Daily Blogs : announcements

New Beading Daily editor!

Leslie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:01:00 GMT

Hi! I'm so happy to be your new Beading Daily editor!

First and foremost I want to thank Michelle Mach, the founding Beading Daily editor, who has moved on. Michelle helped create an astounding online bead and jewelry community for all of us. We’ll miss her easy writing style and creativity from the past two years. Big cheers for Michelle! The good news is that she told me she'd be delighted to contribute from time to time. Share your wishes for Michelle on the forums!

Magazine scene

I’m thrilled to take up where Michelle left off as the new Beading Daily editor, and lots of you already know me. Perhaps you recognize my face from my photo in Step by Step Beads, for whom I’ve been the editor in chief for almost five years.

You may have taken one of my Bead Fest classes. Maybe you've seen my designs published in Beadwork, Step by Step Beads, Creative Jewelry, Easy Wire, or in a few Interweave books. I even did some technical illustrations for Beadwork.

A short history of an editor

Since getting my BFA in illustration from UArts in Philly, I’ve done a lot of things, and Interweave allows me to finally bring everything together! I was a copywriter and product designer for The Franklin Mint, wrote script cards for QVC, had art features published in Niche, American Style and The Surface Design Journal. I had my own business making wearable art, fabric sculptures and jewelry, selling at the American Craft Council shows and the Buyers Markets of American Crafts. I made my own blog web site and also sell on Etsy. I’ve even been a movie and TV extra. But mostly I love to bead!

Leslie's bead health tip for today:
Wear lots of jewelry as weight-bearing exercise!

Doodlebeads

Maybe because my dad was in the computer biz since they filled rooms, I’ve always loved the tech world. I was on the internet the second it was invented! I started making videos for my daughter’s school assemblies, then my personal blog, then as an Interweave editor. Next came video tutorials for Beading Daily. Called Doodlebeads because I draw out the thread paths as a teaching aid, these tutorials for beginner bead stitchers are already on Beading Daily in the How To section.

Beads, Baubles & Jewels

I love making jewelry, but mostly I love inspiring other people to make jewelry. I have experience in almost every medium and technique but my passion is seed beads. I was asked to teach Doodlebeads on Beads, Baubles & Jewels, the PBS TV show which Interweave sponsors. I just completed taping 12 episodes for the TV show, but a new Doodlebeads DVD with all 12 basic stitches will be in the Interweave store by the end of October of this year!

Beading Daily is yours, mine and ours!

Old friends or new, share what inspires you, what you want to learn, and what your most (or least) favorite posts are. One of the best things about beadingdaily.com is that we are so connected, you with me, me to you, you with each other. We have post comments to share, lively forums, galleries, contests, lessons, videos, Bead Fest bead show events-- so many ways to have a bead-in going all the time. So it’s your turn to tell me about yourselves. Beading Daily is ours! There is an amazing wealth of experience and humor being shared on Beading Daily, being tweeted and blogged and facebooked. So find a forum and let everyone know your wish list for Beading Daily. Who are you and what do you want? More videos? More projects? Which medium? Fewer, bigger, easier, more challenging? Bring it on! Please share your comments. It takes a village, right? Together, we’re making Beading Daily the best jewelry-making neighborhood around!

Happy beading!

10 Favorite Tips, Techniques, and Projects from Beading Daily

Michelle M. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:29:00 GMT

Beading Daily turned two on August 1st. When I started several months before our official launch date, there were 1,500 members. Now there are more than 100,000! It's amazing that despite this huge growth, Beading Daily still feels much like it did when it started—a fun place to hang out with your beading pals. ...(read more)

Find (and Rate) a Bead Shop Near You

Michelle M. — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:14:00 GMT

The Perfect Souvenir

Some tourists may snap up T-shirts or boxes of salt water taffy, but when I travel, it's all about the beads. A bead or even a handful of beads is the perfect souvenir--small, not too pricey, and lasting, never shrinking or fading, or worse, being eaten. Whenever I paw through my bead stash, memories of my trips coming flooding back. There are those pretty shell flower beads from that shop in Honolulu that was nearly impossible to find, but oh so worth it! There is a tube of hip anodized blue jump rings from a funky bead shop in Ohio and pretty silver dollar charms--perfect for summery earrings--from California. And how can I forget the pair of copper leaf beads that I bought when I was in Australia last year?

The minute I found out about that trip to Australia, I started searching for bead shops. It was frustrating and slow. What I wanted--and couldn't seem to find--was a nice list by location that I could print off and tuck into my suitcase. Instead, after much searching, I found some random websites here and there, which I scribbled into a notebook.

Once there, none of the shops on my pathetic list turned out to be nearby. But apparently, my beading karma is pretty good. My hotel in Melbourne was literally a few blocks away from a cute bead shop lined with glass jars of beads. Arranged by color, it felt like walking into a rainbow. That shop experience was one of my best memories of the trip. (That and the penguins.)

Introducing the Big Bead Book Directory

Let me be clear: locating bead shops is not an Australian problem! Finding bead shops is a problem no matter where you go. There are many outdated lists floating around the Internet, not to mention shop websites that hang around long after the shop has closed. That's why I was so excited when I learned that we would be creating an international directory on Beading Daily that lists shops, bead societies, and wholesalers. It's not finished yet. (It's in "beta" in geek speak.) We really need your help adding to it, particularly with listings outside the U.S. Both paid and free options are available. So if you're a bead shop owner, a wholesaler, or the president of a bead society, please take a minute and add (or check) your information in the directory. (If you're already listed, you'll be receiving an email in the next day or two with your account login and password.)

In addition to basic contact information, this directory also allows you to add your ratings. We all know that finding the location of a bead shop is only half the battle. The other half is finding an amazing bead shop, one that you'll want to return to again and again (if only in your dreams). Recommendations from beading friends are always prized, but I'm hoping the Big Bead Book will be the next best thing. What are the "five star" bead shops in your area? You know the ones I'm talking about--the ones that offer an inviting place to shop, that place special orders for the beads we just "have" to have, that hold fabulous classes (both formal and impromptu), that host beading contests and parties, and are willing to go "above and beyond" on a regular basis. Take a few minutes and add your ratings to the directory. I promise if I visit I'll leave a few beads for you!

Visit the Big Bead Book

Does anyone else visit bead shops on vacation? What are some of your favorite bead souvenirs? Share your comments on the website.

Coming This Week: On Wednesday, Jean Campbell shares her secrets for creating perfect simple and wrapped loops. On Friday, I'll share a free necklace project. It might have fringe and seed beads or it might have gemstones and chain; I'm not sure which of the two free necklace projects will be finalized by Friday, so you'll just have to be surprised along with me!

Michelle Mach shares beading news, contests, reader galleries, and other beady stuff every Monday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Michelle, please post them on the website.