Museum Debut?

No, my jewelry is not being displayed in a famous museum....but I can dream, can't I. It's my Crystal Viking Knit Weave with a vintage crystal, glass disk made by Alana from Flameboyance Glass and a Thai bead. Swarovski Crystals are added to the Viking Weave. To view some wonderful work from some talented people, please visit Year of Jewelry.

To get your work in a museum go to Dumpr.

Enjoy and HAPPY BEADING!

Kitty

Art Museum by dumpr.net

Caught my Breath....now Catching Up

It's been a long while since I've contributed anything to Perles and Life. Summer is in full swing here in the Pacific Northwest as it's a very warm here today. The cat is an indicator of how warm it is....totally stretched out and laying by the fan.

To catch up on all the happenings let me begin back in March. I was so very lucky to attend the Portland Bead Expo. I attended with three other gals and we not only had beading in common but we also enjoyed experiencing some of Portland's cuisine and some fine wines, too! We all had signed up to attend classes during the four days of the Expo in which there was a wide variety to choose from. We all seemed to pick different classes so between the four of us there's lots we can learn from each other. "Meet the instructor" evening was a great opportunity to meet people that you've read about or seen their works in magazines. There were vendors attending that I had never had seen at other bead shows and fairs.

I attended Tracy Stanley's Viking Knit class. She loves what she does and shows it through her enthusiasm to teach her students. This was a very fun technique to learn and I was able to incorporate a beautiful lampwork bead made by a friend of mine, Alana, from Flameboyance Glass.

My second class was also taught by Tracy and it was Riveted Earrings. Having 20 students with hammers in their hands and pounding on copper sheeting was too much fun. I learned several different techniques for texturizing sheet and was able to purchase some beautiful texturizing hammers. I knew coming to the Expo that I wanted to concentrate on wire arts and also in obtaining some quality tools.

My last class was Freeform Wirework taught by CR Radding. The techniques were taught and practiced and then our creativity took over from there allowing us to go in our own direction to create a wirework piece.

As I left Portland it was such a gorgeous spring day, I felt that a little side trip to the coast was in order....visited with the owner of a LBS and caught up with her and then had a wonderful lunch at a place with a gorgeous view of the ocean. What an ending to an unforgettable few days! Beading and the Ocean.....they go great together!


In April, I was part of a show called Primrose Lane. There were 11 jewelry artists who participated. The absolute best part of the show was that we all knew and encouraged each other. We all do different kind of work so we weren't competing with each other. I was thrilled to have sold several pieces of my jewelry. There will be another Primrose Lane show this fall in which we are all hoping to participate again.


In May another Day of Creativity was held. There was a lot of serious business going on with our quilter's this get-together as they were creating a quilt for someone who was retiring at work and the deadline was fast approaching. The beader's were more laid back and it seemed like each of us were trying to finish projects that we had started and put aside except for two gals in which one was teaching the other some form of freeform stitching with seed beads. We had 13 in attendance which was a wonderful. While planning the May get together, I announced that I would not be hosting another Day of Creativity for awhile....that I needed to take a break. Unfortunately, we will be hard-pressed to find another venue in town that only charges a small fee to use. We are looking at paying a substantial amount of money to rent space somewhere. One gal volunteered to check with her church to see if we would be able to have our Day of Creativity there. I will be checking in with her towards the end of summer to see if that will be a possibility. It's a wonderful group and a wonderful time and I would hate to see it end. Our Day of Creativity group has grown over the last two years mainly by word of mouth. If anyone in the Eugene/Springfield OR area is interested in becoming part of the group, just contact me and we'll get you on the distribution list to notify you when the next one will be taking place (I just know someone in the group is going to step up and keep our Day of Creativity alive!!!)

I submitted a necklace to BeadingDaily.com and it was accepted for publication on their site as a free project. Once it was accepted, I was required to write detailed instructions. After I sent in my directions, a contract was signed, and I actually was paid for my work. It was pretty exciting for me. It's called Southwest Desert.

I am continuing to work on my wire working skills and have been able to discipline myself through Year of Jewelry 2008 (YOJ2008). You can sign up to particpate through the Creative Wire Jewerlry forum. We are currently in Week 28 and I have managed to submit a piece of jewelry each week. I've gotten some wonderful feedback on some of my pieces which I have appreciated. I love to go into YOJ and look at all the beautiful work everyone does. Take a trip to YOJ......you won't be disappointed! I've also gotten into Copper Tubing, thanks to Sharilyn Miller. I've made necklaces and bracelets with the tubing. They're fun and add a surprise element to your basic bangle. I'm also working on fine-tuning my wire weaving skills.

Here's a few examples of what I've been up to..................

Until then............HAPPY BEADING!!!! Kitty

Pictures of Dress for Success Jewelry

The Dress for Success Project has been completed and is off to the organization. Just wanted to post pictures of all of our completed pieces. Thanks to Alana, Jan, Kathy, Lilli, and Lynn for their time and creativity in making our Dress for Success Project a success!!!





Until then.....

HAPPY BEADING!!!

Dress for Success and Year of Jewelry 2008

I've completed my Dress for Success project and was able to incorporate some wire work in it. I added some additional parts and pieces that were not in my bag of goodies. Hopefully I'll be collecting jewelry from the other participants at this Saturday's upcoming Day of Creativity. Will take pictures before sending off to Dress for Success.

Please visit Year of Jewelry 2008 to view all the beautiful creations and meet some talented people. You can sign up to participate in Year of Jewelry by following the link on the YOJ2008 blog page.

Tonight I'm hosting a beading get-together with some gals from our LBS and should be lots of fun and sharing!

There's signs that spring is just around the corner here in the Pacific Northwest and just that much closer to attending this years Portland Bead Expo and the end of March. Looking forward to classes and spending some time with some talented gals I know!

Until then...HAPPY BEADING!!!

Fun at Day of Creativity

There were 11 of us attending Day of Creativity and it was a wonderful time of sharing, laughter, and oohing and aahing over everyone's projects. There was lots of goodies to eat and a birthday was celebrated also with a chocolate obsession cake from a local bakery.

One attendee had brought beautiful, so life-like photographs that she had taken in her yard of all the different varieties of flowers she grows along with some of the local bug population that hangs out there. She was making note cards from them.

Our quilters were working on a special gift for someone and were able to put all the squares together. Beautiful shades and patterns of green. It will probably get sewn together and the quilting started at our next get together.

One of our beaders was working on a beaded macrame piece and another was working on finishing a beautiful garden bracelet in shades of sky blues and aquas.

There are seven of us participating in the Dress for Success project/challenge. Each of us put a bag of beads (of all sorts) together, placed them in a box and then we each picked a bag. From there, it's just let our imaginations take us to making a beautiful piece of jewelry.

I was very happy to be invited to join some of the gals that work at one of our LBS for an evening of beading and show and tell. Although a small group it was wonderful spending time with them outside of the store. There's lots of inspiration there and gave me an opportunity to get to know them better.

I hope you've had an opportunity to take a look at Year of Jewelry 2008.

Until then....Happy Beading!

Date set for Day of Creativity

Our Day of Creativity has been set for January 26.

I've placed a challenge/project for those beaders that wish to participate....there is an organization called Dress for Success that

"promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life."

The project is for each of us to make a piece of jewelry to donate. The challenge is that another beader will supply the beads in order to make a piece of jewelry. It can be a necklace, bracelet, pin, pendant, earrings....just as long as it is professional looking. I'm excited that we have about 8 people particpating. Just so there's not a lot of pressure, the jewelry does not have to be completed during our Day of Creativity....but should be brought to our next get together which will probably be in March.

Our group is comprised of not only beaders, but quilters, stain glass makers, and painters. It's a diverse group and we all have an appreciation for what each other does.

Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures of our Dress for Success creations.

Until then....HAPPY BEADING!

WAS I AWAY THAT LONG?

Ignoring my blog is what I've done! How can I expect anyone to read my blog if I'm not updating it on a somewhat regular basis!!! Beading just got in the way, I guess! A family visitor for a month this summer was great fun for the husband and myself...a time to enjoy sites and area activities that are taken for granted.

I've really gotten interested in wire as you may have read in an earlier post. Having a great time with it and hopefully I've gotten some other fellow beaders interested in working with wire, too! I've made lots of bangle bracelets and have arranged for several of them to be on display for sale in a very prominent shop in the area. Even if nothing is sold, maybe they will remember me and Circle of Beads.

Take a look......

A new acquaintance is a lampworker who loves to experiment with glass and manipulates the glass into some fantastically awesome colors, hues, and tones mostly on the earthy side. We're always talking beads and we have totally different interests when it comes to beads and beading but we connect....I love to make things with beads and she loves making beads. We're a match made in beading heaven!!!!

My personal Circle of Beads continues to grow. As a result of two quilters wanting to get together to quilt for a day, of them looking for a place to quilt, and me offering a perfect environment for that to happen, a Day of Creativity was started and continues to grow. Quilters, beaders, painters all come together to share, to be inspired, and just to enjoy each other. The Day of Creativity continues to grow and I am so fortunate to get to meet new people and have the opportunity to get to know them.

The Bead Expo is coming to our area early next year and am happy a small group of us are going together. We're already planning to take classes, shop, and enjoy being around other beaders.

Please check out my etsy shop: circleofbeads and let me know what you think. There are a lot of talented people on etsy and it's worth the time.

Mmmh, I bet Paris is beautiful at this time of year!

Until then.....HAPPY BEADING!