October, 2012

My Lovely Beads, e-Newsletter

From MyLovelyBeads.com Team

We enjoy the last warm days of the year. Halloween is already behind us, and we are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Holiday season! Read in our October issue:

Contact us with any questions at info@mylovelybeads.com.
Best regards, MyLovelyBeads.com Team

Stone of October: OPAL

Stone of October:
OPAL


Represents purity and intensity. It assists in emotional and mental balance, calms the inner soul. Excellent stone for progress, expansion, and development. Helps one connect the conscious and subconscious, providing for a clearing understanding of oneself. Zodiac signs: Cancer (Crab), Libra (Balance), Pisces (Fish), Scorpio (Scorpion).

More Info

Amazonite - stone of courage

Amazonite (sometimes called "Amazon stone") is a green variety of feldspar. A semi-opaque stone that was used extensively by the Egyptians is called the stone of courage and is said to be named after the Amazon women warriors. Some archaeological evidence suggests that the Amazonians were a matriarchal society during the Bronze Age. Another legend says the name "amazonite" comes from the belief that it was found in the Amazon river.

Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence. Formerly it was obtained almost exclusively in the Southern Urals, from the area of Miass in the Ilmen mountains, 50 miles southwest of Chelyabinsk, Russia, where it occurs in granite rocks.

More recently, high-quality crystals have been obtained from Pike's Peak, Colorado, where it is found associated with smoky quartz, orthoclase, and albite in a coarse granite or pegmatite. Nevertheless, very often all amazonite crystals are called Russian amazonite.

Crystals of amazonite can also be found in Crystal Park, El Paso County, Colorado. Other localities in the United States, which yield amazonite, include the Morefield Mine in Amelia, Virginia. It is also found in pegmatite in Madagascar and in Brazil.

Because of its bright green color when polished, amazonite is sometimes cut and used as a gemstone, although it is easily fractured. For many years, the source of amazonite color was a mystery. Naturally, many people assumed the color was due to copper because copper compounds often have blue and green colors. More recent studies suggest that the blue-green color results from small quantities of lead and water in the feldspar.

Fashion Colorworks 2013 is starting!

The fourth International Fashion Colorworks 2013 Beading Contest started. This year beadworkers will again submit their works in three categories: Seed Bead Jewelry, Finished Jewelry, and Beaded Objects and Accessories. Entries in each category should be made in one of the three color combinations made up from Pantone Color Institute fashion colors spring 2013:


         
         
         

First color combination:
Emerald (CMYK: 86.8.57.0;  RGB: 0-165-141;  HTML: #00A58D)
Nectarine (CMYK: 0.54.75.0;  RGB: 246-142-80;  HTML: #F68E50)
Linen (CMYK: 2.12.20.0;  RGB: 247-223-200;  HTML: #F7DFC8)

Second color combination:
Poppy Red (CMYK: 0.94.89.0;  RGB: 238-52-48;  HTML: #EE3430)
Grayed Jade (CMYK: 41.3.33.0;  RGB: 152-204-183;  HTML: #98CCB7)
Monaco Blue (CMYK: 92.67.10.32;  RGB: 20-68-119;  HTML: #144477)

Third color combination:
Tender Shoots (CMYK: 30.0.88.0;  RGB: 189-215-76;  HTML: #BDD74C)
African Violet (CMYK: 27.44.0.0;  RGB: 184-149-197;  HTML: #B895C5)
Lemon Zest (CMYK: 0.10.75.0;  RGB: 255-223-93;  HTML: #FFDF5D)

Fashion Colorworks 2013 rules
 
Questions? Contact us at info@mylovelybeads.com
 
We invite sponsors for the Fashion Colorworks 2013 contest!

From Japan with love

Maiko Kage Felton

Maiko Kage Felton is amazingly talented bead artist, a winner of many international bead contests. Born in Japan, Maiko lives in California. She has been a juror of our Fashion Colorworks in 2011 and 2012, and she is in the jury panel this year. Thank you, Maiko! We are glad to have you in our newsletter!

Maiko says, "When I was in the United States in 2001, I happened upon some beautiful bead magazines. Impressed by the beauty of the pieces profiled in the magazines I found beadwork very inspirational and I set out to master various beading techniques, and soon embarked on my journey as a jewelry designer. Now I live in Irvine, California.

My jewelry pieces tend to explore the interplay between symmetry and nature. I prefer to let my creativity flow freely; this allows the piece to seemingly define itself during its creation. I love sharing my jewelry interpretations of nature and life. Inspiring and exchanging ideas with others has always been one of my main objectives as a bead artist/designer. So many people, including family, friends, fellow artists and students have given me so much throughout the years, and I would like to respond in kind.

Beadwork is a very personal endeavor. It can also be a very solitary experience with very few opportunities for feedback, and punctuated with times of doubt and frustration. Sure, displaying one's work in a public forum can be frightening. But the sharing of one's work and ideas is necessary to give life and energy to that work.

I've published two beading books in Japan and conducted bead workshops in Japan and the United States, my tutorials appear in Bead & Button Magazine. I like participating in bead contests and have been a finalist in the Bead Dreams contests in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011. My beadworks have also won in the Bead Arts Award in 2005 and 2006."

Full article by Maiko Kage Felton
 
Bead art by Maiko Kage Felton
 
Email: maiko@kagecollection.com
 
Website (galleries): www.happybeading.net
 
Website (shop): kagecollection.com

Interview with Galina Baer

Bead artist Galina Baer

Third Place Winner in Beaded Jewelry category
for Garden Of Eden Necklace

I'm Galina Baer, recently in my article I told the story on how I started beading and about my experience and plans. Some time passed, and now I am proud to share with you my success and small victories in this year. At the beginning of winter in Moscow the Wonderful Moments Magazine has published several my tutorials; my necklace "Garden Of Eden" took third place in the Fashion Colorworks 2012, and finally my Inspired By Van Gogh Necklace won the People's Choice Award in the IBA 2012 competition organized by the Perlen Poesie Magazine. I am very happy that some of my creative ideas come true; it gave me a huge boost to the positive movement forward and made me believe in myself.

I want to say a few words to those who still didn't make his decision to take part in Fashion Colorworks or perhaps in some other bead contest. Do not be afraid! Nothing can compare to the feeling of joy and excitement that you have the opportunity to invite the others to your world of shapes and colors and discover new names. It may be that you will become a new star, a new discovery in the wonderful world of beauty! I wish you success and self-confidence!

Galina Baer answers the questions of Tatiana Fedorikhina

1. You include beaded flowers in many of your works. Why is that?

Indeed, beaded flowers are almost in all my recent works. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I'm surrounded by magical nature of alpine meadows and an irresistible desire to express my feelings and admiration for these colors make me go back to the theme of flowers again and again.

2. Are you beading something else besides jewelry?

No. Immediately and probably forever, I chose this field of beading. Designing and making jewelry has always been my great desire.

3. How do you select the color scheme for your beadworks?

It's simple; just carefully look around yourself... I often think about color palettes when getting a new "batch" of beads from a shop, and later I use them in my work. During some breaks I especially weave small elements to look for new color combinations in my future possible pieces of jewelry. So one flower motif can be the basis of a set of colors.

4. Do you make sketches of your future jewelry or create them, as they say, "on the fly"?

I do not make sketches for my beadworks - I cannot do it because of complete lack of talent for drawing. But I paint wonderful pictures in my imagination, and often these are the images I later embody in my works.

Full interview with Galina Baer
 
Beadwork by Galina Baer
 
Email: galina@networld.at
 
Blog: g-linawelt.blogspot.co.at

Interview with Tatiana Fedorikhina

Beadwork by Tatiana Fedorikhina

Third Place Winner in Finished Jewelry category
for Japanese Garden Necklace

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.

Full interview with Tatiana Fedorikhina
 
Beadwork by Tatiana Fedorikhina
 
Email: tfedorik@gmail.com
 
Blog: meh-crame.blogspot.com

Interview with Hiromi Takemura

Beadwork by Hiromi Takemura

Third Place Winner in Beaded Objects category
for Gerbera Bouquet Stand

My name is Hiromi Takemura; I live in Kashihara, Nara, Japan. In 2002 I saw a flower bouquet made from beads and got interested in that technique. So I started learning the western style of making beaded flowers in Japan. I was excited by new creative possibilities and in 2005 I received a teacher certificate in this technique in the Tomato Studio; soon after in 2006 I started my own workshop "Sachi" in Osaka and website. I was fascinated with the beadwork by Maiko Kage Felton, and in 2008 began learning off-loom techniques from her. I try to combine both techniques into one.

Recently I've entered several bead contests. In 2010 my beadwork "The Cosmos Field" won the Second Place in the Japanese bead magazine "Beads Friend" contest, and "Forever Love" became the finalist there. I've created beadworks that have been juried into the Bead Dreams finals ("Purple Majesty" in Beaded Objects or Accessories category in 2011 and "Sunflower" and "Sakura" in the same category in 2012). "Blue Rose Bouquet" was the finalist in the Fashion Colorworks in 2011, and "Gerbera Bouquet Stand" won the Third Place in that contest this year in Beaded Objects or Accessories category.
 

Hiromi Takemura answers the questions of Tatiana Fedorikhina

1. Most of your designs are flowers, that is why I wanted to ask you if you have a home garden, and if so, which flowers do you grow?

I have a garden, but I don't grow flowers there. I deal with flowers mostly when working. After learning the bead flower technique, I started to teach it. I make pieces as teaching materials for students or when I participate in competitions.

2. Do you visit public gardens in Japan and abroad? If so, which gardens have inspired your designs?

I'd like to confess that I have never been to any big garden! But I often visit flower shops and I think about my designs there.

Full interview with Hiromi Takemura
 
Beadwork by Hiromi Takemura
 
Email: b_flower_sachi@yahoo.co.jp
 
Website: www.b-flower-sachi.com

Netting beadweaving challenge

Netting beadweaving challenge submissions

Netting beadweaving challenge is over. It was open to beadworkers from all countries, and the organizers in Perles et Dent'Elles blog received submissions from France, Germany, Israel, Romania, Hungary, Finland, Poland and Morocco. The entries were designed and made in vertical netting stitch with increases and decreases using bead insertion and bead embroidery. Some of them are very intricate some easier but all eyecandy!

Netting beadweaving challenge submissions

Upcoming events

Virginia Christmas Market Virginia Christmas Market

November 9-11, 2012
Dulles Expo and Convention Center
Chantilly, VA

It's Northern Virginia's grand opening celebration of the holiday season! The Northern Virginia Christmas Market returns to the South Hall of the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA featuring 300 fine artisans from more than 25 states. Readers of Sunshine Artist Magazine voted this popular event #39 in 200 Best Traditional Arts and Crafts Shows. 300 artisans will offer a diverse selection of fine arts, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, wood, photography, fiber arts, as well as thousands of one-of-kind Christmas collectibles.

November 23-25, 2012
Virginia Beach Convention Center
Virginia Beach, VA

The Virginia Beach Christmas Market features more than 250 fine artisans and crafters from more than 25 states. Readers of Sunshine Artist Magazine just voted this show #17 in their 200 Best Traditional Arts and Crafts Shows in the USA poll. Featured artisans will offer fine arts, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, wood, toys, photography, fiber arts, thousands of Christmas collectibles and much, much more.

Note

If you don't see the newsletter properly formatted please click here: October Issue
 
If you want to read and see the previous issues please click here: Newsletter Archive

If you do not want receive our newsletter and you wish to remove your email address from our mailing list, please click the following link to unsubscribe.