Memories Blog Hop - My Grandpa

Lori Anderson is hosting another blog hop today that revolves around memories of a loved one. Unfortunately I have been feeling under the weather so I did not complete my piece and I feel really bad about it.

My grandfather died almost two years ago after battling Alzheimer's for seven years. He was a great man who influenced me in ways I am still discovering. He grew up in the mountains of North Carolina (Beasley Cove to be exact) where he learned most of what he taught me. Aside from good work ethic and the value of friendship, he showed me how to preserve food, find food in the wild and other home-ec type skills. My favorite lesson was learning how to spin wool.
When his family home caught fire (after he was grown and living in his own home) the only thing they were able to save was his mother's walking wheel (probably because it remained on the front porch, always.) Grandpa wasn't able to remember exactly how to spin (he was already showing signs of that horrible disease) but we were able to play around enough to spark a lifelong interest in me. I have my own spinning wheel now and a pair of socks that were made by his mother from the wool she used to collect off the neighbor's barbed wire fence (they could not afford their own sheep.)

My grandfather moved to Michigan to work for General Motors in the fifties and there met a man who would change the direction his life. This man taught grandpa how to become a watchmaker and it remained his passion for the rest of his life, over fifty years. I remember standing next to his workbench and just staring at all those little tiny cogs and gears and springs, just mesmerized by it all. I learned many lessons at that bench, not the least of which was attention to detail :)

Grandpa used to collect keys, especially skeleton keys. I only have one from his collection but when I found a pile of them for sale recently I snapped them up and do what I do...I put a bead on it!

Please visit the other participants:

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things
Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

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

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

Should I Discount My Prices?

Two women fighting over the price of a handmade item

This is a question that all of us who sell our wares ask at one time or another. Without fail there are half a dozen customers asking me to reduce my prices at every show. Here is a link to an article with a very well-thought out opinion about this: http://madeinlowell.blogspot.com/2012/12/paying-for-handmade-gentle-rant.html

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