Read! Answer! Win!

If you haven't already read the latest, February 2012, issue of "Bead & Button" magazine then you need to do so, and quickly.

Margie Deeb is running a 6 part Design & Color Mastery series and to celebrate she and Lark Books are having a little contest.

Here's how to play:
1.  Read the article, "Capturing and Keeping Attention" on page 30.
2. E-mail Margie with the correct answers to these three questions:
    A.  List 3 elements you can use to create contrast in order to attract attention.
    B.  Where is the eye drawn first when you see a piece of jewelry?
    C.  Describe the concept of "whole over the parts" emphasis.

The first 4 people who respond correctly will win four Lark Studio Series books.  She can't promise you which four, but if there is one you really, really want just let her know when you e-mail her with your answers and she'll see what she can do.  You can read more about the books here.  Please be sure to include your physical mailing address along with your answers!  

*NOTE:  By responding, you are giving Margie permission to publish your name (but not your e-mail address) as a winner.

Contest ends January 23, 2012

Remember, don't respond with the answers here on my blog.  You must send the answers directly to Margie in order to be eligible.

Good luck!

Here's a sneak peek at one of the attention capturing necklaces featured in the article:

Whose Really In The Details

I've heard it said that God is in the details.  I've also heard it said that it's the devil.  Who knows?  Not me, that's for sure.  What I do know is that changing the width of one or two rows of bead work can take that piece from so-so to fabulous.  A minor detail with major impact.

Look at this first sample.  It's okay, but it looks a bit weak.  
 

Now this is so much better!

Like I said, a minor detail like matching the width of peyote stitched rows of green and orange with those done ine right angle weave has made a major difference in how this looks.

The Spring/Summer 2012 Color Report for Bead and Jewelry Designers will be out early next year so you'll have to wait until then to see just exactly what this is.

Next up will be something fun with Sodalite Blue. 

I'm Enjoying Sweet Lilacs, Margaritas, and The Tangerine Tango

The somewhat mysterious and yet to be revealed Driftwood, Sweet Lilac, and Cabaret necklace is done.  It is so gorgeous and so elegant that it is now my new favorite necklace.  

Now I'm moving on to Sweet Lilac with hints of Margarita andTangerineTango in what is about to be my new favorite bracelet.  Up above is a paint chip sample palette of the colors and below is a picture of the beads in action.

I really like the way the orange and green are popping away from the lilac, giving it an almost 3D effect.  

This is the first time I've used Fireline for simple seed bead weaving.  I don't like its crispy, crunchy texture so I only use it occasionally when I'm weaving with lots of crystals.  But, I decided to creep out on the limb a little bit and use it along with something else I'm not a big fan of;  four bead right angle weave.  And guess what?  I'm really loving the results.  

And then there's Cockatoo

Here are the three main colors I'll be working with for the Spring/Summer 2012 Color Report.  From left to right we have Driftwood, Sweet Lilac, and Sodalite Blue.  

A visit from the Snot Monster at the beginning of the month followed by a 10 day migraine cluster have left me woefully behind on my projects so I haven't had time to photograph the project I'm working on.  I'm using Driftwood, with Sweet Lilac as the secondary color, and accents of Cabaret, a deep rich fuchsia.  I'm making a slightly modified version of Beki Haley's "Twinkle, Twinkle" necklace.  If you click on the link it will take you to Beki's kit page and that will give you an idea of what I'm making.  


This link will take you to the Pantone website where you can see all the Spring/Summer 2012 colors and take a brief color survey.

I've always said that I like and can work with all colors.  Not true.  I don't think I'll ever be able to work with Cockatoo.  I absolutely hate this color.  Hate it!  In my mind this is the color of sickness and fear.

When I was 4-6 years old my Mom was in and out of hospitals having all sorts of scary, hush-hush, and mysterious surgeries.  My brother and I would come home from school and she would just be gone.  One of my Grandmother's widowed sisters would be there to take care of us; my Dad would come home late from work every night after visiting hours were over and then spend most of the weekends at the hospital, but we would never allowed to visit her.  Even after she came home we weren't allowed to see her, the bedroom door was always closed.  And every time she came home from the hospital she would have all these plastic bedside accessories;  a small water pitcher, soap box, toothbrush holder, etc. and they were this exact color.  

I find my own reaction completely astonishing; four decades later and I still can't look at this color without getting upset.
  

On A Journey

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I finally split this blog into two;  one devoted mostly to beading, and the other to my journey as a belly dancer.  Please give it a look see:  SaraBeth's Belly Dance Journey.

I was in a hurry to get the new blog up and running so I'll be tweaking it every now and then, whenever I find the time to play.  I've also decided to keep the same name for this, my beading blog, since there will be some cross posting and mainly because I like it.

I've started my next round of color report project for Spring/Summer 2012 and will be talking more about that later in the week after I've got myself caught up on a few things here and there.

What's In A Name

A rose by any other would name would smell as sweet, right?  Of course it would.  But this isn't about roses, this is about splitting my belly dancing bead blog into two separate blogs in preparation for the changes that are to come in both my beading and belly dance life.  

I'm going to keep the name "SaraBeth's Belly Dancing Bead Blog" for the beady part of my life simply because I like it, but I do need a few suggestions for the belly dance blog.  So don't be shy!  Speak up and throw a few ideas at me!

 

I'm still going strong with my 365 Days of Dance practice and I have something new and exciting planned for my 365 Days of ??? in 2012.  There will also be some interesting and fun things happening in my belly dance life very soon.  

I recently came to the conclusion that having my life speeding along at Mach 1 was no longer acceptable, so I've decided to rev things up a bit by remodeling the house.  I'll be temporarily giving up my bead closet for a bigger and better one, storing my stash in different parts of the house, and doing most of my beading for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2012 color report in the kitchen.  That, in turn, means we'll be eating lots of take-out and delivery on TV trays in the living room.

It's possible that I may be completely, totally, and utterly insane by December.
 

Margie Is Doing A BOGO

Beautiful lampwork brooch by Kristy Nijenkamp

My bad!  I forgot to mention in my Sept. 7th post that Margie is doing a BOGO with the most recent color report.  

When you buy a copy of the Fall/Winter 2011 report she'll send you a link to a free copy of the very first ever color report, Fall/Winter 2008.  But hurry because this is for a limited time only.

Click here for the link to her website.