Slip into Summer with June Classes

June? Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago we were shoveling snow?

Yes, June is just around the corner. School wrap-ups, graduations, and getting ready for vacations. At BeadFX, we not winding down. In fact, we're gearing up for the best summer of classes yet!

June kicks off with classes in a variety of mediums including classes in three types of metal clays. Dwyn covered in a previous blog the differences between the three types of clay:

"All three types - Art Clay Silver, Prometheus, and Hadar's Clay - are "metal" clays - they are a very finely ground powdered metal, mixed with an organic binder. You work it and shape it like a pottery clay, rolling, wetting, drying, carving, etc. It is then fired to burn off the binders and leaves you with a solid-metal, finished piece. The metal powder doesn't melt, the metal powder joins to itself in a process called "sintering". 

"These are 3 different brands, from 3 different manufacturers: Art Clay Silver is pure, precious silver clay - so that your finished piece is made of fine silver. Hadar's Clay comes as a powder; you add water and mix it yourself. Prometheus is newish to market, and new to us, although not new to our instructor. It is a pre-mixed clay, and comes in two colours: copper and bronze."

Here are the scheduled classes for June 1 - 15:

Friday, June 5
Introduction to Art Clay Silver
Instructor: Jenn Jevons
11:00am - 7:00pm






 

Saturday, June 6
Mold Making for Art Clay Silver
Instructor: Jenn Jevons
11:00am - 5:00pm

NEW Wire Wrapping: Dragon's Eye Bracelet

Instructor: Jen Rosen

11:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday, June 7

NEW Toggle Basics in Art Clay Silver
Instructor: Jenn Jevons
11:00am - 5:00pm
 

Pebbledash Polymer Clay Pendant and Bead

Instructor: Barbara Colautti

11:30am - 4:30pm

Thursday, June 11
Hot Connections: Bangles Afternoon Class
Instructor: Iris Rogers Melamed
10:30am - 4:30pm

Spiral It Up Bracelet

Instructor: Pamela Kearns

6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, June 12
Intuitive Bead Embroidery
Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers
11:30am - 2:30pm
(continues Friday, June 19; 10:00am - 5:00pm)

NEW Copper Charm Bracelet using Prometheus Clay

Instructor: Sue Henry

5:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday, June 13
Cold Connections 1: Rivets
Instructor: Iris Rogers Melamed
10:00am - 5:00pm

NEW Mixed Up Media: Bezels with Ice Resin

Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers

11:00am - 5:00pm

Sunday, June 14
NEW Watercolour Dreams - Mixed Media Cuff using Ice Resin
Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers
10:00am - 5:00pm

Getting Started with Hadar's Clay, Part 1

Instructor: Liz Reynolds

11:00am - 4:30pm

Complete information about each class, including course descriptions and applicable fees, can be found on our website. Click on 'Classes' and follow the links to the June calendar. 

Bring your projects and join us at our FREE open bead opportunities:

Wednesday, June 3
Wednesday, June 10
Open Bead Night
Facilitator: BeadFX staff members Bonnie Cottingham, Pamela Kearns or Malliga Nathan
6:00 - 8:00pm

Thursday, June 4

Thursday, June 11

Afternoon Bead Tea

Facilitator: Pamela Kearns

1:00 - 3:00pm

BeadFX is proud to offer these FREE sessions. In return we ask that you use our merchandise in our facility. Thank you.

The Business Chat - Stalking for answers

“How often should I blog?” “Which social media platforms should I use?” “Should I do any of the Thanksgiving craft shows?” “How can I double my sales this summer?”

Here is my answer.

I have no idea.

You are unique. Your work is unique. Your goals are yours alone. This is your business that you are running. Your situation is unique and special and only you can decide what you should be doing.

I can help you with how to set up a blog. I cannot tell you if you should be blogging. No one can. What if you hate writing? Or know that you can’t/won’t spare the time for it on a consistent basis? Or don’t feel comfortable with sharing your process? Only you know these answers and only you can make that decision.  

There is no formula for running your micro crafty business. If you are looking for a business with a formula and guaranteed success, find a lot of money and buy a McFranchise. Someone will tell you how to say “Would you like fries with that?”

You must make your own map to success.

While there is no formula for you to follow, a really interesting exercise is to look at other people’s maps. There is a reason that biographies are so popular, we all want to know how someone else made it.

If you want to know how someone succeeds it’s really easy these days.

Stalk them.

(not literally, that would be illegal).

Study their business. See where they sell. Read their blog, follow them on facebook, follow their tweets. Check how often they post on Instagram, see what groups they belong to on Flickr, study their Pinterest boards. Do they post free tutorials on any craft blogs? Do they guest post? How often do they update their online shop? And what online shop platform do they use?

Whenever I am making a decision about joining a new social media platform, or contemplating a major step, I check to see what the people I follow do. I currently follow 14 people closely. These are people in all different businesses, not just jewelry. I follow people in different industries because sometimes you have to think outside the box.   

As you do your research, think a lot about what you are learning and ask yourself what you want to do. Just because someone you admire blogs twice a day doesn’t mean that you have to in order to succeed. If you hate blogging then don’t blog. You’ll find another road to success.

It’s interesting to see someone else’s path to success. Do remember that this is their path, not yours. Trying to duplicate someone else’s road will not work. Because they are not you. You must find your own path.  

Voyeuristic peeking into the lives of businesses that are bigger than yours can be a lot of fun, but remember this: what really counts is what you’re doing, not what they’re doing. 

InspirationFX: Cirque du Spring

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InspirationFX

Get your creative juices flowing

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Cirque du Spring

by: Lee Metsalo

When we got this assortment of brushed beads in, I visualized them assembled into different patterns, mostly architectural shapes from different countries.  But as I moved the pieces around, I also saw circus acrobats, and thus, this pendant was born.  Can’t you envision this dancing to your favourite Cirque du Soleil soundtrack?
Tinned copper is silver coloured, but not silver. It is not as shiny as the silverplated, but less expensive and good for practicing with. Artistic Wire is a copper cored wire that bends easily and holds its shape.

 

Tools used:  roudnose pliers, flatnose pliers, wire cutters.

Components

Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need!
Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.

20% off Leather and Leather stuff

20% off leather, and stuff to go on the leather. Like the findings and the beads designed to go on it!

Leather is hot - smokin' hot. Leather cord, Licorice Leather, flat leather - leather can look polished, chic, earthy, funky, or all of the above. We have leather and beads and findings for all your leather needs!

1.5 mm Leather Cord		2 mm Leather Cord		Beads / Findings for 2 mm Round Leather		3 mm Leather Cord		5 mm Round
5 mm Polyester Cord		Beads / Findings for 5 mm Round Leather		5 mm & 10 mm Flat		Beads for Flat Leather		Findings for Flat Leather
Tierracast Findings		Nappa Leather		Lacing		Leather Crimps		Suede Ribbon
Regaliz / Licorice Leather		10 mm Round Nylon Cord		Cork		10 mm Round Findings and Beads		Leather Embellishment
Leather Strips		Second Skin Fish Leather		Tools