A flair for design and a penchant for bold, geometric shapes all contribute to her unique style.

Jean’s attention to detail and lush patterns compels the viewer to take another look. ‘Disposable’ costume jewellery is fine and fun, to be worn on a few outings and then left to gather dust in the ‘also ran’ pile. However, Jean’s jewellery is for life. These wearable works of art will stand the test of time and are guaranteed to take pride of place in any collection. I found out what makes this talented craftswoman tick.    

How did your interest in beading begin?

A star studded example of beading mastery

I always loved art and crafts and did many different ones when I was younger. One of these was cross-stitch and as I did more and more I was finding I was looking for kits with more and more beads on them. Then one day, when I worked in Kentish Town, North London, I noticed a bead shop had opened on my route to work.
It took me quite a while to get up the nerve to go in and even longer to buy anything. I was very aware of not knowing what all the different codes, sizes and types were and when faced with thread, needle and pattern choices, I found it too overwhelming to buy anything. It wasn’t until I found someone selling a kit that had everything in it that I began beading.

Many of your designs look like carefully planned artworks as opposed to ‘another string of beads’. Do you have an artistic background any other creative training? 

A pendant with pizzazz!

I have never formally studied art beyond GCSE, but I am very interested in this area and read and practice as much as possible. I used to paint a lot and have also had a private lesson with a medallist on making art medals which is an area I am very interested in. It is very important to me to try and let non-beaders realise that using beads can be more than stringing or childish work. Also that beads can be a valid medium to use in jewellery making and artwork

I love your geometric patterns and 3D designs. As you live in London, I have the feeling you must glean some of your inspiration from the buildings and sites of the city – or am I wide of the mark here? Where do your ideas come from?

A mathematical approach in this geometry inspired design

I have had inspiration from architecture. One of my pieces uses colour and shape inspired by a visit to an art gallery, the work there and the building itself. But most of my work is inspired by the beads themselves as well as geometry. Pushing the boundaries plays a big part and testing out “what would happen if…”

I love jewellery and fashion, so am always interested in what is going on. I often make quick, easy fashion items but my more time-consuming pieces are much less trend based.

I have waxed lyrical about your book, Compendium of Beading, before. I would say that it is the one must – have book in any beader’s collection. How did it all come about?

Totally tropical

Thank you! I am very proud of this book and really put my heart and years of knowledge and experience into it.

I love books and own many beading and jewellery ones but felt that so many of them missed out essential steps and tips which people need to know. I have taught jewellery making to hundreds, if not thousands, of people and am aware that the same questions crop up time and time again. I felt many of these issues weren’t being addressed in other publications.

More geometric style in bold reds

I’d never sat down and looked at any of my books since they’d come out as I was too worried about what I might find, but yesterday I taught a class and someone had the latest one. I actually sat down and flicked through it. I’d forgotten just how much I managed to squeeze in! I wanted it to be a complete resource of techniques and tips so am really glad it turned out to be that.

Your book is dotted with top tips to make beading easier. Do you have any favourite top tips for our Bead Barmy blog readers?

Jean cooks up a treat with peyote swirls in glorious greens

My top tip isn’t an obvious one to do with a specific technique but is simply “Try, try and try again”. There really is no substitute for actually doing something and doing it more than once to learn how to do it and do it well. I really believe that you can’t fully understand a craft until you have put a certain amount of hours in.

Think of it like cooking. When you start you have to follow other people’s instructions and may make lots of mistakes. But, once you’ve cooked enough times you begin to know what results you’ll get by putting certain ingredients together. You learn that some things take less time to cook than others and will be best to tackle on a Monday evening when you’re tired. You’ll be able to predict what something will taste like before you start or if it will be any good- and if not what you can do to fix it. None of that comes about by magic. You have to put all the work and hours in to get to the point where you can open the fridge and before you know it you’re pulling things out and dinner is ready.

A flair for design and a penchant for bold, geometric shapes

It’s exactly the same with beads. Put in lots of time, read lots of instructions and experiment and you’ll be pulling tubes of beads out and combining them without even having to think about what will and won’t work- it will come naturally to you. The more you work with them the more you’ll know what will and won’t work or maybe just where to begin to experiment.

As for a beading top tip it has to be to always make sure you don’t overwhelm your work with shiny beads. Too much shine is hard on your eyes and they will be constantly scanning for a matte surface to rest on. This means that it’s hard for anyone to see the detail of your work and the effect will be ruined.

With teaching, editing, beading and book writing your life must be pretty full! If such a thing exists, can you describe a typical day for you and how do you organise your time?

Attention to detail creates intricate jewellery

My life is a bit haphazard and really varies from one day to the next. Up until very recently my full-time day job was editing Bead magazine which took up a lot of my time. I resigned just over two months ago and finished my last issue a month a go.

My typical day starts between 7 and 8am. I’m usually straight on the computer answering emails, writing instructions, drawing diagrams, dealing with class bookings and kit purchases. This goes on until anywhere between 4pm and midnight depending on how busy I am.

Two nights a week, and on Sundays, I train with my roller derby team The London Rockin Rollers. It’s fun, means I get some exercise and actually leave the house! I am also a secretary for them and a committee member so there are often meetings, admin work and newsletter writing to do.

I also teach classes in London at least one Saturday a month and often teach private 1-2-1 classes during the week. Add to that going away every couple of months to teach somewhere in the UK, France or the US and finding time to bead and come up with new designs can be hard!

What’s next for Jean Power?

Bold peyote stitch beads

Since I left working on the magazine I have been mainly working on finally launching my own limited-edition kits. After years of people asking for these I now have the time to do them. These have sold really well and I’m looking forward to releasing more. You can find them on my website at www.jeanpower.com. I am also working on some book ideas with a publisher at the moment which may turn into something. I am also planning a large beading retreat for September 2011, but for the moment, my main plan is a top secret project that will launch next year. I am really excited about and working very hard on at the moment.

I’m sure all of these pictures of Jean’s gorgeous work must’ve got some of those creative juices flowing. The great news is that patterns for most of these items and many more are available to buy from Jean’s website. If any of you do take the plunge, I’d love to see your take on Jean’s designs. Please email any of your attempts to jo@beadsunlimited.co.uk  under the heading ‘Inspired by Jean’. You may see your name (and photo) up in lights right here on Bead Barmy!

Team efforts

Beads strung along the way

Stringing along - beads play their part

‘Dolly Mixtures’ team member, Helene Craddock contacted Beads Unlimited early 2009 to ask if we would be interested in helping out with their event at Yate near Bristol. Helene told us that a bucket of beads is placed at the starting line and bead strings can be obtained for a small donation. Every lap gains the walker or runner another bead enabling them to add them up and see how far they’ve been. It just so happened that we had a spare load of plastic beads with big holes, perfect for the job. Helene told us it really encouraged people to walk another lap or two to try and gain more beads and distance. Many marathons were walked, spurred on by ‘It’s only another X beads!’

Bead aware

Run, walk, hop, skip, jump - any way is fine!

This time last year, our Bead Barmy blog was a mere twinkle in our eye but now it’s fully-fledged and gaining momentum every day. As we now have this platform, we feel that one of its purposes is to help publicise these fantastic events and share stories to help raise awareness. So when Helene returned to us this year we were more than happy to help and keen to broadcast their achievements in the hope that next year they will be even more successful. Lara Simmons, the Yate Relay chairperson gave us a little more insight into what happens on this amazing day:

The purpose of Relay is to raise funds to support Cancer Research and we host a 24-hour relay and celebration to facilitate the fund raising. Last year we had 26 teams. Each team fundraises throughout the year, obtains sponsorship, sells raffle tickets (that we  provide) and raises as much money as they can.
Everybody turns up on the day and the survivors will open the event and first lap at midday on the Saturday and there will be a special lunch provided for them. We have a wonderful DJ (Dom) who plays for 24 hours, Heart radio have opened it the last few years and the Evening Post and local papers turn up. Throughout the day we have 10 different fancy dress laps, each team has a lap of honour to a pre-chosen theme song, the last few years we have had salsa dancing, yoga, tae kwon do and you can get involved in as much or as little as you like. The teams all camp on the inside of the track and each team can have their own drinks and barbecues. There is also a hog roast, ice cream lady, food and a bar available just behind the track. There’s a bouncy castle, a play bus, bands and tea and coffee from Bob’s café around the clock. A bucket of beads is at the start line, and bead strings can be obtained for a small donation. Then every lap gets you another bead, add them up and see how far you’ve been. Marathons can be achieved!

Survivors celebrate with a lap of honour

In the evening, before the sun goes down there is a candle of hope ceremony. That’s the moment where everybody stops and remembers why they are there. People decorate candle bags and these are laid out around the track and set alight, then there is a beautiful reading and a singer performs an appropriate piece – I really couldn’t do it justice with words. Relay for life is a truly inspirational thing to be involved in. People from all walks of life, across the community joining together with the sole purpose of raising money for cancer research, whilst having a great weekend!

Capturing the moment

This year, the Yate Relay raised just over a staggering £38000. What a success! We are already looking forward to helping out with next year’s event. We hope that this post has helped to inspire you to get involved in any way you can think of. There are lots of ideas, big and small, on the Cancer Research UK website.

Since starting the Wedding Belles series, I’ve found some great sites and met some marvellous people with fabulous wedding ideas. Here’s a little blogroll of some of my favourites, all taking a break from the norm.  

Vintage Scoops - the prettiest way to serve up a treat

Who can resist Betty the ice cream van?

If you are looking for an unusual way to feed your guests you won’t do better than Betty the ice cream van. Betty is themed in 1950’s style, painted in lovely pale blue and cream, and draped in Cath Kidston oilcloth and floral bunting. Surely there’s no prettier way to serve up a treat?  From Betty’s decorative window, Hayley Southwood serves up the most glorious ice cream produced at Beechdean family farm in Buckinghamshire. Also on offer are old favourite lollys like cherry brandy and cider and pretty glass bottles of dandelion and burdock, cloudy lemonade and Grandma’s ginger beer. Hayley told me how she came up with this charming idea.

My mum passed away last February aged only 54. She was a huge inspiration to me and it also made me realise life is too short and I really wanted to have a job that made me smile, and this certainly does! I am buying my second van this winter and hoping to franchise and have a fleet of Betts! We are going to be featured in the September issue of Country Homes and Interiors magazine as Betty and I won ‘Run Your Own Country Business 2010′ I am soooooooo excited and my mum would of been too! She had a great sense of humour and would have loved this little idea! 

Hayley serves up some good old fashioned treats

Hayley left her job as a nursery nurse in May 2010 to concentrate fully on Vintage Scoops and has already achieved a high accolade. She recently won a competition run by national magazine Country Homes & Interiors. The prize was £6000 to help launch or grow a country business and free business advice by business specialists Business Smiths. Look out for a full feature on Hayley and Betty in the Country Homes & Interiors September 2010 issue. We certainly hope that Betty and Hayley scoop up many more awards on their travels.

Little Miss Wedding - the one stop blog for all things Wedding!

Jay Rowden's fabulous work has been featured in Vogue and many other high fashion magazines

If you’re searching for inspiration for your big day, Little Miss Wedding is a must visit site. The focus is on unique ideas, with advice on pretty much all you need to know. Best of all there is an array of gorgeous pictures of real life weddings. Little Miss Wedding herself, otherwise known as Emmie, told me how her one stop site began. Emmie launched Little Miss Wedding after she realised that, when she was planning her wedding (other than the mainstream ones) there weren’t any UK focused online wedding sites. Now, of course, there are many, but Little Miss Wedding helped to start the ball rolling! Currently, Emmie’s site is a solo project and a part time hobby, as this busy lady runs 2 digital companies in London and has a little baby girl. She’s hoping that, one day, she’ll be able to spend some more time on it and that there are lots of ideas but its finding the time to implement them. There are plans for a supplier directory, various partnerships and a host of things in the pipeline. In the very near future she wants to pretty up the site a bit. In the beginning she didn’t want to spend too much money on the design because she didn’t know if it was just a fad (she’s had quite a few apparently!)  However, a year on and she’s still loving blogging and hopes that Little Miss Wedding is here to stay!

A couple of gorgeous examples of Lucy Davenport's photography. We also love the added touch on the shoes!

When asked if she had any favourite, featured weddings. She said that she’s loved lots of the weddings and the way that are some of them are really relaxed – like Ellie and Bebbs’s wedding. They held their reception in a pub garden in Hampshire. The photos are by Jay Rowden whose fabulous work has been featured in Vogue and many other high fashion magazines. She also told me that she loves the photos by Lucy Davenport from a Spring wedding she featured. I have to agree they are stunning. After looking at all these marvellous pictures, I asked Emmie what kind of wedding she had and what advice she would give other brides to be. Here are her wise words.

We had quite a traditional church wedding, in Winter, but after the church it was just a really relaxed and fun time. We love partying, so we had about 200 friends and a brilliant evening. The food was amazing and the wine flowing. Loads of my friends and family were involved – name places, flowers, photography, singing, gospel choir etc. and that is what made it really special for us. It was a fantastic day, full of family and friends and lots of love! I would say, enjoy the planning, try not to get stressed out. The most important thing about a wedding is getting married to the one that you love and having all your friends and family there for support – its an amazing feeling to have everyone there for you. 

My Tiara Shop - A tale of she who dares wins!

Two of Erica's beautiful birdcage designs

Some of the best ideas can occur by accident and that’s just what happened to Erica back in August 1996. Although she had no prior experience, Erica boldly offered to make a tiara for her cousin when she couldn’t afford one she’d seen in a Manchester bridal shop. As she and her sister were both bridesmaids, Erica suggested making their tiaras too. The final result was a dazzling array of handmade crystal and pearl cluster tiaras. The only problem was they were really heavy and didn’t stay on their heads! A relative came to the rescue by threading elastic through the headband to secure them. The day was a success, but by the end of the night when they took off the tiaras they all had headaches and indentations in their heads. Erica has come a long way since that first baptism of fire into the world of tiara making. Her creations are now even more beautiful than her first attempt and promise not to give the wearer even an ounce of pain!

More fabulous designs - including Erica's personal fave, her Aroma leather tiara (left)

Erica’s inspiration can come from any direction. Her own curiosity and experimentation with materials and shapes ensures a constant flow of innovative designs. Her formal training in textiles shows through in much of her work. Much of it includes leather, which is an unusual medium but she uses it in a sympathetic way that makes her tiaras exude elegance. Erica’s personal favourite, her Aroma Leather tiara, illustrates this perfectly. Intricate beading and metalwork detail with a mystical undertone are also keynotes in her work. Customers are also very welcome to give input and Erica has had some wild and wonderful requests from her bridal ladies! Erica works from a home studio in her garden, which ensures low overheads, which means competitive prices. The unique creations from My Tiara Shop are worth every penny. 

Eiledon – Heavenly accessories from a blissed out beader

Something blue to store those essential tissues and lipstick in

Although not strictly bridal, we couldn’t resist showing you our favourite item from Eiledon. Every bride needs something blue and this gorgeous little beaded evening bag fits the bill perfectly. Besides, where else do you put those essential tissues and lipstick?

As so often happens with cottage industries, Jacqueline’s business began with impressed family and friends asking about the handmade items she was wearing. Then a lady, who had seen one of her beaded bags, knocked on her door and asked if Jacqueline could make one for a cruise she was going on. This made her realise that people weren’t just being polite and really did want the things she was making. Jacqueline had always loved knitting and started looking at alternatives to wool, such as wire, adding beads to enhance the design. She has used this technique to create a range of brooches that are now her biggest seller. She also told me that of all her work, her wedding accessories hold a special place. As it is potentially one of the most important days in somebody’s life, when someone chooses a piece from Eiledon, she is proud to play some part in such a special day.

A charming corsage made by Jacqueline

Jacqueline told me that, in-between being a busy mother to two, she still manages to devote a lot of her time to running Eiledon. It’s not yet a full time concern, but it’s getting there! As her children grow she is hoping her business will too. As interest in her website expands so does the company. Jacqueline now has jewellery for sale in several shops and also holds jewellery parties. She is continually looking for new inspiration and adding new pieces to the site. Finally, I had to know where the unusual name came from. Jacqueline explained that Eiledon, suggested by her husband, is a Gaelic type of heavenly place, which is where she is when she is creating!

Vintage Magpie – Something old, something new, something stunning, just for you!

A beautiful bouquet adorned with shells made with love in Brighton

Much deliberation can go into a Wedding bouquet. Will your chosen colour clash with your Mother-In-Law’s outfit? Will the flowers survive the day? You’d like lilies but they’re traditionally for funerals and so on. It’s a lot of worry for something that’s only going to last a day or so. Vintage Magpie solves all these problems and gives you something worth getting stressed about – a bouquet that could become a family heirloom for generations of Brides to be.

Emma Davies is the creator of these grandiose keepsakes. She uses vintage jewellery, crystals and buttons making a bouquet full of character that will last forever. Emma invites you to donate items of sentimental value for her to incorporate into your bouquet. Family memento’s which may be broken, items you’d like to, but are unable to wear on the day, old, favourite jewellery – you’d be surprised what Emma can utilise! She has even re-used a Grand Mother’s wedding dress, which she remade into gorgeous vintage, fabric roses.

A bouquet is for life at Vintage Magpie

The true beauty of these marvellous works of art is their imperfections. The tell-tale signs of age and the history behind them gives them a glorious faded glamour. Even though my wedding was several years ago, I wish I had known about Emma’s gorgeous creations back then. I could (and did) spend ages on this site. The designs are so beautiful to look at and each piece has a different ‘vibe’. Vintage Magpie also sells gift vouchers so if you’re looking for a really unusual wedding gift it’s well worth a look. Emma also has her own blog where you can read the stories behind her creations and also see some real life wedding pics.

Rock ‘n Roll Bride - your big day the rock and roll way!

Kat Williams - the Queen of cool nuptuals

I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning Rock ‘n Roll Bride. I shouldn’t have favourites really but if I had to choose one wedding site, this would be it. Kat Williams aka the Rock ‘n Roll Bride shows you oodles of weddings with attitude without a meringue frock in sight! I won’t say much more as the next instalment of Wedding Belles will be a full length interview with the Queen of cool nuptuals herself. This fab photo of her was taken by Eliza Claire. If you can’t wait for the next instalment take a look at more of her pics from this great photo shoot in Whitstable. For more on Kat, watch this space!

At Bead Barmy, we love to hear about wonderful ways with beads. Do you run an innovative bead related business? Or do you have a particularly unusual way of designing with beads? Our aim is to broadcast to the world just what can be achieved with the humble bead! We will be handing out prizes for our favourite, featured creations.

Boys are back in town

Not strictly for the boys - a beautiful bracelet from Totally Tilly

Last month our resident blogger, Joblogsit, highlighted online boy’s accessories store,  Ben And Harry’s in our Bead It For The Boys article. Hilary Thomas read the post and was inspired to send us a picture of her own boy’s jewellery. Regular readers will know that we always enjoy hearing from you all, especially when we are sent lovely pictures to distract us from our work!
We thought Hilary’s bracelets were great and asked her to expand on what she does and how she came to do it. She then sent us more pictures of her other bracelets, not strictly for the boys, but we loved them too. Hilary told us:

I use waxed cord which I knot using the micro macrame method. Micro macrame is basically the same as normal macrame but with thinner cords, usually less than 2mm thick. This technique is quite easy once you get the tension right. With this I use mainly glass and semi-precious stones with silver spacers and toggles.I’ve been making bracelets for nearly a year and, under the name Totally Tilly, I sell the glass and silver ones in a local arts and craft shop, Staacks. Then my son asked for a bracelet and I saw your company sold bone and horn. “Whooop!” the cry went up ” Can you make them for my friends too?” So that’s how it began.

 

Crafter’s delights 

Staacks of arts and craft goodies

We couldn’t resist a look at Staacks’ website and found it to be quite a delight for the eyes. Staacks make it their policy to promote and support local and UK artists and makers. Original and quality items from small gifts to large works of art are sold at affordable prices.

If you want to visit this lovely shop in person you can find them at 144 Banks Road, West Kirby, CH48 0QB

If you would like a custom made bracelet with a perfect fit, you can contact Hilary directly at hilary-thomas@tiscali.co.uk

Beaded offerings

Another gorgeous example of Hilary's work

We love the fact that Hilary sent us pictures of her work unprompted and just for that, we will be sending her a £10 online gift voucher to spend at Beads Unlimited.  

If you have something you think we might like, please email jo@beadsunlimited.co.uk with a few lines and a picture of your work. You may be lucky enough to be featured on Bead Barmy and win a beady prize!

This friendly craft community is overflowing with ideas and talent. I spoke to Cat Morley, the founder of this hugely successful website.

You have recently reached over 40 000 members on Cut Out And Keep. You must be chuffed to bits. When and how did it all start? Was there a masterplan?
CO+K started as my craft blog while I was in university, back in 2003. I spent a lot of time crafting, inventing recipes and sewing my own clothes to save money in my student days, so I’d share my creations, along with how-to instructions online. Readers would send me photos of the things they were making too, which gave me and boyfriend (now fiance) Tom the idea to turn it in to a crafty community where everyone could share tutorials.

One of Cat's projects - a lovely lolly necklace

We launched the new site, with our fancy new craft project adder in 2007 and since then the site has grown from my 250 projects to over 25,000 today. When we graduated, we moved down to London and CO+K had grown so big, it was a full-time job. It was never planned but it is a dream come true! I get to be creative and work with the things I love everyday. I still love waking up to see all the new crafts which have been added to the site while I slept and making my own versions of other people’s projects

Is it a one or two man/woman show or do you have a team of people working for you on the ever expanding website?
Tom deals with the technical side of CO+K, doing as much as he can when he’s not at his day job (the dream is to employ him full-time in the near future) and I do everything else! Apart from the two of us, we’re lucky to have a wonderful team of writers for Snippets and soon we’re hoping to turn some of our members in to administrators and helpers. The site has definitely grown bigger than a one-person job, so we really appreciate that our awesome members have been volunteering to help out.

Who are your greatest influences and who do you admire in the worlds of both crafting and journalism?
My biggest crafting influences are my Mum and Vivienne Westwood. My Mum is very crafty and has stayed many long nights helping me with my projects.

Copy couture – Cat’s take on a classic Vivienne Westwood dress – Cat’s is on the left!

I love everything that Vivienne Westwood makes, her designs are so unique and flattering, I’d have a wardrobe full of her clothes if I could afford them – for now I’ll have to try and make my own.

What’s your main crafting passion or do you like to try your hand at a bit of everything?
I love trying my hand at everything, so I find it more fun to mix things up and have multiple projects from different crafts on the go at one time. The craft that gets me most excited is dressmaking, I love going out for the first time wearing something I’ve just finished – it’s even better if someone asks where you bought your outfit from!

Snippets is an interesting off-shoot. Did this happen at the same time as Cut Out and Keep or is it something that just evolved? Any plans to make it into a printed mag?
When I was back in university, I was also writing and taking photos for a number of magazines in my spare time and when I started CO+K, I really wanted to find a way to include this on the site, which gave me the idea to start an online magazine filled with all the people and things that crafters love.

Snippets - a heady mix of crafts and music. Everything the cool crafter needs!

I was lucky enough to find some amazing writers who were willing to help out and since then, we’ve just kept on realising issues. We’re about to release our 20th issue and have a party to celebrate how far it’s come! Snippets will always be an online mag and I think the future of magazines is online too, especially with the invention of new technology like the iPad. Printing costs are so high and online distribution means that there’s nothing stopping a homemade indie magazine from reaching millions of people across the world. It breaks down the cost barriers that currently exist in the world of print. 

How do you source your interviewees? Is it an uphill slog, or do you find that they are coming to you more, now that the site is so successful?
We’ve never really struggled to find interviewees for the site, sometimes we’re approached and other times we hunt out the people we’d love to include. I’m so lucky that I’ve had this chance to talk to many of my favourite bands, artists and celebrities.

Crafty Superstars is one of my favourite sections of Cut Out and Keep. It’s a list of twenty or so top crafters with something outstanding to offer. It showcases two or three great projects and features a short Q and A from each ‘Superstar’. Here are some of the included superstars.

Crafty superstars (left to right) – Jennifer Perkins, Lady Wurlitzer and Betz White 

• Jennifer Perkins is a jewellery maker supreme and also the author of The Naughty Secretary Club: A working girl’s guide to handmade jewelry. This is a fabulous publication with loads of projects to make with things found at your desk!
• Lady Wurlitzer makes luxurious handmade soaps and lotions, although we did spot her delicious looking stodgy stew pie too. This lady of many talents is also a country music dj and a PhD student!  
• Betz White’s motto is ’stitch beautifully, tread lightly’. She is the author of Sewing Green: 25 projects made with repurposed and organic materials. She also makes a beautiful array of bags, cushions and more. She even has her own organic print line of irresistible fabrics.

How do you pick people to be a crafty Superstar? Do people submit themselves or do you pick and choose?
We’ve never had a Crafty Superstar recommend themselves but our members nominate crafters they’d like to see. Otherwise, we find people who fit in well with the CO+K feel. 

Can you describe a typical day for you?
First thing, I check CO+K to see all of the new projects that have been added. The majority of our members are in the US, so the time difference means there’s lots to look at when I wake up. When I’m feeling a bit more awake, I’ll tackle my inbox and try my hardest to get it to zero and then it’s on to my never ending to-do list! I don’t like sitting at a computer for too long, so I mix in lots of crafting and yoga. Sometimes I’m tempted to just grab everything and work from the park. The work changes so much day to day, so it’s hard to describe what would be typical – usually I have interviews to do, places to go and things to make – so you never know where you’re going to end up!
At the end of the day, I get to hang out with Tom and my friends. We like chatting in the diner or going to late night movies. If we’re having a night in, we’ll be working on a new project. We’ve just started putting together a new website, which will be all about homes and interiors.

Crafterella - a crafty superhero in the making!

We have a new issue of Snippets ready to launch and we’re also going to be launching the first issue of a comic book about our crafty superhero Crafterella (who you can see in the top right corner on the site). Hopefully the site will continue to grow like it has been and I’m excited to see what the future holds for it!

If you’ve not stumbled across Cut Out And Keep yet, I strongly advise a visit. It’s totally free and I guarantee you’ll soon be hooked – making friends, reaping inspiration and immersing yourself in this great crafting community.

As part of our Wedding Belles series, I’d like to show you how to make your own tiara. Simply choose your colours and unleash your creativity!

You will need -

1 x silver plated tiara base, 4 metres x 1.0mm silver plated wire, 20 metres x 0.4mm silver plated wire, 1 packet mixed glass pearls or 30 to 40 beads of your choice to match your outfit.
You will also need a pair of flat nosed pliers, round nosed pliers and cutters.
All the items for this project can be found at Beads Unlimited.

Stage 1 – making the large clematis

Stage 1 – making the large clematis

To make the large clematis cut 80cm of 1.0mm wire. Push a bead onto one end. Using round nosed pliers curl the end over to secure the bead and neaten. Directly underneath the bead bend the wire at a right angle and curl into a spiral of 4 or 5 coils. Bend a petal shape as shown. Then bend 5 more in the same way.

Stage 2 – finishing the large clematis

Stage 2 – finishing the large clematis

Cut 30cm of 0.4mm wire. Wrap the wire several times around a petal at the end closest to the spiral. Then pass the wire along and wrap around the next petal. Continue until you have closed the ends on all petals. Snip off any excess wire.
Make two small flowers like the big one but use 50cm of wire for the flower base. Make two leaves by making a spiral with one petal shape.

Stage 3 – making twirls and decorating petals

Stage 3 – making twirls and decorating petals

Twirls – Cut 20cm of 1.0mm wire. Add a bead to one end and curl over. Make several kinks under the bead.
Petal Decoration – Cut 100cm of 0.4mm wire. Wrap around one side of a petal and then wind along about 1cm. Pick up a bead and pass the wire across and continue along the petal.
To attach a twirl, place the stem next to the petal and wind 0.4mm wire around it until secure. Continue decorating the petal.
Repeat on all other petals.

Stage 4 – attaching items to the tiara base

Stage 4 – attaching items to the tiara base

To attach items to the base cut 100cm of 0.4mm wire. Pass through the small hole on one side at the end of the tiara. Wrap your wire along the base very closely and neatly. About 4cm along add your first leaf by wrapping wire in between the spiral and the leaf shape. Continue wrapping along the base until you are ready to add your first small flower. Attach in the same way by wrapping your wire around a suitable petal and the base. Continue along until you have added all your made items.      

Stage 5 – finishing off

Stage 5 – finishing off

Using small pieces of wire attach the petals to each other at various points to secure. For a really intricate look add more twirls in between the petals.

Heartwarming sight in the heatwave

The race is split into 3 groups, the walkers, the joggers and the runners, to prevent pile ups! Despite the heat, Gemma joined in with the joggers and managed a very respectable time of 36 minutes and 39 seconds. Gemma said that she may have run it faster, but for the sheer volume of people. It is a heartwarming sight to see that so many people are joining in with these life changing races.

Winning the race for life

Anyone who has attended one of these events knows that it is an emotional outing on many levels. There is, of course, the fun and excitement of the run, but there is also sadness when you see the countless names written on peoples backs. Then there is the sense of hope when you see the ’survivors’ running. The race is an unwritten, living story of perseverence, grief, spirit and hope. Sadly, there can’t be many people in the country whose lives haven’t been affected in some way by this terrible disease. In particular, we would like to salute all the people who ran who have recently lost someone close to them. We hope that, with the help of donations, medical advances will reward their courage in the not too distant future and the race for life will be won.

We’re sure many of you have already supported people in races all across the country. However, if you are still looking to make a donation for this very worthwhile cause, please visit Gemma’s fundraising page. The page will be open until 22nd August 2010.

The key to a successful business venture is to find a gap in the market, see if there’s a demand and go for it! That’s exactly what Annette Taylor did when she stumbled across the brilliant idea of jewellery for boys.

A bead business is born

It’s funny how the best ideas happen. Sometimes you slog away at a masterplan and nothing fruitful comes of it. Then, when you’re not looking, a casual remark will spawn the seeds of a great concept. The clever part is spotting the idea and acting upon it.

Mother of two small boys, Annette Taylor, took the bold step and did just that. She told me how Ben And Harry’s, her brand new jewellery business for boys, was born of frustration and burst into life.

How many high street shops, online stores and markets sell girls’ and ladies’ jewellery and accessories? I bet everyone can name one or two really big national companies that specialise in this area…. Now how many sell stuff for boys? Ok, so we know there are some menswear shops that sell accessories but they are always for men – never for the little ones. Having two small boys who just love to look cool and trendy, we started to realise just how difficult it was for us to find these things.

I was particularly frustrated one day after shopping with my husband and boys for accessories to go with their smart new outfits. We were heading off to a family get together and they wanted to look good. Well, we girls do too don’t we – and what a choice we have! In a rather disappointed mood on the way home I joked to them all that I should just make the accessories myself and that would make things much easier.

I used to make simple pieces of jewellery for my sister and nieces many moons ago and so I already knew the basics. How hard would it be to do it as a business? That’s how Ben and Harry’s was born.

Trial run for bead fun

Bags of fun with funky keyrings!

Of course, starting a successful jewellery business isn’t all beading by the fireside and hoping for the best. Before your company can fly, standards have to be met and products have to be tested. Then there’s the marketing and advertising. Plus there’s the getting out there and flogging your wares.

The hardest thing to sell is something you’ve sweated over to produce yourself. Confidence is needed for the inevitable knockbacks. It can be all to easy to take it personally if someone doesn’t like what you do. Annette told me how she tackled some of these hurdles.

I started to look at the boys’ necklaces and bracelets that I could find and realised that they were put together in exactly the same way as mine – no difference at all. After researching the legalities of selling jewellery, talking to people like Business Link and Trading Standards and of course getting supplies from the wonderful Beads Unlimited, I started to put together some necklaces and bracelets.

My two young product testers took them out for test runs for a few weeks and reported back on wear and tear, the cool factor and general opinions from their friends at school and this is how we work. What I’ll do when they are too old to help I don’t know!

For the love of beads

Ben and Harry’s – a family concern

Starting small but aiming big is another key to success. Steve Jobs spent years sweating it out in Silicon Valley in order for his beloved Apple Mac to become the glorious monster it is now. Okay, that’s an extreme example but the ethos is the same – come up with an idea, envisage a quality product, turn it into something beautiful and take it to the masses. Little acorns, mighty oaks and all that.

Annette’s company is in the early stages. The website is still being refined but is looking good already. Craft fairs are her main market at the moment but this isn’t to be sniffed at. Homespun artefacts are big business right now and the popularity of these hallowed events is growing. Who knows where it will all lead? Annette told me where Ben and Harry’s is now and her hopes for the future.

I’m selling more at craft and school fairs than online at the moment and am really, really looking forward to the Christmas markets. Thankfully I have a brilliant husband who handles the computer side of things (although he has now helped with the odd craft fair) and it’s becoming a real family business. What fun to be doing something creative and new. I love it!

Chic and unique bead style

A welcome change from pink overload!

Annette’s designs are a welcome break from the pink overload, which seems to have swamped the market in recent years. The jewellery is simple yet eye-catching, fun but not too flouncy. Popular surf style necklaces, stylish bracelets and funky keyring bag charms are just some of the goodies on offer. Although the accessories are primarily for boys, I can see the not-so-girlie girls who are all pinked out loving the Ben and Harry’s style.

Affordable boy’s jewellery is a niche market with huge potential. It is exciting to watch this idea take off and see how it blossoms. When our high streets are turning into clone zones, it’s cheering to see more family run businesses coming alive and selling unique items.

Unusual beaders – we want you!

At Bead Barmy, we love to hear about wonderful ways with beads. Do you run an innovative bead related business? Or do you have a particularly unusual way of designing with beads? If you have something you think we might like, please email jo@beadsunlimited.co.uk with a few lines and you too could be featured on Bead Barmy.  Our aim is to broadcast to the world just what can be achieved with the humble bead!

Bead careful

8 hours of patient sewing produces fabulous results!

The last time we checked in on Vicky, she had started a labour of love by carefully stringing beautiful beaded trimmings to adorn her veil. Things were going well with only one slight hiccup when she had to change the ribbon wrap on the comb. With only just over 3 weeks to go to the ensuing nuptuals, I thought it might be time to check in on Vicky again. She told me how her preparations have been going.

I took 8 hours to carefully stitch the beaded string to the very edge of my veil from one side of the comb, all the way down and round to the other side using invisible thread. It gives the veil a stiffened edge so that it hangs beautifully. This was the most time consuming part!

Vicky attaches gorgeous beads for a fab finish

Sticking at it

The results are already stunning, with shimmering beads and a delicate veil giving a classic look. But Vicky is obviously striving for perfection in what is to be her crowning glory. She then continued to tell me how she completed her creation with her next labour intensive task, and how she used a rather unnusual prop to put the final touches on! 

I then used Gemtac to apply the Swarovski clear bicone beads and some tiny 7ss Swarovski flat mirror back rhinestones very carefully, at random intervals, all over the veil, by eye! I placed grease proof paper on the table under the veil so as not to make a mess with the glue. This stuff dries quickly and completely clear. It sticks everything and is washable. Brill stuff! I then stuck it on to the head of my Daughter’s Girls World so that I could see if I needed to place any more once the veil was hanging. So that is my veil complete. I did actually remove the beads from along the join running over the top of the comb as I felt it was overkill! All finished and photographed, I wrapped it in tissue paper and stored it in a box, ready for the big day. Only 24 days to go…..scary!

 

Killer heels complete Vicky’s look

Best foot forward

Vicky’s dedication is both impressive and enviable. She hasn’t stopped at the veil either. No bride’s outfit would be complete without a pair of show stopping shoes and Vicky has certainly achieved that. She has enhanced stunning silver slingbacks with flat backed crystals sourced on Ebay. She has also stuck more crystals onto her dress to tie in with the veil. Even her Daughter has come in on the act and is now demanding some beads to make herself a necklace! All her hard work has ensured a perfectly made and truly unique item that will set her outfit apart from the ‘off the peg’ route. Next stop – the big day!

I’ll be checking back in with Vicky after the wedding to tell you how it all went and show you photos of the finished outfit. In the meantime, please pop back in a week or so to see my next Wedding Belles instalment. I’ll be showing you how to make a tiara and other bridal adornments.

Join in with the celebrations and give us your thoughts in the comments!

A very happy beader

Beaming winners at Beads Unlimited headquarters

Craft Business magazine is a highly regarded trade magazine for the crafts industry. It reports on all the latest news in the craft world, looks at business success stories and helps keep the professional crafter’s finger on the pulse. So it is no mean feat to receive this honour. On winning this prestigious award, Geoff Ellis, the extremely happy proprietor of Beads Unlimited, said:

The last reward I received was for the 25 yards breast stroke and that was, well, longer ago than I care to remember, so I can only say that I am extremely chuffed.