Giveaway with a Little Help from our Friends in Beads 2011

"Friends, you and me...you brought another friend and then there were three.
We started our group, our circle of friends, and like that circle there is no beginning or end."
~Eleanor Roosevelt 

Art Bead Scene is like that ever-widening circle of friends.

Every time someone joins as a follower, comments on a post or participates in a monthly challenge, the circle gets wider. And using art beads makes the circle grow deeper, expanding exponentially so that the relationships within this community are strengthened.

As a designer, I am always looking to the Art Bead Scene to introduce me to new art and art bead artists. There is something so special about using art beads in your work. You can see the hand of the maker all over each piece, and to hold one is to hold a tiny treasure that is suitable for display in any gallery. And every time you use an art bead, it is like adding another ripple to the circle, because often by using them you become more than just a buyer, a client, a number to the maker...you become a friend.

There is just one place that I go each year to find new art bead artists to start a friendship with, and that is the annual buyer's guide called Beads presented by Beadwork magazine.

I always cheer when I see the issue released as it truly is inspiring to see all of the best and brightest beads in one location. If you cannot make it to a bead show, then Bead 2011 is the next best thing. Over 330 new beads along with 15 projects by extremely talented designers is the focus. And with tools and trends explored along with ads for stores you may know about and some that may be new, this publication is always something that I hang onto for a long time.

This issue jam-packed with awesomeness and it is heavy on the art beads, which I particularly love. Since there were so many art beads all in one place, Art Bead Scene had a perfect opportunity to celebrate, especially since five of our contributing editors had pieces included in the issue. So, what is a party without treats? I put out a call to as many of the artists and companies that I could find and asked them to contribute to a giveaway in honor of all the beady goodness that is Beads 2011. I was overwhelmed by the response, and after fondling, er... admiring all the tiny packages that came my way, I can tell you that I honestly wish that I had the chance to win.

Danielle Fox and her staff have outdone themselves and rounded up tips, trends, tools and more to kick start your creativity. There are ten different trends happening in this issue and we have an artist or company in the giveaway to go with almost all of them. Just look at what you could win:

• Floral: Beads with Blooms

  

  ceramic beads from Elaine Ray
  arte metal from Vinaj
  ceramic beads and pendants from Jennifer Heynen, Jangles

  
  
• Wild West: Beads with Spirit

  

  silver clay charms, Beth Hemmila, Hint Jewelry
  original cat drawing ceramic decal beads, Marsha Minutella, Marsha Neal Studios

  
  
• Skyborne: Beads with Wings

  

  assorted wood tile pendants, Marie Cramp, More Skye Jewels

• Chain & Fiber: Materials with Texture

  

  Silver plated colored wire, Soft Flex Company
  plus special surprise goodies not pictured but coming from C Koop Beads and Ornamentea

  
  

  

  assorted components including hand painted glass and plexiglass, aluminum chain, rubber tubing, jump rings and colorful o-rings from Yvonne Irvin, MyELEMENTS

• Customizable: Items to Personalize
  
• Sentiments: Beads with Heart

  

  three months of the 'simpler truth' sampler club, Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati Jewelry
  ceramic heart beads from Gaea Cannaday
  ceramic textural pendants and a hand painted sculptural pendant, Jennifer Davies-Reazor

• Steampunk: Beads on Trend

  

  ceramic lumber escutcheon, Melanie of Earthenwood Studio
  enameled components, Sue Kennedy, SueBeads

• Woodlands: Beads au Naturel

  

  mixed media metal pendants, Jenny Friske-Baer, Divine Spark Designs
  ceramic toggle, Mary Harding Jewelry
  enameled bead caps, Mary Jane Dodd, mairedodd

  
  

  
  

  

  ceramic blue owl, Kylie Parry
  ceramic tree pendant, Sharleen Newland, Shaterra Clay
  five amber leaf glass headpins, Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

• World Beat: Beads with Culture
  
• Glam: Beads with Sparkle

  

  five iridescent kaleidoscope headpins, Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

Plus one copy of the Beads 2011 issue.

order your copy today!

So clean up that puddle of drool on your computer and enter to win this massive beady prize! Since I love to spoil my friends, you have three ways to enter, and each must be in a separate comment to count.

Chance #1: Answer one of the following questions:

• Which trend are you most excited about from the ten in the issue?
• If you have a copy of the issue, what is one bead artist that was new to you that you are most intrigued by and can't wait to try?
• What is the reason that you use art beads in your designs?

Chance #2: Blog, Facebook Tweet, skywrite, take out a billboard or otherwise share your love for this giveaway to the rest of your world, then come back here and tell us what you did.

Chance #3: Here at Art Bead Scene, we consider our followers part of our circle of friends. You don't have to be a follower of the Art Bead Scene to win, but if you are a friend who follows us (nearly 1,900...that is some growing circle!), post a third comment for an additional chance.

I will choose a random winner of the entire prize package at midnight on May 30th and announce it during the monthly ABS challenge blog hop on May 31st.

Thanks for being a friend of Art Bead Scene!

Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration Is Everywhere. Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote - not dust!) to enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com.

Interview with Loupiac, Lampwork Art bead artist Florence Sauerbrey

Let me introduce you to Florence Sauerbrey. Flo is a magnificent Lampworker who creates beads. Her Etsy store is called Loupiac. I have been in love  with her work for a long time. I know you'll love her too. Enjoy this little virtual interview!


1. Who are you, and what do you create?

I am Florence Sauerbrey aka Loupiac on Etsy. I came from France 9 years ago to marry that wooden boat builder man of mine. I make lampwork beads with glass rods that I melt with a torch. Sometimes I make jewelry with my beads, wear a piece once or a couple of times and then it disappears in my drawer forever because I don't wear -nor do I sell- much jewelry.

2. How long have you been working in this medium? What lead you to this craft?

I lit my Hot Head torch for the first time in November of 2006. Like for many other beadmakers, the idea was that I was going to be able to make my own beads for my jewelry, especially that I would always have a supply of spacers of all possible colors in the universe. Of course I focused on the beads immediately and completely forgot about the jewelry.


3. Who has had the strongest influence on your development as an artist?

Many people did, whether they are lampworkers themselves or not. My husband is always pushing me ahead of myself, encouraging me to try new things and helping me figuring things out. He offered me my kiln after a year, he installed my ventilation system, he even commissioned beads just to throw challenges my way.

My mother is my unconditional fan and she and my wonderful customers' appreciation keep me going and loving it.

In the bead world, I have to credit Susan Pacitto, former owner of SMP Designs on Cape Cod, who introduced me to all things beautiful about beading. Her shop was heaven on Earth and her knowledge about beads was as unlimited as her generosity. Her personal collection was my first introduction to lampwork. When I discovered Sarah Moran's beads on ebay, Susan was the one who told me "You can do that!". I said "Yeah, right!" and started thinking about it.

Over the years I have come to meet (personally or online) with some incredibly talented beadmakers whose work keeps reminding me that everything is left to be created yet. The talent of people like Sarah Moran, Claudia Trimbur-Pagel, Lydia Muell, Harold Williams Cooney, Dustin Tabor and many, many others, keeps raising the bar for all of us and I am grateful to them for that.


4. What are your goals for your art for the future?

I don't really consider myself an artist, more of a crafts(wo)man. I make beads for other people to use in their jewelry designs and the more use they can find for them, the better it is, because that means maybe I am a good beadmaker. So I guess I could say that my goal is to become a better beadmaker. I set some quality standards for myself and I don't mind throwing away beads that don't meet them. If a bead is a failure easthetically but still shows some technical improvement or innovation, I keep it, and then I come back to it several months later and laugh at it.

5. What do you consider to be the one thing that makes you stand out from your peers or help you be more successful?

My customers are always enthusiastic about the color combinations I use for my sets, and I admit that playing with colors is my favorite thing to do. Finding new color palettes and trying to translate them into glass beads is what feeds my soul when I sit at the torch, and I think this is what my customers see in my work.


6. For fun: What is something that most people don't know about you?
I love classical music and did a lot of choir singing in college, and sometimes I find myself singing along the alto scores of Beethoven's 9th symphony and masses by Schubert or Mozart. Very loudly.

Thank you Flo, for a great interview! I love that I know this little tidbit about you being a choir singer!