bead which is one of my all time favorites.

I design a lot of vintage looking jewelry...I swear I got hooked on the vintage style as a child going through my grandmother's jewelry box.

Tips I will share for creating old from new are :~

use brass elements, if it's antiqued all the better
bronze colors like Delica #322 give an instant vintage feel
if you're using something like old coins, clean them but don't take all the age away
research vintage jewelry so you know the look you're going for

My finished piece has been worn and got quite a bit of attention which is always wonderful. I chose to use a slider for the piece as it allows me to wear it at choker length and then longer if I feel in the mood.

For me this was the best project yet, and I now have a family heirloom to pass down:)

DISCLAIMER:

Artbeads send me beads and things from time to time so I can play with them and give an honest opinion of the products. I am not reimbursed for this opinion.

Tries Too Hard

2011-04-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

I think that is my American Indian nick name.

The full version being "Tries Too Hard, Cares Too Much"

I thought it would be a good idea for designers to come together and form a strong group to protect our rights....strength in numbers.

I thought it would be a good idea to have a central location where bead store owners could find reasonably priced designs that they could teach, so they would have no need to infringe copyrights.

But this is not something one or two people can accomplish and without there being some strong support for it, failure would be a given.

I got carried away.

After the awesome support I recieved after my pattern was used without permission I got the idea people really wanted to do something about the unethical things that are going on.

Maybe that is true, maybe there are enough people willing to do something about it...I know there are three or four besides me. But something like this takes a lot more people than that, it's been tried before and failed and I'd bet my bead collection that it was due to the lack of support.

So...what's the solution?

How do we stop our designs from being used other than intended?

Well...the ethical among us will buy a commercial pattern if they even think they're going to use it for more than personal use, the unethical will buy as cheaply as they can and do as they please....thinking that either, no one will know or they won't be able to afford the legal fees to do anything about it.

Sadly, they are right, the law has not caught up to the new wave of self employed designers...and it will probably take a landmark case before it does.

Personally, I'm looking at just hiking my prices and making all my designs into "make to sell" tutorials. It wrecks me to do that, because I really want the people who are honest to be able to buy a personal use pattern at a reasonable price. The only way I can see around this is to have some kind of club discount for people I know are not going to violate personal use editions.

I put so much work into my patterns, I know every designer does, and yet it seems we have to defend our right to make our living from our hard work. Some designers do offer the rights for free....those people obviously have other areas of income. I'm actually sick of hearing that. To be honest, they don't help those of us who don't have other areas of income....just as the hobby beader selling her work for cost makes it hard for the professional beader who needs to charge a decent hourly rate for the work she does.

If you have to ask the question "Why can't I use your pattern to teach or sell?" Then I suggest you sit down, design something original, take good photographs of it, then write and illustrate the pattern, market it and then see how you feel when someone starts making money from it without your permission....copies it and undersells you, uses it to teach so they can sell beads, makes it up and puts it in a store on the same site as you for less money and you don't see a penny or even get credit for the design.

And if you don't have the talent/ability/skills to do that then please gain an appreciation for those that do and realise copyright theft takes food off the table of the independent designer.

No one deserves to make a living off the work of another individual without that individual's permission....I don't care who you are or what your sob story is. Trust me, I have just as good a sob story as you.

I can see my followers diminishing as they read this but c'est la vie. I am struggling to make a living and if it weren't for my living with my mom I'd actually be homeless. I need to take care of me, now and for the future, I know I have the talent and skills to do so, a passion for what I do and the willingness to work extremely hard for it.

But I get so depressed and disheartened by all the lack of integrity and ethics I feel like quitting frequently.

If you are a designer and/or you want to support a group effort for the rights of the designer and to give an ethical option to bead store owners let me know.

Registry For Independent Beadwork Designers

2011-04-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

So, here's what I'm thinking after the week of fighting for my rights.

A registry. Somewhere we can post a picture of a design with a graphic like the ones above that indicate to the viewer whether a teaching edition is available or not. If a teaching edition is available there would be a link to a list of authorized teachers and to where it could be purchased with the rules and restrictions listed.

The benefits of having a registry would be that any bead store would be able to check whether or not a design is available to teach and the laws governing copyright...which should be posted up front so they can't miss them. We could also link to any articles regarding copyright.

I'm sure there might be a few sales too :)

After the response to help me solve my issue I have no doubt that we could reach every bead store in the world with this info and it would be an instant education tool.

We could organize it into sections for bracelets,necklaces, earrings, etc. to make searching easier.

We'd need someone who could create this site and maybe we'd need to pay a small membership fee (based on the number of patterns registered) to help run it but I'm sure it could be done so it's easy for us to upload new designs and tag them with the appropriate graphic.

Thoughts?? Input?

Boycott The Unethical

2011-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow me on Facebook will know that I am having issue with a bead store in Chesapeake, VA. Gu's Haus of Beads is teaching my Triquetra Rope without permission.

After e-mailing the owner and letting her know she wrote back saying she would remove the class. What she actually did was change the class name from "Triquetra" to "Triquetra Rope". Yep...what bloody nerve.

This store is committing/supporting theft and thumbing their nose at the people they are stealing from to boot!

Unethical, immoral!

And the really ironic thing is the owner of this store actually quotes the Dalai Lama on her Facebook page.

Now, I do have a teacher's version of this pattern available for $30 but obviously these people would rather pay the $7.50 for a personal use pattern and screw the designer and the law over.

Their ethics and intergrity are worth $22.50.

If you feel as strongly as I do about the unethical behaviour of this store please let them know thegudruns@aol.com

This type of thing is going on way too much and needs to be stopped. Please feel free to share this blog post as it's only by being vocal and getting the word out that we will stop these disgusting practices.

OK...here are the e-mails

"Hi,

My name is Mikki Ferrugiaro and I am the designer/creator of the Triquetra Rope.

I see that someone by the name of Bonnie is going to be teaching my design at your store.

This person has not purchased the rights to teach this design so I request that you have her contact me and pay for the rights to do this, pay for them yourself or cancel this class.

I am trusting that you were not aware that Bonnie did not own this design (which should have my name attached even when rights to teach are purchased) and that you would not knowingly allow copyright infringement to go on in your establishment.

I look forward to hearing back from you regarding a solution to this problem

Sincerely,

Mikki Ferrugiaro"

"Mikki - I'm sorry I didn't know about the circumstances regarding your pattern. I'm taking it off the class schedule. Please let me know if she want's to teach your pattern what your policy is.

Sorry about this
Gu's Haus of Beads"

"Thanks.

I'm like most designers we spend a lot of time designing, writing an illustrating patterns and the copyright laws protect our work from being used by others to make a living.
I, like a few other designers, offer a commercial version of my tutorials which give license for my design to be made to sell and even taught. The edition of this pattern in commercial form which allows the project to be taught is $30. When this edition is purchased I send two files....one which has the licensing agreement and another file which is the personal use pattern which can be printed out for students. When someone purchases the commercial edition I am still to be given credit for my design and any variations created from it.
I do even allow someone to 'upgrade' their personal use pattern to the commercial version, they just have to give me the transaction number or date of purchase so I can verify the sale.
To teach or sell my designs without permission is theft and I really appreciate your help in educating people about this. The beading community is a close community and we support each other, keeping an eye out for each other's rights.
Some stores buy my commercial patterns so their in house teachers have something to teach and to protect themselves at the same time.
Thanks for your help and if Bonnie wishes to teach any of my projects have her contact me.
Thanks

Mikki Ferrugiaro"

"Hi Gu,

I'm not sure if Bonnie has told you she would purchase the rights to the commercial pattern because I do see you still have the class on the website and it has been changed from just "Triquetra" to "Triquetra Rope". I have not sold this pattern in commercial or personal use editions to anyone called Bonnie so I do really need to hear from her. As you don't list her last name I cannot contact her directly.
I really hope we can get this sorted out as I truly don't want to have to take action on this.
Mikki Ferrugiaro"

"Mikki - I'm sorry it took to long for you to see it's off the web page but I'm not constantly on my computer. Then I'm getting a call from California about this. I told you I'll take it off and it is. We have been in business for 6 years and we have a great reputation. It was a mistake from our side and I thought of buying pattern personally for our store and using them with your permission but after this experience with the E-mails and call I won't do it.
Gu's Haus of Beads"

"Gu,
I looked at the website and it was changed ....you changed the name of the class from "Triquetra" to "Triquetra Rope".
So please do not tell me it was an oversight.
FYI
Under 17 U.S.C. 504, the consequences of copyright infringement include statutory damages of between $750 and $30,000 per work, at the discretion of the court, and damages of up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement. If you continue to engage in copyright infringement after being informed and asked to cease and desist, your actions will be evidence of “willful infringement.”

I see that in the last few minutes you have removed the class. Please ensure that you do not teach any of my projects or projects of any designer you do not have permission from and this includes designs that have been published in the magazines. Independent designers have come together to stop this type of thing and we have a lot more power than you may think, including people in your area who can drop by your store to ensure your compliance.
The fact that you were considering buying my designs and decided not to due to my standing up for my lawful rights says a LOT about your ethics or lack thereof. Your store has been added to our watchlist.
Mikki Ferrugiaro"

So...there you have it.

The call she mentions was made by a friend and the class disappeared from the website around the same time. And more...sheesh!

"Mikki - thank you so much for your information. I don't even own a copy of your rope and I changed it the first time on the schedule because I didn't know how to spell it and didn't have a clue about the rope and even the name.

I just don't want to order patterns because of this innuendo that I'm not doing something I promised to do.

There are no patterns in the store with your name on and if you don't believe it let somebody come by and look.

Gu's Haus of Beads"

"Gu....you changed it after you told me you would cancel the class and after I told you my name HAD to be attached to any mention of the design. Instead of changing it you should have done as you said you would and take it off the schedule that proved to me you had no intention of living up to your word.

As for my name not being on any patterns...well, people who steal patterns tend to take the designer's name off the patterns however, my designs and illustrations are very recognisable!
You will never know when or if someone is checking your store.

Mikki Ferrugiaro"

The Good Thing About Taxes

2011-04-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

"What?" You say, "is good about taxes?"

I'm a procrastinator...no surprise, right?

And I, like millions of others, have taxes topping my list of things I procrastinate about. They are never as bad as they seem and I always think "that wasn't so bad, next year I'll do them in January"...ha!

The good thing is that after I have done them it makes me sort out other things I've been procrastinating about and makes me make the decisions I've been putting off.

Today, I decided I wouldn't teach in June and let the store where I teach know. I need a break, my brain feels fried and I don't feel free to focus on what I really want to. In looking at what was going on with me I realised I was doing a bunch of things because I think people wanted me to....that people pleaser side of me was beginning to take control again. And one of the really stupid things about that is half the time what you think people want is not what they actually want.

So pleasing yourself and doing what is in your heart is much more productive all way around. I really want to focus on designing and writing patterns as they are getting backed up in my brain.

I have been playing with photos....trying things out for the new patterns. Hopefully, a more professional, book-like presentation.

Brighter Days

2011-04-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

After days of researching and not getting much done I think I'm back on the beading track.

After class yesterday I managed to find the exact color bead I needed for the clasp design I had in mind for 'Love in the Crosshairs'. So this morning I set about working it up. I had it almost complete when my thread broke (didn't listen to my gut and go with a heavier weight) then I realised I had added one extra bead....so thought, rather than un-pick I'd just crunch the bead into oblivion....and I managed to cut the thread there too!

So....feeling frustrated and having just heard the mailman I thought I'd take a break and see if my beads had arrived.

They had :)

And obviously my muse had been telling me something because amongst the fire-polish I ordered were some lavender ones....a much better match than the picasso ones I had been using. So the morning's work became a test run and was quickly cut apart. I'm thrilled with the result and it's yet another beaded snap to add to my collection.

Last night's work was the set for my niece...now all ready to be boxed up.

So...Purple Sun...check!

Clasp.....check!

What's next?

Researched to Immobility

2011-04-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

I have spent a LOT of time this week researching different ways to get my book out. BOY! Is it interesting....and depressing.

I think the one thing I've really learned is that publishing is something that makes the publisher's money and the author.....not so much. Financially it doesn't make a lot of sense, releasing patterns individually seems to be more profitable.

Royalties is such a funny word...it makes you think of riches when in truth it's pennies.

The e-book thing which I wanted to do because it really appealed to my 'save the trees' nature and which looked so promising at first look with 70% commission turned out to be disappointing because the limits for that 70% commission are strict and wouldn't include what I want to put out. So, then it drops to a mere 35%! Plus they can put your book on sale anytime they want and just give you 35% of the sale price....so much for having the freedom to set your own price!

At this point I've decided to finish the book and then decide how I want to proceed. The options that look good to me right now, and which I could ostensibly do all of them, are....

putting it on CD & packaging it in a DVD case with a nice little booklet showing all the design projects
going with a company that stores files and makes them downloadable automatically upon payment, then build my own website to sell an e-book from
have a printed version available from my online stores through a Print On Demand (POD) company.

Other things that are up in the air is whether I need to combine chapters. When I first set out to write a book I had six chapters that covered different techniques, then I decided to turn each chapter into a volume and fill it out with more versions/variants of the components/projects which would show much more of the design process. That may still be the way I go, particularly if I go the CD route....I am looking at cases that snap together and cases that hold multiple CDs so the individual volumes become a collection.

At the moment I'm considering blending two chapters for each volume....but that will depend on just how big the first chapter ends up being.

The date for release on my big white board, May 2nd, seems like an impossibility at this point....I've felt like I've been treading water this week, working hard to just stay afloat...the catching up I did after being sick has dissipated and I am so far behind again. Trouble is, all the research has disillusioned me...not to mention when I've been working on the same designs and variations for so long they begin to look old and boring to me. I know they are not from all the great feedback I get, it's just my muse's need to move to the next things so quickly.

So...for those of you waiting for me to release the first volume of my book...have patience....if I was going through a real publisher you'd have to wait a year :)

On a positive note I am, apparently, the first to blog about the Artbeads Vintage project...YAY! Do I win something? Lol!

Ha'penny Farthing & Discovering one's Heritage

2011-04-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

So, this is the piece I created using the old coins I found in my Dad's things for the Artbeads Blogger Program.

I have some chain on order and I still need to make the bail but I'm really happy with how it turned out. The thing I like about these challenges is that sometimes I need to use things I don't normally work with, in this case the brass components. I was really drawn to the Antique Brass Altar link as it seemed to be already and waiting for a coin to slip in there, I just had to turn the loops 90 degrees. It's fun because it moves...swings in the setting.

I knew I was going to need small beads for this one and I pretty much used size 15 seed beads exclusivley.

The pendant started some discussion and questioning....we couldn't remember if either of my grand mother's were born in the same year as the farthing was made 1904. After digging out old birth certificates we found it wasn't...maternal grandmother 1909, paternal grandmother 1902.

However...on looking at my paternal grandfather's birth certificate I discovered he had an unusual name for our family...Shem. I'm still not sure where it came from but am now building a family tree on Ancestor.com.

Something very interesting to me about a great aunt I never knew, it seems that at age 17 she was a printer's compositor. This was cool for me as when I was in art college studying Graphic Design I had to take a typesetting class and I amazed my instructor by setting type perfectly at my first attempt. He told me he had been teaching for 20 years and this was a first for him. He and a couple of other college instructors/professors encouraged me to become a typographer as they thought I had a natural flair for it....and now I know where that came from. The ability to read upside down and back to front came from my great Aunt Ada :)

So..this has already been one of the most interestimng challenges I've undertaken and I've learned quite a lot about my family and heritage in the process.

DISCLAIMER:

Artbeads send me beads and things from time to time so I can play with them and give an honest opinion of the products. I am not reimbursed for this opinion.

Challenge Projects

2011-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

When I have time I LOVE challenge projects and I do try and sneak them in, especially when Artbeads ask me to :)

I also love vintage style so I was super pleased at the new Artbeads blogger program challenge. We have to incorporate something old into a new design while trying out some fabulous products from Artbeads.

After my Dad died we found he had a stash of old English coins and I've been wanting to do something with them as a keepsake.

So....I'm not sure exactly which coins I will use but I can say I'll definitely be using the 1904 farthing...the little one. I'll need to clean these babies up but then there will be some bezelling going on :)

If you're looking for a challenge head on over to the Bead Maven's Facebook Page where Nancy is signing people up for her Bead Soup Mixer.

I'm working on a Top Secret project for the Mavens and may announce during our hiatus or when we get back....depends how long it takes to get the basics worked out :) But I can promise you it will be very interesting...and challenging for everyone who gets involved.

And if you've missed it....I just listed eight new patterns in my Artfire store and there's even a coupon to help your budget :)

Just type APRILFOOLFREEBIE into the coupon code slot and get $7.50 off your pattern order of $22.50 or more....that's like getting a FREE pattern!

And I ain't foolin'!

It's Been Awhile!

2011-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Boy...time flies!

After a rotten bout of the flu I got behind schedule with things and have had to play catch-up for a couple of weeks.

Wonderful new things have happened....we have two new Bead Mavens, Heather Collin and Callie Mitchell who both do amazing work and I am so thrilled they joined our little group.

Callie Mitchell

Heather Collin

The Mavens will go on hiatus for a couple of months on Friday but we have something planned so you won't notice we're away and maybe won't even want is to come back...lol! Friday will see the news of that :)

And Friday will see me launch my month long April Foolishness in my Artfire store. I have eight new patterns ready to go and there'll be a coupon code which I'll publish here and on Facebook tomorrow evening :)

Here's one of the patterns...my Arianne Twin Bangles.

I'm now writing up the patterns for the first volume, "Sand Dollars, DecaDiscs and Crab Chain" of my book entitled "Fabulous Fabrications in Seed Beads".

Here's a sneak peek of my Sand Dollar with Crab Chain.

I'm hoping to have it all ready to go by May and then it's onto the next volume....."Corrugations".

Battling Through Late Winter or Is it Spring yet?

2011-03-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm ready for Spring in that I am so sick of this winter flu that has me in it's grip!

My energy level has been so low for the last week that I'm as unproductive as football crazed couch potato during superbowl! My over achiever little self hates being unproductive so much I start to dream deadlines that don't exist and wake up frantic with panic.

This too shall pass....right?

However....I did get a reminder that I'm not a complete loss...as Artbeads' "Winter Enchantment" gallery was just published over on Facebook.

Here you will find my 'Winter Sun' earrings and the 'Winter Sun' pendant created to match them.

These are probably the blingiest things I've ever created and whether you wear just the earrings, just the pendant or dazzle with the set they are sure going to get you noticed.

I blogged about the earrings when I made them and showed the back where I have encases the back of the rivoli. I followed suit with the pendant and encased the back of the stone....I've taken to doing this to protect the foil back rather than coating the back with nail polish.

I'm teaching the set this month...however, we're off to a slow start as I had to cancel yesterdays class due to my illness. I haven't been well enough to even write the tutorial for the pendant yet but the earring tutorial is available in my Artfire store.

And the disclaimer:

Artbeads provide the beads and supplies for these projects and ask only for an honest review....I am not paid for my review or links.

How to Become a Prolific Beader

2011-02-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

As I am frequently told I am a "prolific' beader I thought I'd let you in on the secret. Which means I sat down and thought how and why I am so productive.

Firstly....You have to be an over-acheiver...you don't just go the extra mile you do the marathon.
Then you have to have no social life to speak of, no husband, no kids.
It helps if you worked in a factory where you were 'part of the machine'...think Lucy in the chocolate factory....hard to keep up at first but once you're used to the pace it's second nature.
You have to absolutely love and be obsessed with beading.
You have to know what you're doing! You can't be a speed demon if you have to keep looking at the instructions....know your stitches!

What can you do to increase your speed?

With flatwork it helps if you can read a graph chart rather than a word chart. The old magnetic board and magnetic ruler make things much easier. (I bought a little page size magnetic white board from Wallyworld and a sheet of magnet 'paper' and cut an inch strip from it).

Time yourself...see how long it takes you to bead an inch and try and beat your time for the next inch. This actually makes things feel faster even if they aren't, but it will increase your speed....and is the best way to approach, say, a long rope.

Did I mention know your stitches?

And if you're working from a pattern, take the time to read the pattern all the way through before you start!

Use a workable length of thread...I see people use too long a thread and it slows them down considerably because it takes ages to pull it all through and it always gets tangled and knotted. A workable length so you don't have to keep adding thread every two minutes is just under twice you arm's length, so, when threaded into your needle and the tail is almost as long as the thread. Leave about three inches of single thread and keep sliding your needle down the thread so you don't get the tail woven into the work.

Leave the bobbin attached...huh?

This is actually a time saver and strengthener. When adding new thread I leave it attached to the bobbin so that when I need more thread I just clip it from the bobbin, weave it to the last bead and carry on. This means I have one less thread to secure in.

If you're working with a pattern where the beads are numbered....lay little piles out on your beading board in order, like paint on a palette. If you're using predominately one color just pull it forward on the board. If you are working on something that only uses a certain bead once in a while have that pile of beads furthest away from you....this saves time by it being harder to pick up by mistake.

Have a bead mat that shows the beads....green beads on a green bead mat make it harder to find them.

Make sure you have good light...invest in an Ott-light...they are well worth the money!

Set yourself goals, write the 'to do' list...but remember to be realistic, if you set your goals too high you will end up being deflated and always playing catch-up. When making a 'to do' list make it for the week but leave every third day free...this gives you a 'catch-up' day and helps you know what you're actually capable of achieving. When you can keep up to your 'to do' list it makes you feel much happier and successful which in turn makes you want to move on to the next thing.

I typically leave Friday's clear for catch-up work and I just schedule "beading" for the weekend so I'm not putting pressure on myself. Oddly, relieving the pressure does tend to speed things up.

Here's hoping these tips help you become the speed beader you want to be :)

"What Do You Mean I Can't Sell Your Designs?

2011-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

They are in a magazine I bought so they are mine to do with as I please!"

Do you feel a soapbox coming?

You'd be right :-)

So, it was brought to my attention again yesterday by a very nice lady who, once I explained the situation to her, understood completely that though a designer publishes and sells their designs they are not giving you the right to sell what you make. (And she did not say my opening line)

The designs are published and sold so that you can make the jewelry for yourself or to give as a gift. Not so you can build a business/make a living on someone else's work.

Are there designers who allow you to sell what you make.....yes, and that is their choice. There are designers, and I'm one of them, who will give you, for a small fee, a licence to sell one of their designs and they typically advertise them as "commercial" patterns.

Why do some want payment? Because they are trying to make a living.

Just because a designer has work published it does not mean that designer is making the big bucks....I have had two patterns published one netted me $180 and the other $210 and for that I also had to give up the rights for an entire year! Could I have made more selling the pattern myself? YES

So why publish? Advertising, getting one's name out there and to contribute to the beading world.

Think of it like this...

You have a great cookie recipe, you send it to the local paper and they print it. Someone takes your recipe and opens a store selling cookies made from your recipe. How would you feel? Is it fair? Grounds for a lawsuit?

Someone buys one of your patterns. They then make copies for all of their friends. We all know about 'bootleg' music and videos...this is the same thing but it's probably a struggling designer who needs those sales to put food on their table.

You design jewelry and you publish your patterns, you have a store where you sell your jewelry. Someone opens a store next door and they are selling your designs for less than you do, they even credit you with the design. Where will most people shop? Where they can get it cheaper.

Let's roleplay :-)

Beader: Can I sell your designs?

Designer: No, I don't allow that, why don't you do your own designs to sell?

Beader: Oh, I can't design

Designer: Oh, so you think designing is a skill?

Beader: Yes

Designer: So, do you think design is a marketable skill?

Beader: Well, yes, I guess it is

Designer: Do you think people should be able to earn a living from their skills?

Beader: I guess so, I'd want to

Designer: How about I sell you a licence to make and sell one of my designs?

Support independent designers don't rip them off!

Winter Blogging Fun

2011-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

As a design partner with Artbeads.com I am periodically asked to design things within a theme....this time the theme was "Winter Enchantment".

To be honest I wasn't thrilled as I'd done a lot of white and wintry designs lately and was ready for a change....however, I am not one to refuse a challenge. So I started to think of non-white things that reminded me of winter. My thoughts went back to some of my favorite memories of winter, and when you've spent 12 years of your life living in a ski resort those memories are going to include snowy mountains and the glory of skiing.

I spent many a day skiing fresh powder under a glorious winter sun and that was my inspration for these earrings. Winter sunshine is different....not the orangey golden color but the cooler tones that Swarovski Light Colorado Topaz captures. So that was the starting point for this design..."Winter Sun"

These turned out to be golden ice queens and though you certainly wouldn't wear them while skiing they are the perfect touch for that apres ski outfit.

This was the first time I've used Delicas with a KT after them...Metallic Matte 22 Karat Bright Gold....and they are just gorgeous!

I had ordered some 4mm Bright Gold pearls but I found them too large and too dark for what I wanted, fortunately I had some 3mm Gold pearls in my stash.

I've taken to encasing rivolis so the foiled back is protected without having to resort to the old clear nail polish trick....I think a nice finish.

I'm patting myself on the back for this project...not for the design, but for the fact that the beads arrived in the afternoon and I completed the project in the same day.

Hopefully these have brought a little sunshine and inspiration to your January day.

And the disclaimer:

Artbeads provide the beads and supplies for these projects and ask only for an honest review....I am not paid for my review or links.

January 17th? Really?

2011-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Boy, is this month flying by!

But like they say "Time flys when you're having fun".

And I am having fun.

Gosh, since I last blogged I've been named an "up and comer" by Marcia DeCoster on the Lark Crafts site and I got a little bit of interest from Lark Books about the book I'm working on. So, part of the reason time has been flying by is because my feet aren't exactly on the ground...lol!

Getting so organized and ahead of myself last month has certainly helped with time and creativity....I highly recommend it.

One day I had some time so I sat down with a sketch book and a copy of Vogue for inspiration and a couple of hours later I had eighteen new designs...not variations, not reworked things....totally new designs that actually made me think "where the heck did these come from?"

It wasn't until the next morning that I realised almost every design fit into the chapter categories of the book.

So, suffice to say I am uber excited! And for the first time in my life I can actually say this is good....even great...maybe even fantastic.

If you follow my blog you'll know being raised in England I have a hard time saying I'm good at anything as 'blowing one's own trumpet' is considered rude in England...or it was when I was growing up. It's why I tend to give Morganna, my muse, all the credit....much easier to say Morganna is brilliant, not to mention designing always seems to come from somewhere outside me or so deep within that I feel a fraud for claiming the designs as my own.

However, I don't feel a fraud for creating the designs....because I know I am completely responsible for that...all the bead, rip out, bead rip out let's me know any brilliance on my part is worked hard for.

One of the toughest parts about writing a book for me is not sharing the designs, having to keep them under lock and key...well, ok, there's a tiny circle who get to see some, mostly because they are helping me with some of the beading and pattern testing. Without that little circle I may explode.

What I will tell you about the book is it's FUN!

If you only do flat peyote there will be something in it for you and if you are the most innovative, accomplished beader there will be things in it for you too. I didn't plan it that way, I thought I was writing for advanced beaders...lol...what do I know!

Anyway....this is the best work I have ever done, everything I've learned over the past two and a half years about bead weaving has gelled into something bigger than the parts.

Now...I did start a book before and had three variations of a technique done but it looks pedestrian to me now...so they are headed for the monthly tutorial list...and as I can't show any pictures of the new work I can show these. This is a design I call "Petit Pacquet" or "Little Packages"...two variations here.

On the Chopping Block Today....

2010-12-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well...not the chopping block....but hopefully these babies will be eradicated from the 'To Do' list today as I plan to have the tutorial done by days end.

Of course I have to remember how I made them :)

I am definitely ending the year with a burst of energy, getting lots done. I don't think I've ever been quite as prepared and organized in my work as I am now....I really think having the big white board as my 'To Do' list helps. It's so rewarding to see blank spaces appear as I wipe off each accomplished task.

The board was filled with everything I have to do through April so to see white space already is crazy...crazy good! If I keep going at this pace by mid January the board will be empty!

I also have my new day planner for next year....fun!

I get to schedule everything and be on top of it all....ok, so I admit, I'm a list maker. It's the only way for me to get anything done...no list and my mind wanders aimlessly.

Waiting For Godot....or Someone

2010-12-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been away from the beads for ages and I'm still not feeling like I'm back in the swing of things yet.

It seemed like there was a lot to do for Christmas this year which is so weird because our family had agreed not to do gifts this year and we'd decided to have a more relaxed Christmas without having to prepare a big meal.

Our visitors were late...six hours late.....each day!

So...most of our Christmas time was spent waiting.

I've discovered there is nothing worse than waiting. You can't start anything because you may have to put it down any second, so it's hard to focus. I've also discovered Morganna, my muse, gets really bored waiting and as she doesn't have to stick around she takes off....who knows where she is, I just know there's a hole in my brain where she usually is.

Anyway....the piece I was working on before the wait set in is this piece.

I bought this stone about eight months ago, much bigger and heavier than I usually work with...it's 2 1/2" wide. The size was cool for doing a decorative bezel but boy, did I have a problem with the bail.

Creating the perfect bail for a piece is sometimes challenging and this was more than most. Such a large stone needed a substantial bail...plus I planned on adapting a Nancy Dale trellis rope which requires a generous hole.

My first attempts looked too long and threw off the balance of the stone and I realised I needed to create a wide bail.

After a couple of atttempts I finally worked a piece of tubular peyote and echoed the bezel at the sides. A little tricky to attach but I was finally happy. Of course I could have made life a lot easier for myself by using the stone portrait rather than landscape...but I'm not known for making my life easy :)

So...pendant complete, on to the rope.

Nancy has created a sweet trellis rope and was kind enough to gift the pattern to me (you can buy it here) and this was the perfect project for it.

After playing with the design I opted to add a kind of beaded bead cap that, once again, echoed the bezel at each end of the trellis. This worked great and I was off and running...well, beading.

Then I got whacked up side of the head!

All of a sudden the center beads of the rope looked too blue to me.

I hate that!

I think I knew it from the start but thought because they would be in the center of the rope I could get away with it....and maybe I could. The beads do match the very darkest turquoise of the stone but I just think it would be better if they matched the lighter shades.

Anyway...the project got set aside. Still wanting to play with Nancy's rope I chose another stone, pulled out some vintage gold beads that matched it perfectly and started the rope first.
And then the wait set in.
My studio is now the home of two new UFOs.

So...how were your holidays?

I Know Who I am Today

2010-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'm a procrastinator.

Well...that's what I'm doing at the moment. I should be working on a Triquetra rope but I am so bored with it, this is my third in a month and I want to be working on new things. I think I may have the attention span of a goldfish...well, maybe a bit more than that.

The thing with seed beads and why I don't think I'll ever get bored with them is that there is no limit to what you can do with them. Fantastic for me, challenge-wise but it also makes me want to move forward continually so I don't really get long to enjoy my successes. I create something new or master a technique...say to myself "that's great, pat yourself on the back" then three beats later it's "what can I do now?"

I actually envy people who can create different colorways of things...one who comes to mind is Leslie Frazier (her Spring Dreams shown here), seeing her designs in different colors at the bead show just made my jaw drop.

Gorgeous work enhanced by the different colorways she had and the thought in my head was "why can't I do that?"

The answer is I'm basically a Designer.

I'm happiest when I'm designing something new.

Also...it does not matter what job I'm doing I will/have always managed to bring design into it somehow, someway. If I was cleaning toilets my design brain would be creating a new toilet seat cover or flushing mechanism.

I am also someone who likes to share knowledge so designing bead patterns and techniques which I can sell/teach is the right place for me to be.

So what I'm doing with my life now is incredibly fulfilling and right for me plus by finding some wonderful bead elves I am able to have different colorways even if I didn't bead them all myself.

Who Am I?

2010-12-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

I am actually asking myself that question because things are going smoothly and I'm ahead of myself design wise.

Maybe putting up the big white board is helping , having to look at it all the time makes me want to be able to fill spaces in and cross things off.

I only have three spaces left to fill for my Pattern of the Week schedule which means I've designed and done the patterns into April....and it's only December!!!!

I actually found time to sit and bead a flatwork design....the inspiration for this one is Japanese kimonos...I've always had a thing for those embroidered satins. This one is called Kimono Royale and I should have the beading finished today:)

I'm not as far ahead with the tutorials....the plan here is one a month, though December will probably see two as I will be offering a freebie over on the Bead Maven's blog....we plan to do these once a month but they will only be up for three days, then you have to buy it. The perks of following the Bead Mavens :)

I've also been playing with a project I'm think of submitting to teach at Babe next year...it will require more playing before I get it just where I want it.

Anyway....my day will start and end with beading...with errands in between.

Happy Tuesday!

Ridiculously Organized

2010-12-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me how it happened cos I really don't know but somehow I have managed to plan at least 30% of my work for 2011.

And not just plan....design.

Monthly tutorials designed and some written through July.

Flatwork designed, written and ready to go into March.

I guess my brain is just thinking ahead to the move and wants all the work to be done so I don't miss a step in all the upheaval. And, of course, I do have a habit of changing my mind about things so some plans may be replaced.

But...I have to say I'm finally feeling the benefit of the revamped classes and thinking I may actually have time to write that book.

I have a few themes in my head for a book...or three, and that's a problem cos I'm not sure where I want to go first.

What would interest you the most....structural beading, Gothic designs or a book about components?

Other things....the past has crept into my life this week and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm up way too early today because I had a nightmare about past events stirred back to life on FB. There are good memories but only if I leap past the bad ones and apparently my sub conscious isn't going to let me do that. So.....do you let sleeping dogs lie? Take the risk of them waking up and biting?

To Do Lists

2010-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure who's brilliant idea it was to create 'To Do' lists but they might want to duck about now.

So after a reorgnaization of the beading section of my studio I decided to drag out the big white board and make myself a 'To Do' list where I could see it. Typically I write my lists on various pads which I manage to lose in the rubble of my creativity. I gave it a lot of thought...put in the schedule for my Pattern of the Week so I could keep track, added my class schedule with due dates for the prep and finally a general 'To Do' list for the monthly tutorials, shop displays and beading needing finishing.

A few hours later and I'm already a day behind....WTH??

So..I then had to think what I did last night that got me behind schedule ALREADY! Ok...it was Morganna's fault....she decided to work on the Vernal Visions idea I have. So I guess I have to erase any non-essential deadlines I've written because a certain contrary muse doesn't like deadlines.

I will say that looking at the board makes me think I am going to totally outdo my goals this year. I already have seven months of tutorials scheduled and eleven Patterns of the Week designed....and it's not even the new year yet. But I think I better get everything done as early as possible given we should be moving in the spring. Plus...it will leave room for me to over achieve...yeah...it's a personality disorder, but one of the better ones :)

Anyway...I'm sure the 'To Do' board is going to take some hammer but at least I can find it.

Busy, Busy!

2010-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy week full of new things.

We announced the new Bead Maven's Challenge....Vernal Visions!

I think we're all really excited about this one as there are so many ways to take it...and, we're really thrilled to have the new category.

"What's this?" you say....

Well...being teachers we know that everyone isn't at the level of designing a fully original piece and so they get excluded/scared away from a lot of competitions. We Mavens know from our own personal experience that challenges are one of the best ways to take a learning leap forward so we've set up a new category in our challenges.

Best Adaptation of a Bead Maven Tutorial/pattern.

Obviously, due to copyright it has to be from our tutorials but you can blend any of the Maven's tutorials, tweak and expand to comme up with your own variation.

I introduced a new thing to my Artfire store...Pattern of the Week.

As I now have some very wonderful beading elves to work up my flatwork designs it means I can offer more of the designs that swirl around in my head but that I just didn't have the time to bead. So, each Saturday there will be a new pattern featured and for that week it will be offered at 10% Off, $6.75 rather than the regular $7.50.

I put five new patterns into BeadTool yesterday all ready for my elves, Suzanne and Katie to bead up....I love my elves!!! Suzanne even came up with a fabulous colorway for next week's Pattern of the Week, Chichen Itza.

I also created some new herringbone leaves and I'll be making that pattern available as soon as I write it. Ditto for the new rope which I haven't even named yet. I will also be writing a Basic Bezel tutorial for the Bead Mavens blog...this is a new thing we started at the end of last month with Linda's Bead Embroidered Brooch. The tutorials will be up for three days free to our readers and then they will be taken down and sold in our stores.

Always lots to do in the land of beads.

Would Someone Please Kidnap My Muse?

2010-12-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

These are what got me up at 5am today.

Morganna was a-prodding, whispering in my ear to get up cos she had an idea.

It's not that I don't appreciate having an active muse, I do, really I do...but, she does not know when to quit!

As I was taking these photos she's now whispering...."wouldn't that look good as..." "wouldn't they be great in..." Grrrrr!!!!

I just need time to write the dang patterns.

Cindy and I were talking the other day about what our goals are and we both said we liked to do a new tutorial each month. That is a good pace.

I can also add in four new flatwork patterns in a month and still be at a relaxed pace. But I swear I can't keep up with the pace my muse sets.

I know, I know, a lot of you are thinking I'm lucky to have such a problem but honestly, it's as bad as having a lazy muse but with less sleep.

I think my epitaph will read "Her Muse, in the studio, with too many ideas"

December? Already?

2010-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Yikes!

I say that because December always flashes by me but at least it's just December and not November as well, as it used to be.

For me November was the start of the 'expensive' period of the year, my Dad's birthday (but sadly, now he's gone), my ex-husband's birthday (he's not so sadly gone), Thanksgiving....then my grandfather's birthday (sadly gone) my birthday, my Mom's birthday, Christmas, New Years and my niece's birthday.

This year money is tight all way around so we're not doing Christmas gifts this year.....plus as we haven't been thanked for last year's yet, some people don't deserve anything but a lump of coal. They sure don't deserve 'designed exclusively for them in their fave color jewelry'!!!!

I've been through this before and then I made a rule....you have a great gift but you have to come visit to get it....they were just an hour away and sometimes less...I learned to get gifts I could use because they never showed up. Since living with Mom I went back to sending gifts and not recieving thankyous....five years of it and it's back to the old rule, and Mom's with me this time.

I used to really enjoy Christmas...choosing gifts for people, wrapping them beautifully and it wasn't like I expected a gift in return...the joy was in the giving. But when you don't get so much as a thankyou it really sucks the joy out of it and leaves you feeling sad.

Next year we should be in California and there are lots of Christmassy things to do there, I'm hoping both Mom and I can get our Christmas spirit back by creating a new tradition, not sure what that will be yet...but I'm dang certain it will be fun.

I truly hope your Christmas will be fun, full of thankful people who are more thankful for family and friends than the gift haul.

What a Great Challenge!

2010-11-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

I just have to say that I am thrilled with the response to the Bead Mavens first challenge. The Ice Queens are amazing and we are still haggling over the winners...lol! A really TOUGH job!

The winners will be announced tomorrow! And the Mavens are all excited!!!

We're getting ready to announce our next challenge, so keep your eyes open so you can get a jump start on it. We'll be giving you a bit longer to create your masterpiece for the next one but it never hurts to start early!

I already have some vague ideas for my piece...but we'll see how it goes.

On other fronts...I should have some kits available for the Gothic Butterfly/Urchin Wings bracelet this week...still waiting for things to arrive....holiday hangups. I also have two new flatwork patterns almost ready for publishing....thanks to my bead elf Suzanne :) who beaded the designs up for me.

I do need to write up the new rope pattern too....though I want to work the stitch in flatwork too. So much to do....always!

I did finish the first of my Angel Wings brooches last night...there's a red one coming too :)

Mrs Duell

2010-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Mrs Duell was a woman I hardly knew but who deeply impacted my life.

Back in my California days I was a temp and my agent used to sell me as a 'troubleshooter' so I got some interesting jobs, the most of which were working for companies who built theme parks. The Duell Corporation is one such company and they built/build theme parks around the world. Mr Duell was riding the ferris wheel in the sky but Mrs Duell was still with us.

At 92 she would still drive herself into the office once or twice a week, where she would go to her office and work on her computor (and this is 20 years ago). She would always be dressed very smartly, spend time chatting with people and was always interested in what everyone was working on and able to ask good questions and give informed answers.

My 'troubleshooter' job this time was to organize the chief architect who had now spilled out of his SECOND office. Boy...talk about unorganized, I filed things that went back 10 years....and he is why I never feel too bad about my mess. They had booked me for a couple of months as they figured that was how long it would take but three weeks later I was done. They liked that, they liked me, so they gave me more areas of the business to 'troubleshoot and organize'. One of those things was the library which only could be called that due to books and shelves...zero organization! So, I Dewey Decimalized it.

When I finished doing the library, Mrs Duell came up to me and asked

"Is there a class I can take to learn how to do this?"

And at that moment she taught me a huge life lesson....if you keep learning you will stay young...well, your brain will. I believe if you stop learning you will grow old and wither away. I believe that the Font of Knowledge is also the Fountain of Youth...and Mrs Duell taught me that.

I have a lot of things to learn in the near future if I'm going to do what I want to do. I need to learn how to work a video camera, how to take good videos of myself....(no I'm not starting video dating), how to edit and create good videos. Because the new year will hopefully see some how-to videos for my beading projects. It's a daunting challenge and why my thoughts are of Mrs Duell right now....she inspires me....still!

Now....if you're looking to learn something new here are a couple of suggestions:

You could pick up the latest issue of Beadwork and turn to page 76 and learn how to make my Gothic Butterfly/Urchin Wings bracelet...and once all the delayed beads get here I will even have some kits available for them.

You could go over to NEDbeads and purchase Nancy Dale's very pretty Trellis Necklace Tutorial

Or over to GoodQuillHunting and buy Christina's stunning Venus Necklace Tutorial

Or how about trying a Net Options Bracelet by Jewelry Tales?

So....there you have some options to fill your Font of Knowledge.

Keep learning and stay young :)

Life Just Gets in the Way, Dagnabbit!

2010-11-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

Ok...so it's been a while since I posted here...though I was keeping up with the Bead Maven's blog.

The truth is my life had hit a bad patch...familial issues..ugh! And if I had blogged it would have been full of whining, complaining, anger and frustration...so I thought it best to just go bead and wait till the s***storm passed.

Fortunately for me stress seems to make me creative and I've ended up with lots of new designs and even TWO new rope stitches! I'm not sure I can take credit for the second one as my muse, Morganna, is completely responsible....making it while my brain was on vacation and I was in auto-pilot mode.

Many of you have seen and even bought my new Triquetra Rope tutorial...and I thank you kindly :) As you can see this rope is worked over a bead base...is very easy and versatile.

I haven't written up the tutorial yet for the second new rope which is kind of oval, worked in three layers and has a chevron pattern...I love doing it in a few colors as it has a tweed look to it.

Of course I'm not the only one putting out new tutorials....Good Quill Hunting and I traded my Triquetra Rope for her Manja Necklace available to you in her Artfire store

Cynthia Newcomer-Daniel also has a new tutorial out....for her Ice Queen Bracelet!! You can buy this one at her Artfire studio Jewelry Tales.

And I can't not mention Sandfiber's Blooming Bead tutorial...I think we'll be seeing a lot of Blooming Beads showing up everywhere...I may even have to jump in on this one myself. You can buy this tutorial here.

And if you don't feel like beading something yourself why not head on over to my Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale and scoop up a MAJOR bargain....I blame the bump on my head for these silly prices. You can tell all your friends I've lost my mind and they should shop before I find it :)

Hope you all are recovered from Turkey Day and didn't get trampled in the sales.

It's Early, I'm Awake, Busy Day

2010-11-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

It's pre-yard sale day...oh joy!

I'm heading out to the bead store to avoid the morning's mess and will do my part this afternoon.

One class to go before the craft store I teach at shuts down it's classroom so it can use it for storage of all the Black Friday and Christmas sales stuff.

I'll be using the time to work on the house to get it ready to sell and focus the business on new patterns, though my students aren't happy about six weeks without beading class so maybe we can squeeze in an open bead.

I'm actually rellishing the fact that I'll have time to do some pattern writing because it always seems to get pushed on a back burner, not because I'm procrastinating, it's just that my design brain doesn't shut down and keeps churning the designs out faster than I can write. My muse is an over achiever, what can I do?

I do have a couple of nice ladies who are going to help bead some of the flatwork designs..I think I have at least six waiting to be beaded...and I could easily design six a week....the inspiration photos are stacked up!

I was looking at the work of some wonderful beaders this week and I have to say I get envious....they have each of their designs made up in a few different colorways, less designs but it looks like such a more relaxed way to do things than the frenzied way Morganna makes me work.

Maybe I need to weed.

Maybe I need to choose a few designs and concentrate on them.

Maybe I need to slow things down.

Maybe I need lock Morganna in a closet.

A team of bead fairies would be nice.

A machine that translates designs directly from my brain into printable patterns would be nice, I'd even be willing to have an implant for that.

Or a little elf who comes in and tidies my studio each night, setting out the next day's work for me.

Wishful thinking...thinking full of wishes.

A Day to Vote

2010-11-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you can you should go vote today.

I say "if" because I'm not one of those who can....not an American citizen. I hope to be...one day...when I can afford the time and the money. I'm still recovering from the huge amount it took to to spend two years without income and huge legal fees all for a five minute interview to reinstate the green card I'd had for 16 years which was suspended because of a form that wasn't recieved (the ex was given it to mail). That coincided with my wanting to claim unemployment after being laid off my job of ten years. Hmmm.....

Water under the bridge...another hurdle in my life jumped.

I'll be honest and say I'm not sure the whole political system works, it seems to have come down to "who has the most money wins". The shame of it being that the big money comes from big business who want to sway politicians to vote on bills in their favor. And I'm not talking about one party or another, I'm talking in general.

I think some politicians start out with the right intentions but it takes a very high integrity to avoid the pitfalls of Washington and as we see constantly an integrous politician is something of an oxymoron.

I'm not sure there's any fix for the problems the world is in...there's certainly no quick fix, no easy fix. And four years is not enough time for any president/leader to turn things around, I don't care who he/she is.

There is one thing that would really help turn things around....and that's working together, stopping all the fighting, name calling and nastiness, for the parties to stop behaving like street gangs out to take the other gang down....lord, they even have colors.

There is one thing about taxes I will say.....

anyone with an off shore account used to avoid paying taxes should be taxed heavily for that account. If you have money you can afford a high priced tax attorney to find you all the loopholes so you can get away paying less tax...and we all know they do.

If you're making $1000 a month 1% of tax nets the IRS $10, and if you're only making $1000 a month that $10 buys you the gas/busfare to get to work, it may be nothing to lots of folk but it can mean surviving or not to some.

And what can that $10 do to help the economy? Buy some government official a couple of lattes on their expense account?

Now if you make $1 million a month (Charlie Sheen reportedly makes $2 million an episode of Two and a Half Men!) that 1% becomes $10,000.

$10,000 is a number you can actually do something with...it's almost enough to cover a year of government assistance for a disabled person.

And will that $10,000 affect the life of the person paying it? Well....they'd have $990,000 left so I think they be able to make that mortgage payment, and put gas in their car....all their cars!

As for the people who say they deserve to make millions for their job I challenge them to work for a month as a CNA and live on that wage and then tell me if they work harder, have a less pleasant, more meaningful job that deserves so much more reimbursemnet...because I doubt you could pay those people enough to do that job....and they'd probably pay to get out of it.

Anyway...my point is, we live in a screwed up world and there's no quick fix.

If we all cared about our fellow humans enough to not want them to suffer and struggle...and were willing to step up to the plate, to forego our luxury needs to help someone meet their basic needs there might be a fix.

To some helping the less fortunate makes them a Good Samaritan.

To others it's called Socialism.

Ok...off my soapbox...go vote!

Professional in PJs

2010-11-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

As I sit here this morning in my jammies, unshowered and even the hair unbrushed, sipping on my morning latte I don't exactly feel like a "professional" person. However.....when I click on the new website created for the Bead Mavens by Nancy Dale and her hubby I feel decidely professional and I get all tingly.

Click on the logo to go to our new website and see for yourself :)

To see a dream come into fruition is an amazing thing and I am certainly thrilled to be part of a group who are as into making things happen as I am.

We have a forum, a blog and now a website which we all hope will get the word out there not only about our work but about this artform we call beadwork.

It's great to see the membership of our forum grow, to be able to help other beaders when they have a question and to inspire people with our challenges.

We are getting great support for our challenge and the prize list is growing, regular sponsors are Kandra's Beads and Artbeads with independent bead artists rounding out the prize list with their own wonderful work.

This has proved to me that if you have a dream and you're willing to dedicate yourself to it, work really, really hard and have the courage to reach out to others you can make your dreams come true. Success doesn't happen overnight, nor does it come knocking on your door and you don't get to sit back and put your feet up at the first sign of success. When it does start to happen you need to work even harder to keep it.

Will everyone cheer for you when you are successful? A lot will, but be assured there will be some that won't, some people will put you down, try to break your resolve and may even try to sabotage you. Don't let these few stop you, stay focused, believe in yourself and go after your dreams.

Now I may have to go shower and make myself look as professional as Nancy has made me feel....thanks Nancy!

Respect in a Changing World

2010-10-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

This one isn't about beading at all it's about respect and free speech.

I've been more and more disappointed, saddened and just plain angry about how the flag "free speech" is being used to disrespect people.

I don't really tie myself to one political party, because I've seen from the inside that 99% of politicians are pretty much all out for themselves, so when I say I'm liberal I mean it in the "tolerant, broad-minded" way.

I do believe that everyone has the right to their own opinion....so long as it doesn't hurt or abuse others.

I have no problem with poligamy (I live in Utah) as long as it is practiced by adults, and children are not coerced or brainwashed into it.

I believe any adult should be able to love any other adult no matter the color of their skin, their sexual preference, etc. and I believe they should have the same rights.

I believe state and church should function separately...if Halloween or New Year's eve falls on a Sunday...celebrate it on that day...don't go changing it because of religion (Saturdays are apparently ok because Judaism is overlooked....yes, again I live in Utah where they celebrated the new year a day early because it fell on a Sunday). For one religion to dictate to all the others in a state is very disrespectful...it says, if you don't believe what we believe you don't count....and we live in a democracy?

That's just some of what I believe.

One thing that has horrified me lately is this anti-gay group picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers whether they are gay or not. This idea that God is killing soldiers because America is 'tolerant' of gays is so offensive it makes me want to scream.

You can tout free speech all you like as you diss someone's opinions on their Facebook wall but if you were burying your son or daughter killed while fighting for their country and you had a bunch of protesters disrupting the funeral I have a feeling you might not be waving your own free speech flag.

Unfortunately technology has given us new issues about free speech and no conduct guidelines. So here's what I think:

A Facebook wall is like someone's garden, if they support a particular political party they may post something saying that....like the signs you see in people's gardens. Now, I doubt you would go into someone's garden and rip out that sign, or deface it, or plant your own right next to it. You probably just shake your head and drive/walk on by. Maybe you go put your own sign in your own garden...that's your right and the right thing to do....that's free speech with respect. In the same manner....click away from that person's wall and go post something on your own...if they have you on their feed, they will see it and you're not disrespecting their space.

Likewise, don't go posting to people's walls telling them to vote...odds are that by being online they are fully aware there's a vote coming up if it applies to them....and people, someone from Indonesia does not need to know about your local elections....ask yourself....do you care who is their mayor?

E-mail....do not take it for granted that because you have someone's e-mail address that they believe/support the same things you do. Realise they may actually believe/support the exact oposite view...and that they have every right to do that. They do not need your e-mail in their inbox spouting things against their belief....that's just antagonizing. Ahh...you say, "but I don't know what they believe in"...then you don't know them well enough to push your ideas onto them. Ask them if they mind recieving info about such and such...and if they say yes, they do mind...respect that.

It seems the more technology we get the more respect dies unless we stand up and fight for it. As those who know me know...I barely use my phone anymore. I turn it off. I have a cell phone for my convenience, and if I need to use it, I do....after considering if it will be convenient for the person I'm calling to recieve my call. It became obvious to me that I wasn't given the same consideration, hence my phone got turned off. Contact me by e-mail...you can always ask me if I have time to talk on the phone...and if it is....hey, I'll call you....but expect my # to be hidden because I no longer give it out.

Now if you are reading this and thinking "she's talking out her butt", I respect your opinion, please just leave an "I disagree" comment and then go to your own blog and write your own opinions there....because my blog is also my garden.....and I weed it :)

Aspen, Ice Queen

2010-10-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Completed the challenge tonight so thought I'd post tonight instead of tomorrow.

I'll have to take some photos in daylight

to really show the AB crystals.
I'm really loving the new rope and dying to do it in some more photographic colors :) It's actually triangular with a pearl core, and weaving on the edges.

I'm going to be teaching the icicles next month as a Christmas ornament...they would make a great gift decoration too.
The largest icicle measure 3.5"...they look a lot larger in the picture.

Anyway...there she is...enjoy:)

Frustrations to Freaky Happy Dance

2010-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Last night was one of those times when things turn around on you in a good way. I finished the focals for my Ice Queen and began working on the 'rope', now I had a couple of ideas in my head for how this was going to go. I knew what the base was going to be for the rope, pearls, but wasn't sure which of the two ideas I would use for the second layer.

Well....the first idea didn't work...hated it!

Onto the second idea....hated it more!

Hmpffff!

Yes, I was muttering curses, a mantra of s***, s***, s***!

I start thinking of options..not a lot if I still want the base I had originally designed....so I think...simple spiral??

Well...maybe....but my focals are spiral...that would be spiral overkill.

And so began the designers mantra of "What if.....?"

What if I blended idea #1 with the simple spiral?

What if I started the next section here rather than there?

What if this strand went there?

What if I went through that bead?

The result? A brand new stitch!!!

YAY!! Snoopy Happy Dance around the room.

Sorry...can't show you yet...and plugging my ears so I can't hear you scream "tease"! Lalalalalalla....no, can't hear you!

All will be revealed soon enough......like when the tutorial is written and in my stores I have bills to pay after all.

And to top it all, I woke this morning with a variation or two of the new rope that I'm dying to try...I love when a stitch offers lots of variations.

I had taken a break from trying to design new stitches and relaxed with the design and work up of Tornado....obviously it was a good choice. Sometimes you just have to stop trying too hard!

Tornado

2010-10-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it was the storms we've been having lately or what but the latest flatwork cuff definitely made me think "Tornado".

I got the inspiration for this one from one of my polymer beads, it just seemed like it would make for a nice fabric design.

Of course, now I want to do something with the original bead as a focal.

A designer's job is never done.

The pattern for "Tornado" should be in my shops today or tomorrow if you want to make one of your own....if I had time I'd love to make this one up in the colors of Van Gogh's Starry Night.

But....the extra crystals arrived for my Ice Queen challenge piece so that is on the beading board today.

Happy Tuesday everyone...and I hope you have time to bead today :)

One Day You're In...The Next, You're Out!

2010-10-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

No...not talking about Project Runway, I've been pondering what happens when beaded jewelry goes out of fashion, when no one wants to learn it or buy it anymore. Doing this for a living one has to think about that.

As I've been beading twigs lately I'm reminded of my desire to sculpt with seed beads and produce bead art that isn't necessarily wearable.

I found an English artist who definitely creates seed bead sculpture that isn't wearable....her name is Liza Lou and she's gonna make your jaw drop!

I can't imagine how many seed beads these took...or how long.

I love the cage!

I don't see me getting this carried away but it sure is inspirational and gives me hope for after people don't want to learn or wear seed beads....which hopefully will never happen, but, I was a Girl Scout who got kicked out for hanging with the Boy Scouts so I believe in "Be Prepared".

Now...who's gonna complain about how long beading takes???