0% found this document useful (0 votes)
252 views51 pages

Beadwork Fall 1999

beading designs

Uploaded by

Irina Nazarov
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
252 views51 pages

Beadwork Fall 1999

beading designs

Uploaded by

Irina Nazarov
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 51
OVER 15 GREAT GIFT-GIVING IDEAS Recycled Glass Beads , Ul PEL) Wh U WO RK ee Volume 2 * Number 4 Frativus 16 Entering Contests * Amy C. Clarke 22. The Many Faces of Don Pierce + Judith Durant 44 A Chat With Those Beady Eyed Women, Jeannette Cook ‘and Vicki Star + Jean Campbell 50 Indonesian Recycled Glass + Judy fomsky 55. lifestyle of the Beadworkers in North Borneo Modeline |. Rogis Peapels Bane 22 Caddis Weave Bracelet + Anne Flacher 2 Possing Through 29. Gemstone Encrusted Botles 5. Contributors Suave One 6 Colendor 32 Rebellious Lace + Borboral Groinger —— Letars 36 Some R.A.W. Facts of Life or What itches to Do with a Donut» Jone yon 7 - " 39 London Ruffles + Dorie Coghill oe 52 RollinRollinRollin 12 Upciee Tina Casey and Josephine KershnerVeol 48 Special Beads ‘Maren Thompson 58 Beading Cheating + Interweave Staff 62. Cool Stuff 64. Reviews How to pp ul 72 Stringing Along Jedi Durant 2 Caddis Weave Bracelet Anne Fletcher 24 Creating with Fringe * Don Fierce 52 RollinRollinRollin Tina Casey ond Josephine Kershner Veol ) recently took a cross-country trip with my family. We drove late in the day and through the night to avoid too many “Are wwe there yer?” from the back seat. One night we watehed the sun go down and a huge har- | vest moon come up over Nebraska. We were ‘out in the middle of what seemed like nowhere, and as the moon rose, the stars _D) son big agains the black shy — ‘Then something my 4-year-old said got ime thinking about a beautiful image of “sewing the stars.” T imagined a huge needle and thread ‘inching a glimmering Orion's Bele or sculpting a luminescent Big Dipper. My choughts reminded sme of one reason I think we've all been drawa 10 beadworke Those litde pieces of glass capture a dimension that paint, fab- ric, or clay just cant— light. And stitching bead by bead by bead is kind of like creating a celestial fabric as we place shiny, iridescent beads against deep matte ones Whar did my son say? Ids one of my favorite memories. As I was showing him the Big Dipper, Dylan said, “Ie looks like God dropped his beads up there, huh, Mom?" Warm holiday wishes and happy beading, 2 yo What's cooking in the Beadwork office *= We've 90! theme for you 10 think about for our next jried show—hanks to Diane Fitzgerald, who will be a juror. The show is called “Beodwork Il: The Embellished Shoe.” Paces are due in September 2000. Watch thie space for more information—welllet you know whan we have entry materials ready + Bosh 2000 is of ond running! See poge 67 for more deoils about this wonderful spring beoding retreat in the Rocky Mountains. ‘+ We''e redesigning our web page ond need your input. Go 10 www.nterweave.com, fil out our short web survey, ond well create the web page of your beading dreoms! ron mto% Main Murphy _sDoR can Campbel catarne omscrot Linda C Ligon Peroni saris Any. Cie convororSepten Bal TSHR RODUCTOSEOTTOR Mona Pompe. macron Kate Witon severe Shaun Art, Ty Bal ‘CHCLLATIONNANACER Jenny Fah ntcPrion sacs Doon Mekon soventancCOOnaIATOn Kai Reber sususeeamion Gaye Ford, Ann Swanson Dit Bhabeth R Mra MmODUCHON MASICEN Mare Ney Oven crocasnrt Joe Co ance cooRoncaron Andy Weber Dg i i of ce fo pin cn pena lp anni fo oa papa ty 0 ep pd ai WP INTERWEAVE PRESS nts Lind CD 958.970 7673 Apne mala ee ‘Sg nin OS ind tie rt espn kate co atte Fase RTMSTIR Ret aS Bae Ee oy contubuters WHAT s2BEAD? TINA CASEY A bead is any~ BoM) ching with a hole in it, though generally excluding donuts and golf courses. DoRIS COGHILL A bead is anything wich a hole in it that something can be sseung through. with seed beads, I believe a bead is anything that has a hole in it and can be strung onto thread, cord, ot even rope. A rock, driftwood, even me- chanical pieces with holes can qualify as beads and be strung into fun and whimsical art pieces, JOSEPHINE —KERSHNER- VEAL A bead is an open invitation for exploring your creative potential. JANE TYSON I love glass. ‘bead has co be something made of glass with a hole allowing it to be sung. Other objects that pass for beads ate obviously fakes! SUE VON OHLSEN A bead is a single-celled are form that flourishes when formed into colonies by means of ncedle and thread. Beads are well known for their ability to reproduce asexually (ust ask my checkbook!) + Cech gus beads inall the newest colors * JpmeseDelies + Gensionebexls mag. Plasimuch Dor FREE With "Ray Introducing Beading Software for Peyote + Comanche - Loom een eer ee eee - Ter mare iformatnc nplib manda plas et moeet ris ts forte reed A oy ree ae Mirrix Bead/Tapestry 22, & 32" widihs Sopp fr al your bead proj: Japanese eed beads he, tangs, ook, sions, wie, fringe Bed or Catalog on ine: htpiberstn.ne Geidies, ‘reer 27745 Be okeomes Mle 021232) (20) 29.7018, ‘Grr 8 Abr 2005 ‘Specializing in Guest Instructor Workshops ‘with your favorite artists ‘Romancing the Lariat Cynthia Rutledge - October 23 & 24 ‘Please note our new address! 3K 2551 Som Ramon Vly Bld 1103 Seon Ramon, CA 91583 ple 925) 8375584 weaDWoR Fl 1999 5 MORE NECKLACES FOR MEN Beadwork magazine is the best! I look forward to every a “next issue. Would you consid ing some articles about necklaces for men—'m specially interested in using leather. I would also like to see articles about decorating baskets. Please don't ever stop publishing Beadwork—its great! Susie Ressmann Alamogordo, New Mexico See the article about Don Pierce in this sue. Don designs necklaces. for both men and women. His new book Beading ‘on a Loom (Loveland, Colorado Interweave Pres, 1999), provides instructions for loom weaving and inspiration for designing your own wearable art NATIVE STITCHES David Dean's article “ls it Peyote or Beadweaving?” in the Suammer 1999 issue generated a lot of mail —here are some of the responses read the David Dean art “Is it Peyote or Beadweaving?” in the Summer 1999 issue of Bead- twork with interest. However, 1 ‘was startled ro see thac the tech= riique of the Native American version of this stitch and the ‘more popular version were not differentiated from one another, For a complete creatment of this topic, I recommend Native 4 Fali9ee — seADWORK “American Beadwork: Traditional Beading Techniques for the Moderi-Day Beadworker by Georg Barth (Stevens Point, ‘Wisconsin: Schneider, 1993). — Sylvia Sur Los Angles, California ‘Asa descendant of the Lakota and Chippewa nations, I view beadwork as a creative expression of our heritage. Lam happy to see that a beading publication has concentrated on Native American beadwork and, in particular the subject of the gourd stitch I en- joyed the article by David Dean and agree with his views. While believe cher is more tothe histo- ry of gourd stitch, che informa- tion presented offers a good sum- ‘mary. After seeing many articles, about the “peyote” stitch, which is a more modern style of bead- ‘work, I'm glad ro see attention paid to the taditional Native American Gourd Stitch. —Shari Morning Sur-Zabroski ‘Wonder Lake, ins T have enjoyed this magaz since its inception and was de- lighted to see the Summer 1999 issue Asa beadworker of Amer- can Indian descent (Cherokee and Lakota), I must confess to reading every word over and ‘over! [tis so refreshing to see our elders and contemporaries hon- cored in this way. T was delighted to see the topic “Is ic Peyore or Beadweay- ing?” and the explanation of the difference given so nicely. I do have one criticism, While the article was wonderfully writ- ten and contains photos of beau- tiful work, I take issue with his comment: “Native Americans most likely learned this net-style beadwork from che many mis- sionaries and agents sent to edu- cate native populations during the reservation period.” The idea thar our ancestors did a0 beadwork prior to the reservation period and that the very people who were sent to de- seroy our culture were the ones who taught us, is outrageous. Take for example, wampum. ‘This was loomwork being done prior co the Pilgrims’ landing on Plymouth Rock. Granted, wam- pum employed shells ground into a sore of bead, bur the tech- nique was definitely loomwork. Prior to the European invasion, we incorporated seeds, bone fragments, and berries into our decoration, and because we had been creating. porcupine-quil embroidery, picking up bead embroidery was natural ‘Once again, thank you for such a wonderful magazine and specially for this sue Dust Summebir-Lockey Lite Elm, Texas We lowe war fom joa! Plase fend yur lee to Beadwork, 201 E Furth Se. Love: ld, CO 80537- S655. Beadvork@ Please mate tre t nce yur mail ingadres Loomwork After warping you loom, ase 3 sep sate thend (wel) to string the nam ber of beads needed for he Re row i 99199191919 “ai9)9)19-9) 9199/99.) ssphioss Bring the weft dead under the warp fhreade and push them up with your finger so theres one bead between ach of to warp threads, Hold the bead ia place, bring the weF thread over the ‘warp threads, and PBT all the beads Rap these steps foreach ow, NETTING (SINGLE THREAD) Begin by stringing 4 bate row of 13 beads Sting 5 beads and. go back through the ih Bead fom the cad of “ror? a te base rove Sting another 5 beads, ‘kip 3 beade of the base row and go Ick through the next. Rep co end of row. PT che fifth, fourth, and thied heads of chose jst set, exiting from the third, Tarn the work over and go bck across the same way. RIGHT-ANGLE WEAVE (SINGLE-NEEDLE) The tno eso bead ps somratbead nantes Sing for bse be, FT Peyete Bats / Ls igh “dae tats 3 ‘dna eAowoR These basic instructions are for stitches used in this issues projects and are excerpted from The Beader's Companion, Interweave Press, 1998. Don't have ‘one? Call (800) 645-3675, dept A-B1. beads in postions 1, 2, and 3. The bead in poston 3 will become the bead i position I in the next group. Sering 3 beads. PT bead in poston 3 ‘of List group (now postion 1 of this group), bead in position 2 and bead in position 3 (aoW positon 1 of next s10up). Suing 3 beads, Continue Srorking in his partrn unl te row is toa desired length. In the lw group. PT bead in positions 1,2, 3 and 4 2: Seng 3 beads. PT bead in position 4 of prev group and bead in Peston 1 of his group. Sting? beads, DP headin poston 2 of Row 1, bead in postion of prev group. and she ‘ease added FT besd in potion & fof Row I. Sting ? beads. PT bead in position 2 of prev group and bead in position 4 of Row 1 PT fre bead just aed. Sting 2 beads. PT beads posi- tion 2 of Row 1, bead in potion I of prev group, and the fire bead just ded Row 3: Rep Row 2 TUBULAR PEYOTE STITCH Swing an even aumber of beads co fe Ina ciel around a tube. Make a foun lation circle by passing through all he \O g & strung beads ice more ering from the fist bead sang Sing bead and PF the thd bead of the foundation cicle Sing I ead and PT she Bh bead ofthe Foundxon cre, Continue ning 1 bead at a ne sping ove 1 bead of the fat round, nc you have added half he number bea the Bint ound. Exc rom defi bead ofthe vecond round Side the work foto the form. String t bead, PT the second bead added the cond ound ‘pl read ihe String Bea and DPT the hid bead added in che second found. Continue around fling in the “apaces” T bead at atime. Exe from the fis bead added i each ound, WIREWORKING BASIC TECHNIQUES Gil. With one hand, hold the end of you wine against + mandrel. With the other hand; wrap the wie around the mandrel in eight loops. To remove the col, slide i of the mandel ad ft. Add veri loops on either end 0 Use dhe col ass, or ut thecal a er tain incervals co make jump rings or salccngs gue Bg Figure sigh. Using roand-note pl. rake a Toop athe end of your wit. Make anocher oop aca she bt loop the wie nthe opposite dice tion Cathe wire the eet to > le gre ight. or connie looping back and forth crete 2 chain pater of ge ight Single pp tera en eee al ss clonarefndng gure). Hengmor nove Cat desired length of wire and make 90° bend 2" frm foc end. Make a lop withthe bert fd and col the wteighly dawn the tec ofthe wie to fash. set ink beads o of a wite-workd pice Ge) Toope Grasp one end of the wite writ rundove plier, Holding on co the wire ith one han, gen erm the His el te wy dtd rn body touch, Creates 90" reve bend where they mec igice “Spi To sae pial, make small loop a the end of ¢ wie wth sound ‘opi Enlarge de pice by holding cna the pial with n-ne ple fd pushing the wie over the pet col ‘ih our hum gue). abbreviations beg: begin, beginning prev: previous PBT: pass back through; pass needle through in the opposite direction PT: pass through; pass needle through n the same direction rem: remain, remaining reps repeat RS: right side st stitch, stitches og: together WS: wrong side TENSION BEAD ‘A tension beod (or stopper bead) holds your workin place. To make one, string a bead larger than those you are -weotking with. PT he beod ogain making sure not fo split your thread. The bead will b able to side along, but it sil provides fension to work against when you're beading the fist two rows. THE Tamar Where OO sewer“? is the only monthly publication dedicated solely to the interests of winewnapepers 4 Feature story 4 Business column © Beginners’ section BGallery ofanists — Four-colour project Tips & techniques Sutscipon: 545 (U, 0 (Cn) $90 all ar ents) | WA ‘Wire Artists Group, PO Box 21105, Staford, Ont, NSA 7V3, Canada|, Mastercard Wire Artists Group, Phong (S19) 472-6388 Fax: (S1D) 474.2579 or (200) 671-8744 Website: URL:http:/www.wag.on. Po OTT DELICAS! Caravan ie B ® BL have at i ee ds° t's over 530 colors in ee stock including cuts & 8's. ‘lus a largo selection of Japanese seed beads, squares, triangles, owner st=wmcarsnciiue —_ygles & more! Catalogue $2.00 1361 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60657 773+248+9555 GAC P.O.Box 427 New York, New York 10116-0427 591-112 AT FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ‘West 27° Siret Between 7 & 8" Avenues, New York City ORNAMENTAL RESOURCES Glass stones for ea Great selection eres Pee ns supplies & more! So) nen “Up Close” showcases your work and visually describes the technique. Ta be considered for these pages, send slides labeled with the title of piece, your name, address, technique, and dimensions t0 Beadwork, Interweave Pres, 201 E. Fourth St. Loveland, CO 80537-3655. Ck Sculptural peyote Sees) — 89910-29000 —"_ Beod embroidery ‘Afghani Bicycle Seat Cover by an unknown arts, Alghaniston Peyote sitch, Approximately 12° x 15°, Enervstacoon by Andtea Stern, Chauncey, Ohio. Bead embzoidery, sculptural peyote stitch. 6° x 9" x 3", 12 Fall1999—eADWORK ells by Lindo Stevens, Tusa, Oklahoma. CComent and Cascode by Linda Stevens, Tlso, Oklahoma, (Gluing. 15" x 23" circumforence, hing, 23° x 15" x5" 05008 Ching Flat sch peyote County Line by David Roider, Mount Kisco, New York Peyote stich. Approximately 5* x 6" Entering Gohtests AMY C ave you ever thought abour entering a He noee, asa gen round to it? The staff at Beadwork maga- zine thought weld cut a path into the wild and woolly forest of entering contests for our readers. This spring, chrce of us set off to enter Caravan Beads’ Sccond International Miyuki Delica Chal- lenge: Myths and Folktales of the World. The results of this adventure appear atthe end of this article, For now, here are some general guidelines. REASONS TO EN’ A CONTEST “There are lors of reasons for entering contests — as many reasons as there are entrants. Contests provide deadlines for getting work done. * Juries provide critiques of your work. If your work is accepred, you may gain recogni- tion in the beading world. ® Getting into an exhibie or being publishes catalog isan entry for your ésumé. ™ Contests provide the challenge of creating work around a theme—an opportunity to grow as an ‘The dowa side, of cours, is entering and not getting in, then dealing wich the disappointment and self-doubr that can result. Iecan also be stress ful getting all che parts together and in the mail before the deadline. FINDING CONTESTS TO ENTER ‘The calendar of events section in arts and crafts ‘magazines isthe best place ro look for contests co encer (see page 6). “Call for Entries” sections pro- vide abbreviated information about the contests— call ro request an entry form and guidelines. senowoRK CLARKE Browsing the internet is another way to find upcoming exhibits and concests. Enter key words like ‘call for entries,” “beads,” “contests.” or “com- petitions” into your favorite browser to find links. ‘Your local bead shop or bead society will fre- quently have information about upcoming contests. ‘When you ate considering shows to enter, check the jurors—if you are unfamiliar with a jurors work, make a poine to find examples. Ju ing is hased on informed opinions by expe the field—sometimes i's easy to forge that cheie opinions are subjective—and what one juror will not like another may absolutely love. TING THE THEME OF A CONTEST Your chances of getting into a show are much greater if you make the work specifically for the show. Pay close attention to the specified size, theme, and other guidelines. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache if you do this in the designing stages rather than at the end of the proces. r. a A mh Amy's workstation, including sketch, beads, ruler, ond work in progress. 4 If you have a piece that already fits the theme of she exhibit, enter it. But dont try ro make it fic if it really docsn't—ie will be a waste of your time and mon When you are planning to enter the contest take time ro consider the costs. Consider the amount of time you need ro make the piece, ‘cost, if any, of framing or otherwise mounting it, and the shipping costs. Make sure you start out with plenty of beads in the dyelot you are using and save yourself the last minute panic of having to reorder beads. One way to avoid this problem is to make a sample—then calculate how many beads of what colors you'll need. BUDGETING YOUR TIME Making a sample is a good way to determine how much time you need to finish the project on schedule. I you ate doing 2 fat piece, rime how Jong i kes you to bead a square inch—then mul- tiply that figure by the finshed size of the piece and you'll have afar estimate of your time. Next figure out how much time you'll need to finish the piece and frame or mount it. Then add time for photographing the work. If you are send- ing the actual work to be judged, you should stil take slides or photos for documentation, DOCUMENTING YOUR WORK Ifyou decide to photograph the work yourself, make sure the images are the highest quality you «ean achieve, ® Make your work the focus of the frame remove all distractions From the background, Shoot the work on a neutral cloth back- ‘ground—black, white, gray, or tan. ©. Use natural light if you don't have professional photography equipment. Or use your Occ-lite™ which replicares natural light. % Shoot the work out of direct sunlight ro avoid unwanted reflections. Consider having a professional phocographer shoor your work. IF the work is being judged only by slides or photos, high-quality images will im prove your chances of being accepted. Also, the care you take both in beading and presenting your piece will be informative to the jurors. While it may seem expensive to hire a professional photographer just for one contest, consider the value of che images for The Six Swans, Amy C, Clarke. Bead embroidery. 8" x 8" ‘Compare the example of Amy's amateur photography (above) to Joe Coca's professional photography [below AMY CLARKE Tillscated a scene from one of my favorite Brother's Grim fry tales, “The Six Swans,” forthe Delica Chal- lenge. I might not have tried 0 finish the piece in the 17 days [had co work on it had [known that ic would take me 116 hous. I maintained momentum because I was very excited about the themes I love myths, fairytales, and folkcales. While I lose a lot of sleep eying to finish in time [fee geat relief when | fnlly shipped i ou! he gu your portfolio. If you have photography done for ‘each piece as you make it, you are that much more prepared to enter the next juried exhibit, Label each slide with your name, the title ofthe piece, its dimensions, and the year it was made. For details, label the ticle followed by “(eral)” and the dimensions of the detail area, ‘Mark the cop of the slide with “TOP” HEADWORK oll 1999 | r COMPLETING FORMS Fill out forms completely and neatly. If you have a question, call the organization that is host- ing the contest—it may be a question that other People have asked or you may be bringing some- thing new to their atention. If the work is for sale, consider thatthe retal value will be different from the insurance value because some galleries take up t0 61 percent ofthe selling price. Find out if che exhibition will be taking a commission for Pieces sold and what i is, then figure cha ino the price of your piece WRITING THE ARTIST STATEMENT Some guidelines request an artist statement. Keep the statement concise and to the point. Use the active voice. Keep in mind chat the statement ‘may be published in a catalog or as part of an exhibition. While you may wish to relay a whole history, the readers may only have the time for a couple of sentences. Read the statement out loud to see how it sounds. Ask a friend co read it and sive you feedback. SENDING AND INSURING YOUR WoRK ‘The best way to guarantee that a work arrives safely i to deliver it yourself, bue thar noc always possible Tf you are sending the actual work through the smal, sen it by a carter tha insures the piece and provides a tacking system. While you ean insure packages with the U.S. Postal system, you cannot track them. Federal Express and UPS offer both these features. Send it as quickly as you can—the fewer days ic isin circulation, the les likely itis to get crushed or misplaced Package the piece caeflly—better co ect on the side of too much bubble wrap than too ltl Consider that ic will be handled frequenly and willbe placed under many other packages. Enclose the piece in a plastic bag co prevent water damage. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PIECE WHEN IT ARRIVES. When it arrives, your piece will be cataloged and tagged. Some organizations will send out an acknowledgment card to let you know i has x Thoughts on Entering a Competition DIANE FITZGERALD Judging the Second International Miyuki Delica CCiallenge was a wonderful experience both in evaluat- ing the pieces with the other judges (Carol Wilcox ‘Wells and Charlene Stele) and in seeing the Fantastic range of work created with seed beads toda: 4 What makes a piece a winner, a showstopper? What is the “WOW?” factor that set picce above the rest? Some people cll his fctr “visual presence." think of ivas the strength or power of the piece to compel you to look at ic and think about it. Somehow i stops you , in your tracks when your eyes light om it, It is more than work thats technically well done, although chat is 4 4 major factor. Its more tan the pleasing use ofthe e- ements of design (color, texture, shape, proportion and , ‘movement), although this too must be there. Somehow, the artse conveys an element that touches your spirit and, For you, that piece isa winner. I may be tough to make a showstopper, so why SN 18 Fat 1999 seADWOR bother to enter a competition? I think, whem all is said and done, that the best part of entering is having a piece that you're proud of, ehat you've had fun creat- ing, that you can enjoy for years to come, and thar may become a family heirloom. Whether you place frst or second or just have the chance for your work to be shown, there's the delight you give to others who see your work. Added to that isthe satisfaction that you've made your best effort and are proud enough of your work to put it out therefor comparison. I'l admit that its somewhat scary to do this. Sometimes you just have t0 do it and not worry whether you will be rejected. Dont get me wrong—the rejections can be a disap Poinement. Te been bummed out for days when 1 didn't make it into a show. Bur life goes on, the beads beckon again, and you pick up your needle and thread and begin a new piece. Who knows .. . maybe next time oul wi — ¥ arrived. If you send it with a carrier that has a tracking system, you ean simply call chem up and have the package traced. ‘Mose competitions will make sure that your name isnt visible to the jurors (while keeping the pieces marked to prevent confusion). Then they will usually organize the work into the categories specified on the entry Form. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE JURYING ‘After the jurors critique the pieces and make their decisions, the winners are usually notified promptly. Organizations will frequently send the jurors’ comments back to the entrants. Ifyou are not accepted it can be painful to read the com- ments, but keep in mind thac the comments are sent back to give you constructive feedback. IF your piece has been accepted, the exhibit or- ‘ganizers wil keep it for a while to photograph and JEAN CAMPBELL create the catalog and/or place it in an exhibit. ® Dayo the Dead, Jean Campbell Sculptural peyote. 7" x3" ‘The theme for the Delica Challenge “Tier working Dike Fata to ealwoik other was $0 tich—how to choose? I toyed “huoreae Pes putin daring the day Any C. Clarke around with all kinds of myths, but T ss home to bead finally setted on doing a “Dias De Los Muertos” seulpeure. Because I delayed r TW picking subject, Phd v0 work on my ligele skeleton marionerte while talking a (onthe phone, while watching Scooby Doo > with my son, and, a che end, in the mid- dle ofthe night. Ie just about knocked CH ‘me out, but I'm happy I took the chal- 5 (Ienge—now Ihave apiece of beadwork | = 6 © canbe proud of, Some Crone Judith Durant é csaicsicspikcpmcapceaaa 1 Ne 5 worl FOOTNOTE aoe ee ‘The day before they headed up to Estes Park 1 think I can. U chink I can. Pethaps for Beadwork Bas, Jean and Amy received esters somewhere deep down I also believe that ¢ from Barry Kehn saying their works had been Rome could have been builtin aday. tentatively accepted into the “Don’t Myth Ie” When Jean first suggested that we ‘| exhibit to be displayed at Embellishment in July ener the Delica Challenge, there was and published in che book ths fall. Imagine the plenty of time. I then diddled around for / jumping and joyful laughing that occurred! The a few months, wondering what to make. letter stated that there had been 147 entries for Td recently discovered beading on needle- | che contest, and listed the ten prizewinners and point canvas, so I decided wo go that {eleven finalists. While nether Jean nor Amy was a route. T finally got started three wecks / prizewinner, their work would be exhibited and before deadline, one week before a two- published. They actually saw the "Don't Myth Ie week vacation, What was I thinking? I'm |) exhibie at Embellishment in July and were surprised I got as far as I did. impressed with the quality of work—the h oan prizewinning pieces were really magnificent. HeADWOR Fall1999. 19 The Many Faces of DON PIERCE JUDITH DURANT See eee ee Cin tire The Bead Goes On” at the Maude Kerns ‘ugene, Oregon. T by the work oF a number of bead artisans, but was most inapressed by the neckpicces of Virginia Blakelock. So impressed, in fact, that he and his wife Janet drove for mote than four hours in the pouring rain the next day so he could return to see the works agai, was dazaled Don was born and raised in Oregon, and he attended OSU, majoring in wood products and inart. After college cleven-year career in che wood molding and mill- work industry. Regarding himself a poor corporate employee and a terrible supervisor, he next opted for operating a fishing lodge near Bend, Oregon, This in curn became 2 twenty-year career that cul minori he embarked on an minated in his owning a remote seasonal fishing lodge in British Columbia accessible only by boat and floatplane. The physical demands of the rugged life eventually took their toll, and Don in to think about re saw the bead show and embarked on yet another Don decided to teach himself how to bead on a oom. He b got to work. He sold the lodge in 1994 and hasnt stopped learning about, refining, creating, and ing beadwork since. The first piece Don designed and created is now lovingly referred to as Old Url. Far from ugly, ie may lack the refinement of his current work, but irement. That's when he a few books, made a loom, and itt an attractive piece that Janet wears often, Like artists working in many different media, Don finds inspiration in the world around him, but most notably in archi Tan turn a building upside down and find a necklace. rectural details may provide a design idea CChuysler building in New York isa goo eds of art de ‘example— there are literally hund designs in that one build Also like other artists, Don has methods in his studio, only to later discover some reated” new ‘one else working in a similar fashion. That was che case with the vertical fringe he used ered comparable s not, Don pushes envelope when it comes to employing tech: nique, and the results are magnificently unique. Ce eet ae reated hundreds of original cased in g leries around the country, many of which now also To date, Don has pieces, many of which have been sh reside in private coll ng commanded impressiv In addition to ereatin art, Don has be come a much-in-demand instructor and, of Beadin om (In ly-respected book author. The fringe techniques presented. here come from the book. For information on Don's workshops wwwdonpierce.com. @ with the publicati ona visic his website nea ee ee eee x CREATING wit FRINGE ringe can be the finishing touch thar makes a piece really work. ‘There are so many forms of fringe that it can take on almost i tions. Here area few of my favorites, STRAIGHT FRINGE Straight fringe is the simplest form and uses the warp threads. Center one strand of fringe under every bead in the bottom of the piece or perhaps under every other bead, depending on the ef- feet desited or the materials used. Ifyou are using a larger accent bead or picot at the end of the fringe, you may want (0 skip every other space or perhaps vary the lengths in a pattern in order to avoid a bunched-up, overcrowded look. You have two warp threads to use foreach fringe ac the outside edges of a piece. You may use one warp thread for the fringe and sew the unused one into the work. The better way isco use both ‘warp threads in the fringe and double its strength. The third alternative is ro take the extra warp thread dawn into the fringe as far as possible, then bring ic out of the fringe and trim flush Figure 1. Once you've added o stand of ‘straight fringe, sew the fringe (warp) threads back into the work 24 Fol999 seaDWoRK Knotting fringe threads at the end of the fringe makes the fringe very weak and should be avoided. Instead, the fringe (warp) thread should go back up through the fringe and be sewn into the work as shown in Figure 1. KINKY FRINGE This technique describes the finge nor the fringe maker. Kinky fringe can be at the outside edges of the work using warp ehreads or it can be at the surface of the work using an intro duced thread. It is useful for adding depth to a piece as in Hairy Chest shown on page 23. Figure 2 shows the Figure 2. Kinky fringe odds depth tothe work thread path used in creating kinky fringe. Kinky fringe can have bugle beads or other accent beads in some ot all che legs. TWISTED FRINGE ‘This type of fringe can give a piece an antique look and it adds great tex- ture. To form, put enough beads on the warp thread to get the required length, add one or more marker beads that will guide you in the last step and will be the ip end of che fringe, then add enough beads to match the length of the firs section. Slide the needle down until the eye is about % inch from the last bead, then roll che needle bpeeween the thumb and forefinger to put cwist into the thread. Ie wil take about 100 rotations, depending on the length ofthe fringe (Figure 3). Be con- Figure 3. For twisted finge, rotate the needle cbout 100 times o force the thread to twist bock on itsel sistent in the amount of twist in each fringe, and take care that the loose end of the fringe thread does not tangle. Grasp the point where the thread exits the last bead so you do not lose the twist. Pull the needle back up the thread a few inches, and while holding the twist in, insert che needle back inco the work and pull the end of the fringe up to the work. Grasp the marker bead or beads a the center of the strand. Release the fringe and it should twist up on itself. IF the marker beads are not perfeetly centered, you can untwist the fringe and, while holding the marker beads, let the inge re-cwise (Figure 4), Sew in the fringe thread in the normal way. . Figure 8. For curly fringe, pull the thread fight form bends where he tread goes outside the beads, Figure 6. Fipthe dangle cround the sing of beads oinredce vi into the fst EDGE FRINGE secon of thread Fringe coming out of the edge ofthe Figure 4. Once you're satisfied with ‘weaving can be done while you weave, ‘he twist, sew the fringe thread into for afterward, either on loom or off the work in he usual way. loom. One thing different about edge fringe is that the beads are oriented in You may add dangles at the end of the same direction as the beads in the ‘sisted fringe by threading them on as body of the piece. Figure 9 shows the shown in Figure 5. Irwill be necessary Figure 7. For vertical ings, each stock ‘of beads is held directly on top of «a base beod, ing the height of the stacks of beads can give a sculpted look. This isa very * simple fringe but can be difficult and tedious if you cover the whole piece. ‘The beads in the base need t0 have Figure 9. € igure 9. Edge fringe may be added to large holes because many threads will either side as the piece is being woven. be passed through. I recommend using Delicas for the base. The type and size Figue 5. Ty adding dangles ofthe beads inthe fringe wll affect the thread path for adding fringe to either to hited fringe texture of the finished swork. A looser side while you weave. Add edge fringe texture can also be achieved by skip- after weaving by introducing a new «o flip the dangle portion around the ping some ofthe base beads. thread and making the ffinge in the string of beads about half as many same manner as end fringe. times asthe thread is ewisted in order ‘to introduce twist in the first section of CURLY FRINGE thread (Figure 6) STNID ge way fon lee and DANGLES gives an effect similar to kinky fi Dangles are fringe with muscle. A Figure 8 shows the thread path. Take series of large accent beads or a large the return thread back into the work bunch of small beads can be used inde- I call this Hedgehog fringe because and pull tight to create the bends pendently or in conjunction with reg- ‘of the tactile quality of the finished where the thread goes outside the ular fringe of some sort. Dangles are work. (See Fire and Ice on page 22.) beads. The tightness of che bends is usually attached at comers and points Each stack of beads forming the fringe determined by how hard you pull. 1 as in Southwest Construction (shown on isheld directly on top of the base bead. used curly fringe for Fu Manchu on a page 23) wo provide an accent. Dangles Figure 7 shows the thread path. Vary- Bad Hair Day (shown on page 23). work best in odd numbers. @ VERTICAL FRINGE BeADWOR. Fal1999. 25 CADDIS WEAVE BRACELET ANNE FLETCHER developed Caddis Weave wen I wanted to use a bead with a large hole and trap ie in place with sced beads. I began with a peyotestitched cord that fic the hole in Robere Burke's iguana bead and then wove seed beads over the cord to secure the bead in place. I named this weave *Caddis” for the caddis ly, an insect thae builds wonderful case underwater during its larval stage. ‘The technique begins with a free-hand peyote cord. (I find that working peyote over a dowel doesn’t have che drape I like for jewelry) Tve worked this bracelet with the smallest number of breads that you ean comforably use in odd-count tubular peyote. Ifyou want a larger cord, increase the number of beads in your Foundation circle. Ie requites practice to work a smal, tight peyote cord with even tension. This is critically import. ‘When youre designing a pattern for this proj- ect, avoid anything too precise—this technique is better suited for simple stripes, color areas, and fiecform or organic designs —— Size 11° oF §° seed beads Size “B* or "D” beading thread in color to match beads ‘Size 13° seed bead to cover size 11° seed beads, ‘or size 11° seed beads to cover sie 8° seed heads Size “B" or “D” beading thread in color to ‘march beads Soe Beading ncedle that accommodates bead size 26 Fal l09" ADWORK TUBULAR PEYOTE CORD Rnd 1: Using 1 yards of thread and leavi tail, sting 7 beads. PT all again to form a foun dation circle. Exc from the frst bead (shece pass es through first bead). Its important not to split your thread with your needle in cis Firs md Rnds 2 and on: Sering a bead, skip a bead, and PT the next bead, Work in this fashion to complete this md. Continue spiraling into the next rows uni you reach the desired length for your base cord (standard bracelet size is 7-8"). Weave in the working thread and trim. Go back to the starting tal, work the tal thread into the cord, and trim. Do not connect ends of the base cord ar this time CADDIS WEAVE Begin a new thread at one end of your peyote cord, anchoring it securely by weav- ing it through the peyore stitch, reversing direction at least once Step 1: Exit through the top of one of the beads at the end of your cord. String 3 smal beads, ‘Sep 2: *Move down the column of beads creat ed on your peyote cord. PT che bead disectly below the one you jus exited. Pass your needle eADWoRK Figure 1 and thread in the same direction as you did is Seep 1 (F ure 1) (Ifyou are passing your thread i beads will slant like this: /. I sla Continue beads, embellishing each bead with 3 beads. Whe you reach the end of the cord, join the cord into a circle. The single row of caddis now dictates how Match up in the pie ne caddis cad to the othe other (a bead may be added here if necessary Work each of che rem rows up and down from one column to another, keeping the direction of the weave the same throughout. @ RESOURCE FOR IGUANA BEAD Robert Burkert, 54 Loper La., Route 17, Sama Fe, NN THINGS TO TRY Reverse the ditection of the slant in alter tea herringbone effec ‘= Add more than three beads in Step 1 t0 build up your work. (Ifyou are making a commodate the extra bulk by making a longer base cord.) celet, remember co = Use different sizes of beads Work over flat peyote. You may need to tailor your caddis rows to keep your work fla, and if you are workin surface, concave surfaces are prety tricky on an iregular polished gemstone chips and matching seed beads to create these beautiful encrusted bottles. Al cee See ey cm daunting, these bottles work up much more quickly than a bottle covered with peyote or brick rena stitch, Since the net technique is mostly “ain,” you cover dis tances fast! These bottles make wonderful gifs, especially ‘when worked in the birthstone of the lucky recipient Choose a simply shaped bortle, one that has a consistent diameter from bortom to top. You arent limited co a cylin ee ats a bottle whose sides are each equi distant from the neck (don't use a bottle that looks rectan- gular from a bird's-eye view) because this kind of netting doesn't lend itself well to the increases and decreases neces saty for an oddly-shaped bottle eee ee ee ee chips, g Se te ae eae want to use larger chips, also use larger seed beads (either eee BOTTLE BASE Lay the leather face down on a flat surface and place the bottle on the leather. Trace around the base of the bottle Cece with a pencil. (Some bortles have a rounded bottom edge Petes Carefully cur the Thread your needle and pierce the leather approximately around the largest area of the bottle.) ther along the pencil line * from the edge on the front. Draw the thread through, ere corre een aa a knor), string 1 seed eee ee ene ie ener bead and PT the leather Pata ane the leather. Bring the needle to the front and t side of the last stitch. (You are actually working, butto eer att stitch with a bead added—see Figure 1.) Continue ar Set es eh of the leather, run the original tail under an inch or so of eae the stitches on et ee ee ing thread th ea eee eae Pe a eae ee birthstone of the lucky recipient Ryans Bottle Size 11* seed bead: lished stone chips Teather Glue or clear nail polish Size “D” beading thread in co Small pi Je, or felt een 12° beading need Pencil Potato Rnd 1: *String 1 seed bead, 1 chip, 3 seeds, 1 chip, I seed. ree et ce eee oer) around the entire edge. Depend. ing how many seed beads you first sewed around the Ce eee dge of the leather, you may or may not come out even. eee oa ea er ahead to see how you will come out. If necessary, adjust the number of seeds you skip over in order to come out even, End by PT the bead you started with and the first four beads added in this end Cee PT the fourth bead of the second sequence in the prev ee er er ee rnd. *String 1 seed bead, 1 chip, 3 seeds, 1 chip, 1 seed. eet et nn eee ee na Rep from * all around. PT the firse four beads added in cr Peer ea ee crt first four beads added After you have worked a few mds, slip the netting on the Pent Continue to create the gemstone netting with the bottle in place outa sag When you reach the area where your bortle begins to without the stone Fh seed beads to mater bead on the prev ind. Depending on your work, your beads, and your bottle, Pere teeta es eee ee chips. For the first plain md string eno ee ee ee ee | Pull your work up firmly to get a good fir on the bottle Netting tends to strech a bit, so you may find you ean pull your work up far enough to go over the shoulder of the bor: tle IF you need to use an even number of beads ina net, use 2 beads as your center point for the next rnd Pre INT) Your goal is to keep the work tight enough to lie flat on the surface of the bottle, but not so tight thac the threads show. To achieve this you'll need to dec as the bortle neck narrows. To dec, simply use 1 or 2 fewer beads in each ne Nene You may need to inc at the top of your bottle to accom: modate for the lip. Usually adding 1 bead to each net will suffice FINISHING. Dec again to cover the lip of your bottle. Work just 10 the very edge of (not into) the lip. You should be able to fit your cork into the bottle and have the beadwork touch the Pe ee eee not to secure. Dot knots with glue ‘or nail polish. Trim ends close ro work. @ ‘cork without interf through the work and cae many Co eT yh ta eg hn sb [ston Spins i rl go tion and resist starements like, 4 and restrictive boundaries should be challenged and expunged. I wor'e follow blind authority Rebellion is good challenge myself to go one step beyond, to explore new techniques or revisit old ones, One of my fa- vorite beady pastimes is playing the What If? it that way.” Fo creativity. I constanely game. I develop my ideas by asking, “Whar if | did this, or what if I did that?” I am oft what emerges. That's how Rebellious Lace evolved. A few yeats ago, I explored free-form peyote, free-form brick stitch, and free-form square stich but I was cui clighted at ‘ous if free-form netting could be done. So I sat down to play the W oom lace technique, and voll, I develop form netted lace unhindered by boxy shape and width restrictions, i Uf? game using the heir There are absolutely no design limits with this technique. Once you leatn the basics, you can add larger beads in the body of the work for texture, embellish the surface with lowers, or add dag beads on the edges for a distinctly unique look. This project is a beaded cuff, but you can also make a choker, a purse, even a designer belt with this lovely lace! Rebellious Lace is different than most netting because you often work an inerease at the begin: ning of a row and a decrease at the end of the same row. This techniques gives the work an an- sled look. To make a piece zi simply reverse Size 11° seed beads in color of your choice Size “B” beading thread in color ro match beads ‘One large decorative button oF bead for closure le Size 12” beading or sharps Scissors Beeswax or Thread Heaven™ if desired the increase/dectease combination every few rows You can also add inereasesidecreases at the begin- ning of each row to expand or shrink the coral wideh of ehe picee. For a purely whimsical piece, increase and decrease at random. Note: When working netted lace I prefer ro use 4 double strand of size B thread, but a single serand of size D is fine. Run the thread chrough beeswax or Thread Heaven” if desired. Add a ten sion bead (see page 11) to a couple yards of dou- bled thread ro hold the beads in place. Leave a 6" tal to weave in once the knot bead is removed. To help you learn the basis, the first portion of the cuff will be a zigaag. Rows 1-7 make up the zig, while Rows 9-13 reverse the direction of the net to make the zag. By the end of Row 13 you will have learned all the necessary techniques to experiment with making a unique piece of your own. Row 1: String 14 beads, PBT the second from the ‘end (Figure 1) Figwe 1 9000001 SUGGESTIONS Increase every row for afew rows to widen a piece Decrease every row fora few rows to make a piece thinner. = Decrease more than one net atthe end of the row co create a stepped look. > Work a few rows withour increasing or de- creasing (both edges are even) Work random increases and decreases for a orally wild look, Row 2: *Sering 3 beads, skip 3 beads on Row 1 and PT next bead. You have completed your first “net” (a net consists of three beads). Rep from * ee more times to create a total of 3 nets for this row (Figure 2). Figue2 ee 200005 ‘Row 3 (Ine Row—An inerease always stars with 7 beads.) String 7 beads. PBT the second from the end. String 3 beads, skip chree beads on neve strind, and PT next bead. "Seng 3 beads and PT the center bead of the next net on the pew row. Rep from * two more times fora tual oF 4 nes (Figure 3). Figue3 Row 4 (InciDec Row—This row always starts with 7 beads to create an ine atthe beginning, A dec atthe end of the row is created by not working the last net of the euerent row. All the net between are worked as normal) ‘Working the increase: String 7 beads. PBT the second from the end. String 3 beads, skip three beads on new strand, and PT nest bea. ‘String 3 beads and PT the center bead ofthe next net on the prev row. Rep from * evo more times fora total of 4 nets (Figure 4). Working the decrease: You have stopped one net short of finishing the row, so you have just worked a decrease seADWoRK ret 1999 a CO OG Row 5: (Basic Row: This row does not inc a the beginning and always sats with 3 beads. Un less othernse sated he nts are worked ro the ery end ofthe row) Sting 3 beads and PBT the second from the end. tring 3 beads and PT the center bead of the net net onthe prev row Rep from 4 nets (Figure 5), Figure 4 Row 6: Work an Inc! Dec row (same as Row 4 sigue ES Eee OOH Row 7: Work a Basic Row (same as Row 5). Row 8: Inc Row (same as Row 3). Now it’s time to slanc the work in the other di rection to make the zag, Inc at the beginning the row and work the netting all the way ro the end. Do not work Row 9: Work an Inc/Dec Row (5 nets) Row 10: Work a Basic Row (5 nets) Row 11: Work an Inc/Dec Row (5 nets). Row 12: Work a Basic Row Row 13: Work an Inc/Dec Row (5 nets). Now you know eno h technique to cut loose and work your own design. Keep in mind that che number of nets in any crease depending on the design choices you make FINISHING ‘Stop when the cuffs lon Iy encircle your wrist. Sew a prety but end and weave the thread back chrough the work to finish off. Secure with a few knots if necessary Make a loop of beads on the other end long enough to go around the button, attach thread ro piece. Pass thread back through the loop as many times as possible ro strengthen it. Finish off bj ad back into the body of the cuff: You may also choose to use snaps or other hardware in- stead of the button/ this unique piece is your design and there is no right or weaving oop closure. Remembe wrong way to workiit. Enjoy! @ At Lan! and Pyoee Dig Techs See Oregon. ow rail ar Bs “facts of like OR what to do with a donut JANE TYSON kay, this isnt really about the facts of life, bur would you have wanted to read this article if ic were titled “Plat Circular Right-Angle Weave” I rest my case! T first came across the “donut” a few years ago. 1 had been teaching beadwork ata local community ‘center and sized a bracelet for an elderly lady. The bracelet had come from the woman's daughter in ‘Queensland, Australia At che time, I had no idea of che bracelet’ structure, but I was ableo shorten ieas required [ater figured our that the bracelet was formed with fae right-angle weave circles, each circle cre- ated by joining the ends ofa string often to twelve right-angle weave units. The more you do beadwork, the more you learn there are several ways to arrive a the same result. This is true of right-angle weave donuts. I started ‘out making donut bracelets using two ncedles but am very much indebted ro NanC Meinhard for pointing our that they ean also be done with one. 5 grams size 11° black Japanese seed beads 5 grams size 11° gold Japanese seed beads Size “B® beading thread to match exterior beads Size 12° beading needle Scissors DONUT Using 2° of eheead, tring 10 gold and leave a 6" wl. Tie the ends together in a knot to create a foundation circle. PT che frst bead strung to clear the knoe. Unie t: String 1 black, 1 gold, and 1 black. PBT the bead just exited. Continue through to the second bead on the foundation circle. renown Unit 2: Sering 1 black and 1 gold. PBT the firs black of the prev unit, PT che second bead of the foundation citele, and continue through the third bead of the foundation cirdle. Units 3-8: Rep Unit 2, working along the founds. tion circle co create interlocking units, Unit 9: Sering 1 black and 1 gold. PBT the fist black of the prev unit. PT the ninth and tenth beads of the foundation circle Unit 10: PT the second black of the frst unit String | gold. PBT the first black of Unie 9. PT the tenth bead ofthe foundation circle Weave the working and tail threads through sev eral beads o secure and tie a knot if desired. Trim close to work. WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH A DONUT You can easily link donuts in a row to make a chain. [ike to link them with a right unic co create a lide extra interest. donuts are connected by only one bead, however, they probably will not make sturdy straps.) You ccan also sew donuts together from any of the out side points to make a fabric of donuts, such as the small doily pictured. Right-angle weave donuts make great bases for flax circular or spherical beadwork, They are ideal for beginning a circular peyore stitch or netting project. I've also used donuts to make flat circular Christmas stars and spherical Christmas orna- ments. Whatever you try, they are great fun to play with, @ Jane Tyon ts a beadwork ari and wacher who Toes in Moonah, Tasmania. hat fan! My first trip to Europe, ‘and I got to spend a week and a half in London with other bead- workers. Since most of us are also flea market junkies, one of our goals was to hit as many London street markets as we could, looking for treasures we cant get in the United Seates, Each market was open only one of two days a week, but there is a market in London somewhere every day f the week, As we made our rounds, we started ro recognize dealers who travel from market to eADWORK market. One particular dealer carried a beaded bracelet thae intrigus I saw i. As all of you know, itis just about impo sible to see a beaded piec examination. This particul row of age me more each time ind not pick it up For piece had a fa ch side ‘When we returned home, I did my best ro nique I had seen in London. Hi is the result. The bracelet is made with a wide lad: ruffles” of loop fs with ruffles on recreate the te der-stitched center row and fringe. Purple matte iridescent size 8° or 11° seed beads Shiny black size 8° or 11° seed beads Burton for clasp Size “B” or “D” beading thread in color to ‘match beads Size 10° oF 12° beading needle (depending on bead size) Scissors CENTER BEAD LADDER (Use all black beads) Using 1” yards of thread and leaving a 10” til, string 16 beads. PT all again to form a crcl. Tie a knot. Continue through 8 beads in the circle Scring 8. PT the adjacent 8 beads on the initial cir- dle and continue through the 8 jus strung, *Scring 8 beads. PT che prev 8 beads and the 8 just strung. Rep from * until che center ladder fis around your wrist plus about one inch. Keep the tension tight as you build the ladder. Exit from the last bead of the ladder. FRINGE : Row I: String 3 purple, 1 black, 2 purple. PBT the first purple, keeping the circle of fringe as close as possible tothe side of the ladder. Con- tinue through the frst row of the ladder (see Figure 1). *String 3 purple, 1 black, 2 purple beads. PBT the first purple bead and the next row on the ladder. Rep from * to create fringe oon both sides of the ladder. Exit from the cen ter black bead in the frst fringe loop. Row 2: "String 5 purple, 1 black, 5 purple. PBT the black bead in the top of the next fringe loop. Rep from * down the entire side of the bracelet. Reverse direction and continue in the same ‘manner back down the same side of the bracelet, PT the same black bead in each fringe loop. Rep ‘on the other side ofthe bracelet. clasp Sew a pretty button or matching bead on the top of one end of the ladder. To strengthen the area around the button, connect several of the lad~ der rows by doing a few square stitches between the first three rows. On the other side ofthe ladder make a loop of beads to ft over the button. @ ila Bad arte and eacher wh recy xbibied her work at The Goldin Gallery Show inher home sate of Minncots eAOWORK Fal 1990 41 A Chat With Those JEANNET es C¥O.@: K Beady Eyed Women POND peeves | J STAR JEAN CAMPBELL annette Cook and Vicki Star are accomplished arts and teachers who have parlayed their lve {for beadsvork and the beadworking community into carers. The Beady Eyed Women®, the name of their business (note their snazzy new trademark’) was born from a series of events but was always dr ten by the simple expression of joy. Now, with six books, over 100 patterns, a websie, a newsleter, and «book with Interweave Press in progress, these talent- cd, vivacious, jubilant women are happy to report shat "going 10 she office” everyday is a breeze. Recent- ‘by Lad the pleasure to ealk wich Jeannette and Vicki about the risks, challenges, and jays of being The Bead Eyed Women. You two seem like such good friends. How did you ook up? Vicki: We met at the Shepherdess, a bead store in San Diego. I worked part-time there and taught classes, and Jeannette taught on weekends. What were you doing fora living then? Vicki: Thad done all kinds of work in the craft y kids goc older and my hubby got out of the Navy, I started a stained glass and fused glass jewelry business. Ie was then that 1 started working for Marcie Stone at the Shep hherdes. She's the one who got me into teaching thanks agtin, Marcie! Afer that I worked part- time at Oskadusa, a bead see in Solana Beach, and aught beading classes at lots of stores in southern California. Jeannette: And I worked for Nationwide Adver- tising Service, then Proxima. They make LCD panes for overhead projection. Very techie. I also taught classes a few weekends a month. world, bur when So you had your jobs. And you were trying to start J: Actually, it happen setting together with some bead-crazed women in San Diego for food, conversation, and beadwork. I started calling our meetings the Beady Eyed Women” nights. Afer a year of dreaming about a beading reteat in the moun- tains, Vicki and I decided to host one herein San Diego. We found a place in che mountains arranged a date, pur outa lyr, and got busy mak- ing a liele workbook for our students—we called it The Beady Eyed Women’® Guide 10 Exquisite Beadwork: Peyote Primer. le was our first published book. That was July 1994 Vs Yeah, it was fun. We juse did it For me, it was just one more place to teach a class, bur who knew that it would grow to be what itis today? 1 didn realize 1 would be phasing out my “real job”—iane char what you ell when you work for someone ce? by accident! We were You started the business in 1994, How has it grown sand changed? J: We first started printing chose litle work- books 20 at a time at the copy shop. We color photocopy of one of my pieces on the cover. ‘Then we did 100, then 2,000 six books in print! Whew! Heres how it happened I took a cat trip to Canada and during those six weeks I gave the Peyote Primer to every bead store I and now we have could find along the way. Then we sent a copy to Bead & Button, they reviewed it, and the post office bax filled with orders! Bead stores began asking their distributors for our book, so Larry Weiss at Helby Imports Co. tracked us down and placed a big order! We had no idea how we would finance the printing, so Vicki ran up all her credie cards nd we borrowed money from her mom J: The thing that surprises me most is chat we can support both of us. Vicki continued to work and I did a bie of temp work during the first couple of years, but w. Our Bh an People at Oskadusa until about a year we totally support ourselves niversary was July 18th, 1999. Amazin know us and sell us that they love our books. I's awesome. Who would have ever thought? V: You know, the only thing that's surpei is the time early on that someone in a restaurant d me recognized our names and treated us like celebri fies, asked for our autographs, and had her hus band take pictures of us together. We walked around with huge heads for most of the week! J: For me it’s teaching. And of course theres no poli- driving in rush hour and dealing with off tics, What a waste of time and ener The biggest caffc jam I run into is when all of my Vz Tove being the boss of myself I love all the wonderful people we get to play beads with. 1 enjoy the fame—especally when I hear,"YOU're the Beady Eyed Women J: Loading boxes and driving to shows, worki alll weekend, then tearing down boxes and loa them into che truck and driving again. But ie’ still worth it, We have sore cheeks from laughing at shows and in classes, Vi The worst part for me is the frustration of being under-funded, Well have a great idea, but will have to put ie off because of lack of cash. [ to remember that the cash will be there when we need it.I guess we should be buying lottery tickets! J: les easy because Vicki and I ate absoluce opposites! She has the math/techaical/eomputer! symmetrical mind, and I have the social, phone loving, public relations mind. Our official titles are “Jeannette Cook, President of Food and PR.” and “Vicki Star, President of Finances and Tech- nology.” Almost everything I like doing for the Neferti’s Neckpiece, 1999, Jeanne Cook 3 Patchwork Collage Cuff 1999. Jeanette Cook. Stellr Stor Ornament, 1999. Vick Star Froggy, 1999. Viek Str business, Vicki hates, and che stu she likes, I hate Tm not allowed to do the accounting, buc Tm happy to do collections and arrange teachin Vi Yeah, I hate the phone, Although talking with people is great, actually picking up the phone and dialin computes proj and checking che receivables for the month. It's even more fun to design patterns and put the newslereer together. Anyway, we fit pretty wel ives me a stomachache. I love my ough. I enjoy starting up our business n, looking at how many customers we have and I'm happy to have a partner to work with Jeannette helps keep me motivated. J: We each work on our own sections at home Then we get to we are book custome «swap chapters, and pretend Vi We have a very complicated editing code ‘Huh? means, “Whar are you trying to say here? ‘Splain” means “I know what you'e tryin but you need to spell it our.” Once we are happy with the editing, we print up copies and hand them out at the retreats so the students can make suggestions. This is how we've done all of our books. It works out great Vs was getting burned-out on teaching. Ie was more about the politics between bead stores than the actual student and beading part. Maybe I take things little too personally? Anyway, I wanted o get refreshed before I started taking it out on my students. I'm starting to miss it now. I should be good and ready for new classes next year, V: Tye been cooking up a fun herringbone vessel class. I've also been working on a set of tiny porcelain doll, all under two inches tall. I'm bead. each a flower costume out of size 14° seed beads. That wll make a nice clas, too, IIo! 1 are the most amazing women on earth and the uly fll in love with my students, They come from all walks of life. They are creative, shar ing, and fun. We have a creative bond—a women's bond—that’s hard to find in the “not art” world, J: My latest wood stick sculpture reatest thing is my beaded drift- T made it on a recent trip bead: on, and in the redwood forest. What an inspiration! This ith my hubby and I blew my own mind! ‘on the coast of Ore cd in the mountain piece has given me great ideas for a new class. I'm also working on stands to put the vessels I create ‘on, They finish the pieces off so nicely Ve Te doesn't drain my creati takes time away from beadin loc at night when I'm filling asleep, and most of my beadwork is for class samples or kit prototypes Every once in a while I make somethin My Tm on a roll T y as much as it I bead in my head a just for me. seativity comes in waves anyway. When rank out a bunch of stuff and it just lows. Then, suddenly, nothing. That's when I tube beads, pur together kits, clean up the office andel do yard work, and play with my den. four dream b and be a lot of work, bue ies satisfying, happy work. I hate your and your passion. If you four life, change ie! Yes, it can like to quote Louise Hay. She says, "You can have anything you want WORK for i, If you let the negatives in your life dominate life they will suck the life out of you and you'll die spir- itually.[ worked hard to pay offall my debts before I quit chat last job, and I lived very frugally, bur I felt rich many times because I was free from a job that had no creativity. 'm so much happier now! V: The best advice I can give is to take time for yourself. For me it about sleeping in so I can stay up late to doa little work and some beading. I set hours when I'm available to customers, and try not to feel guilty when T don’t take calls at all hours. 1 take a least one day a week off, and even try hard to take classes every once in a while. If things sto bing fun, | figure out why and try to Bix it. Don Mi spiration: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personall Always do your best. | Ruiz’ four rules of life are my in- Don't make assumptions, @ THE BEADY EYED WOMEN ARE COOKIN’! Books ‘Beading with Pete Sich coming in Spring 2000 from Thverweave Press Thies published books ‘The Body Eyed Nomen Guide to gust Beadwork “A Ppt Sch Primer, 1994 ‘The Bead Eyed Women Guide to Exguisve Beadwork: "A Naing Primer, 1994 ‘The Beady Eyed Women Guide wo Exuite Beadork “A Bead and Weave Primer, 1995 ‘he Beady Eyed Women Guide to Euiste Beadwork “A Fringe © Edge, Tal Thi Pier, 997 ‘he Bead Eyed Wome Gaile wo Euiste Beadvwor: A Scalpearal Peyote Project Primer 1996 ‘The Beudy Eyed Wms Guide o Esse Beadwork “An Offlaam Bead Weesng Prime, 1996 WEBSITE | beadyeyedwomen.com NEWSLETTER Ta order the Gazer, send fist class stamp and your adress co The Beady Eyed Women, PO. Box 231093, Eacinius, CA 92023-1093, UPCOMING CLASSES | amet and Vicki "May 3-7, 2000 in Exes Park, Colorado a Beadworks Bash ‘Oczober 2000 in Maui, Hawai with Nan ‘Menard, Cynthia Rudede, and Lisa Niven, facilated by Julie at The Pace o Bead in San Ramon, California Jeane: ‘Ocsober 23-24: DACS Bead, Honolua, Hawai Ocrober 27-31: Bead Society af Gear New York, New York November 6-7: The Beading Frenzy, San Mateo, Califoria November noi | February 13-16, 2000: Bead Workshop in Paradise IV, Beads EO.B, Sartor, Frida May 15-25, 2000: Cheryl Coburn-Brown’s Bead- ‘eacurein Cornwall, England through the Bead ‘Museum in Glendale, Avion |-15: Chicago Bead Soci. Chicago. BOOTH APPEARANCES February 2-6, 2000: The Best Bead Show, Tasson, ‘isons “March 23-26, 2000: Bead Expo, Sane Fe, New Mexico

You might also like