Are you in need of inspiration? Looking for design ideas for those beads you've just purchased at your local bead shop? Look no further! The BeadSmith Inspiration Squad is a carefully selected unit of highly trained and lethally talented bead artists from around the world who want nothing more than to inspire you to beading greatness! Need inspiration to create with all of the new bead shapes you've been seeing in your favorite bead shops? Our carefully selected group of Beadsmith Inspiration squaddies have had a go at creating with many of them.....Click Here
| Leslie Rogalski - BeadSmith Creative Director Seed Bead Specialist Leslie is known for her passion and enthusiasm as a bead and jewelry artist, designer, and teacher. Recognized from regular appearances on Jewelry Television and Beads, Baubles, and Jewels, she also blogs, conducts workshops and exhibits at bead shows as Sleepless Beader and sells her original jewelry design kits at www.sleeplessbeader.com. The former editor in chief of Step by Step Beads and BeadingDaily.com, Leslie's projects and articles have been widely published in leading magazines and books and many books including the Lark 500 Beaded Jewelry Showcase. Her DoodleBeads(C) teaching method of drawing-before-your-eyes makes her workshops fun for all skill levels. Leslie has been a member of the several industry design teams, a former Swarovski Ambassador, and the author of 'The Business of Beading,' a regular column starting in 2014 in Bead&Button magazine. Craftsy.com launched her first online class, Essential Seed Bead Techniques, in July 2014. Leslie also sells her original finished jewelry at regional craft shows and to private clients. She lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband, illustrator Michael Rogalski, one fabulous daughter pursuing a career in musical theater, and two cats. She loves Disney World, pretzels, and really bad science fiction movies about mutant animals. Follow her as Sleepless Beader on Facebook, at www.sleeplessbeader.blogspot.com, and keep up with new designs and kits for sale, exhibitions, shows, and workshops at www.sleeplessbeader.com. TO SEE SOME OF LESLIE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Leslie Pope - BeadSmith Creative Designer Seed Bead Specialist Leslie Pope, a.k.a. “Twisted Sistah”, has a PASSION for BEADS and FIBER! As a fashion design student at Drexel University, she managed to work beads into most of her collections, winning the J.W. Smith Most Saleable Daywear award for her senior design collection of beaded knitwear. Since graduating, she is almost always seen with beads and fiber in hand, a source of great joy in her life. Leslie became Twisted Sistah when she opened her traveling/web-based bead business in 2002 and hasn’t looked back since. Her business is devoted to BEADS and FIBER and offers a wide range of seed beads, threads and supplies that support the creation of BEADED WEARABLE ART. Her love for her craft is contagious, as her ever-growing list of happy customers will attest. TO SEE SOME OF LESLIE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Anne Dilker Kumihimo Specialist Anne came to jewelry design via ceramics. A studio art potter specializing in home decor for 25 years, she started making porcelain beads and pendants in 2002. A need to showcase her beads as finished pieces, along with no knowledge of traditional jewelry making techniques, lead her to the use of textile techniques in her designs. The interplay between the soft textiles and the hard surface of the beads, stones and metals creates a juxtaposition that she finds appealing. And exploring the transition of textile techniques to jewelry design is one she finds endlessly intriguing. As a full-time independent artist, Anne is fully committed to assisting other micro businesses and is developing a business series specifically for jewelry makers. A line of silk and nylon suitable for use in jewelry is under development with a local mill and her new Artifacts & Spirit of the Celts lines of bronze and silver jewelry design elements are being hand cast by a small art casting company here in the United States. TO SEE SOME OF ANNE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Paul Ricks Ricks Beading Loom Specialist Paul is the inventor of The Ricks Beading Loom, exclusively distributed by The BeadSmith. He has created many designs and kits to be made on his loom and is also a frequent guest on JTV's Jewel School. Paul frequently travels the country to present classes and demonstrations using his invention. The Ricks Beading Loom is the loom with only two threads to weave back in when your project is finished. The first chapter of 'THE RICKS LOOMATIKS' has recently been founded in New Jersey and more are being started every day! Paul is a retired Police Officer (Deputy Chief of Police - Colorado Springs Police Department) and also a former professional musician. He and his wife, Charlene, (and their two cats) currently divide their time between their summer home in the beautiful Black Forest region of Colorado and their winter home in the desert of Casa Grande, Arizona. TO SEE SOME OF PAUL'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Amee K. Sweet-McNamara Soutache & Bead Embroidery Specialist Ask Amee K. Sweet-McNamara why her fine-art jewelry business is called 'Amee Runs with Scissors' and she usually just laughs and says, 'Because it sounds a whole lot sexier than 'Amee Eats Paste.' Working out of her southern New Hampshire home, Sweet-McNamara makes one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable-art textile-jewelry using a technique called Soutache & Bead Embroidery which involves hand-stitching yards and yards of soutache braid and hundreds of tiny beads. She is inspired by curvilinear shapes and unexpected color-combinations wherever she discovers them; fine art, movies, architecture, advertising. Sweet-McNamara writes and teaches both private and group classes at venues across the country and is a proud member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. TO SEE SOME OF AMEE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Apollinariya Koprivnik Jewelry Design Specialist I am 25 years old student of architecture, young wife, quite an easy going person and I am obsessed with beads. Natively I was born in Russia, I am a real Siberian..sort of 'beads are in my blood'. I am writing my Masters degree this year and cooperating with art store in our town, making tutorials and teaching people to explore beading and other techniques. Our small family lives in Slovenia, the city of Maribor, this beautifull country is full of inspiration. Nature, architecture, people... everything as a source for ideas. I am working in beading embroidery technique for three years, love to create interesting and rich color combinations, to try new shapes and to explore new materials and techniques. I never make a sketch for an artwork, the idea comes by itself, during the work. All ideas are spontaneous and always the material is the one that helps me to make the right decision. TO SEE SOME OF APOLLINARIYA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Eva Dobos Jewelry Design Specialist Eva Dobos is a Hungarian Bead Artist best known for her numerous intricate beaded beads and rings. A self-taught beader whose unique designs has earned her a spot as a renowned teacher in her country as well as abroad and been featured in countless magazines and exhibitions. Her work has participated in many competitions, with her most recent entry finishing in the top 6 of The Battle of the Beadsmith 2013. She started to make jewellery in 1992. Has been teaching since 2004 when she published her first book and instructions for a magazine. Since then she has her own pages in that magazine and published more then 65 instructions so far. She had a lot of extremely talented students over the years, who are now teachers and well known artists themselves recognized by the beading community around the globe! She uses almost every beading technique and combines them within her pieces as well as materials. She loves experiencing, incorporating new and strange materials into her jewelry. TO SEE SOME OF EVA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Kerstin Kallin Crown Design Specialist Kerstin Kallin lives in Stockholm, Sweden with her husband and two small children. Kerstins speciality is crowns for brides, an old swedish tradition. The first crown she made was for her own wedding in 2007, and she was immediately hooked. Since then, she has started to make other kinds of jewelry as well and has started her own company named Kronbruden, www.thecrownbride.com. The biggest source of inspiration is nature and plants, and her jewelry often has soft curves rather than strict lines. She excels in wirework, but she works in many different techniques as well, from silversmithing to stitched jewelry with seed beads. The materials are often sterling silver, freshwater pearls and glass beads of high quality. There is always an interest to learn more about new techniques and expand the knowledge of the familiar ones. TO SEE SOME OF KERSTIN'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Miriam Shimon Soutache Specialist Miriam Shimon is an award-winning Israeli bead work artist with a penchant for working with Soutache. Born and raised in Denmark she now lives in Israel where she regularly teaches jewelery making and soutache workshops. She has been published in several books and magazines, and won numerous awards for her work around the world. You can follow her blog at www.cielodesign.blogspot.com. TO SEE SOME OF MIRIAM'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Betty Stephan Bead Embroidery Specialist Betty Stephan's mom was a seamstress and taught Betty and each of her 4 sisters how to sew at an early age. It wasn't until she was in her 50s that Betty combined this skill with the art of beadwork in the form of bead embroidery. After retiring from her 'real' job as an aide to special needs preschool children in 2005, she became a full time bead artist. You can find Betty travelling throughout the US with her husband in their RV and exhibiting her intricate pieces at fine craft shows during the summers. During the winter, you will find her in her 'dungeon' madly beading away – warm and toasty and shielded from the heavy western New York snows. Her work was published in Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry as well as being pictured on the cover. She has won numerous international awards and contests and her designs have been published in Bead&Button, Beadwork, and Ornament magazines. Betty participated in both 2012 and 2013 Battle of the Beadsmith. TO SEE SOME OF BETTY'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Helena Tang-Lim Jewelry Design Specialist Helena Tang-Lim started beaded in the mid-1990s so that she could make a pair of beaded shoes for herself. And from there, a passion for the colourful, glittering little balls of glass and crystal was born. A predominantly self-taught artist, Helena specializes in tiny seed beads using many off-loom techniques to create colourful, exquisite beaded creations. After leaving a fulfilling and rewarding career managing an eyewear distribution company, Helena decided to fulfil her dreams to have a career in beading. She now spends her time 'painting' with her beads to create beaded jewellery and objects. Her work in beaded wearables often resemble fine haute joaillerie which she loves. Inspired by the colours and cultures of her adopted country of Singapore, many of her works incorporate accents and nuances of her people and races. TO SEE SOME OF HELENA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Melissa Cable Mixed Media Jewelry Design Specialist Melissa Cable is a mixed media jewelry artist, instructor and author who thrives on developing new designs and techniques with traditional and non-traditional materials, from metal, leather, and plastics to wood, clay and found objects. She is fascinated by the translation of techniques between materials and shares this love with students in her workshops around the world. Melissa enjoys documenting her experiments on her blog, Create Recklessly. She is the author of Spotlight on Wire (2011), Metal Jewelry in Bloom (2013) and Beautiful Leather Jewelry (2014) and her work has been featured in Art Jewelry, BeadStyle, Stringing, Wirework, and Step-by-Step Wire magazines as well as Showcase 500 Art Necklaces. In addition to creating her own products under her Create Recklessly brand, Melissa serves as a consulting design for Faux Bone and is on the design team for Patrik Kusek's Woodland Chic. She resides in the Greater Seattle area, where she calls Fusion Beads her teaching home. When she is not chasing after her young daughter and son, she might be found writing, running or rambling. TO SEE SOME OF MELISSA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Denisa Kangas Bead Embroidery Specialist Denisa Kangas has been beading for 5 years. She was born and lives in the Czech Republic with her American husband and two little children. Even though her country is famous for beads, she was introduced to their beauty by her American mother-in-law. In her busy mom life, she still finds time for her passion: beading. Her favorite technique is bead embroidery, because it is like painting with beads. She enjoys designing beaded works of art as well as every day accessories. Denisa has won or was placed in top positions in several beading contests. TO SEE SOME OF DENISA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Akke Jonkhof Jewelry Design Specialist I live with my family (husband and three teenagers) in a small village in Holland. I've always been a creative person but when I discovered jewelry making in 2007 I became addicted in an instant. This addiction intensified over the years as I began working with tiny beads. In regards to creating jewelry, I'm basically self-taught. All I know, I learned from books and the internet. I love playing with tiny shimmery things and discovering new structures and color combinations from which I can create nice jewelry. In general, the structures of my jewelry are simple with just a few types of beads in them. At the moment, I am challenged by all the new forms of beads that are currently on the market. I love to discover all of their possibilities! About three years ago, I started blogging & posting pictures of my beadwork online at www.akkesieraden.nl and in late 2012 I started an Etsy shop, www.akkesieraden.etsy.com, to sell patterns of my creations. In addition to my bead-related work, I also work for 18 hours a week in health care for disabled people. TO SEE SOME OF AKKE'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Laura Graham Beadweaving SpecialistLaura studied and worked in the art and photography field from a very young age until being diagnosed with Lupus in 2007. Making jewelry became her way of coping with the disease, and now she is an award-winning designer and practices beadweaving therapy every day. The creative and technical aspects, the new two-hole beads as well as the endless possibilities keep her very busy and creativity flowing. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, has an Etsy shop, and has started teaching her designs. You can reach her at desertstarcreations.etsy.com or at laura@desertstarcreations.com. TO SEE SOME OF LAURA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Ella 'The Admiral' Des Jewelry Design Specialist Ella Des is a self-taught bead artist from Belgrade, Serbia. She always loved sewing, knitting, and painting, but didn’t think she could find success with her creativity. So she worked in marketing and PR, but eventually decided to leave the rat race and sail around the world with her husband. As a self-proclaimed “Admiral,” she is now living and working on her yacht, where she has reconnected with her creative passion. Ella started to design beaded jewelry, working mainly with seed beads and using many off-loom techniques. She wrote her skedfirst step-by-step tutorial with pictures, because a friend a her how to make a bracelet. Since then, Ella has created more than 200 designs with tutorials. She has her own Etsy shop and web site, ellad2.com. TO SEE SOME OF ELLA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Carolyn Cave Beadwork Specialist A self-taught bead artist living in Alberta, Carolyn enjoys the endless creativity derived from stringing and stitching “little round shiny things with holes in them”. This is both a frustrating and exhilarating way to fill in the spare moments of her very full days as a wife, mother of three young ladies, and musician. Creativity has always played a large role in her life, from sewing clothes for Barbie at a young age, to experimenting with a wide variety of arts and crafts; from earning a Degree in Music and playing several instruments, to making jewelry. Her creations are inspired by a wide variety of things – the colors and shapes of the natural world, works of vintage and antique beaded art, the encouraging comments of her family, and the many hours spent “composing” with needle, beads and thread. Her work has been published in Bead&Button and Beadwork magazines, and she has been a winner in multiple categories of BeadStar every year since 2011. Her first book, Beautiful Designs with SuperDuos and Twin Beads, was released by Kalmbach in 2014. Visit Carolyn’s Facebook page: Lady Beadle Designs or visit her website: www.ladybeadledesigns.com! TO SEE SOME OF CAROLYN'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Isabella Lam Beadwork Specialist Isabella Lam started beading in 2009, living and working in Israel. Beadwork became her profession over the years; creating new designs of beaded jewelry using new beads in unique combinations is always an opportunity for challenge. She enjoys sharing her passion and love for beads and inspiring her students to share her love of jewelry making. As a leading beadwork designer her fans all over the world have the opportunity to learn and create many of her off-loom projects. Isabella believes that if you are interested in giving beads a try, she will help you create elegant and unique beadwork jewelry which will most certainly get you noticed. You can find over 100 different kits and over 120 tutorials in different levels from beginner to advance. Visit www.isabellalam.com or www.etsy.com/shop/bead4me. TO SEE SOME OF ISABELLA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Katie Dean Beadwork Specialist Katie Dean lives in the UK, just outside London. She stumbled upon beads entirely by accident back in 2003, whilst she was on long-term sick leave from her job as a management consultant. She is a self-taught artist who began with French Beading, before moving on to off-loom bead-weaving and she still enjoys both styles today. The beading began as a therapy, helping her through her illness, but soon turned into a passion. Katie has reached the finals of beading competitions in the UK and internationally, winning ‘Best in Show’ at the British Bead Awards in 2010. In 2012 the beading changed from a hobby into a full-time job. She published her first book (‘Sweet Treats’) that year. Seven more (and counting!) have followed. Katie has also been published in numerous beading magazines, including Beadwork, Bead&Button, Perlen Poesie and Bead & Jewellery. In 2014 she was invited to become editor of Bead & Jewellery Magazine, working freelance alongside her existing teaching, writing and designing. You can find Katie’s patterns and teaching schedule at www.beadflowers.co.uk. Or if you’re curious about beading in general, her blog, www.myworldofbeads.com will give you all the information you ever wanted! TO SEE SOME OF KATIE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Christina Neit Beadwork Specialist Christina Neit, aka Good Quill Hunting, is a born-and-bred Mainer and proud parent of four children. Growing up in a self-sufficient home where she learned needlework at a very young age, she specializes in unique statement jewelry made using gemstones, crystals, and seed beads, with a passion for Vintage components. She enjoys incorporating unique textures and fibers, when possible, like metal stampings, porcupine quills and horsehair. She’s been teaching the art of beadwork, designing, creating and vending at various venues for ten years. Chris, Dave and their three dogs currently make their home near Denver, Colorado. She has been published in Bead Trends, Perlen Posie, Bead Unique and Beadwork magazines where she was one of the Designers of the Year 2014. TO SEE SOME OF CHRISTINA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Jayashree Paramesh Beadweaving Specialist I was introduced to the world of beads through a bead embroidery class I took while a student at Parsons, The New School for Design, New York. I enjoyed the class but did not pursue beading until a few years ago. After seeing beaded jewelry in a magazine, my interest in beading was re-ignited! Now, I love making beaded jewelry. I look everywhere for inspiration and then create from within. My designs are more about my desire to bring out the unique beauty of the beads and the woman, rather than having a signature style. That being said, I am inspired by fine jewelry and I love to use some gold or silver in my pieces. Sparkly crystals and gemstones in jewel-tones are my favorites. My designs have been published in Perlen Poesie, Beadwork and Bead&Button magazines. I have taught at the Bead&Button Show 2013, 2014 and 2015 and will be teaching again next year. I have been teaching locally and nationally for a while and it is a very gratifying experience for me to share my designs with fellow bead enthusiasts. To see more of my work, please visit www.etsy.com/shop/Nchantme. I also update my blog regularly about my new design inspirations and photos at blog.nchantme.com/. TO SEE SOME OF JAYASHREE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Phyllis Dintenfass Seed Bead Specialist Phyllis Dintenfass has been working with beads for several decades, stringing, weaving, and embroidering. She is inspired by the beads themselves and enjoys designing jewelry that’s unique and fun to both create and wear. She has been the featured artist in several national magazines, as well as a contributor. Phyllis has inspired some contemporary artists and her work has been included in various beading books. Her work has been in juried shows and on display in Europe and Japan. She has taught from coast to coast and continues to welcome invitations to both teach and design custom pieces. Her website is www.phylart.com. TO SEE SOME OF PHYLLIS'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Carol Dean Sharpe Peyote Stitch Cuff Design Specialist Carol Dean Sharpe (aka Sand Fibers) is a self-taught bead artist who is best known for her flat peyote cuff work. She aims for designs that are accessible for many different types of women, from the young college student who just wants playful adornments to the business woman who needs accessories that will go from business to dinner. She has been published in Step-by-Step Beads as well as in Perlen Poesie. Her work has also been featured in books by American, British, and German bead artists. While Carol Dean can be found happily beading and designing in her New Mexico home, her extensive and ever-growing library of patterns (and the occasional kit) can be found at www.sandfibers.etsy.com. TO SEE SOME OF CAROL'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Bianca van der Molen Jewelry Design Specialist About ten years ago I came in contact with beads, during a small workshop at my job. Since then I was completely hooked on the beads. Over the years I taught myself to bead, from “just” stringing (with a bit of wirewrapping) beads, bead embroidery and then to beadweaving! I just love it that you can make the most intricate but yet simple jewelry by just weaving the beads with different techniques. At the end of 2012 I began writing my first tutorial, Star of Kallista, and opened my Etsy store www.biancmolendesigns.etsy.com. I’ve made several more since then and was published in two magazines in 2014. At my website www.biancmolendesigns.com you can also find a few free tutorials. TO SEE SOME OF BIANCA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Erika Sandor Jewelry Design Specialist I am a jewelry designer, a writer and a passionate traveler and adventurer. A gypsy spirit: longing to see all the close and distant corners of the world and transform the impressions into beaded and written memories. At the age of 29 I sold my successful bead shop in Bratislava, Slovakia. I returned to my roots – art, creativity and traveling. I design one-of-a-kind art jewelry. The necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and headpieces are inspired by foreign cultures, special places, persons, feelings and much more. You can follow my work at www.thestorytellingjeweller.com. Looking forward to see you there! TO SEE SOME OF ERIKA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Diana Miglionico-Shiraishi Jewelry Design Specialist Diana Miglionico-Shiraishi began her creative life as a floral designer for her mother’s flower shop, where color, texture and design remained an inspiration into jewelry making.Her travels led her to Japan where she discovered the art of kumihimo, the “gathering of threads” that so clearly brings all her skills together in this ancient technique. Diana’s Jasmine Tea Designs Etsy shop fulfills her vision for an intimate boutique of handcrafted beaded kumihimo jewelry, ideas to share and kumihimo supplies, so you can do the same. Her designs reflect the inspiration she finds in nature, art, and memories from her childhood. Diana is a founding member and an instructor for The American Kumihimo Society. Visit her web site www.jasmineteadesigns.com, Facebook page facebook.com/JasmineTeaDesigns, and Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/JasmineTeaDesigns. TO SEE SOME OF DIANA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| JOANNE ZAMMIT Jewelry Design Specialist Joanne had her first training in colour and design in the early 1990s whilst studying Interior Design and discovered beading some 10 years later. She instantly fell in love with the world of beads and over the years has continuously added to her skills, supplementing self-teaching with workshop instruction in various techniques. Joanne’s work is mostly inspired by the sea and by her home, the Mediterranean Island of Malta. Joanne participated in the Battle of the Beadsmith in 2014 and again in 2015 when she reached the Final. She was awarded Malta's National Artisan Award for 2014. Find Joanne at www.joannezammit.com TO SEE SOME OF JOANNE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Kimberly Newman Wire Jewelry Specialist Kim has been the owner of Kim’s Creative Designs bead shop in her home town of Urbana, Ohio since 2007 but has been beading seriously since 1995. Kim loves every aspect of beading from weaving, to stringing, to her favorite--wire working. Kim’s designs have been published in Just Steampunk magazine, Just Jewelry magazine, multiple issues of Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry magazine, the online e-zine The Pixelated Palette, and has recently submitted her work to the Bead Dreams competition. There is a saying painted on the wall of Kim’s classroom that reads, “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” With the help of her husband and two boys, Kim has been able to follow her dreams. TO SEE SOME OF KIMBERLY'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Susan Sassoon Jewelry Design Specialist Susan Sassoon is an architect, wife and mother living in New York. She has always had a passion for art, but just began her beading journey in 2011. She began with stringing and beadweaving but has experience with many different jewelry making techniques including chain maille, soutache, bead embroidery, macrame, and wirework. Susan is constantly inspired by beads and has a passion for creating her own designs, for which she often writes patterns. Her work has been published in Bead Style, Beadwork, and Bead and Button Magazines. The best way to keep up with her is on her Facebook page www.Facebook.com/SoSassybySusanSassoon , Etsy shop, www.Etsy.com/shop/SoSassySusanSassoon, | Sherri Stokey Jewelry Design Specialist Sherri Stokey is an admitted jewelry junky and slight perfectionist with a slightly obsessive personality. Both can be great qualities in a micro macrame artist! She’s married with two grown children and one adorable grandson. Sherri creates jewelry pieces using macramé techniques, knotting small cords, seed beads and other decorative embellishments. into wearable pieces of art. She first tried macramé back in the 1970s when plant hangers and owls were all the rage, then picked it up again about 8 years ago and hasn't stopped since. After learning some of the basic knots, she began creating her own patterns as well as tutorials.
With a history of exploring arts and crafts going all the way back to her childhood when she 'helped' in her grandmother's ceramic shop, Sherri has a varied background. She has tried her hand at many different mediums including cross-stitch, cake decorating, candle making and stained glass. She’s self-taught and has branched out into other areas of jewelry making like bead embroidery and bead weaving, but macramé knotting is her hands-down favorite. TO SEE SOME OF SHERRI'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Anna Lindell Jewelry Design Specialist Anna Lindell is a self-taught bead artist from the Stockholm area in Sweden, who loves to create lifelike designs and share her passion for beads with others. Anna stumbled upon the vast world of beads in 2007 when she wanted to make her wedding necklace, and in 2011 she quit her day-job to run her business Tigerguld. Anna loves mixing materials and techniques into story-telling beadwork, she’s curious about everything and feels there is always new things to learn and people to meet. She’s been in the Battle of the Beadsmith since beginning, her work has been published in several magazines of which Bead & Jewellery Magazine is the most regular, and was featured with her Wicker Bangle design in one of Starman’s ads during her time as a Starman Trendsetter. Today, Anna enjoys developing fun ideas, writing comprehensible tutorials for all levels of beaders, and teaching her designs across Europe. You can find her tutorials at www.etsy.com/shop/tigerguld or visit www.tigerguld.com for more information. TO SEE SOME OF ANNA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Cora Sparidaans Jewelry Design SpecialistCora Sparidaans lives in a small village in the Netherlands with her loving husband and two sons. In 2014, she came across a beading store and her love for beading was born. Not long after, she started to design her own pieces and teach classes for both beginners and advanced beaders. Her passion is designing new pieces and trying out color combinations. Cora also loves to share her passion with others. Her work has been published in the Perlen Poesie and in Bead Art & Embroidery magazines. Now she has her own online bead store where she sells patterns, kits and beading supplies. You can visit her at www.csbeaddesign.nl or on Facebook - facebook.com/csbeaddesign/' TO SEE SOME OF CORA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Sharri Moroshok Jewelry Design Specialist When a friend in my hometown opened a bead shop in the early 1990’s I discovered seed beads and bead weaving. Having left my profession of 20 years as a Librarian I was searching for an artistic medium that I could build a crafting business on. This was before the internet world we now inhabit, so, being a Librarian, I searched out every bood about seed bead weaving I could identify. In one of those books I saw a picture of some beaded beads. Inspiration struck and 25 years later I am still designing and creating beaded beads! I sell my finished beaded beads, jewelry, tutorials and kits through my Etsy shop www.TheBeadedBead.etsy.com and you can find me at facebook.com/TheBeadedBead.
TO SEE SOME OF SHARRI'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| June Malone Jewelry Design SpecialistJune Malone is an artist who has worked with a variety of materials and media. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture with a minor in art in 1971 and started out doing freelance residential landscape designs. For the past 30 years she has worked with many types of media (e.g., fiber, acrylics, cake frosting, counted cross stitch, needlepoint, and most recently, beads). June began working seriously with beads in 1999 when she needed some jewelry to go with a new outfit. Initially she created simple strung jewelry that matched the character of various outfits of hers. Then, she discovered Delica beads and now creates her own designs for elaborate one-of-a-kind necklaces and earrings. The themes and color palettes of her one-of-a-kind pieces are influenced by the cultures and colors of the southwestern United States. Prior to her retirement as a VA psychologist in 2012, she beaded part time. Now she is able to bead and develop kits full time. Her Golden Bear design was a finalist in an international bead show in 2004. Examples of her beadwork designs are displayed on her web site: www.enchantedbeader.com TO SEE SOME OF JUNE'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Patricia Parker Seed Bead Design SpecialistPatricia Parker is an award-winning seed bead artist who has participated in the Battle of the Beadsmith since 2014. Her work has been published in magazines and advertisements. A former bead store owner, Patti’s passion for beads has spanned three decades. She studied Fine Art at Kutztown University and has been certified an Accredited Jewelry Professional by the Gemological Association of America. Currently she is a board member of the Bead Society of Eastern Pennsylvania, and teaches classes at the national bead shows. www.etsy.com/shop/RoseBluBeads • roseblubeads.blogspot.com/ TO SEE SOME OF PATRICIA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Debora Hodoyer Bead Design Specialist
Debora Hodoyer was raised in Sardinia, a beautiful island in the middle of Mediterranean Sea she became a passionate traveler and now, back from those beautiful experiences, concentrates on the valorization of culture, language, protection of the environment, archeology, traditions and ancient history of her island, which you’re welcome to come and visit.
Debora is also a bass guitar player, and her adventure in the bead world started with wire when she needed a hobby at a time she wasn’t playing bass so much. Her attention was attracted by those little sparkling pretty things named seed beads and she just channeled being disciplined in music into a different form of creative energy. Debora says that her jewelry is made of music, art, nature and something that comes from a remote past. Over time she developed her own designs trying to combine ancient traditions with hints of modern style. She now sells beading instructions in her Etsy shop called CrownofStones, and has had designs published as well as interviews in major beading magazines including Bead&Button, Beadwork, Perlen Poesie, Bead & Jewellery, Beading Polska, and DIY Beading Magazine, and Creative Beading books. Visit Debora’s Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/CrownofStones and Facebook page www.facebook.com/DeboraHodoyerCrownofStones/ TO SEE SOME OF DEBORA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Edgar Lopez Bead Design Specialist
Born and living in the Dominican Republic, Edgar Lopez has always been interested in art, design and building all sorts of things with skills inherited from his creative paternal grandmother. After studying architecture, Edgar found a creative outlet in jewelry design and has been exploring jewelry techniques since 2002. He has participated as both artist and juror in several contests on design, and his creations have been published in multiple magazines and books in the United States, Latin America and Europe. “Creating is my passion, as an architect and jewelry designer. I learned to mix the best of both worlds, mixing shapes and textures that I can see in nature or in buildings, and as a Caribbean I like color and be risky with their combinations.” TO SEE SOME OF EDGAR'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Martha Mollichella Jewelry Design Specialist
Martha Mollichella studied jewelry design and goldsmithing at the Art Institute of Rome where she graduated as an art teacher in 1991. Circumstances led her to work in the commercial sector of an Information Technology company and for almost 18 years she was involved in creating new business plans, searching for potential customers, purchasing, managing, taking care of clients and much more. Then her life took a new direction. After having three children, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom and during this time she re-discovered the joys of various creative arts as a way to entertain not only her kids but herself as well. She began sewing with great enthusiasm and stumbled across soutache and beads in a sewing ideas project. That was the spark that renewed her passion for jewelry making and she has been beading every day since 2013. After many years of artistic studies, Martha’s passions have changed and evolved. She loves to create primarily unique pieces and small works of wearable art. Visit her website: www.marthamollichella.com. TO SEE SOME OF MARTHA'S WORK CLICK HERE!
| Norma Jean Dell Beadweaving SpecialistNorma Jean Dell started bead weaving in 2008 and quickly progressed to creating her own bead woven designs and formed njdesigns in 2009. Over the past ten years, she has taught numerous classes based on her designs in Georgia and Tennessee. She has been published in three leading bead magazines and her designs have been featured in two books. Today Norma Jean has created more than 150 tutorials that have been sold all over the world. Her designs can be found at www.njdesigns1.com. TO SEE SOME OF NORMA'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Michele Klous Beadweaving SpecialistMichele has a background in graphic arts where she learned all about color. She worked outdoors for many years in her youth which inspired her to use rich and vibrant color schemes in her graphics. Seeing beadwork at a fair was all it took to change her path from graphics top beads! She decided to learn everything there was to know about beadwork including knitting and crocheting with beads. Since that day Michele has been inspired to create, teach and share her own beaded creations. You can find more of Michele’s beautiful designs in her etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/manystitchesintime. TO SEE SOME OF MICHELE'S WORK CLICK HERE! | Rangashrii Santhanam Beadweaving SpecialistRangashrii Santhanam is an award-winning designer who started beading in 2009. Her designs have been published in magazines such as Beadwork and Bead and Jewelry. She is inspired by nature and quite a few of her designs mimic flowers. She travels with her beads as much as possible. Rangashrii lives in Atlanta, GA with her son and husband and two very spoiled cats. Her hobbies are reading and gardening and she loves board games. She sells her finished jewelry in craft shows and to private clients. You can find her designs and kits at www.shriidesignsllc.com or follow her on Instagram @shriidesigns. She can be reached at shriidesigns1@gmail.com. TO SEE SOME OF RANGASHRII'S WORK CLICK HERE! | We remain grateful for the generosity and creativity of Inspiration Squad members who have stepped aside to pursue other endeavors.
Many thanks to Nancy Dale, Cynthia Newcomer Daniel, Kinga Nichols, Kris Empting-Obenland, Ioana Sava, Liz Thompson, Beth Stone, Linda Roberts, Sigi Contreras, Maria Rypan, Amy Katz, Paulette Baron, Diane Whiting, Nealay Patel and Julie Romero
for sharing your talents with us, and good luck on your new paths. |
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