11 Comments

Beading Panel Q-and-A: What sets beaders apart?

November 08, 2010, 16:00 pm  Posted by Lark Jewelry & Beading
 

First, we ask you:

What characteristics do beaders share? What sets beaders apart?

Please leave a comment with your answer! We want your voice to be a part of this space.

We asked the same question of the wonderful beading superstar authors in Lark Jewelry & Beading’s Beadweaving Master Class series. We’ll be doing weekly Q-and-A’s with these six master teachers in a panel-style format right here on this blog. Enjoy, and please do leave a comment with your own answer to each question!


Rachel Nelson-Smith

Rachel Nelson-Smith, author of the Fall 2011 release Rachel Nelson-Smith’s Bead Riffs:

It may be a bit one-sided, however I think beaders are the best people in the world.

They’re smart. They’re beautiful. And they have excellent taste in the selection of their hobby—or obsession, as the case may be.

However, we mostly have two distinguished attributes in common: Big butts. Love beads.


Diane Fitzgerald

Diane Fitzgerald, author of Diane Fitzgerald’s Shaped Beadwork:

Beaders have to be obsessive and focused. Even if they are afraid of color they are drawn to it. They love the meditative quality of stitching.




Maggie Meister

Maggie Meister, author of the Fall 2011 release Maggie Meister’s Classical Elegance:

I think beaders are a generous group – sharing ideas, techniques, giving support.

I also think beaders have a great sense of humor.




Marcia DeCoster

Marcia DeCoster, author of Marcia DeCoster’s Beaded Opulence:

The love of beads is of course a common theme, as well as the love of creating.

I find that the temperament required to work with such a small medium seems to appeal to a high-energy group of artists who find relaxation in the process.




Laura McCabe

Laura McCabe, author of Laura McCabe’s Embellished Beadweaving:

Beaders are intensely enthusiastic about something that is so detail oriented that most people can’t even fathom the work involved.

It’s great hanging out with people who don’t think you’re crazy! :)




Sherry Serafini

Sherry Serafini, author of the Spring 2011 release Sherry Serafini’s Sensational Bead Embroidery:

We share, of course, the love of the beads. These little glass beauties come in so many shapes and colors that they appeal to everyone.

I feel that beaders are unique people. I always leave a classroom with many new friends. The beads unite us in way I’ve never experienced before.

We not only bead, but we also bond through stories of family, friends, and experiences.


Go back and read the first question to our beading panel: How’d you get started?

*Also read great recent Lark Jewelry & Beading interviews with leading creative beaders, jewelers, and metalsmiths—please leave comments and let us know what you think:

Sabine Lippert

Laura McCabe (with free project PDF)

Jamie Cloud Eakin (with bonus project PDF)

Carol Wilcox Wells

Cindy Thomas Pankopf

Joanna Gollberg

Mary Hettmansperger

Lisa Slovis Mandel

Nathalie Mornu (with two free project PDFs)

Our recent Blogger Profiles have featured Carol Dean Sharpe, Lorelei Eurto, and Andrew Thornton.

 
 
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  • http://www.thebeadingfrenzy.com Susan Kazarian

    Most beaders seem to have one thing in common and that is their fascination with these objects that are available in an awesome array of color, shapes, textures and sizes. Beaders, of my acquaintance, also are very creative and have colorful personalities. Many of my very good friendships have been forged with beads being the common denominator.

  • Sara Sally LaGrand

    What sets them apart from each other or the rest of the world? If the question is from the rest of the world, the answer would be an instinctual color sense, engineering and design skills and the faith and confidence to turn their inner visions into inspirational reality. They turn thought into well crafted art to wear.

  • Karen Firnberg

    I think beaders are generous and patient. Most of us are more than happy to help others with a bead, a problem or a cause. Working with beads is like therapy for me. The bonus at the end is a beautiful item to keep or give.

  • http://www.artfire.com/users/JewelryTales Cynthia Newcomer Daniel

    I think beaders share quick minds and quick fingers. We also share a lot of laughs; beaders accept that life isn’t always going to be perfect – we know that we’re going to drop beads and stick ourselves with needles.

  • http://twitter.com/thelonebeader The Lone Beader®

    I think beaders are patient & open-minded. They are eager to learn & share new beading techniques, just as they are eager to learn about the people & cultures of the world that use beads in their everyday life. They also like to wear a beaded heart on their sleeve! ♥

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/2E2IQ4DIZIWKWZ2NI6F3K5ESAY Jen

    I’ve found that most beaders are open and generous when it comes to sharing their knowledge. I also love that beaders are highly creative people, and that many of them balance very non-artistic jobs with their love of art and beads.

    One thing that always astounds me about beaders is how diverse they are in their creativity. You can give 100 beaders the exact same set of beads and get 100 amazingly different designs. I think that beaders and bead makers really let their own personal artistic voice shine through in their work. They understand the importance of finding your own creative niche!

  • http://twitter.com/Margie_Deeb Margie Deeb

    Their love of beauty, and generosity of spirit. I’ve never taught a class in which at least one of the students didn’t offer to sit down and teach me something. We all love giving to each other.

  • http://www.artfire.com/users/DragonflyJewelryDesigns Pam

    Generosity of spirit is putting it mildly!!!! Not to mention being the most creative people on earth working with the most ancient of all decorative objects, beads, it’s unbelievable what beaders will do for each other….numerous friends on Beading Daily have just helped me and Billy tremendously and we couldn’t get that help anywhere else…. http://www.beadingdaily.com/forums/t/10206.aspx

  • Patty

    Rachel, you have *such* a way with words! ;-)

    I think that beaders share a love for miniature things, and probably hoarding. You just gotta collect and stash the pretty, shiny things. What sets beaders apart (from those in other artistic endeavors) is that while we focus on the little, individual elements when we’re building something, we also have a sense of Gestalt, of the bigger “thing” that our work becomes.

  • http://jewelrymaking.craftgossip.com/are-you-a-beader/2010/11/16/ Are you a beader? · Jewelry Making | CraftGossip.com

    [...] Fitzgerald, Maggie Meister, Marcia DeCoster, Laura McCabe, and Sherry Serafini had to say and then give your opinion! Lark Crafts wants to hear from you, too. You may also [...]

  • Susan Mandel

    I’ve always thought one has to be a bit obsessive (beads!) compulsive (weave!). I’ve also found an interesting common behavior amongst beaders – the tendency (past or present) to like drawing tiny details in an image. I think it would be fascinating for someone to study our brains :) ~