Bead Shop Hop Fast Approaching

The Bead Shop Hop is just around the corner, Yeah!

The dates are Friday through Sunday September 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22.  Fri. and Sat. 10am-7pm and Sun. 12noon-5pm.  Three fun weekends!

Every store will be a different "Destination".  What's ours??  You'll just have to come by to see!  And each store will be giving you a charm that represents their destination.

If you visit all 22 stores you will be eligible for the Grand Prize and 3 Runner Up Prizes. There are 3 Regional Prizes for visiting all stores in a region and a Gift Basket from each store if you visit at least 3 stores.  Pick up a brochure at any SCLBSA store for all the details.

At Bead It! in Chino we are having:

   Free Make & Take Pearl Rings on Friday 9/6 and Friday 9/20 from 10am to 4pm. 

   A demonstration on Pearl Knotting will be held on Friday 9/13 from 10am to 1pm. 
   Kits will be available for sale at that time.

   Another free Make & Take will be Tiare Flower Earrings on Saturday 9/7 and
   Saturday 9/14 from 10am to 4pm.

Plan on stopping in at those times if you are interested in taking advantage of these offers.  (I think I just gave a hint for our destination.)

We will also have gifts for purchases of $15 or more.  And at the end of each day we will have a drawing for a very special surprise!  Just make a purchase and you are entered.

So keep those dates in mind! 

In the meantime - Happy Beading!

Janet Beck
Bead It!
13460 Central Ave. Ste. E
Chino, CA 91710
909 364-2402
www.2beadit.com

Just a little over one month before the

largest Bead Shop Hop takes place!!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS

Tell all of your friends and make it a party. The stores will be decorated as their favorite "Destination" and you will be able to take part in special offers, Make N Takes, Trunks Shows and more!

It doesn't get any better than this!!!

Travel around the world with us. You might see the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef and many more awesome places.

Have the chance to win some great prizes!!

It's Beaders' Give Back Week

Greetings from Ventura County. This week, July 16-21, is Beaders' Give Back Week and this year it is a Bead 'n Feed. Each store in our association has chosen a food pantry to support in varying ways. Creative Castle has chosen our local Conejo Valley food bank MANNA. When you come shopping this week at Creative Castle you will have the opportunity to make a donation to MANNA. When you do, you will then receive a discount off your shopping trip of 10%-40%. By writing a check you will receive a tax deduction while supporting a great organization. A donation of $5 receives 10% off your entire purchase, $15 receives 20%, $25 receives 30% and $40 or more earns a 40% savings. We have been raising money at our store for MANNA for over 5 years and our goal during this week is $1000. Last time we did this we raised $875.

Marcia DeCoster was here this past weekend. We hosted a book signing for her new book, Beads in Motion. We sold out! I reordered it today and the order will be here next week mid week. It is a great book with lots of fabulous seed bead projects and all have movable parts! Please call if you would like to reserve a copy. (805-499-1377)

We will be having a trunk show of vintage German buttons and beads July 24-25. This vendor has fabulous merchandise so please come by.

Our new calendar of classes for Finter, (Sept-Dec) is in the works and should be complete and posted on our website by the end of this week www.creativecastle.com   Registration for these classes begins July 27 at 10 a.m.

It is never too early to start making plans with your traveling buddies for this year's Bead Shop Hop. This year's theme is destinations. I am sure you will want to experience the various destinations each shop will provide. The dates are Sept. 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22.

I hope you have a great week.
Happy beading,
Carole
Creative Castle
2321 Michael Dr.
Newbury Park, CA
805-499-1377

News from Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations

       

 

 

 

 

July 9, 2013

Greetings from the Desert!

     Things are really heating up here at Monica's. Okay--I know--it's hot here in the summer anyway, but, seriously! We have been making new friends all over the country since being named one of the Top Ten Shops in the country by Better Homes and Gardens earlier this year. We launched a new website last December, just in time to make it easy for Quilt Sampler readers to shop in their pajamas. It has been such a thrill to connect with creative people who have discovered Monica's through the magazine. Last week, Monica's was featured in our local newspaper, The Desert Sun. Nice to be recognized by your home town.

     We're busy celebrating eight wonderful years in business here in Palm Desert this week with an Anniversary Sale: 20% savings on pearls, semi-precious stones, yard cuts (or more), and fat quarter packets. On Saturday, July 13th, it's a party from 10 - 3. I love a party--please come celebrate with me!

     Next week we'll be participating with other shops, giving back to the community. Beaders Give Back: Bead and Feed runs from July 15th to the 21st. We've teamed up with Food In Need of Distribution (FIND) for this SCLBSA event. FIND works in partnership with community-based organizations across eastern Riverside and southern San Bernardino counties, serving over 80,000 hungry people every month. Bring in $5 worth of canned food and receive a $5 discount coupon for a purchase of $30 or more. Bring in $20 worth of canned food and take a free bracelet class.

On July 18, make 3 different riveted leather bracelets. $10.95 for the kit.

 

 

On July 18, make a sparkly cup chain bracelet with a button closure. Kits start at just $5.

     There's always something new here at Monica's--fabrics arrive daily, jewelry-making and quilting classes happen all week long, join us for Sit and Sew, Sit and Bead...we are your one stop shop for top quality beading and quilting supplies. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to help.

       Visit our website to read our quarterly and weekly newsletters, browse through our growing list of merchandise available on line, and see a current list of classes and events. You can sign up on line, over the phone, or in person, of course!   www.monicasquiltandbead.com

Until next time,

Monica A. Gonzales

Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations

77-780 Country Club Dr., Suite C

Palm Desert, CA  92211

(760) 772-2400

monicasqbc@aol.com

www.monicasquiltandbead.com

Monday - Saturday 9:30 to 5:30, Sunday 11-4

 

 

       

    

Hello to all of our wonderful beaders from the Beadiak, in Agoura Hills! This will be the first time I've written to you, and there's much great news to share! First, I want to tell you how excited we are, planning for our upcoming events. The shop is abuzz with preparations for our chosen destination theme for the Shop Hop in September. We're busy re-arranging the shop, putting in new merchandise and planning our decorations. All of the shop destinations are still a secret, so we feel like we're part of a delicious conspiracy! But first, I'd like to tell you about the upcoming SCLBSA event called BEADERS GIVE BACK WEEK!

For one week, every participating store in the SCLBSA has chosen a way to give back to our surrounding communities by choosing a cause or an organization to support. Some stores will be collecting food to give to local food banks. Others will be collecting for organizations that fight cancer and other diseases. We will ask our loyal customers to help us in our efforts and then we will reward you in many different ways to show how much we appreciate you.

It's somehow so easy to fall into the habit of worrying or complaining about all that troubles us; all that is not quite right with us, our loved ones or with what is happening to the environment or in other parts of the country and the world. There's lots of temptation to feel sad. It's no accident that, when beaders meet at the table in the shop, everyone leaves feeling a little better, a little lighter, and a little happier. We listen and support one another. We know how to nurture each other. Now, it's time to share even more.

One of the best ways to feel better is to think about those whose need is greater than ours. The trials and tribulations of daily life are inclined to make us forget to be thankful for all the wonderful blessings we have in our lives! Giving freely from what we have, whether it be a little or a lot, does something magical to our hearts and our minds. Giving feeds our souls. It creates a domino effect by putting a smile on our faces that changes the chemistry in our brains that changes our hormones, lifts our moods, fills our hearts and enriches our lives! What could be better! Our participation in the Beaders Give Back Week lets us give something back to the wonderful customers who support us, while helping those in need in our surrounding communities. 

This year, the Beadiak has chosen to support the MEALS ON WHEELS WEST program. Meals on Wheels West works tirelessly to provide both hot and cold meals to homebound people of any age who are unable to shop or cook for themselves. Many of these meals are given free of charge. Often, when someone is aged, alone or possibly disabled, cooking and eating nutritious meals becomes difficult or impossible. The Meals on Wheels program provides not only meals, fresh fruit and a newspaper, but also companionship. Sometimes, the only human contact is from the Meals on Wheels volunteer that brings life affirming essentials. Every MOW recipient is given a 3 day Emergency Survival Kit, and MOW also supplies flea medicine and pet food when needed, so that people don't have to share their own food with their pets. Meals on Wheels West serves homebound people in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Topanga Canyon, Venice and parts of Marina Del Rey.

Now, for the details! For 8 days, from July 15th through the 21st, we are asking our customers to make a donation for Meals on Wheels West. With each donation, customers will receive an equal percentage off a one time purchase. Sooo.... if you donate $10, you will receive 10% discount on a purchase. If you donate $20, you will receive a 20% discount. A $30 donation gets a 30% discount, and a $40 donation gets a 40% discount! All monies collected will be given to Meals on Wheels West, with our thanks for all the good work they do.

If you're close to Agoura Hills, please come visit us in Whizin Market Square. Westways Magazine selected Whizins as a day-trip destination point in Southern California. Plan a trip to come and enjoy the wonderful antique stores and restaurants that Market Square has to offer. Whether you've got a hankering for a wonderful panini, the best gelato in So Cal, an outrageous Italian pastry, or a vegan salad, we've got it. (Just don't tell our husbands why we're so happy to go to work!) And of course, check us out for our wonderful selection of beads from all over the world, focal pieces, beading supplies, finished jewelry and all kinds of other gifts and treasures!

 Please "Like" us 
 Beadiak Facebook Page 

Thanks for reading,

Anne Karam

Beadiak
Whizin Market Square
28853 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818.597.8020
www.beadiak.com
Open 10 - 6 Mon thru Sat
Open 12 - 4 Sundays

Check the SCLBSA website for further information on participating stores in BEADERS GIVE BACK WEEK.

2013 Bead Shop Hop brochure is now available

 

To view the entire 2013 Bead Shop Hop brochure click here!

Beads on Fabric: Observations from a Mad Costumer

(For clarity, that's "mad" as in "of questionable sanity" and not "mad" as in "upset", though I can tell you, making the transition from straight textile costuming to beads-on-fabric embellishment has its moments of ire.)

I began doing costumes for competition 15 years ago, but struggled to make the transition between Journeyman and Master, which required significant improvements in design, technique, and finishing. In the strange world of competitive costuming, needle-and-thread is king; judges tend to award the highest scores to costumes that are fabricated all or in part with hand-sewing techniques, especially if they're unusual, difficult, or time-consuming.

How does this relate to beading?  Seed beading (among costumers) is unusual, difficult, AND time-consuming. It also involves use of my beloved needle and thread, so I took to it very quickly and have been experimenting with ways to incorporate it into the detail work on larger pieces.

In competition costume, the work has to function at two levels: it has to withstand the scrutiny of the Workmanship judges (usually a panel of 3-5), who can poke and prod and examine as minutely as they and the contestant desire; it also has to be impressive, witty, strange, and/or engaging enough to play to a crowd of thousands on a proscenium stage 30-50 feet across in hopes of getting high marks from the Performance judges (a separate panel of 3-5). For me, the transition from Journeyman to Master began with seed-beading embellishments, in the form of bugle and 11/0s. I'd seen applique work, in which the pieces are assembled separately, and then flat-sewn onto fabric. However, I opted for a more integrated approach, in which the beads are sewn directly onto the fabric in the style of Native American beading, 3-5 beads at a time to make patterns and shapes.

There were over 5000 seed beads in this pattern, and it took me about a month to complete. At first, I had the single red rows, but I wanted a more "comic book" look to the shape, so I added the outer black row, which has become my new standard for defining shapes and separating sections.

In 2012 came the Victorian Lady Doctor project, a 13-person costume entry with ladies in Victorian garb. Instead of the shapes and encrusting I'd done for previous wins, I used beads to emphasize seams, joints, and create patterns.

Detail of the center front panel of my gown. I used serpentine-shaped lines to emphasize the hourglass shape of the bodice. Note the double lines of black in hexes and round 11/0s along the edges of the black velvet ribbon.

Matching spats. The beads here are 15/0s, smaller than the ones I used on the bodice so they'd be more proportional. This pair was created so I could hide the zippers on the boots, and also because I loved the novelty of having tweed spats. (An in-joke for the character, which is from a Science Fiction show.)

Here you can see the outlining detail of the bow tie. In addition to giving shape and definition to the piece, it stiffens the edges of the fabric, making the whole bow tie more effective, especially from a distance. A customer liked the effect so much that she commissioned a hair bow, using the same materials and technique.

As implied above, costuming with beads for me is not just for flat fabric or shapes, but becomes vital for accessorizing looks. For this year's major group project, one of my friends needed a celery stalk, the shape of which was EXTREMELY challenging. I ended up using 15/0s, 11/0s, and silk 11/0s, which are just slightly larger.

This is approximately life-sized. My friend attached a pin back to it and will be wearing it on her lapel. (Another in-joke for the character, which is also from a Science Fiction show.)

As a final example of the transformative power of beads for fabric pieces, I want to touch on my latest project, which is a Roman Centurion as reimagined through the sensibilities of Erte. (Think Roman + Great Gastby.) I started with raw bronze satin, looked up a mosaic pattern that dates back to Roman times, and was pleasantly surprised at how much the beads could alter the whole texture of the piece. I will be bringing the whole costume (of which the following is one piece) to competition this year to defend my Best in Show win from last year.

On the right, the raw satin. On the left, the embellished piece, which is sewn to exactly the same material. Below, the original mosaic design. The beaded mosaic is in 11/0 Delicas of matte black, iridescent rose, matte bronze, and hex bronze. 

So what do I want you to take away from this blog post? Well, our organization is about promoting the use and love of beads of all kinds, so I've been teaching costumers basic bead embellishment, with good results in terms of competition wins, overall costume appearance and cohesion, and sales for our store. It's a niche market, yes, but one worth exploring. And for seed beaders, it gives a whole new sphere of useful applications for labors of love.

Starting this fall, I plan to add classes in bead embroidery to Ocean Sky Carlsbad's class list. I will also be applying to demonstrate/teach some basic methods for the 2014 Gaslight Gathering convention. Working among communities of costumers not only encourages me to bring my "A" game in terms of creativity, but has opened up new markets for my family's business.

For, as Polonius says in HAMLET, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."