Gorgeous Things, Dahling
What's new and happening at Bead Obsessions
November 7, 2008
We're going to have a clearance sale! The sale will start November 15, and it will run until we're done. We've got to make room for new stock coming in.
Have you seen our new handmade buttons and toggles? They are ceramic and made by an artist from Michigan. There aren't many toggles, so get 'em while you can!
To comment, send us an e-mail:
October 31, 2008
Treasures of TOHO
An Emerging Artist Bead Competition
Deadline: April 1, 2009
The Prize
The designer of the prize-winning entry, the Bead Obsessions owner, and one companion of each will receive round-trip airline tickets, train tickets, four nights’ hotel accommodations, and two meals a day for a three-day visit in Hiroshima, Japan. While in Hiroshima, you will visit the factory to see how these beautiful beads are made, visit the museums at the factory, and do some sightseeing. Travel will be as a group.
Rules
1. This is a competition for emerging artist; no previous winners may submit their work.
2. All entries must use 80% TOHO beads in any sizes available.
3. You must register with Bead Obsessions to participate. Materials must be purchased from Bead Obsessions.
4. All work entered must be original. Please do not submit items that you have learned in classes, from kits, or any other sources. Techniques and stitches learned from any of these sources may be used, but the finished piece must be of your original design.
5. Your entries must be submitted to Bead Obsessions, which will choose a winning piece.
6. The winning piece from each store will be submitted to Bead Obsessions’s TOHO vendor.
7. A completed entry form must accompany each entry.
8. Collaborative work will not be accepted
9. Entries may not be submitted if they have been entered in any previous shows, contests, or articles.
10. TOHO Beads and Bead Obsessions retain the right to use the work of prize winners in a promotional way including book publications, publicity or photographs with credit to the contributing artist. Directions to be provided by artist if required.
Judging
Entries will be judged on originality, use of colors, beads, and workmanship. Entry deadline is April 1, 2009.
Here are photos of previous years' winners:
July 29, 2008
Take a look at what been happening here!
Leah made this beautiful Embellished Peyote Cuff (which is one of our classes). Val made one too:
In our recent Bangle Bracelet class, students made these:
And Cindy S. has been busy, busy, busy!
A spiral rope lariat and bracelet
A kyanite necklace and earrings set
Egyptial Coil bracelet in copper--gorgeous!
Gwen has been busy too:
Twisted Double Spiral
Tubular Peyote
Add Roxanne finished her Totally Twisted pendant:
Our ball gown challenge is winding down, so watch this space for photos and the winner!
We're having another trunk show from Mimi Vellek (who been up to some fantastic new tricks), which will open at Bead & Chocolate on August 8. We can't wait!
April 2, 2008
OK, first, the shop is NOT for sale, and we have no plans to move anywhere. Our landlord has decided to sell the retail space, and our lease is supposed to simply transfer to whomever purchases the property.
Here's what we've been up to!
Lorri has been busy making bracelets after taking the Embellished Peyote Cuff class.
Mimi made this gorgeous tubular peyote necklace.
Val made this pretty necklace for her mom after taking the Capturing a Cameo class. Lucky mom!
It's not to late to join in the fun and excitement (your chance to win a Bead Obsessions gift certificate) by stitching an ornament cover to benefit the Georgetown Jingle. Stop by the shop soon for more details and to see the fabulous ornaments already turned in!
April 2, 2008
Wow, where does the time go?
Yep, we're still here, and here's what beaders have been up to!
Ornaments from Roxanne:
The green one on the right is based on a necklace pattern published in Beadwork, and this ornament is slated to appear in an issue of Beadwork later this summer!
We had lots of Bangle Bracelets (do you have yours yet?):
Arphella's bangle
Karen S.'s and Pamela's bangles
Joshua's and Val's bangles
Gwen's bangle
Cindy O. was busy with peyote stitch:
Linda C. made lots of necklaces with lampwork beads, some of them from Mimi Vellek. Here are just a few:
Mary S. has been stitching her heart out as usual:
This was one of our Needle Weaving Study Group projects (see the Events page).
This is Mary's Pipe Curl Necklace (see the Classes page) using a polymer clay curl from Roxanne Rash.
Mary S. and Val F. took the Capturing a Cameo (or cabochon) class. Mary's cameo is on the left, and Val stitched the cab in the middle and cameo on the right.
We have a couple finished Empress Lariats (see the Classes page) to show off; Helena's is on the left, and Cindy S.'s is on the right:
And we have finished Snakeys! Roxanne's is on the left, and Kimi's is on the right. Cathy R. and Amy K. have finished Snakeys too, but they haven't brought them in to show off yet (hint, hint):
Lynne R. made this variation of the Koochi Chandelier Earrings (see the Classes page). Isn't it gorgeous, dahling?
October 31, 2007
Patricia recently went on a buying trip to NYC. Click here to see photos of some of the gorgeous stuff she brought back!
October 18, 2007
Take a look at these latest accomplishments!
Meredith's tubular peyote necklace
And Cindy S. has been very busy:
Embellished peyote cuff
Square stitch bracelet
Wire-wrapped lariat
Cindy made the necklace to match the square stitch bracelet, and she added a gorgeous focal bead from Tiger Henderson and Kory Antos to the lariat.
And take a look at Judy Y.'s blog to this piece of amazement!
September12, 2007
The fall class schedule is now available. Visit the Classes page to check out all the classes, including our new ones, such as Faith's Snakey!
Susan W. finished up her gorgeous project from the Needle Weaving Study Group. The group meets this month, so don't miss it!
Linda A. completed her 2005 ball gown:
And Miles was in over the weekend, and while his family shopped, he created a structure using triangle trays and mini clamps. There's something for everyone at Bead Obsessions, dahling!
August 29, 2007
Visit our News page to see the details about this weekend's anniversary sale!
Here's the latest and greatest from our talented customers:
Val's Raised Peyote Choker
Judy S. and Lynn R. made these gorgeous Bangle Bracelets in class (they wore them home!).
This is Gwen's 2005 Holiday Ball Gown.
Cindy S. learned to make the Byzantine chain in class and then attached fun green beads to it. What fun!
July 17, 2007
Take a look at the fabulous things being created at Bead Obsessions!
This is Paula I.'s cell phone bag. She based this project on our Lattic Bag class project.
Mary's finished peony! Yep, that's the teacher in the background.
Another of Judy Y.'s beaded cabochons.
This is Judy S.'s finished African Helix class project.
The Fused Glass class with Mimi Vellek was a huge success. Here are just a few of the many finished pieces students took home with them:
May 24, 2007
New beads and findings keep pouring in! We're not sure where to put everything!
We've just ordered and received two new shapes of seed beads: size 11 hexes and cut Aikos. We'll get them tubed and labled just as soon as we can. They're in the tubing line right behind the piles of size 8 beads we're currently working on, which include more than 30 new colors. And, oh yeah, we have size 11 rounds to restock too.
We're checking into inventory LOTS of jasper beads in preparatin for the Jasper June event, which will begin June 10, noon to 4 p.m., and will run through June 17, or until the beads run out! All jasper will be 25% off. Shop early for best selection; we won't be restocking while the sale is running.
Here's Judy's latest wonderment:
May 3, 2007
We've received a ton of new beads! Well, OK, maybe a
Beautiful Bangles were made in class last night:
Rebecca's bangle
Paula's bangle
Jennifer's bangle
Katharine's bangle
Bruce's bangle
This class is lots of fun! Do you have your bangle yet?
April 27, 2007
More gorgeous stuff from our wonderful and talented customers:
Another beaded cabochon from Judy. Check out her Etsy site.
Barbara M.'s African Helix with a focal from Tiger Henderson and Korry Antos, one of our trunk shows.
Madeline's double-stranded necklace using rain beads from Ginger Sanders (we currently have a trunk show from Ginger).
Madeline's Netted Treasures using a focal from Tiger and Korry.
April 24, 2007
Did you miss the flower show in March? If you did, you haven't missed your chance to see some of the flowers that were a part of the show. Lots of Judy Yiu's work is still on display at the shop!
We now carry sterling silver alphabet beads! Check the News page for more information.
We're expecting a new order of size 8 seed beads this week! Several new colors are supposed to be in this order, and we'll get them tubed and ready for sale as fast as we can.
Below is Cathy R.'s beautiful brick stitch amulet bag with a spiral rope strap:
March 13, 2007
More Shebang:
March 8, 2007
Photos for the Whole Shebang:
More to come!
March 7, 2007
We've received more than 60 new colors of size 11 and size 8 seed beads, plus we now carry large Delicas (double Delicas)! We have most of the 11s tubed and out, as well as the large Delicas.
Keep an eye out for an announcement about a Spring Seed Bead event and a flower show!
Don't forget to check out the next needle weaving study group project (i.e., the cover project from the February/March issue of Beadwork). It uses two techniques we've not previously done in the group: brick stitch and tubular Ndebele.
February 9, 2007
OK, the beads from Korry and Tiger are here! Sadly, they didn't send any octopuses (or should that be octopi?), so Patricia is going to see if Korry will make and send some next week.
February 6, 2007
Yay! We confirmed today that the beads from Tiger Henderson and Korry Antos are on their way here from Colorado (they're not snowed in)! We'll be busy Friday getting the beads ready for the trunk show opening at Bead & Chocolate, Friday, February 9, 6-8 p.m.
January 25, 2007
Madeline is the first to finish her beaded cabochon with serpentine strap! It is gorgeous, dahling!
Judy, Helena, Amber, and Nina made beautiful orifice hooks for their spinning wheels last night.
Judy's
Helena's
Nina's
January 19, 2007
If you weren't at the last needle weaving study group session, this is what you missed:
Snowflakes!
Everyone finished one, and we had lots of fun. The next project is the cover story on the current issu of Bead & Button (you must have your own copy).
Lots of things are in the works: the Super Bowl Bead Party, the next trunk show (scheduled to open February 9), and lots of new class projects. Watch this space!
December 27, 2006
Here are few photos of what students have been up to lately:
Linda S.'s strung bracelet
Louise D.'s PMC jewelry from the Intro to PMC class. Have you experienced PMC yet?
Comments
The Rosary Guy says, "Love the shop, love the blog!"
Susi D. says, "Just wanted to share with you how much I enjoyed the blog and the project photos! Please consider offering classes in viking knit in the future…I would love to learn how to do that! And when is the next bead challenge? Great work…! I am a big fan!"
December 16, 2006
Patricia went to the Chantilly Gem and Jewelry Show on Friday and was able to restock on the silver and copper beads she found last year!
We put out several new colors of size 8 round beads this weekend, and we're working on restocking size 11 rounds, and new colors of size 11 rounds will deliver this week.
We just received a metal order that included these really cool ear wires. They are perfect for showing off your lampwork beads. We'll also be getting a Saki order in next week!
December 11, 2006
Here are some photos of the Blue Heeler trunk show and other shop happenings:
A toggle with some coordinating lentils
Beautiful leaves, perfect for fall and winter
How about one for spring and cherry blossoms?
Discs, of course! We love discs!
Some cool and colorful lentils
There's still some stash left, but it's flying out the door!
Here's what else was goin' on:
Ilene in her handknit hat that she designed!
Students making French florals on Sunday. People were PMCing on Saturday (gorgeous things!), but the camera's battery was dead. :o(
Maria L. made this beautiful curved-tube necklace in class earlier in the week.
December 10, 2006
The Blue Heeler trunk show successfully launched on Friday! Quite a few beads have already flown from the trays, so don't delay coming by the shop to see what's left.
We're still tubing beads and more are on the way. We'll be putting some new size 8 rounds out this week.
December 6, 2006
We've got 33 new colors of size 8 hexes out! That's too many to list, so come on in and check them out. Today, we start to tube the size 11 rounds; we'll try to have all the new and sold out colors tubed and ready by Bead & Chocolate on December 8. See you there!
November 28, 2006
Did you have a good Thanksgiving? Black Friday was a busy day at Bead Obsessions, concluding with a small gathering of stitchers for the Needle Weaving Study Group. Little Gentleman Josh (Val's adorable and very well-mannered son) made these snowflakes:
Patricia worked on the 2006 Bead Obsessions ball gown. Here's a sneak peek:
Here's the project for the next Needle Weaving Study Group meeting on December 29 (note the special date!) from the October 2004 issue of Bead & Button: http://www.beadandbutton.com/bnb/default.aspx?c=a&id=1104&cc=DA3qqe
Earlier in the week, Mary brought in her newly finished pot of brown-eyed Susans:
Also, the first wave of seed bead orders arrived yesterday! We will begin tubing today. Please be patient with us. We'll be tubin' and labelin' and tapin' as fast as we can! :o)
November 20, 2006
Val (who teaches at Bead Obsessions) brought this in to show us on Sunday. It's her version of Pearls in the Coral, which is one of the classes offered at Bead Obsessions (it was offered in the summer term and will be offered again in the winter term). Gorgeous, dahling!
Photos of three new class projects are now available: the Peyote Patterned Cuff, the Flower Pen Pot, and the Curved Tube Necklace.
Check the Classes page for more informaton.
Watch this space for photos of the 2006 Bead Obsessions Ball Gown!
Comments
Amber says "Pearls in the Coral is beautiful!"
November 7, 2006
Here's the first blog posting for Bead Obsessions!
If you'd like to comment, see the link at the bottom of the page. We will vet comments and post them as we see fit while of course protecting your privacy.
At the end of October, Patricia took PMC certification classes with Rio Grande. Tonya Davidson was the teacher. Here are photos from the class.
The first project was a hollow lentil bead. Here it is "raw."
This is how it's supposed to look. This piece belongs to another student, unfortunately!
Here are the woven earrings and lentil just out of the kiln.
Each student had to build a pyramid--this was Patricia's favorite project. The finished piece had to be polished to a mirror finished, but it looks nice brushed too (as shown here).
The back has a lapel pin soldered onto it. Here, a "third hand" is holding the pin to the pyramid while Patricia uses a torch to solder the pieces together using solder paste.
This is the tube of the pen drying on a dowel rod.
Here's the finished pen. It had to be functional to pass the project. It works! Watch for this class at Bead Obsessions! It's fun!
This is a relief pendant. Rustic looking, eh? The colors look better in nonvirtual life.
This band was cut as a strip and then joined around a mandrel to dry. It was then fired and then decorated with PMC sheet and gold aura; then it was fired again with a torch. We had to make it to a prespecified size. Check it out on Patricia's thumb the next time you're in the shop. Also check out the PMC Rings class at Bead Obsessions.
This is Dawn Fernald-Spruill's lentil bead finished and passed. Dawn teaches the PMC classes at Bead Obsessions and other places.
Here are Patricia's final seven pieces--they all passed! Whew! All but two were treated with a mixture of liver of sulphur and ammonia and/or Mr. Clean.
Comments
Loretta says "I noticed the ring on Patricia's finger yesterday but had no idea that it was a product of her PMC class. It is really a great piece! Check it out when you see her."
Mom says "It's beautiful, dear."
November 10, 2006
Recent Work from Bead Obsessions Customers
Linda S.'s bracelet
Kimi's needle felted doll clothing with beads
Judy's One Good Turn Necklace (this was a Needle Weaving Group project)
Helena's, Susan's, and Martha's wire-wrapped stone donuts
Fran's Embellished Peyote Cuff
Cathy R.'s Lattice Bag
Barbara M.'s Double Spiral necklace with a polymer donut
Susan W.'s Tubular Peyote necklace
Susan W.'s Netted Treasures necklace
Loretta's Peyote Amulet Bag
Linda S.'s necklace with octopus focal bead from Kory Antos and Tiger Henderson
Judy's peony
January 30, 2007
Here's Mary S.'s beady person from the Beady People class. Isn't she adorable? Helena made one too, but left the building before he could be caught by a camera. Maybe he'll show up again another day.
