Lark Crafts

 

Jeweler Mary Hettmansperger — known by her many fans and students as Mary Hetts — has written a new book for jewelers and crafters. Heat, Color, Set & Fire: Surface Effects for Metal Jewelry is officially an April publication, but it just released from our warehouse last week and should be arriving in local stores near you any day now, and of course you can already order the book online.

Mary lives in Peru, Indiana, and she teaches classes across the United States. She’s also one of Lark Jewelry & Beading‘s most popular authors, with more than 65,000 books in print with her fabulous library of teachings for jewelers: Fabulous Woven Jewelry (2006), Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet (2008), Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop (2010), and now the brand new 2012 book Heat, Color, Set & Fire.

In the book, Mary teaches readers how to add color and texture to metal jewelry using a wide variety of low-tech approaches, including patinas, enameling, keum boo, copper etching, fusing, weaving, texturing with tools, and more. Twenty-one projects bring to life Mary’s approach to jewelry and design.

To get a sense of some of the contents, click here to get a PDF of the Liquid Enamel Necklace project and see a few designs from the book in an earlier blog post. You also can read an interview with Mary Hetts from a little while back with photos of some of her work.

To celebrate the release of Heat, Color, Set & Fire, we’re doing an exceptionally fabulous giveaway. We’re giving away two stylish pairs of earrings Mary made for the book: the Stitched Keum Boo Earrings with keum boo aceents on copper and the variation of those earrings; see the former at the top of this post and the latter at the bottom of it. We’ll select two winners and give each winner one of the pairs of beautiful earrings.

How can you enter for a chance to win one of the two pairs? Leave a comment on this blog post by 9 p.m. EST on Friday, March 30. Simply tell us why you’re excited by this book from Mary or what you like about Mary’s jewelry style and aesthetic. Please be sure to connect with Lark Jewelry & Beading on Facebook, too. One winner will be selected at random and announced on Wednesday, April 4. Click here for the official rules.

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UPDATE: Congratulations to Teri Baskett of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Maryanne Gross of Riva Maryland, winners of the earrings. They’ll also each receive a copy of Heat, Color, Set, & Fire. Our thanks to everyone who left a comment of gave a “Like”!

 

Sabine Lippert, author of Sabine Lippert’s Beaded Fantasies, writes from Germany:

Creativa is an annual design and craft show in Dortmund, the biggest one in Germany. In recent years, the organizers started the “Perlenexpo” — the bead exhibition — with one hall mainly dedicated to beading supplies.

This year for the first time, Creativa hosted a “designer village” in which international artists were invited to have little booths. Huib Petersen and Anna Elizabeth Draeger from the United States, Heather Kingsley Heath from England, and Hiroe Takagi from Japan were some of the renowned beaders exhibiting there.

I had a booth with my friend Claudia Schumann from Creanon (which will be publishing the German version of Sabine Lippert’s Beaded Fantasies and also published my earlier book, Perlenkochbuch, in German). I thought the show was a great success. Although you might think 99 percent of beaders are active on the Internet, such an exhibition is still a very good way to reach new beaders and to infect people with the beading virus who were trying to resist it! It was also a great opportunity to meet fellow beaders who I’d only known through the Internet before the show.

For a beading hermit like me, Creativa was an experience to talk and laugh for five days in a row. The show has ended now, and my voice still sounds like I should become a Tom Waits impersonator, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Next year I cannot join the party again: I will be teaching at the Beading by the Bay event in San Francisco. But, in 2014, I will certainly be back in Dortmund.

Please enjoy these photographs from this year’s show! I especially like the picture in which Huib Petersen is wearing my hair.

 

You may recall that around Valentine’s day, I put up a blogpost in which I asked you which bead store you love.

Here are the results I promised you. 145 readers commented on the blogpost, and roughly 10 people responded on Facebook or emailed me directly. Huge thanks to all who participated!

The hands-down winner was Ornamentea in Raleigh, North Carolina, with 36 commenters raving about it! Congrats!

The Bead Place in Fairview Heights, Illinois, took second place, with 23 readers writing in to give it kudos.

Third place goes to Stony Creek Bead Shop in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with 9 comments.

The Bead and Glass Boutique in Pitman, New Jersey, and That Bead Lady in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, tied for fourth with 7 comments apiece. 

 

6 comments

Mhai O Mhai Beads Bauble & Bling in Barrie, Ontario, Canada

 

5 comments

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

 

4 comments

Dancing Beads in Medford, Oregon

ShipWreck Beads in Lacey, Washington

Beyond Beadery

 

3 comments

Sparkle Spot Bead Shop in St. Petersburg, Florida

Bello Modo

 

2 comments

French General in Los Angeles, California

The Spirited Bead and Klew’s Gallery in Tehachapi, California

Studio Beads in Deerfield, Ilinois

Whim Beads in Cotati, California

Chevron Trading Post & Bead Co. in Asheville, North Carolina

www.MyELEMENTs.Etsy.com

New York City’s garment district

General Bead in San Francisco, California

Fusion Beads in Seattle, Washington

Artbeads.com

Grand River Beads in Rocky River, Ohio

1 comment, in no particular order

Your Beading Heart in Irwin, Pennsylvania, which gets my vote for the cleverest shop name of all!

Das Perlament in Bonn, Germany. This is another ingenious name…I couldn’t find a website for them.

The Beadin’ Path in Freeport, Maine. Another punny one!

Bead It in Santa Cruz, California. Dang it, now I have Michael Jackson on permanent shuffle in my head!

Bead Junction in Toronto, Canada

Artful Beads and Studio in Pennington, New Jersey

BeadTrust.com

Bead Cellar in Pennsauken, New Jersey

The Artful Bead in Carrollton, Texas

A Grain of Sand

Bodacious Beads in Des Plaines, Illinois

Beyond Beadery

Blue Santa Beads in Media, Pennsylvania

Pam’s Bead Garden in Farmington Hills, Michigan

Beads of Contentment in Modesto, California

Runningspringsbeads.com

Gifts of Avalon in Gainesville, Florida

Crystal Beads of Boston in Franklin, Massachusetts

Bead Need in Davie, Florida

National Supply in St. Louis, Missouri

Wolf E. Myrow in Providence, Rhode Island

Sandy Schorr in Fort Worth, Texas

Knot Just Beads in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Caravan Beads. No city was listed, and there are at least two shops by this name: Caravan Beads in Portland, Maine OR Caravan Beads Chicago

For those of you who parlez français, there’s Perles and Co.

Alaska Bead Company in Anchorage, Alaska

Mariposa Bead Company in Barrie, Ontario, Canada

The Bead Garden in Sedona, Arizona

Beads by Blanche in Bergenfield, New Jersey

Creative Castle in Newbury Park, California

Elliot, Greene and Co. in New York City

CJS Sales in New York City

Mana Beads in Nevada City, California

Beadfx in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Buffy’s Beads in London, United Kingdom

I Love You Beads in Sydney, Australia

BeadsofCambay.com

www.rishashay.com

www.mobile-boutique.com

www.riogrande.com.

San Gabriel Bead in Arcadia, California

4 Sirius Beaders in Paris, Ontario, Canada

The Beading Frenzy in San Mateo, California

The Bead Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

Awright, yawl: laissez les bons temps rouler!

When a book is printed, we receive just a few copies from the very beginning of the printer’s run to ensure everything is rendering correctly.

Sabine Lippert’s Beaded Fantasies: 30 Romantic Jewelry Projects is being printed in Hong Kong. So, those first few books jetted from Hong Kong to Asheville, North Carolina, where Lark HQ is located. Then, I took two of the books and sent them via UPS to Bonn, Germany, where Sabine Lippert lives and beads (perhaps these words are synonyms for you?), so Sabine could sign them. She generously did so and then mailed them via post back to me here in the mountains of western North Carolina.

So, I’m now giving away a signed copy of a very well-traveled book, which is appropriate, because in it Sabine Lippert takes you on an extraordinary beading and design journey. The book showcases 30 beautiful and wearable jewelry designs. Sabine combines seed beads, crystals, and glass pearls to create her signature gorgeous, innovative beading projects. Every piece uses the most popular stitches in beading: right angle weave and peyote. Most of the bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants, and chokers here are new, but Sabine has included a few of her favorite classics. An inspirational photo gallery of beadwork from leading designers, including Sabine, rounds out the book.

How can you enter for a chance to win the signed book? Easy: Leave a comment on this blog post by 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 15. Any comment counts, but why not tell us your favorite bead color and what you like best about it. The book releases officially in May: ask your local bead store or bookstore to carry it for you, or order an advance copy online. If you win the signed copy, you’ll simply have an extra copy of a wonderful book to gift to a friend!

To get a taste, download a project PDF from the book of the Les Fleurs Necklace, and read my earlier interview with the charismatic Sabine.

One winner will be selected at random and announced on Monday, March 19. Click here for the official rules. Thank you for being a part of the Lark Jewelry & Beading community, and please connect with Lark Jewelry & Beading on Facebook.

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Congratulations to Susan Marie Huguenard of Orlando, Florida, winner of this giveaway. We hope you enjoy the book, Susan, and our thanks to everyone who participated — we also hope YOU enjoy this fantastic book from Sabine.

Here is a collection of jewelry centered around wonderful, whimsical creatures. Playful and imaginative, the artists have created characters based on both human and animal forms. Check out their etsy sites for more family members.

Click here to see this jewelry mosaic at its vivid full size.

1. denisescicluna 2. Hannakin 3. DoubleFoxStudio

4. bunnywithatoolbelt  5. baubukas 6. woodland deep

7. mizlisasdesigns 8. FeltCreations 9. baubukas

10. murmurfremo 11. marmar 12.  MikeandMary

Diane Fitzgerald’s Favorite Beading Projects: Designs from Stringing to Beadweaving is the brand new book from one of the world’s most popular beading designers and authors. It presents 25 beading projects for a range of skill levels and with a range of techniques. Everyone will find a lot to love in this book, from new beaders to very experienced ones! Here’s how Jennifer VanBenschoten described the book last week in a review on her great VanBeads blog Jewelry, Art and Life:

“These projects represent the very best of Diane’s extensive technical knowledge when it comes to crafting beaded jewelry. There are knotting projects, beadweaving projects, and assemblage projects that use some basic wire skills to create. Not all of the projects are technically challenging for an advanced beader, but they are most inspiring. In the Buddhist tradition of getting back to a ‘beginner’s mind,’ some of these projects will provide a wonderful and welcome break when you just want to bead something beautiful. If you want to expand your general jewelry-making skills to include work with fibers, fabric, and knotting, this is the book for you. Diane has really allowed herself to develop as an artist over the course of her career, and this book is a delightful compilation of all the skills and techniques she has mastered along the way. For any serious bead artist looking for something new to try, Diane Fitzgerald’s Favorite Beading Projects will provide hours of enjoyable beading projects.”

 

You can preview the book at two other blog posts: download a PDF of the Fortune Teller Beads necklace project from the book here AND see a preview of photos of projects in the book and download a PDF of the beautiful Midnight Snowflakes necklace project here.

We’re giving away a signed copy of Diane Fitzgerald’s Favorite Beading Projects paired with a signed copy of Diane’s classic book Diane Fitzgerald’s Shaped Beadwork: Dimensional Jewelry with Peyote Stitch, which was the best-selling first book released in Lark Jewelry & Beading’s Beadweaving Master Class series.

How can you enter for a chance to win the pair of two outstanding books from Diane? Easy: Leave a comment on this blog post by 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday, March 7. Any comment counts, but in the spirit of some recent posts from my colleague Nathalie Mornu, it would be great if you’d tell us which bead store is your favorite — and what makes it so good.

One winner will be selected at random and announced on Monday, March 12. Click here for the official rules. Thank you for being a part of the Lark Jewelry & Beading community, and please connect with Lark Jewelry & Beading on Facebook.

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UPDATE, March 9, 2012: Congratulations to Christine Forgo of Mansfield, Texas. Christine is the randomly selected winner of the two signed books from Diane. Thank you to everyone who participated! ~ Ray

[This article from Gordon K. Uyehara is actually the introduction to his new book, Metal Clay Fusion: Diverse Clays, Detailed Techniques, Artful Projects, which has already achieved No. 1 bestseller status on Amazon in the Jewelry category. I thought it made for a lovely blog post introducing people to Gordon's voice as an author and artist. See photographs of a few of Gordon's 22 graceful, inspiring projects from the book below and in this earlier blog post.]

Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls. — Joseph Campbell

Just words? If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I probably wouldn’t believe it. I understand now. For if it weren’t true, I wouldn’t be writing this book. Nor would I be spending hours planning workshops, sketching designs, sitting hunchedbacked over a cluttered table obsessing over details, or daydreaming about my next metal clay creation.

I knew I wanted to be an artist. The desire was there, but I wasn’t sure of the medium in which I wanted to create. I remember being open to trying different things, and I can rationally speak of the events—like the blurb in the alternative newspaper—that led to my first class in silver clay. What transpired after, however, is harder to explain.

The near obsessive compulsion to create with silver clay in the face of a dwindling savings account and the feeling of spending way too many hours on something that might just lead to nothing, go beyond logic. Yet, I plowed forward, ignoring the part of my brain that questioned, “Was this just an unhealthy preoccupation?” and I shared my creations, entered competitions, and connected with other silver-clay fanatics.

What followed were numerous, exceedingly kind comments from strangers (many now my friends) encouraging me on, inquiries about my work, invitations to teach, and editors asking me to write articles. These were the doors opening before me, and some at just the right time. I stepped through them, often with apprehension, and now continue to go forth with eager anticipation of what is still to come.

One thing I will mention, since it brings everything full circle, is that the same alternative newspaper that caught my interest many years ago published a short blurb about my Saul Bell Award. It appeared in the back of the paper, in the same place as the original paragraph about the class. That event is one of the many things I credit to synchronicity rather than mere coincidence. The lessons I take are to always be open to possibilities and to keep searching until you find what you enjoy doing. And, then, to appreciate it once you find it.

It is nearly impossible to write a book on metal clay without setting some kind of limit on the coverage. Metal clay is a young medium still finding its place. Yet, there are already a myriad of techniques and active experiments always in progress. So frequent are the rumors of new clay types and new complementary products that any snapshot in time is instantly lacking. In fact, as I began writing this book, many new clay types were being announced. Metal clay truly is a moving target.

So, the projects presented here are easily adapted to the various clay types, and the designs are customizable. I always design first, so you may notice that none of the projects are conceived around a technique. Rather, the techniques are provided to fulfill a design goal. The included artist contributions show the variety and excellence of work being created.

Metal clay is no fad. Enjoy the adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a new monthly featurette–a write-up by any and all of you about your local bead store. It’s useful information for anybody visiting a new town and wanting to check out the bead stores. I invite you to send in your own dispatch about a bead purveyor in your hometown. For more information about submitting, see the italicized section at the bottom of this post.

 

My Local Bead Store, Chevron Trading Post & Bead Company

By Nathalie Mornu

Here in Asheville, we’re lucky enough to have three bead stores plus a couple of craft chains, so there’s no shortage of beadiness. Beads & Beyond and Chevron Trading Post & Bead Co. are downtown, and Silver Armadillo is a mile or two from the center of town. I chose Chevron for this “report” because it’s only a block from my office.

So, what’s great about Chevron? Plenty.

The bead selection is outrageous! Bali silver, African trade, crystals, Indian glass, vintage, seed beads and more seed beads, art glass, gemstones, pearls, cabochons, carved wood, Czech glass, bone. And that’s just the major sections of the store! You can buy most beads by the piece, rather than in strands or prepackaged in baggies. (Seed beads are sold by the tube, of course.) My only suggestion for improvement would be to beef up the filigree department. Chevron carries findings galore in every finish of metal, nearly 100 different sorts of chain, silk ribbon and other stringing materials, feathers, minerals, tools, and wire. You’ll find the latest magazines and a good selection of books. There’s some nice jewelry for sale. They also offer classes. And if you hunt around, you’ll find all kinds of unexpected oddities. Today I noticed replica Tibetan locks and keys for sale. Too cool.

The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and definitely interested in what you’re making. Every time I go in there, an employee comments positively on my project or asks what I’m going to do with my purchase. They’re all so sweet!

A gorgeous saltwater aquarium harmonizes nicely with the hues of the beads around it. There’s a store dog–a big ole sweet lab named Millie–and a store cat. I just love a shop that keeps pets around, don’t you?  Once you’ve shopped til you’ve dropped, go across the street to the Lab, a restaurant/brewery. After recharging with a little snack and a drink, you’re ready to walk up the block to Tops for Shoes. You did bring your charge card with the highest limit, didn’t you?

 

 

We encourage you to submit a post about your local bead store! It can be anywhere on the planet. Simply write a few paragraphs about the shop, making sure to include the town it’s in, and your name. Take a digital picture or two of the exterior. Only take interior shots and photos of people if they give you explicit permission to use them on larkcrafts.com’s blog post. Email text, store photos and a picture of yourself, too, to mylocalbeadstore@sterlingpublishing.com. Once a month, I’ll pick a submission at random and post it, giving you full credit for writing it, of course. (Lark reserves the right to edit your writing so you’ll sound your best!) In exchange for your trouble, if your review gets chosen for posting, I’ll send you a copy of any single Lark book you want, as long as it’s in print and available in our North Carolina offices.