YES, I STILL MAKE BEADS....

 

I am still here but in case you've been wondering why you don't hear from me as often it's because I now have a full time job. As a small business owner this has become necessary in order to make ends meet. Don't worry though, I STILL MAKE BEADS!

 

 

I rarely sit down at the torch for the sole purpose of trying out new techniques anymore . This really isn't a good thing because how else am I to grow as an artist?  I used to spend entire days, sometime even weeks practicing techniques in order to master them when I was first learning about beadmaking. Why don't I do this anymore? I guess I'm of the opinion that if I'm not constantly creating new things that I'm not 'doing my job' as an artist.
I would love to be able to take classes from my beadmaking mentors but I just don't have the time or the funds necessary to do that. I have purchased a couple of online tutorials for the purpose of learning techniques that I just wasn't able to figure out on my own. I am a true DIY'er and I am constantly a challenging myself to figure things out on my own. I just prefer to learn that way and beadmaking has been no different. Most everything I've learned about beadmaking has been discovered online, in books I've purchased, or from those very generous and talented beadmakers who have demonstrated their professional techniques for free.

There is one technique that I would really like to master and I am determined to do that. It is the petal implosion technique. There are tutorials out there, both free, which I've studied, and for purchase. I think I understand the concept enough to figure it out without purchasing a tutorial, or at least I think so..... I promised myself that if I couldn't create enough success by the end of this week that I would purchase said tutorial....I know, I'm very hard headed that way. :-)

My frequent attempts to create this type of petal implosion technique had always left me frustrated in the past. I just couldn't seem to get it...until yesterday, when things started coming together and I actually have a successful bead to share.  I am determined to learn and master this technique...