sometimes

when

I  feel blue, I listen to Duckie singing Try a Little Tenderness.  This always does the trick for me. 

Fiona: she's our "dashboard darling"!  Fi is a Blythe Princess Q Pot  wearing an entirely hand knit cosy sweater with tiny little working  buttons!

see what I mean about being a "dd"? She has replaced that thing people have on the fronts of their cars--she is cooler by far! our car's front lights are glowing through the snow...




Beadblogger's Sunday!




The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Can you feel it? Andrew is on the verge of many big projects with limitless possibilities ahead!

A Bead A Day
Lisa continues to hammer happy thoughts into wood jewelry pieces over at A Bead A Day Blog!  

About.com Jewelry Making
Sign up for this fun e-course themed around "love." Perfect for the up-coming Valentine's Day holiday.  

Art Bead Scene
Believe it or not, sometimes an Art Bead Scene editor just can't come up with the right words.  

Beads & Books
Michelle reviews a "top 20" list of craft tools from Martha Stewart and compares it to what's in her own studio.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi creates a very soft and warm felted bead necklace.  

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Cindy has chosen one single word to keep her creative juices flowing. What do you think it is?  

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Bang, bang, bang! Melanie makes another Response Saturday post featuring the loud sound of texturing hammers on metal.  

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews Tammy Powley's amazing new book, The Complete Guide to Jewelry Making--what a thorough and terrific teaching guide and inspirational powerhouse for designers!

Paul Yates: Privacy is a Myth


a collection of Photobooth art pictures
see examples below





 
example one

 

example two



 
example three

 example four


The above photos are from our nephew Paul F. Sanchez Yates' new book, Privacy is a Myth. This remarkable book is a collection of photobooth art pictures of him. In 2003, he was considered the number one photobooth artist in the world.
His artwork is displayed in private collections all over the world, as well. He took what Andy Warhol started and made it into an intensely personal and totally different type of expression. There is nothing derivative about Paul in anything that he chooses to do. He is always one of a kind that way.
After he finished his major photobooth project, with prominent and extremely well received exhibitions in both New York City and in Europe, where he is considered to be a great star, he changed his course and went, on scholarship, to the American Film Institute in California. This is one of the three greatest film schools in existence today. He was accepted on scholarship to all of them.
He graduated at the top of his class. He is now a director and screenwriter. His AFI thesis film, "Onion Underwater", made on a shoestring, was accepted into the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan in 2007. It came in third in its category. An incredible honor.The film is an amazing conceptual fantasy film which Paul wrote and directed. It is very vivid and I found it wonderful and thought provoking.
At present he is very busy working on films of all sorts. When he tells Jim what he is doing, sometimes I get to hear about it, and I cannot believe we are related to him. He has lived ten lives to most people's one life, and he is still so young.
Paul is an inspiration to artists of all sorts (including jewelry designers!), which is why I am writing about him today.
When you speak with Paul, he is animated, enthusiastic, and interested in you. It is as if what you have to say is very valuable to his future experiences. In that way he IS and IS NOT similar to Andy Warhol, who would actually leave his office unlocked and leave his photobooth available to fans and visitors. That was the manner which Andy Warhol related to his photobooth. His fans and friends would then take their pictures using the booth, and leave them in a drawer for Warhol to view and possibly potentially incorporate  into his art without ever having met or seen him. Paul IS similar to Warhol in the sense that the world is a great source of fascination to him and you are a part of his world. He IS NOT similar to Warhol in the sense that he is very sociable and very wonderful to have a conversation with.
He is loyal and devoted and embraces every interesting thing or person crossing his path.
What makes the new book of his so wonderful?
This is a unique distillation of 15 thousand photobooth photos of Paul and a few of his friends gathered into this one, one of a kind, book. It is the sort of book which you must think about in many different ways. Life is a sucession of humorous, tragic,loving, beautiful moments. It is difficult to capture life in freeze frame and show these moments with the honesty which is always a part of why Paul is a great artist. Honesty and brutal beauty are a powerful mix.
Paul is fearless. He has his own reasons for why he turned out that way, and he IS a human being with frailties and complexities. However, he is staggeringly brilliant, and for the reader to own this book is to own a piece of modern history which will be ultimately found to be thrilling. You will find it will expand your own mind and soul in countless ways.
Here is the info on how to obtain this book:

Privacy is a Myth | Paul Yates | Fine Art Photography

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1900920

"This book is a monograph of Filmmaker Paul Yates' 25 years of photobooth photography. From Surreal to Sexy, from Degenerate to Intimate--these photobooth strips reveal more about Yates' personal life than one could imagine.
Homeless at 15, already an artist, Yates struggled to find an outlet for his passions...the ubiquitous photobooth machine was his answer!
Yates’ art seems to be only a small facet of what yates truely is. Merely an expression of a troubled life that has, at last, given birth to a stable and ambitious creative mind.
With an introduction by Jennifer Lynch."

note: breaking news: as an addition to HIS book, which is what we are discussing here,  you might want to take a look at this book below, which is available at amazon. Note PAUL on the cover.next to Elvis.

 

kokopelli pendant made from cut out silver coin

knotted pearl bracelet, a basic technique many people avoid learning which should be a part of the skills of every jewelry designer, I think--find out how to do it perfectly in this book!


The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making
by Tammy Powley

review by jean

I spent my early years learning how to make jewelry from Tammy Powley's books and newsletters. Without her enthusiasm and dedication, I never would have continued with efforts to try to educate myself from home.

That is why I am so delighted to see this fantastic, complete and uniformly excellent guide to all aspects of jewelry design, plus the tools required, and projects which you can make to incite your creativity.

Ms. Powley also has some terrific assistance from her own husband, as you can see from the wonderful kokopelli coin pendant which  he created above (he also helped in many other ways). Additionally the great Cyndi Lavin, and fab Jennifer Perkins both contributed greatly to this book, in beading, mixed media and resin work. Because of the author's thoroughness and wonderfully clear style of teaching, I am delighted to see that readers will be able make selections as they learn and grow from every aspect of jewelry making: simple stringing, to polymer clay, to resin. Metal work and wire work are also included, as well as the basics of how to make jump rings and other creative techniques. And that is just the beginning!

This is the book you should give to your teen who is just starting to show an interest in jewelry making. It is never overwhelming because the author is so wonderfully clear in her explanations and because there are over 700 photos to assist in comprehending how to work with your chosen materials.
This is also the book you should buy for yourself as a reference guide you may wish to turn to to remind yourself how to do something correctly if you have forgotten a little detail. Trust me, that little detail will be there!

The photos are fantastic and the book is top of the line.

There is also a fine inspiration gallery at the end of the book to encourage designers and to show the variety which can be achieved once you master the style of jewelry design you have chosen to work with for the moment.

The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making by Tammy Powley is a wonderful and energizing encyclopedia of jewelry making and technique. Ms. Powley is one of the most remarkable teachers we are fortunate to have! She is a treasure.

I recommend this great book for all types of jewelry makers, beginners on up.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Some news from Lark!  wow--check this cover out!--jean

Lark is having a super Giveaway of an advance copy of the leading Spring 2011 book title,
 Sherry Serafini's Sensational Bead Embroidery, PLUS get a downloadable preview PDF
with instructions for making the Rock Star Cuff from the book. Don't miss
it!
http://www.larkcrafts.com/jewelry-beading/sherry-serafini-giveaway/

Also, Lark Jewelry & Beading posted a call for entries for the new gallery
book, Showcase: 500 Rings:
http://www.larkcrafts.com/jewelry-beading/500-rings/

wow! Now I REALLY have something to challenge me. What a dream come true appearing in that book would be for me. Possibly for you as well?

--jean

"Cheerio, all!" 

So what if it is snowy and cold here! We are warm inside and cosy, with our beloved toys!

Here are my Prima Dolly Marigold named Daisy, with her bear, and her sister, a Yuki.(please do not ask me to spell out her official Blythe name -- it is really long and difficult!!!) named Aurora Borealishious, with her duck--

As you can see, the theme of this photo is yellow!

The fun Beadbloggers! Here we go!!!


Beads & Books
If you make a mistake with a piece of jewelry, do you throw it out, start over, or try to fix it? Michelle shares a mistake she made trying to create a pendant using copper, ink, and a gloss sealant.  

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi creates a special set of felted brooches for a Canadian company.  

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Cindy shares a surprise she received during the holidays.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Using lovely design elements from Artbeads, Jean creates an evocative pair of winter earrings which remind her of seasons long past...

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
This week one lucky winner will take home a beaded brooch by Cenya AND score some Soft Flex flexible beading wire!  

A Bead A Day
Lisa's experimenting with alphabet stamps in wood. Please stop by to share your experiences with metal, wood or polymer clay stamping.  

About.com Jewelry Making
What do you get when you combine yarn, crystals, and metal? A very cool double strand bracelet!  

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Ceramic pendants with cut-out holes receive a sparkly window treatment in this project using resin from Lima Studios  

Katie's Beading Blog
A simple idea for keeping the inspiration flowing.

Off Center Productions: Tucson or Bust: Notes from the Road

Joan Tucker writer and artist nonpareil, has begun a diary of entries as Off Center Productions makes its way along the coasts of WA, Oregon  and California coast in their trusty RV!  As you can see I have a link to her first entry above and it should be a great trip. She and Luna will stop at Tucson and continue on to the the Best Bead Show in AZ!  I am going to  come along!  How about you?  What fun!

--jean

"bird on a wire" Winter Earrings by jean yates for Artbeads

The snow we have been having this winter has been at one and the same time both difficult to manage and impossibly lovely to see. Yesterday I was confronted with dragging 26 garbage bags out of the garage because we had to miss the previous week's pick up day, we were so snowed in at that time. So we had two week's worth of garbage and yes folks, that was twenty six bags.  As we had spent that entire period of time running our car into the empty rubber trash cans and using them as bumpers while sliding down the snowy icy driveway, I had nothing to put the garbage IN. To protect it from the wild animals,  I covered it up with a thin narrow strip of plastic which was 50 feet long but only 3 feet wide (does the phrase "complete exhausted frustration" come to mind at this point?) and put some crushed garbage cans on top of it, went inside and conked out until the kids came home.  The day BEFORE that, we had a snow and ICE situation, which we here in this area call "black ice". This is when your driveway appears normal but as soon as you step on it your legs fly out from under you and you are flat on the ground. It is extremely dangerous. Period.  Jim and I spent that day repeatedly falling over into the snowbanks for safety's sake, and dreaming of Florida. Yes, we're getting old. Maybe we could go work in Florida as burned spies like the guy, Michael, in Burn Notice on cable TV. Jim could be Michael's former FBI sidekick, Sam, and I could be his former girlfriend, Fiona, and finally achieve my lifelong dream of being incredibly good looking and also  resourceful at times where you have to think fast. Neither of which I am good at.

On the other hand... today, when I picked up the phone at 4:30 am, and was informed that school was cancelled, I was lured back to the countless memorable "snow days" of my childhood, which were all about happiness and fun. We would put on our ever-soggy snow pants and jackets over and over throughout the day, and venture out to play on the back lawn, which stretched out to the marsh. Our mittens were made of wool and would get wet almost immediately as we rolled giant balls of snow to make snowmen...lots of snowmen. Sometimes we would make snowhorses. Those were my favorite! Here is how you do that: you roll two large snowballs together, pack snow in between them and smooth it out until it is like a saddle, make a smaller snowball for the neck and an oval one for the head. You use sticks for eyes and the nose and mouth. You can make ears if you like. Then you get on your snowhorse, look over at your sister, and wave. It is far more interesting than making a snowman because you can ride it and wave from it, you see. 

My favorite other thing to do was to make an igloo. I would loosely pack light snow in a pile and then dig a hole in it and sit in it. That was all I could do--just sit--these igloos were NOT terribly large.
I had trees over to the left of the house however which I could also sit under which WERE large, and when their branches were heavy with snow, they made fantastic forts. I would get my neighbor Robby to come over and hack around with me if I was playing the tree fort game, and the line of trees meant there was room for more than one person. Lots of yelling fiercely, shooting, running and hiding--all sorts of politically unacceptable stuff for these modern days, which kids did back then and thought nothing of it.

We also had great sledding because our back yard slanted down toward the marsh. If it was the right kind of snow you could get really far. If it was the wrong kind of snow, you could only go about a foot at a time, by pushing really hard with your arms and your boots. That was a big waste. However the right kind was WONDERFUL. You could almost get all the way to the marsh!

Enough of these memories, except to say that where we lived, we always fed the birds in the winter. We would watch them from our glassed-in porch as they would come to the bird feeders on the cherry tree right up against our huge floor to ceiling window. My parents had had the stone floors of the porch heated from underneath, so they could sit and read the paper and have breakfast there and watch the birds. My mother had been a serious birdwatcher since she was a child. My father loved all  animals. We had a bird book which weighed around 500 pounds in the living room. I would stare at it and compare the sizes of the bird eggs in the illustrations, from the tiniest to the largest. The birds we had at our feeders would go through two feeders full of seed a day, plus a special feeder of thistle seed.

When I made these earrings I thought a lot about winter, snow, and the birds we had loved to watch then, and still do now. I particularly thought of chickadees because their black, grey and white little bodies are so cute and fluffy and I always picture them with red berries.

  When I designed these earrings for Artbeads I chose the 10mm Chickadee Sterling/Resin pendants  by the wonderful artist Taina Hartman for the focus of each earring. Then I surrounded them with wonderful Gunmetal-Plated Split Ring Cable Chain which enhances the color of the little birds on the white resin. This is great chain to have on hand for all sorts of uses. it is 6mm X 4mm and at 14 gauge it is nice and hefty for a very good price. I recommend it completely.
 I made sure I had some red in there by using a Swarovski Siam AB drop on each earring, and the beautiful 6mm faceted rounds are a color called "Silver Night".  They look a bit like black diamond, but they are even better, in my opinion! As Artbeads says, "These SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS round beads display a unique hue called Crystal Silver Night which exhibits a dual luster. One side of these beads features a metallic sheen while the other side is translucent adding to their unique appeal".
 The tiny 4mm bicones are Xillion cut White Alabaster.

I call these my "bird on a wire" earrings.  I would like to thank Artbeads for the opportunity to reflect back to these happy thoughts of the snows long past, the "snow days" of childhood, and the beautiful birds we continue to love. It was always a time of pure magic. Kids and snow just go together like hot chocolate and marshmallows.

To bring this entry back to thoughts of Florida, I want to tell you about one more thing. There was a girl at my boarding school from Florida and the first year we were all there at school, in Maryland, it snowed. She had never seen snow. We all put on our jackets over our nightgowns that night and went out onto the front step and looked up at this amazing sight. She was instantly in love with this phenomenon. We were all 14 years old.
This Leonard Cohen song is for her because that year was the year everyone at school was playing it on all the record players and guitars in school. We all loved this song. People still do. Palmer, my friend, this is for you.

Disclosure: beads and materials provided by Artbeads. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Soft Flex has some new colored craft wire and here is a look at it!

  You can find it here , and the links will be there as well, giving you your choice of 18-28 gauge. Incidentally I can't spell gauge correctly EVER the first time I type it. This is just a problem I have which I thought one or two of you might find interesting. I have no explanation for this and do the letter switch with several other words as well. one of them is because, which I invariably have to go back and correct from "becuase" which is so wrong on so many levels. U after c and/or g , except before a ? That is absurd!

 Soft Flex is also offering some WONDERFUL specials on items which you will have lots of trouble resisting! Go see the page...you will instantly understand what I mean! Really good deals plus the lovely craft wire in so many great GAUGES! There! I spelled it right! Score one for me, finally!

--jean

I was very intrigued by a fun question which Ray Hemachandra of Lark Publishing asked a panel of Bead weaving Master Class authors. I have  posted it below. I excerpted it from the Lark Jewelry and Beading Blog. There is much much more which is a lot of fun to read on the Lark blog but I wanted to reprint this specific question here for you because I found it so fascinating.  Here is the question, with Ray's commentary and the panel's thoughts.

Bead Panel Q-and-A: Beaders to Seek Out!

January 03, 2011, 16:00 pm  Posted by Ray Hemachandra

Who is an up-and-coming beader-designer you’d like to bring to people’s attention?
I posed this difficult (and a little bit unfair) question to our Beadweaving Master Class panel, and four of them were willing to venture an answer! Please click through to view the artwork of the beaders cited by our panel. Each week on Monday I ask a new question of these wonderful author-teacher-designer beaders!

Marcia DeCoster, author of Marcia DeCoster’s Beaded Opulence, of Lemon Grove, California:
Ray, I have a hard time with this because of the “up and coming.” I might think of someone that way while they think of themselves as having arrived.
Having said that, I like the work of Mikki Ferrugiaro and Nancy Dale, both of whom are part of the Bead Mavens group (see http://beadmavens.blogspot.com) But I don’t want to appear condescending in any way to think I am ahead of them!

Maggie Meister, author of the Fall 2011 book Maggie Meister’s Classical Elegance, of Norfolk, Virginia:
Wow! There are so many great designers out there! I don’t know if they are up-and-coming or well established, but I love Kim Stathis’ exquisite work (see www.beadsandi.com) and Jean Power’s wonderful geometric shapes and the colors she uses (see www.jeanpower.com).

Sherry Serafini, author of the Spring 2011 release Sherry Serafini’s Sensational Bead Embroidery, of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania:
Melissa Grakowsky is awesome. (See www.grakowsky.net.) She is one gifted artist!!

Rachel Nelson-Smith, author of the Fall 2011 release Rachel Nelson-Smith’s Bead Riffs, of Santa Cruz, California:
I’d like to point out Miho Kanaya (see images of her work here, or visit her actual blog — in Japanese — here) of Kamakura, Japan. I’ve got an image of the two of us standing before her Autumn Kimono. Her beadwork is incredible.

How great is that question--how fun!  I really enjoyed reading the responses.

There are additional wonderful questions posed to this super panel of beaders on the Lark blog, here , such as advice for beginning beaders. I recommend you check out all of their enthusiastic and thoughtful replies.

jean!

Wrens Song Plays in the snow!





 SUNDAY BEAD BLOGGERS!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei tries her hand at an online class to make a Wire framed Bead- a meager attempt but fun at any rate!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean has reviewed a fascinating, beautiful book, 500 Enameled Objects. If you are curious about this form of beautiful jewelry and object crafting, check out her review!  

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Want to win a FREE class from Beaducation? Check out this week's installment of Thursday Giveaway for your chance to win!  

About.com Jewelry Making
Finally, Tammy's latest jewelry book is out on bookstore shelves!  

Art Bead Scene
ABS announces the January monthly challenge.  

Beads & Books
Michelle shares a list of beading and jewelry-making challenges and contests with deadlines through the end of March.  

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi turns a clasp into a necklace pendant.

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Cindy offers up a free project based on a treasure from the Sisterhood.  

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Old keys, resin, and cold connection techniques combine to create Melanie's unique new pendants  

500 ENAMELED OBJECTS

A Celebration of Color on Metal

Jurored by Sarah Perkins

from Lark Books

review by jean yates

I was completely unprepared for the wonders I discovered in this remarkable book, 500 ENAMELED OBJECTS, A Celebration of Color on Metal.

It was as if I had been freed from a time capsule into the modern age of enamel, and the potential which it offers now, as an art medium, in this present day.

Three hundred artists participated in this book. As Juror Sarah Perkins explains in her introduction, many artists who are good with enamel are not as good at metal work. Conversely, there are metal smiths who are not as adept at enameling. To find the perfect balance is one of the keys of great enameled metal pieces. I believe this book, which mostly focuses on jewelry and adornments (some wearable, some more as artistic statements ) but which contains many objects as well, is the perfect place to begin one's understanding of what makes enameling so special as an art form.

I found some of the pieces to be stunning, grand and heartbreaking all at the same time. One example of that type was Kim Eric Lilot's "Endangered Species Carousel", a commentary upon the imminent loss of some of our most precious animals, in bracelet form. The piece is made in 18-karat white and green gold, with Burmese ruby cabochons and fired enamel. That it is totally beautiful and rich looking emphasizes and reflects the major loss which could take place if these spectacular animals disappear from our planet.

Another of these pieces was made by Wendy Yothers. Titled "A Pull Toy for a Czaravich",  it is made of sterling silver, enamel, diamonds, hematite, and rubber O rings. It is fabricated, employs the use of cloisonne',and is raised and spun. This toy is in the form of a beautiful enamel egg, such as the ones which were favored by the Czar and Czarina of Russia at the turn of the century. The egg lies on its side, on wheels, with a beautiful chain and toggle bar with which to pull it. Inside, according to the artist, is "a fabricated silver chicken foot that can be unscrewed and installed on the round end of the outside of the egg, making it freestanding".

As I looked at this pull toy I could not help but remember the tragic story of Nicholas and Alexandra, and also their delight with the collection of enameled eggs which were made for them by Faberge'.

I found other pieces to appeal to my organic side. Yi Chen's "Sea Creature #7" was created in 2008. It is made of copper and enamel and is torch fired and raised. It is a perfect study of a sea form; strange and definitively alive, existing seemingly specifically for its own reasons.

Another organic, yet more classically formal piece, to which I was drawn, was created by Kristin Mitsu Shiga. This is called "Evolve" and is a box. The artist employs copper, sterling silver, enamel and pearls. To understand it you have to see it, but it has been electroformed,

fabricated, sifted (a word I had to look up, which means the enamel pieces are placed in a sifter and shaken onto the metal in a manner which the artist chooses) wet packed, ground and sandblasted. This object resembles a chrysalis from outer space. It is in beautiful tones of green enamel and is gently ribbed, with a petite sterling clasp. When it is opened, white pearls of different sizes are revealed on one side of the top. They look like eggs. I think there is another clasp as well but the viewer doesn't get a look inside of that area of this strangely fascinating and a bit disturbing box.

I wish to mention that there are people who work with enamel who go way back in time, as well some who travel way forward in concept.
One artist who made a set which reminded me of my visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Mary Heller. Her necklace and pendant are called "Ancient Rhythms" and they are absolutely grand. The color and detail on each plaque of the necklace is exquisite and the matching pendant is worthy of a queen. This finely worked, intricate set has a bounty of 22-karat gold, 24-karat gold, enamel, fine silver, labradorite, jasper, and tourmaline. Ms. Heller employed cloisonne' and hand fabricated the set. It is also granulated, fused and bezel set. I could just picture this necklace and pendant being worn by the ruler of an ancient civilization. Or maybe by me. Hey, it could happen!

As an example of a time traveller who demonstrated a love of enamel and metal purely for their own sake, I particularly noted and liked Jim Norton's "Sputnik Structure".  It is a white object with a lot of dimensions and edges. I had to study it for quite a while to take in all its dimensions and structural aspects. It is made of copper and enamel, and was dipped and then kiln-fired. As the artist explains, " ...The enamel couldn't take shape without the metal as support,
and the metal wouldn't remain an object without the introduction of the enamel". I thought that was wonderful minimalistic thinking, and the piece is very fine to look at.

This book, 500 ENAMELED OBJECTS, A Celebration of Color on Metal, is a true treasure chest illustrating the contemporary enameling scene.  I do not believe there is another book out there which can hold a candle to this beautiful collection of remarkable, varied, dazzling objects and jewelry. If you get this book, you will learn a lot . You will be amazed at what artists can conceive of and create, and you will fall in love with the fantastic process of enameling. I think Juror Sarah Perkins did an amazing job putting together this collection of pieces. There isn't a dull page in the whole book. You will choose your favorite pieces just as I have mentioned a few of mine!

--jean

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Myth and her favorite toy, Half Bite! She is a custom with alpaca hair

BEADBLOGGERS!

Hi--somewhere it is Sunday so I am putting this up !  Have a great finish to your weekend, surfers!


About.com Jewelry Making
Get all your jewelry supplies and other crafting goodies organized with these great tips.  

Art Bead Scene
The Art Bead Scene reviews the monthly challenge winners for 2010.  

Beads & Books
Would you like to attract more readers for your blog or more customers for your online shop? Michelle shares 5 tips for getting started with SEO, search engine optimization.  

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi creates a focal piece from chandelier glass.  

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
It's time for Cindy's Annual Studio Sale or the Saga of the Neverending Beads!  

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
The start of the new year is also the beginning of a new series of blog posts about experimenting with materials for Melanie with her new series: Response Saturdays.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Tammy Powley has a new book out and Jean has the info on it! It looks like it will be a MUST for everyone's jewelry design library!  

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
This week's installment of Thursday Giveaway includes some luscious, turquoise-colored stone beads from Auntie's Beads! Find out how you can win them!  

A Bead A Day
Do you ever use Swarovski Prisms in your jewelry pieces? Stop by A Bead A Day to share your experiences!  

hobbit house

My Australian Beading editor is back from her family vacation in New Zealand. I wonder if she saw any hobbits, but haven't asked her yet. I am back to work!

I am thinking about the design which I will make for Artbeads for the winter jewelry design partner offering. I am an Earthenwood Design Team member and still a part of Rings & Things blogging group.
I have joined Lori Anderson's Bead Soup blog party, and I also have many books I am looking forward to reviewing.
Here at home, we got bashed by two snowstorms in a row and we really have no idea who it is who ended up plowing our driveway. We have at least three plowers lined up, but who was it? It's is typical of us that we are not staying on top of this in a mature manner. Jim and I were out there at four p.m. yesterday KICKING snow with our feet and making a feeble attempt at something resembling a car track up our driveway for our car to use. I finally found a shovel (it is actually a "lady's gardening shovel"--those are more petite--which my mother had given us, not a snow shovel in any way, shape, or form, and I used that for a while, with no gloves on, while Jim continued kicking snow. I whistled loudly at every snow plow truck which crunched its way rapidly past our house. I embarrassed Jim, who is two years younger than I am, and still cares about appearances, I guess, slightly more than I do. Or maybe that is one of those guy things, like asking directions. I KNOW that is true--they DO hate to ask for directions. Is whistling at snowplows hardwired into the male brain as a "NO" just the same way? I hate to generalize but still... I just wanted our darn driveway plowed. I had an ulterior motive. I had a photo I wanted to take. Jim had an ulterior motive too--he wanted to get out in the car!
Finally the neighbors' plower showed up, right next door,  and Jim called out to them repeatedly in snow plow language, using  flashlightcode, yelling, waving, etc. No whistling. I was back inside. He was able to get out after they came over, and I was able to take my photo, which had nothing to do with them coming over at all. I could have taken it with or without them. But Jim had to get out before I could do what I wanted!

this photo was taken by Jim after the first snowfall--that is a little, lit,  Christmas tree under there!

it loks like a snow topiary to me!

This morning we conked out and both of us have sore shoulders and arms--Jim fell down three times and got one of those wrist injuries from blocking himself the first time,  and I just have a sore shoulder from shoveling with the wrong type of shovel. My legs seem OK, however. Kicking the snow didn't hurt them.What a heckload of snow we have been having! Hey bartender, please pass the tylenol before this joint closes.

The Complete Photo Guide to JEWELRY MAKING
by Tammy Powley
is out now!

Tammy Powley! We all know and love her! She is a wonderful author of  a large number of jewelry design books, all terrific. She also writes the regular weekly newsletter for a yahoo group with a bazillion readers, the About.com.jewelry making newsletter.
I may have mentioned before that, due to Tammy's generous manner of sharing her excitement and her knowledge concerning jewelry making, and also because of her great, clear, step-by-step teaching skills, I have been a faithful member of the About.com jewelry making group for years now. I learned the basics from Tammy Powley and pushed myself harder and harder(having fun the whole time)! I could see because of her excellent leadership how far I could go with the right instruction. 
I therefore consider Tammy to have been one of the major influences upon me when I decided to seriously pursue learning how to make jewelry.
That I am a part of our beadblogging group which she moderates is a true honor for me.

Now Tammy has a great, comprehensive new jewelry book out!  It looks gorgeous and seems as if it is going to be a total winner. I certainly look forward to reviewing it!

Here is a link to it on Amazon.com. As Tammy said to me,

"In fact, you can get a pretty good look inside the book on Amazon as well [note from jean--the "search inside" feature is available].

The pendant image is from a project where my husband used a silver coin and then cut out a Kokopelli image from the center of it."

The pendant she is referring to:

how pretty is that? !!!--jean

Tammy then offered me this info on her new book:

"Here's a basic description of the book:

The book covers techniques from 10 different types of jewelry making: bead stringing, wire work, chain making, metal fabrication, soldering, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, fiber, and mixed media. It includes over 700 full-color photographs that show the techniques as well as projects for each section. Each section first demonstrates some methods related to the type of jewelry making, and then these same techniques are incorporated into projects, anywhere from 4 to 5 different ones for each section.

Along with a gallery section that has contributors like yourself, I also had help from three other jewelry designers. Cyndi Lavin did the techniques and projects for the Polymer Clay section and Mixed Media section. Jennifer Perkins did the techniques and projects for the resin section. My husband, Michael Powley, contributed projects to the metal fabrication and soldering sections and also took a large number of the photos throughout the book."

Always curious, I asked why she decided to write this book now. Her response was the following:
"The reason I decided to do the book "now" is because I was asked to basically ;) I always have a list of book ideas, but Creative Publishing asked me if I was interested in putting a proposal together for a comprehensive jewelry making book for its "Photo Guide" series".

with 700 photos  (!!!) and ten types of jewelry making covered, I have a feeling this is going to be a very successful  and popular book. Score another winner for the wonderful Tammy Powley!
--jean

A little Beck for my pal Kim--"Let the Golden Age Begin"

OK, so golden isn't Kim's new direction exactly...she is using steel and CZs to create her beautiful new line of jewelry...but you could consider it golden in the sense that what she is creating is PRECIOUS, truly precious. See here one of her new necklaces:

This blows my mind!

This is a whole new style of design work for Kim, and as usual, she and I are exactly alike. She makes it, and I LOVE it. You can't get much more similar than that.

Kim Miles' jewelry is "thinking jewelry" for intelligent people who love beauty and depth. I remember every turn in her road so far with great fondness and joy ... and I know that when Kim creates (and writes), it is coming from her heart as well as her whole being. She is present on this earth to make remarkably stunning creations (and to say things which will touch you and move you). Go see this new line at her site and check out her blog, too.

Her new tiaras !!!!! are on her blog, and so is she, wearing one. They are the best tiaras I have ever seen. All Hail Queen KIM!  It is all just incredible and wonderful! She is amazing.


jean

An Interview with Emily Dolan, aka "godesia",  who is all sorts of creative and beautifully gifted!
by jean

You all know I love jewelry.
You all know I love dolls.
Therefore, this interview came out of my curiosity concerning one of my favorite Blythe doll outfit designers, "godesia".  The fascinating thing is that when I began emailing godesia and asking her a bit about her beautiful doll outfits, she mentioned that she had lived in New York at one time, and when she was there, she fell in love with gemstones. This led to some PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY which she designed!  I was so taken with her photos she sent me of her jewelry, I had to ask her if I could share a bit of her fabulous work with you, by interviewing her and finding out more about how her path progressed as a designer and an artist. And of course, by showing some photos.

jean=italics, godesia=no italics


1) Could you give me a bit of family background --where you come from ( I know you have
mentioned New York to me)  and what sort of education you might have had in the arts? ( I
had NONE, except acting lessons--hah)
I was born and raised in a small town in rural Michigan. This allowed me quite a bit of
freedom as a child since crime was practically unheard of there. Small towns can be like
this sometimes, everybody knows each other so it's hard to get away with anything. Anyhow, I spent a lot of time in the woods near my home, enjoying the flora and fauna. I'm a bit of a closet naturalist.

My mother got her Master's degree in Art History from Northwestern and so the house was full of art supplies and we were encouraged to express ourselves (I have 2 siblings, a brother and a sister). My father cooks, plays the piano and decorated the house and has an artsy side as well, so I was surrounded by creative types.


At the age of 4, I saw my great aunt Jessie knitting and BEGGED her to teach me how to do it. She couldn't resist me, and I picked it up rather quickly. She kindly gave me a knitting basket with yarn, needles and an instruction booklet on how to do knitting, crochet and tatting (I still have the booklet). I didn't do much with it until I got to college and felt the need to do something in front of the TV.
                                                                   

I have a classical art background (printmaking, painting etc.). I got a BA in art from
Albion college and then a BFA in graphic design from the University of Michigan. It wasn't
until I moved to Manhattan that I began to revisit my interest in knitting and crochet.


Again I needed something to occupy my hands. I'm a restless sort of person, I can't just sit

in front of a TV or lounge about doing nothing. I feel the need to make things.

godesia crocheted cake






2) Were you simultaneously making jewelry and doll clothes, or did you see a Blythe and fall in love, like so many of us do, and learn to sew because of Blythe? I know you already knew how to crochet because your jewelry reflects this.

The jewelry came first, but it sprang out of my interests in crochet. In 1997 I really had a
crisis in my creativity. After 10 years in graphic design, I was deeply unsatisfied. The
work was boring and uninspiring and it was killing me. I have always loved jewelry, but
never indulged myself very much with it and it was at that point that I started thinking,
Hey, I can make this stuff myself. I started buying jewelry mags and going into the diamond district in Manhattan and perusing all the stone and jewelry making stores. A whole new world opened up for me.

I can't tell you the exact moment I considered combining my love of crochet with my love of jewelry, but the idea took hold in me and I got some silver wire and some stone, choose a crochet pattern and started playing.                                  

godesia's jewelry:  

            white quartz and blue topaz drop ring--WOW!

love these earrings!

turquoise with sterling wire

flower power choker, above, and matching flower power ring, below:

 amethyst, pearls and sterling wire

godesia's favorite piece, her Mardi Gras necklace! Very lovely combinations of stones and crochet work



When I went through junior high I was taught to sew as it was still part of the curriculum
at that time. My mother kindly bought me a sewing machine when I was in college for my
birthday. There was some sort of project I had in mind for it, but it collected dust for a
REALLY long time before I started using it for Blythe.

I discovered Blythe on Flickr during a random search for amigurumi [N.B.: Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small animals or toys].

 godesia's amigurami above! how cute is this?

My interest in crochet took me there too, he he. I became captivated by the community of people surrounding Blythe; they were so creative and free in their love for the doll and their pictures just knocked me out. It was really the joi de vie of Blythe lovers that hooked me. Of course, the doll had her own appeal with her enigmatic smile and gigantic head. My appreciation of the unusual
definitely came into play here.

Because of the high price, I didn't get a Blythe until 2007. This was a couple years after I
discovered her. My first dolly was a prima dolly Ginger. I got Lounging Lovely and Angelica
Eve shortly after. My first purchase was really predicated on deciding to start a cottage
business designing clothes for her. You can't design without a model! My first clothes were
crocheted, of course! Sewing came later after I felt the need to do more and do more
differently.

here is my latest sewn dress and matching bow purchase from godesia: I took this photo in the blizzard we had right after Christmas--my doll Klute

3) What are your plans for the future? It seems to me you can do anything!
Good question! I have so much rolling around in my brain that it can be hard for me to
choose. I may venture out into new dolls. I have my eye on a Lati doll(yellow line) and I just
bought 3 Sindys that I'll be restoring a little. I also have some plans to start selling
patterns. And, my poor Angelica Eve is in pieces because she's my latest custom project. A vampire I think. So now I must investigate lip carving and all that rot. Don't expect her
too soon. I'd like to sell custom dolls in the future but we'll have to see how it goes.
That's a really slow process for me.

Right now I am knitting little sweater dresses for Blythe, some with pockets and some without. I'll embroider them, do some matching hats and (new project) make tiny toys for the pocket dresses. I'm excited about them and hope everybody else will be too!

As for being able to do anything, mostly I'm just determined. I get an idea in my head and I
CAN'T let it go. Most things are just practice and technique anyway. Keep doing something enough and you'll get good at it. I like to research too. Information is always helpful, no matter where it comes from.

last year: godesia's doll Ingrid in a St. Valentine's Day Fair Isle Sweater with buttons up the back

4) Do you have any advice for other people who would like to be creative and yet cannot seem to get going? So many people are afraid of failure, and so many others seem to only be able to copy. Any tips on how to learn to express your own self when you design?

To be brutally honest, I have to MAKE myself do new things. I get intimidated by new
techniques and substances, but it's always a mirage. Once I get started it invariably
becomes fun. You have to forgive yourself the first wonky tries and keep going. I admit to
being quite driven though, and it helps me. My trick is to put it on my daily list of things to do and reserve some time for it. 2 hours is usually enough time to get started on something new without overwhelming yourself to death.

I also have dedicated crafting space. It's hard to develop new things if you have to set up and break down your work all the time. All you really need is a corner, a table,a chair, a light and some sort of storage unit. I used a breakfast nook for a long time. Now that I have a house, I've taken over the front bedroom and sunroom. I have a big lounge chair in the tv room where I do a lot of knitting and crochet. Having your own little place is key!

Also, I don't believe in failure, just experience. Failure is very relative too, I mean who hasn't fallen off a bike the first few times they tried? Everybody gets it eventually and it's the same with designing clothes or customizing Blythe. It's all in the DOING of it.

baby doll dress

It gets easier too. I was VERY intimidated when I first started sewing for Blythe and not
very good at it. My technique has improved tremendously, but I've done a LOT of sewing and kept trying new things. My last big collection, the Brontë Slumber Party,

(note: yes, readers, I got one of these! I chose pink (of course) and got bunny slippers too! How could I resist?--jean)

 was my attempt to improve my sewing skills by learning to do insertions and pin tucks. Things progress along faster if I give myself little projects to do with a specific goal in mind. Last spring was all about felting wool and embroidery, which I had never done before. I'm still working on the embroidery, my skills are a bit limited there. There are so many things to learn, you will never run out of interesting things to do.

As for copying, it has its place. That's how we learn. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Everything I make was the original brainchild of another. All those mini 60's style dresses and puffy sleeved babydoll dresses were created first by someone else. Truthfully, all the Blythe designers take from designers of the past and give it their own spin.



True innovation is a bit rare. I don't consider myself an innovator really. I'm big on
technique and practice and using the things you like in new ways. I've learned a lot from
emulating others and I admire the work of so many people. It's a good place to start, but
you just can't sell another person's unique work as your own. People try it, but I see them getting caught all the time. As for those who pilfer the cartoon characters, I have to give them some slack. Sanrio just isn't going to get into the Blythe clothing business and some of those Hello Kitty hats are really cute. Ditto Totoro, Sesame Street etc.

Plus my stuff just ends up looking like it's mine no matter what I do. I'm a big believer in just going after what you love. You can't go wrong there. True style develops over time so there's no rush. My next big delve into the unknown will probably be mold making. I see a lot of stuff that I want to do with that. And paper clay is hovering on the horizon. We'll see how that goes, LOL!

godesia really knocks me out with her energy and her abilities. I have enjoyed getting to know her more and more. 

I hope you liked this interview. It always fascinates me when people are creative in more than one area!

"Two roads diverge in a wood"...and these sorts of people take both of them!  Or three, or four roads!
Now, how cool is that!

to see more about Emily/godesia, go to her blogs:

http://rawvenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.godesia.blogspot.com/

or to her shop, where I just today discovered an amazing dress and this matching hat: "Ice Garden Hat" which is exquisite, in my opinion!

She just doesn't quit!

look at the ooak Mermaid she created for a customer, all bejeweled and crocheted and  decorated in the most fantastic manner! I think her love of jewelry really shows here in a unique combination with her love of Blythe.

I am "very attached" to SNAPEEZ jump rings, sold by Via Murano!

That is why I wanted to share this offer with you which I received by email! You have to join Via Murano as a wholesale buyer or a regular buyer to view their offerings, but after you do, you will be very glad you did, I assure you. Along with SNAPEEZ,  they have the most amazing collection of unique items. These are hand selected for us, their well-cared-for customers. Shopping at Via Murano is a really enthralling and fun experience and  they have good deals like the above one, frequently. Here is the email I got which announced this great Seventh Anniversary Celebration:

"Receive 10% OFF your order of Snapeez^® II ULTRAPLATE^®  during the month of January.  Click here for details.
Offer good NOW thru January 31.  Combinable with other promotional coupons. 
Shop and Be Rewarded at Via Murano^®!"
VIA MURANO^®
P.O. Box 1467
Castle Rock, CO 80104
303-658-0029
Toll Free 877-VIAMURANO (877-842-6872)
http://www.viamurano.com/

look how long this offer lasts--this entire month! And the coupon is combinable with other promotional coupons of theirs!
Note: Many times (or practically always, you could say) , when I am making chain maille bracelets or necklaces and I have charms dangling from them, I double enforce the charms with SNAPEEZ... meaning I use two of whatever size SNAPEEZ jump rings I require to hold the charms onto the piece I am creating . I also do this with clasps, unless I am wire wrapping the clasp closed. I couldn't LIVE without SNAPEEZ! Here is my testimonial for Via Murano, and I mean it:
I have counted on you so many times I cannot express my appreciation! I have never had a piece of jewelry returned and I think it is partly due to your high quality products!--jean

Here is a  magazine cover featuring a design of mine, "Effervescence", where the lovely leopard spotted silver cored Venetian beads, some great sterling earring components, and the SNAPEEZ jump rings which attached the beads on the earrings and the matching bracelet all came from Via Murano:

 What a fun project that was!

Opium rappelling upside down at great risk

I am head over heels!
I got my old template back, all by myself, and I can hot link too. Did that all by myself too.
This is better than waffles with butter and real maple syrup. I cannot remember the last time I had that. However I imagine it is. All I eat is vegetarian Mexican frozen dinners. I recommend Amy's.
This is better than Jimmy Choo shoes I bet
This is better than Frederic Malle's Noir Epice parfum I bet

This is the best thing that has happened in 2011 already, anyway, because it drove me crazy almost ALL of 2010 which had to be one of the dumbest years I have ever experienced for personal reasons and to be honest, boy am I glad it is OVER with. Going now to look up horoscope info for 2011.