Welcome to the Enchanted Beads Blog!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Jewelry Connection

Meet Guest Artist Ileana Munteanu Live May 17th

More than a year ago The Jewelry Connection radio talk show started up it's first episode of it's program, with the idea that many might like to meet and get to know independent artists of wearable art. Those artists, without this venue, might never be found by large numbers of seekers of inspired wearable art! Sixteen months later, we are revisiting the very first artist who appeared "Live" on the show! Ileana Munteanu of Brooklyn, NY. Ileana is a very fine artist who creates one of a kind wearable art in gemstones, glass, pearls, leather, and very finely beaded hand work that is sold in her online boutique as well as a gallery in New York and two galleries in Chicago. I'm looking forward to sharing Ileana's interview with you "LIVE" where/when we will have an opportunity to see what magic her muse has wrought in the past year! New pictures, new work, new information, and a terrific sharing experience is to be had by all.
Dr. Gail Devoid (co-host) and I, will be sharing Ileana's Live interview in the broadcast room of the new site of The Jewelry Connection
Show Time: 12pm PST, 2pm CST, or 3pm EST in the USA
Show Time: in Europe - 9pm for most and 8pm in the UK
Just click on the link for The Jewelry Connection found below, to be transported directly to the broadcast room.
To participate in the discussion portion of the interview you can either call in with Skype with my id: mona77401 or you can sign up at the new site with a user id and enjoy live texting, webcam access, and mic!
Home page for the new site is www.livevideo.com where you can create a membership!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Best to All!
Mona
Mona Hair
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection - An online radio talk show for and about independent jewelry artisans!
Home Page:
http://www.livevideo.com/user/home.aspx
The Jewelry Connection Broadcast Room: http://www.livevideo.com/liveshow/The-Jewelry-Connection
Show Time: Sunday Afternoons at 12pm PST, 2pm CST, or 3pm EST in the US
For European Visitors: show time is 9pm except in the UK - 8pm

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Beadweaving Emporium.

Beadweaving Emporium.




I am thrilled and honored to be a part of the Beadweaving Emporium at 1000Markets.


THE BEADWEAVING EMPORIUM TEAM CORNER

The following 8 member team are the founding shops of The Beadweaving Emporium market at 1000 Markets.
Established: April . 2009
We'd like to introduce ourselves (alphabetically):

Beadazzled of Oregon

Beadazzled of Oregon
DINI ALVES ~ Proprietor/Co-Manager/BEM
I AM: a bead addict, wife, mom (6), gram (15), & great gram. (5)
LOCATION: country outside of Grants Pass, Oregon
HOBBIES: beading, art quilting, weaving, PMC, travel, family, cooking...
BELIEF: "Life is a journey, not destination. Enjoy the ride!"

Rachele's Originals

Rachele\
RACHEL DAGLEY/Proprietor/Co-Manager/BEM
I AM: Spirit, Woman, Artist, Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, Friend, ah so many labels….I am… me!!
LOCATION: Lansing, Michigan
PASSIONS: God, Family, Friends, Expression through Art!BELIEF: Look with new eyes because we learn and grow, and change every day!

Beaded Extravagance

Beaded Extravagance
Louisa Meece; Proprietor
I AM: Married with 1 daughter, 5 birds and 3 dogs and a hamster- love to bead, of course!
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio
HOBBIES: Beading, Sculpting, Sewing, Embroidery, Photography.
BELIEFS: Be content with what you have; this is where happiness begins.

Beads Forever

Beads Forever
Linda Roberts; Proprietor
I AM: Married, 1 daughter, 4 grandkids, Bead Lover
LOCATION: Jacumba, CA - 65 miles east of San Diego
HOBBIES: Beadweaving, Polymer Clay, PMC, lampworked glass beads
BELIEFS: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope! Jer. 29:11

Cigarbox Beads

Cigarbox Beads
Marilyn Goodman; Proprietor
I AM: woman,wife,mother, grandmother,retired teacher,expert on none, but still trying!;>)
LOCATION: Seal Beach, CA
HOBBIES: Beadweaving, knitting, crocheting, crafting, collecting, caring for husband and 'grama-sitting' my granddaughters--who craft with me--" will you do crafts with me today, mammam?"
BELIEF: Treat all others as you yourself want to be treated.

Conlins Creations

Conlins Creations
Amanda Conlin; Proprietor
I AM: Married to my wonderful hubby Allen for 5yrs (today actually), mother to 3 beautiful girls and twin angels, owner of 2 obnoxious parakeets, and 3 fish
LOCATION: Akron, NY
HOBBIES: Beadweaving, and not much else, I am obsessed and don't have time for anything else... besides my family :-)
BELIEFS: I am undeservedly saved by Christ's grace

Hiding Place Beadery

Hiding Place Beadery
Karen Gill; Proprietor
Hiding Place Beadery was named because of this scripture:You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me. Psalm 32:7 (CEV)

I AM: Married to a lovely husband of 23 years, with 2 grown-up children, 5 beautiful grandchildren, a sweet dog, an ornery cat, and a bird.
LOCATION: A native Texan living temporarily in Key Largo, Florida. (Ready to go home!!)
PASSIONS: God, family, friends, .and beads!!
BELIEFS: .the greatest of these is love.

The Beaded Lily

The Beaded Lily
Sarah Kelley; Proprietor
I AM: I'm a self-taught southern gal with a needle, a pair of pliers and an intense love for art, beads and jewelry. I'm also well on my way to being an odd spinster cat lady.
LOCATION: Just outside of Savannah, GA
PASTIMES: Beading of course, reading, and too much time on the internet
BELIEFS: This is only the beginning.

MEMBER'S SHOPS CORNER



Featured Members

LOUISA MEECE

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Beaded Extravagance Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

I am an award winning Bead Artist who has finally decided to come out of my shell and share my creations with everyone. I have won Second Place in the World of Beads Halloween Mask Contest in 2000 and First Place in the Cabochon Category of the 2008 FireMountain Gems Annual Beading Contest.

I’ve been beading for most of my life; my first beading memories are of sitting on my Aunt Mary's kitchen floor with a shoebox full of colorful, glittery beads, a sewing needle and thread making colorful necklaces for my dolls and anyone who wanted one of my creations. This year, after entering a local art show and successfully selling over half of my inventory, the next logical step was for me to set up a site where I could share my creations with the rest of the world.

I am the wife of a very patient husband and the mother of a beautiful daughter who is my biggest fan. These are my creations, they are one-of-a-kind and they come from my heart and soul. Louisa

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AMANDA CONLIN

AMANDA CONLIN Conlins Creations Akron, NY

I am a wife of 5 yrs to a very supportive and understanding husband (sometimes beads get in the way and the house doesn’t always stay at the top of my priority list ) J and a mother to 3 beautiful little girls… Lily-5, Isable-4, and Chloe-2 ½.

According to a little book given to my by my mother from when I was in 2nd grade I have been beading since I was 8-9, and my life long dream at that point was to make and sell jewelry. But realistically I have been beading for about 4 ½ years, and weaving for about 2. I started stringing during my 2nd pregnancy when I was put on complete bed rest, needed something to fill my very LONG days… after Isabel was born, I started doing home parties, just to make some more “bead money”… soon I started picking up magazines and weaving caught my eye, I have not looked back since. I am 100% self-taught (books, magazines and internet) My first piece was a giant cellini bracelet ( I get a little ambitious)!

I started with peyote stitch, and over time have added a few new stitches. Right now I am on a major herringbone jaunt, but always end up back to tubular peyote… so right now on my beading board is a turquoise and brown BIG cellini spiral… not sure if it will turn into a necklace or a bracelet… guess it depends on how long the beads, and my patience hold out!

As of right now, I am not a “published” or “award winning” bead weaver, but hope to get there some day… having 3 little girls, kinda limits my time.

CONLINS CREATIONS: http://www.1000markets.com/users/conlinscreations

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LINDA ROBERTS

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Linda Roberts, BeadsForever, Jacumba CA (about 65 miles east of San Diego) in the high desert

I am passionate about beadweaving. It brings me such joy and I hope that spills over into your life! I love to design and create with beads, but I also love to incorporate other mediums such as polymer clay, cabachons, precious metal clay and wirework.

I'm originally from South Dakota (Black Hills area). I learned to sew and crochet from my Mom and Grandma as a small child and still love the feel of the needle and thread in my hands. Discovering beadweaving about 9 or 10 years ago has brought me so much joy. Each time I find a new craft to try, I usually move on to try something new. But with beadweaving, there are so many different stitches and new things to learn, I haven't ever been bored, so I think I will stick with it until my eyes can't see the holes in the beads anymore.

BeadsForever

BEM CORNER: Karen Gill

I’ve been married for 23 years to my lovely husband, Bob. I am mom to two adult children, Eric and Kristen. Grandma, or actually “KK”, to 5 grandchildren-3 girls, and 2 boys, ranging in age from 18 to 8. Bob and I have a dog-Jack, a cat-Charlie, a parrotlet-Bluebelle, (all very original names, of course!) and two tiny finches who remain unnamed at this time.

At 57 years old, I am a Texan, through and through, and having lived in Key Largo, Florida for the last 2 years, I love Texas more than ever before. We have 1 more year (truly, 11 months!) and then my husband’s job will be over and we will return to our home in the country. Even my yankee husband looks forward to it!

I began making jewelry about 3 1/2 or 4 years ago, during a time when my mother was declining in health, and it became an escape for me. Then, it became an obsession for the beads themselves! The textures, the coolness, and the complexities of various stones, shells, and wood…keeps me ooohing and ahhhing over them! The rich and bright colors are so delicious! Then, weaving tiny beads together into a pattern or picture, fascinating. I have always been easily entertained! Yet my attention span is not especially long, so I love to make the simpler pieces. I always enjoy seeing what other people are inspired to do with their gift. Sometimes I think my enthusiasm for it is coming to an end…then I visit my beads!

Presently, I am at home in Texas, busily working on my home, spending time with loved ones, so I’m afraid beading is not number one…….but soon….!

BEM CORNER: What's on My Beading Board?

From the Board of Rachele Dagley:

Here are a couple of pictures that I took this morning for the bead board blog. I’m not sure when I’m going to be able to get back to them, and really I don’t have tons left to do on either of them, so hopefully It’ll be soon!

BEM CORNER: Rachele Dagley

Rachele Dagley; Proprietor Rachele's Originals

"I've been with my husband Jim for 19 years, however married for 15 of them. I have two great kids, Tyler (14) and Bailey (10) who I am so proud of. I was born in 1971 in Hillsdale, Michigan. I had very little creative influences in my life, if any. My sister, Carla, is such a natural artist, she is a singer, song writer, and she can draw like nobody's business, so I honestly thought she got all of the creativity in our family....I mean for goodness sakes she is a Libra, and I'm a Capricorn....lol.

All that changed not quite 5 years ago. I had several friends that had been beaders, and although I loved their jewelry, I never even thought about making it myself. My best friend at the time, had just taken a class on how to bead string and how to wire wrap earrings, and she showed me how to do both. She then took me into the bead store where she had learned these new techniques.

Oh My Goodness....I am a huge believer in being in the right place at the right time. I do not believe in coincidences. I believe everything happens for a reason and I was not ready until that very day, to start this new chapter in my life. I cannot easily explain to you what happened to me. This was for me not just like someone picking up a new hobby, it was like my spirit had been awoken. I mean serious Deja Vu, and instant inspiration, like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life.

At this point.... .beading, beadweaving, beading around cabochons, wire wrapping, all of these things brings my soul such peace, that everything in my life since has been affected in a positive and loving way, and now it's brought me to all of you. I feel honored and grateful for being given the ability to create, and ready to be guided to where ever that leads me."

"What's On My Beading Board?"

This Blooming Blossoms choker just left my beading table and was purchased by a beautiful woman in Texas --what I really have on my table are the beginnings of small blue flower earrings to match the choker --no picture yet, but picture in your mind--tiny flowers like the dark blue flower on the longer end of the choker---fun in # 15 seedbeads! ;>) Wish me luck!

Marilyn Goodman http://www.Cigarboxbeads.1000markets.com

BEM CORNER: Marilyn Goodman

I'm Cigarboxbeads--Marilyn Goodman - a wife, mother, grandmother, retired Home Ec. Teacher and now- caregiver. I've always enjoyed crafting and was taught to do many needlecrafts by my great aunt- who taught me to crochet and tat. My other favorite things to do- beading, beadweaving, sewing, knitting , collecting, etc.---I learned on my own. I've been beading and beadweaving since the early 90s--when we got our first computer and I became 'addicted' to the AOL Bead Boards!

My name- Cigarboxbeads- comes from the fact that my first beads were purchased in several vintage cigarboxes, at a flea market---I still have many of those beads, still in the cigarboxes- mostly seedbeads--and teeny tiny ones at that.

My first beadweaving was following the patterns from a great beadweaver- Suzanne Cooper--I followed her on the bead boards and bought her first Amulet books and here I am today---totally addicted to beadweaving--and it's all Suzy Cooper's fault!

I've progressed from trying those first amulet bags in peyote, to any other stitches that I can basically figure out on my own---I'm not too great on following instructions- I usually go off on my own---which can be a good thing - and sometimes, not so good! ;>)

I watch my twin granddaughters a few times a week, and one of them 'needles' with me--that's her term- and it seems to fit! I'm going to become a grama again, in September- our other daughter is having a little girl- so it will be crafting and 'needleing' time around here for another generation.

Right now, I seem to be in a beading slump, with lots of ideas but not much started on my beading board --I'm knitting baby afghans again, right now!

http://www.1000markets.com/users/cigarboxbeads


"from Beadazzaled in Oregon's "ZOO COLLECTION" I've been working on this old fella for a little while now. The wonderful lion head comes from Amee of "Amee Runs With Scissors". (www.ameerunswithscissors.com) Leo has been on my beadboard recently - I worked on him while my arm and hand was still in a cast (after 4 reconstruciton surgeries) and when the cast came off and the pins out, I worked on it with a traction hand brace. He helped me keep my sanity through my rehabilitation! We've become good friends ~ this guy will live in my private collection. But, I do have 2 more unspoken for lions (green and coral) and they are asking for a good home; I will make them up as custom orders in your special colors and length."

Artbeads.com also put him in their blog: http://blog.artbeads.com/

BEM CORNER: Dini Alves

Dini Alves, Proprietor Beadazzled of Oregon, Grants Pass, Oregon

"Born in the country outside of Cleveland, OH and moved to the west coast in 1952. Mother to 3, blended family of 6, 15 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Long Christmas list!"

"Spent many years as a publisher and caregiver for my mother who had MS and lived with us. We were the typical "sandwich generation": raising 6 kids, working and caregiving for Gramma. Hubby and I retired from northern CA to outside of Grants Pass OR in 1996. We now live in the wonderful quiet of the forest with our 2 dogs and a pond full of mallards, a great place to create! We spend a good deal of time traveling all over the country, Canada and Mexico. Other than family, other hobbies include gardening and cooking explorations."

"My mini claim to fame: is that when I turned 65, I set off to realize a personal dream I had had for the last 50 years. I packed up my Jeep, a little refrigerator in the back, a map and my beads and drove out the driveway alone. 3 months later I returned after traveling way over 13,000 miles on the backroads of our country. It was a life-experience I will never, ever forget."

"My mother was an occasional artist; a painter. So I grew up surrounded by paint brushes and tubes of paints. But my own path took another avenue. I have always loved fibers - spent many years as a free-from weaver, then moved on to quilting and art quilting. Dabbled in many other mediums but always came back to yarns and materials and beads."

"So I am primarily an Oregon-based bead artist; a multi-media artist who brings color, texture and originality to each individual creation. Working often with unique embellishments, I consider my work new and constantly evolving. The pieces are truly collectible objects d'art for the discerning jewelry connoisseur. I continue to expand my ability for expression through many medias, using them in harmony with each other. Truthfully, I enjoy any art that pushes the envelope ~ I endeavor to follow that path with my own work. Always looking for that next challenge, I continually ask myself "...what if?"...what if I just added a piece of copper? What if I used a contrasting color? I love walking on the cusp of a new explorations! Each unique creation is a one-of-a kind, wearable piece of artwork and is a product of my own passions. Beads have a spirit all their own ~ they tell me where they want to go."

"WHAT'S ON MY BEADING BOARD?"

"This is kind of long term project-- it's for the BEM New Horizons Challenge. A new horizon for me because it's my first freeform art object-- meaning it's not wearable which everything I bead is! And long term because I still have a month and a half to finish so I'm working on it between other projects."

"...The hardest part is that that the skull is so tiny. There's really not enough room to maneuver and stitch in some of the tiny crevices. I'm going about it in a very organic fashion-- just using whatever I please for each stitch."

"I can't wait to see it finished of course!"

"And I don't know when it will ever leave me. I do intend to put it up for sale, but the price will be prohibitive for anyone but a collector, a truly obsessed bead, bone or dinosaur enthusiast or someone with bucks to burn."

BEM CORNER: Sarah Kelley

Sarah Kelley; Proprietor The Beadedlily Savannah, GA

"I believe that uniformity and conformity are overrated, that less is less, in the value of the unique, individual, ornamental and simple, and in the humanity of art. I'm a self-taught southern gal with a needle, a pair of pliers and an intense love for art, beads, and jewelry. I love to work with different materials, learn new techniques, and give free reign to my imagination."

"I'm 30 and I have cats. I came to beads by way lots of crafty pursuits. It was therapy for me during a rough spot and, since I found beads I've pretty much stuck to jewelry and the occasional keyring. A love of beads became a love if jewelry became a love of wearable art. And for the longest time I was completely and totally uninterested in seed beads and beadweaving."

"Then a couple of years ago I saw an exhibit at a museum focusing on paintings done with seedbeads. My first impulse was to translate that into something wearable. And I did."

"Now things come full circle and my attention turns once again to art that is not meant to be worn. I won't give up on the wearable of course. I like to show off the art I make and collect and wearing it is an easy way to do that."

"What's On My Beading Board?" interview starts Wednesday, May 13th right here!