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!

Bead & Button Show

Maria at her booth at 2012 show

This weekend, Jun 7-9, is Maria's 10th year at the Bead and Button show. She will be in her usual place, booth #933. She looks forward to seeing fellow beaders, customers and other members of the beading community.

She will have the newly updated Diagonal Weave pattern. It includes an insert with full color pictures of the steps.  You can use this very versatile pattern with everything form simple seed beads, triangle beads and even Swarovski crystals. 

The Jeweled "V" necklace is a very elegant design with a surface embellishment of tiny rondelles. Maria will have the latest color variation of this project. This regal shade of purple makes this a wonderful statement necklace.

Also in this regal purple is the Beaded Soutache bracelet. A variety of different beads using our herringbone stitch give this bracelet a wonderful texture.

Those of you who will be at Bead and Button stop by the booth, even just to say hello!

Happy Beading!

Bead Oasis first time in Halifax, NS

Textured Net class photo by CTV reporter

Day I: These ladies definitely enjoyed my Netting Intro class at the Canadian Bead Oasis Show. They got to choose their style from an assortment of beadwork kits so we could get right to learning about beadweaving and the technique. We were thrilled to be filmed while beading during class and then again at the end when one student gave feedback about the workshop. CTV ran this with their feature about the first bead show ever coming to Halifax on "Live at Five".

Jean and Maria showing off their 'V's

Day 3: Jean wears her Scythian Gold V necklace which she started in a 3-hour Friday afternoon class. On Saturday she brought in the embellished mirror image of what she began the day before to my Cascading Twig Chip class. Since the bulk was done, I joked about completing the whole thing for the end of the show. That evening Jean managed to finish the netted bands and make a beaded ball clasp for her necklace. Here she is wearing the finished piece on Sunday. That's determination... inspiration...

Lighthouse at Peggy's Cove, NS

It wasn't all hard work in the Maritimes.... I went on the Harbour Hopper Tour on Saturday evening. We got a chance to see Peggy's Cove before and after the show. There were rocks to climb, quaint coves and a tidal bore to see. Now there's a ton of photos to sort through but excellent memories of the spectacular scenery.

Beading on the go

V08-3a - Pearl Crystal Drop 'V' - Interlock Band

My best beading time is when I’m traveling to bead shows or for vacation. I can bead on a Chinet® plate on my knee in planes and trains, but find the lap tray works best for automobiles. Best of all, the tray doubles up as a handy navigational tool for my maps, brochures and wallet for tolls, as well as the beadwork kit.

I’ve also found I can photograph my work as we’re driving. Somehow the speed of the camera is in sync with my husband's driving. This discovery is a time saver because there is no creative down time. Just tested out the iPhone for this 'gerdan' and voila, here are the results in motion.

So, take your beading wherever you go. You never know when the opportunity to bead presents itself...

Happy beading!

Netted 'V' in progress taken by an iPhone on I-94 en route to Chicago

Rypan Designs in Dutch newspaper

What a thrill it was to hear back from Sandra once she returned home to Holland! In her quest to learn everything she possibly could about beadwork, Sandra found the Oasis Bead Show on the internet. She came to Toronto specifically for the show and managed to cram in seven workshops in the space of three days. As her first "teacher", I was proud of her accomplishments in my "Suspended Swags" beadweaving class and gave her a copy of my BEADWORK Oct/Nov 2009 as a souvenir.

After a brief visit to New York City with bags full of tools and beads, Sandra delivered on her promise of getting her story about her beadwork odyssey published in a Dutch newspaper. Here's the intro in translation:

"Sandra's Atelier/Sieradenparadijs has already got a good name on beautifull and her exclusive jewelry, but Sandra is always looking for new posibilities to make the new trends and techniques fit in collection......"

Visit Sieraden Paradijs. Engage the translator. Better still, the eye candy needs no translation.

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.