One of the great things about Berks Bead Bazaar is how it has introduced me to smaller beadmakers - beadmakers who make all their own beads, by hand. And anyone who knows me, knows how I'm attracted to things ceramic or clay or porcelain - so here's my stash from the show on March 1-2.
The show was smaller this year and missing some of my favorite vendors, vendors from which I had some pretty specific needs, but this show kinda felt more like home. It had some of the best artisans I have come to know over the past few years.
First of all, let me tell you about
Artisan Accents by Staci Louise - I buy her beads because they challenge me. If you know my work - and saw what I made from her beads on my Day of the Dead post, you know it really stretched me. Well, I bought more of her beads, specifically to make me think and to stretch and exercise my creativity - no idea where these are going - Go to Staci's web site to see the magnificent pieces she makes with her components -
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These pieces vary in size from about 1.25 inches to about 3 inches for the wing. The round copper piece reminds me of something Gallifreyan (Doctor Who reference), the wing is a recurring image of mine. I generally don't like hearts but I love the colors in this one. They all have this copper/old metal/worn and used type of vibe to me, hearkening to something that has a history and it's up to me to discover the context in which they lived.
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Next up - a fairly newish friend of mine -
Diana from Suburban Girl Studios - she has a great etsy shop and she is updating it today fairly soonish so if you like her work, head over because the good stuff doesn't last long and it's all good stuff. You'll see a theme starting here and carrying over into my next purchase - Some of the pieces here are destined toward future costume accessories for myself (the scarabs) and the rest will probably be made into jewelry and sold but you never know because Diana's stoneware is just so cool I hate to let go of any of it. And check out that cool pendant in the middle!
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| Love the cogs and the keyholes - and the natural glazes, but she has a bunch of other more colorful stuff, these gorgeous leaves with many colors, not my style but sooooo pretty! |
Next up we have
Jenny Davies-Reazor - for the past couple of years we have been missing each other at events. The bead world and the costume/con world collide between the two of us. When anyone would find out that one/other of us were into beads/cons they would say - do you know "Dianne?" "Jenny?" and we had never met. It got to be a big joke that we were never in the same place until one day - Last fall, We were!! Jenny makes great polymer and ceramic beads and you see the theme here. Definitely on purpose. I have a whole line of jewelry coming out for
Steampunk World's Fair that is based on keys, keyholes and literary and fairy tail references. These were perfect!
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Loved these different sized keyholes, the piece on the left will most likely be a bracelet though I was thinking about a choker as well - the pretty pendant in the center reminds me of the keyhole from the Twelve Dancing Princesses. There are some strange fairy tales and I aim to stick to the originals, no Disney here - Fairy Tales are a lot more Grimm than you think - (see what I did there?? Lol)
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I'm off to make jewelry now - see ya next week when I either show off some of the recent accessories I have made for my costumes OR post some pics from the Gilded Festival -
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