Easy way to learn a Peyote Stitch.... watch my video

Watch my Video here....

One of the most versatile stitches in Bead weaving - Peyote stitch...

Learn how to make it and enhance your bead weaving,  bead making or  jewelry making skills......

My Jewelry is on display ...

If you are in Illinois, please stop by Lake Villa District Library to see my latest Jewelry Designs and Lampwork beads on display ...
It is right at the entrance hall.

Hope you enjoy it :)

Mosaic Cards

 I love Fall and all the beautiful gifts she has to offer !

This season I 've experimented with leaves ... Mosaic Cards is one of the ways you can make this Holiday season more fun.

Learn how to make them here

Congress is about to take our copyrights on our work! You can take action right now

Have you heard of the Orphan Works Bill ?  It's not about the Orphan Children like many of you might think .....  I was surprised to hear that many of those in congress, who actually are voting for the bill  are thinking that's what it is ..... I know it's unacceptable!

In a few words.... the bill proposes all of the unsigned or unidentified artworks  to be considered Orphans, so that they can be used by anybody for any purpose without your consent ( and it lumps everything from your home photos, that you posted on the  web site to music, art, paintings, 3D designs -everything!!!)

You may think, ok I'll just sign everything, guess what not everything can be signed and stickers can be removed  - got the idea ? :)

Right now Copyright protects you as the owner of the artwork from being infringed upon, the bill as it is being proposed,  weakens the protection of those rights.
 
The good news, that we, as crafters, artists and designers can take action to stop the bill right now.

You can e-mail mambers of Judiciary Committee , that you want them to vote against  this bill. This is the most important step for all of us right now.
Use the link to send prepared letter to the representative, based on your zip code :

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartne...ertid=11389061

To learn more about the bill itself  and to send a prepared e-mail letter, please log in to: www.OWOH.org


also See video of Joanne Fink and Brenda Pinnick regarding the Orphan Works Bill interviewed by Megan Araujo -host of When Creativity Knocks

http://www.whencreativityknocks.com/craft-and-hobby-episodes/videodirectlink-19.html

New Bracelet Designs in "Bead Unique"

There are 2 Bracelet designes published in this Summer issue of Bead Unique Magazine.

Upcoming Classes

Here is a preview of upcoming classes. To see the dates, time and description, please visit www.BeadKnots.com and scroll down once you are on the front page.

    Roman Goddess Cuff"               "Bee Hive Bracelet"            "Amethyst Pillows with Silver Discs Barcelet"

It was so great to meet everyone at the show - Thank you all for coming!
I will be posting all the bead patterns on the web site very soon.
Please, check under www.BeadKnots.com and click on "Beads" and then "Bead Kits".

All of the Bead Kits include instructions, beads and all components (clasp, findings, etc.) to complete the same exact project. You provide basic tools and thread - that's all.

Have a super creative day!

Spring Bead Bazaar this Sunday

See our incredible selection of Czech glass beads, Japanese Miyuki including  Delica, Rocailles, Magatama.
New Lampwork Beads including one of a kind pieces. 
Greek Leather Cord, Stretchiko and more exciting bead goodies.
  
Visit us  at  Spring Bead Bazaar


Sunday,  March 16 , 2008 


10:00 am - 5:00 pm


Location:
Hilton Garden Inn
1818 Maple Ave
Evanston, IL. 60201

Price of admission is $3.00. Receive $1.00 off with Admission Coupon.
Click here to Download an Admission Coupon

News! My Bracelet "Dual Delights" was published in "Bead Unique" Magazine

issue #14 Fall 2007. See pages 26, 27.

Know how to Buy Lampwork Beads

Here is a question I recieved recently about Lampwork Beads and think it would be helpful to everyone.

Q: I bought a set of lampwork beads in my local store and after I got home two of them cracked, they almost exploded. I didn't droped them, they were laying on my desk and I heard a strange sound I turned around and saw pieces of them laying next to each other - what happened ??

A: The beads you purchased were not properly annealed. It's a special process of slowly cooling the beads after they were made.
All the glass beads are created under very high temperature, once it melts and becomes very pliable special molds are used to create shapes.
During this process all the molecules inside the glass structure start moving really fast and as soon as glass starts taking the shape it is important to cool it down very very slowly to let these molecules to calm down again and keep that shape. For examle: when hot glass is taken out of the hot temperature into cold it cracks, that's because the molecules don't have time to adjust so quickly.
The process of slow cooling is called anealing and hot glass is usually put into the kiln at a special temperature, which drops very slowly for a certain period of time ( depending on the size of the glass item). Once it's done, the molecules inside the glass are rebonded and the structure of the glass becomes more stable.
Lampwork beads have been produced for centures and become very popular nowdays. Today's Artists are really going wild and creating amazing beads, pendants and other shapes. No wonder, they've become a collector's item.
It all starts with a simple glass rod melted in a flame torch at a very high temperature, once it is soft the glass is rolled on a steel mandrell. There are so many different techniques to make it a desired shape, lots of different colors applied in layers and melted over and over.
It is a very slow process and requires a lot of skill to make a nice piece and make the glass to "behave". Very intriguing too, because you can't really see the colors untill the glass cools down. So once the bead is done, it is going into the kiln to cool down and the result can be amazing ! ... But you never know....

Buying lampwork beads, pay attention to the following:

1. It's best to buy from the person who makes the beads. They know all about the process and you can ask any questions directly. Plus, every Artist takes a great pride in their own creation, so you know you are buying geniune quality product.

2. Check for visible cracks, if you see at least one, don't buy it - the bead will fail aventually.

There are a lot of replica beads on the market today ( mass produced from the work of original artists - sometimes without their consent ). These, usually, have not been properly annealed to speed up the manufacturing process. Not only they detract from value of your jewelry piece, but can be dangerous, as they can sort of explode in peices at any time.

3. Check the bead hole. If you see a white chalky substance inside ( bead release, so the glass doesn't stick to the mandrell while hot) it means it wasn't properly cleaned. Serious artists clean their beads thoroughly before putting them up for sale.

In most cases it's an indication of a low quality mass production of beads.
These simple steps can help you to identify good quality, original lampwork beads, which certainly adds value to your design.

Beads, Beads, Beads

They have been around forever and still atractive like nothing else = Beads !
Magical creatures....