Painted Stripes Collection

An impulse purchase of two hanks of uniquely hand-painted

pony beads with fun-colored lining inspired this collection.

I found less is more when you have such amazing miniature

art beads. Teaming them with jet black showed off the

multi-stripes best. Strategically placing them in simple

beadweaving patterns also worked well. These three styles

are a great place to learn bead weaving. There's netting in

form of a Textured Net Lantern necklace or as a Chicklet

Bracelet. Try the Diagonal Weave with enough beads for a

bracelet and necklace or lanyard. Make a great fashion

statement with these fun accessories.

This Painted Stripes Bead Kit Collection is a very

Limited Edition. It will be launched at the TBS Bead Fair

this weekend and hopefully be available for the next one

at The Hobby Show in Toronto.

Fall Bead Fair season

Last week's Creativ Festival in Toronto kept me super busy with teaching and exhibiting. There were so many styles of beadwork kits and patterns, I displayed the easel overflow on the well-lit shelving unit in back of the booth. You can easily check out the styles one by one in my catalogue.

Here's the overall booth display with Jo-Ann, my #1 assistant, sample beader and blog guru, in the midst of it all on the morning of Day #1.

My next show will be on Halloween Weekend at the Toronto Bead Society Bead & Jewellery Fair. The show will be held at the CNIB, a new venue easily accessible by TTC. I look forward to exhibiting in one large room with fellow beaders, lampworkers, suppliers of beads and findings. There's classes too! Come, be inspired and stock up!

This will be followed Nov. 6 to 8th by a new venture, The Hobby Show, where I am going to bring beadwork to a whole new audience of hobby enthusiasts. Click and get a discount show coupon and see the variety of activities, seminars and races, in addition to our beadwork demos in Booth #115.

Fall Bead Shows

Just returned from GLBG's Bead Bonanza where I displayed my latest article and dolly wearing the Platinum and Champagne Gold "Scythian Gold" Triple V featured in BEADWORK Oct/Nov 2009.

Since the warm woolies season is fast approaching, make your own Star Pin shown on the chenielle scarf. The stars are suspended from netting which is cleverly attached to three loops of a kilt pin. It's an instant gratification project ready in minutes. 50% off for readers of this blog and at the upcoming Creativ Festival, Oct. 16 to 18th, in Toronto, booth #534.

The New Pathway reprints "Conversations..."

Hot off the press! The New Pathway, a Ukrainian weekly newspaper in Toronto, did a great job with "Gerdany - Past to Present: A Conversation With Maria Rypan on Ukrainian-Style Beadwork" on its Culture page 8. This was possible thanks to permission from BEADWORK magazine to reprint my interview from the Oct/Nov 2009 issue. The photo of editor Melinda Barta and myself holding the article at my booth at Bead Fest, PA, show what I'm up to these days. The photo of my "Scythian Gold" gives an idea of my project following the BEADWORK article. Catch it on the newsstand.

Love the New Pathway banner with my Crystal Wedding neckpiece for Sonia Kulyk.

Fall Studio Tour

Another glorious day of exploring the back roads of Ontario....

On the way back from singing with my choir at a Barrie, ON church, we followed "Wallhangings" signs right through a series of winding roads up to a log home in a spectacular natural surrounding. Here we met Peachie Hill and her Dream Weavings hung outside on driftwood hangers all around the square log walls of her home. This was the most memorable visit! We also toured two studios on the Caledon Hills Studio Adventure route. Stone Ridge Studio was full of leather handcrafts. There were flora and fauna creations, as well as leather beads and disks strung into innovative neckpieces and accessories. The photo of the blazing tree against their home sums up the day. Randy McLeod's turned wood vessels were as much of a visual treat, as the locale. This was a great day was for the soul.

2010 Toronto Bead Society Calendars

The 2010 Toronto Bead Society Calendars are ready. Since I've been a Calendar Girl four straight years, my "Scythian Gold" is pictured on the "cream of the crop" page. This year's proceeds go to Bloorview Kids Foundation and the Bravery Beads program. A $10 donation will help children turn disability to possibility, while the calendar will inspire you all year round with awesome beadwork. Would you like one?