Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Therapeutic attributes of beading
Posted by ginagalli
We all have our vices and our special something that we turn to when we need to decompress from the weariness of the day.
Besides turning to chocolate when I’m stressed I open up my bead box and look at all of the wonderful shapes and colors and stones. I like to touch then and enjoy their textures and how they feel in my hands. Before you know it! I am designing and creating. It helps to get lost and refocus on something positive. I truly believe these little trinkets do possess a “therapeutic” quality.
Every Wednesday at my store I had two ladies that came in and would bring their bags of goods and various projects. Occasionally we would have a few others that would join us. We would talk about our beads, life and what was going on in the world. We would have lunch and a cup of coffee and YES! occasionally there was chocolate.
After an hour or so there would be some laughs and sometimes a finished project (or sometimes not). The key is that for a little while we got to escape and feel good and you don’t even need health insurance for this kind of “therapy”.
Sassy up your spring designs with Lucite flowers
Posted by ginagalli
Spring will officially be here in 3 weeks. I have seen the hint of baby buds of crocuses and daffodils peaking through the last hints of snow. These delicate blooms get me so inspired. I was resistant for a long time against using Lucite because basically it is plastic. However, if you look at some of the great jewels from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s with their big bright baubles and colors they were made from Lucite. Actually vintage Lucite is very chic and hot and has been for some time.
Some of the great qualities of Lucite are the enormous range of colors it comes in. It is very light in weight and the shapes are spectacular. As I mentioned before I am partial to the Lucite flowers. The variety of sizes and types of flowers are numerous. You can create a virtual garden. Actually, they are perfect for the garden bracelet design.
Lucite flowers combine perfectly with shiny crystals because their matte, pearly finish picks up the shimmer and shine. You can use fire polish beads, seed beads and virtually anything with them. I love to embellish a flat peyote stitch using the small size flowers and putting a 3mm bi-cone crystal in the middle.
Where do you find Lucite beads? Two of the most popular sellers of Lucite are Beadin’ Path and the Hole Bead Shop. Beadin’ Path does specialize in vintage Lucite and both vendors have a great selection that you can purchase from their websites. You can also find some Lucite flower beads on Art Beads and Fusion Beads or look at your favorite local bead shop.
Need some ideas and inspiration? Check out the spring issue of Bead Unique Magazine that features on the cover Fairy’s Garden ring designed by the Hole Bead Shop.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Trends from Tucson
One of the many great things about attending the Tucson Gem and Mineral shows is to be able to preview all of the new trends and products being introduced in the beading and jewelry making industry. I am so inspired with ideas from seeing many techniques and designs I just don’t know where to start first.
Metals and metal working continues to grow with so many new tools, products and interest. Metal stamping, texturing, mixed metals, found objects and resin continue to grow in popularity and overall accessibility. There are so many directions to take these cool techniques. The “Steam Punk” movement continues to build in popularity which has incorporated the use of many of these metal techniques. This year you will see more beaders adding images of keys, watch faces, watch parts and gears. These elements are everywhere! They come in charms, pendants, impressions, images, ink stamps, in all different sizes from silver, gold, brass and copper finishes. C-Koop http://www.ckoopbeads.com/ was one of my favorite vendors that offer a brilliant display of enameled copper elements in all shapes and designs that fit along perfectly with these current trends. No matter what your beading technique of choice is, many designers are adding some of these fun ideas to their designs.
Another really cool product I saw was two part epoxy clay that comes in various colors. You can add the clay into a frame, a bezel or any kind of a surface and then embed flat back crystal, stones or charms to make a mosaic like design. It is easy to use, not messy and dries within an hour and a half. This was one of my favorite products I saw and the crowds around the tables were non-stop so I know this will be the next big thing!
The latest hot thing from Miyuki is the ever so cool Tila Beads. They are 2 hole little tiles that are 5mm and lend themselves to so many great design options. You can use them in an easy square stitch design to make a quick and easy bracelet. It also looks fabulous in a right angle weave stitch also. It comes in all the great Miyuki colors and finishes. I can’t wait to play with these and see what kind of fun designs I can come up with.
Swarovski always goes all out with its glitz and glamor for the Tucson show. They bring in all of their design ambassadors for classes, demos and to roll out their latest and greatest in “sparkle”. This year was no exception as they previewed their Xilion cut crystal beads. These crystals have a brilliant luminosity with many facets that reflect the light and I didn’t think it could be possible for more sparkle but they created it. Another great feature is the clear rounded smooth holes of the crystal that protects your thread from getting cut or frayed. Chanton and Rose are the new hot colors in these beads as well as all of the other fabulous hues and finishes Swarovski has to offer.
I was really into the many “chain alternatives” like Wire Lace. They offer over 30 different yummy colors in sizes ranging from 1mm to 20mm wide. The samples were so inspiring and looked awesome with Swarovski crystals of course. Another favorite is the Silver Silk woven wire chain. I am partial to their captured chain. It is ball chain encased in a woven wire tube. Kabela Design also offers this product in the vintage copper, brass and a lush matte gold to go along with their vintage filigree components.
I am so full of creative energy and inspiration. I have made a list of new techniques and skills I hope to learn this year. Besides gaining some new bead weaving skills, I am looking forward to trying my hand at polymer clay, more resin work, metals and cold connections. I am very excited about sharing all the latest and greatest in beading and jewelry making with all my bead friends this year.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bring on the Beads for 2011!
It’s a new year and with that comes the excitement of seeing what the new trends in beading will come about. What new beading techniques will I learn this year? I can hardly wait to see some of the new products and you can’t start out the new year without new beads!
If you have been a beadaholic for a while now and browsed through a few beading magazines I am sure you have heard in passing about The Tucson Bead Show. Well Tucson is more then just a city in Arizona and Arizona is known for more then just great turquoise jewelry. From the end of January to the middle of February the city of Tuscan turns into the world’s largest treasure hunt known as “The Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show”.
From January 29th through February 13th the city of Tucson will host 40 different show sites located in hotels, convention centers, fair grounds and tents. Many shows are taking place at the same time so you can hit a few different locations in one day if you are feeling so ambitious. The main event is located at The Tucson Convention Center located in the heart of the city and features the most amazing display of rocks, fossils, gems, minerals, jewelry, beads, dinosaurs, and meteorites of all time. This is the 57th year for the show and the theme for 2011 will be “Minerals of California”
This is truly like the Disney Land of beads being it is the largest show of this kind in the United States. To get around to the different show locations, there are shuttles that do run from hotels and venues to help you to get around easily but the Tuscan show can not be done in a day. Most people do like to take at least a week to be able to shop at their leisure. You can access the show guide online at www.jewelryshowguide.com which will give you list of the different shows and locations as well as the vendors showcasing at the show and a list of their minerals, stones or products. The shows can be extremely overwhelming so you that want to map out your plan of attack and be able to find your way around a bit easier. Take lots of extra cash or credit cards because there are so many rare gems and jewels that you will not see anywhere else and you won’t want to leave without them. Plan to pack comfortable clothes and shoes. It is pretty mild and comfortable this time of year in Arizona so it is a great time to go west. Some shows get a bit crowded so be prepared and try to arrive early. You will want to bring a rolling bag or several different bags for shopping and transporting your goods. Many people end up shipping their goods home so they do not have to lug them around or bring them on the airplane. Many of these shows are retail shows and there are no admission fees. There are a few wholesale only shows so you do want to look up that information before you go to that location. If you do have a wholesale license bring several copies with you for you may have to give a copy to the seller. Also, wholesale shows do require you to register so go early to fill out any paper work.
So where does one start to shop? Try and get a good idea of what you might be looking for. As mentioned above you can go online and view a show guide and get a list of vendors and the wares they are selling. Importers come from all over the world so you will see many rare gems. I am a pearl girl myself so I love to hit the vendors from the orient to see what sort of great deals I can find and look for pearls that have great luster and finish. If you are looking for fine gems you can buy diamonds and rubies if you are so inclined at insane prices. The” J.O.G.S” show is recommended for both pearls and rare stones and other amazing treasures. You can’t come to Tuscan though without at least checking out the amazing selection of Turquoise. You can find some great Turquoise from local Arizona mines as well as imported from Mexico, China and other exotic places. Once again there are some great bargains to be had with a little bit of investigation.
I really enjoy the “To Bead True Blue” show as well as “Whole Bead”. There are 500 exhibitors, workshops, and forums to choose from. You will see bead making, lapidary art, art couture, artistic glass, textile, art jewelry, embellishment, metalwork, clay art, wearable art, enameling, collectible, antiquities, and interior décor –together with wholesale artisan suppliers and direct importers to the trade. Many big companies like Swarovski, Terra Cast and Rio Grande have booths at this show and you can see their newest products before they even hit your local bead shops. There are also workshops and classes you can take but not all show locations offer them. Not all of the show locations offer classes and workshops but if you are looking to learn from some amazing artists and designers “To Bead True Blue” offers some of the best in instruction. No matter what your bead interest or skills are this is a must hit show.
As I mentioned above the main event is at The Tuscan Convention Center which is sponsored the Tuscan Gem and Mineral Society Inc. You can see private collections of fossils, gems and dinosaurs that are rare and unusual which can give you an opportunity to make this a family event because it offers some great educational opportunities as far as history, culture and science. Plus the city of Tuscan has so many great sites to visit. I find the whole experience very inspiring and it gets me excited to do more, learn more and buy more beads!
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