Blog hopping

I have family flying in from Halifax this morning, so I've got a quick post for you today as I scurry around trying to clean up ;-)

The first blog that's somewhat new to me, and I find particularly inspiring is Brandi Girl - A life inspired by colour.  Be sure to check out her 52 colours project!

The second one is a newish jewelry blog (to me anyway) Love My Art Jewelry - Creating handmade with handmade.

Enjoy, and I'll be back tomorrow with a double inspiration post - I completely missed last Friday, as I had a something come up last minute that kept me completely preoccupied. :-(

Fire is Nice - Flameworkers Trunk Show @ beadFX!

It's been a while, but it's that time a gain for our lampworkers (flameworkers) trunk show. It's 'the' place to get some of the most awesome handmade beads in Toronto.

Be sure to join us in store on Saturday May 14th from 10am to 5pm. Choose from among the finest handmade lampwork beads in Toronto! Demo's, snackables, awesome shopping - and of course a perfect time to socialize with all of your beady friends!

We'll have a total of 10 to 12 artists, including Nortel. If you're a lampworker, and not participating - come on down to pick up some glass, tools, or odd lots from Jean!

Here are a few of the artists participating. A full list will be posted closer to the event.

Dragonjools - Dwyn may not be able to attend, but we'll try to convince her to send some of these most awesome eye beads!

Amy Waldman Smith

Natali Baird

Laurie Wright - Designerbeads.com

And finally myself - Jennifer Tough


We do have other artists coming, but these are the links I have so far! I hope you get a chance to come out. It's always a fun day.

Get your chainmaille on at beadFX this Summer!

Chain jeweller and author, Scott David Plumlee, will be in Toronto June 24 - 26 teaching a series of chainmaille workshops at beadFX. The workshops will be a series of beginner and intermediate level classes, so don't fret if you've never done chainmaille before. Scott's designs are simple and gorgeous. At the end of the class, you'll leave with a stunning piece/s of jewellery.

All the classes Scott will be teaching are listed below. Click on the pics for specific course details. For those who would like to see samples of his work, drop by at the store and take a peak.

Tripoli Earrings

Snowflake Earrings

Celtic Pendant

Beaded Infinity Bracelet

Fish Earrings

Triangle Pendant

Romanov Bracelet

Adios Amigas and happy beading!

Corsage Project Donations

The Corsage Project donations have all been picked up, and we want to thank you for your generosity! In case you missed it - the Corsage project dresses and outfits young women who are graduating from high school, but will not be able to attend their prom due to financial considerations. beadFX participates by facilitating donations of jewelry - donating jewelry - acting as a drop off- giving discounts to donors and hosting "Corsage Project" nights, where you can come in and make jewelry for donation in a friendly, convivial atmosphere.

A big thank you to everyone who donated - and a special big thank you to Stephanie Dixon for hosting the Corsage Project nights.

Here are the pictures of the donations - Thank you Malliga for photographing these in my absence.

The Joy of Metal Clay - The rising cost of SILVER...clay

It was bound to happen... Silver metal clay has gone up in price. This past week I received an announcement from Art Clay World which stated:

"As you may know, since May, 2009 the price of silver has gone up from around $13 an ounce to today’s price of over $41 an ounce. During that time, the price of Art Clay Silver™ has remained stable, despite the tripling of the silver market. In addition, costs in all aspects of silver metal clay production have increased dramatically. The manufacturer has also had to factor in the decrease in the amount of recyclable material due, in part, to the increase in digital technology. Aida Chemical Industries can no longer absorb these increases and has announced a price increase on its silver clay series. This increase is world–wide, and all distributors are affected. " Alas, efforts to make your clay go further continues to be a important for our pocketbooks. Some solutions to do this are as follows:

• If you are making a sculptural piece; make it hollow (rather than solid). Use cork clay (make sure the cork is dry) and mold your piece over this. I scupted an acorn this way (cant' find the picture.


• Make pieces with voids or holes in them. This allows you to make a piece that is larger without using as much clay.


• Reclaim all your dry bits you don't want to fire. I posted ways to reconstitute or reclaim your dry silver clay last fall. Here is a link to it!!!


• Finger Bowl. Whenever I work I have a little finger bowl to collect any of the silver clay off my fingers. Also I use a sponge to wipe up bits of clay and to wipe my hands. The clay will settle to the bottom of the bowl and you can pour off the water and you have paste. (I rinse all the clay out of the sponge into the bowl too reclaim that too!)

Any other ideas please share!

The Business Chat - Etsy market research

Last week I discussed/ranted about someone who wanted to open an Etsy shop without even know what Etsy is. My point was that starting any sort of business initiative with doing proper research is just plain dumb and will fail. Today let’s talk about how to do some market research on Etsy. (www.etsy.com) Before beginning any business venture you need to see what your competition is doing. So let’s look find them. If you already know their name or their shop name you can search under people and shops. To get a better look at the big picture you should do a more general search, try looking under Handmade or All Items. You’ll notice that a very general search of something like “jewelry” gives you a ridiculous number of items, try to use more search terms such as “lampwork jewelry” or “rose quartz pearl earring”. Another way to browse is to click the Buy button and use some of Etsy’s tools such as Shop Local. Here’s a great idea, many people do try to buy local so having your location listed is very important. Want to find competition in your neighbourhood? Search on your city and your craft. Search by color, search by material, search by categories (Prints, Digital Prints, etc). Make notes as you go on who pops up repeatedly. When you’ve found your competition go over their site with an eagle eye. Read their profile. Check out their shop policies. What kind of categories do they break their work into? Check out their shipping rates, and how they ship. Open up a listing and read it. Every item can have 14 tags to describe the item. These tags are your search terms. Read the tags on items that are similar to yours. At the same time look at one of your pieces and write 14 descriptive tags for it. Read the materials list. Now the important part, read the description. It’s a really good idea to read several hundred descriptions not just on items like your work but on all sorts of items. When you find a description you like save it for future reference. Think about why you like it. What makes you want to buy? Now let’s look at peoples sales. Sometimes you look at a seller and think, “wow, they’ve sold 2,000 items! And they have work that’s really expensive like mine!” Just because someone lists expensive work doesn’t mean it’s what is selling. Every item has the date that it was listed, it’s on the right hand side of the page. You can also see how many times people have viewed an item. Now go to the sellers main page and under Shop Info click on xxx Sales. This will show you every item that has sold. This can get interesting. That seller who has expensive work like yours may also have a couple of really cheap items, and it may be those items that are selling over and over and over. You can also see when the item sold. By looking at this date you can see the frequency of their sales. Many people begin an online store by opening, listing 25 items and then sitting back and waiting for the money. A better idea is to list one item a day for 25 days. Go back to a successful seller and take a look at how often they list items. Take a look at how often they sell items. Mark these people as favourites and watch them for a few weeks. Another great place on Etsy to do research is on the forum boards. Click on Community and then Forums. I can highly recommend the business forum, there are loads of people who are happy to share information about anything business related. One last piece of advice, this is a fabulous way to conduct market research however it can be time consuming and expensive. You might want to lock your credit card up and set a timer. And now I should check my mailbox, I’m expecting more packages from my last bout of “research”.

Favourite free beading projects

I've been on the hunt for some magatama beading projects for Gail. So far,  I haven't uncovered much, but I did come across some other projects I'm quite tempted to try out at some time.  I love these three in particular. Bead and Button will require you to set up a free account in order to access the projects.

Beaded Bead Caps by Amy Johnson for Bead & Button

Beaded Flower by Beth Ratheram for Beads & Beyond

Beaded Bead by Pru McRae for Beads & Beyond

Tweet, Tweet & floppy beadwork

I'm excited to announce that our in-house Swarovski Ambassador is now tweeting for us. Come follow along with Stephanie, and occasionally Marg, and myself as we tweet up a storm on Twitter.

Floppy Beadwork - This title got my attention this morning on the Beading Daily blog.  I'm not the most talented seedbeader, so anything I make with seedbeads is either rock hard (from too much tension), or extremely floppy (from a lack of tension). I didn't realize that even the experts have a problem with floppy beadwork. Learn how to solve that problem once and for all right here!

More Beginner Classes Coming up...

As I mentioned last week, April is beginner month. That means lots of beginner classes. Even if you are already an expert seedbeader, you can try your hands on something new. Art clay? Wire wrapping? The choice is yours to make.

April 17 11 -2pm
Colour Theory
Are you new to beading and want to learn how to mix/match colours? Believe me, some of us find it harder than others to match colours. In this class, you'll learn why some colours go together – and why some don’t.


April 19 & 20, 6 - 9PM
Coils, Knots & More
Over the course of two days, students will learn a variety of skills: pearl knotting, coiling, and stringing. If you enjoying trying your hands on a bunch of things, this class is for you.


April 21st - May 5, 6 - 9PM
Introduction to Wire Work
This course is for 3-weeks with 3 hour sessions each week. It's a gradual, yet in-depth introduction to wire sculpting. The instructor will discuss the properties of various types of wire and the appropriate wire to use with different projects. Then, students will be taught how to work with wire and attempt to complete 4 projects: a pendant, earrings, wrapped cabachon and a bracelet.

Adios Amigas!

Survey Says: What is your favourite colour combo?

Hey - last's week's survey recap was fun - so - in the spirit of Hollywood - let's do a sequel! (This month's survey is here.)


A while back, we asked:

What's your favourite colour or colour combination? Be specific! Do you wear it?

Predictably enough - Blue came out a strong winner - with the earth tones coming a close second - but every colour had it's fans - red, purple, pink, orange, black, white, and even clear! All except for poor old yellow- no one sings the praises of yellow!

And the consensus was that you wear your favorite colours, wear 'em often, and decorate your houses and paint your walls in your favourite colours too! There were a few who did note that the seasons drive their colour choices - electing to stick with brighter colours for the warmer months.

But we also got some great colour combo suggestions - so if you are looking for a little inspiration - how about checking out these?

Van Gogh said "There is no blue without yellow," he was talking about complementary colours and how they make each other stronger, but for you - there is a lot of blue without yellow!

• blue/purple
• blue/pink,
• I think navy blue and maroon go well together
• blue and silver
• Cobalt blue, as well as bluegreens and well, any kind of blue!
• blues and Ocean colors
• blue and green
• navy & white (Such a crisp colour combo!)
• Blues and Browns
• Navy Blue and a Dark Green.
• blue, purple and green
• blues and purples
• I like electric blue with white.
• anything blue/white/silver(love all colours)
• neutrals, blues
• Cobalt Blue, Deep Purple, Dark Teal and Metallic (not glittery or gray)Silver.
• Practically every shade of blue...and green...and bluey-green with plenty of black and dark grey thrown in for good measure. Do I wear them? They're 9/10ths of my wardrobe!
• blue and white
• I am always a fan of blue tones with different coloured accents such as orange or purple. And I do wear those colours.
• Blue and copper
• Anything blue! Blue with silver is fab, but a deep sapphire with copper is also great. I wear tons of blue - clothes, jewelry. Thanks for carrying copper findings...
• Blues--like sapphire, teal, turquoise.
• Any shade of blue and any shade of green except lime.
• blues/ blue greens
• Navy Blue, Red
• Blue!! and gold
• blue, blue/green, pink.
• I love blues and browns together, I wear them all the time!
• blues, greens and sand (champagne) colors. Like a beach theme almost.
• blue and white or pale blue
• dark blue and light blue
• Blue (light blues or turquoise) and deep rich browns.
• blues and pinks
• Blue or blue/purple
• periwinkle & black
• OCEANIC COLOURS! BLUES, TEALS, WHITES, GREENS- ALL BLENDED TOGETHER TO REMIND ME OF THE SEA.
• blue,light blue,different combination of blues
• Blues & blues and add some blues to that
• blue and green with silver
• Light Azore/ Indian Sapphire/Indicolite and also aquamarine
• blue/green/turquoise
• silver with dark blue
  
• Someone always used to tell me that blue and green should never be seen, except in a washing machine, but for all that I can't get enough of those two colours together, across a variety of tones and shades. (I agree!)

You can argue that clear isn't a colour, and that white is all of them, but they still look great in a combo! British author Gilbery Keith Chesterton had this to say about white, "White is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black."

• Silver and clear or AB crystal with opal green
• silver/clear icy
• I am loving crystal/white/silver combos!!!
• crystal AB + just about anything;
• My favorite color combination are clear crystals AB dressed up with darker crystals or freshwater pearls.
• Clears and purples
• white and black
• creams and pearls

Turquoise/Aqua was a big favorite too - and here's some interesting combos.

• turquoise and silver
• turquoise blues/greens
• turquoise, green ( peridot) and aqua.
• Turquoise and pink
• aqua/amber/silver in beads and jewelry
• aqua lavender
• aqua-pink
• turquoise & dark green.
• turquoise and pink!
• turquoise and orange!
• Copper Wire and Aqua, I wear it all the time
• Turquoise and gold
• aqua..lime
• aqua and coral
• tangerine and turquoise
  
• turquoise and brown (wooden beads)
• turquoise and red coral

Kermit may have thought that it wasn't easy being green, but green is popular - "the prime colour of the world and that from which it's loveliness arises" (Pedro Calderon de la Barca - Spanish poet and playwright) - from bright to dark. Combos range from earthy to oceanic - and some interesting others as well!

• green and blue
• greens with burgundys
• green and amber or topaz
• pacific opal and smoky topaz :)
• peridot green
• Abalone (sea-green with tiny touches of blue, brown and pink).
• limegreen, blue, purple
• Green, Brown and gold
• Forest green and light orange-yellow.
• jade and gold
• green and purple
• Green, green and green
• Greens/Blues/Purples
• green/gray
• green/orange
• peridot green and orange
• Greens and browns
• Lime green and turquoise
• green and browns
• Green, Black, Gold
• Green combined with gold or brown tones.
• greens, more lime green and lighter greens with hints of olive green
• any combination of greens - light and dark
• Olivine, Smokey Quartz, and Jonquil
• Teal and naturals

Fans of purple are loud and proud. Purple and Green was mentioned often - but there are some other combos too!

• Purple with silver.
• Lilac and Chartreuse.
• Purple and green
• Purples from plum to lilac.
  
• amethyst and greens
• Purple/Amber
• purple in shades lighter or darker with periwinkle blue!!
• purple and gold
• purples, blue
• PURPLE!!! with black or white
• purple orange
• amethyst and clear crystal swarovski beads
• purples and browns
• purples, violets, lavenders, amethysts.
• deep purple, plums, royal blue, silver, black, teals, rose
• violet to deep blue + black
• Purples, blues, blacks
• Purple & Lilac
• Magenta & orange

Pink - the true colour of life - the colour of the covered red - here are some pink combos.

• Rose, sea-foam, and turquoise (Doesn't that sound dreamy?)
• pink and silver
• A combination of light and dark shades of pink (for example, ranging from baby pink to fushia and magenta)
• Also shades of pink with complimenting shades of green
• Pink and White
• Pink and purple
• Pinks and reds
• pink and grey
• Pinks and greens in pastel are my weakness!
• pink, lavender
• pink and black
• all pinks/roses matching with seacolours and clear crystals
• shades of rose, purple and black
• My favourite colour combo is cranberry/pink/brown.
• pinks and purples
• pink and yellow
• pink and brown
  

Red - the colour of passion - and passionate you are about red. You said things like "Red makes me happy," "I love wearing the colour red. To me it means power and love," and "If it's not red, it doesn't count."

• Transparent reds and black together.
• Red & Purple. I'm a Red Hatter
• I like combinations of reds, like garnets and some purple.
• red and black
• RED, GLOSS BLACK
• Red and turquoise
• Red and Silver
• Red and White
• Burgandy and gold
• Rubies and diamonds
• Rubies and pearls
• reds and greens
• crimson red and black
• dark raspberry red with a bright lime green
• reds and blues
• burgundy/rose
• Red and Orange
• Orange and Blue, Like Fire Opal and Montana Swarovski crystals
• dark wine and dark green
• Red and white
• Cranberry red with gold
• every shade of red, from fire engine to dark magenta.
• Red and gold together
  
• yellow/orange/red seed beads all mixed together.

Winston Churchill said "I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns." Churchill could have benefited to meet with you all - I'm sure he would have agreed that a red strawberry dipped in chocolate needs only pity for it's short life expectancy.

• I love chocolate brown with a deep red
• chocolate brown with turquoise.
• chocolate brown with aqua
• brown/pink
• anything with brown
• brown, copper, amber
• Brown, Blue, Dark Green
• BROWN,AMBER,COPPER&BLACK
• Brown and Aqua
• Brown or taupes and black
• Crystal Golden Shadow combined with the other shades of Swarovski browns
• rust/dark orange
• brown, black, green
• Brown and red! I wear it all the time!
• Opaque Brown AB and Matte Gold
• bronze and brown/gold
• Crystal golden shadow with smoky topaz

Earthtones - a huge category - and perhaps a continuation of the browns. We all know what "earth-tone" means - but maybe it means a little different thing to everyone. For some - it's pure shades of browns and neutrals, for others, green is an essential part of the mix. For some - it has to have oranges or topaz or amber, for others, gold is a must.

• autumn colours (rusts-browns)
• gold, rust, burnt orange, brown, yellows, and most other autum colors.
• Gold/copper colour with white pearls and gold-filled chains! plus some amber
• Amber and black
• copper/earth tones
• warm, earth tones...Green, Amber, Yellow Etc.
• I love copper with shades of metallic blues and greens!
• My favourites are earth tones, rich greens, browns, reds, oranges etc.
• Copper, earth shades
• topaz, amber, cinnamon, gold, yellow,
• I love gold and red together
• I love earthy neutrals and browns, pearlescent creams and crystals.
• copper and indigo
• amber, topaz, or any shade of green
• copper and carnelian tones
• golden brown and dark heather
• silver with carnelian
• autumn tones - brown, gold, olive green, mustard
• natural colors, beiges, brown, olives, greens
• I love to wear earth colored creations....woods, shells, browns, and olives.
• copper (metal beads) and olivine (glass bead,preferably matte!)
• amber and turquoise
• amber, with beaten silver and turquoise is a great combo.

Black - the universal accent - the queen of all colours - the primordial colour - the void. The alpha and omega. Is there any colour that doesn't look better with black?

• Black with any color
• matte black and hematite!
• black and gold or citrine
• black and red
• black/red/topaz
• black and any reds
• black, blues, purples
• black & silver
• black and white and red
• black and tan
• Black and white
• black and blue
• Black and all shades of grey
• gold and black beads
• Black and crystal
• black-with light pink
• J'adore black and blood red
• Silver with red and black beads.
• Gold with yellow and black beads.
• Blackand Blue - navy, turquoise/aqua.
• Dark Purple/Black
• black onyx with silver
• black and red and gold together
• black and white/clear

And one final combo for you -

• OOHH hematite with COPPER ya ya yah!!!

The Joy of Metal Clay - Being stumped creatively

Well it seems that my ideas for metal clay posts seems to be waining. Perhaps it is due to the many things I am trying to juggle and the lack of focus this can create. I read Jen's post (from Thursday this week) about planning and it made me smile as I idealize planning but often find myself flying by the seat of my pants too. This disappoints me but sometimes that pressure can allow to stumble on new things. I have so many things I want to do...get into the garden and clean it up and welcome my new flowers, clean the kitchen (which I mean declutter it), declutter the house, play soccer with the kids, read a book, try several new recipes (all at once...I say if I am going to make a mess then it should be big) and make myself a metal clay dragonfly. Hmmm it is hard to fit all this in one weekend . So the metal clay dragonfly has not happened and it looks like it won't be done tomorrow as the kitchen is a mess and I have a bunch of groceries bought for those new recipes. Since the dragonfly is not made but the planning has started, I thought I would like to talk about the planning involved in some of my creations. Although I just said that I am a fly by the seat of my pants girl...I have matured and do actually preform research and planning into a lot of what I do, and as I tell my husband there is often "method to my madness". There was a time when I would just start making something without any direction, I have matured in my approach (the cost of disappointment in silver clay alone helps with this personal growth). Many people will peruse jewelry to help with inspiration....this works well for some. For me, I avoid this technique (although as jewelry artist one will always admire others works of art) but I avoid using this as my source of inspiration as I do not want to end up copying ideas. My inspiration comes from many things (ie. a picture, my children, a desire, nature, a request from a customer, or more). Often I stay up at night thinking about mechanical challenges as I love construction and movement (but that will be another story). Once I have an idea I look for pictures, sketch a diagram of what I want and sit down with an alternative clay to help my hands create and problem solve. For the dragonfly I have sought out pictures on the Internet. I look at both photographs and sketches to look at both a realistic dragonfly and other interpretations. Once I have done this I will sketch out some ideas and look at textures to determine what I want to use. Then I sit down and create. That is how it is done. Hopefully I will find time this week to make this dragonfly and I will be able share it next week.

The Business Chat - Behind the scene work

Recently I met a friend for coffee because she was buzzing with excitement and wanted my advice on her new venture. My friend makes jewelry but hasn’t had much success in selling it. She was convinced that this was it, she had the most brilliant idea and the money was going to roll in like crazy. Heck, she was talking about hiring help. Her idea? She was going to set up an Etsy shop!!! Well, she wasn’t going to set it up because unfortunately she’s not really good with computers and refuses to learn, can’t take photos and hates to write. She was going to be partners with a painter, he would do the computer work and she’d ship all the orders. Their shop would have both paintings and jewelry. Oy vey. Much as I try to encourage people I had to rain on her parade before she did something dumb like hiring staff. The reason she has not had much success in the 8 years she’s been making jewelry is because that’s all she does – make jewelry. Making jewelry, or paintings, or sweaters, or wooden toys is the easy and fun part. Selling it is work. Very. Hard. Work. In order to sell successfully either online or offline you must market your work. You must have a strong brand. You need great photos. You need to write about your work. Sometimes you have to advertise. You have to run a business. These things take time and there are no short cuts. I am a full-time glass bead artist and jewelry designer. I make a “living” doing this. For every one hour I spend making work I spend four hours running a business to sell this work. If I didn’t put those four hours in then there’s no point in even spending that one hour making it as I won’t have any sales. My friend wanted to start on online business without having any knowledge of what was involved. She has only been on Etsy once to look for supplies. (Now that shocked me, a crafter who doesn’t look at other artists?) Her reason for jumping on the bandwagon is because she read about it in the newspaper and thought she would hit the jackpot. The article talked about a couple of sellers who were making a full time living online. What the article didn't talk about was the 398,000 who weren't. My advice to her was to do the market research. If you are contemplating a major step such as beginning an Etsy shop you have to know what Etsy is. You need to see who you’re competitors are. Spend a lot of hours looking at the site and checking out your competition. See how they style their photos, look at their pricing, look at their sold items and see what is selling. Read the Etsy forums and get some advice. Network within the forums and make friends. Check to see how the top sellers are marketing themselves, are they blogging, facebooking, tweeting, advertising, what do they do to drive traffic to their site? Opening an online shop is just like opening a bricks-and-mortar shop, you wouldn’t open without doing the research to see what the neighbourhood is like, what your competition is doing and if it’s financially viable. My second piece of advice for her was to ditch the idea of a partnership. To sell you need to have a strong brand and it must stand on it’s own. YOU are what is selling just as much as your work, going in with someone else just dilutes the flavour. If you need help because you don’t have all the skills then get help, hire it or learn it. Running a micro crafty business involves a lot of time being the little engine that could, you just keep chugging along, instead of “I think I can” I like to think of it as “I know I can”. And then do more work.

Inspiration Friday

Happy Friday! I've been having serious internet connectivity woes. If I reboot the router, I get anywhere from 15 minutes, to  an hour or two online (when it works at all). I'll have to purchase a new router this weekend. In the meantime, I wanted to get my Inspiration Friday post out before the router dies for good :-)

This picture particularly inspired me this week. It forced me to use colours outside of my comfort zone, and I'm quite happy with the results.  I'm hoping to get some more time on the torch later today - I'd like to make another set of these to make a necklace or bracelet with.

Painted Desert, a photo by heartonastick on Flickr.

We would love to have you show off your stuff! Were you inspired this past week by anything? Send us pics of your creation to info@beadfx.com with the subject line "Inspiration Friday" 

New Design!

Hey - whaddya think of the new layout for the blog? Not a huge difference - just streamlining it a little. A little cleaner looking, don't you think?

Jen's having internet woes - so she asked me to put up a little something - until she can beat it into submission. We do everything ourselves around here - including fixing our own internet and computer problems. Well - lately we've been getting help - because it's impossible to stay current with all the computer stuff and do anything else!

Anyhoo - I saw a couple of things this morning that I was trying to figure out who to share them with - and guess what - you just got lucky. :-P

First up - Car Eyelashes. Silly. Cute. Funny. Witty. Eyelashes for your car. Why not? Cuter on the bug than the bimmer, I think.


Next up - the Skull Cameo Ring from Evil Pawn Jewelry. I love this - what a hoot. I especially love this because I admire the skill that goes into carving a cameo - which involves taking a piece of shell or stone, and very carefully carving through the layers to expose the different colours. Take off too much, and you are screwed. So, knowing that, I have zero love of the molded plastic cameos - the "dreaded ponytail girl" that is depicted on most of them. So I think this is great - a shot at that trite bit of pseudo-sentimentality. (ooo - tell us what you REALLY think!) Other way cool stuff on her site too - waaaay outside the box. Box - is there a box? I don't see a box at all!

And third up - just to show that I do have a gooey sentimental streak - a bulldog puppy - learning to walk. Awwww - how cute is this?




Cheers! Now - go be inspired to make something cute, funny and irreverent!

Planning, and a few ideas please!

I recently listened to an excellent podcast on blog planning. Yes, the I just typed the word planning. Anyone who knows me is probably chuckling (or snorting coffee through their nose) at my use of the word planning. Let's just say I'm more of a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl. ;-)

Planner, a photo by ellajphillips on Flickr.

If you want to listen to the podcast, (and if you write a blog - you should) check out CraftyPod.  There are numerous other fascinating podcasts on crafty topics there as well. Be sure to check them all out.

Here is where you come in! It has always been my goal for my Thursday posts to show a new technique, something I've been working on, or a little mini tutorial perhaps. But of course, with my lack of planning ahead - sometimes I have something to show...sometimes not.

I would love to hear comments from you about what sort of jewelry/beading/mixed media techniques you would like to learn a little more about.  I certainly can't promise a full on tutorial every week, but if I can take the mystery out of a technique for you - I'm game.

April is Beginner Month

If you're a beginner looking to learn the basics of jewellery making, you have options this month. From basic bead stringing to lampworked beads, its really up to you.

Marilyn Gardiner, a long time instructor with beadFX, is teaching her Bead Stringing 101 class April 16th, 10am to 12:30pm. You'll learn how to make a single-strand bracelet and/or necklace.



Here's another beginner class for you: Introduction to Art Clay Silver, April 30th 10am - 5pm. In this class you will learn the fundamentals of working with Art Clay Silver. We will mold, shape and texture this revolutionary material to create your own one of a kind, fine silver jewellery. During the class, you will have the opportunity to create earrings, charms, or a pendant. All materials included!



Another cool jewellery making technique is Wire Working. Wire Sculptor, Robert Burton, is teaching a 3 week beginner wire working course (only 3 hours per week), starting April 21st
6 to 9pm. You'll learn basic wire techniques, wire wrapping and wire sculpting. Robert will also discuss the properties of various types of wire and the appropriate wire to use with different projects. Students will attempt to complete 4 projects: a pendant, earrings, wrapped cabachon and a bracelet.



What if you want to learn how to make your own beads? Try Introduction to Lampworking, April 10th, 11am to 4pm. This class will introduce you to the wonderful world of making lampworked or flameworked beads. Topics covered include: making Glass Beads, types of glass, overview of the equipment and tools, basic safety information, and setting up a home studio.



For other beginner classes and advanced level classes check our April class schdule.

Adios Amigos!

Survey Says: ... What is your favourite kind of bead

Each month, we have a little contest where we give away a prize or gift certificate, and while you are entering, we ask a question - just a little something to help us understand you and remind us of what else you might want (back in the early days - we had to be careful that we didn't stock only blue beads - based on personal bias ... ).

Thought you might be interested in the answers from March. It fun to read what you say - and really fun when someone says exactly what you are thinking!

The question was: What is your favourite kind of bead. What makes your heart go pitter-pat?

And survey sez:

The flat out winner was Crystal - and most of you are knowledgeable and particular enough to specify Swarovski Crystal! Here's some of your comments!

• Nothing beats a handful of Swarovski crystals!!! A lot of bling, for something that is not the real thing!!!! Works for me!!
  

• crystal hearts (you must be in heaven right about now, with all the new crystal hearts from Swarovski that just came out!)

• I actually have two, I love pearls and crystals, crystals being the ultimate!

• pearls and crystal and antique ox-blood red coral (sounds yummy!)
  

• It's a hard call but I have a serious love affair with crystal. (me too!)
  

• I love any Swarovski.... love the sparkle. I am also very attracted to jasper... all kinds of jasper. Lately I have been hooked on unique findings. Guess I just love it all!

• Right now I am in love with Swarovski rondelles.  Actually anything that is glittery is wonderful. (Yeah - ain't it the truth!)

• Swarovski all the way!!

• Crystal.  Love the colours, the sparkle, the size variations in the same shape.  They never tarnish, rarely chip, and a light polishing keeps them gorgeous. (Hire that gal and put her in marketing!)

• swarovski and anything with an AB in the description!

• Swarovski....anything and eveything Swarovski.....

• i love shiny and sparkly! I spell that Swarovski :-)  (Awww - I bet you just make someone at Swarovski cry!)

Next up - seems to be the stone and gemstone beads - although - it's clear that you have many different reasons for loving them!

• fire agate, iridescent gemstones

• Natural stones! I love the colours and the inclusions!
  

• any gemstones  kyanite  and morganite

• Powerful gemstone beads get me all a-flutter.
  

• goldstone any shape/size (boy - is she in luck! Wait till she sees April's stone of the month!)

• Natural stones. I am rock crazy!

• Abalone, opal, and emerald.
  

• I love the rough stone beads!
  

• I gravitate to many semi-precious stones.  Right now I love turquoise.  Such a simple stone that\'s beautiful with sterling silver, leather, cord, etc.  Heishi beads are my new fave.

• Lately I can't get enough Turquoise, bronze and copper beads/findings. I really enjoy working with stone and wire wrapping, it is one of my favorite methods of crafting my handmade jewelry. I was floored when I got an eyeful of all your luscious beads :)
  

• Hematite! I love the coolness of it and the shine!!

• I love expensive stone beads ... (Yeah. Me too!)
  

• pyrite beads(all sorts!) and agate rounds!

• color change garnet  :-)  (I don't think we've ever had any of that - oh Marg! .... )
  

• agates and jaspers remind me of finding pretty stones as a child (What a lovely insight - is the joy of beading connected to the joy of childhood discovery?)

• I love semi-precious gemstones, especially labradorite, moonstone, and citrine.
  

• I like natural beads (semi-precious stone, shell, wood...those kinds of things) and simple jewelry that is easy to wear with anything.

Pearls too, are way popular! Especially in combination ...

• natural materials like pearls and semi-precious beads

• pearls - every shape, color and size.  Reminds me of a more elegant time. (Well said!)

• I have a soft spot for pearls, but I especially love using found objects in jewelry. I enjoy taking something that is pretty much junk and trying to figure out how to incorporate it into a piece of jewelry.

• ACK!!!  So hard to choose!!  Gemstones in general, I guess, but it depends on what kind of style I am hooked on at the time.  Vintaj is one biggie....so pearls and firepolish look the best with that.  Hmmm, change that to PEARLS!!  We Geminis love pearls!! (Geminis are in two minds about everything?  ;-)    )

• Generally speaking, pearls, pearls, pearls and Swarovski, Swarovski, Swarovski. For semi-precious gemstones, my favourite is probably Red Creek or Picasso Jasper. Sigh. Oh the colours, the colours!
  

Lampwork beads are obviously very popular too!

• I can only choose one kind?  I suppose lampwork beads are the ones that really turn my crank!  Like the string of Chili pepper ones I saw (and left behind *sniff*) the other day.

• I have recently fallen in love with handmade lampwork beads, especially those with metallics flakes or swirled inside. They look so mysterious!

• Hand made lampworked beads, definitely.  I've tried a short course on lampworking, so I understand how much practice and skill are involved in creating such lovely things.
  

• I like a large lampwork bead in just the right colours that I can use as a focal bead.
  

• I'm totally addicted to all sorts of lampwork and boro beads but can't stop buying little round ones to support my right angle obsession
  
  

Seedbeads, tiny beads, Delicas - big contingent of fans out there!

• I love seed beads. So tiny, and so versatile! (Sums it up, doesn't it?)

• all size 15 beads the smaller the better, and of course fun semi precious!!!

• Seed Beads and Ravoli's (Pretty sure that rivoli's - not pasta!)
  

• seed beads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANY COLOR, ANY SIZE WELL MORE THE 11's
  

• I just love the sheer variety of your store, I haven't been beading very long.  I mostly buy Size 11 Tohos because I love beadweaving and it suits my budget.
  

• Delicas.  and toho size 15s. and the madagascar chrysicola.  I'm rather fond of bead-weaving, so I like the little ones over-all.
  

• bugles, squares, seedbeads.
  

• Oh my goodness! All of them! lol. But if I could just choose one it would have to be 11/0 seed beads.  I could just look at them all day.
  

• I don't really have a favorite - I love so many different kinds, but seed beads certainly are high on the list!
  

• Daggers and magatamas!

Some of you are colour-oriented - you don't care what type the bead is, if it's the right colour ... .

• Pretty much anything orange.

• crystal-especially purple :-)

• i like black gittery beads

• Turquoise/teal color

• amethyst, at least in colour
  

• bright or intense colors

• bright opaque solid colors......

• The shinier, the more glittery, the better! Jewel colors, bright gold, shimmering crystal -- if there's color and translucency, I'm happy!

For some of you - it all about the shape!

• teardrops

• two hole beads.

• rondelles

• triangles

For some, your favourites cover a large selection,

• anything shiny, sparkly and colourful

• pretty, sparkly

• Anything with a hole in it!!

• Czech pressed glass flowers, leaves, fruit, critters, etc.

• Anything new.

• I love mostly everything I see!  So excited about all the possibilities!!
  

• wayyyy toooo many!!!

• Every type of bead

• sterling silver

• glass

• shiny beads and wire that doesn't tarnish

• I love czech beads (fp, flowers, leaves) in unusual colours and finishes. Makes me drool! Also, I love the colours in boro glass beads.
  

And for some of you - your choice is really, really specific

• Right now, I'm really liking the colour-changing coffee bean beads. Very cool.

• pink flower

• I love double-drilled beads like the flower jade ovals.  They remind me of a bracelet my mom had in the 40s.  They truly are beautiful.

• Hmmm... Currently in love with drop beads under a centimeter long.
  

• Those mood beads are just divine!
  

• size 8 seed beads in metallics (Now there's someone who knows what she wants!)

• Heliotrope Swarovski Elements Crystal Heart Pendant
  

• brushed copper, beads with 2 holes (well technically 4)and lampwork

  
  

Some of you are even making your own ...

• Ceramic bead and pendants.  This is what I'm into now.  Making my own. Just love the feeling when I open my kiln and see my treasures. (It's a great feeling, isn't it? Makes every day like Christmas!)

Some of you are all about a look or feel to the bead ...

• I really love beads that look ancient or ethnic...unique! I also like Kazuri beads, especially the 2 or 3-colour ones in gorgeous colours. And then, of course, I love almost everything copper! And...and...and...........

• I like beads that are unsual and bold in colour.

• My favourite kind of bead is the irregular form. Be it an angular and edgy faceted creation or a 'naturally' curvy nugget; gemstone, rock, metal, glass, or pearl, it will draw me in and be my source of creative inspiration. Those on the site most exciting to me right now are the copper and sterling carved boulders, the sterling hammered nuggets and the semiprecious stone rough chunks, faceted trapezoids and irregular nuggets.(Those are way cool, aren't they? I love those too!)

• Lately I've fallen in love with Stoney looking glass beads with Picasso finishes and Jasper stones.  They have such gorgeous textures in them.  I'm really fickle - show me a bead and I'll fall in love - us addicts are like that!!

Some of you are in flux ...

• I love Swarovski, and generally work showcasing bicones, however I've just started playing with a Kumihimo disk, and can't wait to see what I can create with it.
  

• I am more of a metal person (chainmail, wirework), but I must confess a strong liking for Swarosvki crystallized elements, especially the complex shapes like leaves.

• I think it's a tie between faceted, somewhat clear crystals and cloisonne. The details in both are fascinating, and it just makes me think of how much effort and time both must have taken to be created. I'm a sucker for them!
  

• Seedbeads at the moment. But I am still learning and experimenting so that may change.

And an awful lot of you thought it was just a ridiculous question. Whaddya mean "choose one?"

• It is too difficult to decide a favourite bead.

• ALL

• You mean there are things people DON'T like? I guess I'd have to saw Swarovski crystals are my favs.

• It's a tie between Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones.  I love the sparkle of the crystals, but I also love the smoothness and unique combinations of colors you can find in a lot of the semi-precious stones.

• I change my mind every MONTH, DAY or WEEK. That's why I spend TOO much money on beads and have a studio full of them. I could just roll in them all day!

• All beads make my heart go pitter-pat which my growing bead stash will attest to.

• That is a very hard question to answer. My choice and favorite bead would depend upon what I was making. There are some beads I would never mix with another. (Hmmm- wonder what those are? That would make an interesting question some month ... . )

• whose kidding who?  I love them all!!

For me personally - it's a 3-way tie between lampwork, Swarovski Crystals and stone/gemstone beads. With a side order of sterling and copper. Oh what the heck - what this answer just sums it up.

• That is an impossible question  to answer.

;-)

The Joy of Metal Clay - Metal Clay Artist Magazine

Good news at BeadFX, they are now carrying Metal Clay Artist Magazine. A proudly Canadian conceived magazine started by Jeanette LeBlanc, Canadian Metal Clay Artist at the helm. This magazine was debuted at the Metal Clay World Conference in Chicago in 2009 and has grown with international contributions and includes articles in French as well. This month's magazine is featuring Sterling Silver Clay!!! Find out more at http://www.metalclayartistmag.com/ It is a great source of inspiration and ideas. Stop by the store and pick up a copy. Enjoy! Heather

The Business Chat - Custom Work how to's

Today I had not one but two separate Kleenex conversations with fellow designers. Both were in tears due to nasty falling outs and disputes with customers over the same problems – custom projects that had gone wrong. In both cases all the nastiness could have been avoided, that was the part that had me wringing my hands.

Custom work can be an easy and lucrative source of income for any maker. It’s especially nice because unlike making work for shows it doesn’t require any outlay of money on your part up front. You have a guaranteed sale. Where it can go wrong is when the expectations between the parties haven’t been clearly stated and WRITTEN DOWN.

If you are going to take on a custom project it is absolutely necessary to spell out the process to the customer, keep very detailed notes and communicate clearly to the customer.

In the first of my conversations my colleague agreed to make a necklace for her customer that involved making all the components, then assembling the necklace. It was very detailed and very expensive. The customer bargained the maker down on price. The maker made the large focal bead and the customer decided she didn’t like it. The maker remade it. Again. And again. And again. 4 times before the customer was happy. Then the customer decided that the design wasn’t what she wanted and demanded some changes. This went on several times. By the time the necklace was finally done the customer was unhappy with how long this had taken and wanted a discount.

In my second conversation, a pair of earrings was agreed upon and paid for. When the customer opened the package she hated them insisting that they were nothing like what they were supposed to be and demanded her money back.

Both of these situations could have been avoided by having written agreements signed by both parties. While I think that both of these customers were in the wrong it is the fault of the maker for not clearly stating what they have agreed to and getting the customer to sign off on anything. In the second situation the maker thought, “well, it’s just a pair of earrings, why would I get anything signed for something so small?” No matter how big or small a job, you must always treat yourself as a business and be professional.

Let’s walk through an ideal custom job. The process is the same if you are having an addition build on your house, a couch designed or a pair of earrings. You decide on a maker. Together you discuss the project, the materials that will be used and your requirements. You agree upon a price and the timeframe. The maker gives you a contract and you sign it. Now you know what to expect. Next the maker shows you a choice of designs. If you don’t like any of them usually there will be 2 or 3 rounds of changes, the number of times you can change the design was stated in your contract. If you want more changes the maker charges you for their time. When you’re happy you sign off on the design. The maker completes the project within the timeframe. If you aren’t happy then together you discuss the problems. If the problems are due to a change in the agreed upon design, or the materials, or the quality of the workmanship then the onus is upon the maker to fix them. If the piece is as agreed upon, and you have changed your mind, then the maker has the right to charge for any changes that you want.

So how do you do this? Well, write out all the things that you agree to do. Write down how many times you are willing to change the design for free. Write down how much you will charge for design changes if the customer insists on reworking the project over and over. For every project you agree to do make sure you write down the delivery date. Write down how much of a deposit you require you if they must pay up front. Mark down when they do pay, mark down when you send your designs for approval and when they sign off on them. Keep a paper trail on every single detail no matter how small. Once you have all this down create your own special order form with this information on it. No need to be overly wordy, clear and concise is good. I recommend getting your order forms printed at an office supply store that prints 2 part carbonless forms (NCR forms, you can get them at Kinkos for 50c each).

Even if the job is a single pair of earrings treat it as a large and important project. Treat your customer with respect and be professional. If you don’t act as a professional, why would the customer treat you as one?

Inspiration Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I've had a weirdly busy week, and nowhere near enough time in the studio. I am inspired to start creating again - and I think this will help me out.

I just created a spring inspired treasury over on etsy. Hope this get the creative juices flowing for you.

Secret Garden on etsy

We would love to have you show off your stuff! We're you inspired this past week by anything? Send us pics of your creation to info@beadfx.com with the subject line "Inspiration Friday"