A Collaboration Celebration - Where Two Worlds Meet

What am I celebrating you ask?  I've posted before about how I love collaborations between two artists.  I think it's the best of both worlds.  A few weeks back, I had asked my friend and fellow BAO member, Triz, if she would collaborate on a piece with me.  She does amazing beadwork - you can see her work at Triz Designs or scroll through her "My Beadwork" on her blog.  Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff!  I had just started making cabochons and I wanted to have a special piece to display at the Bead & Button show next month.  I sent a bunch of cabochon pictures to her and she selected two that she considered more of a color challenge to her.  That was the first challenge.  The second challenge was time. Triz happens to live in Israel and shipping, well, takes at least a week at best.  She told me when the cabs arrived and that she wasn't sure if she would make a bracelet or a necklace.  OK.  My thought was, two cabochons for a necklace or a bracelet?  When I design pieces, I usually use one focal and bead around that one piece.  So I was curious as to what she would do.  When she started working on it, she blogged about it here. Her blog began with her posting two beads that she had purchased from me a while ago.  I loved seeing the comparison of what I did probably a year or so ago and what I'm doing now.  What do you think?  Anyway, she started by beading around one of the cabs.  I was looking forward to seeing the progress.  But it got pretty quiet. I was wondering how it was going, but didn't want to ask as I knew she had a time constraint and didn't want to put any undo pressure on my friend! Alright, I was really hoping she would do this again and didn't want to be a pain!

Unfortunately for Triz, sometimes "the best laid plans" don't always go as planned.  An unseen circumstance arose and she had to put the work down.  Yikes.  We've all been there, right?  You can read about it here. Then her son ended up with a fever and, you know how that goes.  I loved the picture of her dog all snuggled up to him.  So sweet!  But she managed to get it done and will be sending it off soon.  I'm lovin' what she did with them - I'm kvelling I tell ya!  If any of you will be at the Bead & Button show, stop by Booth #1244 to see it in person! 

Social Marketing in a NutShell

I really should be in the studio, but felt compelled to write this post.  Constant Constant has just brought social marketing to a new level.  They recently acquired NutShellMail (also known as the Nut House).   For all of us who use facebook, twitter, and linkedin, NutShellmail will gather all information about you from those networks, organize and deliver that information to you.  They do this via one email.  Want to know what others are saying about your business?  You can start tracking what's happening in the social media world and respond to it directly.  This is the google analytics of social media.  In a nut shell.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. 

Marvelous Monday

Here's an artist whose work may inspire you.  Her name is Kimberley Morris and she was a Niche Awards 2010 finalist.  With a triple major in college - graphic design, clay and photography - how did she end up as a metalsmith?  With the tech crash of 2000 and the events of 9/11, she turned her graphic design focus away from the computer and back to fine arts.  She went back to school for metalsmithing and transformed her experience in color and design into a new career .  She has a website that may just want to peruse.  Hope you enjoy and have a marvelous Monday!

Marvelous Monday

Winners of the 2005 and 2006 Niche Awards, Bob and Laurie Kliss create sculptural glass objects with a whimsical use of color, form, texture and shape.  I found these images on the web, but to see more of their work, visit their website. 

I especially love the BOBtanicals and teapots - their use of color is quite beautiful.  Hope you enjoy and have a marvelous Monday!

A Break from the Studio

I've been busy in the studio making beads, beads and more beads for the Bead & Button show next month.  I'm amazed at how much I can accomplish in one day without the distraction of the internet and all the wonderful designs that are out there.  I thought I'd take a quick break and share with you an artist who's felting her way to fame.  Her name is Gretchen Cook and the name of her company is "New Leaf Works".  I hope you enjoy her pillow and pocketbook minimalist designs that have a 3-D effect.