Daily Blogs : travel

Plotting Your Next Bead Adventure

Michelle M. — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:15:00 GMT

I was just checking out the classes at BeadFest Philadephia and having a nice dream about taking classes from one of the top-notch teachers that will be there this August 21-24. Sometimes it’s hard to make trips like this a reality, but being the superb plotter that I am, I’ve developed a quick plan on how I could make it happen....(read more)

Michelle's First Trip to the Tucson Bead Shows

Michelle M. — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:08:00 GMT

Beading Daily editor Michelle Mach shares photos and news of her first trip to the Tucson Bead Shows, February 2-6, 2009....(read more)

An Insider Look: Working as a Vendor at a Bead Show

Michelle M. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:36:00 GMT

I haven’t seen that movie The Bucket List yet, but I like the concept—you know, the one that says a person should create and execute a grand “to do” list before they kick the proverbial pail? My bucket list includes things that I’m sure are on many of your lists . . . visiting the Great Pyramids, going hang-gliding, learning the tango, helping build housing for the homeless, and learning to raise chickens (what, that last one isn’t on your list?). ...(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.

Tips for Beading While on Vacation

Editor — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Wahoo! I'm on vacation. A sleepy Florida beach on the Atlantic Ocean where there are so many shells that every step makes a cruuuunch. It's been so nice to take my long early-morning walks, looking out at the thundering waves and see the sun peaking up from the East. Palm trees and seaside grasses. All is green and blue. A far cry from my subzero white and gray suburban digs.

Did I bring my beads? Heck, yeah! I'm working on a Delica-rich patterned bracelet that's just for me--not for a book, class, or article. Just like this vacation--it's just for me!

If you're going on vacation and can't keep away from your beads, here are some things I find useful when I'm far from home.

Unless you're visiting friends that want to spend lots of time beading, bring only one project. Chances are you get so wrapped up in whatever you're doing for R&R, you don't even get to the beads. So don't bring more UFOs (UnFinished Objects) than necessary because, if you're like me, you'll just feel guilty that they're being unattended.
Put everything for that one project in a workbox instead of bringing a bag with a bunch of little tubes and supplies and junk bouncing about. You're flirting with tube-explosion danger!
Make a workbox that works for you! What I've done is use an old flat wooden cigar box and lined it with a piece of Vellux blanket that's a little wider than the box so a) it cushions the beads so they don't roll around and b) I can pull everything out easily without dumping it all on the floor. There's a thin magnet glued to the side so I don't lose needles. I usually tape the pattern I'm working on to the inside top of the lid.

Cigar boxes have a little latch, but I also put a couple of thick rubber bands around the box, just in case. I suppose you could get fancy by attaching a more elaborate latch system on there, but I don't like to spend too much time on that kind of stuff, so rubber bands it is. This system is nice because it's so transportable: I can work on a project whether I'm in the car, on an airplane, or on a deck chair, and it fits nicely into a suitcase.

Speaking of packing up all your supplies, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) guidelines say you can bring a scissors onboard if they have blades shorter than 4 inches. I'm a bit paranoid about losing my favorite scissors (a surgical pair for removing stitches--very hard-won!), so I always put them in my regular baggage. If you must bead on the plane, there are little cutters available at bead shops that you can wear around your neck to cut thread, but I just slip a box of dental floss in my carry-on and cut my thread on the little metal gizmo. It doesn't work as well as my scissors, but it does the job just fine.
There doesn't seem to be anything on the TSA website about bringing beading needles onboard, and I've never had a problem with them, but you might want to check on that before you go.
The TSA guidelines say you can bring pliers onboard if they are shorter than 7 inches. But I'm a bit weird about that, too. When the restrictions were tighter, I was relieved of a brand-new set of plastic-tipped pliers I forgot to put in my luggage. TSA took them all, even though they were plastic-tipped. My anger was abated somewhat when I imagined one of those big TSA agents popping them in his pocket and going home to straighten wire to complete his French-wire flower arrangement!

I'm sure you all have great ideas about beading while traveling, too. Send them in! In the meantime, I think I'll go pick shells.

Jean Campbell writes about beading and life every Wednesday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Jean, please post them on the website. Thanks!

Top Organization Tips from Readers

Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Organization Tips Large and Small

Sometimes a small organizational tip can make a huge difference. My headpins are stored in tiny plastic bags and as a result, they are bent every which way. When contest finalist Susan Jacob mentioned that she kept her headpins straight by storing them in vials that was a light bulb moment for me!

Other tips made me rethink my whole notion of the creative process. Many beaders, for example, mentioned the importance of using containers like glass jars that let you see your collection. I never realized it before, but I do get more ideas when my beads are spread around me than when they are tidily tucked out of sight. No wonder I've been resisting the typical opaque storage containers!

Small Spaces = Organized Living?

Another surprise for me was the number of contest entrants live in studio apartments, motor homes, or other small spaces. By necessity, these folks are masters at organization.

Frequent travelers also made up a large portion of the entrants. It's hard to think of a beading space that's smaller than an airplane seat nowadays, especially one in coach!

At right: Betty Neve and her daughter's solution to beading on airplanes--handmade twisted needles and a floss container cutter.

Popular Containers for Beads

Beaders love containers for other crafts like embroidery floss boxes and scrapbooking carts. They also are terrific recyclers with all sorts of containers from lunchmeat trays to an old wooden television case finding new life in the bead world. Tackle boxes were hugely popular, so make sure to check out the hardware and sporting goods stores in addition to craft stores when looking for suitable storage. No matter what kind of container you select, labeling is key--not just for you, but also for everyone in your household who might otherwise claim that container for their own. A few ideas for containers:

Tic-Tac boxes
Cigar boxes
Spice racks
Pasta racks
Tie racks

Food containers
Pill boxes
Egg cartons
Muffin tins
Watchmaker cases

Recipe card boxes
Cosmetic bags
Ice cube trays
Shoe boxes
Jars (baby food, jam)

And the winners are . . .

Author Laura Levaas and I had a very challenging time selecting the winners from the 500+ entries in the Beader's Stash contest. Be sure to also check out the list of 30 finalists for more organization tips and ideas.

Beyond the Bead
Marjorie Oxman
To keep my tools organized and easily accessible, I hung magnet knife blocks (from IKEA) on the wall, next to where I work. They hold quite a few beading tools within easy reach, and they cost only $14.99!

On the Cheap
Elizabeth Gorman
I sticky-tape a freezer bag to the side of my beading desk to put all the rubbish ends of threads, broken pieces of wire, etc. I only empty it when it is full. This saves time—you don’t have to look for ends of threads on the floorand it means no more stepping on broken bits of wire/metal! It is also very cheapyou can purchase a bag of 100 or more freezer bags for only $0.40 (AU)!

Your Beading Place
Susan Nelson
Since I’ve just recently become a “professional” myself, measuring the length of pieces has become important. I decoupaged one of those sewing tape measures to the front edge of my beading table, so it’s easy to know how much wire used and the finished length.

On the Road
Betty Neve
Current restrictions on what you can take on a plane have presented the beadaholic with the challenge of what you can use to bead with on a long flight. Tip: Make your own safe needles out of 28 gauge twisted copper wire. Make a safe thread cutter by pulling the top off a dental floss packet, round and smooth the edges, drill a hole in it and attach it to your key ring along with some beads.

Bead Stash
Christine DeLio
To store my crystals, I purchased 100 10ml clear plastic lip balm jars with lids and small rare earth disc magnets. I used E6000 to glue a magnet to the bottom of each jar. I then purchased a large dry erase magnet board. I mounted the board on the wall and arranged the jars of crystals by size, shape, and color. You can label your sections on the board using a dry erase market. It’s easy to see your inventory and pick colors since the jars are clear, plus it uses vertical space.

Congratulations to our five winners, each of whom will receive an autographed copy of Beader's Stash by Laura Levaas. This is a fun beading book with 40 projects of all types (stringing, wireworking, loomwork, felting, bead embroidery, weaving, soldering) from the top bead shops in the United States and Canada. Learn more about the book.

Glass Bead Design Challenge - One Week Left

Have you submitted your challenge entry yet? Design a necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings with any type of glass beads and you could win a cool new beading book or a beautiful starfish lampwork pendant by Stephanie Sersich. Deadline is Sunday, March 2, 2008. Enter the Glass Bead Challenge.

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 (or organization tips to share), please post them on the website.

Katie Hacker Talks About Creativity, Trends

Editor — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:00:00 GMT

An Interview with Katie Hacker

I think it's close to impossible to bead for any length of time and not come across some of Katie Hacker's work in a beading magazine, book, or at one of the large bead shows in the U.S. Katie is the author of Hip to Bead and many other books. (She published her first book at 23!) She also writes the "Ask Katie" column in Simply Beads magazine and presents jewelry design tips on the PBS series, Beads, Baubles & Jewels. If there are such things as beading rock stars, then Katie is definitely one of them!--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor

Michelle: What's your creative process like? Do you tend to sketch or plan your ideas first, or do most of your ideas come to you while you are working in the studio? Do you have a schedule? Do you work on multiple projects at once?

Katie: I tend to get an idea and then let it percolate for a while before attempting to recreate it in my studio. I carry a little notebook around with me so I can jot down ideas when they come to me. I always have a lot of projects going at once, but I make a little schedule for myself so I can feel like I'm accomplishing things as I cross them off the list. I'm very deadline-oriented, so I have daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists.

Clever Candle Wrap
by Katie Hacker
(Instructions in Hip to Bead)

Michelle: What current trends in beading are you noticing? What beading techniques or types of beads are popular now?

Katie: Right now, there is a big crossover between traditionally crafty techniques and jewelry making. Lots of designers are mixing beading with image transfer, rubber stamping, crochet, and other crafting techniques. Also, while intricate beadwork is always going to be popular, there are a growing number of beaders who want to make something tonight and wear it tomorrow.

Fruit Salad Choker
by Katie Hacker

Michelle: What's it like to be on TV? Is there anything about the filming process that surprised you the first time you were on TV?

Katie: It's really fun to be on Beads, Baubles & Jewels. I enjoy meeting the different artists who visit. Since everything seems so spontaneous on-camera, it's surprising how much preparation goes into a three-minute Beading Lessons segment. We start planning the segments about four months before the taping, then I start writing scripts and making samples to show on-camera. Each segment represents a couple of hours of work.

Michelle: Many Beading Daily readers have children or grandchildren. Do you have suggestions on how to enhance their children's creativity—and maybe their own creativity at the same time?

Katie: I'm lucky to have grown up in a very crafty environment. My dad sold craft supplies and my mom is a creative person, so I had a great combination of access to supplies and someone to show me how to make things. I think the key is really just providing a time and space for kids (and yourself) to play, imagine, and create. It helps to have an area of your house that's dedicated to craftiness, whether it's a card table or a little desk. Then you can sit down and create whenever you get the urge.

Learn more about Katie Hacker on her website, www.katiehacker.com. Information about her book Hip to Bead may be found at: www.hiptobead.com.

Travel Storage Tip from a Beading Daily Reader

"The plastic containers you buy your DVDs or CDs in make very useful storage/travel containers for beads. They have a very secure lid and can be stashed one on top of the other occupying very little space. Plus they are transparent, so you always know what's inside at first glance."--Paola Filinesi

Coming Friday: Do you use your kitchen or dining room table for beading or jewelry making? I'll share the surprising poll results and a few of the more than 750 comments I received on this topic!

Have you voted yet on the latest poll? I have no idea how this one will turn out, except to say that very few people are feeling neutral about the topic of beaded home decor! Vote now.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She is trying to organize her beads before her next big beading blitz!