2008 October | Bead Happily Ever After

Interview with the Artist: Mamazakka

Posted on October 27, 2008 by crystal

This installment of Interview with the Artist features the wonderfully talented Autumn Sousanis.

She calls herself “Mamazakka” – but I’ve nicknamed her “Wonder Woman” 🙂

She is mother to four little ones (ages 5, 4, 2, and an 8-month-old!), and yet she somehow finds the energy to design and create art that is unique, whimsical, beautiful, and useful – all at the same time!

Much of her work resonates with the themes of motherhood. From her families of nesting dolls inspired by Russian Matryoshkas, to her Baubles for Baby Necklaces that Moms wear and babies adore, Autumn captures the true essence of what it is to be Mama.

Baubles for Baby

Enjoy the following interview 🙂

It’s warm, witty, and full of generous advice – just like the lady, herself!

Were you interested in art as a child?
Yes, I remember in Kindergarten I started saying “Artist” when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, maybe because both my parents were artists, (they met at Pratt Art Institute) or maybe because no one offered it as an option and I wanted to say something different than “Nurse or Teacher or Stewardess”? I still like the feeling of being a bit outside of the mainstream, but now that I’m grown up I do realize those jobs pay better 🙂

What were some of the earliest projects that you created?
I made a ‘soft sculpture’ doll out of pantyhose and scraps of cloth when I was 5 (do you remember those ‘pickled’ doll faces in jars?! Boy, were they ugly). Mine was not much prettier but I figured out how to do it by myself and I was very proud of it. Mom also signed me up lots of Arts and Crafts classes, so I was able to ‘get my hands on’ clay, and weave on a loom and do papier mache and paint…I always thought my Mom signed me up for all those classes because I was ‘good at art’ and to expose me to lots of ‘techniques’ but now, as a parent, I suspect it was so she wouldn’t have to clean up after me all the time! 🙂

Teeny Tiny Mama House and her children Miniature Doll Pin

When did you first become interested in working with beads?
Well, during college I worked for a wonderful artist named Marcia Hovland who makes ceramic jewelry, and then I worked for Carla Hankins of Bag Lady Beads, also in creating ceramic jewelry, but Bag Lady Beads was also a wonderful bead store (in Hamtramck, MI) and I quickly fell in love with making beaded jewelry.

You are a true renaissance woman – you work in several different media. Do you have a favorite?
Oh you’re sweet, I’m afraid I’m more of a “jack of all trades…” . I’m always compelled to work on what I’m terrible at, so I find myself sewing a lot. Right now I’m very interested in color and pattern and printing my own fabric. Just bought a GOCO printer. Also a serger! Ack!

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
The shower. Haha, but that’s about the only place where I find I can think, these days! I love to make the things I need, and sometimes the ‘inspiration’ is a conscious shift from ‘consumerism’ to ‘craft’. I mean, I’ll want something, I’ll look for it in the store or online, and then realize I need to make that thing myself. Like my ‘Love Me Don’t Lose Me Teether Leash’.

Teething Toy Tether - Love Me Don't Lose Me, Baby

Love Me Don't Lose Me, Baby - a Teething Toy Tether

I also get great ideas while shopping for other projects, don’t you? 😉 My Baubles for Baby Nursing Necklaces were inspired by need too, but also because I found some really nice, though gigantic(!) lucite plastic beads in JoAnn fabrics one day, while looking for fabric. Now I hunt for lucite beads just about everywhere I go. I’m very particular (the beads must be seamless and solid) and I get inspired by the beads themselves. If I sit down and start sorting beads, I have to pull myself away or I’ll keep going all night, making Baubles! I never thought I’d love plastic so much! I used to love semi-precious stone beads, but now I’m just crazy for plastic! Weird.

Do you keep any examples of your best work – just for yourself? 🙂
That’s a great question. I probably don’t. I kept one Baubles for Baby Nursing Necklace that was one of the first I ever made but I list my best pieces in my Etsy shop right away, because I get so excited to ‘show’ them off, and then they often sell immediately! Which can be so fun but also kind of sad. I listed and sold every single one of my Matryoshka Nesting Dolls and I kind of miss every single one. But I priced them high enough to feel compensated if they sold, so it’s OK.

Owl Mama and Owlet Baby Clip Ornaments in Cashmere and Wool

What advice would you give to a person who would like to begin selling her art but could use a few pointers?
Well, I’d say only make what you are excited about making. If it doesn’t sell, you won’t mind being ‘stuck’ with it, but also, the excitement and energy will come through and make your items more appealing to purchase. Don’t make massive amounts of anything! (Carpal tunnel = Bad. Landfills full of Friendship Bracelets and Potholders = Bad) Price your work so it’s ‘worth it’ to you to keep going. Keep on making exciting, cool, fun, wacky things. Live as a ‘creative spirit’ and not just as a ‘consumer’.

Don’t think in terms of what will appeal to everybody. You are unique, and if you make what you would like to wear, or have, you will attract others like you, to you.

And I love Etsy.com. You don’t need your own website! They provide you with one! (sort of!) You don’t need a lot of (or any) backstock to set up your own shop or online presence, just whatever items you can manage to create, and you don’t need to pay a boutique or gallery any big commission, (etsy charges something small…3%? while galleries can charge up to 75%!!!).

You just need great photos, (or at least good photos) to do the ‘talking’, and to know that the ‘Be true to yourself’ thing and the ‘Write what you know’ stuff is all true.

And, finally, haunt the Forums on Etsy. There is great advice there and loads of people who are really friendly and who will answer your questions directly. It’s kind of amazing.

To view more of mamazakka’s art, please click here

Holiday Gifts in a Tough Economy

Posted on October 19, 2008 by crystal

With the gloomy economic forecasts of late and the jittery drift of the stock market, many of us are worrying that we’ll see our 401(k)s shrink into 201(k)s!

The timing couldn’t be worse with the holidays just around the corner.

Cheer up though – there’s a silver lining. This year we have the perfect excuse to scale back on the holiday spending spree, once and for all.

“What kind of humbug is that?” you ask.

Fear not! I’m not suggesting we abandon gift-giving entirely, but that we return to basics and emulate our thrifty ancestors by making as many of our gifts as possible.

With a bit of determination and your creative ability, you may be surprised at what you can create on a limited budget.

With only about 65 days until Christmas, there’s not a minute to lose! Begin by making your list and dividing it into gender and age groups. It will save you time and money. For example, if you decide that all of the teenage girls will be getting handcrafted bracelets, you can buy the supplies in bulk, and work on the pieces in an assembly-line fashion.

To further economize, visit the Dollar Store for your wrapping materials. They have a wonderful assortment of papers, gift bags, tags and ribbons; and there’s nothing more festive than a beautifully wrapped gift!

You may be surprised to see more smiles than ever this year, as you present your special handmade treasures. And, who knows, it could just be that you’ll have started a new “back to basics” tradition in your family!

Captivating Cameos and Cabochons

Posted on October 14, 2008 by crystal

Because I love all things vintage, these magnificent little treasures really caught my eye.

Aren’t they breathtaking?

Vintage Cameos and Cabs

We’re so excited to currently have them in stock in our online bead shop! Depending on their style/shape, they’re called cabochons, cameos, or intaglios.

This collection showcases designs that were used in the costume jewelry of yesteryear. What you see in the photo is called “old/new stock”, which means it was made years ago but has never been used. Technically, these are not beads, as they have no holes for stringing, but they look gorgeous when you incorporate them into your beaded jewelry designs!

To use them as pendants you can carefully drill a small hole at the top, or you can wire-wrap them, or mount them in vintage metal pendant frames, or my favorite – you can create a beaded bezel around them using delicate seed beads! The beaded bezel gives them an elegant old world look. You’ll find an excellent tutorial on beading around a cabochon, here.

In the photo, there are both glass and resin pieces. Some have smooth rounded surfaces, some are particularly three-dimensional, and some have beautiful beveled edges. All of them have flat backs. The colors are soft and the details exquisite. In addition to making a bold focal point for your jewelry, these pretty cabochons would definitely lend themselves to other uses, including sewing/embroidery projects, home décor, altered art, greeting cards, and scrapbooking.

Of course, there’s always the option of simply “collecting” vintage jewelry components just because they’re beautiful!

Whether you use them in jewelry, put them on display, or keep them in a box to pull out and admire from time to time, there’s a bonus when you collect tiny treasures . . . storage space is not an issue. J

Interview with the Artist: Cherylsart

Posted on October 7, 2008 by crystal

Today marks the beginning of a new blog feature – ‘Interview with the Artist’

We are very pleased and honored to begin this series with the absolutely amazing work of polymer clay artist Cheryl Harris of cherylsart.

Cherylsart: Beach Bead Series

Cheryl’s designs have been showcased in PolymerCAFE magazine and in Belle Armoire Jewelry. She has an extraordinary ability to transform polymer clay into beautifully dimensional beads, pendants, bookmarks, clay-covered vessels, and sculpture. With her rich palette of colors and her unique talent for adding exquisite detail to her creations, each of Cheryl’s pieces is truly a work of art!

Here’s a breath-taking example of Cheryl’s “way with clay”.

Cherylsart: Clay Vessel

Recently, Cheryl graciously agreed to an interview . . .

Were you creative as a child?
I have been into art since I was a toddler and scribbled in my mother’s books!

When did you first become interested in beads?
I made my own earrings when I was in high school. I’ve also been a portrait artist since I was in my teens, and I was more focused on that than any other art form. I really got into making beads when I moved to Tehachapi, CA and met Karen Lewis, aka Klew. I saw her polymer clay beads and I was fascinated with her canework. I watched her videos, bought books and searched online to learn to work with polymer clay. Almost eight years later I still love it.

You have an extraordinary ability for choosing shades and tones of color in your work. Have you always had such an incredible eye for color?
That’s one of the compliments I get most often- that I have a great eye for color. I don’t know exactly how or when that happened, but I’m thankful for it! But believe me, I do make bad color choices from time to time. That’s the stuff you don’t see! Being an artist is a constant process, a journey of experimentation, trial and error and the constant striving to push your creative boundaries and find new ways to express your talent.

Cherylsart: Beach View

Is it relaxing to work with clay?
It really is. I get frustrated doing beadwork, the needle and thread part of it, but making the beads is just plain fun. Even the process of mixing the clay and making the blends for the canes is a pleasant experience.

You also make lampwork beads, do you enjoy that as much as working with clay?
Lampworking is a completely different process. You can’t put a hot glass bead down and come back to it later. Once you’ve started melting the glass you’re committed to it till it’s finished. For me it’s not as relaxing but it’s more of a challenge, in large part because I’m still relatively new to it. I’m in the process I was in seven years ago with the clay- the learning curve. But I love it just as much and I see it being a permanent part of my creative life. I also do glass fusing and I have plans to begin making larger glass pieces such as dishes, wall hangings and kiln-formed bracelets. Oh, and precious metal clay. Guess I’d better get busy!

Cherylsart: Polymer Clay Pendant

From where do you derive inspiration for creating your art?
I get my inspiration from Nature. Flowers, plants, animals, the ocean, etc, etc! I love tropical and garden themes, and it shows in the things I make and the colors I use.

Do you keep any examples of your best work – just for yourself?
I sure do! Sometimes it’s something that has a tiny flaw which makes it unsuitable to sell, and sometimes it’s a bead that I just decide I can’t part with. It’s funny but I’ve had jewelry in my own collection that I’ll eventually sell to someone else. I’ve sold stuff right off my neck! I may as well be a walking advertisement for my own work!

To view more of cherylsart, please click here.