Where beadweavers learn, grow, and elevate beading to art

Bead Soup Blog Party

by Mandi Ainsworth on February 1, 2012

Look what came in the mail today!

I was so excited when I got the email from Lori Anderson that I was an official participant of her 5th Bead Soup Blog Party! I can’t wait to visit a bunch of new bead blogs, network with new people, and see what everyone creates!

Then, I got to “meet” my swap partner Lynn Bennett and we got to know each other through facebook. She creates one-of-a-kind pieces using her own lampwork beads along with a collage of techniques and components. She does bead weaving as well, but those pieces she keeps for herself. I don’t blame her knowing first hand the time it takes. Also, we both love purple.

I received a lavender/copper palette featuring a lampwork heart and accent beads that she made for me! The chain is from Rings N Things and the sari silk is from Designtalentedone on Etsy. Not usually usually the kind of stuff I work with, but I’m excited to add some seed beads and see what happens. I already have a sketch drawn up. Thanks, Lynn!

I decided to send her a cool lampwork bead by Crystal Gilbert and some accent beads and a clasp from The Artful Bead, my fav local bead store. I sent a “crafty” surprise as well. I hope Lynn is inspired by what I sent!

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Tip: Place Your Bead Piles in Logical Order

by Mandi Ainsworth on January 12, 2012

I’ve been working on a spiral rope necklace today, and I noticed something about my process that I think is worth sharing. When I finish playing and finally decide what I want my pattern to be, I place the piles of beads on my mat in logical order. This helps me to bead more efficiently, and here’s why:

Little Mistakes Add Up

When bead piles are in random places all over the mat, little mistakes happen. Sometimes I’ll forget to add the core bead. If the pattern in asymmetrical, I’ll have to recheck my work to see what the order is, and then reverse it. The way that spiral rope is worked means the beads you put on last become first when you take a stitch. I’m using 15/0s, and therefore a smaller needle. So, it’s an extra pain to take off the needle, undo a mistake, re-thread, and start back up again.

Beading Efficiently

With my piles ordered logically, all I have to remember is 1-2-1-2 and bead my piles from left to right. For the example in the picture, I’ll add 1 black 11/0 for the core, 2 purple 15/0s, 1 yellow 11/0, and 2 fuchsia 15/0s for the pattern beads. I have less mistakes and it makes quick work of the project. Remember that beading isn’t a race though, it’s a journey

Give it a Try

Check out my Spiral Rope Necklace Tutorial if you aren’t familiar with the stitch, and try it for yourself. This tip applies to all types of projects, not just this one, and I would love it if you shared your experience with us in the comments below.

What do you think? How do you arrange your bead piles when you bead? Please share with us in the comments!

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Emerge

by Mandi Ainsworth on January 4, 2012

My grandma passed away on December 4, 2011, the morning after my most successful show to date. She was my biggest fan, supporter, and inspiration. She even started my beading career by giving me her beading loom when I was 12. My grandma was an amazing source of creative inspiration. She taught me to sew and cross stitch, and made sure I had access to all the craft books and craft supplies I could ever need. She gardened, cooked from scratch, made my wedding dress and all the banners and linens for her church. She often joked that she was busier in retirement than she was while working. She told everyone she knew about my business and how proud she was of me. I try not to think about how much I miss her, and instead try to think about how happy she must be to be reunited with my grandpa, who passed away the month before on November 6, 2011.

My grandpa had a huge influence on my life as well. From a young age he would take me on visits to the Texas A&M campus and tell me about what it was like when he went there. A&M was the only school I applied to and it was a dream come true to walk in his footsteps. When it came time to apply for jobs and face the real world he taught me an important life lesson: never settle. With an accounting degree in hand, he took his first job and did what was expected of him. The only problem was that he was completely miserable. He knew he was meant for something else, something more. He ended up taking down bad guys for the Treasury Department using those same accounting skills. A year out of college in my own career, I found myself in the same situation: miserable. I was trying to fit myself into a mold that wasn’t meant for me. His example helped me make the change that led me to where I am today.

Word of the Year: EMERGE

This time of year I normally write a resolution or two, but I’ve decided to do a Word of the Year instead. A word is something that stirs my soul versus resolving to do something I “should” already be doing. My word of 2012 is Emerge. I feel such gratitude for having had these two amazing people in my life. It’s like a positive energy that’s pushing me to discover who I am as an artistic entrepreneur. I’m going to do everything I can to make my dreams come true, and know my grandparents and smiling down on me.

Resource: If you would like some guidance for choosing your own word of the year, check out Christine Kane’s Free Word-of-the-Year Discovery Tool.

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Bead-It-Forward bead-quilt project

by Mandi Ainsworth on November 22, 2011

Jeanette Shanigan has been the brains and woman power behind the bead-quilt project since 2006. For the unfamiliar, Jeanette collected all our 1.5 X 1.5 inch beaded squares and pieced them together to create quilts that were then auctioned at The Bead & Button Show. These quilts have raised over $18,000 for breast cancer research!

The bead-quilt theme for 2011–2012 is “Birds – flocking together to fund breast cancer research.” Bead & Button has an expanded role in the project this year, and you can find guidelines, designs, and the submission form on their website. I’ve participated in the past, and it feels great to be able to raise money for a worthy cause by doing something that I love. I want to invite you to participate as well, so please get your completed squares in by the deadline: March 1, 2012.

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5 Tips for Maximizing Your Show Profits

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 27, 2011

If you sell your beadwork like I do, you probably have several shows coming up this holiday season. I have three this year: a shopping soiree hosted by a specific neighborhood, an art show with the Craft Guild of Dallas, and a private trunk show and celebration in my home studio. These are my 5 best tips for selling at shows, and it is my pleasure to share them with you today.

• Pull Marketing- Before the event, you want to pull people to your booth by offering something cool. I have done a show in that neighborhood before, so I emailed my list with a special certificate for a free gift when they print it out and stop by my booth. I’ve already received excited responses, and I enjoy creating that goodwill. They will show off the earrings whether they buy anything else or not. I will also raffle off a variety of items at my private trunk show. If you don’t have an email list, build one by offering a giveaway to those who sign-up. Your list will serve you well if you use it.




• Various price Points- I know you have a wow piece that you think would never sell because of the price. Put it out there anyway with the proper price! It will help sell your other items because it puts the other price points in perspective for the shopper. Also have a “Gifts under $20″ section. This section has paid for my booth fee on at least one occasion.




• Display- Transform your booth into a fancy boutique. I use bed risers to lift my tables so shoppers don’t have to bend down to look at things. My table cloths hit the floor to hide the risers and boxes. Use different levels on top of the table to add interest. Invest in good displays so when shoppers lift a tag and read $120, the whole setup already reads “I’m worth it.” This includes the packaging as well. Linda Fass has a beautiful display, and a wonderful example to learn from.




• Best Sellers- Figure out what your hot items will be. I did this by showing a group of artist friends my latest work. They got all excited about a particular bracelet design, so that’s what I made more of and made sure it was prominently displayed. After the next show I only had 2 left, and custom orders for 2 more.




• Smile and Be Confident- Do this even if you don’t do anything else. It’s important to interact with your customers and sell. The word “selling” sounds so scary to artists, but really it’s just telling customers your story, the story behind your work, about your techniques and materials, and answering their questions. It took me quite a bit of practice to say “This one is $120″ without a hint of question mark in my voice, but when I did, my piece sold. Know you’re worth it, and the next thing you’ll hear is “I’ll take it!”

I hope these tips have helped and good luck with your shows this season. If you have any questions or additional tips to share, leave a comment below. Thanks!

Additional Resources:
More great tips from Festival Network Online
A Great Big Craft Show Checklist from Handmadeology

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My First Bead Fest Texas

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 25, 2011

I was so excited for Bead Fest on Friday and helping Ralonda with her “Meet the Teachers” table. They said you could sell anything, so she let me bring my kits, and I happily sold several. Everyone loved her beaded fish, and signed up for “Fish Kit” info. Unfortunately neither of us brought our camera that day.
Lesson Learned: have a checklist of what you want to bring

I saw my friend Joanie while I was working the Dallas Bead Society table. I had someone take a picture with my phone of us in front of our banner. We had a complementary bag check for some very grateful bead shoppers, and I was glad we could help. I had a nice chat with Met Innmon while closing down the bead society table Friday evening. I was excited to meet her and we are planning for her to be a guest on the podcast!

I came back early on Sunday to help Ralonda in her class. The students were so fun and had an great time learning “Waves of Grace.” Then it was time to shop! We found these awesome owl beads by Michelle Davis of Tangible Light Studio, and they were too cute to pass up!

Jeannette Cook had a booth there, and I was so excited to meet her in person! I got her Buckle bracelet kit which I’ve been wanting ever since I saw my friend Gina’s. She is interested in doing a podcast interview as well. I bought a bunch of seed beads from Beyond Beadery, some for fun and some for new kits. I had a great chat with Betcey, and was happy to find out that she has read my blog!

It was an awesome weekend, and they have already set dates for next year’s event: October 26-28, 2012! A week later than this year so as not to conflict with the Rangers if they happen to go to a 3rd World Series in a row. I actually avoided all the sports traffic and had no problems. I will definitely be submitting some proposals!

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Ready for Bead Fest Texas?

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 20, 2011

I am so excited to be going to Bead Fest Texas! Tomorrow, I will be at “Meet the Teachers” and then help staff the Dallas Bead Society table. On Sunday, I will assist my friend Ralonda in her “Waves of Grace” class and then help at the ticket booth. I had to miss last year’s event for a family obligation, so I’ve really been looking forward to this. Especially, the shopping!

I also taught a class at Artful Bead, today. Sherry and I worked on a St. Petersburg chain bracelet and a Spiral Rope necklace. I’m teaching 3 more classes there between now and December, and you can check them out here. I also updated the Beading Contest Calendar.

Now for the grand announcement: The winner of the copy of “New Beadwork” is…Karen/kshan2000!! Congrats and keep an eye out for my email so I can get the book to you. Thank you so much to everyone who entered and left comments. It was amazing to read each one. I think as a group we are ahead of some in the crafty community because they aren’t ready to call what they do art. I was thrilled to read all the strong convictions that beading is an artform!

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Falling Leaves Beading Challenge

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 18, 2011

Beadaholique is hosting it’s first beading challenge with the theme of Falling Leaves. Ten finalists will be selected from the contest entries, and their work will be published on the Beadaholique blog, as well as Facebook page for public voting. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate and further exposure. I love the prompt and the colors of Autumnn, so I’m excited to see what everyone comes up with!

Here are the Rules/How to Enter from the Beadaholique website:

Email us a clear, in focus, well-lit photo of a beading project which fits our theme and uses one or more products from Beadaholique. Email one photo, no bigger than 1600 px wide and 1600 px tall, to challenge@thebeadingwire.com (do not use this for questions; contact us here) with the following included in your email:

Subject line: Name of Piece tags: oct2011 (Example: Midnight Leaves tags: oct2011)

Body: Very important! Include your full name and email address within the body of your email. Optionally, you may also include a brief description of your piece.

Important Dates:

• Wednesday, October 26 4 PM PDT: Last day to submit
• Friday, October 28 @ 1 PM PDT: Top 10 will be posted on our Facebook and notified via email.
• Tuesday, November 1 @ 4 PM PDT: Public voting closes
• Thursday, November 3: Winner is announced in the next issue of The Beading Wire and notified via email.

Other Rules:

One entry per person. If you send more than one entry, you may be disqualified. If your entry does not meet the “Rules/How to Enter” stated above, you may be disqualified. Winner must respond to our email notification within 2 weeks to claim gift certificate.

See the Beadaholique blog from more information, and good luck to all who enter!

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Beading as an Art Form

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 13, 2011

In my recent discussions about beading, art, and marketing, the old art versus craft distinction came up again. I’ve had in depth discussions, several hours long on this debate with my friend, Diane Gilleland. We discuss bead art and fiber art and point to all these amazing examples of work we’ve seen. I always end up deciding that the lines have been blurred between art and craft. You can label yourself whatever feels right to you, or you can say to heck with labels altogether. I like to call myself a bead artist. Some have decided what they create is “wearable art” or “bead paintings,” and it makes me happy to think about how much we’ve progressed as a community.

I think one of my gifts is being able to see the inner artist in others, even if they don’t see it in themselves. If you’re using a pattern as a guide, but change the colors, develop a cool closure, or add or subtract elements to make it your own, that’s art, too. Always give credit where credit is due, of course. My friend Denise took a bracelet class at a retreat, but she didn’t like the metal findings. She created a beaded toggle clasp with the same beads as the project so it would flow better in her eye. She’s a bead artist in my eye. Elevate beading to art in your own way. For further discussion, see Kirstie Beaven’s article “When is a craft an art?” (Thanks, Sue!)

Bead Art has been around thousands of years, as I learned from Lois Dubin. There are beautiful examples of bead art from American Indians and the Maasai in eastern Africa. I feel we came to a point where beading was considered by most to be a craft, when along comes the book The New Beadwork showing exciting and progressive ideas in bead art. NanC Meinhardt referred me to this book, and the work in it is still relevant for today.

So, I decided to giveaway a copy of The New Beadwork to someone who shares their thoughts in the comments below. See the yellow box for details, and I’m excited to read what you write!

Enter the Giveaway: To enter, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on beading as an art form. Be sure to fill out the email box when you comment so I can contact you. A winner will be announced Thursday, October 20th. Good luck!

Update: The winner of the copy of “New Beadwork” is…Karen/kshan2000!! Congrats and keep an eye out for my email so I can get the book to you. Thank you so much to everyone who entered and left comments. It was amazing to read each one. I think as a group we are ahead of some in the crafty community because they aren’t ready to call what they do art. I was thrilled to read all the strong convictions that beading is an artform!

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Tip for working with dyed stone

by Mandi Ainsworth on October 11, 2011

I made one of those leather wrap bracelets the other day using some dyed magnesite and it tuned out beautiful. I tried it on and after awhile I began to notice that it was turning my arm blue! I mentioned this to Lindsay of House of Introspection, and she gave me this tip for leaching out excess dye from the beads.

Apparently, you just need some warm, soapy water.

Here’s what I did:

• I popped a cup of water into the microwave for a minute. That way I wouldn’t waste water waiting for it to get warm from the faucet.
• I put some dish soap in the bottom of a plastic container, added the water and the beads.
• Right away the excess dye began to leach out.
• I left them to soak a couple hours while I was out to dinner, and the water turned noticeably blue.

I did the same with my red beads, but hardly any excess dye leached from them. I like using gemstones, but I make tons of leather wrap bracelets. So, I like to use magnesite for the stone “look” and the pretty colors, but at a more affordable price. This tip will keep me from turning my customers arms blue!

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