Creativ Festival Spring 2014

Wow in just one month spring will officially arrive here in Toronto. After a long a snowy winter it will be great to see green grass and the buds on the trees.  One month after the arrival of spring will be the Spring Creativ Festival, April 25 & 26, 2014 at the International Centre.

This morning the information about all of the seminars, how-to demos, make-n-takes and miniworkshops when up live on the show's website. All of which are included with your admission.

Here are the details for the three seminars that Maria will be presenting during the show.

Beadwork: Beyond the Kit 

Kits are great for learning a technique and beading a ready made style. Once you've mastered the project, it can be repeated in so many different ways. Maria shares techniques on how you can transform an existing  pattern into your own unique creation and will inspire you with wonderful examples of designs that go beyond the kit.

Room 105, Friday @ 2:30, Saturday @ 4:30

 

 

Beadwork: ABC’s of Beading  

This original presentation, inspired by Maria’s blog series “ABC’s of Creativity” highlights examples of bead types,  variety of stringing materials available and different tools that can be used for beading. Learn to make the best choices on what to use for different techniques and what's best for your project. Plus, get tips on best use of colour along the way.

Room 105, Friday @ 10:30

Beadwork: Closures & Finishing Tips   

Properly finished beadwork is essential to its enjoyment and wearability. Learn about different types of clasps and beaded closures. Get instruction on how to attach  and direction on what's best suited to different types of beadwork. Examples of incredibly finished pieces will be shown to inspire you.

Room 105, Saturday @ 10:30

If you have created something based on one of Maria's kits, please send her pictures and details and it may be included in the presentation Beadwork: Beyond the Kit. 

A full selection of our kits and patterns will be available during the show @ booth #372. We look forward to seeing you there.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - U is Unfinished Projects

We all have them, a kit or project that you started but have not finished.  How do you store them? What can you do to get it finished?

Maria's bead embroidery project from class with Sherry Serafani

Storing unfinished project can be easy if it is a prepackaged kit as it more than likely came in a zip bag. The challenge maybe keeping them organized.

Chicklet bracelet with only closures needing to be attached

If it is a project from a magazine or book the challenge is keeping everything together. Photocopying the instructions for the specific project (which is acceptable within copyright rules) can be helpful.  Create your own kit for the project. Then store materials and instructions in a zip bag.

Make a list of items needed to finish project (clasp, more beads etc.) This will allow you to prioritize projects based on the availability of supplies.

Here is Marilyn Gardiner's post about how she deals with and stores her "projects in progress". Lots of great tips and ideas.

A sure fire way to get a project completed is to have a deadline. Does it need to be done as a gift, for a blog post or for upcoming show?  These can help give you the drive to get a project done.

Maria's mocassin vamp for Walking with Our Sisters Exhibit

What do you do if finishing is a problem because you don't know how to do it? This is when having a local group of beaders, either formal (Bead Society) or informal (beady friends) can help. Your local bead store can be helpful as well, see if they offer an open beading time. Get together with other beaders, share your knowledge and be encouraged to get projects finished.

Open Beading @ Beadfx

Hope that these tips with help you FIFI (Find it, Finish it). Share (either below or on our Facebook page) with us some of your ideas to get unfinished project done and those that you done!

Happy Beading!

Bead Fest Philadelphia 2013

With only one week until Bead Fest Philadelphia, Aug 23 -25, Maria is enjoying her last weekend in Ukraine. Once home she will be heading to Philadelphia to set up for Bead Fest.

Booth @ Bead Fest 2012

Along with over 350 other vendors Maria will her kits and patterns so you can create your own one-of-kind jewelry. Rypan Designs will be booth #103.

She will have the kits for the netted collar that appeared in the latest issue of Beadwork.

As seen in Aug/Sep 2013 issue of Beadwork

In addition to the many kits and patterns Maria has 4 books with a variety of projects in each. My personal favorite is Assorted Beadweaving, Lessons #2.

The image below is a customer appreciation pass for Bead Fest. Save the image, print it out, fill it in and bring it to the show. You will get weekend pass for only $5 (value $15).

Customer Appreciation Pass Form

Stop by the booth and say hello.

Happy Beading!

Spring Creativ Festival

Here in Toronto we are wondering if spring is going to be chased away by a Winter Storm Warning today. But a sure sign of the arrival of spring is the Spring Creativ Festival. It is only two weeks away, April 26 & 27, 2013.

This 2 day Toronto area show is at the International Centre in Mississauga. Free parking and free seminars are two great selling points for the Spring Creativ Festival. Purchasing your tickets online before the show will allow you to enter @ 9 am before the general opening @ 10 am. Your advance tickets also make you eligible to win one of two $900 shopping sprees.

In addition to having a booth (#372) with our kits, patterns and books, Maria will be presenting three informative seminars.

Yes! You Too Can Bead!
Welcome to the world of beading! Great visuals illustrate all there is to know about the plethora of beads, metals, stringing materials, beading wires, wire gauges, tools and findings available in the world of beading. Gain confidence to discover or perfect your own beading style! Vancouver Room - Fri 9:30 

Beadwork: The Finishing Touch
Learn how to finish your beadwork like a professional. There are many clasps, stringing materials, crimps and bead tips from which to choose. Maria shares tips and tricks for finishing off your beadwork project. See how to add a new thread, crimping tips and more.  
Vancouver Room - Fri 12:30 . Sat 2:30

 

Beader's Paint Box  
How do you get your beadwork to pop? Maria shares a little bit of colour theory with lots of examples to show how to place bead colours, finishes and metallics against each other. It's easy and will soon become intuitive!
Vancouver Room - Sat 11:30

Stop by the booth, #372 to pick up a kit or pattern for some spring beading!

Our beaded soutache bracelet or necklace kits create an elegant textured band. The addition of the stone pendant changes the look of the necklace.

This video was recorded at last spring's Creativ Festival. Maria is demonstrating her diagonal weave bracelet using triangle beads. We will have a selection of diagonal weave kits to make this fun and easy beaded band.

For those with a stash of beads (big or small) we also have patterns as well as Maria's four books.

We look forward to seeing you at the show. Hopefully the weather will be more spring-like that weekend!

Happy Beading!

Gerdany Seminar 2012 - Stamford, CT

The weekend at St. Basil College started with a presentation of "Beyond Stringing" as an introduction to different types of beading. We got right into beadweaving on Friday evening with Picots and Ladders and a special Byzantine Cross pendant. 

Easels showing the six different styles taught at the seminar

Pick and choose three colors for playing with picots. Gorgeous results!!

Picot Necklace and Byzantine Cross start off the Seminar

Bishop Paul checks out the Byzantine Cross kit at the start of the seminar

Picot necklaces and braclets by Sue, Helen and Marion - Fri night

Sue and Betty are overjoyed with their beading experience on Friday

Helen F has instant gratification by wearing her new Picot Necklace 

Marion, Helen and Sue's Picot necklaces and bracelets

Marian K not only organized the Seminar, but was a participant

Sr. Nataliya completes the 'X' which cleverly connects the ladders

BRX1 - Bracelet with an 'X' beadwoven by Sr. Nataliya 

Maria P models her Ladder Bracelet with and 'X'

Saturday started with "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine". The Netting Day included Textured Net, Netted 'X's and a Chicklet Bracelet for fun. A trip to the Ukrainian Museum was a perfect afternoon activity. Bead BINGO wound up the evening.

Maria explains the methodology of the Textured Net

Variations on a theme - Netted Bugles & Scythian Gold kits

Lots of kit choices for each technique

Sue and Helen help each other figure out the net

Marion H beads the Scythian Gold Net

Phyllis holds up her Simply Luxurious Net

Seminar participants take a break from beading. We're on our way to see the Ukrainian Museum. It was a gorgeous fall day before Hurricane Sandy.

Spot the beaded adornments: 'gerdany', headdresses, 'zgardy', 'laskunky', 'korali', Venetian beads 

Saturday Night Live: Bead BINGO

Marion & Stefania, lucky Bead BINGO winners

Maria of OH visits cousin Christine of CT for a weekend of 'gerdany-making'

The Byzantine Crosses were blessed at the end of Liturgy on Sunday. After brunch, we learned the Diagonal Weave, a handy stitch for Suspended Swags. Show and Tell brought out a lot of interesting 'gerdany'. There was a great interest in loomwork, a good possibility for next year's seminar. 

Stefania Szkafarowsky upcycles black and gold beads for Suspended Swag. First step was to bead a Diagonal Weave band for the swags to be draped from.

Stefania does Show and Tell of her 'gerdany' collection on Sunday

Maria Polnyj brought her gerdany in various stages for Show and Tell 

Two-needle netting in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Netted zigzag in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Maria Polnyj's netted 'gerdan', 2012

Christine models her beaded veil with cousin Maria's approval

Christine shows her own beaded headpiece from the 90's

PHOTOS: Sr. Natalia, The Sower, and Maria Rypan