Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into
their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related
question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive
we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard.
The following week we choose a random winner.
www.beadcruise.com
I’m preparing for a trip of a lifetime aboard a luxury cruise liner! I have dreamed of this since I first heard it even existed. Yep,
I’m going on the Bead Cruise 2013, March 1st – March 9th hosted by our fearless leader in the bead community, the gracious, Heather Powers.
I jumped at the chance to be apart of her Bead Cruise. Perfect
combination of a little bit of business with a whole LOT of pleasure.
Plus, it’s amazing opportunity for me to do something I have never done
before. It’s my very first cruise ever and really this will be my first
trip outside the US, besides Canada. Geesh, I’m 35. I think it’s about
time I saw the world a little! I had to rush and get my passport for the
first time, too and everything. Well, I got my passport in plenty of
time and I’m ready to get away on this cruise!
Did I tell you my word for the year is EXPAND? Well, it is and
apparently, I’m kickin’ it off with a whole lot of ‘expanding my
horizons’ in a very literal kind of sense! Cozumel, Grand Cayman Island
and Jamaica, here I come. I’m so excited and so looking forward to this
incredible adventure. I’m ready to be inspired by these amazing places we are visiting. Since I don’t know if I’ll ever get to go on a
trip like this again, I went all out and signed up for the shore
excursions at the three ports of call. Mayan ruins in Cozumel,
snorkeling at Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman Island and a Reggae beach
party in Jamaica. Hoo Whoo! Ya Mon. I feel so Irie!…Sorry…A little
Jamaican talk for ya. 😉
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Jamaican Reggae-Inspired Earrings
In fact, I’ve already been inspired by the cruise before even stepping onto the boat. I made myself these Reggae-Inspired color block earrings to wear on the beach in Jamaica!
Not only will this be a vacation trip of a lifetime, but I will also
be teaching my Bohemian Knotted Earrings Class as well! Go here to see all the classes. I’m now getting all my beady goodness ready. I’m making kits
for my class and extras to sell. I’ll be bringing my other jewelry kits from my book and also kits and tutorials for my Macrame Flower Bracelet, some of my favorite supplies,
materials and tools such as Irish waxed linen cord, Macrame boards and
knotting tweezers. And of course, a few copies of my book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cord.
Whether you are taking my Bohemian Knotted Earring class on the Bead
Cruise or not, you can purchase a kit for the earrings in my Etsy shop! The kits included all the materials you need to make the three earring styles, Sun, Fringe and Chandelier. The kits come in Solid Copper for $30 OR you can upgrade to Sterling Silver for $40. All metal components are handmade by Shannon Levart of Miss Fickle Media. If you can’t make it to one of my classes this year, you can purchase my Bohemian Knotted Earrings PDF tutorial in my shop for the instruction on how to make the earrings.
Not only am I teaching a class, but I’ll have the opportunity to take two of the classes offered on the cruise. Ronna Weltman’s Go Organic With Polymer Clay and Kerry Bogert’s Sweet Tweeter class. I’m very excited for both of these classes! I’m thrilled to have the time to connect and learn from these two amazing artists, authors and instructors.This is a rare opportunity because most times when you are teaching at an event, you won’t have the chance to take any classes yourself or even just chat with the other instructors.
Can’t
wait to meet all those aboard Bead Cruise 2013. Many will be new to me.
I’m looking forward to seeing my familiar bead friends and fellow instructors, Heather Powers, Beverly
Herman and Kerry Bogert, again and I’m looking
forward to meeting instructors, Tracy Stanley and Ronna Weltman for the first time. I’m honored and humbled to be in the company of all these talented and accomplished women.
I can’t wait for this journey to begin and I know it will not end once I step off the boat. I will forever hold the memories from the trip and the experience. The places we visit will influence and inspire my future jewelry designs for years to come, which leads me to my questions for you this week:
Have your travels influenced your jewelry designs? Where have you gone? How have those places inspired your creating?
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Dream Catcher Pendant Kit
Leave
a comment answering any of these questions and you will be entered for a
chance to win one of my new Dream Catcher Pendant Kits in my Etsy Shop.
Thank you for joining me today and Bon Voyage!
Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of
the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather,
Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry.
Shelley Graham Turner
February 23, 2013 at 1:24 pmAww Erin, I am soo jealous! I really want to get onboard with y'all. Have a blast, take loads of pics and make sure to come on back and report to all us landlovers stuck back here in this wintery climate! LOVE the Jamaican earrings btw. ENJOY! (PS Bring some ginger gum, just in case!)
~ Shelley Graham Turner
Divya N
February 23, 2013 at 1:31 pmI always wanted to make royalty inspired jewelry and my trip to Nepal and looking at all the paintings in the museum from jewelry perspective charged me so much that I created a whole line of royalty (Princess)inspired jewelry the next year
Saraccino
February 23, 2013 at 1:37 pmI alredaz travelled a lot in my life. This is due to my family (already went around all europe up to north africa when I was still a small kid.. I come from germany) but also due to my work right now. I am a scientist and we meet on conferences all over the world to talk about the newest discoveries. Also right at the moment I am working in south Korea for two months due to a collaboration project.
I am always inspired by mz surroundings: colour, mood, nature, people… and most of all: What can I find during my travels. I like just to look around and use everything I can see for my work. It makes life so much more exciting if you try to challenge yourself always to find something you can use… even working with the strangest items 🙂
DonnaD
February 23, 2013 at 9:10 pmI love traveling in the Southwest. The amazing and varied art forms were my inspiration for my dream catcher charms for Ornamentea's Lucky Charm Swap!
Jeanne aka Gem Chick
February 24, 2013 at 11:27 amI am so jealous, Erin. one of my dreams is to go on a bead cruise or retreat after I retire from teaching.
I always buy beads when I travel. So I would have to say my most inspirational trip was to the Dominican Republic where I bartered for larimar and amber. Acually our Dominican friend bartered for me.
Karen M
February 25, 2013 at 1:36 amGreat post. Recently I've been to Buffalo, Columbus, and Tucson. I find that different things inspire me everywhere I go. I do travel quite a bit and the colors of the earth inspire me the most. I love the colors at all times of the day; dawn, high noon, dusk, night. The colors after rainfall or a winter storm.
I hope you have an absolutely fantastic time on the cruise!!!!!
fairiesmarket.blogspot.com
Elaine
February 25, 2013 at 1:49 pmI've traveled a fair amount within Canada and bits and pieces of all the places I've gone and lived in appear in the work I make. Currently, that's being influence by the flowers and colour schemes of local areas.
More oddly, you could say that the place I live in and don't travel much from inspires my work the most these days – prairie flowers, the subtle colours of arid grasslands and the big sky.
Kerry
February 26, 2013 at 2:55 pmJust chiming in here to tell you that you are so totally right… this is an incredible experience. It's hard to describe the impact the connections you'll make will have on you. So glad you'll be there to share it!
Kathy Lindemer
February 27, 2013 at 7:12 pmYou are so lucky to be able to go on this trip. You will learn and also help others to expand their skills. A win win!
I have been influenced in several ways by my travels. Most of my travels have been to places with rich natural resources like the Southwest, UK or Caribbean. From these trips I pick up on different color combinations. I was never comfortable with the turquoise and red combination until after I visited the southwest. In the Southwest, I purchased beads that are associated with it to make my own keepsakes. In the UK, I purchased some Celtic earring frames so that I could make earrings inspired by that trip. From the Caribbean I got a love for the color aqua which always reminds my of the ocean and brought home gems native to certain islands. I also bought inexpensive necklaces with seed beads in native colors so that I can use them in designs. My color palette and knowledge of materials and design are enlarged by my travels.