I'm Tatiana Fedorikhina; I have lived in the U.S. for over 20 years and received Master's degree and Ph.D. in speech pathology. I work with elementary school children, and find it difficult sometimes to cope with all the problems my clients and their parents face due to disability. Beading is a way to escape reality and transport myself into the world of magic, bright colors, and festive beauty.

I love to travel and have visited many parts of the world, but there are still lots of places I would love to visit. Recently, I've been to Brazil and was able to find some beautiful tourmalines there. I bring beads or stones from every trip. In my necklaces photographs of which are published in Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry book, I used beads and components from Italy, Czech republic, Holland, Hawaii, and the Bahamas.

I'd like to say, many thanks go to the organizers of Fashion Colorworks for providing an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful world of beads. I am looking forward to seeing the new color combinations for the 2013 competition.

Tatiana Fedorikhina answers the questions of Galina Baer

1. When did you discover beading? How did it happen?

I started beading seven years ago when I moved to Indianapolis. This city seemed very dull to me compared to Los Angeles: no theaters or art exhibitions to speak of. As a result, I had some spare time and devoted it to macrame and micro macrame, which I have been practicing for the past ten years. One day I went to a local bead store to get some materials for a micro macrame necklace, and the owner convinced me to come to the Bead Society meeting. This was the beginning of my new hobby.

2. Where do you find your inspiration?

I love flowers and grow orchids at home. My favorite place in the U.S. is the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena (California), and near Moscow in Russia - my parents' country cottage, where my mom grows beautiful flowers. Most of my necklaces are inspired by nature.

3. What are your favorite bead techniques and which ones do you want to learn?

I like peyote and herringbone; recently I have used netting and chevron stitch. I am planning to learn soutache techniques.

4. What materials do you prefer to work with?

The most expensive, of course. I also enjoy working with natural stones.

5. How does the country you live now, its culture and traditions influence on your creativity

I often feel lonely in the U.S. Honestly, the Russian beaders have had a great influence on me, even though I only see their beadwork online.

6. Who are your favorite beadweavers and what do you learn from them

G. Bakeeva, I. Prisyazhnyuk, A. Maslennikova, A. Gromova and many others. I am learning various techniques because I do not like to repeat myself.

7. How is your family to your passion?

They are very skeptical and sometimes make fun of me.

8. Why did you decide to enter Fashion Colorworks? You submitted three beadworks, could you tell us please about them?

I really liked the designs from Fashion Colorworks 2011, and I decided to create something starting with a color combination, not with a grand idea as I did before.

All three my necklaces are very different. I was planning to make just one, but the other two developed subconsciously while I'd been working on the Huntington Garden for three months. Huntington Garden Necklace is my best work to date. It consists of three parts, which could be worn separately. My favorite part is the cockatoo. To create this piece, I used two layers of right angle weave, which were connected with Swarovski bicones. The top layer was embellished with old seed beads 17/0. Then the cockatoo was sewn onto the embroidered base. Unfortunately, I think the judges were not able to discern the complexity of this piece.

9. Please tell us about your plans.

I have been working on a large tapestry in micro-macrame for several years. I would love to finish it.

10. Please tell a few words to those who is going to take part in the Fashion Colorworks for the first time.

For me, it all started with an idea for one necklace, but I ended up with three. Judging by the forum and blog posts of many other participants, this competition is addictive, so be careful!

My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com

About author:

Tatiana Fedorikhina, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Email address:	tfedorik@gmail.com
Blog:	meh-crame.blogspot.com