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Welcome to BSGC's Web News
Breaking News
- BEAD MUSEUM OF ARIZONA NEEDS DONATIONS
- BSGC NEEDS YOUR HELP IMMEDIATELY! (Members Please Volunteer)
BSGC WINTER 2008
- PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
- WEBMASTER'S MESSAGE
- NOTES FROM VONNA, VP OF PROGRAMS
- 12TH “ART OF BEADWORK “FINDS A NEW HOME
- AROUND TOWN
- AROUND THE MIDWEST
- EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY (and the world)
- SCHOOLS, CLASSES, WORKSHOPS & LECTURES
- MAGAZINES AND BOOKS (comments from our members)
- CALL FOR ARTISTS, LECTURERS, TEACHERS, ...
- MEMBERS' NEWS
On the Web
- FOUND ON THE WEB
- BEADS-L (THE ONLINE BEAD KNOWLEDGEBASE PROJECT)
Past Stories
- SURVIVING AN ILLINOIS STATE TAX AUDIT
- ISTANBUL BEAD CONFERENCE (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
- KADIR HAS UNIVERSITY (Duped or Duplicitous?)
- ISTANBUL BONCUK - A TURKISH DELIGHT? (Not Likely!)
- WORLD ON A STRING - EPISODE 4 IS RELEASED
- WORLD ON A STRING - EPISODE 3 AVAILABLE
- THE BEAD SHOW SYMPOSIUM (doomed in the USA?)
- INTERWEAVE PRESS'S ACQUISITION SPREE (beads beguile big bucks?)
- "WORLD ON A STRING" AN EPIC FILM ABOUT BEADS
BSGC Past Events
- BEAD CHALLENGE 2007
- 15th ANNUAL BEAD & BOOK SALE
- 11th ANNUAL ART OF BEADWORK 2007
- 10th ANNUAL ART OF BEADWORK A SUCCESS!
- REFLECTIONS ON THE 14th ANNUAL BEAD AND BOOK SALE
- THE 2006 BEAD CHALLENGE - "IT'S A CHARMED LIFE"
- 9TH ANNUAL ART OF BEADWORK 2005
- 13TH ANNUAL BEAD AND BOOK SALE 2005
- BEAD CHALLENGE 2005 "BE INSPIRED"
- 8TH ANNUAL ART OF BEADWORK 2004
- BEAD CHALLENGE 2004
- SIGNATURE NECKLACE 2004
- BEAD CHALLENGE 2003
- BEAD CHALLENGE 2002
- SIGNATURE NECKLACE 2002
Food for Thought
- BEADERS' ETHICS
- NOTES ON BECOMING A VOLUNTEER
- WHAT DO YOU PASS ON FROM A CLASS?
- WAYS TO LEARN FROM "COFFEE TABLE" BEADING BOOKS
Book and Magazine Reviews
- PMC DECADE: The First Ten Years of Precious Metal Clay
- BEAD LOVE: Simply Fabulous Jewelry with Big Beautiful Beads
- THE BLUE BEAD
- MAKING POLYMER CLAY BEADS
- BEADWORK CREATES JEWELRY
- BEADING ON FABRIC: Encyclopedia of Bead Stitch Techniques
- BEADER'S STASH: Designs from America's Favorite Bead Shops
- BEADED WEDDINGS: 75+ Fabulous Ideas for Jewelry, Invitations, Reception Décor, Gifts, and More
- VALERIE HECTOR'S THE ART OF BEADWORK
- LARK PRESS HITS BIG TIME
- KNIT AND CROCHET WITH BEADS
- BEAD CROCHET
- THE BEAD IS CONSTANT
- BEADING IN THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITION
- NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY BEADWORK
- BEADED AMULET PURSES
- THE NEW BEADWORK
- RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE BEAD BOOKS
- MAGAZINES - AN OCCASIONAL SURVEY
BSGC Members' Interviews - Profiles
- AN INTERVIEW WITH THE INVENTOR OF THE BEAD CRIMPING PLIERS
- GINA LAMBERT - VAROOOM
- JENNY BEZINGUE - AN INTERVIEW
- ELYSE KOREN-CAMARRA - CIRCLE OF SILVER
- CINDY JENKINS
- ELISABETH AND SCOTT BARTKY
- JOANN BAUMANN - FROM BEADS TO BEADS
- SHIRLEY COHEN - ADDICTED NEEDLE WORKER
- AN INTERVIEW WITH NADINE BUCK
- MARLA GASSNER - INSPIRED BY BUTTERFLIES
- AN INTERVIEW WITH SUE KENYON
- DONNA ZAIDENBERG - A PROFILE
Timeless
- OUR MEETING SPACE
- DECEMBER HOLIDAY DINNER, BOOK SALE, RAFFLE, AND SILENT AUCTION
- BSGC ANNUAL BEAD CHALLENGE
- TOOT YOUR OWN HORN
- SUGGESTION BOX
- LIBRARY
- CHATAIN FUND
- SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
The following e-mail was received from the Bead Museum of Arizona
"Dear Members and Friends
We are sending you this letter because you are a valued member or friends of our museum and we are in need of the support which our membership and closest friends can give during these tough economic times. As many of you have been hearing, the current economic downturn has dramatically impacted many of the arts organizations in Arizona and around the country. Unfortunately, The Bead Museum ofhas not been spared.
The Board of Directors has taken numerous steps to balance the budget: eliminating staff, closing two days a week and cutting operating expenses by 37%. The Bead Museum store has been doing exceptionally well which is in thanks to many of you who regularly shop with us. Unfortunately, the Museum cannot be sustained long-term on museum visitors, memberships and programs alone. We are in the process of a $200,000 sustainability campaign but need to raise $100,000 of that goal by April 30th. This funding is needed to allow us time so that we can continue our fund development plan to insure the long term financial health of the Museum.
Beads and beaded artifacts are a universal part of the human experience since the beginning of civilization. They are found in every culture and in every country across the globe. The Bead Museum has provided true community service through its many school programs, monthly lectures, guided tours, beading classes and world-renowned research library. Its exciting exhibitions and educational research have attracted visitors from all over the world. In 2008, through all of our programming over 60,000 visitors came in contact with the Museum. We are now the only museum in the world housing this type of collection since the recent closing of a similar museum in Washington, D.C.
Without immediate financial support from the community and members like you, The Bead Museum is in jeopardy of closing its doors at the end of May. Please don’t let this treasure be lost. Your donation, of any amount, will give the Museum time to establish long term partnerships and pursue additional grants. Thank you in advance for preserving one of Arizona’s arts and cultural treasures."
To make an online donation, please visit Bead Museum of AZ
Due to a job change our treasurer Patty Wanninger, has moved to Wisconsin. Replacing Patty will be Vanessa Walilko, who will be dutifully trained by Judy Zeddies our interim treasurer.
Newsletter Editor will now be Jay Johnson, welcome both Vanessa and Jay to the board.
We are still in need of a program chairperson. This job is not hard, but requires some time and fun looking for programs that BSGC members would enjoy. This is a great way to meet people, you could travel to conferences, get on the pulse of the bead world.
2009 will be my last year as President for BSGC. I feel a two year term for board positions is ideal, however with the events that have occurred in my life this year, I did not have the appropriate time to set up a ‘training plan’ (or gentle arm twisting) for the next president. Next year will also be a year of hard decisions to keep the society operational. Many of our problems are seen in other non-profit groups. We are not the only ones struggling with lack of volunteers, lower attendance at meetings, and financial concerns. In our mission statement, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the study, discussion and exchange of information about beads and beadwork, as we educate “our members and the general public about the historic and artistic importance of beads. We will continue to do this, but the methods we use will have to be updated.
Please thank all the board members who have “so faithfully donated their time and energy this “past year.
Pat Jeffers
Updates to the website were delayed due to a lenghty ilness and hospital stay.
The three reasons for joining the BSGC are the lectures, the library and, IMHO the most important, the annual Art of Beadwork sale. For emerging artists BSGC’s Art of Beadwork provides not only a venue but also mentoring by other members in all aspects of marketing and selling their creations. Over the years many of our members have gone from beginning beaders to professional full-time artists.
It's been almost a year since the 2007 Istanbul Bead Conference, I moved the three articles to past events and continue to hope that some justice will take place.
Scott Bartky
She is spreading the BSGC word.
In October, Vonna attended the Michigan Bead “Society Glass events in Kalamazoo, where she met with other bead makers and had lengthy discussions with others about plans to get publicity for all bead societies.
Then she journeyed to Washington, DC to the National Art museum for the Bead Society of Greater Washington Celebrating the Journey of Beads” Her entry was juried in as one of 107 (out of 347). Even though she didn’t win, she says “the Gala was a blast, I met new friends, new contacts, and learned so very much...it was an honor to be there”. Check out the website http://bsgw.org/CelebratingBeadsContest/CelebratingBeadsWinners.pdf
In spite of chilly weather and a gloomy economic forecast, the outlook was optimistic as the vendors set up for the 12th Art of Beadwork sale at the new location–the Skokie Banquet & Conference Center at the Holiday Inn North Shore–on November 16. The new location was universally hailed as an improvement by both vendors and attendees alike.
An increase in the admission fee was apparently not a deterrent for shoppers as attendance was up from last year with nearly 300 attending. The hall was filled with 44 bead artists showcasing their handcrafted creations. This included six new members who joined the Society in order to participate and two current members who sold for the first time.
The beadwork shown was as varied as the personality of our members. Styles included elegant, colorful, intricate, bold, natural and even humorous pieces. While sales results varied among the vendors, all agreed they had a good time meeting other artists, seeing their work and enjoying the day.
Thanks go to Jolanta Narejko and Mary Libby Neiman for their donations of wonderful jewelry pieces for the door prizes. And an even bigger thank you goes to Ellen Black, Judy Zeddies, Marilyn Walstrom, Jo Davis, Pat Jeffers, Nancy Rosasco, Ellen Germanos and Kshama Bikha for their volunteer efforts. Without their help the show would not have been possible. Cindy
Click here for local and nearby bead related events.
Checkout the Chicago Artists' Coalition calendar of events on their website http://www.caconline.org/calendar.asp for the latest goings on.
At 1:30 PM every Friday, WYCC (Channel 20) broadcasts a half hour jewelry making show.
Beads, Baubles, and Jewels
Education, Inspiration and Expression
by Katie Hacker
http://www.beadsbaublesandjewels.com/
If you don’t already know, Chicago’s Cultural Center, at Michigan and Randolph has many free exhibits going on all the time. Every Wednesday at 12:15 is the live Dame Myra Hess classical concert series and there are many free concerts during lunch time on other days of the week. Check it out! www.chicagoculturalcenter.org
The Racine Art Museum is devoted to contemporary American craft, has more than 3,000 objects in its permanent collection including the collection held by the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. The Wustum campus is now home to the studio art program and exhibits by regional artists. The original collection was begun with a donation by Karen Johnson Boyd of the local Johnson's Wax family. For information about RAM, call 262-638-8300 or go to www.ramart.org.
The Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison offers workshops for jewelry making and, from time to time, beading lectures and demonstrations . For more information, call 608-264-6555 or to go www.wisconsinhistory.org/calendar (it's a bit hard to navigate but everything is listed).
The Bead Museum in Glendale, AZ was founded in 1984 by Gabrielle Liese and houses an international collection of over 100,000 beads and beaded artifacts. The museum features permanent and changing exhibitions, and education and outreach programs of lectures, tours, and classes for the visitor. Check out their website at http://www.beadmuseumaz.org
The Bead Society is a member of the Bead Museum in Glendale, AZ at the Millefiori level for bead societies and affiliates. The benefits include a 50% discounted museum admission for all bead society members and special recognition in the Bead Museum Quarterly. So if you are ever in Glendale, AZ, be sure to stop in this unique museum.
The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, a museum turning up in more and more articles, is the only one in this country dedicated entirely to outsider art” or the work of untrained artists who often have unconventional visions of art. There is an article in this issue about the museum and there is a picture of a beaded bed by Nancy Josephson entitled Bed for Damballah Wedo.” There is a new store associated with the museum started by the man who owns Uncle Fun in Chicago. If you have a taste for kitsch, you must find this place! It is one of a kind (or was and now there’s one in Baltimore.)
The Campbell Folk School is in Brasstown NC: One Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902. 1-800-365-5724. www.folkschool.org.
I was flipping through The Best of Beadwork 2006 by Interweave Press and noticed a familiar necklace. It’s the Undulating Necklace by Maxine Peretz Prange. By the time you read this, you may not find it at bead stores anymore but we do have one in the library. It’s a good magazine; I liked a number of the projects.
Ornament 2007 Thirtieth Anniversary Issue has a picture of a Valerie Hector bracelet and a master class by Kristina Logan, a glass bead maker extraordinaire. I’ve always referred to her as queen of the dots, though her beads are much more than the perfect dots she does make. The article also features work by Heather Trimlett whose beads, if you don’t already know and love them have always been at the Bead&Button show. If you like wire work, the article about Biba Schutz should inspire you. They devote a lot of attention to Craft in America, a 3-hour PBS special produced by Carol Sauvion and Kyra Thompson. It will air May 30, but if you are reading this too late, it will probably run several times. The first hour is entitled Memory and goes through the history of craftsmanship, placing some personal stories within a larger historical context. The second hour is Landscape, examining the relationship of artists and their surroundings—how our natural environment inspires us. The third hour, Community, delves into the social and spiritual context of craft. I hope you all get to see this.
The Bellevue Arts Museum (Bellevue, WA) has published the first in a series of monographs entitled David Chatt: Two Hands, Twenty Years and a Billion Beads. It includes an essay by curator Stefano Catalani which outlines the artist’s career and motivations and full-page color image’s of David’s beadwork. We have put a copy of it in the library, but if you wish to order one for your own, call 425-519-0770.
The Beader’s Companion: Revised Edition replaces the 1998 version edited by Judith Durant & Jean Campbell. This full-color version has updated product information and additional off-loom stitch information plus knitting and crocheting instructions.
The Beaded Garden, Creating Flowers with Beads and Threads by Diane Fitzgerald . This is another very good job by Diane who has written this book to show how-to-make flowers with beads and threads instead of the traditional wire. The instructions for the common off-loom beading stitches are clear, the pictures beautiful and the flowers lovely.
Getting Started Making Wire Jewelry by Linda Chandler and Christine Ritchey is the second in the Interweave Getting Started Series. This introduction offers shopping tips, problem solving and goes on to wire elements and techniques. Included are basic jewelry components including jump rings, basic bead loops, wrapped bead loops, clasps. Dianna Mooses who does a lot of wire work and looks over all the new books said that this one has new ideas and is worth inspecting, if not buying.
Beading for the Soul: Inspired Designs from 23 Contemporary Artists by Deborah Canarella has a variety of designs of non-jewelry beadwork, such as fetish bags by David Dean, prayer packets by Sonya Clark, Chinese good fortune pouch by Helen Banes and more. The dedication reads, For all the artists, who agreed to explore the sacred meaning of their lives and their work—and for all those inspired to do the same. Chapter One is Beading for Protection and in the section on Beading for Remembrance, Diane Fitzgerald discusses her Personal Symbol Neckband. There are 26 projects which include a wide-range of techniques. No matter what a person believes about the power of beads—their protecting or healing abilities, their ceremonial or cultural significance, or just their beauty as personal adornment—Beading for the Soul offers great projects that are sure to inspire an artist’s own creativity and self-expression.”
100 Beaded Jewelry Designs by Stephanie Burnham describes itself as "easy-to-bead adornments for all occasions and seasons". Of the many beading techniques presented, the off-loom ideas are the most interesting.
Beads of Glass by Cindy Jenkins is now in print. It features 60 exciting step-by-step techniques fully illustrated with detailed color photographs, 42 biographical sketches and portraits, and an eye-popping gallery of some of the finest and freshest glass beads from around the world. 152 pages, hard cover.
Valerie Hector's The Art of Beadwork is out. This book, integrating the past and the present, is part history and part how-to to. It features 160 color images of beadwork from around the world-Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East. Historic masterpieces from the world's finest museums are included. Valerie focuses on "Inspiration, the most elusive and essential of creative forces." She asks: "What do these fantastic global beadworking traditions mean to us in the early 21st century? Can they inspire us to move beyond what we have already made? Can they teach us about the history of the medium we love best?" The following artists have answered yes and each has chosen a particular historical piece of beadwork and created a wearable piece response to its use of color, form, technique, or symbolic content for the book. Artists' instructions are included. Our own JoAnn Baumann, NanC Meinhardt, and Laura Shea are in the book in addition to: Joyce Scott, Flora Book, Jacqueline Lillie, Mary Kanda, David Chatt, Madelyn Ricks, Don Pierce, Diane Fitzgerald, Wendy Ellswork, Karen Paust and Virginia Blakelock.
The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide 2nd Edition, How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Pearls has been donated to our library by Eve Alfille. She showed her generosity during her talk at our September meeting and continues to do so. If you have not been to her gallery, go; it's beautiful and Eve is a marvelous goldsmith and jewelry designer.
Beadwork Creates Earrings edited by Jean Campbell of Interweave Press is the most recent in the series of tall thin project books, which include necklaces, bracelets, beads, rings, etc. This one has a nice variety of beaded techniques and wire-worked projects. There are tassels, a variety of uses of chain, chandelier earrings in a fun assortment of styles.
Beadwork Creates Necklaces and Beadwork Creates Bracelets, both by Jean Campbell of Interweave Press (and Beadwork Magazine) have been added to our library, donated by Interweave Press in exchange for a book review in our newsletter. They are an usual shape, 10"x 4 1/4", which might be a good shape for tucking to your side while you work on one of the designs in the book.
Each book has 30 designs and the "...projects are original pieces created by innovative bead artists," says Campbell. "They feature a variety of techniques... many of them are also possible to complete in an evening or over the weekend, providing instant gratification." The full color illustrations are clear and the directions look good. There are a variety of projects: wire, crochet, stringing, netting, loom, herringbone and gourd stitches, etc. Although they were designed especially for the new beader, the projects are varied and interesting enough so that the books are being bought by experienced beaders also. They are $16.95 each; check out the library copies.
Beadwork Creates Beaded Beads edited by Jean Campbell of Interweave Press. According to Jean, A beaded bead is simply a bead covered with beads or one made solely out of beads, similar to a miniature sculpture with a hole in it. They work up quickly and are much like potato chips-you can't make just one. She says that many of the 30 bead designs can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
There's a nice variety of beads in the book, from small to large, from simple beads to be used as accents, to large important focal beads. They are round, square, free form, wild, sedate and regal. Many different stitches are used and several use wire rather than thread.
Caravan Beads of Chicago and Briolette Beads and More in Forest Park are looking for instructors. If you have a design or project or just like to teach the basics of beading, we’d love to have you teach for us.. Contact Charlene at beadgirl@gmail.com
Member Vanessa Walilko’s piece “Phoenix Reborn” won the Gold Medal in the Freeform Expression category in Fire Mountain Gems’ annual contest. It will be in featured in their catalog plus Vanessa won a $100 gift certificate to FMG. The winning piece can currently be seen on Vanessa’s website: www.gianessadesigns.com/gallery.html
The Spotlight page of the October issue of Bead & Button magazine featured a bead made by Cindy McEwen. The green bead, part of her Cinderella Night series, was incorporated into a finished necklace made by B&B editor Anna Draeger. There was a photo of the piece and a short bio of Cindy.
Virginia Brubaker has two beautiful objects that are being seen in prestigious art venues. One is a beaded wine glass; that is, she used the wine glass base and stem to bead over, but the goblet, in the shape of a white-tipped red tulip, is actually free standing. The second object is a teapot which she made out of wood. It has a beaded spout and features beaded portraits of Ghandi and Mandela on each side.
Donna Fromhagen is excited to announce that she is a finalist in the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Annual Beading Contest. Her piece, Summer Whites, is in the Organic Inspirations category. To be eligible for the Grand Prizes and $1,000 Fire Mountain Gems gift certificate, Donna had to send her piece to Grants Pass, Oregon, for judging and photography. Her piece may be featured in upcoming catalogs and back cover advertisements, and may win the prize!
Virginia Brubaker’s beautiful goblet was in The Goblet Redefined, a show at Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, MA. Mobilia took their goblet show to SOFA NY in June. This same goblet has been accepted for Bead International 2008. The teapot with images of Ghandi and Mandela was in Mobilia’s The Teapot Redefined show this fall. The show can also be seen at mobilia-gallery.com.
Cindy McEwen was featured in Bead & Button’s online magazine in July in the article “Torch Time: A Lesson in Lampworking.” Cindy taught a beginning lampwork beadmaking class to five Bead & Button editors at member Portia Mandel’s Gathering Place Studio in May. They each give their perspectives and insights as a result of their experiences at the torch. The article also featured photos of the class and some resulting beads, but alas, as of July 30, could not be found on the Bead & Button website.
Vonna Maslanka won a scholarship to the 2007 Gathering, July 26-20 in Minneapolis MN. The scholarship was awarded to her by The International Society of Glass Beadmakers check out: http://www.isgb.org/
We hold three book sales a year. As a current member, you always get a 10% discount and never pay tax. We buy the most books for the September Book Sale held at the Midwest Conference Center. At this show, you need your membership card to get into the show free and also to buy books at the discount. We try to have all the new books and the important older books at this sale.
We have a book sale as part of the December party. Come early to look at the books and consider buying some as gifts for other beaders. For this event and the spring book sale we tend to buy only the new books, and not restock the older ones. The spring book sale is held at the May or June meeting at the church building, depending upon the programs. Since the books are so heavy we do not carry them into the basement at the spring sale, we only bring the sale books to the September and December programs. The date of the spring sale is listed in the schedule of programs.
A World of Bracelets: Africa, Asia, Oceania, America by Anne van Cutsem, A World of Necklaces: Africa, Asia, America by Ann Leurquin and A World of Rings: Africa, Asia, America by Anne van Cutsem. We already have A World of Earrings: Africa, Asia, America also by Ann van Cutsem. We want you to be aware of these big and beautiful coffee-table type books because each offers such a luscious array of design ideas, old and new, from near and far, that it would be a shame if each of you didn’t at least open these books to see if they inspire you. The earring book includes so many materials and shapes that inspiration would seem to have to follow. We’re guessing that the others will follow suit. These books come from the Ghysels Collection. There are reviews of each of these books (each written by a different artist) in Art Jewelry September 2005.
We also have a new DVD: World on a String, The Eternal Bead Part One. This sumptuous DVD was produced by Diana Friedberg, member of The Bead Society (LA) with some financial backing and a lot of support from them. It has some of our favorites talking: Robert Liu, Jamey Allen and others we should get to know: James Lankton and John Picard. It is beautifully photographed, well narrated and goes back in time many thousands of years. There is a long passage about current African use of beads and I would guess that Part Two, which I do look forward to, will cover more of current Europe, Asia and American uses of beads. The video made me feel very good to belong to this most important world of beads. We will try to get some to sell at the September bead sale.
We have changed the location of our meeting place. We still meet on the 3rd Saturday of the Month (the 2nd Saturday for December only) from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Chicago Police Department Headquarter’s Building - Multi-Purpose Room, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60629. The new location is 3 blocks east of Sox Park on 35th Street at Michigan Avenue. If anyone needs directions, contact Laura Bak.
In certain instances speakers may sell their wares at meetings. Specific information will be available at meetings and in newsletters.
Taking photographs, or taping lectures or workshops is not allowed without the expressed permission of the teacher or lecturer.
Please turn your cell phones off when you come to a meeting.
Almost all of the stores owned by members in the greater Chicago area and a number of designers offer a discount of 10% to members of BSGC with valid membership cards. See the Stores/Services page
Please bring goodies to a meeting! We always need hot and cold cups, napkins and plates in addition to healthy food such as veggies and fruit. If your last name begins with A, B and C, you are responsible for September's meeting, D, E and F for October's meeting, and G, H, and I for November. Of course, anyone can bring food at any time. December's meeting will be catered; just bring auction and raffle donations, please. J, K and L are up for January; M, N, and O for February; P, Q and R for March; S and T for April; U, V and W for May; and X, Y and Z for June.
Two brand new bead networking websites (Aug 2008) modeled after social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace. Both are in their infancy. One, beadloversnetwork.ning.com, was founded by Courtney Wise who started "One Small Planet in 1996". The other, bead-space.com, was founded by a "team of bead enthusiasts" who hope to "change the beading world forever".
Interweave's "Beading Daily" publication of bead shops, societies, and wholesalers. Free listing availble.
Bead&Button, February 2008 has a notice that www.beaducation.com is offering instructional online videos taught by Laura McCabe, Lisa Niven Kelly, Dallas Lovett and others. Some classes are free and others range in price from $12-38 each. You get to keep a video for up to two weeks, viewing it as “often as you wish. The classes for which you pay come with PDF instructions.
A new online beading community, library of free beading and jewelry-making projects, daily blog, and e-newsletter from the publisher of Beadwork, Step by Step Beads, Step by Step Wire Jewelry, and Stringing magazines.”
Rena Klingenberg’s tips for making your home-based jewelry business a success. She features various artists and has sections on display, packaging, party and show tips, consigning jewelry, and more.
A rather ambitious attempt to interactively list and locate bead shops and bead clubs all around the USA. The listing is free for bead shops, and bead clubs.
It is still in its infancy with only 9 shops listed in the greater (20mi) Chicago area.
Claims to be the only venue on the net dedicated to self-representing glass artists and lampwork jewelry designers.
Not completely true. As of 9/7/06, 1,901 glass artists with 82,365 pictures of their work can be found at http://www.glassartists.org/ The site has represented glass artists for years.
As the new producer of the International Bead Expo, Beadwork magazine annouces a new e-newsletter. The first issue is an update on the Expo’s workshops, events, bazaar and more. Whether future updates will contain more scholarly articles remains to be seen. You may sign up for the e-newsletter at http://www.beadexpo.com/newsletter.asp
www.pearlsociety.typepad.com Eve Alfille has begun this blog to share her pearl related information, musings and news. She also includes running commentary of the riches on display at the various trade shows she attends. There are meetings of The Pearl Society every couple of months, so call 847-869-7920 for information.
Stephany Tomalin brought us the following information regarding BEADS-L THE ONLINE BEAD KNOWLEDGEBASE PROJECT.
The informational flyer reads: For Researchers, Collectors, Curators, Conservators, Antique Jewellery Dealers, Students, Design Historians, etc. The Idea: Beads-L was started in USA by Deborah Zinn 3 years ago who formulated the idea of creating an online Interactive Bead Database which could be accessed and might also receive contributions of data from its users. (The L stands for List)
The Email Discussion Forum, Beads-L, discusses beads from a research viewpoint. It does not cover topics concerning techniques or projects. All messages posted by members are delivered to all, any of whom may reply. At present there are "threads" (ongoing discussions) covering Ojime, lacquer beads, prosser moulded beads, Roman and Islamic glass beads, fakes from the Middle East, excavations of native American sites, faience, Irish bog oak beads, shell beads, and so on.
Membership costs nothing at this stage. All 100+ members are listed and known only by their real names. Messages are not too long as every word of every message is archived. (JPEGS of 72dpi can be included if it helps the discussion, or links to illustrations of any size on other webpages.) Members can choose the digest option, and only receive one email per day with all messages together.
Deborah Zinn and Stefany Tomalin are joint moderators. To join, please email either Deborah Zinn at dzinn@werple.net.au or Stefany Tomalin, StefanytomalinBeads@compuserve.Com; or, use the link given on the website: http://home.attbi.com/~judvan/ or http://home.ease.lsoft.com/Archives/Beads-L.html.
As a long time volunteer to many different organizations, I'd like to offer a view of the subject that is somewhat different than you usually hear.
Are you one of the many people that shudders every time you are at a meeting and asked to help out with something? We are all so busy with our lives and there are demands made on our time from all sides, friends and family, children, jobs. At times (most times) it seems overwhelming. You think, PLEASE don't ask me to add one more thing to my work load. Do you ask yourself, how on earth do the other folks DO it and most importantly, WHY?
This line of inquiry reveals the underlying attitude towards doing something for nothing (note the word NOTHING) it's WORK, it takes valuable TIME and it may be THANKLESS. But there is another way to look at it.
It seems that in all volunteer organizations and cooperatives, there are a few fools that do most of the labor of running the group. There is often a bit of disgruntlement among these fools about the lack of volunteer spirit offered by the rest of the group. Occasionally, they lose control and berate the others for their lack of altruism and use guilt, threats and lures to get the others to join in. This never works. Again, there is the assumption that volunteerism is doing-something-for-nothing. One can get into the topics of virtue and obligation and the afterlife, but I will stop short of these slippery slopes.
Anyone who volunteers knows that it is anything BUT something for nothing. Volunteers are not FOOLSquite the contrary. People who have not tried it are missing a lota treasure trove of learning and opportunity that you will carry with you the rest of your life. The jobs and tasks of your life constrain you as well as sustain you. In your workaday life, once you learn a job and perform it well, it becomes harder and harder to move into a new task. The risks and the time are just not taken. But a volunteer job will give you the support and backing, take a risk on you and your ideas, in a way that no paying job will do. It's a chance to test out your abilities before you change jobs, to challenge your mind and put forth your creativity into the world. I find that new, formerly hidden opportunities emerge faster than I can make use of them. Volunteering opens you up, stretches your mind and often leads to non-volunteer opportunities that you would not have had before or that you may not have been prepared for.
As a long time volunteer for the Bead Society and other organizations, I have learned how to establish a library, run a small business, operate a computer and set up and manage a database, work co-operatively (most of the time) on a board, organize sales, workshops and conference events. I have made friends with artists and bead collectors all over the country. I have made contacts in the book and publishing world and in a way my opportunity to write my book came in part from my involvement with the Bead Society. I have had the opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from so many wonderful people in this Society and around the country, I had no prior experience with any of these tasks. The Bead Society took a chance on me. The gifts I have received of knowledge, opportunity and good fortune are far beyond any I could have expected. Volunteering put me in that path.
If you want to stretch and change gears, try out a new skill or idea, need some success strokes or are looking for challengetry volunteering! It worked for me. It could be just the ticket for you.
From Polyinformer, National Polymer Clay Guild newsletter, vol 13, #2
This was taken from an article by Meredith Arnold.
The question at hand is how much of a class one has taken is to be passed on. An originator is defined here as the person recognized for bringing a technique or process into being. The similarities to the bead world are obvious.
A few years ago, some polymer clay teachers had a conference and a consensus was reached. The general consensus of this meeting of minds was that once an originator has published original techniques or processes, they become part of the public domain. Control over that information is lost, as is the ability to solely teach the original techniques.
This delineation makes sense since many teachers in other disciplines learn what they teach from reading books.
Still, there is an element I call 'ethical respect.' Ethical respect dictates that one doesn't share techniques learned for as long as the originator is still making a living teaching them. This helps to ensure that the creative originators can make a living from their innovations. As long as they can make that ever-important living, we will continue to have a high-quality pool of instructors in our polymer clay community. If they feel ripped off, they will stop sharing their inventions.
by Virginia Brubaker
When I first started beading, I was looking for books with explicit instructions, simple projects that applied the basic stitches to something interesting, and information about different kinds of beads and how to use them. I still look for books like that to learn something new; for me right now I could profit from such a book on bead crochet or right-angle weave. But the books I love the most, the books I keep coming back to, are the books of amazing bead art. These are sometimes the catalogs of competitions, like the delica bead contests, or the Best of Contemporary Beadwork/Bead International books. Sometimes they are collections of wonderful beaded stuff that has been juried by one or more bead artists, like the brand new 500 Beaded Objects from Lark Books which was juried by Carol Wilcox Wells. The first time through these books is just to generally admire the body of work (I try not to drool on the book), then I go back again and further admire individual pieces. Those that draw my eye get extra attention as I look closely at the details of how the piece was put together, or what kinds of beads were used, or how the colors blend or contrast. After that, the book usually goes on the shelf. But it doesn't stay there. I use my collection of such books as a virtual museum, where I can sneak in after closing and put my nose right up close to the beadwork and really look at the work. I go back to the books either in search of inspiration or to get answers to specific questions. Here are the kind of questions I ask myself to learn more as I go through these books:
1. Photography. How did the artists photograph their work? Who used plain black or white backgrounds? Who used graduated backgrounds? Who used fabric or stone or something else as a background? How well did the chosen background go with that particular piece? What angle did they shoot from? Did they include the whole piece in the photo, or crop some out? How did they pose necklaces or other jewelry?
2. Use of color. What pieces pop out at me because of their color? How do the artists' color choices support or distract from the subject of their work? How does the artist blend colors? (Get out your magnifying glass if necessary and study the seemingly flat surfaces in the works of Laura Willits.) How much power does an artist get from a really limited palette of colors? How do the color choices reflect traditional color-wheel schemes?
3. Different treatment of similar subjects. If you have ever wondered who first decided to try eating crayfish or oysters, you might also get curious about how someone thought of using beads in various geometries, or even of trying to depict something like moving water with beads. If you have a general subject in mind, like flowers, or forests, or people, or pets, take a look at how others have handled that subject matter, and notice what ideas you would like to use, and how their interpretation isn't quite what you had in mind.
4. Presenting your work. Not all of the pictures show you how the artist has solved the problem of mounting and displaying the work, but study those that do so. Did they build a stand, put it in a frame, drape it over something, or what?
5. Using different stitches for different effects. Make your own assessment, based on the photos in the books, of how small you can depict a certain subject and still have it look good. In loom-woven seed bead panels, for example, look not just at the main subject, but also at the smaller stuff in the background.
6. Play games with yourself (or others). Cover up the description and try to guess the size of the object in the picture. Guess what size or type of beads they used. Guess which bead purveyor sells the largest percentage of those beads. Okay, if you can get this one right you are spending way too much time at the bead stores or catalogs or websites and not enough time beading. Get back to work.
Our meeting room is located in the small building north of the St. Joseph Church and immediately south of the parking lot where Dapper's Restaurant is located. There is a small parking lot immediately north of the building and a large lot in the back of the church. There is some perpendicular parking next to the building which we have designated parking only for those with handicapped stickers or those who have trouble walking very far. There are enough spaces so there won't be a problem if the spaces are used only by those who need them. Please be considerate.
This space provides us wonderful opportunities to expand our membership and also to save wear and tear on those who have been schlepping supplies back and forth.
We will use the side door on the South side of the buildng. This door leads to a short stairway going down which will take you right into the meeting hall. Sign-in will be just inside that entrance.
This space has storage space for our library books, AV equipment, bead sale books, refreshment staples, etc. We have two rooms separated by a folding door. We will have a lot of space in the first for registration, snacks, library and visiting and enough space and chairs for our program in the second.
We are expected to clean up after ourselves, as we do now. We will probably have to set-up chairs, so if you are able, come early and help with set-up and/or stay a little late and help with clean-up.
This multievent which takes place at the White Eagle, 6845 N. Milwaukee, Niles, is a BSGC fundraiser. The book sale begins at 6:00pm and the buffet dinner at about 7pm. The silent auction begins when everything is out to display. The raffle consists of donated beaded items with a retail value of $75.00 or more.
The bead challenge is an annual event where members create a bead related work based upon a given theme. The theme, instructions and tags are now given out at the March (instead of May) meeting and are also available at the April, May and June meetings. You now have a longer time to work on it and for those of you for which Summer may have been a problem, you now have the spring too.
The finished work is due back at the September meeting where winners are chosen.
The entries are put on display at our annual Bead and Book Sale where attendees also vote on their favorites. The Bead Challenge has become a favorite part of the Bead & Book Sale. Many people come to look at the entries year after year.
For those of you who are willing, we will put photographs of your submitted pieces on our web site. The registration form will have a place to sign for permission to do so.
If you have participated in the past and wish to encourage others to do the same, please bring your entry to a meeting and show it off.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- Instructions, tags, boxes etc. will be available at the March through June meetings.
- Only current members of BSGC are eligible and may enter only once. Each person in a family membership may enter.
- The piece is to be started after the March meeting.
- The piece is due back at the September meeting.
- Fifty percent of the work done is to be beadwork or consist of beads.
At the sign-in table will be a form called "Toot Your Own Horn". We would like to know about your awards, shows, publications and special teaching assignments. Sometimes we hear about it, sometimes we don't. Fill out the form and give it to a board member and we will include this information in the next newsletter. We are proud of you - let's share the news!
The board has created a suggestion box to be placed on the registration table at meetings. We will have pieces of paper nearby so if you have a thought, a suggestion, or a question about anything, write it down and put it in the box. Signed notes are always appreciated but if you don't want to, that's fine. If you have concerns, suggestions, questions, etc., you may also talk to the board member of your choice at a meeting or remember it and bring it up at the January discussion meeting. Please note that all board members want to know more from you.
As we mentioned in the last issue, BSGC has received a generous gift from Laura Chatain to start a fund "to be given in whole or part to the next person who needs it for medical expenses, or any other type of 'real need'." Laura's generosity is a reciprocation of BSGC members' gifts to Laura at a time when her late husband was ill and uninsured. The BSGC board is creating such a fund and will keep you updated as the details develop.
One scholarship place is held for a member in each workshop for up to two months before the workshop. If you wish to apply, please compose a brief statement as to how the particular workshop for which you are applying would benefit the work you are doing or would like to do. Also indicate in general terms why the full cost of the workshop would be difficult to incur. Specific financial information is not required and all information will be kept confidential. E-mail your request to info@bsgc.org or mail it to our POBox:
Bead Society of Greater Chicago
P.O. Box 8103
Wilmette, IL 60091-8103
BSGC also awards grants for the study of beads and beadwork. If you would like to look closely at historic pieces or better understand something new and the written results of your investigation will add to the knowledge of beads or beadwork, write BSGC, PBX 8103, Wilmette IL 60091-8103 or e-mail info@bsgc.org. There is no particular deadline for an application.