Beads Make Me Laugh

Several bead artists came together recently to raise funds for a favorite charity. Each of us created ten beads and traded them with nine other artists. I believe there were five groups all together. Now a set of all 50 beads is going to be auctioned off and the proceeds will be given to Beads of Courage, which is a group that distributes beads to severely ill children.

We were allowed to choose any medium, and my favorite is glass (lampwork specifically) but I chose to use polymer clay. The theme was "Laughter" and that helped me choose clay over glass. Don't get me wrong, working in glass is one of the great joys of my life and it's quite therapeutic, too. But polymer clay gives me a different kind of joy. It's like adult play-doh to me. Not trying to diminish the value of polymer clay at all here...just trying to convey why I chose this medium. I love smooshing it in my hands and pulling and shaping and balling it up if I don't like how it came out. Definitely can't do that with molten lava glass.
Ok, I'm going to make this short and sweet so that you have time to visit the other blogs that  are involved with this project. Make sure to leave me a comment if you recognize this smile... I used a "Hunchback of Notre Dame" doll to make a mold. I chose this face because I know one child in particular who loooves this character :) After I made an impression with the mold, I smooshed it around and used tools on it so that each one would look a little different from the rest. A few of my family members are represented here, lol! After I baked them I used red, white and gold acrylic paint.
Please be sure to visit the other blogs...my favorite of all the beads I received is bacon and eggs...it definitely made me giggle :)

And here are the blogs...Please be sure to visit them all and check out the auction, too :)

Auction Site: http://myworld.ebay.com/glassaddictions

Alenka Obid http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchage-reveal.html

Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-auction.html

Babette Cox http://babettecox.com/blog.htm

Carol Watson http://www.carolwatsonartglass.blogspot.com

Carolyn Chenault  http://carolynchenault.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage-auction/

Cassi Paslick http://cassisbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal.html

Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/2012/11/early-christmas/

Cheri Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-participate-in-charm-swap-you-must.html

Cheryl McCloud http://cherylmccloud.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-beads-of.html

Deb Kauzlarich http://debkauzlarich.blogspot.com

Denielle Hagerman http://somebeadsandotherthings.com  <<<You Are Here

Emma Todd  http://apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-in-aid-of-boc.html

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-laugh.html

Ginger Bishop http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-2012.html

Inge vonRoos http://ingetraud.wordpress.com

Jean Peter http://jeanpdesigns.blogspot.com/ http://jeanpdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-charm-swap.html

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage/

Jennifer Cameron http://wp.me/p1xIa0-wn

Kia Dallons http://kiadallonsstudio.blogspot.jp/2012/11/laughter-is-best-medicine.html

Kimberly Roberts http://bahamadawn.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap.html

Kristi Bowman  http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-hop.html

Lea Avroch http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-beads-of-courage-art-charm-swap.html

Leslie Schenkel http://twistedchicken.wordpress.com/?p=171

Linda Florian http://www.lilysofthevalleyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Lori Greenberg http://lorigreenberg.com/blog

Lynnea Bennett http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com

Mallory Hoffman http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-time-has-come-art-charm-blog-reveal.html

Marcy Lamberson http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-by-minions-im-sure.html

Marsha Neal Studio http://marshanealstudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-exchange-and-beads-of-courage.html

Maureen Connolly http://mrsbeadsley.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-reveal.html

Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-blog-hop.html

Monique Urquhart http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-im-sure.html

Natalie McKenna http://www.grubbi.co.uk/

Perri Jackson  http://shaktipajdesigns.com/11/blog/reveal-the-laughter-art-charms/

Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-auction-and-reveal.html

Robin Koza http://www.robinkoza.com

Shaiha Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-hop.html

Shannon Hicks  http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/

Shelby Foxwell http://sundownbeaddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal.html

Shelley Graham Turner http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/2012/11/reveal-2012-charm-swap.html

Shirley Moore http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-art-charm-reveal.html

Stephanie Haussler http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/laughter-art-bead-charm-swap-auction.html

Susan Kennedy http://suebeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal-and.html

Toltec Jewels http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/2012/11/BOCArtCharmRevealBlogHop.html

Vanessa Gilkes http://culturezine.com/blog/

My Rant about Tutorials

 I get so tired of hearing people bicker over being copied. Can't we all just get along? For pete's sake, there is nothing new under the sun. We are all humans and as such, we are prone to come up with the same idea at one time or another. There are so many people hitting the internet these days in a sort of "tutorial gold rush", trying to make a buck off their fellow jewelry makers that I just get irritated and sad at the same time. I rarely buy a tutorial anymore because you never know when, after spending $25 on said tut, the second page says "for your use only, do not make this design to sell" or something along that line. The writer never warns you of that first. If I only wanted to make one (whatever the tut was for) then I would just buy the (whatever the tut was for) from the author in the first place.

There are only so many ways you can make a heart bead, there are only so many macrame stitches, and after a while all the wire wrapping looks the same. People need to get over themselves. If you're afraid of someone stealing your design, don't show it on the internet, or at the very least, realize that people have been making jewelry for thousands of years and you may very well be the idea thief. Don't expect people to pay more for a tutorial than they do at the bookstore for a book that is full of 'tutorials' and then not allow them to use the design they just paid for, for profit.

I sent some beads to someone a few months ago and a few weeks later she sent me a link to another bead maker's website, where there were some beads that could be perceived as similar to mine. The beads I sent were fruits and the other web page had the same kind of fruit on it. I sent a note back to the lady saying that I had heard of this bead maker before and that I thought it was funny how (at that time of year) we were both making strawberries. Now, I hadn't seen this bead maker's strawberries before and you could see how varied our styles were (since we are two different artists) and I didn't think anything of it. But it occured to me recently that the person I sent the beads to possibly thought I was 'stealing' the design of a better known artist. That really irritates me. Who doesn't think of strawberries in June??

One beadmaker who wishes to remain nameless says this:
"As I HAVE been through the utter garbage and nonsense of "I OWN that bead technique" and getting served "Cease and Desist" from lawyers.... I can tell you that people are both stupid and nuts! I got legally harassed this last year by an artist that swore she had invented seafan beads (beads with tweezed out fans) and organic nugget beads with "swirls" in the glass, bump ornamentation and murrini on them! She'd been making these since 2009 and was therefore "first". She hadn't ever heard of Ann Scherm Baldwin of of the "Lola Bead" series.... or the dozen other artists known for making these style of beads in the late 1990's and early 2000's
A copyright ISN'T a "patent"! A "copyright" only protects that one bead and your expression in that ONE bead! Just because you copyright it doesn't mean that your's was the first ever made in that style or design or using that combination of techniques!!! It also doesn't mean others can't make similar beads employing the same techniques, style or colors! A copyright only protects against someone making a blatant and OBVIOUS COPY of that ONE PARTICULAR BEAD!
This is a matter of educating the "lives under a rock" beadmakers that DON'T attend shows, have NEVER attended a Gathering or hasn't bothered to look at anyone's work but their own!!! This artform is OVER several thousand years old!!! IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE YOU! There is very little "new" out there!"
Here is a link with great info about this topic:
http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/...Patterns.shtml
All I can ask is that the artists on this forum kindly and respectfully help educate the less worldly of our artistic glass-beadmaker-brethren so we can stop wasting our time fighting one another over this BS. "

Challenge of Travel Blog Hop

English: Sheep in a rural landscape. New Zealand, 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently chose to join a blog hop along with several other jewelry makers. The "Challenge of Travel Blog Hop" was inspired by the Olympics. There are so many places in the world that a lot of people rarely visit, so our host, Erin Prais-Hintz, challenged us to cyber-visit a country on the other side of the world from us. She wanted to encourage us to learn something new, to help change our viewpoint a little bit and put new images in our mind.

I chose New Zealand because it is one place that I'm afraid I'll never get to but I dearly would love to see. I am familiar with some of the scenery because of movies and because my parents-in-law visited there two years ago and their pictures and stories titillated my ears :) Also, I am a spinner and supposedly New Zealand has the highest concentration of sheep in the world.

The piece I made for this blog hop is one of my favorites from all that I have made for these challenges. I felted un-dyed wool into bracelet length, sewed beads onto it and used gold colored wire to attach the toggle clasp. The seed bead colors were chosen from the photos I have seen of the countryside: shades of blue and green. I used freshwater pearls to represent the many sheep dotting the mountainsides. Apparently, gold is abundant in New Zealand so I chose that color for the closure.



Now that you've seen mine, I hope you'll visit my co-travelers :)

Name	Blog	Region Chosen	Inspiration Nation
Monique Urquhart	http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.ca/	Africa	Burkina Faso
Niky Sayers	http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk/	Africa	Egypt
Therese Frank	http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com	Africa	Kenya
Raychelle Heath	http://abeadloveaffair.blogspot.com/	Africa	Lesotho
Joan Williams	www.lilrubyjewelry.wordpress.com	Africa	Mauritania
Sherri Stokey	http://www.KnotJustMacrame.com	Africa	Senegal
Regina Santerre	http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com	Africa	Seychelles
Raida Disbrow	http://havanabeads.blogspot.com	Africa	Tanzania
Kristi Wodek	http://livedinlife.blogspot.com	Africa	Zimbabwe
Sally Russick	http://www.thestudiosublime.com	Americas	Brazil
Melissa Trudinger	http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com	Americas	Mexico
Tracy Stillman	http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com	Americas	USA
Sandra Wolberg	http://city-of-brass-stories.blogspot.de	Asia	India
Tanya Goodwin	http://pixiloo.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Susan Kennedy	http://suebeads.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Beth Emery	http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Lisa Cone	http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan
Tanya Boden	http://fusionmusebangkok.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan
Inge von Roos	http://ingetraud.wordpress.com	Asia	Laos
Erin Prais-Hintz	http://treasures-found.blogspot.com	Asia	Nepal
Dee Elgie	http://cherryobsidia.blogspot.com	Asia	Phillipines
Carolyn Lawson	http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com	Asia	South Korea
Lisa Stukel	http://carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com	Asia	Sri Lanka
Elly Snare	http://themagicsquarefoundation.wordpress.com	Asia	Thailand
Shelley Graham Turner	http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com	Europe	Austria
Mallory Hoffman	http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/	Europe	Bosnia Herzegovina
Paige Maxim	http://www.pmaximdesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	France
Jenny Davies-Reazor	http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog	Europe	Germany
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com	Europe	Greece
Evelyn Shelby	http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/	Europe	Iceland
Holly Westfall	http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Ireland
Rebecca Siervaag	http://www.godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Toltec Jewels	http://toltecjewels.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Lee Koopman	http://StregaJewellry.wordpress.com	Europe	Ireland
Laren Dee Barton	http://larendeedesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	Italy
Cindy Wilson	http://www.mommysdreamcreations.blogspot.com	Europe	Norway
Kathleen Lange Klik	http://ModernNatureStudio.blogspot.com	Europe	Poland
Shaiha Williams	http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/	Europe	Portugal
Jennifer Justman	http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Romania
Elsie Deliz-Fonseca	http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com	Europe	Spain
Lola Surwillo	http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com	Europe	Sweden
Kim Hora	http://www.kimmykats.com	Europe	Switzerland
Leanne Loftus	http://firstimpressiondesign.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Patti Vanderbloemen	http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Marcie Carroll	http://labellajoya.blogspot.com	Europe	Turkey
Marlene Cupo	http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com	Oceania	Federated States of Micronesia
Ine Vande Cappelle	http://jewelsbyine.blogspot.com	Oceania	Fiji
Tammie Everly	http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Guam
Alice Peterson	http://www.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com	Oceania	Kiribati
Elisabeth Auld	http://www.beadsforbusygals.com	Oceania	Nauru
Susan McClelland	http://mistheword12.wordpress.com/	Oceania	New Zealand
D Lynne Bowland	http://islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.com	Oceania	New Zealand
Denielle Hagerman	http://somebeadsandotherthings.com	Oceania	New Zeland
Rebecca Anderson	http://songbeads.blogspot.com	Oceania	Papua New Guinea
Mischelle Fanucchi	http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Samoa
Kari Asbury	http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com	Oceania	Solomon Islands
Cece Cormier	http://www.thebeadingyogini.com/	Oceania	Tonga
Emma Todd	http://www.apolymerpenchant.com	Oceania	Tuvalu
Debbie Price	http://greenshoot.blogspot.com	Oceania	Vanuatu

A Short History of My Creativity

Today I was prompted to think back on how creativity began for me. That was a lot of thinking...because I actually don't remember a time before I realized that by altering something, I could turn it into something I considered beautiful. I remember (I know this is gross) chewing on my antique bed frame because I liked the look of the wood grain better than the varnish. I was around three years old then. In kindergarten, like most budding artists, I intentionally colored outside of the lines. No, not to be rebellious. It was because the fat printed lines of the drawing I was supposed to color in didn't look like cat hair. By the way, lots of cats are green, right?
When I was in third grade, my family took a trip to Texas. We had family in El Paso but we traveled to other parts of the state, too. Over the three weeks we were there I was exposed to a lot of scenery that I never could have imagined, living in my home state Michigan. The desert, the strange looking cactus, gravel yards, the colorful springs...all these things worked together to expand (blow!) my mind. One thing in particular that changed the course of my life was a little glass shop near the Alamo. I have no idea what the name of the shop was, only that the people in there were taking molten lava and turning it into beautiful works of art.
The following year, on a fourth grade field trip to the local museum, I visited the permanent paper weight collection...and have been back  to see it many times since. As a nine-year-old girl I was captivated by those glistening orbs of intricate and colorful design. Ok, I'll fast forward a...ehem...couple of years.
I finally bit the financial bullet and bought myself a lampworking set-up  in 2009. I am primarily self-taught but I do like to treat myself to the occasional tutorial.  I love melting glass...I told someone the other day that I felt like I was in a partnership with the glass, working together to create something beautiful. Corny, right?

Peggy's Charm Barn Blog Hop

Today is finally the day for the Charm Barn Blog Hop! I received these acrylic links from Peggy about a month ago. She decided that half of us would receive black links and the rest of us would receive tortoiseshell. I was hoping to receive the latter because I really wanted to pair them up with my lampworked animal print beads. I made a brand new set especially for this challenge when I saw that I did indeed receive the tortoiseshell links!
I ended up using all of the links she sent, five of my glass animal print beads, strings of small square black and bone colored beads, Swarovski faceted beads, some genuine amber beads (that for years I have been saving for a special occasion) and copper chain.
I really enjoyed working with these links. I should have taken pics of some of the other ways I had them situated but I didn't think of doing that until just now. I settled on the finished piece you see here because this look is my favorite. I love layers and layers of strings of beads that (as Stacey London says) "go" together and a blend of textures, too. But like I said, there are so many different ways to make a great piece of jewelry with these links...which brings me to the subject of our blog hop! Please be sure to visit the links below to see how the other artists put them to good use. Also, be sure to visit Peggy's blog and vote for your favorite piece!

Glob of beads

The finished necklace

Hanging nicely on my mannequin

Peggy's blog - http://charmbarn.blogspot.com/

Ilenia Ruzza - http://ile1974.blogspot.it/

Shelley Graham Turner  -  www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com

Tania Spivey -  www.moobiegracedesigns.blogspot.com

Ambra Gostoli -  http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/

Kashmira Patel - http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/

Linda Florian - http://lilysofthevalleyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Jami Shipp - http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com/

Terri Gauthier - http://terrisbloomingideas.blogspot.com/

Miranda Ackerley - http://mirandack.com

Mischelle Fanucchi  - http://thesecretlifeofmicheladas.blogspot.com/

Mary Govaars - www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com

Sarah Goode - www.pookledo.blogspot.com

Paula Hisel - http://simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html

Shai Williams - http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno - http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Kay Thomerson - http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/

Denielle Hagerman  - www.somebeadsandotherthings.com  ****You are here right now****

Janeen Sorensen  -  http://wildvanilladesigns.com/

Emma Todd  -  www.apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com

Audrey Bélanger  -  http://esperianterra.blogspot.com/

Michelle Andrade - http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Thrift Store Blog Hop

Today is the big day for the reveal for the latest blog hop I'm involved with! This one was a lot of fun because I really challenged myself to do something out of the ordinary (for myself.) I have always enjoyed macrame...when I was a teenager in the 80s I had an armful of friendship bracelets and now that fad seems to have resurfaced. When I came across this pile of floss in my local Salvation Army, I knew exactly what my project was going to be.

I was going to make several bracelets for my daughters but they asked me to cover their ear buds instead...what a cute idea! I did it and I love them. Now my daughter has made several of these and has opened her very own Etsy store! I'm so proud of her and her willingness to try her own thing. If you get a chance, I would love it if you would stop by her store: https://www.etsy.com/listing/106060977/handmade-macrame-wrapped-earbud)

I found this wad of floss for .98

Here is the finished project :)

Now I'm headed off to visit everyone else's blog and I hope you do, too!

Participants:

Sarah - www.pookledo.blogspot.co.uk
Deb - http://greenshoot.blogspot.co.uk/
Kimberley - http://goddessesandbeads.blogspot.co.uk/
Skye - http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.co.uk/
Ambra - http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/
Beti - http://stringingfool.blogspot.com/
Emma - www.apolymerpenchant.com
Shelley - www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Tammie -  http://ttedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/
Leah - http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.co.uk/
Denielle - www.somebeadsandotherthings.com  <==You are here
Keri Lee - http://www.pinklemonade.typepad.com
Rochelle - acreativechelle.blogspot.com
Pam - http://pamelas-studio.blogspot.com/
Ingetraud - http://ingetraud.wordpress.com/
Audrey - http://esperianterra.blogspot.com/
Julie Anne - www.thepeacefulbead.com
Sharyl - http://www.sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com
Micheladas - http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Lo -   http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk/
Kala - http://maybejustperhaps.blogspot.co.uk
Jo - http://jobunkum.blogspot.co.uk/
Dyanne - http://deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com

Are Mass Produced Lampwork Beads Worth the Cost?

Who here hasn't needed to pinch their pennies before? And who hasn't regretted at least one purchase they made based on price? It's true that sometimes it's not worth it to pay for a name (I buy store brand macaroni and cheese because it tastes exactly like Kraft) but other times the name equals value (I definitely buy Charmin toilet paper rather than generic!).
I was at one of the large craft chain stores last week and I was drawn to their jewelry section. I could not stop looking at their mass produced imported beads...it was like I was rubbernecking a car accident...I just could not stop gawking at the poor quality of these little pieces of glass. I understand that everyone has to learn how to make beads and that we have all had a bad day on the torch, but really, some beads just belong in the aquarium...and not for sale. Anyway, here is a great blog post from another artist about this topic.

I took pics of a couple of the beads I saw there and some of mine, too. My beads may not be what you are looking for but there is a lampworker out there with just the right bead for you. Can you afford less than the best in your work?

Imported bead showing weak detail and pitting from a fiber blanket which insinuates improper annealing

My bead

Poor focus on detail

My bead

Here are a few things to consider:

• How many times will your favorite client forgive you for beads breaking on the jewelry they buy from you?
• Will you accept a return from customers who don't like bead release all over their clothes?
• If you need beads made in a particular style or unusual color, where do you go to buy them?
• Have you ever lost a sale to a discerning customer who is familiar with artisan-made beads?

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with mass produced beads!

Adhesives for Every Purpose

No matter what type of art you create or craft project you're involved with, someday you will need glue. Not all glues are right for every project. Some glues remain flexible after drying while others become brittle and will crack away with the slightest flex. In my art I rarely need glue...I usually use wire or cord in my bead projects...but today I needed to figure out how to glue metal to metal. I found this blog post with lots of great information about different glues so I'm going to bookmark it here for my own use and I hope it helps you too :)
Glues for Various Applications

Description unavailable (Photo credit: dno1967b)

6th BSBH First Reveal! Drumroll, please...

Today is the big day! I'm happy to reveal the piece that I have been mulling over and assembling and tearing apart for two weeks now. I only have a few things to say about this piece before I show the pictures.
Firstly, I absolutely loved the components sent to me by my partner, Diane Valasek. As I fondled the shells and pearls my mind drifted away to all of the times I've spent at different shores (my favorite kind of vacation.) I liked the carved bone fish, too. My button collection includes several old carved bone buttons and I relived fond memories of some of the elderly women who have gifted me with some of those buttons.  Of course I used plenty of the freshwater pearls because they have been my favorite gem since I discovered where they came from during a family trip to SeaWorld when I was a child.
I made a few lampwork beads to complement the other beads. I decided to use vintage brass chain to go with the clasp but I also used gold filled wire, copper and silver. It just felt appropriate to include all of the metals considering that it is Olympic season right now :) Oh, and I added a little vial of sand from my daughter's recent trip to Neptune Beach, NJ with her youth group.
So, here it is............

Once again, here is the list of participants...I'm off to check them out, I hope you will, too :)

 Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com

Alice Craddick,  Alice's Beads and Baubles

Alicia Marinache,  All The Pretty Things

Amanda Tibbetts,  Amanda Made

Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul

Annita Wilson,  AW Jewelry

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

Birgitta Lejonklou,  Create With Spirit

Candida Castleberry,    Spinning Spun Sugar

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle

Cheri Reed,  Creative Designs by Cheri

Cheryl McCloud,  One Thing Leads to Another

Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

Christina Hickman, Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Hendrickson,  Clamworks

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream

Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

Cory Tompkins, Tealwater Designs

Cris Peacock, Cris' Page

Cynthia Deis, Shiny Little Things

Cynthia Machata, Antiquity Travelers

Cynthia Wainscott, Exotic Peru

Dana Hickey, Magpie Approved

Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

Dana Lang, Tumblestone Handmakery

Debbie Price, Green Shoot Jewellery Designs

Denielle Hagerman, Some Beads and Other Things

Diane Valasek, Dragonfly Close

Doris Stumpf, Glaszwerg

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations

Elaine Robitaille, Too Aquarius

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Enikö Fabian, Perl-eni

Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads

Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

Ilenia Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded and Painted Jewelry

Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

Jean A. Well, Jean A. Wells Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry

Jean Yates, Snap Out of It Jean! There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

Jennifer Pottner, Rock Candy Beads

Jennifer VanBenschoten,  Jewelry, Art and Life

Jenny Davies-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design

Jessica Dickens, My Jewelry, My Life, Me

Jessica Klaaren, Beadful-Things by Jessica

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Joan Williams, Lilruby Jewelry

Judith Johnston, Judith Johnston

Judy Riggs, Rigglettes

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Julie Anne Leggett, The Peaceful Bead

K Hutchinson, Jumbled Hutch

Karen Meador, Dreamcatcher Ranch

Karyn Bonfiglio, Plus Size Bangles

Katherine Gale, Terra Beadworks
Kathleen Lange Klik, Modern Nature Studio

Katja Benevol Gabrijelcic, Slovonske Technobe

Kelli Jacobson, Creative Moon

Kelly Ramstack, Adventures with Kelly

Keri Lee Sereika, Pink Lemonade

Kim Ballor, Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity

Kim Bender-Hora, KimmyKat

Kirsi Luostarinen, Kirsi Luo Korut

Kitty Bozzini, Kitty Lampwork

Laura Demoya, The Bead Therapist

Laurie Hanna, Laurie's Jewelbox

Leah Curtis, Beady Eyed Bunny

Lesley Watt, The Gossiping Goddess

Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry

Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Lisa Liddy, Metal Me This

Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land

Lori Poppe, Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

Marion Simmons, Shade Tree Studio

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Design

Marta Weaver, Marta Weaver Jewelry

Marti Conrad, Marti C's Clay Blog

Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens, GlassBeadArt, Lampwork Beads

Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio

Michelle Hardy, Firefly Visions

Mikala Coates, Maybe Just Perhaps

Mowse Doyle, HoCArt

Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles - Spirited Earth

Nancy Boylan, Snazzy Doodle Designs

Nancy Peterson, Beading From the Heart

Nicole Rennell, Nicole Rennell Designs

Niki Meiners, 365 Days of Craft

Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
Pamela Gangler, She Always Loved Pink

Patricia Johnson, Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art

Patti Vanderbloemen, My Addictions ... Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti

Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs

Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

Renetha Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

Shannon Hicks, Falling Into the Sky

Shannon LeVart, Miss Fickle Media

Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Art Werks

Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

Shelley Graham Turner, Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

Stacie Florer, Soul to Substance

Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

Stacy Alderson, Iridal's Attic

Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

Stephanie Stamper, Rainy Day Designs

Sue Hamel, The Bottle Cork and Crystal

Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

Szarka, Magpie Gemstones

Tammy Jones, Jewelry Making Daily

Tania Tebbit, Glass, Craft, & Artful Goodness

Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti

Terry Matuszyk, Pink Chapeau

Tina Bosh, Every Good and Perfect Gift

Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass and Recycled Trash

Vonna Maslanka, Just Vonna