Submissions for Jewelry Stringing Spring 2014

Hello! It's my Studio Saturday day over at the Art Bead Scene blog. Hop on over there for a chance to win an Irish Waxed Linen Cord Color Mix from the Jewelry Accord shop. Right now, I'm working on magazine submissions. Today, I invite you inside my studio to take a sneak peek at the materials I'm creating with for the Spring 2014 issue of Jewelry Stringing Magazine! It's time to submit jewelry designs for next year's Spring issue, now. And yep, I'm actually sharing with you exactly what I'm working on for the pieces I plan to submit to the magazine. That might seem kinda crazy, but I embrace the idea of freely sharing information that might help someone else find success in getting jewelry published. I thought it'd be fun to do a little show and tell to give you a glimpse inside my process. I hope this information will help other designers feel more confident about creating jewelry for publication. Getting your jewelry published can be a tricky thing. Personally, I find that challenge fun! There's absolutely no guarantee that anything I make will be selected. All I can do is try my best to follow the magazine's guidelines, let the themes and color palettes provided inspire the ideas for my designs and stay true to my own style, esthetic and creative process.  Jewelry Stringing is one of my all-time favorite beading magazines. I'm intrigued and captivated by the themes and color palettes the editors come up with to inspire their contributing designers. Come join me now and get a taste for what I'm working on and my process for creating jewelry pieces for this particular magazine. I hope to inspire you to work on your own creations as well and submit your designs. Jewelry Stringing provides guidelines, themes and color palettes for each one of their upcoming issues. You can find the full details and guidelines for submission here. I've provided some of the information for the Spring 2014 issue here in this post. The first theme and color palette for Spring 2014 is "Soft Jewelry". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Soft Jewelry

Leather, ribbon, cord, thread, embroidery floss, and fabric are most commonly used as stringing materials and structural components in jewelry pieces, but they also lend themselves to creative and compelling focal elements. Submissions in this category will range in style, but they should all include fibers, textiles, or leather as a prominent design feature. Consider highlighting these materials through techniques like knotting, braiding, and wrapping, or incorporating current trends like fringe or tassels into your designs. See their Pinterest inspiration board for this palette at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/soft-jewelry-spring-2014/

So, here's what I've chosen to work with for this theme:  Sankofa trade beads, Irish waxed linen and Greek leather from Ornamentea. As you can see, I've matched up pretty well with the first two colors in the palette provided. You do not have to use all the colors in the suggested palette, but at least one color in your design should match up. I chose these African trade beads in "Teal" from Ornamentea.com. For additional color, texture and the fiber elements needed for the theme, I hand-knotted the beads on multiple strands of Irish Waxed linen cord in "Sunflower". Then, I'll pair the knotted beads with some brown Greek leather cord to complete the design. The second theme and color palette for Spring 2014 is "Spring Greens". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.)

Spring Greens

If there is one color that ubiquitously represents springtime, it has to be green. Fresh leaves sprout from the trees, grass peeks out from beneath snowdrifts, and budding shoots speckle our garden beds. From subdued mossy shades to high-energy lime tones, each piece in this category will celebrate spring in all its green glory. See their Pinterest inspiration board for this palette at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/spring-greens-spring-2014/ Here are some materials I've chosen to use for this palette and theme:  Shimmer Floss Ribbon, Czech glass beads, Irish waxed linen and a gold button. I've got some hand-painted Shimmer Floss ribbon in "Grandma Moses" from Ornamentea.com, green, faceted Czech glass beads, Irish Waxed Linen in "Dark Forest Green" from Jewelry Accord and a matte gold button from the fabric store. For this palette, I did want to match up with as many of the green colors as I could. The hand-painted shimmer floss helps me pull quite a few of the green tones in the palette with just that one element. I'll pull in the darkest green color with the waxed linen cord. Then, I'll pair the fibers with the contrasting finish of the faceted Czech glass beads and the button for balance and interest in the piece. The third theme for Spring 2014 is "Monochromatic".  (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Monochromatic In honor of our annual color issue, we are inviting our contributors to create monochromatic pieces in the color of their choice. While creating a piece in a single color simplifies the process of selecting color-coordinated materials, it makes the other design elements of the piece more visible. Balance, proportion, and symmetry are often accomplished through clever color combinations. Without the aid of a varied palette, designers must rely on their other skills to create well-executed, interesting, and attractive jewelry. We know that you are up to the challenge, so pick a color and show us what you've got! See their Pinterest inspiration board for this section at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/monochromatic-spring-2014/ Below is the color I've decided to go with for monochromatic: Gray Opaque Matte size 8 seed beads from ShipWreck Beads. Yep, Gray. Might not seem too exciting. Why in the world would I choose grey out of all the beautiful colors of the rainbow? Well, the design I want to make for this category will be elegant, sophisticated  and a little bit moody. That description could not be farther from how I would describe my usual style. I've decided to go in this direction because the color and look I have in mind is a total deviation from the esthetic I would normally create. It's fun to try different styles and show some range in my work. That is very exciting to me! :) I'm going to incorporate these opaque, matte grey seed beads from ShipwreckBeads.com into my jewelry piece by stringing them on multiple strands of gray waxed linen cord. The multiple strands of these seed beads will provide texture and visual interest to a monochromatic design. Last, but not least, the fourth theme for Spring 2014 is "Bead Soup". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Bead Soup In contrast to the previous theme, the pieces in this section will be packed with colors-the more the better! We are challenging you to use as many different colors as possible in your submissions for this category, but be careful that you aren't sacrificing cohesion or wear-ability for variety. Tip: Successful "bead soup" pieces often have a unifying characteristic that runs throughout each design (ie: consistent bead size, shape, finish or material; a repeated technique; a specific theme or motif; etc.).  See our Pinterest inspiration board for this section at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/bead-soup-spring-2014/ Here are some beads I pulled from my stash for this category: Seed beads from ShipWreckBeads.com and a handmade ceramic bead set by Keith O'Connor. One hank of "All Mixed Up" size 8 Czech seed beads from Shipwreck Beads and a graduated ceramic bead set from ceramic artist, Keith O'Connor. I can't think of a better way to get more colors in than these fantastic seed bead mixes! They remind me a lot of the African "Christmas" or "Love" trade beads, which would also be a great choice for this theme. If you take a look at the Pinterest board for this category above, there are images of African beadwork. So, obviously those would be an ideal selection! I hope you've enjoyed following along with me on my journey to creating jewelry for the Spring 2014 issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine. I want to inspire you with ideas that you can use in your own jewelry. If you'd like to try submitting your designs, here is the deadline information and submission guidelines you'll need to know: E-mailed pre-submissions are due September 26th, 2013; physical submissions are due October 10th, 2013. For the rest of the submissions instructions and specifics, please read through the Contributor Guidelines in their entirety here. Don't forget to leave a comment on my Art Bead Scene blog post to be entered to win the cord color mix giveaway. Thanks you! Happy Beading!

Studio Saturday on ABS

Yoga-Inspired Jewelry and Works-in-Progress in the Studio

Join me over on the Art Bead Scene blog for my latest Studio Saturday post. I posed some interesting questions and food for thought for all my fellow co-creators! :)

Spice Of Life Bracelet - Free Project

Spice Of Life Bracelet

Color is the spice of life! Use a rainbow of colorful Keith O'Connor ceramic beads to create an exciting bracelet full of fun.

Spice of Life Bracelet

Erin Siegel

 

Materials:

9 ceramic 12mm rounds (2 orange, 2 turquoise, 2 green, 2 purple and 1 pink)

9 Thai silver 7x10mm spiral charms

1 silver Greek ceramic 14mm flat chip bead

5 yards of charcoal grey 4ply Irish waxed linen cord

Tools:

Scissors

Ruler

Instructions:

1: Cut the cord in half. Find the center of the 2 pieces of linen cord and tie the 2 pieces together at the center point with a square knot. Continue tying square knots, one right after the other, until you have a knotted section 1½” long. Fold the knotted section in half and make an over hand knot at the base of the knotted section, creating a loop. You will now have 4 cords after the knot. Trim the ends of the cord even.

2: String the following, onto all four cords, tying an overhand knot after each: 1 green ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 turquoise ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 pink ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 purple ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 orange ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 green ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 turquoise ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 orange ceramic round, 1 spiral charm, 1 purple ceramic round, 1 spiral charm.

3: Separate the cords in half and tie 3 square knots in a row. Bring the cords back together and string the Greek ceramic flat chip bead onto all four cords. Tie an overhand knot with all four cords together after the flat chip bead. Trim ends to ¼” and fray ends.

Resources:

Keith O'Connor ceramic rounds: The Beadin’Path. Thai silver spiral charms: Artbeads.com. Waxed linen cord: Ornamentea. Greek ceramic flat chip bead: Fire and Fibers.

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Leather Jewelry

Leather Jewelry: 30 Contemporary Projects by Nathalie Mornu

I'm giving away an author SIGNED copy of Leather Jewelry by Nathalie Mornu. Head on over to the Art Bead Scene blog to read my book review and enter to win!

Good luck

and

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gypsy Ways Necklace Project

Gypsy Ways Necklace

A quick and easy bohemian-Inspired leather necklace featuring art beads by Heather Powers, Elaine Ray and C-Koop beads. Check out my FREE project tutorial over on the Art Bead Scene Blog!

And just for kicks, I put together a fun outfit to pair with the necklace:

Modern Gypsy by erinsjewelry featuring romantic soles

Art Bead Swap at Bead Fest

A few of the attendees at the Art Bead Swap held at Bead Fest Summer 2012. Thanks to Amy's husband for the great group shot! Photo Credit: Amy Freeland

A fun time was had by all last weekend at Bead Fest Summer in Philadelphia! Check out my special post for the Art Bead Scene blog...

Art Bead Swap at Bead Fest!

I had a fabulous time this past weekend at Bead Fest Spring! Check out my special post for the Art Bead Scene blog to find out more about the happenings at the show...

Studio Saturday

 Bohemian Knotted Earrings

I'm honored to now be a contributing member over at the Art Bead Scene blog. Check out my first Studio Saturday post!

Sweet Slide Bracelet TUTORIAL

 Sweet Slide bracelets

Check out my free tutorial on how to make a sliding knot adjustable bracelet at Art Bead Scene! So hip, so chic, so EASY! You will not want to miss this sliding knot technique. I hope you enjoy the tutorial! If you make one of these bracelets or use this sliding knot adjustable closure in a piece of jewelry, please do share. I want to see what you make!

Here's what you need for the Sweet Slide bracelets:

6mm ceramic rounds by Elaine Ray

Brass 3mm cornerless cubes

Dark brown 1mm premium waxed cotton cord

To make your bracelet, cut a piece of cord about 24 inches long. String and/or knot your beads on as desired, making sure to leave at least a 4 inch tail on each end of your bracelet.

Now, you're ready to create your sliding closure!

1. Cut a separate 12" piece of cord and fold the cord back onto itself about 4". This will be your "working" cord.

2. Place the left and right bracelet cords parallel to each other with the ends in opposite directions.

 

3. Place the working cord on top of the bracelet cords. Hold the folded end with the short tail end in the opposite direction.

4. Loosely wrap the working cord around the bracelet cords and the tail of the working cord.

5. Make 5 wraps, moving towards the tail end of your working cord.

6. Insert the working cord through the wraps you just made, exiting the folded end.

7. Pull the ends of your working cord tight, but not super tight or you won't be able to move your bracelet cords back and forth. If desired, add some beads to the working cord tails and trim.

8. Add a few more beads to the bracelet cords, knot, trim and you're done! Be sure to leave the bracelet tails long enough to slip your hand through when the bracelet is all the way open.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

Art Bead Bookmark

Did you like my handmade beaded and braided bookmarks? If so, head on over to the Art Bead Scene blog today for a free tutorial on how to make them! I hope you enjoy my project and Happy Holidays!

Zinnia

I love bright, vivid colors for Summer. Doesn't this cheery yellow just make you smile? :) Yellow isn't usually in my normal color palette to work with even though I like the color. I've seen it popping up everywhere in fashion the past few years, so I've been more attracted to it lately.

This happy, sunny color is in the inspirational artwork for the current Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge. The perfect opportunity to work with some yellow in a jewelry piece! I love these lemony agate beads paired with this gorgeous Zinnia connector by Mellisa of Chinook Jewelry. The yellow beads really pop with the complimentary deep purple silk beading cord. I added a bit of purple dupioni silk from Ornamentea to accent the connector. I frayed the silk to add a little texture and interest; the perfect finishing touch!

Sunrise

My last minute entry into the Art Bead Scene (ABS) monthly challenge. The inspiration for the month of August is the painting "Sunrise" by John Savitsky.

The radiating sun in this painting really speaks to me. I love the sun motif and the colors in this artwork. These are some of my favorite colors to work with in my jewelry designs!

I used a carved coconut shell pendant for the focal and honey-colored Greek leather for the bail. The pendant is strung on a beaded strand of natural beads, gemstones and textured ceramic beads by Marti Conrad. More Greek leather in a dark chocolate up both sides and around the back. The necklace is finished off with a drilled beach stone by Pam McKay for a loop and bead closure.

There's still time to enter! You can check out all the entries so far this month at the ABS flickr gallery!