Welcome to Studio 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.
This weeks winner is Diana P. Congratulations!
Send Tari an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.
Due to major technical difficulties, the video studio tour that was to be posted, had to be cut out of today’s post. I tried most of the day to get it uploaded. Normally I would have used my husbands Macbook to do the video but he forgot to bring the charger home.
I feel like I have a lot going on lately and this weekend, I had my sister and her boyfriend up for the weekend. I finally remembered that I had to do the Studio Saturday post about 2pm. I have wasted away the day fighting with youtube, blogger, the camera, you name it. If I ever get the video to work, I will try to add it to the next studio saturday post that I’ll do.
WORKING!! finally!
We were able to sit down and co-design one piece of jewelry. There are a few others in the works but this one actually became a finished piece. Frances pulled out all of the beads, and together we worked on talking about layout, color, size differences in beads, focals and where to put what. Once we agreed on the layout, I put the bracelet together using brass wire, and brass jump rings. It was my idea to add the second strand of chain- I felt like it was a little unfinished with just the beaded strand. I asked her if she wanted a charm, and she at first said no. This seemed weird to me so I added one of my little pewter owl tags just so it felt more finished.
Here is the piece:
Spirited Earth
June 12, 2010 at 11:55 pmno beading buddies close by..but i would probably prefer to work on my own anyway.
for ideas,
i see something that looks fun to make..but seem to end up redoing the design as i work along until in the end it's not so much like what i started out in the beginning to create.
Beverly Herman
June 13, 2010 at 12:02 amMy friend and I get together once a week or twice a week to bead together. Usually we work on our own projects. Our last project we picked a design from Beadwork magazine. It was fun working the same pattern in different colorways. I love the bracelet you created today. The charm was the perfect finishing touch.
Linda Landig Contemporary Artisan Jewelry
June 13, 2010 at 12:06 amI found my childhood best friend on Facebook after over 35 years apart. It turns out she is a beader too. Although we haven't gotten together to bead yet, we bounce ideas off each other on-line. I am also inpired by Stringing magazine and by pictures on various jewelry blogs.
Moags and Smeet
June 13, 2010 at 12:11 amI wish I had a beading buddy, but am solo most of the time. My partner (Smeet) is great for feedback and the business end of things, but is primarily into carving/wire. Inspiration comes from tons of sources: magazines, books, the internet, and even the everyday: accessories on characters on TV, shop windows, fashion shows, etc. I often bounce ideas off of Smeet, friends and family.
~Moags
moags.and.smeet(at)gmail.com
abeadlady
June 13, 2010 at 12:11 amI bead with a bunch of crazy ladies who also teach at our LBS. We are always critiqueing each other's work and offering encouragement when needed. We scour the magazines for ideas and then adapt them to our own needs. I wouldn't trade this group for anything. We are like sisters.
Arline
cindydolezaldesigns
June 13, 2010 at 12:16 amI do pottery with a group. I mainly make beads and pendants. They do some, mostly for their personal use. Every once in a while we get together to make jewelry. We do both. We bounce ideas off each other, critique, look through books, catalogues, cut things out of mags and share. You name it. Get your inspiration wherever you can.
Pearl and Pebble
June 13, 2010 at 12:21 amYou know, I have never beaded with a buddy:( I worked one on one with customers when I worked at a bead shop, but sadly I am the lone beader in my circle of artsy friends. Hmmp. Is this sad????? I guess my inspiration comes from my super talented cyber friends, mags & books.
TesoriTrovati
June 13, 2010 at 12:52 amI love the idea of beading with a buddy, but I haven't really done that yet. I did manage to complete one necklace while I was walking around on the show floor today at B&B but it was pretty challenging to do! I love to look at books and mags for inspiration or to spur my creativity but never to copy exactly. I have a friend that lives close by and we get together to share ideas, but we don't bead…yet. Thanks for the great question! Enjoy the day! Erin
Erin S
June 13, 2010 at 1:02 amI don't bead with a buddy, but I do routinely ask my husband (who has a good eye) for his opinion when I'm not sure about something. I look through magazines and websites often for inspiration, and often ask for his help on fabrication, engineering and general tool issues.
Gardanne
June 13, 2010 at 1:48 amI have some glass bead buddies, and we bounce glass bead making ideas off or each other all the time. Sad to say I do not have any jewelry making buddies, but I feel like the blog world has filled that void for me.
Kym Hunter Designs
June 13, 2010 at 2:11 amI would love to bead with a buddy, but have not been successful in getting my immediate friends or family interested. I will be taking a jewelry design class this fall and hope to make some friends then.
My husband is a graphic designer and artist and he is great about letting me bounce ideas off of him. He'll also bead shop with me a little.
Boot ~C
June 13, 2010 at 2:34 amUntil her death last year I did bead & design w/ my best friend. We read magazines together & bought books for each other.
The Joy of Nesting
June 13, 2010 at 2:58 amSadly There really is not a prospective beading buddy for me. I have one really good friend who makes jewelry here in town. But they are a he and "hes" don't seem to get as excited about crafting or making jewelry together. And many times when you do get them talked into a play day they tend to look at the process as a competition and not a collaboration. Ahhhh another chapter to add to Men are from Mars Women are from Venus!! 🙂
Pattie 😉
Mazatlan Mx.
Anonymous
June 13, 2010 at 4:51 amI have been "crafting" on my own for several years since I lost my roommate but just recently I hooked up with someone that I think be a really good friend and we've already shared some "crafting" together. She taught me how to make a lampwork bead and in the future I know we will be doing more!!!
Katina
kjkoukla(at ) hotmail (com)
Marie Cramp
June 13, 2010 at 4:57 amI wish I had a beading buddy! I don't really know anyone that makes jewelry close to me 🙁 I have one friend that lives on the other side of the city, but if you knew Calgary, you would know that it is almost an hour away! Big city!! I hope to have one someday…
moonlitfantaseas
June 13, 2010 at 6:04 amI bead alone, my only "real life" beady friend gave up beading a while back, and I inherited her stash, would rather have a like minded friend…..so since I bead alone I use magazines and the net for inspiration
sasha and max
June 13, 2010 at 7:44 amI have no human beading buddy , but I do feel very linked via blogland to the national / international beading community of like minded beading souls, so I think that it is a good substitute until I find a local buddy. My cat Max is my feline beading buddy – he loves watch me bead but it more about the beads and the chance to snaffle some wire I think, rather than any creative input :). I guess my beading is not a reaction to latest fads but more a play in colour saturation and proportion – and I love bright colour.
Malin de Koning
June 13, 2010 at 9:34 amHm, don't have a buddy in the sense you have with your sister or Kerry. But I do find it very inspiring to sort of work with the people around me anyway. I invite them in the studio whenever they are around and let them look at what I am doing at the moment, and they generally comment in some way.
Another thing I do is that I would ask them to pick some beads they like, and string or chain. (You have to see that my table is most of the time crowded with materials.) And then I would make something with that included, when I am on my own.
I also really like to do jewellery with a certain person in mind. People ARE very inspiring.
Also the whole international beading community/blogosphere/flickr is absolutely awesome for inspiration and feedback. Just now on my own blog I ask for advice on a piece, and got a number of solutions. Thanks! And just think of Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party.
Malin de Koning
June 13, 2010 at 9:50 amForgot to say: I really like the bracelet. Very, very nice!
jackie koudry
June 13, 2010 at 10:47 amI am a self-taught and solo beader. Don't know anyone in my area who makes jewelry. Some of my ideas come from the net and maazines but mostly its the beads that inspire me. Usually the finished piece bears no resemblance to the original idea but thats OK.
peacockfairy
June 13, 2010 at 1:22 pmI usually bead alone, but I do have one friend that will bead with me sometimes. Also, when I have friends or family visiting me and they are interested in beading but have never done we, I always try to find some time to take with them in the studio to create something. I let them pick out what they like and then show them how to string it.
MoonRae
June 13, 2010 at 3:36 pmI don't have any beading buddies here,but have tons of cyber friends who bead and they are a great source for inspiration and feedback on my work. And then the 2wonderful books I won from Lorelei's giveaways have opened my eyes to some new things
Leslie Gidden
June 13, 2010 at 3:41 pmSo sorry that you had problems with the video! I am really the only one I know that makes or designs jewelry….most of my "friends" are online designers. Seeing you and Kerry or you and your sister is fantastic! My husband and daughter are the closest things to buddies….don't tell my husband but he is REALLY good at designing! I love to search through magazines for color ideas, plus other blogs are GREAT for new ideas to new medias…..I always want to try new things!
Take care!
Warmly,
Leslie
Lucid Moon Studio
June 13, 2010 at 5:00 pmI wish I had a beading buddy close by! Even just an artsy/crafty friend…but, fortunately, I have tons of online crafty friends who inspire me daily! My mom was always my crafting buddy, so I hope she moves to FL soon so we can create together again! Thanks for the giveaway – I LOVE the bead prizes!!
Lisa
Janel
June 13, 2010 at 8:52 pmI have a group of about 6 buddies. We used to get together once a month, but now that summer is here it seems that everybody is too busy. I miss the friendship and beading!
Alice
June 13, 2010 at 10:01 pmI don't have a beading buddy as no one in my little town creates jewelry. How fun it would be to work along side another person who shares the same passion for beading as I do.
steufel
June 13, 2010 at 10:02 pmI actually found Nicole, my beading-buddy over Loris bead soup. It's almost a miracle because we do not have to much wire-workers and beaders in Germany. And to find such a great and funny one in Cologne – awesome. We look at each others stash and go through magazine. But most of the time we just chat:-) regards Stefanie
Elizabeth
June 13, 2010 at 10:15 pmI feel like, in a sense, I bead with my "virtual" on line buddies. The ideas they so generously share with the public keeps me going and wanting to produce more and more.
Good luck to everyone.
Paula Lee M.
June 14, 2010 at 12:40 amUp until 3 yrs ago I always created alone, in fact I still do mostly. However about 3 years ago I started to learn beadweaving at a local bead store and met the nicest ladeis. Well after a while it was just two of them & the teacher and now we are all great and close friends. Once a week and sometimes twice a week we four meet at someones house and have dinner and bead.
We do bounce ideas off each other and learn together, mostly doing pieces we see in the mags we buy. Also last year one of my beading buddies was beading on a cruise and met another beader who lives about an hour away. We have met her and her beading buddies occasionally to go to bead stores in the city together and they spent a weekend at my friends house so we could bead together.
I haven't had any friends over the years who have shared my interests in jewelry making and it's great to have my beading buddies. For me that is the best inspiration.
Raj
June 14, 2010 at 5:37 pmI wish I could bead more often with a buddy, but most of my friends say they are not crafty types, and the ones who are live far far away. I have introduced ONE friend to beading and she comes over with her daughter (age 11) about once a month. Yes we bounce ideas off each other. I find that she comes up wqith great color combos that I would never think of on my own, and I am good at helping her balance her pieces.
I am inspired by EVERYTHING. I have a stash of old bead magazines going back 15 years, and we often are inspired by a project from them. Sometimes I will try to imitate a project exactly, other times I will copy just one thing, for example, just the shape of one bead, or just the colors, or just the style. Going outside inspires me too, so many shapes and colors and organically interesting things to copy. I am also inspired by the internet and blogs like this one, and by FlickR.
Laura Blanck
June 14, 2010 at 6:13 pmHi Lorelei! It was great to take a look at your studio. What a feast for the eyes!
I don't bead with a buddy, I always bead all by myself…
I send you a big hug, I would love to win the beads!, Laura from Openstudio.
Artisan Clay
June 14, 2010 at 6:29 pmHmmm? I don't think that my friends and I have ever beaded together. We have had quite a few knowledge sharing sessions though. Like grabbing torches and showing eachother different metalworking tips or getting togehter and me showing some ways of working with clay, or my friend showing me how to drill sea glass.
CreativeFlutter
June 14, 2010 at 6:58 pmIf I lived closer to my beading buddies we would all bead together. I look for inspiration online, flickr, etsy, beading mags or just browsing beads. Sometimes a design will come from looking at one bead. I love when inspiration hits!! Love your studio Lorelei, I wish I had that many beads to choose from! WOW!
Anne Betenson
June 14, 2010 at 7:56 pmDear Lorelei,
I don't have a beading buddy as such,but I have a friend who makes fab lampwork beads(I have introduced her on my Etsy shop page.)We have never actually met in the flesh but e-mail each other and are facebook friends as well.I work with her sister-in-law in my other job,that's how we "met".We are planning to get together sometime in the summer.
I also have a lot of advice and support from my two daughters,20 and 14 years old.They are my sternest critics.I must not forget the wonderful beading community on Facebook.Cheers Anne.
Carlene
June 14, 2010 at 8:12 pmNo beading buddy for me. My husband is a good source of feedback and my cat helps me pick out beads. For inspiration, sometimes I'll just take something (lampwork bead, empty bezel) and carry it in my pocket for a few days. Lay it on my desk at my day job and glance at it once in a while. And incredible ideas will form. It's a fun way to come up with new stuff.
April
June 14, 2010 at 8:22 pmI think I beaded with a buddy when I bought beads I liked from "Bedazzled" in Baltimore and brought them back with me, talked about them with you and you went off and worked your magic, adding some other terrific beads and making me a necklace, bracelet, and earrings (that I'm wearing today) in a violet/navy/gray/irridescent/turquoise theme, and then another bracelet with a pink/orange theme. All of which I love.
Nicki
June 14, 2010 at 8:22 pmStefanie mentioned it above – we found each other through Lori's bead soup. I am actually impressed that most ladies have no beading buddies. Don' we need more venues to meet, ladies? Very nice bracelet, Lori.
Janet
June 14, 2010 at 9:13 pmThat was a wonderful vid!
I have beaded with my Daughter a few times, but we dont do it very often as shes just not really into it. I have taught her basic stringing but thats about it! I think it would be nice to bead with someone but noone around here! I have also tried to teach my Son wirewrapping but nope hes just not intrested either shucks!
adee
June 15, 2010 at 1:16 amHello Lorelei!
How brave and commited you are with your video upload!
Thanks for sharing your workplace once again with us..
I get my inspiration, like most of us I guess,from books, online, magazines,brochures and environment too..
I find though, that by the time I sit to create after being inspired, the whole thing changes and what I make is totally way off the initial inspiration/idea ..eheh..
I'm a lampworker and jewelry maker and work alone..Would not mind a likeminded beading buddy though…
You look cute in your video!
Cheers!
HopelesslyAddicted
June 15, 2010 at 3:33 amBeading with a buddy is great! One of my beading buddies has recently been coming once a week. She takes a look at boxes I shy away from, pulls out this and that, and the results are amazing! We spend lots of time studying catalogs for inspiration. A note for Erin Prais-Hintz – I have a beading buddy who lives nearby too, and would love to do beading with her, Hmmmm, the time will come.
quiltingjewel39
June 16, 2010 at 5:32 pmNo I don't have a beading buddy – wish I did – you and Kerry looked like you were having such fun. I do have quilting buddies and we bounce ideas,colors, etc off each other and laugh a lot.
Klassy Joolz
June 16, 2010 at 6:58 pmMy Bead Buddy is my Son…this big manly man construction worker…6'2"/275lb guy. He only does jewelry designing from time to time with me. Every new girl friend always gets a beautiful jewelry piece that he designs and creates himself. I wish he would work with me more often as his style inspires me. He is much more free spirited in his ideas and style…love that!!!
Copper Diem
June 16, 2010 at 8:49 pmI do have a bead buddy. We get together every few months to bead, show off new finds, bounce ideas/problems off each other, go bead shopping, and trade magazines and beads. It is fun to have another eye to make suggestions when I get stuck.
swopemelmel
June 16, 2010 at 10:45 pmMy best beading buddy is my Mom. We love to bead and chat and have lunch together. I remember her and a friend beading together when I was a child. My Dad had taken a board and put together a beading hook to help hold the piece she was working on. She did a type of beading that was like Tatting lace. The designs were magnificent!
She could even weave pictures into the ropes, like tiny flowers or fruits. I still have one of them !!
She still has her old beading box and alot of vintage beads.
We of course take classes together and share ideas and beads. I love my Mom and everything she taught me.
Anne
June 18, 2010 at 6:40 pmThe purple Gaea is absolutely beautiful in the bottom pic. I came across Persona's online builder recently (http://www.personaworld.com/build.php) and thought I should pass it on. I'm a big fan of their bead selection and hand painted production process.