Search results matching tags 'Art Jewelry magazine' and 'Bead&Button Show'

I'm taking my first class at the 2009 Bead&Button Show: Fusing a silver bangle taught by Janice Berkebile

Kristin Sutter — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:34:00 GMT

So, here's my confession: I've never taken a class at the Bead&Button Show. Appalling, I know. Especially since there are great teachers from all over the world teaching more than 500 classes, all within a 15-minute drive of my home. Considering that some of you fly across the globe to attend the show, my failure to seize the opportunity is shameful — I know, I know.

For those of you who are new to Art Jewelry magazine and wonder what a bead show has to do with the media we write about — metals, wire, metal clay, polymer clay, enamel, resin, chain mail, etc. — here's the skinny: The Bead&Button Show may have started for beaders, but it's grown so large (370 vendors, more than 500 classes) that there are now many classes for anyone interested in Art Jewelry-type media. To search the list of classes, click here. Yes, there's still time to register!

Why haven't I taken a class before? Because while many of you were elbow deep in potter's clay or oil paints in your youth (or in metals, like these lucky kids), I was elbow deep in books and journals (the lined ones, not the blank-paged ones). I've identified for years on our staff as the non-maker, the litmus test for whether instructions make sense. Because if they make sense to me, they'll likely make sense to a beginner. Or to someone who is spatially gifted enough to intuitively understand, say, why you'll end up with a lentil shape rather than a sphere if you don't dap each half of a metal bead enough. (I learned about that one in the project "Fahrenheit 650: the temperature at which keum-boo fuses," right.)

But the time has come for me to learn a thing or two about what the rest of you already know from experience. So, this year I'm taking "Fusing — The Dewdrop Bangle, left," taught by Janice Berkebile. I'm going to learn how to fuse silver wire, shape it into a bangle, and embellish it with wire wrapping and balled-up wire. This particular class is sold out, but you can click here to check out the other classes Berkebile is teaching.

What classes are you taking? Let me know by adding a comment below! Or click here to visit the Bead&Button Show forum to discuss there!

I hope to see you in June!

—Kristin

Video interview with Robert Dancik: jeweler, sculptor, and originator of Faux Bone

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:54:00 GMT

At the 2008 Bead&Button Show in June, Senior Editor/Online Linda Augsburg was able to catch a few minutes with Robert Dancik to talk to him about how he got started making jewelry, where he's taking the craft, and how he uses Faux Bone. To watch the video, click here. If you're interested in learning how you can incorporate Faux Bone into your work, check out Robert's article, "Chart Your Own Mixed-Media Odyssey," page 28, in the September 2008 issue of Art Jewelry. The article will teach you how to make this bangle:

If this project inspires you to make a piece of jewelry, we'd love to see what you've come up with! Just post it in the Show Us Your Work thread in the Art Jewelry forum.

Win free tickets to the 2008 Bead&Button Show!

Hazel Wheaton — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:17:00 GMT

Spring is just around the corner, which in our office building, means one thing — it's nearly time for the Big Show! I'm talking about the Bead&Button Show, which hits like clockwork every June (this year, it's June 1-8). A full year's worth of work by our Events Marketing staff is reaching something like fever pitch, as the dedicated team enters the final stretch of preparations. Here at Art Jewelry, we want to do our part. Various members of the staff will be taking classes, teaching classes, or both; plus, we'll be on the show floor giving demonstrations of jewelry-making techniques and taking questions from our readers.

The thing to remember is that despite the name, the Bead&Button Show encompasses a whole lot more than beads and buttons. The show has diversified and grown past its early years, and the fastest-growing segment of classes is in wire- and metal-working. If you work with wire, metal, or metal clay, you'll find lots on offer.

Whether you’ve attended the show before or not, we want to make it easier for you to come and check out the gems and beads and jewelry-making tools. Post a response to this blog entry, and your username will be entered in a drawing for two free tickets to the Show. If you’re a registered user to our site, you don’t need to supply your contact information — if you’ve won, we’ll ping you with a private message. If you're not a registered user — well, we'd like to you register, but you don't have to. Just be sure to include your e-mail address so that we can contact you. The contest will be open for two weeks, meaning that on Tuesday, May 6, we'll select the lucky winner. Good luck, and I hope to see you at the show!

[UPDATE]: We've gotten a great flood of responses already! I did receive a couple of e-mails that required clarification, however, so I wanted to make it clear that the offer is for free admission tickets to the show itself. We aren't offering airfare or hotel accommodations. I dearly wish we could!

Are you attending the Bead&Button Show? Here's what Art Jewelry's editors will be doing at the show this year.

Katie Streeter — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:43:00 GMT

I associate many things with spring –– daffodils, spring cleaning, gardening –– but for the past few years, spring, for me, has also meant the Bead&Button Show. Although the show carries the name of our sister publication Bead&Button, Art Jewelry also has a hand in the show. Although it's still over a month away, we're already looking forward to it.

At this year's show, I'll be helping with the Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer Silent Auctions again. We had a great time raising money for the Medical College of Wisconsin last year, and we hope to raise even more this year. Jill will be teaching fundamentals in techniques classes in polymer clay. Addie will be a teacher's assistant in Tim McCreight's master class. And Hazel and Kristin will be walking the show floor to check out the exhibitors. If you attend the show, look for the Art Jewelry demonstration area. We'll be showing cool jewelry-making techniques that you can try out at home. And if you spot any of us at the show, please say hello (we'll be wearing shirts that say "Art Jewelry")!

––Katie