| Embellishment 98 |
Click here to see more of her photos from the show.
As most of you know, Embellishment is the number one bead show of the year, featuring juried beadwork competitions, a huge bazaar with dozens of bead vendors hawking their wares as well as dozens of classes taught by the premier beaders of our time. Last weekend marked the fourth year of this bead extravaganza and once again, I didn't get to go! Waaah!
I know I'm not the only one who didn't get to go (even Suzanne Cooper missed it this year, she went to Moscow instead!), so I asked the members of my mailing list who did get to go to share their experiences with the rest of us. Several people responded very generously with their thoughts but, before we get to that, I want to say that I hereby swear that I WILL be at Embellishment in Portland next year!
First let's hear from someone else who didn't get to go:
Michael J. Walker
You wanted to hear from people who when to Embellishment. I wasn't able to go. But attached is a digital photo of the neckpiece that I entered into Embellishment. The piece is named "Dream World Dragon". He didn't place. But it was an honor to be able to get as far as it did. He is a loomed piece, with square stitch and branch fringe. He was really fun to create.Beautiful work Michael! Thanks for sharing it with us.
A little about myself, I am full time bead artist and teach in Southern California area, mostly in the Palm Springs area. The way it looks I have asked to teach an adult ed program in beading for Vista School Adult School, were I live.
Now Janet Francis (Better known as "Planet" to beadwork chat and BB regulars) gives us an overview of the show:
Well, I'll try to give you an adequate report of Embellishment--do my best to make you feel as though you were there, too. Since I never got onto California time, I've only had the torture of being jet-lagged one way instead of both, so I may actually be able to make a little sense.That was the next best thing to being there Janet, thanks so much!
I stayed at the Hyatt, which was one of the hotels that had a block of rooms set aside for Embellishment. The lobby and the elevators and every other place you can think of was teeming with women wearing the most amazing pieces of jewelry you can imagine. (I like being around bead people--one of the few times when someone is staring at your chest that you don't have to take it as an insult!). Oddly enough, another large group of women was staying at the Hyatt--the national convention of the Delta Theta Tau Sorority. Two more diametrically opposed groups of women is hard to imagine. It made for an interesting study in contrasts. I might add that they seemed a lot more afraid of us than we were of them!
View from the terrace at the Hyatt
The selling part of the show opened on Thursday, from 6:00 to 8:30. For those of us who don't live near bead shops, this was the moment we all waited for. I'm ashamed to say that I don't know the exact number of exhibitors, but it was probably around the hundred mark. In the same hall with the vendors were the various pieces that were entered in the show. Two double showcases featured the finalists from Gleaming Treasures. It was exciting to see my piece among such exalted company. Our own Kayson's piece was there, too--also very wonderful. I was unfortunately remiss and did not take notes on the various winners--but the grand prize winner was a gourd, painted and embellished with peyote. It was a goddess figure, and the title of the piece is "The Great Mutha". Wonderful!
The embellished quilts were there, embellished garments, and the always awe- inspiring showcases featuring the work of the teachers. The winners from the Caravan Beads Miyuki Challenge were also there, in their own showcase, and the book was for sale.
The shopping was, of course, fantastic--although I fizzled out after two aisles, for all intents and purposes. It's very easy to get overloaded mentally and psychically at Embellishment, and although I trudged faithfully around to the rest of the booths, I probably didn't actually see the second half of the show that first night.
Da Bead Babe displays her wares
At 8:30 I went to "Meet the Teachers". Ah....what was the best part? The food? Meeting the teachers? Getting to look at everyone's jewelry? Hard to say. The food was fantastic and generous, going all the way from chips and salsa, through hand-carved roast beef to trays and trays of pastries and desserts. (I was actually quite restrained, and after my flights was more thirsty than hungry). The teachers were ranged at tables along the walls, with the names of their classes and examples of their work in front of them. Several of them said that they were enjoying the fashion show as we all came by, wearing our best pieces as we had been told to. Only one teacher (whom I cannot mention by name, since I forget) asked us not to touch--for the rest of them, we were free to fiddle and fondle to our hearts' content. If the power of the creativity in that room, of teachers and attendees alike, could have been harnessed, I'm sure we could have closed down every power plant in the country.
As we circulated, staff members of Bead & Button also circulated, looking at our jewelry, to choose the winners. I had hopes myself, with a necklace in shades of garnet, but the moment I saw the girl with the wings, I knew it was over.
Yes, I said the girl with the wings. This was probably the most amazingly creative piece in the entire show, demonstrating not only technical skill, but the ability to take a flight of fancy. Viewed from the front, the young woman appeared to be wearing a very nice necklace of glass leaves, suspended from copper chain. And then she turned....and you could see that the chain extended over her shoulders and from the back of it was suspended a small pair of copper wings. They were formed of copper and loosely wrapped in copper and--surprise, surprise!--embellished with beads. Simply amazing.
The other two winners from the evening were a woman with a necklace featuring a fist-sized piece of amber, and one who wore a jacket made of painted silk, the design of which was accented with beads.
Alice Korach was wearing the hotly discussed necklace from the cover of Bead & Button. Since opinions on this vary greatly, I will only say that it was as interesting in person as it is in its photograph. She presented the winners in all categories with their ribbons and announced the location of the next Embellishment.
And....Portland, Oregon is the lucky winner, so those of us on the east coast can begin saving our pennies (or in my case, sending my husband on business trips) so that we can go.
On Friday I took a class on Zulu beaded chains from Diane Fitzgerald. I took her Victorian Netted Tulip Bag last year and thoroughly enjoyed her teaching methods, which was what decided me to take another of her classes. It was definitely worthwhile. Her directions are very clear, but there is nothing quite like being shown how to do a technique by another person. She is thorough, organized and tells dirty jokes. This is also my big chance to meet other people passionate about beads...sigh....the woman on my left (named Bobbie Brown, which distresses her) works for a power company. They have made her giving presentations to school groups on the history of beads, any by extension, adornment, part of her job. Pretty good, huh? I talked to her at the end of class and her passion about her subject gave me goose bumps, and her description of the pieces of her collection of beadwork from all over the world turned me green with envy. (So there I was, green and bumpy...--oh, my God, it's the necklace!)
I didn't attend any of the lectures--more time to shop!--but my room-mate did. Friday morning's lecture was The Necklace Princess, which she enjoyed. It was apparently on various types of strung necklaces--mostly lariat types.
On Friday I started from the other side of the hall, so that I could pay close attention to all those people I was too spaced out to notice on Thursday.
On Friday night I met up with some beaders from Chicago (and turned green all over again as they told me who some of the illustrious members of their bead society are...reads like a who's who of the bead world) and showed them how to do 3-sided tubular right-angle weave. And, possibly the best part, Betcey, of Beyond Beadery, joined us and I got to really spend time with her. I told her she should come to Bead Chat and dropped that she's frequently discussed--hoping that she'd want to be there so we don't talk about her! She said she's incapable of chatting, but maybe if we all sent her an E-mail...? She was working on a beaded name-tag--the cover design of her catalog, worked in peyote--most impressive. As impressive as her collection of vintage Swarovski crystals, which feature prominently in her fringes.
Betcey Ventrella and Katie Magill admiring Katie's bag. It is one she beaded for Suzanne Cooper's book, Then & Again.
Saturday was NanC Meinhardt's class in 3-Dimensional Beaded Forms. If you have to sell a dependent to do so, take one of her classes. Her command of technique is formidable, but even better is her attitude toward teaching that technique (generous--she has taught you, therefore it is now yours and you may pass it on) and her insights into the creative process. Taking her class may actually have changed my life, I'm that impressed with her.
I tried to poll people I met on what classes they had taken and what their reactions were. Joann Baumann's class on free-form brick stitch seemed to be a winner. I spoke to a woman taking 3-D Beaded Fish who seemed pleased enough with it--I thought it sounded like fun. My room-mate took the crocheted bead chain class from Carol Horn. She was hampered by not being able to crochet ("That'd slow you down right there," I told her) but said that Carol was helpful and understanding.
Saturday's evening event was a riverboat cruise--but my flight left at 12:51 am on Sunday (or very late Saturday night) so I didn't go and didn't get any critiques on it either.
The classrooms left something to be desired, though I must say I don't know how well a convention center will ever adapt itself to beadwork. They had very high ceilings, and poor lighting, and poor access to power for those who had brought their own lights. Also, many classrooms were divided by a curtain, which meant that the instructors had to shout over each other to be heard.
Also, a lot of people would like to see pictures of the projects in the brochure.
On Saturday at noon, a great many women attending the show converged on the sandwich shop across the street. The woman ahead of me on line and I agreed that being around so many beaders and seeing so much beadwork all at once was almost like being at an orgy. "This is better, though," she said. "This just goes on and on."
I did recover sufficiently to buy more beads. My favorites:
And so Embellishment is over for another year. I'm much poorer monetarily, but much richer mentally and spiritually. Hope this little description helped make you feel as though you went there too.
- Out on a Whim for seed beads in almost evey color and finish you can imagine, although nearly all Japanese.
Pat Moses-Caudel shopping at Out on a Whim's Booth at Embellishment
- Caravan Beads (though of Chicago, not Maine) for their selection of Delicas and Nymo size 0 in colors.
- Queen Beads for her selection of 8/0's in matte metallic irises that literally made me gasp.
- Larry Scott glass beads. He is featured in some issue or other of Bead & Button (No. 24 - ed), but the incredibly delicacy of his beads has to be seen to be believed. I splurged and bought four from him, and I'm glad!!! (Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!)
- Audrey Wiesenfelder, for her seashell beads. Never saw such a thing before. I bought one, and will make a very special necklace out of it.
Karen Lewis for her polymer beads that look as though they might have come from ... antiquity. (I bought two, and no, I won't sell those pieces).
- Jane Brobst for her polymer pine-cones, hearts and ... just large round beads, layered like pine cones. Can't wait to make something out of those.
- Joyce Root, who had three orange dichroic beads that did everything but jump up and down and call my name until I bought them.
- And Betcey of Beyond Beadery, of course, for her stock of 14/0's because my addiction is worsening.
Brenda Whitehead came prepared to bead!
Amy Bradley writes about some special experiences she had at the show:
I had a great time at Embellishment, as usual, even with up to 110-degree weather! This year my husband John (the sweetheart who paid for my trip in 1996 for my birthday when I was unemployed and again last year as an anniversary gift-he dropped me off at the airport at 5:30 a.m. on our anniversary!) went with me and even took classes. I have to grin a bit wickedly, because he is now hooked on glass fusing-we came home with a kiln and starter supplies (only thing is now we have to clean up the garage so he can have workspace!)Your hubby sounds like a keeper to me! I can't wait to see a collaboration from you two. Thanks for writing!
I took two classes: Marcie Stone's Embellished Pine Needle Basket and Diane Fitzgerald's Ginko Leaf necklace. I finished my basket, but have to embellish the poor thing (it's rather wobbly and bulgey). I also discovered I have to loosen up my tension a bit for the ginko leaves. But both classes were well worth it, and both teachers are excellent.
I spent a lot of money (luckily it was planned for); lots of seed beads (partially because Out On A Whim was there and they always have a huge selection, and also because Queen Beads was there and had some new colors I hadn't seen before!). I also bought a number of lampwork beads. I noticed that we had many lampwork artists in the vendor area. Lampworking is obviously ever increasing in popularity. I also purchased a few other items, including some wonderful gradated yarns and fiber (gradated colors) at Diane Fitzgerald's suggestion. One of the things she concentrates on in the Ginko Leaf class is color gradations and transitions, and she found these yarns to be wonderful for giving you ideas for doing transitions (besides, they're just fun in themselves-and it turns out the shop that these are from is almost local to me).
Lampworker Cousette Copeland at her booth.
We had a lot of West Coast people attending, as you might expect, but we also had folks from England, Alaska and also (I was told) New Zealand! Part of the fun of Embellisment is meeting folks from other parts of the country (and the world!) and after you've been once, running into folks you met before and catching up on things.
I had two wonderful personal experiences while there. The first was on Thursday evening: I had made a necklace to wear specifically to the Meet the Teachers event, and I used several techniques to make it, including one I learned from Lisa Niven: the curling fantasy Peyote tube. She was one of the teachers at Embellishment, teaching that same class. So I took the opportunity to go to her table and show her the necklace. She liked what I had done so much that she asked me to drop in on her class the next day to show folks what I had done. I was flattered and did so.
The second one was on Sunday, at the end of the luncheon/fashion show (which was fun except for the MC from the Quilts Inc. folks who knew very little about beads and jewelry and place names in California!). A woman came up to me and said "We were in class together last year and I just wanted to thank you for helping me with the Peyote stitch. Your help encouraged me to believe I can do this, and that's why I'm here this year!" That made me feel so good. I like helping people, especially when it encourages creativity, so that was very gratifying.
Anyway, as usual it was a lot of fun, and I could go on more about everything there. The displays were of course wonderful; I was very happy to see the items from "The Sea," the Caravan Bead/Miyuki Shoji Delica challenge. I bought the book, too, but as I am sure you know, pictures can never do full justice to seeing the real thing.
Embellishment will be in Portland Oregon next year, on the same weekend (third weekend in July). I hope to be there. And at least Portland has a good chance of being reasonably comfortable (after all, "hot" in Portland is mid-80's, not 100's!)
Bead embellished quilts from the "Small Wonders" competition.
Linda Mosley writes about being in "bead heaven":>
Question: When is having a job not like working.Wow, what luck! Now I'm really jealous! (g)
Answer: When the job is selling beads!!!
Hi Emily, my name is Linda Mosley aka babybead. I live in Clovis, Ca. Its right by Fresno. I belong to a bead society (Central California Bead Society) and 2 weeks before embellishment I recieved an e-mail from Charlene Steele owner of the Caravan Bead store in Chicago. She wanted to know if anyone in our society would be at Embellishment, and could I find someone to help her work her booth because she was short handed at the moment. She said she could pay an hourly wage or pay in beads!!!!! So of course I called her on the spot.
She is a wonderful nice, friendly person. We made arrangements for my niece Rhonda Larson and myself to work for her. Rhonda was only planning to go to Embellishment for one day. By working for Caravan she was able to go all 4 days. I was going for all four days and this allowed me to trade work for beads.
Charlene turned out to be exceptionally generous, she gave Rhonda and I both a copy of The Sea, and donated one to our bead society. She also gave us a discount on the beads we took in trade for work. Working in a booth at Embellishment was a wonderful experience. Looking at all those delica colors (they carry over 530 colors) was like being in bead heaven. This was a first time trip to Embellishment for Rhonda and I both and we will remember it forever thanks to Charlene and Caraven Beads.
Shirlee Trefonoff didn't make it to the show either, but her lovely vest was part of the embellished textiles competition.
Blythe Jorgensen writes about her first trip to Embellishment:
I returned from Embellishment on Monday. It was a good show. This was my first one so I do not have anything to judge from, but I took 3 classes - two were great and one didn't meet my needs, but everyone else seemed to like it. It dealt with metal findings for fimo projects. I am not a fimo person. I talked to the instructor before registering and she said the class would not have anything to do with fimo. Since all of the class attendees except me were holdovers from her previous fimo class - I didn't get much out of it. I took two classes from JoAnn Baumann and Tina Bloomenthal on brick stitch and peyote. Great classes. I thought the facility was good and was quite impressed with it all. Was surprised to hear that Portland, Oregon will host the next Embellishment.Sounds like pictures of the finished projects would be a great addition to the class listings. Glad you had fun!
Beaded and embellished chinese food takeout box by Leslie Christine Gelber of Auburn, California.
Some rants and raves (mostly raves) from an anonymous reader:
Wonderful vendors! It was so nice to be able to meet and buy from artists that don't normally participate in California shows (or the ones that I go to anyway). I was disappointed that Vitetresse glass wasn't there, I had been planning to buy a pound of furnace glass.Another vote for pics in the course descriptions, I hope someone's listening! :-)
I would highly recommend the "Meet the Teachers" event. It was a good opportunity to visit the teachers and see examples of the classes being taught. And the or'dourves were good too...especailly the desert table!
One downside on the organization of Embellishment was that pictures of classes being taught were not available, so you had to pre-register for classes from the course description only. I would have chosen a different class, and I talked to MANY others who felt the same way.
I took "Elegant Elements", a beaded-bead class. The instructors were very good, although a class size of 20-25 is rather large. I learned a couple of techniques that I'll use again, but I'm not sure I learned $95 worth. I'm don't think I will sign up for a class next year, at least without a picture, and I thought the cost of the classes to be somewhat overpriced.
All in all, I thought it was a well-run event, and I'm looking forward to going to Portland next year. Hopefully my credit card will be paid off by then!
Suzanne Cooper wasn't there, but the beadwork from her new book was! Cisco Cosgrove stitched these two pieces in her capacity as one of Suzanne's "Bead Elves."
Marilou Porth writes about the exciting classes she took:
This was my second Embellishment and I know I will make it an annual trip for as long as it lasts.The classes you chose sound very inspirational! I'd love to see your bead embroidery some day! (hint, hint)
I took two classes. The first class was a two day class by Robin Atkins entitled Improvisational Bead Embroidery. Robin is a great artist and teacher. She was very patient and empowered each student to use their creativity. We learned the four basic stitches she uses: seed stitch, lazy stitch, back stitch and couching. Each of these stitches have variations and can be used to create very textured and beautiful designs. Robin also included several edge and fringe stitches in the class. After working on a sampler, we were encouraged to begin design on our own bag. She provided several patterns to help us along, but the design decision was completely up to us.
This class would be perfect for someone who likes embroidery and/or beading; or someone who wants to explore their creativity and expand their self knowledge.
The other class I attended was taught by Alice Korach, the editor of Bead and Button. Alice instructed the class on using beading in right angle weave to cover a 20mm wooden button. This was my first experience with right angle weave and I was pretty frustrated!!! I did finish the bead and managed to follow the pattern. I will be using right angle weave in the future. It is a very versatile and flexible weave.
As always the shopping was stupendous. I purchased several works of art (beads) and lots of seed beads. Suppliers from all over the country were there adding to the bazaar.
It was great fun and I hope that more people will attend next year in Portland Oregon!!!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their trip with us. Now I'm even more determined to make it to Portland! See you all there next year!
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