Contest to enter TODAY

Enter the Art Bead Scene September challenge and you could win fame, fortune and a copy of my book! The challenge is to combine art beads with filigree and you can find out how to enter here.

We love the Art Bead Scene folks and their challenges. Try mixing some of Melanie Brooks-Lukas' beads and steam stones with ornate filigree. These are available at Panopolie right now...I would mix the steam stones with gunmetal filigree for a real technoVictorian feel.

You could also blend Elaine Ray's lovely glazed beads with some filigree. Try mixing the lentil beads with some floral filigree like the one pictured here. They are about the same size in real life, even if they don't look it here on my blog. If you want to do a bit of bending to the filigree, stick with the Antique Brass finish, it bends more easily and looks great with the organic finish on the beads. Elaine's beads are available on line or at Ornamentea.


So go, start designing...

Cupcakes!

We have new beady cupcakes by Lori of Isabel Rose...I adore these sweet cupcakes and think I will have to add one to to a necklace...although we are selling them on lovely ribbons, ready to wear. What a great birthday gift for a friend. Find them at Ornamentea and Panopolie and soon I hope, at Ornamentea.com.*

In addition to cupcakes Lori also makes acorns that are softly colored, cartoonish (not scary) sculls, hearts, dog bones and other iconic glass beads. She's a working arty mom (like me) and I love her beads. I think I have to get that one on the left hand side with the pink...it's calling my name.

*are you reading this Lori? I am holding you to it...Loriola on Ornamentea.com!

Marcia DeCoster is teaching at Panopolie!

We are so excited to have the fabulous Marcia DeCoster teaching one of her newest designs at Panopolie on November 15th. She'll show you how to make the fabulous Romantica necklace. This is NOT a picture of that necklace...

When I first saw Marcia in Ornamentea I thought "oh, she looks interesting, I think I want to get to know her." Well, I was right, she is interesting. I had a great chat with her and her husband. We talked about the NCMA. We talked about her upcoming book. She's working with Lark, my publisher and the pic here is one of the projects that will be in the book. We talked about her teaching with us while she is on the East coast and we sorta, kinda set a date.

So months pass and I basically blew her off. Yep. This is a woman who's bead work riveted me the moment she walked in the store PLUS she's on the cover/inside just about every beading magazine we carry PLUS she teaches multiple classes at every Bead&Button show to sell out crowds and I just didn't call her when she said she wanted to teach for us. Dear beader, I almost blew it. Lucky for me, Marcia is gracious and is still planning on coming to see us. Call Panopolie to register - 919-872-4767.

Selling Your Craft Work

Do you sell your craft work? We just had the Designer's Downtown Market at Ornamentea this weekend and it was really fun. Lots of fabulous work from my favorite designers. I know they were all selling as the booths were really busy, even with the heat. I bought several gifts and gifts-for-me, and somehow Cleo spent close to $40. She comes to work with me on the Market days and plays with her buddies from Sissy & Jacks. Usually the worst trouble they get into is excessive consumption of sweets. This time my daughter painted two ceramic pots AND placed a custom soap order. If you aren't already laughing out loud at this image, remember she is not yet six. Oh, and the custom soap order was for favors for her birthday party. Yes, my daughter is the kind of person who wants to custom-order soap party favors for her sixth birthday. Where does she get this penchant for paying attention to irrelevant details? Hmm...

Anywho, I spent a bit clearing up her debt and didn't get to spend all my money on myself. It's like she's my first born or something.

So, if you are interested in selling your work, check out my class here in Raleigh. Crafting for Money will help you out with pricing, explain sales venues and discuss when and why to sell. Plus, I get to remember my way-back days as a jewelry designer* and there will be wine, at least at the night time class.

Call to register...Ornamentea's class is September 19th, 6-8 pm and the class at Panopolie is October 16th from 10 am - 12 noon.

*I used to design and sell my work to catalogs and retailers around the country-before a certain handy husband built me a tiny little bead store on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. He just wanted to keep me at home instead of traveling from trade show to trade show...