Challenge yourself

I am not very competitive. And I don't like head to head conflict.

So when Steven Weiss from the Beadsmith approached me to participate in a "beading tournament"- (later to be known as "The Battle of the Beadsmith"), let me say I was less than enthusiastic.  The idea of pitting a design of mine directly against another beader's design did not appeal to me at all.  It also just scared me!  I envisioned huge cat fights, snarky remarks, and all around bad feelings.  No thanks!  Why would I want to open myself up to that?  Just plain scary!

First of all, the contestants are all amazing beaders.  If you don't believe me, check out the work on this page. Battle of the Beadsmith Facebook page  Steven adds more pictures almost every day- one more impressive than the next. Be prepared to spend a few hours drooling over some dynamite work! You can also check out how this whole thing is set up- and join the group while you are there!

So why is it that I am participating in this "battle"?  Not quite sure.  Everybody seems so nice and friendly, and frankly, supportive of each other.  The snarky remarks are few and far between, and poor Steven, who has been doing a wonderful job promoting and organizing this whole thing, has had to absorb most of them.  I guess with this many people, you are bound to nerk off  somebody!  But as a general rule, everyone has been great.  So I said yes in a moment of weakness- cuz really- it sounds kind of fun!  And honestly, I am really honored to be asked!!  Challenging yourself is good, right?!

I have always relied on competitions to push me into trying things that I would not otherwise try.  You know- think outside the box. We (I) often get caught up in making things that I know will sell, not stretching my abilities.  I don't like spending too much time on one piece, because I know I will not be able to sell it for enough to pay for my time.  And the quickest way to work, is to do something you already know how to do.

But with contests, all bets are off. I try to do something  original, whether it will be salable or not. I do not keep track of how much time I have invested, which in itself is pretty freeing.  But this risk also means there are flops.  Valuable time spent on things that don't work out. So be it.

Usually with a contest, you can quietly send in your submission, and if it isn't accepted, nobody even knows unless you tell them.  Here, it is right out there in front of everyone- if you are "voted off the island" in the first round- everyone knows it!  Yikes!

But OK, enough whining.  I'm putting on my big girl pants and getting to work.  Not sure what I am doing yet- I have a couple of ideas, but they keep changing.  I wish I was one of those people that make beautiful sketches of their designs, and know exactly what their inspiration is.  Not me!  I sit down with a big pile of beads and components, start arranging and beading, and see what comes to me.  Not very efficient- but it works for me.  If I try to force myself to stick to a vision I have- it never works out...and it isn't as much fun!   One of the things I enjoy most is just seeing what a final piece looks like.  It is always a surprise.

Oh, yeh- I have my partner for the first round. (notice: partner not competitor- trying to stay calm here!)  Her name is Elka Leonhardt Rath. I was not familiar with her work ,so it has been nice to learn a little more about her. She does excellent beadwork. When I found out she was my partner, I immediately messaged her and introduced myself. Turns out she will be at the Bead and Button show, and we have arranged to meet there. I love that!!  

So I have to get back to staring at my pile of beads, hoping for inspiration. I have my first show of the season this weekend, so I won't be getting too much past the thinking stage I'm afraid- too too busy!  

Here is the list for the 1st round: 

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  1) Jacquie Champion-Canada vs Irina Chikineva-Russia

  
  

  
  

  2) Anastasia O'sarantseva-Ireland vs Annie Hatvani-Hungary

  
  

  
  

  3) Lea Palickova-Czech Republic vs Alla Maslennikova -Russia

  
  

  
  

  4)  Christina Neit-USA vs Christine Boyer Maj-USA

  
  

  
  

  5) Hannah Rosner-USA vs Kassie Inman-USA

  
  

  
  

  6) Olga Haserodt-Germany vs Melissa Ingram-Australia

  
  

  
  

  7) Ulyana Rakcheyeva Seryankina-USA vs Joanne Browne-Australia

  
  

  
  

  8) Mouna Marini-France vs Nancy Dale-USA

  
  

  
  

  9) Nella Moskvichjova-Russia vs Linda Roberts-USA

  
  

  
  

  10) Denise Kangas-Czech Republic vs Ibolya Ingesne Barkoczi-Hungary

  
  

  
  

  11) Heather Kingsley Heath-United Kingdom vs Katherine Gezey-Ukraine

  
  

  
  

  12) Alla Vizir-Ukraine vs Sandra Dokter van Esveld-Netherlands

  
  

  
  

  13) Olga Shumilova-Russia vs Patrick Duggan-Australia

  
  

  
  

  14) Ella Des-Belgrade Serbia vs Neva Brown-Australia

  
  

  
  

  15) Christian Rodriguez-USA vs Marta Koudelova-Czech republic

  
  

  
  

  16) Ann Braginsky-Israel vs Edgar Lopez Disenos-Dominican Republic

  
  

  
  

  17) Susan Brackett-USA vs Callie Mitchell-USA

  
  

  
  

  18) Jill Thomas-United Kingdom vs Maryanne Villalba-Australia

  
  

  
  

  19) Tammuna Lezhava-Georgia vs Kinga Nichols-USA

  
  

  
  

  20) Iva Jar-Czech Republic vs Olga Petterson-Sweden

  
  

  
  

  21) Guzialia Reed-Japan vs Katka Vaclavikova-Czech Republic

  
  

  
  

  22) Marsha Wiest Hines-USA vs Eva Dobos-Hungary

  
  

  
  

  23) Orsolya Fuzesi-Hungary vs Cynthia Newcomer Daniel-USA

  
  

  
  

  24) Betty Stephan-USA vs Elka Leonhardt Rath-Germany

  
  

  
  

  25) Eva Csizmadiz Lajosne-Hungary vs Mikki Ferrugiaro-USA

  
  

  
  

  26) Jennifer Chasalow Van Benschoten-USA vs Ekaterina Kalinina-Russia

  
  

  
  

  27 Sharayah Sheldon-USA vs Miriam Cielo Shimon-Israel

  
  

  
  

  28) Sue Horine-USA vs Misan Tejre-Sweden

  
  

  
  

  29) Anneta Valious-France vs Lynn Day-United Kingdom

  
  

  
  

  30) Alexandra Sydorenko -USA vs Katalin Budaine Nagy-Hungary

  
  

  
  

  31) Rosita Pisarchick-USA vs Helena Tang-Singapore

  
  

  
  

  32) Dini Alves-USA vsLaurence Dethier-Belgium

  
  

  
  

  33) Nausikaa Gahllof-Sweden vs Eliana Maniero-Italy

  
  

  
  

  34) Rachel Belson Smith-USA vs Amy Katz-USA

  
  

  
  

  35) Kathy King-USA vs Karyn Healy White-Australia

  
  

  
  

  36) Roxan O'brien-USA vs Julia Turova-Russia

  
  

  
  

  37) Marina Nosova-Russia vs Lauren Macregor-Australia

  
  

  
  

  38) Anna Bystryk-Ukraine vs Terri Richards-USA

  
  

  
  

  39) Sigifredo Contreras-Mexico vs Anna Lindell-Sweden

  
  

  
  

  40) Noel Wyres-Australia vs Carol Dean Sharpe-USA
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Can I just finish this necklace?!?!

Have you ever worked on a piece that seemed like you would never get finished?  I just did!!

It is a collar that I am entering into the FMG seed bead contest at the end of the month.  Actually, I am entering two pieces.  The first one came together easily, and was finished weeks ago.

But this one.....!!!  It is something quite different for me and I was pretty excited about it.  I started working on it in Dec., and had all the components finished for quite awhile.  It sat in my studio in a tray, and I would continually rearrange the components, even taking pictures of them in different arrangements until I came up with one I thought I liked.  About a month ago I assembled it, and made a few more components to add to it

Here is a sneak peek of some of the components- I don't want to show you the whole piece until after the competition!

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I wanted it asymmetrical- but that has always been a struggle for me.  And this was no exception.  It just didn't work out like I pictured it.  So I started tearing it apart and rearranging it again.  OK- I liked it.  Then I added black connecting parts.  I loved it!  ....until the next morning that is.  Too dark.  So I tore it all apart and modified the connectors.

Still not happy- I decided to add a big fringe.  I finished this one night, fairly pleased with it, until, again, morning came and I decided the fringe needed to be longer.  Added length to the fringe, but, NO, I DIDN"T LIKE IT!  Tore off the whole fringe.

By this time I was getting really frustrated.  My son and wife are coming for a visit for a few days and I really should be getting the house ready.  I have my first show in 2 weeks, and I have bundles of stuff to do for that!  And the "Battle of the Beadsmith" is pressing in on me- I  need to get started on that piece.  So last night I decided to finish the clasp etc. and just be done with it.  I could live with it, even though it is not what I envisioned.

This morning, I took some photos of it.  And yes, you guessed it, it turned out that I could not live with it as it was.  I tore out part of it and re-positioned a couple of components.  Done. I think it's OK.

Here is a picture of the back- actually- I really like the back!!

So, now I have to get started on my other projects.  Happy this is done.  Wait- if I just added one more bead over there..........

Using Leftovers

I use my leftovers.  Well, I admit, sometimes they get lost in the back of the refrigerator until they turn green and have to be thrown out. But I'm talking beads here!

 I hate wasting things, and that includes my time.  So, sometimes when experiments go wrong, I am able to salvage parts to be used in another project.  I am not talking about using parts of vintage jewelry and old beads here. (although I do plenty of that!)  I am talking about using a leftover component that didn't work in one design, or was just leftover from one piece, and using it in another.

 For example:  This was a leftover component from a large piece I am making for a FMG contest.  It is composed of a bunch of these smaller pieces, and I got carried away and made way too many.  So this little necklace used up one of those components.

This one is a special order necklace I recently made.  I made the neckchain and decided it was a little clunky for the size of the pendant.  So I made this chain instead.  It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but it has smaller beads.

 Which left me with an extra neckchain.  So I decided to use the first one in a little bit bigger necklace.  Turns out, the customer preferred the second one and purchased it!

This necklace was all about leftovers.  I had all these little cabochons and over the course of about 5 years I would make a few more and set them aside.  I wasn't quite sure what I would ever do with them, until I brought them out and played with them a bit.

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Then of course I had a few pieces leftover, so I made a bracelet!! (but there weren't enough for earrings!)

Last year I entered this piece in a contest.

The large polymer piece was my second attempt.  The first attempt was leftover....so I made a necklace of course!

Do you remember the "Australian Wedding Piece"? (no, she never sent pictures!!)  I used a lot of leftovers from that!  Most of them were experimental components that didn't pan out in the original piece.

Here are a few of the leftover pieces- there actually are lots more!

So, save your leftovers- you never know how you will be able to use them.  And the good thing is, they have a really long shelf life!  I have never had to throw one out because it was growing a nice crop of mold!!

Bead Dreams- One yes, One no!

I received my letter from the Bead and Button competition today.  I entered two pieces, and one was accepted as a finalist!  I am so pleased and excited!  Of the two pieces, I could never guess which one would have a better chance.  Good thing I entered 2 of them!

I don't like to publish pictures of pieces before the contest (ruins the surprise!), so I will show you the one that was NOT accepted. I titled it "Guardians". Those of you that are FB friends have been watching this one take shape for quite some time.

This is actually a piece that a customer of mine commissioned. She had a really big and heavy smoky quartz crystal point that she wanted included in the piece. She also wanted these 2 big wooden dragon earrings. (yes, they are earrings!) to be a part of it . I wasn't sure it would all work out.

Let me explain the earrings: The main part of the dragon went behind the ear, then the tail was a separate piece that attached on the front and held the earring on.  Here is a picture of the piece when I was working on it, without these upper tails attached.

One other small problem- one of the tails was missing!!  I ended up making a tail to match from polymer clay!!  It's the one on the left:

Although these dragons are glued on, I decided they should be reinforced and "tethered" them with beading.  I also built up the beading underneath in those places to support them better.  I also beaded around the top and bottom of the crystal to give it extra support.

So that's the story about how this came about. My customer has not seen it yet- she loves big intricate work, so I hope she likes it!  Here are the pictures of the finished piece:

the clasp

And just a peek at the piece that was accepted as a finalist:

Glass Tiles- not just for bathrooms anymore!

I just finished and listed a necklace on Etsy.  It is made from a small glass tile.  You know, the kind that is used in bathrooms!  I love using these for the depth they have, although the thickness and shape sometimes makes them a little tricky to bezel.

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link to Etsy listing

So I got to thinking about all the necklaces I have made over the years from tiles and thought I would post them.

I am happy to say that my picture taking skills have improved over the years.  I apologize for the quality of these images- some of them are pretty bad!

It all began when a customer of mine bought 4 beautiful tiles that looked like dichroic glass.  They were small for tiles, but big for jewelry. About 3" across.  There were 2 gold ones and 2 blue ones.  She wanted me to design and make necklaces with these.  First, the gold ones:

It was quite a challenge.  Not only did I need to design the necklaces around square tiles, but they all needed to be quite different in style.  Next I tackled the blue tiles:

bad picture, but my favorite of the necklaces!

Well, the customer was so happy with these, that she presented me with 2 more tiles!!  These were beautiful sculptured tiles, but much thicker and heavier than the first ones.

 These tiles would have been pretty expensive if you were tiling a whole bathroom!  But not so bad for a focal in a necklace.

Done with the commissions, I decided to do some necklaces with tiles of my own.  This one is made with 1" square tiles:

And this one I made with a ceramic tile that I sand blasted to get the design:

So there you have it!  Maybe my next post will be some of the other unusual things I have beaded around.  My husband always says, "If it sits still, she'll bead around it!"

Apps for Artists

I bought an Ipad 2 about a year ago. It was a big investment for me, and I was not entirely sure how much I would use it. I loved it immediately, and keep finding more uses for it.  

I have been thinking about writing a blog about all the cool apps that are so useful for beaders and artists and I finally got to it.  

These are apps that I use.  I know there are lots of others- probably many that are better.  But these have been particularly useful to me.  Also, I have an Ipad, not saying that is better than another tablet, it's just what I have experience with!  I am sure these are apps are available for other tablets as well.

I am not posting a link to these apps because, well, it was just too complicated and time consuming.  I  do have a screen shot of each, and the name, so it will be easy enough for you to find them in your app store.  Most of them are free, I don't think any are more than $10.  

The app I think I use most is "HoursTracker".

HoursTracker

It does just what it says.  It is a time clock for your ipad!  You can enter different jobs, the amount you want to charge per hour, as well as any other notes such as how much materials cost.  Then, every time you work on a piece you just clock in.  It keeps track of how many hours are spent on each piece and the amount you should charge for that time.  (doesn't include materials) The only problem I have with this is I forget to clock out, so by the time I notice it the next day, I have racked up thousands of dollars on it!  Luckily,  you can delete and change hours worked.




Most of you on the art show circuit have run across "Square".  It is a small credit card reader that plugs into your Ipad or smart phone.  It is free, with a % fee per card swipe. No paper receipts- the customer gets an email receipt.  A nice feature is that you can download your transactions to an excel sheet, which is nice for keeping track of things.

Square

This is so great for those of us that go months without doing a show, and therefore not processing any credit cards.  My old credit card processor charged $50 a month even when I didn't use it. There is no monthly charge for Square. You need internet connection to process.  Other credit card companies are coming out with these readers, so I am sure we will be seeing a lot more in the future with different capabilities.




"Color Oven" is another fun and useful app.  Do you ever get stuck picking out colors, or kind of fall into a rut?  This app is like an interactive color wheel.  You can pick colors and see how they look together, adjust hue etc., or choose from color schemes in the app.  You can even import a photo and use the colors from that.  

ColorOven

I have a similar program on my computer, but the portability of the ipad makes it nice to have this close at hand when picking out beads.




"Penultimate" is a great drawing app.  Using a stylus, you can write notes and make diagrams.  There is graph paper as well as writing paper and I use this often to help layout my booth design.  I save it and take it right to the venue so I have a record of how it was set up the last time.

Penultimate

Although I don't use it a lot, "PhotoPad by Zagg" has come in handy at times. Like Photoshop, but a lot more limited, you can crop, color correct etc. photos.  Good in a pinch.

PhotoPad by Zagg

"Dropbox" is the last of the apps I will be listing here.  With this app, you can access files that are on your computer. I put all my show info here so I have access to it anywhere. I have recently subscribed to "Carbonite" backup for my computer, and so I can access the files that way, but Dropbox is free (limited storage). Also, you need internet access for Carbonite, with Dropbox you can think ahead (!) and download the files you will need right on to your Ipad.

Dropbox

I am no kind of authority on these things.  And definitely not a computer expert of any kind- I am just learning as I go.  Maybe in the future I will write a blog about all the other ways I use my Ipad.


I hope you will find this helpful.  My Ipad is now "obsolete" with the new 3rd generation being released.  But I can deal with that!

Gems and Jewels

Oh wait!  I couldn't leave this one out!  It is an interactive book rather than just an app (although it is in the app store, so I don't know)  It costs more than the others ($15? I think) but it is just the coolest thing ever! It is called "Gems and Jewels" It is exhibits from the Field Museum in Chicago.  It has tons of info on different gemstones and has beautiful photos of jewelry from the exhibit.  But the most amazing part is you can rotate the pictures and see the back of the stone or piece of jewelry.  It is a little hard to explain how this works, but it is like actually turning the piece around and looking at all sides. It is fascinating!!  I just love looking at the backsides of the jewelry!  It tells you so much more.


OK- done- sorry this was so long!  Till next time....

Deadlines- Art Show Applications

I am knee deep in paperwork.  Applications to art shows.  Sales tax.  Income tax.  Bead dreams submission.  It all seems to hit at once 


I am working on art show applications today.  What a pain- each show has different requirements- some want digital pics and mail-in application. Some want online application and mail-in pics.  Some are all online. Some even still want slides!! (Are they kidding?  I don't think you can even buy slide film anymore!) And on and on.  Well, you get the idea. I feel like the medical offices must feel- dealing with the different requirements for all the various insurance companies.


So here is a bit of an overview of Art Show applications and examples of some of the things that are required.


Some shows ask for a  Resume.  Not too hard, just look up artist resume on Google and you can find the format you need- pretty straight forward.


Some shows ask for an Artist's Statement.  Now this was a little harder for me.  One of the things I find hardest is using "artist jargon" and still being satisfied that it sounds like me.  If you want an artist statement-to-go, you can always use this artist statement generator!! http://www.artybollocks.com/#abg_full
Or this one if you want it more personalized http://10gallon.com/statement2000/
Of course I am kidding!


I did find this page that was very helpful.
http://www.mollygordon.com/resources/marketingresources/artstatemt/
By using the questions to brainstorm, I was able to come up with an artist statement that I was fairly happy with- although not happy enough to post it here for public scrutiny!


I have the same trouble with the description of my pieces. I guess I need to take a writing course!  Even the measurements of the piece gives me trouble- how do you measure a necklace?  Is the height the length of the chain plus the focal piece?  or just the main part?  I still don't know the answer to that- I kind of switch off between the two.  I'm not sure anyone reads that part anyway.


And speaking of photos- I love digital applications.  But you need to become pretty familiar with photoshop or another photo program to figure out the requirements for these applications.  Different sizes in pixels or inches, different formats, different dpi, booth pic or no booth pic, black border to fill the space not used by the pic- or not...each application is different.  By the way- if you run into an application that STILL requires slides, here is a link where you can get your digital pics converted to slides.http://www.gammatech.com/ I have used them before and they are fast and nice quality.  But WHY????  Come on people- step on up to digital!


Now, paying for the shows.  Lots of shows require separate checks for deposit and show.  I get it- that's OK.  But I applied to one promoter's shows that asked for 2 separate checks for each of the 4 of their shows I was applying to!  8 checks!  So much for beading- I had writer's cramp after writing them all. Show fees vary widely- I have paid as little as $10 for a weekend, and as much as $1000.  They go up from there.  The non-refundable jury fees vary a lot too- I have often paid $40, not knowing if I would be accepted or not. So, I need quite a stockpile of money in the spring to cover all the show applications, as I do about 15 shows a year.  


My favorite applications are through Zapplication and JAS.  You upload your photos and other info one time, then choose which ones you want to include in your application and complete it all online.  Even using paypal or credit card to pay online.  Once you have your account set up and pictures loaded, it is super easy.  More expensive, but usually worth it to me.


Each show application has it's own deadline- it isn't always logical.  It would be nice if, say, 4 months before the show, each application would be due.  But some are earlier and some later.  I just payed for 3 shows I will be doing in Oct and Nov- the application was due in Jan.!  


Don't let this ranting of mine discourage you.  Just take one at a time and work your way through. And know I feel your pain!


So, back to figuring out these applications.  Then on to taxes. I would love to get back to creating my artwork at some point!!  


Just so this isn't a whole post without pictures, I thought I would share this photo. This bright collar always makes me happy. The polymer clay cabochons were made by my talented friend Nanetta Bananto.