Louise Hill Designs

Mobilia-The teapot Redefined 2011

2011-11-07T12:11:00.003-05:00

If you are in the area I invite you to take a look at The Teapot Redefined 2011 exhibit at Mobilia Gallery Oct. 25- Nov.15 or check it out online.

Very Cool Necklace by Michelle Mach

2011-09-09T23:23:00.004-04:00

I love the Rusty Black finish on this necklace, it's so cool! You can find the instructions for designing it at Michelle Mach's blog.

Knit and Bead your own dogs

2011-03-03T02:48:00.007-05:00

The other day at the book store I ran across a book called " Best in Show: Knit your own dog " I thought it was the cutest book ever. After coming home I realized I'd read an article about Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir the authors of this book in the Feb/Jan issue of Selvedge magazine. If you pick up a copy you can check out the instructions they have for knitting an Afghan Hound.

Here are instructions to knit you own Jack Russell shown in the picture above.

The Lone Beader's Etsy shop provides you with cool dog designs. I happen to love the design above of a Westie. Please check her shop for other great designs.

Old Car Part Sculpture- James Corbett

2011-03-02T02:09:00.005-05:00

Recently I discovered an artist who's work is so fantastic I wanted to share it with everyone. His name is James Corbett from Queensland, Australia. He's been sculpting incredible artwork from old car parts.

David Chatt's Community Crow Event Final Hours

2011-01-28T13:42:00.005-05:00

David is down to the final hours of his fund raising event for his Big House project. As of this writing, he has only $199 to go! The event ends tomorrow night (Saturday, January 29th) at 11:59 pm - less than 38 hours from now... If you or anyone you know would like to contribute to this project, please do so by clicking here.

Please join with us in supporting David. In order for him to obtain a matching grant, he must reach his goal by tomorrow night. If you donate $100, you will receive a beautiful hand made bead from him (a treasure!). So if you've been thinking about it, now's the time to act!

Orignal post by Beadweaver

Rockin New Year 2011

2011-01-01T00:33:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year!! I'm rockin in the New Year 2011 with a full plate of new and exciting ideas for beadwork. I hope to be able to show them to you along the way. Keep coming back to see what's posted.

Most everyone in the bead world knowns who David Chatt is and knows of his fabulous beaded works. In 2008 he was awarded an artist in residence position at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. He built his own glass studio and has been spending his time learning and perfecting the skill of sand casting. This skill is now being applied to one single glass window with 200 separate pieces of glass depicting a crow on top of a nest of sticks. The window is located in Ballard Washington where David and his partner have converted a church into what is known as The Big House. For more information about this fabulous undertaking and to help raise money click here.

Do you really know Copyright?

2010-08-27T17:58:00.003-04:00

This is a post I took from Susan Mandel's Beadweaver blog.

If someone told you that by changing an artist's design by 10% you could call the design your own, would you believe it?
Is it okay to teach a project you fell in love with in a magazine?
Can you sell your finished work - the project you bought the pattern for?

Are you sure you know the answers? Join Sigrid Wynn-Evans as she travels down the rocky road of Copyright - what it is, what it means for beaders, and how you can make sure you aren't tripping!

Click on the title above to join in the conversation!

Beading Across America- By Kalmbach

2010-06-15T21:43:00.016-04:00

I feel very privileged to have been asked to participate in a new beading book titled "Beading Across America" co-authored by Paulette Baron, Amy Katz, and Sherry Serafini to be released April of 2011. The book will provide projects from 30 seed beadweaving artists from across the U.S. The list of contributors include:

North/Northeast:
Connecticut: Laura MacCabe
New Jersey: Sandy Houk
Massachusetts: Deb Saucier
Maryland: Paulette Faron
pennsylvania: Sherry Serafini
New York: Suzanne Golden

South:
Alabama: Yoli Pastuszak
Virginia: Amy Katz
North Carolina: Carol Wilcox Wells
Georgia: Margie Deeb
Florida: Louise Hill
Kentucky: Sandy Martin

Southwest:
Colorado: Heidi Kummli
Arizona: Scarlett Lanson
Nevada: Susan Barrett
Texas: June Huber
New Mexico- Nikia Angel
Utah: Sherri Haab

West/Northwest:
Alaska: Jeanette Shanigan
Oregon: Viginia Blakelock & Carol Perrenoud
Hawaii: Alethia Donathan
California: Huib Petersen
Washington: Beverly Ash Gilbert
Idaho: Stephanie Eddy

Midwest:
Wisconsin: Diane Hyde
Minnesota: Diane Fitzgerald
Michigan: Liz Thompson
Illinois: NanC Meinhardt
Nebreska: Marcia Laging-Cummings
Iowa: Dacry Horn

Picasso in The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2010-06-02T23:27:00.006-04:00

On view at the Met April 27, 2010 - August 1, 2010

Viewing the video this way is really small, so I suggest clicking the arrows in the bottom right to go into fullscreen.

Beautiful Beaded Work- Bead Dreams

2010-05-02T12:40:00.005-04:00

This design is one of my favorites from the many works that have been rejected by the Bead Dreams contest over the years. Please view the other designs here.

Back by popular demand- Rejection from Bead Dreams

2010-04-24T11:29:00.005-04:00

Sunshine Bungalow pendant

My rejected entry for Bead Dreams 2010

Once again the time has come and the notices have been sent out. To some the news is happy news and for others it's not so happy. I thought it would be wise to repost my message I wrote last year. It seems that it has been helpful for some. I hope the message below brings some comfort.

I thought for about two seconds about writing this post because it does have it's pros and cons but overall I believe explaining my experience might be helpful for the people that are dealing with rejection. To everyone that has been accepted into the Bead Dreams contest: congratulations!

For more than the last four months I've been working on various designs and techniques, mostly of an experimental nature. I’m constantly seeking out new and different approaches to beadwork. The piece I entered was the result of this experience.

After entering a crocheted necklace into Bead Dreams last year and receiving a rejection letter I felt like never entering another contest again. It took a while to overcome this rejection. I don’t want this to sound egotistical so lets say I felt sad. So, I entered again this year but YES only to be rejected again. Ok, not that I haven't ever been rejected in my life before, because I have, but this time the rejection took a different turn. When I read the letter from Bead and Button a sense of calm came over me as if to say "my gain and their loss". It’s no big deal and that is exactly correct. It is no big deal!

I believe when you enter a contest you should be proud of your design or not enter. Feeling rejected is natural and very personal. Your feelings naturally get hurt when they reject your creation that you’ve labored over. I believe you don’t have to accept this rejection or acknowledge this as failure. Rejection is a hard emotion to deal with and I think it takes practice to learn how to bounce back. Your design is an accomplishment that you feel proud of and you should still be proud if rejected. There’s no reason to let a few people’s opinions ( which may seem like the majority to you, but it isn’t ) define your design as a failure. Probably all famous artists have had their work rejected at some time in their careers. Yet they went on to become famous and appreciated.

Through this last rejection I realized I should not compromise my style and ideas of what art is to me when rejected by others. Sometimes designing is influenced by other people’s designs or what's popular at the time, but for me I design as an expression of myself and who I am. If my work doesn't please a few, then this should not have any merit on the quality of my design or how I think about myself. It should not negatively influence my direction. Past rejection notices have influenced how I grew as an artist and they were a big part of determining my next artistic direction.

So, for all of you that were rejected from the Bead Dreams contest or another contests please stand up and say that you are proud of your accomplishments and you did a great job! Life is not over and you’ll get through it, so don’t give up, try again and post your designs and let the world see your beautiful beadwork!

Four Seasons- International Freeform Fiberart

2009-09-13T02:33:00.008-04:00

A Garden in Fall by Mitsuko Tonouchi

Tokyo, Japan

Winter by Myra Wood

Sherman Oaks, CA

Summer by Sheila Arthurs

of Birmingham, England UK

The International Freefrom Guild is displaying 52 designs from around the world with the theme of the Four Seasons. The challenge for the artists was to interpret what the four seasons means to them by reflecting their geographical and personal experiences of the four seasons from where they live. The designs were to be crocheted producing a scumble, garment or accessory. I hope you enjoy :)

Bead Sale- Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-04T23:46:00.005-04:00

Art Beads is offering a 20% off coupon that's good for EVERYTHING! There is a $60 minimum with the coupon. To get the coupon you must sign up for the newsletter here to get the code.

Sale lasts through next Tuesday Sept. 8th at 9 am.

Call for Entries

2009-08-30T03:04:00.007-04:00

Symbeadotic Gallery is having a call for entries. "All things Oz" will be the name of the theme for this exhibit of juried beaded work. To honor and to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz.

The Date is June 10, 2010

Deadline for Entries will be March 1, 2010

I am looking forward to seeing the results of this exhibit.

Use The Muse Contest- The Big Reveal

2009-08-13T22:19:00.006-04:00

"Reflections of Versailles"

Diane Allen

I'm sure you have all been waiting and wondering who won the "Use the Muse Contest" that Scarlett Lanson of "The Beader's Muse blog" was promoting. Well, here is the Big Reveal! Click here to find out who the winner are. This contest was sponsored by Artbeads.com and Rainbows of Light

Designs by Tzuri Gueta

2009-08-09T00:26:00.004-04:00

Smadar from Smadar's Treasures sent me this link to a fabulous designer named Tzuri Gueta. His work can be seen in shops throughout the world. I absolutely adore his designs.

ArtBeads.com Sale

2009-07-28T01:18:00.004-04:00

I just noticed a great sale at Artbeads.com. While you're checking out the sale take a look at the new Porcelain pendants. I thought these were very cool! The Tube Top Rectangle Pendant called Green Tribal is the one I like. Hurry the Sale ends July 30.

Dichroic Coated Toho Aiko Beads

2009-07-01T00:14:00.007-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post I started a new website but I didn't mention that I also opened a shop at Etsy to sell my patterns and I will be selling dichroic beads for a limited time only. Dichroic beads have fond memories for me since I designed two necklaces featuring dichroic beads, Blue Sky as Ocean's Blue (blue dichroic beads) and Evening Glow with red dichroic beads. You can bring attention to any design by adding only a few beads to any color combination. The light plays off the dichroic coating in spectacular ways that not even the camera can pick up. I think they are truly amazing to work with. Please visit my Etsy shop to view the color selections.

Bead-By-Number Patterns

2009-06-29T14:22:00.006-04:00

Thor the Hyacinth Macaw

Size 4.8" x 5.4"

22 Delica Colors

Two White Swans- 15 colors of Delica beads

Size 6.5"x 5.5"

Retro Flowers 3 is a series of Flower images

5"x5.5" 36 colors of Delica beads

I've always had a love for artistic design and majored in graphic design in college. When I first started to bead I designed "Strawberry Dress" from a photo of my strawberry plant growing my yard. I Photoshopped the image and manipulated the the design and then transformed it into a charted pattern. This has always been something I like to do and I take great pleasure in doing it. I use only my original images taken with my camera and then use Photoshop to make the final edits before graphing the image. Recently I've opened a website with my original designs that are for sale. I hope you enjoy my new site Bead-By-Number Patterns

Use the Muse ll

2009-06-18T19:19:00.004-04:00

If you enjoy beading contests then this one is for you! Don't forget to get your kit, the deadline is June 27, 2009. If you haven't ordered one before now you might want to do it.

For details of the contest click here.

Prizes are from Artbeads.com and Rainbows of Light.

Fiber artist- Bernadine Heller-Greenman

2009-05-07T14:46:00.029-04:00

Untitled

Panels- 48"x 12"

Old Brooches from her grandmother, felt, Sequins and Beads

I'm happy to announce a very talented fellow Floridian artist who designs with fabrics, sequins, and beads. Bernadine Heller-Greenman teaches Art History at Florida International University and lives in Miami. Like many of us she has always enjoyed working with her hands. Quilting seemed to be the easiest to take along to work on while at her children's activities when they were young. Bernadine said "I don't remember when I started beading really. It may have been after seeing a collection of Haitian Voudo Banners encrusted with Beads and sequins."

Bernadine primarily buys beads from online stores but tries to buy fabrics, beads, and other materials on her travels.

She starts out on her projects without any great scheme and just cuts and sews. Working in a haphazard way gives her a great sense of satisfaction. On the reverse side of her most recent wall hangings are verses that have been written by her grandchildren.

I like what she said about her collection of beads which I'm sure we all can relate to:

"Beading is an obsessive act. One day I looked around the shelves where I keep the beads, sequins, and fabrics and realized that if I lived another fifty years I wouldn't have time to use everything! I suppose that's not very comforting but it sure made me work faster"

-BernadineHeller-Greenman

Thanks Bernadine, I really enjoyed viewing your wonderful designs and reading your emails.

Interesting Blogs

2009-05-02T17:38:00.003-04:00

Thanks to JuBeads Box I found some interesting blog's that I'm adding to my Blog's list. Please check them out.

Binkaminka's Bead Therapy

Galatea has a new Blog that I didn't list yet.

Very cool bead embroidery by Lisa Scelsi

Bead Arts by Betina Guelman

triz Designs

Beaded Sculptures- Ceasar Mkhize & Thafa Dlamini

2009-04-30T18:06:00.008-04:00

Ceasar studied art by taking a few classes through a project called Velobala at the African Art Centre in Durban and he learned sewing techniques from a course at Imbo Craft. He attended a workshop in beadwork and was interested in this technique but his intentions were not to use these beads himself but to bring the beads home for Thafa to experiment with. Thafa took the beads and made a belt with them. After realizing how beautiful the beadwork was that she had made he got an idea to make a wire bird and cover it in fabric. Thafa covered the bird in beads and they took the bird to the African Art Center to show their results. After hearing some constructive criticism from someone at the Art Center they started to work hard at improving their style and technique. Now they collaborate on colors and design and work together on the beadwork.

The sculptures are large in size and the subject matter are animals, insects, birds and some combinations of mythical creatures.

Ceasar says he is trying to make a third world where art reveals another dimension. The wants to have their work accepted by others as living entities.

Bead Dreams- Rejection and Acceptance

2009-04-25T16:14:00.011-04:00

Try Angles and Circles- Front

Back

Close up- Front

Close up- Rear

I thought for about two seconds about writing this post because it does have it's pros and cons but overall I believe explaining my experience might be helpful for the people that are dealing with rejection. To everyone that has been accepted into the Bead Dreams contest: congratulations!

For more than the last four months I've been working on various designs and techniques, mostly of an experimental nature. I’m constantly seeking out new and different approaches to beadwork. The piece I entered was the result of this experience.

After entering a crocheted necklace into Bead Dreams last year and receiving a rejection letter I felt like never entering another contest again. It took a while to overcome this rejection. I don’t want this to sound egotistical so lets say I felt sad. So, I entered again this year but YES only to be rejected again. Ok, not that I haven't ever been rejected in my life before, because I have, but this time the rejection took a different turn. When I read the letter from Bead and Button a sense of calm came over me as if to say "my gain and their loss". It’s no big deal and that is exactly correct. It is no big deal!

I believe when you enter a contest you should be proud of your design or not enter. Feeling rejected is natural and very personal. Your feelings naturally get hurt when they reject your creation that you’ve labored over. I believe you don’t have to accept this rejection or acknowledge this as failure. Rejection is a hard emotion to deal with and I think it takes practice to learn how to bounce back. Your design is an accomplishment that you feel proud of and you should still be proud if rejected. There’s no reason to let a few people’s opinions ( which may seem like the majority to you, but it isn’t ) define your design as a failure. Probably all famous artists have had their work rejected at some time in their careers. Yet they went on to become famous and appreciated.

Through this last rejection I realized I should not compromise my style and ideas of what art is to me when rejected by others. Sometimes designing is influenced by other people’s designs or what's popular at the time, but for me I design as an expression of myself and who I am. If my work doesn't please a few, then this should not have any merit on the quality of my design or how I think about myself. It should not negatively influence my direction. Past rejection notices have influenced how I grew as an artist and they were a big part of determining my next artistic direction.

Jennifer Angus- Insect Art

2009-04-14T18:51:00.010-04:00

Fiber Arts Nov/Dec. 2005 issue had a great article about Jennifer's artwork and showed some fantastic images using her unique insect designs.

Jennifer Angus website.

This is a great YouTube video about the installation of her designs. I hope you enjoy "Touch of Weevil" as much as I did.

Mosaic Moods- Where Art meets the Heart by Diana Maus

2009-03-04T20:39:00.019-05:00

Losing Heart

With All My Heart

Daydream Believer

With just a passing glance I liked Diana's mosaic work. Her designs display an abundance of emotion utilizing beads, Swarovski crystals and more. I especially like her dog mosaics. She has a blog, website and Etsy store which are all very interesting.

Lego Madness- Jewelry Designer

2009-02-22T23:23:00.011-05:00

FY Hinge Bracelet- Comes in 14 color choices.

FY Pendant- Large Negative Space Oval- Comes in 1 colors.

Large Low Profile Square Ring- Comes in 14 color choices and w/o a diamond.

JacQueline Sanchez is a talented jewelry designer that I happened to see featured in the American Craft magazine ( Feb/March issue). Her line of jewelry called "Forever Young" is exactly want I like to post about on my blog. It's exciting to see a familiar toy being used in jewelry. The Lego colors are playful and the additional use of diamonds gives this line a very elegant look. I would definitely wear her "Forever Young" line of jewelry.

True Colors JacQueline's blog

Valentine's Day Picks

2009-02-11T00:04:00.012-05:00

If you don't know what to get yourself or your significant other for this Valentine's Day, here are some suggestions by Swarovski. Click on the link below to see all of Swarovski Valentine's Day crystal gifts.

Love Bordeaux Heart Pendant by Swarovsk i.

The heart is engraved with the word "Love" on one side.

To view a longer list of Valentine's Day gift ideas please visit Skin Care beauty blog.

Savta Connection- Urban Knitting

2009-02-05T21:10:00.011-05:00

Savta Connection

The Gas Station Project

While browsing on Judaica Journal I found this really cool idea that some Israeli knitters are doing all around the city of Tel Aviv. You have to see it to believe it. Click here

The group called Savta Connection wish to beautify and soften their city by Urban Knitting. Urban knitting is an inoffensive and non destructive form of street art and a way that they can give back to the city they love.

Make sure you view the video on Deputy Dog and see the examples of Urban Knitting. These knitters have covered everything from street signs to an old abandoned gas station. Liza Lou watch out the Urban Knitters are at work!

Interesting links to visit:

The Gas Station Project

Knit Sea

Masquerade

Knitta Please

Kay Emig Art- Beadwork and the Old Arizona Motels

2009-02-03T19:21:00.009-05:00

One of my all time favorite artists is Kay Emig. Her work is what I call "special" for many reasons. Her designs have a unique concept as is illustrated in her writings. For example:

"The motels themselves were built for short stays, and today are rapidly vanishing from the landscape.

As cultural artifacts, not destined to survive very long. Yet they have inspired this contemplative and vastly time-consuming beadwork; which is then viewed by a contemporary audience with an attention-span that is measured in seconds......" Kay Emig

Something for Everyone- Beading Contests

2009-01-26T22:02:00.013-05:00

Beader's Muse Contest with Prizes

There are a number of contests going on right now. For some you will have to hurry and get a design ready in a short time, however there are others that have deadlines further off.

Contests vary and there are ones that fit every artist's needs. If you have never participated I encourage you to enter a contest as least once.

I believe that setting goals, learning to deal with rejection, and accepting awards are all very important for one's growth. My own contest philosophy is not to let rejection or award winning define who I am as an artist. After all, judging is very subjective and dependent upon the judges background and experience. What is most important is that the artist finds his own style and direction, ones that makes him feel comfortable and to have fun.

The Beader's Muse- by Scarlett Lanson

Your Designs Rock- Rings & Things

Land of Odds- The Ugly Necklace

Bead Dreams- Bead & Button magazine

Fire Mountain Gems 2009

Snow Crystals- Inspirational Book and Website

2008-12-27T02:12:00.008-05:00

A few years ago I bought an interesting book called "The Snowflake", this book was beautifully written and photographed and you can buy it on Amazon for around $20. I just found the Snow Crystal's website and thought this would be a great source of inspiration for an artist.

Katherine Wardropper- Vogue magazine

2008-12-20T01:19:00.008-05:00

Katherine Wardropper's work is absolutely gorgeous, it's very romantic, dramatic and very reminiscent of the Elizabethan ruffles. Wearing Katherine's sculptural fabric jewelry will make you feel like a princess. Her designs are coiled and pleated out of silk ribbon, embellished with beads and Swarovski crystals.

Katherine says " The beauty of the design is that it can be so easily adapted."

Courtesy of Wearable Art Blog.

2009 Calendar- By Susan Mandel & Louise Hill

2008-11-27T12:29:00.009-05:00

A year of inspirational beadwork by award winning artists Susan Mandel and Louise Hill. Each month is highlighted with photographs of beautifully woven pieces including gallery views and close-ups. This Premium Art calendar is a must-have for every bead enthusiast! 13.5"x 19" printed on 100% linen; $27.99 available from the publisher at Lulu.com (Credit cards & Paypal accepted)

Beads and Clay designs by Madeline Kaczmarczyk

2008-10-31T22:15:00.004-04:00

Mother Ocean

Sun Beaded

Tea Time

I was running around the net looking at other blogs and ran into Madeline's delightful designs. I am very excited to see something different being done with beads. Check out her tea pots and vases. Amazing work!!!

Madeline Kaczmarczyk's Artwork

Jerry's work ( her husband ) is unusual and exciting too. He designs using neon lights.

The Pendant Show- Velvet Da Vinci

2008-10-29T18:33:00.009-04:00

Paper Pendant- 2008

by Jennaca Leigh Davies

Velvet Da Vinci is currenltly celebrating The Pendant Show : 500 Pendants and Lockets by Lark Books. The show will feature more than 125 artists from 25 countries from October 29- November 30, 2008. A few of my favorites are Allyson Bone, Natalie Gillihan, Jennaca Leigh Davies and Michelle Pajak-Reynolds.

Recycled Tin Cans- Harriete Estel Berman

2008-10-22T17:24:00.005-04:00

Witnessing The Weight of Words

Harriete Berman has always been a favorite artist of mine. Harriete collects and stores old tins which she uses to make her designs from. Visit the studio and see how this process takes place. Every tin has a special story which is translated into her designs as seen in the Grass Exhibition.

Please check out the Professional Guidelines for Artists and Craftsperson by Harriete Estel Berman.

If you have any question concerning the Professional Guidelines go to Ask Harriete for help.

Her Etsy Site.

Jan Huling- Beadist

2008-10-21T23:43:00.006-04:00

Dunny

Ukulele

Smadar from Smadar's Treasure introduced me to Jan Huling's beaded art.

From what I have viewed, Jan can bead just about anything. I thought that the beaded Kazoo was extremely unique. I am particularly fond of the paisley pattern used in the Globe.

Thank you Smadar for sharing this link with us.

Newspaper House by Joan Backes

2008-10-14T13:55:00.008-04:00

I believe we all can benefit from studying other mediums. Studying other areas broadens a person's horizon in their own art. My blog reflects the art I view and admire daily so, even though I love beads and beaded artwork, I like going outside the box from time to time to post on other forms of art. This gives my readers more options to explore in their own designs.

You might ask yourself what is so special about a paper house? Inside the house is a series of windows looking out into the world, each one describing an event that reveals plant and animal species that were once abundant but are now extinct.

Joan Backes: Newspaper House is on exhibit from October 17- December 6, 2008 at the Dean Jensen Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Lost-Wax Glass & More by Karen LaMonte

2008-10-04T14:39:00.010-04:00

Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery

2007- Cast Glass

Dress Impression with Wrinkled Cowl

2007- Cast Glass

Karen LaMonte has had major solo exhibitions of her designs in many museums around the world such as in Prague and Washington. She is recognized by the elite collectors and instituitons for her glass-cast dresses. Karen lives in Prague where she has access to an unique facility for working in large scale glass casting. The dresses originally come from thrift shops, rendered on the human body and then cast in glass, leaving behind lasting impressions of a ghostly presence.

I hope you check out the entire website, it's very fascinating and has many interesting art pieces. I listed a few of my favorites below.

Remnant ( Suit )- 2004 cast glass and steel.

Installation of mirrors in Camerino, Italy.

Remnant ( overcoat )- 2002

Sailor's Dress ( childs )- 2002

142,000 Glass Beads- Bleigiessen

2008-10-02T18:35:00.007-04:00

Bleigienssen- 2004

The Dleigiessen is one the largest glass sculptures in the world located at the Wellcome Trust headquarters in London, UK. Unless you have business with the research charity your only chance to see this would be to sign-up for the once-a-month tour.

The cascading beads are attached with stainless-steel wires spanning 100 feet tall and weighing nearly 14 tons. The sculpture was designed by Thomas Heatherwick Studios.

Another one of my favorite medium size projects is the Rolling Bridge.

Knitters, Felters, Weavers etc.- Sheep to Shop: Hosiery and Knitted Goods

2008-09-29T15:01:00.005-04:00

I thought something different would be an interesting break for viewers. I ran across this film from 1924, which is part of the Harry Davidson collection held at the National Film and Sound Archive in Australia. To view more of these films go to the Made in Australia Council site.

Knitters, elters, and weavers- The wool

2008-09-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

A Rainbow of Beaded Creations- Sabina Anderson

2008-09-19T13:22:00.013-04:00

While I was visiting Frany's blog I discovered a link to Sabina Anderson's blog. Sabina is working on a lava bead necklace that is absolutely georgous so far. Make sure you checking back to see the progress she is making. I can't wait to see it all finished.

The necklace above is a design by Sabina. Barbara Grainger's "Dimensional Flowers, Leaves & Vines" book helped in designing the pink flowers and leaves. Great job Sabina, I love it!!!!!

Frany and Sabina have been swapping flowers, you can view Frany's necklace she has made using Sabina's flowers at her website. Frany sent Sabina three beadtiful beaded flowers which she will use later in a design.

Marcus Amerman- Beadwork, Fashion, Paintings and more

2008-09-03T17:34:00.019-04:00

Quanah Parker- 1995

Moonrise Over the Little Bighorn- 1995

Vision of Crazy Horse- 2007

Mound Builder 1- 2006

Mound Builder 2- 2006

Viewing Marcus Amerman's site is a one-stop site. There's no need to leave this site to browse around the Internet since he has covered almost all the mediums such as beadwork, fashion, painting, glass, performance and sculpture. I am totally amazed at his use of high quality bead techniques and design skill in all mediums. I come from a graphic design background so I am especially interested in the style of his beadwork images; the strong sense of story that is being conveyed with great graphics. Marcus chooses bold and basic colors yet when combined they form a wealth of sophistication. For me he is a true legend in the bead arts.

" The act of creating art is a process that consciously embraces this mystery of life. To participate in this creation called life is to look for clues. One clue leads to the next clue. I must constantly challenge my own thoughts, emotions, and opinions in order to find/create the next clue."

by Marcus Amerman

Beader's Blog- Le gioie di Happyland

2008-08-31T12:33:00.007-04:00

Collana Tubi Herringbone

Collana Nido d'ape

Collana Nodi Celtici

Collana Vasetti

I recently found this blog online called "Le gioie di Happyland" and the artist's name is Claudia from Milano Italy. Her beadwork is exciting!! I enjoyed viewing her blog very much and thought I'd pass on some of her beautiful work.

Exploring Domestic Chores with Ceramic Realism

2008-08-01T11:08:00.009-04:00

Emma Luna is a native of the Dominican Republic and studied art education at the University of Minnesota. A local ceramic artist influenced her in traditional pottery and she continued to create this style of clay vessel after moving to Boston where she received a BFA in painting from Massachusetts College of Art. About three years later she moved again and then her work evolved in a more experimental direction away from vessels and towards sculpture.

Luna's work suggests the heavy burden of domestic chores. The stacking of a pile of laundry reflects issues of being a woman and finding the delicate balance between hard work and household tranquility.

"I want to give importance to things that aren't generally considered important, kind of like the Pop Artists of the 1960's" says Luna of her realistic towels, socks, and napkins.

Jennifer Whitten- Bead Embroidery/ Houses

2008-07-04T16:05:00.006-04:00

Snake House- September

Wonder House- October

Fall House- Novermber

Jennifer belongs to the Bead Journal Project which is being hosted by Robin Atkins. For Jennifer's monthly challenge she picked a very reconizable shape from my childhood to bead embroider. She created one house design for each month starting in June 2007 through May 2008.

Jennifer Whitten

Laura Shea

2008-06-29T15:18:00.010-04:00

"Rainbow Lei" 2002

"Heart to Heart bracelet"

The first time I noticed Laura's work was from the book by Valerie Hector called "The Art of Beadwork". Laura designed a beautiful necklace called "Rainbow Lei" made from 25 of her signature "Eureka Beads". I found this necklace to be such an inspiration. In 1997 Laura started exploring with three-dimensional geometric polyhedrons and soon designed a bead called the "Plato" bead named after the ancient Platonic symbol for the universe.

The ancient Chinese had used this same technique called "Plum Blossoms" in many of their beaded works but Laura was never aware of this until seeing the plum blossom design for the first time at a gem show. Laura works by using the principles of geometry in her work. Laura has been teaching her designs at the Bead & Button show.

Laura Shea's website and class Schedule:

A Dancing Rainbow

Glass Beads- by Laura Sparling

2008-06-10T12:35:00.009-04:00

Laura Sparling is from Southampton, UK and has been making beads since 2004, not a long time, but from an early age she has always been drawn to anything that shines, sparkles and glimmers. As a child she was a collector of tiny objects such as bits of beach glass, shells and stones. Now she creates beads everyday using Morretti/Effetre glass. She is one hundred percent self-taught, never taking a glass bead making class but only learning from books, websites and trial and error.

In Loving Memory of Liat Lichtmann

2008-05-24T00:38:00.021-04:00

Liat Lichtmann

1966-2008

I had the honor of being friends with the most amazing woman from Israel named Liat Lichtmann. She was intelligent, creative, beautiful and humorous. She had many talents and one of these was beading. Liat passed away leaving behind memories of beaded treasures. I hope you will take as much pleasure in viewing her work (below) as I have in knowing her. I find it difficult to express my sadness in words but I know that she will live on in the minds and hearts of those who share the beauty of her wonderful works. I love you Liat! Your words were as colorful as your art. Thank you my friend, for your art will live on forever.

Necklace made of Pearls and Kala Flowers carved in rose quartz,

concealed magnetic clasp with an antique wooden seal, hand painted shades of silver and abstract forms.

Necklace worn assymmetrically.

Dedicated to her grandfather- 2006

These old wooden stamps ( shown above ) were brought by her grandfather from Odessa Ukaine to Israel.

This necklace is in shades of honey, gold, gray, light blue and orange.

Gold plated seal clasp and orginal drawing.

"AfterGlow" 2007

This was her last design which was a dedication to her one true love

who passed away from a sudden heart attack at age 40.

She wanted to express the growth of her life in the "After" of his once glowing life.

Art Deco Homage- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

(Click to enlarge image)

Bird Scroll- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

(Click to enlarge photo)

Collar in Forest Shades- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

(Click to enlarge photo)

The Dragon- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

(Click to enlarge photo)

Perles & Rock

2008-05-18T11:27:00.006-04:00

This was the first time I viewed this blog and I discovered some interesting beaded designs and music. I hope you enjoy this Italian lady's blog. Perles & Rock blog.

Crocheted Art Jewelry- Veerle Maes

2008-05-02T17:59:00.015-04:00

Crocheted afghans and crocheted clothing have been around forever but have you ever thought about crocheting jewelry? I think more and more people are taking an interest in this direction and one person that I happened to find online that has made this an art form, is Veerle. Her work is bright and full of shapes and movements. From viewing her designs I picked up on the spontaneous nature of her jewelry. I wonder how she dreams up these designs?

I learned to crochet as a child but only recently did I start to wire crochet and after my first few pieces I became addicted to using wire. There are many other materials that can be used like yarn, ribbon, beads and even polymer clay for jewelry. Don't let yourself be limited, try exploring new materials.

So, it isn't only the grannies that are doing crocheting now. Please take a look at Veerle's lovely website and her blog.

Trompe l'Oeil painter- Ron Isaacs

2008-05-02T01:26:00.001-04:00

Come and See- 2007
34 x 24.25 x 2.25"
acrylic on birch plywood construction

Into the Garden- 2005

What I love about Trompe l'Oeil paintings are the 3-D effects that makes it seem as if you can touch the layers. When I saw this painting of "Into the Garden" on birch plywood I couldn't believe that it was not made out of cloth and real plants. Ron Isaacs is an artist with great success, showing his work in many galleries. He taught painting and drawing at Eastern Kentucky University from 1969- 2001 and currently is Professor Emeritus, Art.

To view his work click here.

Beaded Sculpture- A. Kimberlin Blackburn

2008-04-28T01:03:00.001-04:00

Sitting Pretty
Glass beads, acrylic, wire on wood
12" x 9" x 48"

Farmer's Sanctum
Glass beads, acrylic, wire on wood
13" x 13" x 8"

Luna At The Water's Edge
Glass beads, acrylic, wire and wood
9" x 9.6" x 7"

I remember seeing her sculptures in the "500 Beaded Objects" book and admiring her designs. I have always wanted to understand the structure underneath the beads as well. A.Kimberlin Blackburn's works are depicting the culture of her home, the Hawaiian Islands. She lives on the island of Kaua'i on a farm up in the mountains, her studio is surrounded by tropical flowers, fruit trees and a stream. This sounds like a dream!

Polymer Clay Artist- Julie Picarello

2008-04-25T20:03:00.012-04:00

Navaho

Lazy River Carnival- Pendant

Portal

When I discovered the great designs by Julie Picarello I had to post about her website called Yellow House Designs. The name, which was inspired from her yellow house that she lives in. She says that her focus is on symmetry and clean lines which is very clear when you view her elegant simple designs. I love the addition of metal tubing, hardware and gemstones that she has added to her designs to give them a bit of whimsy.

Last year if you remember julie came in second at Bead Dreams for lovely designed beads called "Tulip Field".

To view her jewelry designs click here.
To view beads click here.

Polymer Clay- Sandra McCaw

2008-04-19T13:23:00.012-04:00

Cover Design by Sandra McCaw- Flower Brooch

Book by Katherine Duncan Aimone, Larks Books

Bouquet- 1999

Taking Flight- 2007

Falling Leaves- 2007

When I saw the cover of " The art of Jewelry, Polymer Clay" by Katherine Duncan Aimone. I knew I had to buy the book if only for the cover photo. I am very serious, the work is so gorgeous I wanted to see more. The cover design was created by Sandra McCaw. She is known for the process called the "McCaw Cane". You can learn more about this process by buying her DVD, which is available on her site.

Knitted Metal- Carla Reiter

2008-04-17T15:07:00.007-04:00

Some of you might know that I have been working with knitting and crocheting wire lately and I love it. I was thrilled to have heard that Carla Reiter was awarded with the "First-Time Exhibitor Award" by the 2008 Smithsonian Craft Show Awards.

Glass Artist- Dora Schubert

2008-04-14T11:58:00.003-04:00

Neckpiece #8

18" Sterling Silver Finish

Collaborative Work 2007

Metalwork by Elizabeth Prior

Ring #18 in Sterling Silver Finish

Collaborative Work 2007

Metalwork by Elizabeth Prior

Neckpiece #10

18" Sterling Silver Finish

Collaborative Wrok 2007

Metalwork by Elizabeth Prior

Every once in a while I have a loss of words to discribe exstremely talented artist's work like Dora. She gathers her inpirations from nature's colors and textiles, Morrish designs and architecture as well as the microscopic world of cells and bacterium.

She will be at the Bead & Button 2008 Show in Milwaukee Wisconsin June 5- 8 booth #812. I hope you get the change to see her designs in person.

Dora Schubert Blog

Dora Schubert Glass Artist website

Artists Walk for the Soul- Annmarie Garden

2008-04-12T12:44:00.018-04:00

The Gateway- 1995
Ceramic

Located in and owned by Calvert County Maryland is a magical garden filled with fabulous outdoor sculptures named Annmarie Garden. The Garden is located in Solomons Maryland.

The tour begins when you drive thought beautiful gates constructed from Ceramic by Peter King and Marni Jaimie which is part of the Garden's permanent collection.

This YouTube video captures the wonders of the walk that encompasses magnificent artist's work.

Part of the Woman's Walk is "Girl with Braids" by Gerhard Marcks 1889- 1981.

Bronze- 1950

"Seated Woman" and "Squatting Woman with Shawl" created by Franciso Zúñiga from Costa Rica, 1913- 1998.

Bronze- 1981

Bronze- 1971

Pink Artist's Doll: "Love Squared"

2008-04-09T10:51:00.017-04:00

Isn't she beautiful? This is the work of a group of artists calling themselves "The Pink Artists". This group has combined squares from all around the world to join together to design a magnificent doll that stands for Hope and Courage. She will be auctioned off on Ebay and the proceeds will go to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

She weights 6 pounds 2 ounces and stands just under 40 inches tall. To read more about "Love Squared" please visit Girl Gone Thread Wild blog. You can view all the beautiful squares at these links Parade of Squares 1, Parade of Squares 2 and Parade of Squares 3. The list of the 184 artists can be viewed here.

Click to give FREE MAMMOGRAMS to woman. Click Here to Give- it's Free.

Nature's Colors

2008-04-03T11:47:00.006-04:00

I love photography but I am very bad at understanding how the camera works. My photos never come out the way I would like them. I guess this is why I am amazed when I see photos like these. The photographer's name is Igor Siwanowicz and you can view his work by clicking here.

His wonderful photographs should give you plenty of color combinations to draw on for your new designs.

Tea Anyone?

2008-03-29T10:56:00.010-04:00

Wedding Couple, 2008
High Fired Ceramic
By Lidija Tkalcevic

My Growing Passion For Green Tea, 2008
Cherry, Ebony, Linen, Aacrylic Paint
By Jacques Vesery

En Garde, 2007
big Leaf Maple Burl, Walnut
by Art Liestman

Orange Zipper Teapot, 2007
Black Ash, Beads, Waxed Linen,
Wire, Fiber Cord, Zipper, Thread
By JoAnne Russo

Dusk Til Dawn, 2008
Ceramic, Glass, Czech Gems, Metal
By Lynn Casinerio

The 17 th Annual Exhibition of Teapots by Contemporary Artists has been showing at the Del Mano Gallery since March 8 and closes April 5 in Los Angeles California. Thirty artists are showing their creations crafted from varied materials such as leather, wood, ceramic, porcelain, polymer clay, metals and mixed media.

Organic- Pods and Seeds

2008-03-19T14:05:00.014-04:00

Boddha Pods
Large-12", Medium- 10", and small-8"

Single Seeds
size-6"W

Open Seeds
Contains brightly colors seeds hidden inside

I was reading on Kathleen Dustin's blog today and she mentioned an artist named Andy Rogers. I checked out Andy's site to view his work and it blew me away. Wow, what wonderful organic shapes, textures and rich colors. Andy is a ceramic artist from Kansas City, Missouri. I couldn't wait to show you his work. I especially like this quote from Andy:

" My intent is not to replicate these objects, but to simply translate what I have seen in unique and interesting ways. I work to embody the subtle delights of these details that can only be seen through intense investigation of the piece. "

Kathleen Dustin
Apple & Granite- purse with shoulder chain

Kathleen Dustin is a polymer clay artist that has used natural shapes and materials for inspiration for years. Viewing her gallery is like taking a walk with nature. I have always loved everything she creates. One of my favorites has been the pieces from her "Stone" series (above) in the gallery of purses. A new addition to her her "Pod" series is a recent design where she is using tall blowing grass as a purse. The combination of purple, green and peach colors makes a beautiful statement. Kathleen says it this way:

"By paying attention and then putting it somehow into my work, I hope then to open other's eyes and perhaps enable them to pay attention: to life, to the world, to people, to whatever they might be missing at the moment."

Beaded and Laced Bracelets by Yelona

2008-03-16T16:01:00.003-04:00

Manchette Lassa

What a great idea to see lacing inside a cuff bracelet. I think the ribbon gives this bracelet a nice feminine quality and the beaded pattern is very nice all by itself. Visit her website to see more of her work.

Steel Washers, Wire Mesh & More- Work by Lindsey Ketterer Gates

2008-03-12T17:37:00.013-04:00

Frog Prince 2007
34" h x 18"w x 7" d
Stainless steel mesh, paint, steel with patina, coated copper looping

Lindsey Ketterer Gates' work combines her love of fashion design with everyday materials. Her work includes weaving wire using a knotless netting method which she combines with pattern, texture and common materials such as metal washers, mesh screening, paperclips, cut nails, pistachio shells and materials you can find in abundance at hardware stores. She has developed a method of working with small parts that are then combined into the larger design. This method of working enables her to work anywhere at anytime.

She might sometimes spend years gathering materials and ideas for a design. Once she has found the method, material and form that works she starts out with a paper pattern of the foreseen finished piece. The paper pattern is fashioned like a garment pattern and is used as a guide to cut material and form the armature. Next she moves on to embellishing and stitching seams together while leaving some areas open for wire netting work.

Lindsey comes from a textile background which is reflected in the seams and stitches in her designs and which become an important design element in her work.

Etsy Artist Janine Golbert

2008-03-04T13:01:00.009-05:00

Tatoo Black Silver Necklace

Combined laser cut leather and sterling silver.

Sculptured Bangle with Metal Embelishment

Expandable Design to stay on the middle of the arm.

Sterling Silver and Leather Bracelet

Laser cut leather with Sterling Silver.

Have you heard about Etsy? What is Etsy? Etsy is an online market for buying and selling of handmade items. Since their launch in June of 2005 Etsy has built a group of over 100,000 artists selling handmade items from around the world.

CEO: Etsy founder Rob Kalin speaks about his company in this interview. Click here to view the video.

In my spare time I like to browse Etsy and it seems that I never fail to find an artists that I admire for their brilliant design. One such person that fills these requirements is Janine Golbert. Her amazing shop is called Eninaj which is her first name spelled backwards. Janine's jewelry and fashionable accessories are a pleasure to view.

Nicole Kidman, Oscars & Diamonds

2008-02-26T13:44:00.010-05:00

Oscar night is a big night for movie enthusiasts viewing their favorite stars on TV in anticipation of what they will be wearing. For me I always notice the jewelry. If you missed the Oscars on TV then you missed this spectacular sautoir necklace designed by L'Wren Scott and worn by Oscar Presenter Nicole Kidman. The sautoir necklace contains 7645 pieces of rough, faceted and polished diamonds totaling to 1399 carats. The design was labor intensive requiring excess of 6200 hours of handcrafted labor produced and manufactured by Uni-Designs Ltd. in Paris and India.

Embroidered Beaded Bags, Boxes, Etc.

2008-02-02T03:14:00.000-05:00

Silver Twist Necklace

Scroll Necklace

Steven and William Ladd are brothers who have been collaborating for over five years on hand-beaded jewelry, handbags, scarves, ties and large-scale installations. William got his start in beading when a friend in high school showed him how to macrame. While moving to New York to pursued a modeling career he took with him one huge duffel with clothes and another filled with thousands of beads. He often practiced beading while waiting in casting lines and on photo shoots.

Steven, having studied textiles, fiber and costume design at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, has experience as a clothing and handbag designer.

To view a video of their work Click here.

Artists from the Netherlands

2008-01-27T01:58:00.000-05:00

Snail-with-Sprouts Train-2006

Obect/Bracelet- textile, plastic, silver and coral

By Felieke van der Leest

Gusz Goosz-2006

Necklace- Gold, textile, glass, plastic and topaz

By Felieke van der Leest

Necklace paper/silicone tube

1995

By Nel Linssen

Necklace paper/ nylon thread

1999

By Nel Linssen

Virny Meijer-Kortekaas from the Netherlands has brought to my attention two wonderful Dutch artist's websites. Felieke van der Leest's work I have known about and absolutely adore but have never posted on. I had never seen the other artist Nel Linssen's work before. The paper jewelry designs are fabulous. Thank you Virny for sending these artists my way so everyone can appreciate their talents.

African Netting Necklace

by Virny Meijer-Kortekaas

This is the first necklace Virny made that inspired her interest in seed beads. Great job Virny!! The pattern came from About Beadwork.

Peyote Spiral Necklace 2

By Virny Meijer-Kortekaas

Porcelain Grace

2008-01-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

Tea-nie Weenie

2007 Teapot made of white stoneware clay.

Sweet and Sour York

2007

Twig Tea Pouch

2006 A functional teapot-purse

Meryl Ruth's work speaks for itself. Her ceramic vessels are definitely unique works and each is truly special. The names of her pieces are as whimsical as her work. Meryl expresses love and beauty through her wonderfully sculptured Teapets and Teabags. The construction of each of her pieces is a lengthy process involving numerous firings, and the glazing is by hand and/or air-brushed. Paints, pearls, beads and colored pencils are sometimes added as final touches.

Click here to view Meryl Ruth's website

Saraguro Beadwork

2008-01-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

Hojas

Diagonal rows of Hojas (leaves) are sparated by fresas (strawberries).

Fresas

Strawberry like element

Saraguro is located in Ecuador in the Andean highlands and it is the home of a distinctive and indigenous group called the "Saraguros". One of the ways the Saraguros woman maintain their distinctive ethnic identity is by wearing elegant beaded necklaces.

To view very nice examples of Saraguro Ecuadorian beadwork visit Ann Severine's site. Show above are two examples from her site.

I have always liked the look of bugle beads but I don't use them often in my designs because I have had a few bad experiences with the threads being cut by the sharp edged beads and my work falling apart. That was all in the past and once again I am interested in bugle bead designs. I found this design by Smadar of Smadar's Treasure interesting since she used the "Saraguro Hojas" pattern for her bracelet design. She has taken the Ecuadorian "Hojas" (leaves) pattern and made her own version of this in a bracelet form using bugle beads and crystals or semi precious stones. Very impression and nicely made. It's a very fun design. Not all beadwork has to be intricate and complicated to look nice.

Saraguro Hoja Bracelet with Carnelians

Saraguro Hojas Bracelet with Swarovski

Paper and Scalpel

2008-01-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

De Baudelaire au Surréalisme

2007 cut book in bell jar

Les Saisons de Haydn

2007 cut and painted sheet music in acrylic case

Livre d'amour i

2006 cut book in acrylic case

Portrait i

2005 cut photograph in acrylic case

Georgia Russell is originally from Scotland, but after winning a 1999 summer residency in Paris her work took a new turn from the previous printmaking and video work she studied at the Royal College of Arts in London. Paris inspired her, especially the outdoor markets where booksellers sold their wares along the Seine River. She started to experiment with the found books by drawing and cutting on the pages and later perfected this technique by the using a scalpel like a pencil. The bell jar covering was inspired by Sylvia Plath's novel called "The Bell Jar" and this lead to a series of books that were recently on exhibit at England & Co.

Georgia's goals for the future include more exhibitions, working on larger-scale projects and a larger studio.

Smithsonian Craft Award Winner

2008-01-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

"Emerging From Chaos"

Keri Lonning is a contemporary basketmaker that has been weaving since 1975. Keri is known most for her double-walled construction and "hairy" vessels. Her vessels are hand woven with rattan reed that Keri dyes herself from a commerical, colorfast textile dye.

The large vessel called "Emerging From Chaos" ( shown above ) stands 22.5" x 16.5" is one of my favorites. I like the reversed shape of this form and the nicely blended colors.

"Candy Corn"

Shown above is a "Hairy" vessel called "Candy Corn".

"Double Pumpkin"

This is an example of the double-walled construction called

"Double Pumpkin".

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate

2007-12-28T18:31:00.000-05:00

Hulet & Hulet Glass Confections

Chocolate comes from the Cacao seeds of the Cacao pod which grows year round on the Cacao trees from Central and South America. Each pod holds 30 to 40 Cacao seeds and it takes 20 to 25 pods ( each with 30-40 seeds ) to get 2 pounds of cocoa. The average adult trees produce 300 to 1,000 pounds per year per acre of cocoa for about 50 years.

The earliest documented use of chocolate drinks was found in remains of pottery from the lower Ulua Valley in northern Honduras dating around 1100 BC. The Maya and Aztecs made a beverage known as xocolātl which means "bitter water". The natural taste of the Cacao seed is bitter and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After roasting and grinding the product is what we know as cocoa. With the addition of fats such as cocoa butter ( natural vegetable fat from the cacao bean ) and some sugar we get chocolate.

All of these wonderful yummy creative chocolates are not for eating since they are made of either polymer clay, glass or textile mixed media.

Waimea Mist

La Fille du Consul Chocolats

Inspirational Necklace by Frany

2007-12-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

Marie Le Sueur's wonderful books and beaded design work has become the source of inspirational for many. Not only does Marie's books cover beadwork but also she deals with micro macrame as well. Frany of Les Perles de Frany has made a beautiful necklace using the combination of micro macramé and beads. Diane Fitzgerald's book called "The Beaded Garden" provided Frany with ideas for the beaded part of these micro macramé flowers.

Ruth Asawa

2007-12-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

Ruth Asawa's life reads like a novel. Born in 1926 she grew up in a small farming community in Southern California, because of the discriminatory laws at that time Ruth's parents (Japanese immigrants) were not allowed to become American citizens nor own land in California. In 1929 the Great Depression struck and for the next twelve years there was poverty and despair for a number of Americans. When Ruth was 16 years old her father was arrested by FBI agents and her family was interned along with 120,000 other people of Japanese ancestry who were living on the West Coast of the United States. It was not until six years later that Ruth would see her father again. This is what Ruth had to say about this experience: "I hold no hostilities for what happened; I blame no one. Sometimes good comes through adversity. I would not be who I am today had it not been for the Internment, and I like who I am."

In 1946-49 Ruth went to Black Mountain College near Asheville North Carolina and studied under Josef Albers, one of the most prestigious teacher in American Art, a pioneer of the twentieth-century modernism. Josef had gone to the famous school in Germany called the Bauhaus in the 1920's and as a student was asked to join the faculty. By 1933 he had become known as a best-known artist and teacher.

Ruth met Albert Lanier at Black Mountain College and in 1949 they decided to married and live in San Francisco California because they felt this city to be more tolerant of a interracial couple and for the city's arts community.

Ruth has exhibited her work in museums across the country. Her work spans a lifetime of accomplishments experimenting with many mediums, such as wire, paper, steel, plastic and plaster.

Plastic wall covering Based on Paper fold. 1950's Module 1'x 3'.

Tied Wire sculpture, 1995

In the 1950's Ruth focused on experimenting with wire crochet sculptures because she could carry it around while watching her six children. They are made from copper, brass, iron and other types of wires. The basic technique for making these sculptures was learned while on a trip to Mexico in 1947. The Mexican villagers crocheted galvanized wire to make egg baskets. The distinct hourglass form she is known for can be seen over and over in her many designs, this comes from her earliest childhood memories while being on the farm.

Sharon Bateman and Rebecca Brown-Thompson

2007-12-06T01:51:00.001-05:00

Relaxing in a book store is one of my favorite places and of course I can be seen drooling over the beading books. I love books in general but beading books are on the top of my priority list.

Sharon Bateman's book "Findings and Finishings" is a book devoted entirely to closures. While visiting her website I found patterns, tutorials, books and more. Her site has a wealth of beading information. Variations of Sharon's Morning Rose Rosettes are shown below. She also has instructions available for making these designs.

"Rebellious Beads" by Rebecca Brown-Thompson and illustrated by Sharon Bateman. This book covers flat to three dimensional beading in the basic beading stitches and embroidery. Rebecca Brown-Thompson is a nationally known bead artist from New Zealand. Shown below are examples of her work.

Jon Eric Riis

2007-11-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Jon Eric Riis is a superb tapestry weaver. He has researched historical textiles for years which is where he draws his inspiration from. Not only are his tapestries intricate in details and his colors show fantastic control of shading but he sometimes embellishes the surface with gold threads, seed beads, pearls, crystals, coral and leather.

Jon's work can be viewed at the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Canterbury Keepsakes by Lezlie Belanger

2007-11-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

I absolutely had the best time looking over Lezlie's website. When viewing her work you know she has to love her craft. To me her work is created with a spirit of fun and a good sense of taste. Pink has become my new favorite color after seeing “Lolita” and the “Pink Poodles”.

Since the holidays are coming up I thought showing you some holiday beads would be appropriate. I know Halloween has past but I had to slide these little ghosts and the candy corn man in for viewing. I couldn't resist, I think "Halloween Treats" is yummy.

Don't forget to check out her designs on Ebay, her beads would make great holiday gifts.

Kimberley Morris

2007-11-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

Kimberley states that " simplicity of form and colour are the foundation of my designs." I agree with her statement but I would also include balance. I think she combines these two elements in well balanced designs. The limited edition face pins make me laugh while other designs provoke thought. She uses a technique that includes a copper form with added patina, then color and sealant.

Constance Muller of Boutique Rochambeau

2007-11-06T23:36:00.000-05:00

Being a little girl at heart I couldn't resist these adorable handbags, tree toppers and tea cozies in the shape of dolls. Constance has created a line of delightful doll personalities called Floralina handbags which were inspired from a childhood gift. Each one is handmade and given a special name. Check out her blog to preview her new dolls. The first doll "Magnolia" is a handbag and the second doll "Christiana" is a tree toppers.

Tracy Brown of Wildlight Studios

2007-10-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

Tracy designs and teaches hand crafted art glass beads and jewelry making from her studio in Australia. Her designs show a multitude of colors and shapes. Tracy's new Brisbane Studio is open for classes as well as teaching classes in Queensland at the Flying Arts. If you live in this area here is your chance to learn lampworking.

Deb karash Jewelry

2007-10-23T18:42:00.000-04:00

Thank you Susan Mandel of Beadweaver blog for introducing me to Deb karash's web site. Deb states that she draws inspiration from nature and that texture, color and surface are very important to her work. Deb's unique combination of copper, patina, sterling silver, brass, colored pencil has produced truely beautiful art pieces.

Jeu d' oranges

2007-10-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

I would have never thought about making art out of an orange peel until I discovered this site. The designs are absolutely delightful viewing. Discovering shapes from orange peelings seems like a great activity to spend creative time with children. After peeling the orange, place the peeling down on paper and design. The rule is to use only one entire peel not piecing peels together. If you click on Règles du jeu et conseils you will be given the rules of how to submit your orange designs for this contest. To view the orange designs click on either Animaux ( animals ), personnages ( characters ), autres ( others ) and dessins d'orange ( orange drawings ). Have fun!!!

Feat of Clay

2007-10-11T18:50:00.000-04:00

Recently I purchased Donna Kato's book called "The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects" and I found it to be, just like all her other books, excellent. A wealth of information and great photo instructions. I would like to share with you some information I found in her book. The "Feat of Clay" competition sponsored by Van Aken International, the manufacture of Kato Polyclay. Forty artists were invited to create clay shoes with no restriction except the shoe sizes were to be between 5 and size 7 1/2. I was amazed at what the artists came up with. Very creative and fun to view.

Photos from top to bottom: by Donna Kato, Susan Mueller and Michelle Ross HM.

To view more of the entries click on the heading or the photo gallery of entries. The photos were brought to you by PolymerCafe Magazine.

Lorie O. Follett- First Place
Katherine Dewey- Second Place
Dotty McMillan- Third Place

Jen Stark

2007-10-09T13:38:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen anything like this before? I haven't. In my opinion this is a perfect example of brilliant artwork. Not only is her work unique but the colors are extremely delightful and there is so much movement created from cutting stacks of cardstock by hand. I had a wonderful time viewing Jen's site.

Susan Mandel

2007-10-04T21:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the Bead Arts Award winners of 2007.

I am proud to annouce that Susan Mandel has won 1st place for her beautiful beaded necklace called "Signs of Spring". If you do not know Susan already, she is not only a talented beadweaving artist but also the person behind the great blog called Beadweaver.

Stefanie Kalina

2007-10-01T17:50:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite blogs is called 18 kt by Marta Sanchez from Barcelona Spain. She presents on her blog some of the most unique art jewelry artists in the world. A short time ago she posted about the jewelry of Stefanie Kalina. These flower earpieces are made from copper, silver, epoxy resin and pigment.

Christopher Malone

2007-09-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

I am speechless when it comes to describing Christopher Malone's work. His work is so fantastic it speaks for itself. Each doll has it's own unique and individualized spirit dance. The combinations of beads, feathers, straws and fabrics completes these wonderful dolls. Most stand between 26" to 30" tall but the really tall ones are called the Stilt Walkers which stand 5.5 to 7.5 feet tall. Now that's a large doll.

Karen Moyer

2007-09-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

I was looking at the Saul Bell Design Award winners and Karen Moyer's name as a finalist for the 2006 contest was listed. Her necklace called "Pretty in Pink" is beautiful. The design is all lampworked flower beads. After reviewing her website, Karen Moyer Glass, I discovered more wonderful designs. She not only works in a Pate de Verre style but also makes fused glass wall hangings.

Shown above is a sample of the Charm School ladies which are one of a kind and all come with a beautiful signed card from the artist. Very lovely gift idea. Unfortunately Carmen Miranda is not for sale. Also shown is a sample of the Pate de Verre style flower cabs.

Jean Power

2007-09-13T23:04:00.000-04:00

Geometric patterns have always been dear to my heart. I liked playing with colors and patterns since I was a kid. Drawing zig zags and stick figures with my pencil instead of listening to my teacher in school. When I noticed Jean Power's work in the Bead Dreams online viewing I was drawn to her bright colors and geometric shapes. After viewing her blog and website I found some great designs to show you. The red bracelet called Geometric 3.4.1 ( bottom picture ) came in 2nd place in the Bead Arts Awards this year.

Jean lives in London England and teaches beadwork classes and has co-authored two beading and Jewellery books. Click on her name to view her website and view her blog. Her website offers free beading patterns.

Sue Blackwell

2007-09-08T23:18:00.000-04:00

I generally like to post on wearable art but I couldn't pass up showing you this incredible artist's work. Sue Blackwell works with what is at hand. She has taken plain old books and transformed them into fantasy worlds. Her works are magical. Visit her website by clicking her name. Make sure you enlarge the images to get a close up look at the details.

Tejae Floyde

2007-09-05T21:13:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite symbols is the heart shape. I enjoy seeking out new creations using the heart shape but not all hearts are equal. To quote Tejae "Whatever you have in your heart reflects into your soul" is exactly what her work is all about. Not only does her work show depth but it has a soul. She sells her encased hearts on Etsy. "Mirror to the Soul" which is shown on top is for sale. Not only does Tejae work with polymer clay but she is an accomplished multimedia artist. Her blog is called Tejae's Art.

ZudaGay

2007-09-01T17:07:00.000-04:00

I would like to introduce you to "Clay in the Hands" a blog by ZudaGay. She sells her work on Etsy where you can view more of her designs for sale. I selected a few of my favorites to be shown above. I especially like her flowers. What I like most about her designs is that they have an Expressionistic look. This style I love.