December, 2015

My Lovely Beads, e-Newsletter

Happy Holidays!

We think, 2015 has been such a great year for you, for your families and for your loved ones. We hope it only continues getting better and better! Thank you to all for your support and your sweet and encouraging compliments, we take all of them to heart. Dear friends, we wish you all the best! Read in the December issue:

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

Stone of December: TURQUOISE

Stone of December:
TURQUOISE


Communication, grounding, connection between physical and spiritual planes. Brings happiness and good fortune to all, attracts healing spirits, making it a premier healing stone. Protective stone, guards against violence and accidents, valuable amulet for travelers. Zodiac signs: Pisces (Fish), Scorpio (Scorpion), Sagittarius (Archer).

More Info

Ammolite - gem ammonite

Ammolite is an opal-like organic gemstone found primarily along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is a thin iridescent aragonite shell material that is found on two species of extinct ammonite fossils; the same mineral contained in nacre. Ammolite is one of few biogenic gemstones; others include amber and pearl, mother-of-pearl, coral, gagate (jet).

Ammolite is also known as AAPOAK (the Kainai Nation word for "small, crawling stone"), "ammonite shell", "gem ammonite", "calcentine", and "korite". The latter is a trade name given to the gemstone by the Alberta-based Canada mining company Korite International, the first and largest commercial producer of ammolite.

Significant deposits of gem-quality ammolite are only found in the Bearpaw Formation that extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan in Canada and south to Montana in the USA. However, small deposits have been found as far south as Central Utah which also contains gem-quality ammolite. The best grade of gem quality ammolite is along high energy river systems on the eastern slopes of the Rockies in southern Alberta.

The grade and therefore the value of an ammolite gemstone is determined by the following criteria: the number of primary colors (red and green are far more common than blue or purple), the way the colors "play" (how the colors vary with the angle of viewing and the angle of light striking the gemstone), brightness of colors (iridescence).

The thickness of the ammolite layer is also an important factor: after polishing, the ammolite is only 0.1-0.3 millimeters thick. Ammolite is usually fashioned into freeform cabochons and mounted in gold, with diamonds as accents. Due to its delicacy, ammolite is best reserved for use in pendants, earrings, and brooches.

Fashion Colorworks 2016 Jurors

Miho Kanaya

Miho Kanaya. Miho Kanaya was born and lives in Japan. She started to create beadworks in 1999 after being inspired by Joyce J. Scott designs at the American Craft Museum (Museum of Arts and Design) in NYC. Miho has completed 4 life-size kimono-costumes with 1,650,000 beads and six-folding Byobu screen with 2,063,738 beads that was registered as "The largest 2D beadwork in the world" by the Guinness World Record in 2009. Her brand new beadwork is a 0.3m x 5m picture scroll with 600,000 beads.
 
In 2008 in Washington and in 2014 in New York City Miho held solo exhibitions. The exhibition by six modern Japanese artists will be held in several cities in Japan in 2016, they are known as having "God hands" beyond human hand technique, and Miho is one of them. In October 2015, she was introduced as one of the "100 great women in Japan" by ROLA Magazine.

Blog: blog.livedoor.jp/artbead
 
Facebook: facebook.com/miho.m.kanaya?fref=ts
 
Article: Beadwork Guinness World Record

Olga Shumilova

Olga Shumilova. Olga Shumilova lives in Russia, near Moscow, since 2008 she is professionally engaged in beadwork. She started with simple beadwoven works, but one day Olga decided that she could create more interesting beadworks, and created a set of beaded handbags, which won the international exhibition "Bead Design" (Moscow, Russia). A two handbags from this collection were later presented in the Bead Dreams at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, USA.
 
Now Olga brings to life different ideas - creates handbags, belts, necklaces, and a special thrill is caused by unique materials - small beads 15/0, Czech charlotte beads, natural stones, silk, antique beads and vintage clasps and buckles. Olga says that the beadwork should not shout but whisper, and that sound should be heard. Passing by - something caught your eye - go back - fell in love for life. Olga often takes part in Russian and international exhibitions and competitions. Preparing for them makes her entire creative potential work. Olga has been a winner of "Bead Dreams" three times, every year she participates in the Battle of BeadSmith. Olga's dream is to write a book where she could share her skills with other beadworkers.

Blog: pautin.livejournal.com
 
Website: pautin.gallery.ru
 
Online Shop: www.livemaster.ru/pautin
 
Article: Look Of Rose And Range Of Feelings

Marsha Wiest-Hines

Marsha Wiest-Hines. Personal adornment and expression of character through clothing has been a life-long interest of Marsha Wiest-Hines. She has been creating wearable art for 45 years in the form of theatrical costumes for the stage, competition clothing and jewelry for ballroom dancers, and most recently, beadwoven jewelry and accessories. She was born in Montana, and earned her BFA in Design and Technical Theater at University of Montana, and a MA in Costume Design from Purdue University. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband Carl, where she has worked as a draper, tailor, designer, and costume shop manager at the Guthrie Theater and Minneapolis Children's Theater.
 
In 1987, she started her own business, Made for Movement, creating costumes for competitive Ballroom Dancers. She discovered beadweaving in 2007, and fell instantly in love. Her work has been published in Bead & Button, Perl'fection Digital Beading Magazine, Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry, and in 2014, Marcia DeCoster Presents. She has won numerous awards for her beadwork, most notably a second place ribbon in the 2013 Bead Dreams Seed Bead category, and a 2nd and 1st place ribbon in 2014 and 2015, in the Ms. Maddie’s Fabulous Florals.

Blog: hauteicebeadworks.blogspot.com
 
Website: www.made4movement.com
 
Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/hauteicebeadwork
 
Article: From Theatrical Costumes To Art Jewelry

Eva Maria Keiser

Eva Maria Keiser. Eva Maria Keiser originally from Vienna, Austria, currently resides in Boise, Idaho, USA. In 2000 bead art was serendipitously introduced, complimenting a multi-generational heritage of needlework. The medium of beads added a new dimension of texture and light refraction. Her passion for architected structural design was renewed from witnessing the grandeur of European masters.
 
Many hours are dedicated to the study and mastery of beadwork exploration. Interactive narratives, surprising interiors, unique colorways, and tactility attained from multiple layers best describe her work. Eva Maria's business services and corporate training consultancy is integrated and enhanced through the process of her artistic expression. Her work has been featured and published in leading trade magazines.
 
Quote: "When I'm not beading, I'm sleeping." - Eva Maria Keiser

Blog: keiserdesigns.blogspot.com
 
Website: www.keiserdesigns.com
 
Article: Unique Beadwork And Beyond

Patrizia Tager

Patrizia Tager. Patrizia Tager was born in Italy where she lived till the age of 12. At the age of 12 her family moved to London (UK) where she attended school and college. She graduated with a B.A. Hons. in Fashion Design. After college Patrizia moved to Israel, where she resides today. Her interest in beadwork was ignited after attending basic beadweaving classes at a local bead shop.
 
From that point on she set out to learn as many beadwork techniques as she could find. She fell in love with bead embroidery and throughout the years developed her jewelry designs to incorporate bead embroidery with different bead weaving techniques. Her designs are contemporary using old traditional techniques. Her work has been published in "Flatwork" by Nicole Campanella and in Issue 23, January 2011 of "Making Jewellery".

Blog: triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com
 
Website: www.trizdesigns.com
 
Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/triz
 
Article: Beading Mania

Fashion Colorworks 2016 rules
 
Questions? Contact us at info@mylovelybeads.com
 
We invite sponsors for the Fashion Colorworks 2016 contest!

Fashion Colorworks 2015. Maia Otkidach

Maia Otkidach, Zabrze, Poland
Fashion Colorworks 2015
Third Place Winner in Beaded Jewelry Category
for Smell Of Wet Chestnuts Necklace

Maia says, "In my early childhood my mother instilled in me a love for the arts and crafts. Among my favorite toys was a set of postcards with reproductions of paintings of the St. Petersburg's Hermitage, which I could watch for hours. My mother was a beautiful cross-stitch embroiderer and taught it to me, and I've done that craft for a while.

When I was about 10-12 years old, a friend of mine and I we got into the hands a women's magazine with bead stringing patterns. We didn't have such a material for creativity in our provincial town, and we cut Grandma's necklace made from the Czech beads. Of course, then I had unpleasant conversation with her, but my first beadworks turned out beautiful!

Later life rewrote seemingly well-defined scenario - I became an engineer although dreamed of studying arts and art history, and I forgot about beads for years to come. And then my life suddenly made a turn, it was just like in the proverb, "There was a blessing in disguise." In hot June 2012 I broke my leg and it was in a cast, and during this forced inactivity occurred to me, a crazy idea - as I thought then - came to me: I'll make jewelry.

It started simply - a pin, a ring and a bead, then it was a great introduction to microscopic (as I thought then) and huge (as I think today) beads 6/0. But the most important thing was that the door to the secret garden was found! My beading universities were beading books (my favorite authors - Diane Fitzgerald and Sabine Lippert) and the hours spent at the computer in the study of techniques, patterns and tutorials. A lot of useful things on bead embroidery I learned from Maria Vukolova and Tatiana Panina.

A great source of inspiration for me are the works of art - it can be a picture, an architectural object, and the individual elements of the decor - whether painted on a plate or an old tile. For example, stained glass with stylized roses by the Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired me to design Art Nouveau Roses Necklace.

New creative ideas come always unexpected and often radically alter the original project. I was going to enter Fashion Colorworks 2015 with a completely different beadwork, but by chance in May I visited the Castle Museum in the village of Golukhow (Poland, near the center of the triangle Lodz - Wroclaw - Poznan), formerly belonging to Izabella Dzialynska (daughter of Prince Adam Czartoryski)..."

Full article by Maia Otkidach
 
Beaded jewelry by Maia Otkidach
 
Email: maja188@poczta.onet.pl
 
Blog: glowart.blox.pl

Fashion Colorworks 2015. Natalia Orlova

Natalia Orlova, Odessa, Ukraine
Fashion Colorworks 2015
Third Place Winner in Finished Jewelry Category
for Flower Of Ice Oasis Necklace

Natalia says, "Like many other girls, when I was a child, my friends and I wove simple beaded things like bracelets. But we grew up, our hobbies have changed, and I've forgotten about beads for a while.

One day, when I was still a little girl, my parents and I drove past the Odessa Polytechnic Institute, and when I saw that nice building, I immediately announced that I would study there after my high school. And so it was, after school I enrolled in the Faculty of Economics. Probably, it was hard to imagine a profession more distant from creation of jewelry. However, I had another dream - to learn how to create beauty, and perhaps I made it true through working with soutache.

Like many women I was fascinated again with beaded things when I was on maternity leave. I tried to grasp the immensity and experimented with all techniques that I liked, I really wanted to learn beaded braids knitting, but I couldn't get this "complex" science that time. And once, when I was once again looking for a new pattern over the Internet, I stumbled on a free tutorial on the soutache bracelet by Anneta Valious.

I saw... and immediately fell in love with those curls, smooth lines and a surprising lightness of soutache jewelry! Almost immediately I rushed to the closest crafting goods store to look for this wonderful material, but everything wasn't so simple. All shop sellers have not even heard about this cord. Somehow I could manage to get my "treasure", just a few meters of soutache of colors that didn't match each other.

Naturally, that soutache was of questionable quality, too soft for my inept hands. I still keep in a the box my first bracelet made from the terrible bright purple soutache and Chinese beads with other jewelry, perhaps as a reminder of "how it all began" or "how it should not be done". Of course, later I bought a "right" soutache and changed Chinese beads to Czech and then to Japanese ones.

At work, I always try to make each piece as gently as possible, often rip and alter the elements and try to diversify my activity and develop new techniques. For example, now I use shibori silk ribbon and elements embroidered on canvas. I'm learning from other masters, I use as examples works of Anneta Valious, Jadwiga Betley and Julia Izerskaya..."

Full article by Natalia Orlova
 
Beaded jewelry by Natalia Orlova
 
Email: orlova34@te.net.ua
 
Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004815542010

Perlen Poesie Magazine. Issues 25 and 26

PERLEN POESIE 25. A Summer Dream

Kerrie Slade gives us a glimpse into her little beaded fairy tales and indulges us with the lush, summery neckwear "Garden Party". The Daisy Chain course is good for beginners. Intriguing projects await you such as Francis Drake, a small dragon for your wrist, and the necklaces Golden Harvest and Fireworks.

You'll also enjoy an assortment of easy-to-assemble pieces from earrings to pendants. And as usual, a little bit of history: How were glass pearls made? Finally, enjoy the nominated pieces for the 2015 International Bead Award: "On a Journey of Discovery".

Flower Power with Attention to Detail
Kerrie Slade: The British artist is a full-time beader who converts her love of nature and her partiality for legends and fairy tales into beadwork. She also sees it as a challenge to use unusual shapes and colors of beads. Even thorny beads (Spikes) are transformed into delicate flowers. Enjoy her imaginative works!

PERLEN POESIE 26. Fires of Autumn Inspiration

Kindle the fires of Autumn inspiration with the 17 jewelry projects this issue has to choose from. Beside the classical stitching techniques, there are suggestions on connecting beads with micro macrame, chainmaille and soutache. In addition, get tips for the use of 2-hole-beads and take a course in chevron stitch.

The Emergency Beading Hotline
Laura Giusti: The artist from Rome is not only versatile when it comes to techniques and materials, but is also a loving tutor for her beading students. She creates new, wearable designs on a weekly basis and even lets those with "beading problems" call her at any time.

Subscribe to Perlen Poesie magazine
 
Perlen Poesie magazine in the USA

Upcoming events

Sugarloaf Craft Festivals Sugarloaf Craft Festivals

January 29-31, 2015
Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Virginia

Juried Fine Art & Craft Festivals since 1976. Find the unique handcrafted artwork of thousands of American Artists! Decorative creations for home & garden, exceptional fine art & designer crafts!

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