Browsing Tag

anniversary

Uncategorized

Art Bead Scene 7th Birthday Bash!

March 20, 2014

March 12, 2007 marked the beginning of the Art Bead Scene.
The brainchild of Heather Powers of Humblebeads and Bead Cruise fame, the Art Bead Scene was billed as “an interactive blog with the goal of uniting bead artists of all
materials and the jewelry designers who use art beads in their work.” That is exactly what the original cast of characters provided, and what we still strive to do today.
The original team members included some rock stars in the beading world: Cindy Gimbrone, Lynn Davis, Jennifer Heynen, Lorelei Eurto, Melanie Brooks, Tari Sasser and Heather Powers. Over the years we have had an all-star line-up of members that included bead artists, color gurus, book authors and artisan designers from around the world. Our current team of art bead enthusiasts include: Erin Prais-Hintz, Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Rebecca Anderson, Brandi Hussey, Mary Harding, Ema Kilroy, Claire Lockwood, Kaushambi Shah, along with our founding members Tari Sasser and Heather Powers.
I know that for my own experience, it wasn’t until I somehow stumbled on the Art Bead Scene in 2009 that I had even heard of it. I am not even sure how. But it was likely that I followed a rabbit hole from one blog link to another until I stopped here. That was about the time when the ABS went from offering monthly challenges that seemed a bit more technique based, to the current model of selecting art work to frame our inspirations. Putting the Art in Art Bead! That certainly set this space apart from other inspirational blogs.

And for me, that is what turned a lightbulb on in my brain… that my work need not just be about pretty things, but that there could be a real story to be told through the art beads, the master art and the way that I chose to create my jewelry. That was indeed a revelation to me and has set me down the path to where I am today and where I am going. Plus I was introduced to art that I had never seen before and it was like I could see a door opening in front of me with a beautiful new vista. And just like you, dear reader, I started using those monthly prompts to jump-start my creativity and push me into different directions. 

March 2009  –  The one and only time I was selected as the Featured Artist of the Week – Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati
I remember most vividly the day that I was selected from the Flickr pool to be the Featured Artist of the Week inspired by the painting of red koi fish by Matisse. That may have been the one and only time that my work was selected, but it completely changed the way I created. I didn’t win anything other than the recognition of my peers – and I consider all of our readers my peers – but it was still a thrill I would write home about. I wear this necklace to this day, and it remains one of my most successful and oft-requested designs. I have made this same necklace in many different art beads over the years and to me it marks an important turning point in my journey. And I have Art Bead Scene to thank for that.
The most obvious push for me came in the form of introducing me to these mini-works of art called Art Beads. Before the Art Bead Scene, I saw beads and materials as more color or texture based, simply there to support the overall design, and I don’t think I ever paid more than $2 for one bead. After I found Art Bead Scene, I immersed myself in the world of the bead artist, marveling at the detail, construction, design sense, color palette and emotion that was conveyed through each one I held. And once I started buying them – and getting over my initial sticker shock – there was no going back. Especially when I held them in my hands.

Each new acquisition of an art bead, whether from a new-to-me bead artist (and I find a new one every day!) to the ones that I keep coming back to time and time again (I’m looking at you, Miss Heather!) becomes a treasured part of my studio, my designs and even my life. I treasure that I have become friends with bead makers the world over, and it gives my work an incredibly personal detail when I can tell my client that I know this artist, I have met them personally, or I have even visited their studio and that they are my friends. 

Is it odd that an online community has come to be so important to me? I hope not. I have formed some of the most lasting friendships with bead artists and jewelry designers the world over through my connections here.  This place has become a very important part of my life and I can’t imaging a day without it. Today I am so absolutely hooked on art beads and if this is a sickness, I don’t want the cure! (Are you with me?)

We know that you all share our passion for this art of the miniature. We know you create beautiful works of art using art beads for personal adornment, self-expression and pure joy. We thank you for your continued support and encouragement of the Art Bead Scene, expanding this community to be worldwide, so supportive and creative. We pledge to continue to bring you all the inspiration that we can cram in this little community we have created. We have grown from a handful of readers to over 3,000 readers each day and would love to welcome more art bead artists and designers who share our passions. And most of all, we are spurred on by the creative ways you share art beads with the world.
What is a birthday party without gifts? 

Our our current team of artists and designers have put together some wonderful birthday swag – over $360 worth – to celebrate these amazing seven years. Eight prizes to eight lucky winners selected at random from all comments on this post and announced on Tuesday, March 31st.

Now THAT’S a party!

 Gift #1
$50 Gift Certificate

Gifted by
Heather Powers of Humblebeads

Etsy – www.humblebeads.etsy.com
Website – www.humblebeads.com
Blog – http://humblebeads.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gift #2
 One pendant and six buttons valued at $64+

Gifted by

Tari Sasser of Creative Impressions in Clay

Website – www.claybuttons.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/claybuttons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gift #3
3-month subscription to the Simple Truths Sampler Club valued at $54+ 

Gifted by

Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Gift #4
Color eBook Bundle valued at $50
Understanding Color
Arranging Color


Gifted by

Brandi Hussey of BrandiGirlBlog

Blog – www.brandigirlblog.com
Twitter – @brandihussey
Facebook – www.facebook.com/BrandiGirlBlog
Mailing List – http://eepurl.com/eH7ko
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gift #5
Deco Rose Findings Sampler Pack valued at $26+
 Gifted by

Rebecca Anderson of The Curious Bead Shop
Website – www.songbead.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gift #6
Two Nature Themed Pendants valued at $50

Gifted by
Mary Harding of Mary Harding Designs

Blog – http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com
Etsy – www.maryhardingjewelry.etsy.com
Website – www.maryhardingjewelry.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gift #7
$40 Gift Certificate

Gifted by
Ema Kilroy of EmaKDesigns


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Gift #8
$30 Gift Certificate

Gifted by
Claire Lockwood of Something To Do With Your Hands

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 What do you have to do to win?
1::Become a follower of Art Bead Scene and write a comment telling us that you are already a follower or a new follower. (Invite your friends!)

2::Spread the word about
the ABS 7th Birthday Bash giveaway by your favorite means: Facebook your friends who love art or jewelry or art beads… tweet about
your excitement at how cool this giveaway is… take out a billboard that
is larger than life (okay, I’m kidding about this one ;-)… blog about
your {not-so-secret} art bead addiction (go ahead, we won’t judge ;-)… or
whatever else you can think of to spread the birthday bash cheer. But be sure to link to this post and then come
back and leave a comment letting us know what you did.
3::Pin it to win it! Hover over any of the pictures and pin your favorite prizes – or something special from one of our online shops (follow the links for each of us to find more of what we offer). So easy to Pin! Be sure to come back and leave a comment letting us know about it! 

4::Or just answer the following question… this is truly the simplest way to enter (and it only takes one entry to win one of eight fabulous prizes ;-)…

When did you first discover the Art Bead Scene and
how has it influenced your creativity?

That’s it. That’s four comments for each reveler. Four times the chance to win!

What are you waiting for? Join us in the

ART BEAD SCENE 7th BIRTHDAY BASH!


(Winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries
and
announced here on March 31st in the March ABS Blog Tour post. 
All prizes will be mailed from the
individual designer.
 Please have your email address turned on in your
profile, 
or included in your entry to win. 
You won’t win if we can’t
contact you!)