Ode To An Ugly Necklace
My so-called "ugly necklace" has quite grown on me.
It's hideousness bewitching.
Clumsy - yes.
Awkward - a bit.
But, on my neck, a perfect fit.
With it on I feel like a goddess,
The stares -- they don't faze me.
Though I must be particularly careful
The Fashion Police don’t charge a fee.
Critics call my work "over-zealous,"
But I think they are just jealous.
"Principles of Composition,"
Oh please!
Beauty is what the beholder sees.
(Inspired by: Kimberly Dods' An Ode to My Ugly Necklace - Peralta, New Mexico)
Voting for the 1 Stop Bead Shop Ugly Necklace Contest extended through Easter weekend 2012. Stop in today and support your favorite "Ugly" Necklace.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
What's in a Trunk Show
I remember the first time I heard the term "Trunk Show." 
I was a neophyte beader and didn't know that such a wonder existed. I tend to see pictures in my head, so this is what popped into my head first:
I could just as easily have seen this:
Or this:
Not sure I would have seen this - it gives new meaning to Trunk "show":
But THIS is what you're going to see:
AND...
And even though pictures do speak a thousand words, let me speak just a few more:
Fantastic Sale Specials - to be announced at show!
Thousands of bead strands - Visit our website for product listing.
2 DAYS ONLY! - They bring the beads to us and take them home. NO HOLD OVER DAYS for this show.
Friday & Saturday, March 30 & 31, 2012
10:00 - 6:00 Both Days
I could just as easily have seen this:
Or this:
Not sure I would have seen this - it gives new meaning to Trunk "show":
But THIS is what you're going to see:
Fantastic Sale Specials - to be announced at show!
Thousands of bead strands - Visit our website for product listing.
2 DAYS ONLY! - They bring the beads to us and take them home. NO HOLD OVER DAYS for this show.
Friday & Saturday, March 30 & 31, 2012
10:00 - 6:00 Both Days
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Meet the Artist - Carol Cypher
1 Stop Bead Shop is excited to offer you a "once in a great while" opportunity to learn a technique that is NOT taught at our store - Felted Jewelry making. While you may not have woken up this morning, saying, "I want to learn Felted Jewelry," it is an intriguing and fun medium that has never been explored at 1 Stop that you can add to your already extensive repretoire of techniques. At the prices for which 1 Stop Bead Shop is bringing you the classes, you can afford to "try it out."
Carol Cypher, a professional fiber artist focusing on feltmaking and beadwork, is known for her provocative pairing of the two mediums. Cypher teaches workshops throughout the US, Australia, Germany, the U.K. and Japan, and her work is exhibited and widely published in these places.
PUBLISHED - Her Books:
Her first book, HAND FELTED JEWELRY AND BEADS: 25 ARTFUL DESIGNS enjoyed a couple printings and is now declared "out of print.
Her book MASTERING BEADWORK: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO OFF-LOOM TECHNIQUES
is a compilation of 63 original projects that provide a full and rounded repertoire of beading stitches. Currently in stock at 1 Stop Bead Shop. (Click on the title to buy.)
In HOW WE FELT: DESIGNS AND TECHNIQUES FROM CONTEMPORARY FELT ARTISTS, Carol shares tips and technique of 20 felt artists, including her own. When asked to write a book on feltmaking for the Japanese publisher Patchwork Tsushin Co., her English manuscript was translated into Japanese by Motoko Natsubori and published October 2008. She has shared her techniques on PBS, DIY and HGTV television networks in addition to workshops and classes worldwide.
1 Stop Bead Shop is honored that Carol has agreed to travel to Ohio to share her extensive knowledge exclusively for 1 Stop students. In an intimate classroom setting, and a much smaller venue than the Bead & Button Show, 1 Stop students will have 20 hours and 5 class opportunities to get to know Carol while they learn from one of the nation's elite and most respected beadwork and Felted jewerly designers. What's more, 1 Stop students get the classes at a great reduction from the exact same classes taught at the Bead & Button Show.
Compare 1 Stop Bead Shop's Hand Felted Bangle with Beaded Bead at $50 to B&B's exact same class at $100!
(Click on the 1 Stop links to sign up for our classes.)
Or compare 1 Stop Bead Shop's Complex Cane Hand Felted Bead Necklace at $80 plus $30 kit to B&B's $190 for the same class!
Carol has a Blogspot where she shares ideas and tips about her work, and you can learn more about why felting has become so popular.
What Others are saying about Carol:
(From Imagine - Felt Making Weekend with Carol Cypher)
"The Felt Making Week-End with Carol Cypher at Imagine! was a magical and wonderful experience. Carol is delightful, kind and great fun. She is articulate and a generous expert in her field. She taught the class how exciting it is to make felt and then to embellish it with beads to make gorgeous jewelry and accessories."
"Everyone agreed that we want her back. She coved so much in her two day sessions including needlefelting which was more intricate and bold than most of the craft work that we have seen. She shared several types of felting techniques and tips and she brought lush samples of her extraordinary work for inspiration."
1 Stop Bead Shop is proud to be hosting Carol Cypher as our Featured Guest Artist in May 2012. Visit our website for all the details and to sign up for Carol's classes, or call the store at 614-573-6452.
Carol Cypher, a professional fiber artist focusing on feltmaking and beadwork, is known for her provocative pairing of the two mediums. Cypher teaches workshops throughout the US, Australia, Germany, the U.K. and Japan, and her work is exhibited and widely published in these places.
PUBLISHED - Her Books:
Her book MASTERING BEADWORK: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO OFF-LOOM TECHNIQUES
In HOW WE FELT: DESIGNS AND TECHNIQUES FROM CONTEMPORARY FELT ARTISTS, Carol shares tips and technique of 20 felt artists, including her own. When asked to write a book on feltmaking for the Japanese publisher Patchwork Tsushin Co., her English manuscript was translated into Japanese by Motoko Natsubori and published October 2008. She has shared her techniques on PBS, DIY and HGTV television networks in addition to workshops and classes worldwide.
1 Stop Bead Shop is honored that Carol has agreed to travel to Ohio to share her extensive knowledge exclusively for 1 Stop students. In an intimate classroom setting, and a much smaller venue than the Bead & Button Show, 1 Stop students will have 20 hours and 5 class opportunities to get to know Carol while they learn from one of the nation's elite and most respected beadwork and Felted jewerly designers. What's more, 1 Stop students get the classes at a great reduction from the exact same classes taught at the Bead & Button Show.
Compare 1 Stop Bead Shop's Hand Felted Bangle with Beaded Bead at $50 to B&B's exact same class at $100!
Or compare 1 Stop Bead Shop's Complex Cane Hand Felted Bead Necklace at $80 plus $30 kit to B&B's $190 for the same class!
Carol has a Blogspot where she shares ideas and tips about her work, and you can learn more about why felting has become so popular.
What Others are saying about Carol:
(From Imagine - Felt Making Weekend with Carol Cypher)
"The Felt Making Week-End with Carol Cypher at Imagine! was a magical and wonderful experience. Carol is delightful, kind and great fun. She is articulate and a generous expert in her field. She taught the class how exciting it is to make felt and then to embellish it with beads to make gorgeous jewelry and accessories."
"Everyone agreed that we want her back. She coved so much in her two day sessions including needlefelting which was more intricate and bold than most of the craft work that we have seen. She shared several types of felting techniques and tips and she brought lush samples of her extraordinary work for inspiration."
1 Stop Bead Shop is proud to be hosting Carol Cypher as our Featured Guest Artist in May 2012. Visit our website for all the details and to sign up for Carol's classes, or call the store at 614-573-6452.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Where Have All the Good Pearls Gone?
Have you noticed that searching for Pearls today feels very much like Johnny Depp’s quest for the Black Pearl
and leaves you asking the same question he wanted to know about the rum, “Where have all the pearls gone?” We certainly noticed, so we went on a quest to find the answer. Turns out is not as simple as we were originally led to believe.
According to one of our vendors, the Japanese pearl beds were hard hit by the tsunamis and subsequent radiation leaks, and it destroyed Japan’s oysters. While there were a couple of initial reports that this “could” be a problem, most reports coming from Japan say that the oyster beds were in the south & west of Japan where the tsunami didn’t have a primary impact. So that still leaves us asking, “Where have all the pearls gone?”
Perhaps the answers lay less in environmental factors and more in economic factors. It takes 18-36 months to grow a decent quality pearl. Even the lowest quality pearls (some would be hard-put to use the word “quality” at all) take a minimum of 8 months to grow. China is the number one producer of freshwater pearls in the world. As the US bead market grew, Chinese growers produced like crazy, shortening the growing times and flooding the bead market with low quality freshwater pearls. Pearls were everywhere! And prices were low, low, low as vendors practically beat each other up vying for our business. And like the tide, where there is a flow, there must be an ebb. Where there is low profitability, a slowdown or cease in production will inevitably follow.
And the Chinese bead producers found a new love – crystal! Crystal – faster to produce than pearls – you don’t have to GROW them – has the sparkle of money. And there are always rocks – they are already there. They just have to be dug out, shaped and polished. And that leaves us with what we saw at the Gem & Jewelry Show this past weekend – nearly every vendor was Chinese and most of them had only low quality “semi-precious” and crystal beads. The pearls that were there appeared to be leftovers from years gone by – very large, weird colors, or extremely rough quality.
So will the inexpensive freshwater pearls we had become accustomed to be back? It’s anyone’s guess. (We could start a pool and see who turns out right in 3 years or so.) If pearl beds were allowed to die, the mollusks will have to be re-cultivated, and pearl growing resumed. Our vendor predicted at least 3 years (the ideal time to grow a pearl) before we see pearls back on the market. Even if easy-to-find pearls do reenter the market, it is likely that we will never again see the rock bottom prices and easy pickin’s of the past.
Bottom line, enjoy the pearls you have, and expect to pay higher prices for pearls for the foreseeable future, as we all wait to see whether pearls will make a rebound in a few years or not.
1 Stop Bead Shop has a small supply of reasonably priced ($6-$12 strands) ivory freshwater pearls still in stock… while supply lasts.
According to one of our vendors, the Japanese pearl beds were hard hit by the tsunamis and subsequent radiation leaks, and it destroyed Japan’s oysters. While there were a couple of initial reports that this “could” be a problem, most reports coming from Japan say that the oyster beds were in the south & west of Japan where the tsunami didn’t have a primary impact. So that still leaves us asking, “Where have all the pearls gone?”
And the Chinese bead producers found a new love – crystal! Crystal – faster to produce than pearls – you don’t have to GROW them – has the sparkle of money. And there are always rocks – they are already there. They just have to be dug out, shaped and polished. And that leaves us with what we saw at the Gem & Jewelry Show this past weekend – nearly every vendor was Chinese and most of them had only low quality “semi-precious” and crystal beads. The pearls that were there appeared to be leftovers from years gone by – very large, weird colors, or extremely rough quality.
Bottom line, enjoy the pearls you have, and expect to pay higher prices for pearls for the foreseeable future, as we all wait to see whether pearls will make a rebound in a few years or not.
1 Stop Bead Shop has a small supply of reasonably priced ($6-$12 strands) ivory freshwater pearls still in stock… while supply lasts.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
1 Stop Bead Shop Gives You Lots of Ways to Show Off Your Talents
At 1 Stop Bead Shop, one of our goals is to support and expand the beading community. We do that by offering classes, and also by supporting, sponsoring, and designing contests in which you can participate. There are currently 2 contests running with upcoming deadlines for entry, and we just increased our sponsorship of the Ohio State Fair Jewelry competition. Here's what you need to know to participate:
1 Stop Bead Shop Ugly Necklace Contest
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
We want your ugliest creations! We are so used to making gorgeous things and we want you to try to do the opposite. Use your choice of colors, bead types, design styles and whatever else you think of to create the ugliest necklace possible.
Rules & Information:
1. Must submit finished piece on or before Thursday March 22, 6:00 p.m.
2. Finished piece must be a necklace.
3. In-store voting will take place Saturday March 24 through Saturday March 31.
4. Winners will be announced via phone Monday April 2. Winners will also be announced in the weekly newsletter Thursday April 5.
Prizes:
Grand Prize: $25 Gift Card
1st Runner Up: $15 Gift Card
2nd Runner Up: Bead Prize (Valued at $10)
Staff Honorable Mention: $15 Gift Card
2012 Treasures of TOHO Competition
4/6/2012 Last Day to Submit Artwork to Stores
Even though this date is only a month away, don't let that intimidate you.
Many of you already have finished designs that qualify.
If you bought your seed beads at 1 Stop Bead Shop, they are Toho!
Competition Divisions
Beginning Beader: 1-2 Years Experience
Intermediate Beader: 3-4 Years Experience
Advanced Beader: 5+ Years Experience
Competition Categories
Wearable Art: necklaces, bracelets, gloves, clothing, purses, adornments
Sculptural Art: free standing work, wall hangings
AIKO Beads: wearable or sculptural
Competition Rules
• All Work must be original.
• Designs must be at least 80% TOHO beads. Embellishing w/ crystals, stones, silver, etc. must be only 20% of the design.
• No submissions that have been published or in another compeition
• Registration forms and a complete list of rules can be found at sponsoring store.
• Entries must be turned in to 1 Stop Bead Shop by April 6, 2012 at 6:00pm.
• Store will select 1 design from entries submitted to forward to Toho to be entered in the national competition. Designers will be contacted to announce selection. Selected design will be returned after the Bead & Button Show in early June.
Competition Prizes
First Place: $300 Gift Certificate
Second Place: $200 Gift Certificate
Third Place: $100 Gift Certificate
There will be a First, Second & Third chosen in each Division and Category. Prizes will be supplied by TOHO and issued through the sponsoring store.
Please visit your local participating bead store for more information and the complete rules.
Past Winners can be seen here. Great for oogling & for inspiration.
1 Stop Bead Shop is again Exclusive Sponsor of Jewelry Division Competition at Ohio State Fair!
And, we've raised the prize levels by $200 for a total of $600 in Prizes to be given away! (Please note: Link to Jewelry Divison is from 2011 and has not yet been updated with category changes or prize amounts for 2012.)
Deadline for REGISTRATION is not until Mid-June. Watch the 1 Stop Bead Shop Website and the Ohio State Fair Website for announcement of dates.
Categories & Prizes are:
Class: Awards
1. Bead Making - defined as the art of making beads from glass, Metal Clay, paper,
textiles/fibers, polymer clay, ceramics, Lapidary, wood carving, etc
2. Bead Stringing - defined as one bead after another strung in a linear fashion
on flexible beading wire
3. Bead Embroidery – NEW - defined as any bead project using needle to sew beads onto a fabric surface
4. Bead Weaving - defined as any bead project which uses a needle, where beads are sewn to each other, including any bead weaving stitch and loom weaving
5. Knotting - defined as bead crochet, knitting, Kumihimo, pearl knotting, macramé, micro macramé, tatting, etc
6. Metal Smithing - defined as made of hand forged, textured, shaped, riveted, soldered or otherwise worked metal, wax casting, metal enameling etc
7. Wire Working - defined as wire wrapping, coiling, chain maille, wire knitting
and crochet
8. Other - defined as textiles/fibers, mixed media, resin, non-metal enameling, paper, lapidary, polymer clay, wood or anything not fitting in above categories
9. Youth - Any piece from above classes (youth ages 6-12)
10. Best of Show - judge’s pick for single best entry from all categories
Prizes:
1st Prize Ribbon & $30
2nd Prize Ribbon & $20
3rd Prize Ribbon & $10
Best of Show Rosette & $60
You can submit 1 piece in each category if you like. Don't know what to submit? Take a class at 1 Stop Bead Shop and learn something new!
(Note: If it shows up in Red or a different color from the rest of the script, click on it to be taken to that page.)
1 Stop Bead Shop Ugly Necklace Contest
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
We want your ugliest creations! We are so used to making gorgeous things and we want you to try to do the opposite. Use your choice of colors, bead types, design styles and whatever else you think of to create the ugliest necklace possible.
Rules & Information:
1. Must submit finished piece on or before Thursday March 22, 6:00 p.m.
2. Finished piece must be a necklace.
3. In-store voting will take place Saturday March 24 through Saturday March 31.
4. Winners will be announced via phone Monday April 2. Winners will also be announced in the weekly newsletter Thursday April 5.
Prizes:
Grand Prize: $25 Gift Card
1st Runner Up: $15 Gift Card
2nd Runner Up: Bead Prize (Valued at $10)
Staff Honorable Mention: $15 Gift Card
2012 Treasures of TOHO Competition
Even though this date is only a month away, don't let that intimidate you.
Many of you already have finished designs that qualify.
If you bought your seed beads at 1 Stop Bead Shop, they are Toho!
Competition Divisions
Beginning Beader: 1-2 Years Experience
Intermediate Beader: 3-4 Years Experience
Advanced Beader: 5+ Years Experience
Competition Categories
Wearable Art: necklaces, bracelets, gloves, clothing, purses, adornments
Sculptural Art: free standing work, wall hangings
AIKO Beads: wearable or sculptural
Competition Rules
• All Work must be original.
• Designs must be at least 80% TOHO beads. Embellishing w/ crystals, stones, silver, etc. must be only 20% of the design.
• No submissions that have been published or in another compeition
• Registration forms and a complete list of rules can be found at sponsoring store.
• Entries must be turned in to 1 Stop Bead Shop by April 6, 2012 at 6:00pm.
• Store will select 1 design from entries submitted to forward to Toho to be entered in the national competition. Designers will be contacted to announce selection. Selected design will be returned after the Bead & Button Show in early June.
Competition Prizes
First Place: $300 Gift Certificate
Second Place: $200 Gift Certificate
Third Place: $100 Gift Certificate
There will be a First, Second & Third chosen in each Division and Category. Prizes will be supplied by TOHO and issued through the sponsoring store.
Please visit your local participating bead store for more information and the complete rules.
Past Winners can be seen here. Great for oogling & for inspiration.
1 Stop Bead Shop is again Exclusive Sponsor of Jewelry Division Competition at Ohio State Fair!
And, we've raised the prize levels by $200 for a total of $600 in Prizes to be given away! (Please note: Link to Jewelry Divison is from 2011 and has not yet been updated with category changes or prize amounts for 2012.)
Deadline for REGISTRATION is not until Mid-June. Watch the 1 Stop Bead Shop Website and the Ohio State Fair Website for announcement of dates.
Categories & Prizes are:
Class: Awards
1. Bead Making - defined as the art of making beads from glass, Metal Clay, paper,
textiles/fibers, polymer clay, ceramics, Lapidary, wood carving, etc
2. Bead Stringing - defined as one bead after another strung in a linear fashion
on flexible beading wire
3. Bead Embroidery – NEW - defined as any bead project using needle to sew beads onto a fabric surface
4. Bead Weaving - defined as any bead project which uses a needle, where beads are sewn to each other, including any bead weaving stitch and loom weaving
5. Knotting - defined as bead crochet, knitting, Kumihimo, pearl knotting, macramé, micro macramé, tatting, etc
6. Metal Smithing - defined as made of hand forged, textured, shaped, riveted, soldered or otherwise worked metal, wax casting, metal enameling etc
7. Wire Working - defined as wire wrapping, coiling, chain maille, wire knitting
and crochet
8. Other - defined as textiles/fibers, mixed media, resin, non-metal enameling, paper, lapidary, polymer clay, wood or anything not fitting in above categories
9. Youth - Any piece from above classes (youth ages 6-12)
10. Best of Show - judge’s pick for single best entry from all categories
Prizes:
1st Prize Ribbon & $30
2nd Prize Ribbon & $20
3rd Prize Ribbon & $10
Best of Show Rosette & $60
(Note: If it shows up in Red or a different color from the rest of the script, click on it to be taken to that page.)
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