Beading with anxiety-or not beading because of it. Kind of crazy to think about, but it’s happened to me and I’ve seen it in others.

I’ve touched on this topic in a podcast episode about the other benefits you get from entering beading contests, and again when I broke away from my own fear in my post, Design Like A 12 Year Old.

This is what made me want to write about it again:
• our bead society had a challenge and only 3 people entered- why give up an opportunity to grow, have fun, and be creative?
• a beader on FB commented that she was glad she didn’t even try to submit something- what if yours was one of the few accepted?
• seen many times: after seeing that, I don’t want to share mine- every artist has their first day, you will grow from sharing

Cynthia of Jewelry Tales wrote a fantastic post on why she enters beading contests, and its not about winning. She says they bring out her daredevil: “It’s about flying. Flying without a net. Beading on the edge. Giving myself permission to not remember what I did; giving myself permission to play. It’s me time.”

Wow! I love her approach and enthusiasm! So why do some feel held back? I think it starts with the attitude and approach of the individual beader.

Bead Courageously, then Detach

That sums up the method to my madness. The photo above is a piece I’m working on for Bead Dreams. I think its ambitious and cool, and it will light up, hehe. I did not start it as a piece I would submit. I chose to enter because I don’t have that many larger pieces in my body of work, and I needed a deadline! I know I have to finish and get it photographed by March 26, 2013.

After I finish the piece, I will let it go, to be loved or hated, and judged as all things are. It’s not for me to worry if its accepted, it’s up to me to do the work, to follow my inspiration from beginning to end. This process helps me grow as an artist. If its accepted, I do the happy dance! If it’s not accepted still, I do the happy dance because I know I’m one step closer to my Ninth Symphony. After all, even Beethoven had to write symphonies 1 and 2 etc, before his famous ninth. You can’t “skip” the things that don’t work out.

If you read nothing else, read this- There will always be some kind of fear. Courage isn’t about not being scared. It’s about feeling the fear, and doing it anyway. That is how we grow. The stuff that freaks us out today will be tomorrow’s laugh.

Dealing with Rejection

Sarah of Saturday Sequins, wrote a fabulous post, Don’t Give Up! It’s all about how she deals with rejection and the things she tells herself, and I encourage everyone to give it a read. Sarah says that its not personal and has mercy on the jurors. Bead Dreams can only accept so many pieces, and if they had room to take them all, they probably would. Everything is so good, and I’m so glad I don’t have their job. To separate the field, I imagine they have to find nit picky little details, or start finding things they can relate to. Maybe a certain piece triggers a certain memory, or uses their favorite color palette? It could be anything, so its much easier not to take it personally when you come at it from their perspective.

Get out those beads and make some art.

This is my sign off to the podcast because my hope is that you are inspired- but it doesn’t stop there. I want you (and myself) to take action and follow through on whatever ideas may come. I’ll leave you with a fabulous TED talk and two of my favorite Emmerson quotes:

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Links to beading contests and their deadlines

What do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Do you have any insights to share? Please share with us in the comments below. I read and appreciate each one!

my beaded tiger, Rajah, wants more stripes!

What I’ve come to realize is that its more about self-management and creating habits. Weight loss is the best example: start exercising a little everyday and it adds up to big results over time. I want to create the habit of beading on whatever I want for an hour everyday. Sometimes just to play around and sometimes to work on those big vision pieces. I’ve been doing it for the past couple days, and I love seeing my projects progress! Before my daily beading practice, my projects would collect dust until I would go crazy and bead for 12 hours in one day! This is more satisfying because I can still get other things checked off my to do list.

It takes 21 days to create a habit to the point where you can do it without really thinking about it. So, I’m going to commit to beading at least one hour everyday for the next 21 days, and see what happens. I’ve read the War of Art by Steven Pressfield, so I know to expect resistance. There will be days when I feel like I don’t have the time or energy, but I will do it anyways, at the same time, everyday. I plan to post a little photo of what I’m working on to the Bead Circle Facebook page everyday to track my progress.

Want to do this with me? If an hour seems too much, start with 10 minutes a day. Leave a comment below if you’d like to take the challenge! If you already bead everyday, share with us about what you have been able to accomplish.

Enter to win a copy of The New Beadwork!

I think one of my gifts is being able to see the inner artist in others, even if they don’t see it in themselves. If you’re using a pattern as a guide, but change the colors, develop a cool closure, or add or subtract elements to make it your own, that’s art, too. Always give credit where credit is due, of course. My friend Denise took a bracelet class at a retreat, but she didn’t like the metal findings. She created a beaded toggle clasp with the same beads as the project so it would flow better in her eye. She’s a bead artist in my eye. Elevate beading to art in your own way. For further discussion, see Kirstie Beaven’s article “When is a craft an art?” (Thanks, Sue!)

"Monarch Wrist Corsage" by Erin Simonetti

Bead Art has been around thousands of years, as I learned from Lois Dubin. There are beautiful examples of bead art from American Indians and the Maasai in eastern Africa. I feel we came to a point where beading was considered by most to be a craft, when along comes the book The New Beadwork showing exciting and progressive ideas in bead art. NanC Meinhardt referred me to this book, and the work in it is still relevant for today.

So, I decided to giveaway a copy of The New Beadwork to someone who shares their thoughts in the comments below. See the yellow box for details, and I’m excited to read what you write!

Enter the Giveaway: To enter, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on beading as an art form. Be sure to fill out the email box when you comment so I can contact you. A winner will be announced Thursday, October 20th. Good luck!

Update: The winner of the copy of “New Beadwork” is…Karen/kshan2000!! Congrats and keep an eye out for my email so I can get the book to you. Thank you so much to everyone who entered and left comments. It was amazing to read each one. I think as a group we are ahead of some in the crafty community because they aren’t ready to call what they do art. I was thrilled to read all the strong convictions that beading is an artform!

my freshly finished Delight Cuff

I received an email the other day asking about how I “mastered” beading, and if I had any tips to share. I wrote a pretty detailed email with all my tips and suggestions, and I think it really boils down to two things:

1. Be a Sponge
2. Apply Yourself

What does it mean to be a master?

Before discussing how to become a master, it is important to think about what that will look like to you. Does it mean learning all the stitches and techniques in the bead world? Does it mean utilizing them to create your own designs or to be able to complete advanced projects? Maybe it means to explore one aspect or technique of beading thoroughly, and to develop your own style much like Sherry Serafini and bead embroidery. Maybe you’re a visionary like me and want to elevate beading to art. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy the journey.

my stack of Beadweaving Master Class books from Lark

Be a Sponge

When I first started, I didn’t take any classes or have access to bead stores. I just became a sponge of learning from books and magazines, and when I mastered one thing, I would try something a little harder. The Beadweaving Master Class series by Lark is amazing, and I subscribe to both Beadwork and Bead & Button magazines. With the internet its even easier! There are some really great free tutorials online, and Christina of Good Quill Hunting has rounded up some of the best in this list.

Many designers sell their tutorials on Etsy and Artfire, so it’s easy to search and find something you’re interested in. Some of my favorites are Smadar Grossman, Mikki Ferrugiaro, Carol Dean Sharpe, and Heather Collin just to name a few.

Learning from videos is great because you can pause and rewind as often as you like. The Auntie’s Beads Channel on You Tube has a wide variety of tutorials, and they are easy to follow. If you would like to learn some fabulous projects from masters like Jill Wiseman and Maggie Meister, give Beaducation and CraftEdu a try.

Beading Forums like the one at Beading Daily are great resources for asking questions and showing off your creations.

However there’s something to be said about learning from the masters themselves. I just signed up for a class with Laura McCabe through the Dallas Bead Society. I also learned more about being a bead artist in my 3 days with NanC Meinhardt than from anywhere else.

Apply Yourself

If you want to become a master, make your beadwork a priority. I know for some of us beading a necessity of life, so this part is easy for us! Doing a little reading, learning, and practicing can go a long way, even if you can only find 30 minutes a day. If you think you will have trouble finding time, consider my 5 ideas for making time to bead. Another great resource is the free E-book titled Time Management for Creative People by Mark McGuinness.

I have been following Mandy Duffy’s blog about “365 days of a beginning beader’s self-taught lessons” and have been impressed with her progress. I think it’s so inspiring for other beaders to see, and she’s proof that this stuff works!

Final Thoughts

I wrote my thoughts on this topic to inspire and encourage those that have a passion for beading, and want to become very good at what they do. I also feel that its important to think about what that means for you, and not to compare yourself to other people. I’ve been guilty of that myself. What I want for all of us can be summed up in my tagline for this site: to learn, grow, and elevate beading to art. Thanks for being a part of the bead circle.

Kits are a pretty hot commodity in our beading community, and I love to buy them, bead them, and create my own. Jill Wiseman started posting on her status when she was makingthekits (yes, all one word) and now others in the Facebook beading community post the word as well. There is also a nice range of difficulty of kits from basic beginner to advanced. So what is it about the little bags of beads, smartly labeled and complete with instructions? Well, in this article, I try to answer that question by outlining the advantages and benefits of bead kits.

Tila Tornado Kits, available when the Bead Circle Kit Store launches September 1st!

1. Everything You Need- Kits include everything you need so you can jump in and get started on a project without worrying about putting it aside later because you lack materials to finish it. For this reason they are also portable, so you can throw it in your bag along with your basic beading supplies, and take it on vacation or to a bead society meeting.
2. ONLY Get What You Need- When you buy a kit, you get the quantity of beads you need for the project instead of buying strands or tubes with standard amounts. This makes budgeting easy and prevents overspending on unnecessary supplies.
3. Accessibility- There are times you want to learn a specific technique or design, but there are no classes available, or you can’t travel to learn from a specific instructor. Many designers and instructors offer kits on their own websites or other websites making them more accessible to a wider audience.
4. Fun with Colorways- Beading a kit in which the designer has chosen the color palette offers several advantages. It can help you break out of your color box, or presents you with interesting color combos you haven’t considered before, or helps you see a color used in a new way. For advanced beaders, it may be difficult to tell from the picture and supply list which color or type of bead goes where, and it may be easier to do it in the designer’s colors first before choosing your own color palette.
5. Experience New or Not Readily Available Supplies- Learning to work with new materials is enjoyable and helps you expand your beading repertoire. Sometimes these materials can be hard to find, or your local bead store may not carry them. Examples are CZs or maybe a specific piece of filigree, and the kit will include it so you can try it without having to track it down.
6. No Expiration Date- Another great thing about kits is they will wait patiently for you to work on them. I’ve talked about decision and no-decision projects before, and kits are great when you want to get in a zen state of beading along without making any color or bead decisions.
7. Support Your Favorite Designer- Many designers and instructors make a living from selling their kits. When you support them with a purchase, it enables them to come up with more designs and kits. Also, many designers are also willing to give extra help beyond the instructions if you get stuck. I would be happy to do that for any of my kits.

These are mostly logical reasons to buy a beading kit, but I believe there is an emotional element as well. I know for myself and my bead sisters, it goes something like this: I see it, I love it, I want to wear it, I buy it! Then, all the logical reasons justify the purchase, hehe.

What do you think? Tell us what you love about kits. Do you purchase kits for any of the reasons listed or is it a certain “something”? Please share with us in the comments!

"Earthtone Playground" by Mandi Ainsworth

As I said in my sneak peak post, the lovely and generous soup Alice sent me for the Bead Soup Double Up had to “simmer” for a bit before the ideas came. The colors were very out of my realm, so I decided to play with them on a bead embroidered 3.5 X 2.5 inch art card. You can see abstractions of slides, monkey bars, and a sandbox, hehe. Hence the name of the piece, Earthtone Playground.

Apparently the beads I sent to Alice were very out of her realm as well, but her project turned out lovely! Nancy Dale put all the photos up in the Bead Mavens Gallery, which can be viewed here. Thanks to Nancy for hosting this fun swap/challenge!

Key designed by Cynthia Rutledge and beaded by me

This past weekend, Cynthia Rutledge came to teach 3 classes to the Dallas Bead Society, and I chose to take the Key class. I take much of my inspiration from fashion, color, and trends, so I was naturally drawn to it. I also wanted to learn about working with CZs (bezeling a trillion) and how she sets stones without the fancy machine. She makes it really easy! I haven’t started on the chain yet, but it truly resembles a metal chain.

Lesson learned:
Going into the class I wasn’t really sure if I liked the look of mounted stones in my beadwork. I felt like it would disrupt the flow of the design to have metal sticking out of it. While beading the project in class, I began to appreciate the versatility of using mounted CZs. The settings have 6 prongs, and therefore 6 holes to bead through, and multiple angles and passes are possible. Cynthia provided a “home” for each stone in the design, so it works for me. I think this was a great skill to add to my beading repertoire. Thanks, Cynthia!

Here is an online resource we found for the Cubic Zirconia gemstones and settings.

I’ve been busy with many custom orders lately. For the past 2 days, I decided to let myself bead whatever I felt like beading. I’ve been in a bangle kind of mood, so I used a tutorial that Julie Tanksley translated into English. I learned that the original bangle is quite popular in Europe and the free Spanish tutorial can be found here. I used lake blue and spring green seed beads, and paired it with Jonquil yellow fire polish. Spring has sprung in my studio, hehe.

Then, I started working on the dragon bangle that is on the cover of Beadwork magazine. I’m using copper and turquoise and it’s looking pretty awesome. I can’t wait to wear it! I just got the new issue of Bead & Button, and I think Cynthia’s honeycomb bangle may be next.

This afternoon, I had a talk with Diana Grygo, the Lone Beader. We had a great conversation about art, inspiration, and developing your style. I think you will really enjoy the next podcast, and I plan to post it next Thursday. My plan to release a podcast every other Thursday along with the newsletter.

And the winner is…
The winner of a copy of Bead Tube Jewelry is Karen! Look for my email, and I will get that book in the mail to you. Thanks for all the comments everyone, they were amazing to read!

To choose a winner for the giveaways, I will use a random number generator based on how many comments there are. Then, I will count down that many in the comments, and that is our winner.

What do you think? How often do you let yourself bead what you want to bead? Please share with us in the comments!

Happy Friday! I have some amazing links to share with you:

How to Become a Prolific Beader- On her blog, The Beaded Carpet, Mikki Ferrugiaro wrote an informative post about being a productive, fast beader. She talks about how to read patterns quickly, why you should leave your bobbin attached, and her essential supplies. Her tips are wonderful!

Harikuyo-The Festival of Broken Needles- The festival takes place in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples all over Japan on February 8th. I first learned about Harikuyo from Ralonda’s post as she reflected on honoring her supplies, and why she named her sewing machine Quasimodo. She linked to Susan’s gorgeous book of needles with felt pages for her various types of needles. The last page is embroidered with the words “Broken but not Forgotten” where she plans to store her broken needles for future festivals.

As a beader, I think it is a great idea to honor the needles that serve me so well. I named my trusty floor sweeper/mopper “George” and I love him so much since he allows me more beading time. So maybe I should name that trusty, bent-to-heck size 10 needle that has been with me for at least a year. How about good ‘ol Betsy? I think I like it!

What do you think? What will you name your needle? Would you enjoy more history of beading type posts? Please share with us in the comments!

Many beaders have their own routine when they sit down to bead. It’s easier to get into that creative frame of mind when you have your drink/snack of choice, spot of choice, and sounds of choice. I thought it would be fun to share our beading routines so we can borrow and share our ideas with other beaders. So, today I’m asking you, dear readers, to describe your unique beading routine and share what gets your creative juices flowing.

Music and Coffee are two of my beading routine essentials.

My Beading Routine

Drink of choice:
Starbucks! I love a Triple Grande Soy Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte when its cold, and an Ice Venti Green Tea Lemonade when its hot. Yum! If I’m beading into the night, a nice Cabernet does the trick.

Spot of Choice:
My freshly cleared and organized beading table! It’s made of an old door atop two filing cabinets, so it’s nice and big. I have a cushy office chair to sit in, too. My other spot is my papasan chair in the living room.

Sounds of Choice:
I created two Pandora stations that I love to listen to: The Doors/Pink Floyd/Led Zepplin station and the Paramore/Shinedown/Rise Against station.

I love to learn new things, so I also listen to podcasts and audiobooks. Two of my favorite podcasts are CraftyPod and Internet Business Mastery. There are shows out there about anything you can think of, and most of them can be searched for and downloaded for free through itunes. You can listen to them on your computer or mp3 player. Librivox provides free audiobooks of public domain works, of which The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton is a must listen! I also get audiobooks from Audible. Two of my recent favorites are Crush it! and The Magic of Thinking Big.

I rarely watch TV while I’m beading. I’m kind of the anti-TV type because I think it rots people’s brains. However, I do make an exception for Project Runway. It’s very inspirational to see the designers work through their problems and time crunches and create something beautiful.

What do you think? What are the “must-haves” in your beading routine? Please share with us in the comments!