Maggie Meister's Classical Elegance

Reading this book, I feel as though I've stepped back in time. Maggie Meister of Amphora Designs has managed to recreate the essence of century's old jewelry designs, but in seed beads. In Chapter 3, she shows a gold seed bead bracelet that is so breathtaking and the original that inspired the design. It's truly fascinating to read the history behind the designs in this book, all museum quality pieces. This is a must have for any serious seed beader!

Hearts From a Friend

If you're a facebook addict like I am, you might've noticed that recently you've been given the option to send a gift to someone you're sending birthday wishes to. I was always skeptical, thinking that maybe it's yet another scam, but on my birthday this past week, I got a notice that my friend, Lori Anderson, sent me a birthday gift...jelly beans! I was still skeptical, but filled out my info & lo & behold, guess what came in the mail today?? JELLY BEANS! From Lori Anderson! I'll give a shout out to the company they came from, Sugarfina.com. And they're heart shaped! Now I don't know if I can bring myself to eat them, they're so cute! Thank you Lori for the jelly beans, but even more so for your friendship! <3

You've Got Mail!

I was so excited to get my mail today! My bead soup arrived from my bead soup blog party partner, the uber talented seedbead artist, Skylar Bre'z. I was perusing her etsy shop and look at the lovelies I found there, like this one with druzy cabs...totally drool worthy!

Or this whimsical one...

Head on over to her etsy shop & check out her work!

Now, on to the bead soup she sent, along with a very thoughtful and beautiful hand written note. Even the envelope is beautiful!

 

And now for my beautiful soup...please stop by March 30th for the big reveal!

Bead Soup's On!!

I connected with my bead soup partner, a hugely talented seedbead artist. Not sure we're supposed to reveal that info yet, so will hold off for now. We were supposed to not ask what they'd like, but to send something that might challenge them. I SO hope she likes what I've sent out today. Wanna see??

Please stop back 3/30/13 for the reveal. Can't wait to see what I get!

Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded Ropes

I recently had the pleasure of reading (and drooling over) Jill Wiseman's (of Tapestry Beads) new book, Beautiful Beaded Ropes, a book released by Lark Books. It's a stunning book full of many projects. What I like about this book is that it has something for everyone, from simple peyote ropes, like the Dancing Waves Necklace on pg. 47 to the much more intricate and advanced Abundance Necklace (the cover photo). This book will take you through them all.

Being a lampworker and a seedbeader myself, I also enjoyed seeing how she combined the 2 in her Falling For You Necklace on pg. 27. Definitely on my to do list. But I went ga ga over her Flirtation Bracelet on pg. 30. LOVE the dangling fringe on it! Such a great look!

Can I gush a little??

I submitted a photo of my work to The Flow, a prestigious glass magazine, for inclusion into their Winter 2012 Women in Glass issue. I've known for some time now that I was accepted, but was not allowed to mention it until the issue came out. Well, several people received theirs weeks ago, but having waited this long I decided that I would wait for my own copy so I could see it with my own eyes. It came today!! Here it is on page 6! It's the center bead on the bottom left, #7. I feel blessed to be included in an issue with such huge talents, so many of whom are my personal friends! Girl power!! :-)

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

Lori Anderson presented the idea of this blog hop as a way to honor the memory or to thank someone who means a lot to us. As she simply states, "You never know what you might mean to someone". The idea of this blog came about after the passing of another beader, Marianna Adams, who sadly I did not know, but who's daughter, Lena Adams, I recently 'met'. What a special young lady she is. Her mother would be so proud!

Rather than touch on the memory aspect I chose to focus on the thanks. There have been so many wonderful, talented beaders I've come to know over the years, many of whom I've come to call friends. One such person is Marlene Cupo of Amazing Designs by Marlene. I 'met' Marlene through a Cup of Bead Soup that I was invited to participate in. Marlene was 1 of 4 participants besides Lori Anderson and we quickly forged a friendship. We even had plans to meet in NYC when she came up north for a visit to her daughter and grandchildren. But then Hurricane Sandy hit and the meeting never took place. In my heart of hearts, I know that we will 1 day meet.

Even before this blog I had intended to make her something special as a surprise. When I ran a fundraiser for Hurricane Sandy victims recently, Marlene bid on a pair of hand knit socks that she knew I was dying for. She outbid me, but before long, those socks showed up in my mail, bid on and purchased for me by my dear friend. She said that she wanted to do something to support the relief effort and do something nice for a friend. That's just the kind of person she is.

So, when this blog hop idea came up, she immediately came to mind. I was already planning on making her something special and this provided me with the idea. Marianna's favorite color was red. I have been making lampwork glass ribbon hearts in all sorts of colors, red being one of the most popular. I attached it to a beaded spiral rope in white with red crystal accents, with one of my white swirled lampwork beads one 1 side and a vintage red elongated bicone on the other, finished off with a matching sterling heart clasp. I hope she likes it and makes her smile as I did while making it for her.

I hope you'll  join me in checking out the other amazingly talented artists to see what they've come up with and their inspirations. I had issues with posting the complete list here so please go to Lori Anderson's blog, Pretty Things, for the complete list.

Pretty Things

Review: Kalmbach's Easy Crystal Stitching by Nikia Angel

I had the pleasure (and I DO mean PLEASURE!) of reading Nikia Angel's new book, "Easy Crystal Stitching" published by Kalmbach. I'm all about bling and this book is chock full of it. It's hard to imagine, but all the projects are based on Nikia's Sparkly Wheel or a derivative there of. It's amazing that a single component can have so many different looks. It really encourages people to think outside the box.

And here's my version. I added a peyote bail so it can be work as a pendant. Pretty pleased. :-)

Review: Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies

I had the pleasure of reading and drooling over all the lovely creations in Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies, another in Lark Books' Beadweaving Master Class series. I'm a huge admirer of Sabine's work and have several of her patterns so was anxious to read this book. As an added bonus, Lark is offering 50% off on their books through 12/11 through Barnes and Noble, so don't delay! Get your copy NOW!

The photographs are beautifully done and the illustrations are easy to follow. I really appreciate that she adds dimensions for the finished size on all the projects, both in inches and centimeters. This is a wonderful thing to do, especially since it's often hard to grasp the size of a bracelet, pendant, etc. when there are no sizes posted. Really helps in the planning process in case adjustments have to be made.

One of my favorite designs of Sabine's is covered in this book, her Granada Brooch. It's chock full of blingy goodness! Here's my interpretation...don't look too closely or you'll see some of my threads showing. Oh well, better luck next time because there WILL be a next time. I just love how these come out & am already dreaming up my next color combo.  

Holiday Trunk Show Is Underway!

Mea culpa! I completely forgot to blog about my Holiday Trunk Show on Facebook, but have no fear....It doesn't end until tonight, Thursday, December 6th at 9PM EST. Lots of beads & jewelry of all price ranges available, with low starting prices. Step right in!

Artisan Whimsy Giveaway Winner!!

WOW! What a week it's been! Or should I say month?!?? It culminated with my daughter-in-law having emergency appendectomy surgery yesterday morning...poor thing! Wishing her a speedy recovery! 

Back to the topic at hand. It's been so crazy here lately that I honestly couldn't tell you for sure if I got more traffic to my sites or not, but I thoroughly enjoyed checking in on teammates' blogs and seeing their work. What beautiful eye candy! 

I had 10 visitors to my blog, possibly more, but 10 that were kind enough to leave comments. I used random.org to select a winner to my giveaway, a $25 gift certificate to either of my shops. And the winner is................................#5, Tammie Tusher Everly. I will be contacting you later today with details. 

Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort Donation

A BIG whopping thank you to my fabulous friends who came together for this wonderful cause. Together we raised almost $1,000! ALL that money was donated to
the church of Iglesia Pentecostal de Jesucristo Cristo Viene on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. Mandy Bickerstaff personally delivered a check to them Wednesday night. Maggie, the wife of the reverend, has been leading the charge to feed those still reeling from the destruction multiple times a day. This money will go to support their continued meal service as well as provide money to defer the costs of rebuilding the church, which was badly damaged in the storm, so they can continue to provide such great services to the community and ensure that everyone is safe.

Copying this from Mandy Bickerstaff, who runs UWSLoves

Today we made a family and community happy. Augustine and Milagros, the reverends of the church, and the proud momma of Maggie, accepted the check for almost $1000 that was raised by the Artisanal Holiday Sale. Thank you to everyone that helped!

 ***Disclaimer: Excerpts have been taken from UWSLoves***

Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort is in Full Swing!

Almost 4 weeks since Hurricane Sandy hit (WOW!!! I can't believe how long it's been though it seems like yesterday!) & there are still so many people that are affected. Those that lost their homes have been put up in hotels, but many don't have enough money for food & supplies. My cousin, Mandy Bickerstaff, set up a grassroots fundraising group to help victims almost as soon as the storm hit and she's STILL helping them through her group, UWSLoves.

Being without power for 9 days ourselves and the gas shortage, I felt powerless to help. So, I enlisted the help of my wonderful artisan friends, who generously donated items to be auctioned off. 100% will be donated to UWSLoves to help fund the Winter Wishes project. This is a great way to buy something meaningful for a loved one for the holidays or a nice treat for yourself. Please share with friends and family!

CLICK HERE to view the Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort fundraiser album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.301970106570212&type=1

 runs through Monday night, 9PM EST, 11/26!

The Biggest Artisan Cyber Sale Ever!!

Get in on the holiday sales for Cyber week!

The largest Artisan Jewelry Sale ever!

 

I will be offering 

 ~ 15% off  ~ 

in both my Artfire and Etsy shops

use coupon code: AWHOLIDAY

 

I will also offer a giveaway of a 

$25 gift certificate to either of my shops to 1 lucky winner!

Leave a comment below to be entered.

All other participants will be offering a giveaway on their blogs and discounts in their online stores.
Sale and giveaways start on 

Thanksgiving Day & end on Friday, Nov 30th~
There will be 3 exciting "special giveaways" hidden throughout the participants blog posts...so be sure to visit them all and find them!
You can search Etsy with the code: AWHOLIDAY to see participating stores...

Here are the other participants ~ 

ARTISAN JEWElRY

If you would like to participate in the cyber sale as a vendor,
please click here for the details

Book Review: Lark Books' Bead Riffs by Rachel Nelson-Smith

I was recently asked to review several Lark Books. Which to read and review first since they're all idols of mine?? So, I randomly selected Rachel Nelson-Smiths' Bead Riffs. What a fun read! Different from most beading books I've come across, Rachel makes the connection between her love of beading and her love of jazz. She's spent about 10 years singing jazz and almost 2 decades beading, so is well versed on both topics. I love knowing something about my beading idols besides just their work, sort of like seeing one of my schoolteachers in the grocery store. They DO have another life! ;-)

I first came across Rachel's work when she came out with her Ootheca cuff. This was a design that I just couldn't quite fathom how she made it. Looked WAY too difficult to me, from photos alone. Now that I've read her book, I feel confident that I COULD tackle it given Rachel's wonderful tutorial writing abilities. She takes us from the basics of the stitches involved with some very good basic hints (more about his later) to step by step instructions and very understandable illustrations to over 20 projects ranging from the basic to advanced designs.

As to the basics, I had an "AHA" moment when reading her instructions for right angle weave (RAW).  This has been one of my most challenging stitches. I mostly gravitate to double needle RAW designs, but on page 16, Rule 1 for RAW states: " Each subsequent unit travels in a circular direction opposite from the previous row. For example, a unit formed with a clockwise thread path is followed by a unit formed with a counterclockwise thread path." So simple, yet in all the years I've been beading, I had never thought of it in those simple terms. I struggled with each and every pattern I attempted to make. Following beautiful patterns shared by talented artists is great, but an AHA moment is priceless.

Kalmbach Bead Soup

Who doesn't love bead soup?? Imagine my excitement when this envelope showed up in my mailbox! I was thrilled to be one of the ones selected to take part in the Kalmbach Bead Soup Challenge. Thank you so much for extending the deadline for those of us affected by the hurricane. I was just finishing up my design when my area of the country was hit by Hurricane Sandy. I lost power for 9 days and didn't get my internet back on for another couple of days but am very thankful that we are all safe and did not sustain any property damage. Getting back to normal has taken some time, so I apologize for the delay in writing this post.

I'd like to especially thank the Boston Bead Company for my particular bead soup donation. It was in a color scheme that I don't often work in often, but really lovely, so enjoyed the process even more. I tried many different designs and finally settled on the necklace I've shared. I decided to make it into an asymmetrical design, using the focal as a design element. I surrounded it with 2 of my ruffled lampwork disk beads, which I thought added a bit of whimsy. I also incorporated another pink swirled lampwork bead and a coordinating boro bead on the opposing side. For the focal, I used one of my large boro rounds, a fun indigo boro disk, and then the lovely pearlized rose colored bead and blue/pink rondelle from the soup. The rondelles were my favorite. I may need to contact Boston Bead Company to get some more. I thought the midnight blue faceted rounds were equally wonderful, as were all the soup ingredients actually.

And so, I present to you, my Kalmbach Bead Soup necklace! Thank you all once again! Can't wait to see what the other participants made with their soup!

2012 Beads Of Courage Art Charm Swap and Reveal

What a fun and CHALLENGING challenge! This year's art charms swap's theme is laughter. Not known for making whimsical beads, I tortured myself over what to make. For you see, while this is a fun swap, it's really about the kids in the Beads of Courage, (BOC) program. What an amazing organization!

The organizer of the swap, Jennifer Cameron, asked us to create 11 art charms to swap with other participants, one of which will be auctioned off on ebay at 3PM EST along with all the other charms, the proceeds of which will be donated to BOC. BOC is a wonderful program started by Jean Baruch, to help children who are coping with serious illnesses and their families. The children are given artisan beads for certain milestones in their treatment program. I've been a supporter of BOC for some time now so was delighted to participate.

Back to my dilemma.....I tried to think of something the kids might like, something whimsical in keeping with the 'laughter' theme. I finally realized that I was making it more difficult than it had to be. I wanted it to be something that both boys and girls would appreciate. I created a yellow sun lampwork bead with red and yellow rays and using my tools, I made the eyes and a smiley face. I wired it up with a crystal at each end. But I felt it needed more. I found these adorable pennies on ebay that had a smiley face cut out. I'm really pleased with how it came out. I hope my swap partners are too. But more importantly, please bookmark this link for the auction. I hope it brings in lots of money for the Beads of Courage program.

Please also check out the other participants' blogs to see the adorable charms they created. I've highlighted in red those people whose adorable charms I received. Love them all!

Auction Site, beginning @ 3PM EST today!! http://myworld.ebay.com/glassaddictions

Alenka Obid http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchage-reveal.html
Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-auction.html 
Babette Cox http://babettecox.com/blog.htm
Carol Watson http://www.carolwatsonartglass.blogspot.com
Carolyn Chenault  http://carolynchenault.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage-auction/ 
Cassi Paslick http://cassisbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal.html
Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/2012/11/early-christmas/
Cheri Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-participate-in-charm-swap-you-must.html
Cheryl McCloud http://cherylmccloud.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-beads-of.html
Deb Kauzlarich http://debkauzlarich.blogspot.com  
Denielle Hagerman http://somebeadsandotherthings.com  
Emma Todd  http://apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-in-aid-of-boc.html
Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-laugh.html
Ginger Bishop http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-2012.html
Inge vonRoos http://ingetraud.wordpress.com
Jean Peter http://jeanpdesigns.blogspot.com/ http://jeanpdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-charm-swap.html
Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage/
Jennifer Cameron http://wp.me/p1xIa0-wn
Kia Dallons http://kiadallonsstudio.blogspot.jp/2012/11/laughter-is-best-medicine.html
Kimberly Roberts http://bahamadawn.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap.html
Kristi Bowman  http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-hop.html 
Lea Avroch http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-beads-of-courage-art-charm-swap.html *that's me! :) * 
Leslie Schenkel http://twistedchicken.wordpress.com/?p=171
Linda Florian http://www.lilysofthevalleyjewelry.blogspot.com/
Lori Greenberg http://lorigreenberg.com/blog
Lynnea Bennett http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com  
Mallory Hoffman http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-time-has-come-art-charm-blog-reveal.html
Marcy Lamberson http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-by-minions-im-sure.html
Marsha Neal Studio http://marshanealstudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-exchange-and-beads-of-courage.html
Maureen Connolly http://mrsbeadsley.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-reveal.html 
Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-blog-hop.html
Monique Urquhart http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-im-sure.html
Natalie McKenna http://www.grubbi.co.uk/ 
Perri Jackson  http://shaktipajdesigns.com/11/blog/reveal-the-laughter-art-charms/
Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-auction-and-reveal.html
Robin Koza http://www.robinkoza.com 
Shaiha Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-hop.html
Shannon Hicks  http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/
Shelby Foxwell http://sundownbeaddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal.html   
Shelley Graham Turner http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/2012/11/reveal-2012-charm-swap.html
Shirley Moore http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-art-charm-reveal.html
Stephanie Haussler http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/laughter-art-bead-charm-swap-auction.html
Susan Kennedy http://suebeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal-and.html
Toltec Jewels http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/2012/11/BOCArtCharmRevealBlogHop.html
Vanessa Gilkes http://culturezine.com/blog/

Help for Hurricane Sandy Victims

Living in Queens, NY and on Long Island for 33 years, I've lived through and experienced many hurricanes in my lifetime, but none that impacted as many and created the devastation that Hurricane Sandy did. We prepared and got the necessary supplies for several days in preparation for the storm. Got tons of advice from my wonderful Facebook friends too.

Our lights went out around 6PM Monday night, October 29th and they did not come back on until Tues night of the following week. Unlike so many others, fortunately, we did not sustain any property damage. As luck would have it, I had driven home from my mother's house in Queens to vote. Hubby and I were debating if we would return to Queens due to the gas shortage and long lines. As I was returning home from the post office, I got a call that power had been restored. My joy was overshadowed by the images I finally got to see online of the devastation so many others had endured. We lost the contents of our refrigerator and freezer, but many lost their homes and loved ones.

It was just as I signed onto facebook that I saw my son had shared a link from his cousin, Mandy Bickerstaff. We've known her since she was a little girl, but had lost touch. She's now living in NYC. Along with several of her friends, they took it upon themselves to do something! They're providing hot meals, sandwiches, clothing and supplies to those hit the hardest by the storm. They're doing all this is her small apartment in NYC. Her story is so inspirational. I knew I wanted to help in some way, but with the gas shortage and distance between us, I didn't know what to do. Mandy started a blog about their work, UWSLoves. Took me a few days to figure it out. UWS=Upper West Side....lol! She also has a facebook fan page, also called UWSLoves, which I hope you'll check out.

I decided to donate 100% of my bead sales to this wonderful cause. I wanted my money to go to the people directly rather than a big corporation, for obvious reasons and I knew that Mandy would make sure of that. I tallied up my sales total and was surprised and happy to see it add up to $136, which I'll be sending to UWSLoves. This is a very significant number in the Jewish religion. 18 stands for Chai, which is life. So, 136 is double Chai. Serendipity, or as we say in Yiddish, bashert!

I hope you'll find it in your hearts to give as well. Or if anyone has links to anyone in the food services industr, that might be willing to donate any food items that are sorely needed, please contact Mandy. Last week Serene Green, a farm from out east on Long Island donated 300 pounds of produce and through another connection the produce was driven into NYC via Hampton Jitney, who donated their services . She and her friends made some yummy looking dishes to feed those without power. It's so hard to see the images of the destruction! And sadly, there are still many without power that need our help.

In The Pink

I had heard rumblings of Lori Anderson’s Bead Soup Blog Party ®, or BSBP for short, in the past but could never manage to sign up for one in time....until about 6 months ago. And boy, was it ever FUN! To those uninitiated, the brainchild of this fun project is Lori Anderson. You'll have to read her blog to see what it's all about because this post is about HER, not her blog.

Over the years the BSBP's have grown in size so Lori opened up a facebook group so everyone could interact with one another even beyond the reveals. It's a fun group filled with caring people that love to share their work and ideas and are always more than happy to give advice when needed. It's wonderful for those times when our lives may be too busy to sign up for a BSBP, so we can keep in touch with one another.

But I digress...Shelley Graham and Sandra McGriff came up with a fun way for us all to honor and thank Lori for all she's done. We decided to all go PINK! Lori has had her own personal struggles, which she details in her blog post, explaining how she came to have pink hair. With my son's wedding just weeks away, I must admit that I cheated and used pink extensions, which may be for the best. I don't think I can carry it off as nicely as Lori. lol!

I was so inspired by her attitude that I created this pink haired lampwork glass goddess bead for her. To me, it represents the goddess that she is to all of us. Love you Lori! Thank you for all you do! I hope it puts a smile on your face!

Here's a list of the other participants. Check out the other pink haired goddesses!

Gail Vanderster-Zwang http://angelmoose.blogspot.com
Lea Avroch http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com
Leslie Wayment  http://www.aabeadsonline.com/blog
Kelley Katherine Hagerty-Fogle  http://www.mylifeonebeadatatime.blogspot.com
Sheila Davis http://www.stonedesignsbysheila.blogspot.com
Amanda Effron http://craft-o-licious.blogspot.com
‎Solange Collin  http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com
Jennifer Chasalow VanBenschoten   http://www.vanbeads.blogspot.com
Isolina Perez  http://IsolinaPerez.blogspot.com
Toltec Jewels www.JewelSchoolFriends.com
Sherri Stokey  http://www.knotjustmacrame.com
Mary Howell Govaars  http://mlhjewelrydesigns.com
Bee Kuhlman http://mixedmayhemstudios.blogspot.com
Lynnea Perry Bennett   http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com
Alicia Marinache  http://www.allprettythings.ca
Heather Otto http://www.thecrafthopper.com
Kimberly Flood  http://www.goddessesandbeads.blogspot.com
Courtney White Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com
Lisa Liddy  http://lisaliddy.wordpress.com
Marlene Cupo http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Marianne Baxter  http://www.simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com
Mária Horváth   http://horimarikabeads.blogspot.hu
Andrea Beth Trank www.heavenlanecreations.com
Heidi Mansfield Kingman  http://mybeadtherapy.blogspot.com
Emoke Schmidt  http://emoke1.blogspot.com
Sandra MrtzDiaz www.petaloazuljewelry.blogspot.com
Lupe Meter  http://gesmpccorner.blogspot.com
Tanya Boden http://fusionmusebangkok.blogspot.com
Ambra Chicandfrog http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com
Kumi Fisher http://maliekaidesigns.blogspot.com
Sandra Young  http://blog.gypsyroadbeads.ca
Sandi Marinaro Volpe  http://www.sandivolpe.com
Gretchen Nation  http://www.artfoodlodging.blogspot.com
Mimi Gardner  http://www.othercuriosities.blogspot.com
Marian Hertzog http://mhertzog-msplace.blogspot.com
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com
Terry Matuszyk   http://pinkchapeau.wordpress.com
Audrey Belangér  http://esperianterra.blogspot.com
Sandra McGriff http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Sally Bohner Anderson
Mowse Doyle http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com
Judy Daly Reganti
Brenda Lee Sigafoos

The Ladies Behind Creative Bead Chat

Creative Bead Chat, aka CBC, is a facebook group created by a group of ladies for the express purpose of discussing....what else?? Beads! lol! Or to put it more specifically.....

A home for creative component and jewelry designers to share new creations, tool tips and help build our creativity and sales ! A home for new designers as well experienced to share your experiences and ask questions. Ultimately we are a team and work together towards the goal of being proud of our accomplishments and accomplishing our dreams...welcome to Creative Bead Chat!
Only rule...Treat others as you would like to be treated :-)

It's one of my go to places when I have a question or just want to ogle the amazing creations that members post each day. Their talents are many and varied and you can be certain to get your questions answered by this very diverse group. The admins of this wonderful group are:

Melinda Orr of Melinda Orr Designs. I have had the good fortune to collaborate with Melinda on a design recently that was very well received. She makes most, if not all, of her metal components. Check out her etsy shop for more of her beautiful designs!

Marla James of Marla's Mud is a super talented ceramic artist. I am fortunate to have some of her work myself. She has an etsy shop where you can see her work. I love her new raku work:

There's not one, but TWO Marla's on CBC! Marla Gibson of Spice Box Designs. Her etsy shop is currently closed due to health issues, but I found this darling earring pair amongst her sold listings.

Karen Totten, another talented ceramicist of Starry Road Studio, sells beautiful jewelry and components. I just love these bronze charms that I found in her etsy shop!

Last, but not least is Keirsten Giles of Lune Artisan Jewelry. Keirsten creates unique jewelry pieces using the highest quality components such as artisan lampwork glass beads, semi-precious stones and her own beautiful OOAK metal components. I love this necklace that I found in her etsy shop.

Many thanks to all these wonderful ladies for creating a space for us all to share, enjoy and laugh together!