Beads with Personality

Well....I haven’t posted in a while. I do hope you haven’t missed me ;-) Of course it’s a busy time now with Christmas right around the corner. I’ve had plenty to keep me occupied. Right….on to business!!

I’ve had the odd chance to wander around Etsy and some other websites and look at other people’s beads. Some of these people I know well thanks to the growing community of Lampwork artists here in the Benelux. Some people I don’t know at all….never even heard of them before I stumbled across them online. While intruding on these peoples private bit of cyber space I don’t just look at the beads but I notice the website and most important if there is a profile or bio page I always read it. The point I’m getting at here is that there is a personality that goes with the bead. How many bead-makers have you heard say that they put a part of themselves in their beads? Beads made by independent or self-representing artists have that extra edge….an extra facet to what they are. Every lampwork bead has a character of its own and the person who made it is reflected in the work.

Two recently viewed bios that stick in my mind are from two artists I don’t know personally…

Hagit Lahav from Israel http://www.etsy.com/shop/CelebrationOriginal

Ayako Hattori from Japan http://www13.ocn.ne.jp/~shiro-ya/indexenglish.html

I love their work and I like the short personal bios they share with their online visitors.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Never pass up an oportunity!

My new motto!! Last night I went to a small market in Tervuren. I was a bit pressed for time and wanted to get in and out fairly quickly. Someone I knew told me that there was a jewelry designer there who might be interested in my beads. My first thought was 'I don't have time for networking tonight.' I almost left...then the thought occurred to me that I have not been in the habit lately of turning down opportunities to promote my work. Well I went back to the market and found the designer and we had a lovely chat. She was a really warm girl. We talked for a good time and she confessed she loved making finished pieces….I confessed that I just wanted to make beads and not too much jewelry (finished pieces)….she works with metals…I work with glass…we both feel that we can complement each other’s work. She was excited about the idea of coming to my studio for a visit and a demonstration…I was intrigued at the thought that we could work on a special piece together. New Contact…possibly a new friend….opportunity dually seized!

I’ve said it before, beads bring people together. So…whether you are a jewelry designer, lampwork artist, shop owner etc….Never pass up the chance to make a new acquaintance….you never know what kind of doors will open up to you! One more thing….competition is NOT a negative thing!! I really mean it! The work that other people do is different. Not better or worse. Make friends and take yourself lightly. Life is meant to be enjoyed. It shouldn’t be a slog.

O.k….I’m climbing off the ‘soap box’ now…sermon over ;-)