We went to the One of a Kind show in Toronto a week or 2 ago and it would seem our economy is doing quite well. We stopped to visit with some of our friends but had no time to really catch up. Business was booming and we didn't want them to lose any sales. Of course, this show is close enough to Christmas that people were really shopping for this season's gifties.

We lovce love love Tickleberrys: chocolate covered dried fruit. They are in Okanagan Falls BC but do the rounds of the big shows. We went with a budget as always but this year we werer able to score a big batch of tickleberries.

So what was the highlight of the show? My sister said it is the harp she bought - harp is her favourite instrument. I've been banned from playing it. For my cousin it was the Tickleberrys (available with no sugar for diabetics) and all the other food stuffs.
And for me? I was interested in artisan jewellery. There was only 1 jeweller who made something close to artisan jewellery I design and make. Putting aside the jewellers making precious gems and metal jewellery the bulk of ready made was with chains and wirework. There were a couple of new people selling just their beads and their beads were wonderful. But nobody made bead artisan jewellery. Now I am being encouraged to get a small booth at the spring One of a Kind show. I think I'll hold off on that for now. The fees are frighteningly high for somebody like me!
It took about 5 hours to 'do' the whole show and by the time we had finished looking and shopping we were well hungry. My sister was extra tired because she pushed me through nearly the whold show; my legs gave out after only a couple of aisles. Nobody was interested in cooking a meal and cleaning up after it so off we went to a local restaurant.
For all who have not been to a One of a Kind show really need to go to one. Even if you don't buy anything the stimulation and inspiration you can get there is well worth the day. No photos please and no helping yourself to another's designs.
At this show there was an obvious copy of a longstanding designer and participant in art and craft shows. Even the name was almost the same! It surprised me that the organizers permitted the copier a booth. What it did was urge the originator of the product to think up variations of her design. What it does for potential customers is confuse us. Is it Berry xxxx or Mary xxxx? I really didn't appreciate the obvious theft of product design and thinly altered name. The moral is: theft is theft. Don't do it.

On Experimentation

'Painters and poets alike have always had licence to dare anything. We know that and claim and allow to others in their turn the same indulgence. ' ......Horace

You've heard 'there is nothing new under Heaven.' And it is infuriating when somebody goes public with your design. It happened to me in September but I expected it, thank goodness.

I had made 3 necklaces where the clasp was replaced with 2 long long bead ropes. I got the idea from 2 places: 1. the beautiful tunics out of India with a bit of embroidery at the nape of the neck, and 2. from jewellery, again from India, that did more or less the same thing. I had my 3 necklaces in my booth at the September Bead Oasis show in Toronto. And on the first day a woman came through my booth wearing a necklace with trailing chains down the back. All I can say is that my necklaces were prettier and better made.

Well, you know just as soon as I finished that show I completely forgot about this wee innovation and carried on with peyote and right angle weave (RAW) and spiral and ..... you get the idea.

I came across these necklaces the other day and now I'm thinking about adding a couple more to the collection. And I think I'll stay in the same deep gold and gemstone colours: they look a bit like enamel from a distance. I don't have any more agate pendants but I do have lots of wonderful 'special' beads to take their place.

Now it's to be expected that other designers will come across this idea and may be inspired by a totally different something. But the difference between their idea and mine is the same as the difference between s/he and me. And I think that's what Horace meant. Take an idea and run with it: change the colours, change the techniques, change the pendant and ..

The difference between those of us who believe we have no talent and

artists and artisans is our belief in ourselves and the willingness to experiment. When it comes to trying one must have the attitude that it is just an experiment and no matter the outcome we have an answer. Sometimes it's what doesn't work but the answer is still positive: you'll know what NOT to do next time.

Get it? Whether you make jewellery for sale or as gifts for you and your family and friends you must approach the process as would a child. Learn through your experiments and don't beat yourself up if you don't like the first attempts. Dare to experiment. Have fun doing it. If it isn't fun then it's not worth doing it.

Well, that's just my opinion. ....Helen

Something from Rena Klingenberg

http://www.making-jewelry-now.com/sterling-silver-wire-per-ounce.html

and http://www.making-jewelry-now.com/14k-goldfill-wire-per-ounce.html

Hiya everybody. Look what I've found!! These 2 URLs send you off to Rena Klingenberg Land: they are tables of measurements of how much different wires weigh per ounce. I'm told that's how companies charge for their wire. It's helpful if you need to replace what you've got or what you'll need to finish a project.

I've tried wirework on my own and I've even taken a class or two. If you ever have a chance to take classes with Jelcy Romberg, Judy Feskun, Marilyn Gardner, then jump at it. These are talented people who know how to teach.

It's important to know your strengthes and your weaknesses. What I've learned about wirework is that it's not the technique for me. That isn't an opinion relating to anybody else but me. So my wireworking efforts sit to one side while I focus on beadwork. There are a host of really wonderful wireworkers and I'm not one of them.

But I do admire them!

.........helen

Addendum! Still regarding wire sizing but from Beading Daily's newsletter.

http://whatcounts.com/dm?id=CD1C29CD77F711BEBCFB6FFB3F0A4C30A1CD49487D3A97A7

.........helen

Stratford Fringe Bracelet

So I was in Stratford on Saturday. We 3 sisters took in Cyrano de Bergerac at the Festival Theatre.

We picniced in the Theatre grounds overlooking the small knot garden. I had my fav PBJ and fresh fruit followed. A quick turn through the Giftie Shoppie and a visit to the Ladies and we were set for the 3 hour performance.

Colm Feore was Cyrano. He was in every scene and had great long speeches as well as running around. It was a wonderful

performance!

And I wore a new bracelet. The picture doesn't do it justice.

The whole thing measures 9.25in (nearly 24cm) but the bugle bead fringe takes up a lot of that extra room. The spine' is 10/o silver glass seed beads and the fringe is #3 black glass bugle beads with the silver glass seed beads at the ends. I made a fancy button clasp.

The bonus, well really several bonus-us-us, is that it works up quickly. And all the silvery bits sparkle and gleam when the house lights are up. They even sparkle in the ambient lighting from on stage lighting. The bracelet has little weight and it's a great bracelet to play with. It feels good. So I guess you could consider it a grown up toy to wear to the grown up theatre.

I also have made a set ~ necklace, bracelet, earrings ~ using the spiral technique and primary coloured bugle beads. It's different than the fringe technique of the Stratford Fringe Bracelet. Instead of using seed beads in the spiral part, I used #2 bugle beads and 10/o seed beads. And it was fun to do. I wonder how much I enjoyed doing this up is related to the cheery primary colours?

Now. I've been so busy and loving every minute of it. Even when my beads fall on the floor I cannot say I don't like beads. Picking up all them there lil beggars is among the yuckiest of beading tasks but .....

My 2nd cousin, or is she my 1st cousin once removed? My cousin Gwynith asked for a Ladder Garden bracelet way back last Christmas. It's finally done. And we're planning to visit her in August and I'll deliver it then.

Why did she ask for this bracelet? She saw the Ladder Garden Bracelet my sister wears. She wanted one but with her colours. And that's what I've done. And that's the pic right there on the left. I hope she likes it.

What's in my lap now? I've done some more work with the spiral technique using bugle beads. I'm looking for a way to simplify a double spiral piece. I can do it in several passes but that means I have to guesstimate the length of the bracelet and take into account the 'fluffiness' factor. I'm working on it because I want to write up a kit to sell at the next Bead Oasis show in Toronto in September.

That's it for now. ...Helen

News!

I bought a new computer!! I decided my time was too valuable to struggle with my missing keys and I was making too many errors in passwords and I have a big whack of new kits to write and ....

So I bought a new computer: a Mac this time. I've been learning how to do things with my new Mac and I really am pleased. The 'help' references really do help. And they are written for people like me who have difficulty following orders. Y'know, I've never thought of myself as a person marching to a different drum but I must be one of those: instructions are so hard to follow that I try to do everything without them and refer to the instructions only when all else has failed. Hmmm.

I've been using the exercise of writing a new kit, complete with my own diagrams, to learn the ins-and-outs of Mac-dom. I think I'm rather happy: not toe wiggling happy, just garden variety 'happy.'

Now that I've written something new I have to move over to Artfire and load them up for you to buy.

And a friend of mine turned me on to VistaPrint. I've seen them on the 'net but always passed them by. But with the endorsement of my friend I decided to try them. I managed 3 lots of free business cards: each with a different design element. Now every day I get their notification of something else just brought into the 'free' category. I am awaiting a small indoor sign. That's going to help my visibility at the fall Bead Oasis Show in Toronto. My next VistaPrint project will be invitations to my 'net friends for that show: it's in September, by the way.

My sister was wearing one of my necklaces yesterday and it was being admired by one of my wholesalers, a new wholesaler, and I thought 'hmmmmm.' I'm going to try that in a spiral technique.

Yup! Right after dinner was done and the dishes put into the dishwasher I sat down and began to play. One of the things I like about beading is that you can experiment to your heart's content and reclaim the beads to try again. All you are out is some thread and that's hardly the most expensive thing in beading. Not like needlework where the threads can be very expensive. I mean the 'do I eat or do I buy thread?' kind of expensive.

Well! 2AM arrived and my eyes were willfully closing. I had to put my needle, thread, and beads down and plod to bed. This morning I think the insides of my eyelids is made of sandpaper. My back aches and I've got a headache ~~ I really don't know why I stay up so late when I know the consequences are so unpleasant. Well, maybe I'll have a nap soon. That might help.

And right after I post the new kit on Artfire I'm gonna sit down to work on the new design. No! Wait! I'm going to get my nap out of the way first.

Oh, yeah! My ads for Artfire and VistaPrint are my opinions only. I receive no compensation and neither I nor my relatives are employees of these companies. ........Helen

What Did You Do on Your Holidays?

Holidays? What holidays!? I gotta tell ya, it was no picnic!

I shake and quiver: that's just the way I am. I like to tell family and friends that I provide the comic relief in their lives and, heaven knows, we all need a good laugh these days.

But this event, the one that has influenced my decision making and fund allocation, was a loo-loo!

I was moving a bottle of beads from one side of my computer to the other while replacing the screw top. Well, the bottle went one way, the top went another way and the beads, lil 15/o beads, went a third way: all over my keyboard and under the keys. It took a couple of weeks to clean out those wee beads and in the process I can no longer replace:

- the F3,
- the up arrow,
- Letter L,
- Letter O.
Stop laughing! It isn't funny! Yet!

The need for a new computer has just been moved up the list of new requisitions to 1st place.

Now, keeping in mind the results of the Great Bead Spill, I have occupied my mind with writing a couple of new kits. It was meant to take my mind off my Spill but all it did was to refocus on the Great Bead Spill (aka The Troubles). Duh!!

Why are you still laughing? The Troubles are real and painful and challenging. You look for words not laden with 'l's' and 'o's'. It's not funny. And being without the up arrow brews murder in my soul because it is so very difficult to draw pictures without it. It's NOT funny. Really! It isn't!!

During this month's absence we 3 sisters have been to McMichael's in Kleinburg. They became famous for their Group of Seven and Canadian artists collection. Decades ago they opened a gallery so everybody can see these important paintings.

Well, this month we saw a Karsh exhibit at McMichaels. Yousef Karsh made Canada his home in 1925 from Armenia via Syria. He is to portrait photography what Bill Reid is to fine jewellery: instantly recognizable. His portrait photographs include popes, heads of state, icons of entertainment and more. Why were we so interested in Yousef Karsh? I own an original Karsh. It is of a man who was 'bloody minded' according to my father. The subject was the president (?) of Hart House on the downtown campus of University of Toronto. As a wee-un I thought it was a picture of my grandfather. (see http://www.karsh.org/ for more)

We are already planning our next visit to McMichael's: Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast. I lived in Vancouver and Whitehorse for more than 25 years and I'm keen to visit this exhibit. It's from June 27 to September 20, 2009.

If you are interested in what's happening at McMichael's, visit http://www.mcmichael.com/.

I have been working hard to finish up my wedding commissions. Oh, they were wonderful evenings when I 'played' those freshwater pearls. I was sad when it was all over and the bride and bride's mother received their finished artisan jewellery.

There was a real void left by those commissions. So, when you need a boost in creativity, start cleaning your studio. And that's just what I did. I found stuff I'd forgotten about. I found stuff I've been looking for.

AND!! The studio is looking much better. You can almost fit my wheelchair through the door. This mass tidying made me take decisions I've been putting off: Do I keep the fake lavender plant I gave Daddy for his 83 birthday? Or do I let it go? I let it go. Do I sort the beads I have picked up from the floor from old spills? I started separating and returning them to their proper spice bottles (3/$1 CAD). As the pain in my back and neck crescendoed, I made the decision to pull out the bigger beads (easier to see) and the expensive and other beads have been mixed up in a 'bead soup.' This one is colourful: I have a white and silver bead soup already made.

Our friend Romayne invited us to a workshop/brainstorming session for women entrepreneurs a few Saturday's ago. We met some women with great ideas: a bit of bonding went on. It was all good. The result of that afternoon is that I bought a table at the Echoes of Africa Newmarket show. Visit http://www.caabwa.com/ ~ Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance.

Last Saturday we went to a popular teddy bear show and were saddened that our favourite teddy bear makers Steven and Shane were MIA. The show, in general, was much smaller and there was nothing 'new' to see. Marg and I are strong believers of the soothing nature of teddy bears but this might be struck from our list of important shows next year. Hopefully the fall show will be better.

And last Sunday we spent in Burlington at the Burlington Art Gallery's summer show. When we spoke with the vendors they were very disappointed: the show was poorly advertised. We were pleasantly surprised because we had been given the impression that the event was to be held inside the Gallery with considerably fewer vendors.

I visited with our favourite people and, because of the poor attendance, we had time to chat.

And I heard again that I am a good writer. (I never tire hearing that) My friend Asem, La Glasserie (hand blown glass), offered wonderful words about what he had read on my blogs. Thank you so much Asem. His glass ornaments, candlesticks, liqueur glasses, perfume bottles, ... are to die for. He and his wife Laura are a real team and they share a wonderful sense of humour. It comes through his work: every year he has something new. Right now he's working on glass leaves for me to accompany the glass leaves he delivered in April. I want this new batch to be small enough to be used as earrings.

So! I've been busy even though I've not spent much time online.

And, in the months coming up I'll be even busier. I have the Fairy Lake show in August and in September I'll be at the Fall Bead Oasis Show in Toronto. I've also booked the Spring Bead Oasis Show 2010.

Gotta keep dancing. ...Helen

Helen has a new BFF. This lady is a walking library of knowledge to do with beads and resources. And she is generous in sharing her knowledge. Bennett has given me permission to list these resources which will be of interest to artisans in Ontario, Canada. And a starting point for artisans in other provinces to create their own resources library.

"I thought all of you might want to have the following very useful set of links to a range of business information for people working in the arts and crafts field: [Declaration of interest: I work for the government ministry that maintains this site. Would be glad to get your comments, criticisms, etc. on whether it's useful for you].

~ Ontarioartist.ca, the Ontario artists' information portal at: http://ontarioartist.ca/en/index.htm , especially the section for visual artists (subsection on Crafts and Design) at: http://ontarioartist.ca/en/visual.htm. This has a ton of good links to every kind of business, health/safety and financial information you could want, both specific to Ontario and general for Canada.

~ "Arts and Artists Info-Guide", by the Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre, at: http://www.canadabu siness.ca/ servlet/ContentServer?cid= 1170131555538&lang=en&pagename=CBSC_ ON%2Fdisplay&c=GuideInfoGuide

~ "How To Start an Artisan and Craft Business in Ontario", also by the Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre, at: http://www.canadabu siness.ca/servlet/ContentServer?cid= 1180668704753&lang=en&pagename=CBSC_ ON%2Fdisplay&c=GuideHowto

~ The Canadian Crafts Council's Learning Centre -- misc. professional advice -- at: http://www.canadian craftsfederation.ca/html/educate_centre.html.

~ "Square Feet", the artists' guide to buying and renting workspace , http://www.torontoartscape.on.ca/community/ pace-related resources/square-feet

~ "The Art of Managing Your Career", a guide for artists of all kinds, at: http://www.cultural hrc.ca/amyc/e/index.htm, plus an additional piece specifically for craftspeople at: http://www.cultural hrc.ca/amyc/e/disciplines/CHRC_AMYC_Crafts-en.pdf and for visual artists at: http://www.culturalhrc.ca/amyc/e/disciplines/visual_arts.htm

~ Cultural Careers Council Ontario -- website for business and professional development for artists/crafters, and for small arts businesses who have staff -- at: http://www.workinculture.on.ca/

~ CARFAC (Canadian Artists Representation) 's publications for visual artists, on various business, legal and copyright/intellectual property issues -- for sale at: http://www.carfacon tario.ca/services/books (see especially http://www.carfacon tario.ca/publications/advisory_ notes_cd_rom, and http://www.carfacon tario.ca/resources (they are not available free online but might be in some public libraries)

~ The Canadian Giftware and Crafts industry -- Industry Canada's information page, focused on the more industrial side of the business. It has links to a variety of trade sources some of which are of interest to us , at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/gc-acaa.nsf/eng/Home

~ Canada Revenue Agency's general guide for small businesses, at: http://www.cra- arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4070/README. html

~ The Ontario Craft Council's publications on matters of interest to Ontario crafters, including a large guide to local craft shows, for sale at: http://craft.on.ca/Publications/Our_Publications.

~ Ontario Craft Council Workshops, including some on business skills, at: http://craft. on.ca/Programs/Craftsmarts

~ The market for crafts in Canada -- market studies by the Canadian Crafts Council, online at: http://www.canadiancraftsfederation .ca/html/ advocate_ ccf.html , especially the "Canadian fine craft niche market" study at: http://dsp-psd. pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/CH4-103-2005E.pdf .

~ The Healthy Artist Guide to a Less Toxic Studio, a Canadian guide, at: http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/artist/index.htm (there's a lot more good health and safety information for craftspeople on the other sites above).

- Bennett McCardle"

Didn't I tell you this woman is great? Well, didn't I? Thank you Bennett for this list.

Check out these resources and get back to me with your opinion. Together we can be better artisans.

Helen

Now that I've moved over to WillUBead Studio I have to show you some of the stuff I've done. Right? Right!

These photos are of some of my favourite bits of my artisan jewellery.

What is beach glass? Beach glass starts life as bottles and other glass garbage that has worked its way into the waters of oceans, seas, and inland seas like Lake Superior. Beach glass is worn and smoothed by tides and sands washes up on the beaches.The earrings here are made of jewellery grade copper wire and frosted glass. Some call this glass beach glass but the glass used in these earrings are not strictly beach glass: this is glass that has sandblasted by human and not by sea.

My sister wants to go to Spain for a holiday. It's a serious plan ~ she has already taken night school classes to learn the language.

She needs money to realize this plan but like so many of us, she is an IGG (Instant Gratification Girl) who, when stressed, goes shopping. A bit of retail therapy, if you know what I mean.

This bracelet was made as a reminder when she goes shopping that she can choose between saving the money in her Going to Spain savings account OR making the purchase and delaying her trip indefinitely. It works best when she wears it but often she forgets to put it on for our mall crawls.

The bracelet is a bit of memory wire that's been stretched and pulled and manipulated and allowing ot to sit on my workbench for a couple of weeks. I had been trying to make a cuff bracelet but this bit of curlique happened when St. Serendipity did her magic. There are wrapped wire beads and glass beads, too. There are even a couple of hearts.

I found a pattern for netting and decided to try it. This bracelet is the result of playing with the design. I changed the bead colours. Then I made a mistake (secret: I don't do so well following directions).

Then I repeated the strip and sewed it together. And that's what makes the design for this bracelet all mine. Black and silver seed beads were used for this bracelet and this strong contrast is what appeals to so many people.

I love Raku pottery: the technique of adding salts and other chemicals during the firing stage in pottery making. As the name suggests, it is a Japanese innovation and this innovation will never make 2 things exactly the same. I love the randomness of the technique.
Well, I met a potter, Vera Romoda, who makes pottery beads with this technique. When asked recently who my favourite supplier is, I immediately thought of Vera. Only a very few people receive artisan jewellery with Vera's Raku Beads. They are that valuable to me.
The pendant of the necklace to the right is a Raku piece from Vera. The necklace itself has glass beads and semi-precious gem chips. The pendant hangs off centre. Why? Just to be different. Visit Vera at http://www.BeadsByAllMeans.com.

I have some more stuff to show you but I'll save it for another day.
Helen

An Introduction

Hello. My name is Helen and I'm a beadaholic.
I started my business life in 2007 after much encouragement and not a little prodding. My first shop was Lampwork and Beads ~ I let it go. My next incarnation was with Etsy. Unfortunately, the spacer in the name Glass0Beads is a zero not a letter and that had to be explained everywhere.
Now I've got me a new name and a new directory. Artfire is a directory like Etsy: dedicated to all things hand crafted. Unlike Etsy, there are 2 levels of membership: paid and unpaid. The paid membership gives you more perks than the unpaid membership and I've opted for the freebie. I have the option of an upgrade in the future.
Now, here I am. WillUBead Studio.Blogspot.com. And I am WillUBead.Studio.artfire.com. That '.' makes a real difference as a spacer, doesn't it ~~ I don't have to explain it.
And that's my Introduction. Now I'm off to dress up this blog.
Thank you for reading my stuff at Glass0Beads (Glass #0 Beads) and I hope you will enjoy and participate here, too.
C'est tout. ...Helen