Looking for inspiration? Perlen Poesie

If you are looking for an additional source of inspiration, you have to pay attention at the 2-year-old European bead magazine: Perlen Poesie. You are always supposed to read beading world news, you can learn beading techniques and of course take excellent instructions from international artists.


On December 10, 2010, the new issue of Perlen Poesie will be out! In that issue:

• Anna E. Draeger: A portrait of the popular artist and Swarovski Ambassador;

• Perlen Poesie visited seven bead artists from France;

• The workshops of the First Bead Art Fair on 20-21 August, 2011, in Hamburg, Germany;

• 16 wonderful projects from well-known bead designers: Anna Draeger, Zoya Gutina, Claudia Steens, Melissa Grakowsky, Peter Sewell, Sabine Lippert, Carol Dean Sharpe, Claudia Cattaneo, Birgit Bergemann and some more (yes, I'm in it, too!);

• And more, and more, and more!


The magazine is published in Germany by Beaders Best Verlag company, but everybody can subscribe it. If you live in the USA, you can directly or via Internet buy single issues of the magazine at the Beads by Blanche bead shop.

Subscribe to Perlen Poesie magazine
Buy Perlen Poesie magazine in the USA

Indian summer at the door!

It's already autumn outside... the grass is getting yellow... the leaves turn to red, brown and yellow... Some people can say, the nature is dying, I say it's falling asleep, and it makes us enjoy with its fantastic, cheerful and festive colors - Indian summer at the door!


When the sun rises, autumn colors flash out showing fall beauty, and water drops after night rain sparkle like diamonds! I like this season, and once I've already created the Autumn Splendor Necklace. This year the spring was pretty long and cold - but the fall is warm and beautiful, that's why I returned to the autumn theme.


Remembering my Tropical Blossom Necklace, I decided to use Swarovski pendants again, and that brought me to Artbeads.com. My husband said, "Good choice!" I have no idea what he meant, whether Artbeads.com or beautiful pendants they sell. In general, it doesn't matter, I found out what I was looking for.


I received red magma, olivine, light topaz, and copper Swarovski crystal pendants, and bought silk ribbons of bright autumn colors at the closest craft shop. Appropriate Czech glass teardrop and leaf accent beads, and TOHO 15/0 yellow and green seed beads should have been good much to my staff.


I wrapped up memory wire blank necklace and used it as the base of my piece, and embellished it with Czech beads; then I wound it with bead strings and made fringes with crystal pendants. The last touch was the brass leaf closure. The necklace could be named Autumn Wreath, but I call it Indian Summer, because Indian summer is outside!

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Swarovski crystal pendants free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Fashion Colorworks 2011. Call for sponsors

The International Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest was a resounding success for all its participants: the contestants, the sponsors, the judges, and the bead lovers!

Our sponsors got great positive exposure, broadened their reach and name recognition, and increased their good will perception in the beading community. All of our 2010 sponsors have already committed to participation at an even higher level in the 2011 Contest. They say,

Artbeads.com: We would be more than happy to sponsor next years contest. We really enjoyed working with you and it was wonderful to see all the inspiring designs from all of the talented and amazing participants.

Beads Direct UK: We would love to sponsor again. Let us know when you have any more details.

Soft Flex Company: We'd love to participate again. Please count us in for 2011.

We're growing. When the Contest starts again on the 1st of December, 2010, in addition to Seed Bead category, it will be expanded to include two new categories of work: Finished Jewelry and Beaded Objects and Accessories. This expansion opens up additional new sponsorship opportunities for companies wishing to reach beaders and bead lovers worldwide.

Please contact us at info@mylovelybeads.com as soon as possible to reserve your sponsorship slot!

Go green with Mzuribeads!

Got tired of traditional glass beads? If you're looking for new and unusual materials, you can find them on Mzuribeads.com. Mzuribeads is one of the many inspirational projects moving away from charitable aid, and onto the concept of business enterprise for sustainable income and development.


Mzuribeads paper beaders live in the village of Ndejje, Uganda, where they roll paper beads from strips of recycled magazines and posters. Prior to the founding of Mzuribeads, four of the women had been trained and were working to sell products through a defunct organization. These four women left then this organization with knowledge of the paper bead, but little idea of how this skill could support their lives.


Mzuribeads aim to generate a sustainable income by endeavoring to offer our customers ethical beads and the most fashionable and latest fashion accessory trends. This involves a large focus on quality control, design, and seasonable colors.


Mzuribeads makes beads not only from recycled paper, but also from cow horn, barkcloth, banana leaves, recycled glass; so you can GO GREEN with Mzuribeads!


Designing my Ethnic Fest Necklace, I used a memory wire blank necklace wrapped up with fabric resembling autumn leaves. Different Mzuribeads and seed beads, free-form as technique, and I'm done! It doesn't seem to be difficult, give it a try, and I wish you good luck!

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Mzuribeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Ugandan handmade beads free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Mzuribeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO BID ON THESE SHERMANS ON EBAY

If you hurry, you still have time to bid on these Sherman pieces ending tonight on Ebay. Pictured at the top is a superb deep topaz Swarovski crystal glass bead set, all signed, consisting of 2-row necklace and matching earrings. Bidding starts at $125 and right now there are 12 people watching this one but no-one has yet opened the bidding. Of course, they're all either just other sellers waiting to see what happens ... I do that all the time LOL ... or they are actually buyers hoping to snare a lovely Sherman set at a low dollar by waiting till the last minute. Such fun!

The same vendor is offering the delightful Aurora Borealis, very traditional, glass crystal earrings above. Since she offers combined shipping, this is a good chance to get a couple of pieces for one shipping cost. Bidding has opened on this signed set at $24.95 and there are 9 watchers. Will it go any higher? Who knows! She also has another set of signed Sherman earrings on auction. These are the baguette style, 1" high clip-ons shown below in soft topaz. Bidding starts at $19.95. Several watchers just waiting to grab this set for $19.95. A good deal if they do!



So hurry up and save! With combined shipping thrown in, you're well ahead on adding some nice Shermans to your collection. Good luck!

International Bead Award

To bead or not to bead, that's not a question for thousands of people whose passion is beading. They face another question: to enter a beading contest or not to enter. Our answer is positive: of course, to enter! Not every contest, but promising a great challenge. It seems that the First International Bead Award held and supported by Beaders Best Publishing (Beaders Best Verlag) is what you don't have to miss!

The contest is open to all bead artists around the world. Five international jury members select a first, second and third place winners in each of nine categories. The jury will judge by photos only. The winners will be announced at the Beaders Best Fair for Bead Art in Hamburg, August 20-21, 2011, and shown in the following issue of the Perlen Poesie Magazine. All submissions will be showcased on the Perlen Poesie website after the jury has voted. Out of all submissions the website visitors will be able to select People's Choice Award Winner. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of December, 2010.

Join the international bead competition IBA!

Conditions of participation

Contests madness

This year's Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest supported by Soft Flex Company is on Steampunk designs. Are you not sure what Steampunk means? Check out the short article, on that type of jewelry! Design entries must include exposed beading wire. All beading wire must be one of Soft Flex Company brands - Soft Flex, Soft Touch, Extreme, Metallics or Econoflex. You may use any color or diameter in your design. There is no limit to the number of designs that you may enter. The company encourages you to feature beads and findings from your local bead shop as well as create your beads and findings from found materials - clock parts, gears, washers, screws, bolts, bottle caps etc. Lampworkers, recycled glass from bottles, made into parts and components are encouraged, too. Prizes are great! All entries must be received by September 1, 2010.

Flex your creativity!




Christina (aka Good Quill Hunting) is sponsoring the Second Annual Haute Couture Beading Contest. Using one of the 36 presented Haute Couture Fashion photos as inspiration in color, technique, textures, shapes, and style, you are supposed to create a piece of jewelry. Go bold, go bright, use your imagination to conjure up your wildest dreams, as fashion designers have! You may use multi-media in this, but the main part of your work has to be done with seed beads. Prizes are also great! Deadline for contest is November 1, 2010. Winners will be chosen on November 26, 2010. Prizes will be shipped out within 72 hours of contest results.

Haute Couture Beading Contest

Fashion Colorworks 2010. Winners !!!

The first international Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest is over! We would like to say THANK YOU to all entrants, jurors, and sponsors who helped us make the contest successful. 83 participants from 20 countries submitted 132 entries! Today we celebrate our bead holiday together, with our winners, all participants, jurors, sponsors, and bead lovers. In general, we reached our goal and feel happy! We are looking forward to seeing all of them in 2011 and hope that the next year contest would attract more artists!

FASHION COLORWORKS 2010 BEADING CONTEST. WINNERS

FIRST PLACE WINNER
Olga Vinnere Pettersson, Uppsala, Sweden
vinnere.pettersson@gmail.com
mamma-foxan.blogspot.com

Legends Of Lothlorien Necklace

SECOND PLACE WINNER
Evgeniya Semina, Orenburg, Russia
semmenity@mail.ru

Waltz Of Flowers Tiara

THIRD PLACE WINNER
Larisa Berenshtein, Ramat Gan, Israel
med55-55@mail.ru
beautiful-beads.livejournal.com

Midday Set

PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Alexandra Sydorenko, Cherry Hill, NJ, USA
alexander_sydorenko@hotmail.com

After The Rain Set

BEST USE OF COLOR
Tatiana Naumchik, Astana, Kazakhstan
kleo62@mail.ru

Spring Tenderness Necklace

BEST USE OF MATERIALS
Viktoriya Katamashvili, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia
vikka.nn@rambler.ru
master-raduga.nnov.ru/katamashvili

Hope, Footsteps On The Sand Set

FASHION COLORWORKS 2010 BEADING CONTEST. WINNERS

Fashion Colorworks 2010. Final !!!

Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest is coming to the end! 10 finalists are already juried, and People's Choice Award voting is open! Make you choice, score finalists and help us choose the winner!

All entries are awesome, but strong jurors scored those beadworks best of all. The next stage is starting, when the winners will be determined, including People's Choice Award Winner. Choose your favorite!

     

     

     


Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest - Finalists

Boudoir Beautiful contest

Boudoir Beautiful contest, you can vote here:
Boudoir Beautiful Contest


If you want to vote for me, go directly here:
Noble Luster Necklace

Thank you! :)))

Fashion Colorworks 2010. Entries

Just about a week to go! It's not late yet, the contest continues, and you can submit your entries for the Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest. June 15 is the last day. We are looking forward to seeing your amazing beaded objects at the contest!

     

Fashion Colorworks 2010 Beading Contest - Entries

Polished by fire

You never know where you are with new materials! Glass beads are the main media to design beaded jewelry, and the technology for glass beadmaking is among the oldest human arts, dating back 3,000 years. Glass beads have been dated back to at least Roman times. Perhaps the earliest glass-like beads were Egyptian faience beads, a form of clay bead with a self-forming vitreous coating.


Fire polished beads from the Czech Republic are a faceted glass bead. Czech fire polish beads are made in an area called Jablonec nad Nisou. Production of glass beads in the area dates back to the 14th century and this area is well known for the manufacture of high quality glass beads. Czech fire polished beads have become so popular in recent years, primarily because they are the highest quality manufactured faceted bead available. This has helped make them one of the most favored glass beads by jewelry makers and beadworkers alike.


Thinking of summer themes, I decided that I need a light, bright, and not expensive necklace because this season is funny for outdoor activities, summer vacations, and nature scenes; summer is just the lovely season itself; and glass faceted beads seemed to be a good choice. Looking for beads, I stopped by Artbeads.com, that has... mmmmmm... unbelievably rich inventory! Using right angle weave technique, stringing and looping, Czech glass beads and Toho seed beads 11/0, I designed the necklace I like. It took me just a few hours! The only problem is how to photograph the necklace because of sparkling beads. It's not named yet, could you help me please with that?

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Czech firepolished beads free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Art and Fashion Show

FREE Event - Art and Fashion Inspired by the Rainforest

Where:
Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA

When:
Friday, May 21, 7:30pm

As part of the Friends of the Torpedo Factory 's Performance Art & Lecture Series, visitors are invited to view a fashion show and exhibit featuring wearable art and jewelry by twenty-one artists from the Torpedo Factory as well as Malaysian Batik Designer Sharifah Maheran Barakbah of Barakaff.

Participating Artists from the Torpedo Factory: Mirella Belshe, Cindy Brandt, Ruth Buhrman, Ann Citron, Ann DiPlacido, Candace Edgerly, Tamara Embry, Min Enghauser, Annemarie Feld, Jolande Goldberg, Zoya Gutina, Marcia Jestaedt, Anne Landry, Virginia Irby-Maxwell, Jamaliah Morais, Lane Palmisano, Gladys Seaward, Connie Slack, Alexia Scott, Tracie Griffith-Tso, and Liang Wei.

Read more...

Creating Personalized Jewelry

Designing jewelry for my customers, from time to time I spoil myself. And, as a rule, soon the articles I create for myself were gifted to my daughters and my friends. Once I decided - stop, I wanted a piece of personalized jewelry! Of course, a Z-pendant featuring the first letter of my name should have become the best solution for that.

I'm not a fan of gold jewelry, and when looking for components for my new necklace and finding out on Artbeads.com amazing Bronze Alphabet Pendants, I was really excited! In my opinion, bronze pendants are a great alternative to their more expensive golden cousin at a fraction of the price. The combination of copper and tin gives bronze a rich color and durability that has made bronze a favorite among jewelers for centuries. When bronze is cast, it expands and fills in cracks, creating great detail and texture.


Swarovski Elements's crystal faux pearls, brass bird charms, brass spacers with Swarovski crystals, and a antique brass magnetic closure were perfect addition to my personal necklace. Spring is already here, and created a small light necklace using Extreme wire by Soft Flex Company. Using Z-focal (it comes from Zoya!) has given me hope that the necklace will adorn me for a long time.

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received a Bronze Alphabet Pendant free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.