January, 2017

My Lovely Beads, e-Newsletter

From MyLovelyBeads.com with Love

Unfortunately, for some reasons we needed a break and we haven't released our newsletter since July 1916. Hopefully, hard times are in past and we continue our MyLovelyBeads newsletter. We prepared two issues and now you can read the first one dated January:

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

Stone of January: GARNET

Stone of January:
GARNET


Garnet is known as the stone of health - ridding the body of negative energies and transmuting them to a beneficial state. Also know in the past as a stone of commitment - to purpose, to others, to oneself. Zodiac signs: Capricorn (Seagoat), Leo (Lion), Aquarius (Water Bearer), Virgo (Virgin).

More Info

Sphalerite - zinc blende

Sphalerite is a mineral that consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron. Sphalerite is the most commonly encountered zinc mineral and the world's most important ore of zinc. Its color is usually yellow, brown, or gray to gray-black, and it may be shiny or dull. When pure (with little or no iron) it forms clear crystals with colors ranging from pale yellow (known as "cleiophane") to orange and red shades (known as "ruby blende" or "ruby sphalerite"), but as iron content increases it forms dark, opaque metallic crystals (known as "marmatite").

Originally called "blende" in 1546 by Georgius Agricola (Georg Bauer), in 1847 the mineral was named "sphalerite" by Ernst Friedrich Glocker from the Greek word SPHALEROS which means deceiving or treacherous. This name is in response to the many different appearances of sphalerite and because it can be challenging to identify in hand specimens. Names for sphalerite used in the past or by miners include "zinc blende," "blackjack," "steel jack," and "rosin jack."

Sphalerite is the major ore of zinc and is found in thousands of locations worldwide. The top producers include Russia, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, England, Sweden, Australia, Kazakhstan, China, India, Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. In the United States, sphalerite is produced in Alaska, Idaho, Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee.

Sphalerite is a difficult stone to cut and polish. It is soft and it has cleavage. Although sphalerite is not good for most jewelry use, specimens of suitable size with excellent clarity are sometimes cut into gemstones usually featuring the brilliant cut to best display sphalerite's high dispersion which is over three times that of diamond (dispersion is the ability of a material to separate white light into the colors of the spectrum as it passes through the material). Owing to their softness and fragility the gems are often left unset as collectors' or museum pieces. Gem-quality material is usually a yellowish to honey brown, red to orange, or green.

Fashion Colorworks 2017. Notes

Fashion Colorworks 2017 Beading Contest

Every year the contest participants experience some issues submitting their entries. So, we decided to remind the artists critical moments which can help them to send submissions:

• Application with attachments is sent trough the online form. After submission, a confirmation is sent by email.
 
• Only one application is allowed. After submission additional entries or photos, or photo replacements will not be accepted. If application failed, please contact us at info@mylovelybeads.com with subject FASHION COLORWORKS 2017.
 
• Applicants provide information:
       - first and last name;
       - city, state/province, country;
       - email address, website;
       - contest category (for each entry);
       - beadwork title;
       - used techniques;
       - used materials;
       - brief beadwork description (optional).
 
• Your personal data is confidential and may be processed exclusively for our own statistical, marketing purposes in relation to advertising and /or promotional activities. We will not sell, trade, or rent your personal data.

Today we are also featuring Fashion Colorworks 2016 winners - the First Place Winners: Svetlana Rohloff from Germany, Kaori Nakakohji from Japan and Svetlana Paranina from Russia.

Fashion Colorworks 2016. Winners
 
Fashion Colorworks 2017. Rules

Fashion Colorworks 2016. Svetlana Rohloff

Svetlana Rohloff, Augsburg, Germany
Fashion Colorworks 2016
First Place Winner in Beaded Jewelry Category
for Winter Rose Necklace

Svetlana says: "The desire for doing and creating something, stitching, gluing, cutting, etc. has been haunting me since my childhood. As far as I remember, I was fond of any handcrafting and it worked from first time. I was sewing, embroidering, weaving macrame, beading...

I was laughing that this ability is inherited and was just innate because my dad was a man with the "golden hands." He can do everything. I was lucky because I got the genes that are responsible for this "can do everything!" Courses of knitting, making soft toys, dancing, playing chess... It is all about me.

I didn't make success in singing. I don't sing at all. But drawing fascinated me and my love to that art doesn't leave me. After my high school classes I ran to the art school, buying a pack of plum jelly and cookies "Croquet" on the way. Nothing seemed to taste better! I think I had a happy childhood. I was lucky! I remember the Russian Siberian nature, lawns covered with wild strawberry, birch forests, snow drifts above the head in winter, the sky full of stars...

We always looked for the Big Dipper. We had the extreme heat in the summer and such cold in winter, so that seemed the air crackled. Once I read that the temperature in the city of Omsk where I lived could be - 40 C° in winter and + 40 C° in summer and there are only five such places in the world. I will not argue and believe in the word. I was lucky! Soviet pioneer camps, playing in Cossacks, labyrinths in the snowdrifts, birch sap and my mother's feather shawl... And the felt boots!!! Black and huge, they have always been wide for my skinny legs - that was my biggest insult in childhood.

It was easy to choose where to go after high school. The arts faculty of the Omsk Pedagogical Institute seemed to be created for me: drawing, painting, decorative arts and crafts. My soul rejoiced! I was lucky again! Five years have flown as one instant. Then my family moved to Germany and it turned everything upside down. Art has been forgotten for ten years. I became a good registered nurse. Then I got married. I would say one thing: when a child is born, an invisible and subtle sense of happiness falls on all those involved. I got "a piece" of happiness, too. Again luck!

People don't become artists, people can be born as artists. Even if you want to suppress this strange feeling of unrestrained pursuit for creativity, it will find a loophole, will break out, will haunt you at night, will pull you into the jungles of beauty and will make a nice catch up. Graphics, silk painting and creating jewelry from beads fell on my head and it was not clear from which side..."

Full article by Svetlana Rohloff
 
Beaded jewelry by Svetlana Rohloff
 
Email: rohloffswetlana@gmail.com
 
Online Shop: www.perlenrose.ecwid.com
 
Facebook: facebook.com/swetlanarohloff

Fashion Colorworks 2016. Kaori Nakakohji

Bead artist Kaori Nakakohji

Kaori Nakakohji, Nara, Japan
Fashion Colorworks 2016
First Place Winner in Finished Jewelry Category
for Cupid Necklace

Kaori says, "Last year everything was new experience and a big start for me. When I began doing soutache embroidery I strongly felt enjoy working with beautiful braids and creating unique shapes; and it was a real fun. That time I wasn't confident about my work and had no idea how it could be valued.

So, I started participating in different contests and learned a lot of things after that. When I received the Second Place in the Fashion Colorworks 2015, I was very glad and satisfied; and finally felt confident in my abilities and skills. Therefore the Aqua Trickle Necklace that won the award last year is very special to me.

Since then, I've been trying to create something even more unique and original. Recently, my piece "Moonflower" has been selected as the Bead Dreams 2016 finalist. I was very happy and really surprised because I haven't expected any recognition this year.

When I thought about design of my Moonflower Necklace, I imagined Ipomoea Alba flower. It's also called "Moonflower" because it blooms in the moonlight and has a shape like a full moon. This mysterious flower inspired me and I wrote a story, "Moonflower blooms under the full moon. The moon gives the light to the flower, and the flower sparkles like a full moon."

I tried to express the full moon night, so I mostly used silver and blue colors. To make the flower sparkle, I used Japanese kumihimo, which has been woven using metallic cord. Soutache embroidery with metallic kumihimo was slightly more difficult than I expected before but trying this solution was a good challenge for me and I really enjoyed it.

A contest is a great opportunity to challenge for me. Also it's extremely exciting and pretty funny! I really love the Fashion Colorworks contest. "Choose the color combination - you can only use limited colors to make the piece." This approach is quite interesting and very unique. Also it's great to challenge! I think the contest is a perfect chance to develop and improve skills in using colors..."

Full article by Kaori Nakakohji
 
Beaded jewelry by Kaori Nakakohji
 
Email: kaorina.art@gmail.com
 
Blog: kaorina-art.blogspot.com
 
Facebook: facebook.com/kaorina.art

Fashion Colorworks 2016. Svetlana Paranina

Svetlana Paranina, Perm, Russia
Fashion Colorworks 2016
First Place Winner in Beaded Objects And Accessories Category
for Fairy Fish Bracelet

Svetlana says: "I learned about beads in November 2009 and since then I love them as well as everything associated with them. It was then that I started designing jewelry and later my passion aroused interest in many other materials; I wanted to try everything in combination with beads.

About 5 years ago I knew about soutache. To be exact, I saw jewelry of soutache embroidery designers on the Internet and fell in love with this material. Since then, more and more often I mix different techniques and materials in my jewelry. And recently I wanted to try to embroider on canvas. Very often I look with envy at the pieces embroidered with stones and crystal elements!

Last year, I bought several wooden cabochons at the largest fair in my city, they were hand-painted in the Russian style (Zhostovo painting) - as soon as she saw them, the idea was immediately born to create a series of "Russian Tracery". Cabochons had different shapes and sizes, so I created four pendants, one necklace and one pair of earrings in the style of Zhostovo painting. And then I've designed other jewelry in the styles of Russian folk art - Gzhel and Khokhloma.

Jewelry from "Russian Tracery" was very popular, and I decided to create another series. In the past I taught music in school, and even though I no longer work in this specialty, my love to music didn't disappear. Thus the second series was born - "And the music sounds ..." consisting of five brooches, three of which were embroidered with beads, and the other two have been made in soutache embroidery. I'm thinking to make the third series, which one is still a secret...

Recently, I want not only to weave and embroider a single piece of jewelry but also create a themed series consisting from several items. Most of all I love to design jewelry with a certain subject to allow wearer not only to put them on but also to look at them as at the pictures of nature. I'd like these images embodied in the jewelry to look like alive.

So I am very happy that my next themed beadwork Fairy Fish Bracelet made in one of the Fashion Colorworks triad took the First Place in the Beaded Objects And Accessories category and has been awarded the "Best Use Of Color" prize. Honestly, the prizes have become a big and pleasant surprise for me since my work - just a bracelet - is not a time-consuming piece like a handbag or a beaded object, but I like my bracelet..."

Full article by Svetlana Paranina
 
Beaded jewelry by Svetlana Paranina
 
Email: svetlana-paranina@yandex.ru
 
Online Shop: livemaster.ru/svetlanaperm

Past events

Figuratively Speaking National Juried Exhibition

November 28 - December 30, 2016
Gallery Underground
2120-A Crystal Plaza Arcade
Arlington, VA 22202

Gallery Underground announces "Figuratively Speaking," a national juried art competition. All-media artists, sculptors, and photographers are invited to create visual works that interpret the theme "Figuratively Speaking" in two different ways: by depicting human forms, faces and features in representational or abstract works (portraiture, sculpture and all subject matter including people); or works which depict a broader interpretation of the theme, such as figurative language and figures of speech. Juried by John Morrell.


Zoya Gutina Trunk Show

December 10 – December 11, 2016
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Shop
200 N. Boulevard
Richmond, Virginia 23220

The VMFA Shop is committed to showcasing Virginia artisans' work. In addition to offering the work of up to 40 of these artisans in the Shop at any given time, we also feature them in our Trunk Shows, where you'll find the finest one-of-kind jewelry, glass, ceramics, wood-turned and carved items, scarves, handbags, leather goods, accessories, home decor, and more. These special Shop events complement VMFA exhibitions and occur in conjunction with lectures and programs and gift-giving times throughout the year.

Upcoming events

Wearable Expressions 2017

February 10 – April 16, 2017
Palos Verdes Art Center
5504 West Crestridge Road
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Palos Verdes Art Center's exhibition of wearable art returns with innovative works in fiber, jewelry, and accessories by artists from around the globe chosen by an international jury. Wearable art differs from the world of fashion as being one-of-a-kind, handcrafted objects that reference sculpture as much as clothing. Artists participating in this year's exhibition are from Asia, Europe, both North and South America and Australia. Featuring wearable art in all media, Wearable Expressions promotes the adornment of the body seen through the aesthetic lens of fine art. Wearable Expressions is established to promote the sharing of new visions and the exploration of innovative techniques and materials in art to wear.

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