BeadStyle : crafts

You still have the weekend to apply for the American Craft Council's shows "AltCraft" segments

Cathy Jakicic — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:09:00 GMT

The American Craft Council is still accepting AltCraft applications for its flagship show in Baltimore and its show in Atlanta.

This section celebrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning handmade movement. This is an opportunity for talented artists and indie designers to gain national exposure at a well-established show.

The ACC will be accepting 15 artists for Baltimore and 10 for Atlanta.

The deadline has been EXTENDED to Monday, October 19.

You must submit:

(3) low-resolution images of your work
a brief description of your work (materials, dimensions, techniques)
contact information (mailing address, email addresses & website)
if the application is for the Baltimore, Atlanta or both
Finalists will be announced in mid-November.
Send submissions and inquiries to Erika at altcraft@craftcouncil.org.

As part of the Council’s commitment to indie crafters, the cost of participation includes pre-setup of a skirted table, seating, electricity, lighting and trusses. Plus, there’s no application fee!

More than 700 artists present their work at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore , attracting a crowd of 25,000 people to the largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation. This year, the retail show will run four days, from Thursday to Sunday, Feb. 25 - 28.

The American Craft Council Show in Atlanta will be celebrating its 21st year. Atlanta show dates are Friday to Sunday, Mar. 12- 14, plus an evening event on Thursday, Mar. 11.

Applicants are eligible only if they have NOT shown in an American Craft Council show previously. Embellished commercially-bought items (such as t-shirts and notecards) are not eligible.

Martha Stewart…beading???

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:41:00 GMT

Last week Wednesday, MarthaStewart.com’s craft of the day was making beaded animal charms with fine-gauge wire and seed beads. The technique is quite simple: Center a piece of wire on a jump ring or split ring, then string beads on one end of the wire and cross the other end through them.

In the beading world, this is known as “crossweave technique” and you’ll be seeing a crossweave project in our September issue, which will be on newsstands August 4. The project is by our Class Challenge Winner, and we show you how to use both regular- and irregular-shaped beads for two totally different looks.

Crossweave technique is nothing new to me. My teenaged sister made me these crossweave critters (a sextet of "Seasame Street" characters and an otter, one of my favorite animals) from her own designs. As you can see, the technique is very adaptable and makes for great charms, keychain dangles, ornaments (can you say quick-and-easy holiday gifts?), and especially jewelry. We know you’re going to love it!

Have you seen this bead?

Cathy Jakicic — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:31:00 GMT

I'm currently working on a cool project by designer Ute Bernsen of Silk Painting Is Fun that uses silk cord (naturally), a beautiful Clay River pendant, a number of Vintaj accents, and some random small beads, including the one that's currently giving me fits - a copper knot. I was sure we had one like it in our stash, but I can't find it. Any ideas where I can get one?

Crafts, cakes, and creativity in 2009!

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:41:00 GMT

In recent blogs, Naomi talked about her creative resolutions for 2009 and Erin gave us the shortlist (which is actually a pretty long list) of projects she has in the works. Now here’s a sneak peek into the creative pursuits on the front (and back) burners of my own craftiness.

A few weeks ago, BeadStyle’s Senior Editor Linda Augsburg had the fabulous idea of cleaning out her craft room, depositing items she wasn’t using in an empty office here at Kalmbach, and allowing other crafters to raid the stash. I picked up a few rolls of seasonal-colored snowman-printed ribbon, and turned them into what I affectionately call Jacob’s Ladder of Letters.

I absolutely treasure the tradition of sending out holiday cards, letters, and pictures in December, but I could never figure out how to display them in a way that was meaningful but not messy. Inspired by a few holiday card displays on sale at Etsy.com, my Jacob’s Ladder of Letters did the trick. Here’s what I did:
1) Used chainnose pliers to bend a piece of 20-gauge craft wire into a triangle, then used 24-gauge wire to securely wrap the ends together.
2) Secured the end of a long length of ribbon to the wire triangle with a button and thread.
3) Installed a 3M Command Strip Hook upside down on the back of a door and anchored the wire triangle in the arch of the hook.
4) Flipped the ribbon over the front of the door so that it reached almost to the floor, then used wooden clothes pins to secure cards to the ribbon on both sides of the door.

I found that Jacob’s Ladder of Letters also works great for birthday cards. Thanks for sharing your stuff, Linda!

And speaking of birthdays, last week Friday was mine, so it was time to dream up another cake to decorate. Those who know me well know that there is a special place in my heart for my favorite Muppet, Cookie Monster. This year, I decided it was time to give my sweet-toothed hero an equally sweet homage, and below is the result.

So that’s what I’ve been working on so far in 2009. Since this post is already long enough, I’ll give you a glimpse of near-future projects in my post next week Monday. Stay tuned!