Do you still remember the ‘Face to face‘ series of interviews I used to publish with beadwork artists, designers and beaders from all over the world? I don’t blame you if you hardly recall it, and I would like to apologise for the long pause. I have to confess, that sometimes in the second half of 2016 I started to feel less motivated. I worked a lot, but I didn’t see the results. (Blame me, if you don’t define what would you like to achieve, it is hard to make it work, and even harder to know if it’s actually going well or not.) However, I ignored my feelings about being tired, and pushed myself to work even harder. I bet you can guess what happened: all my creative energy disappeared, and I had to face an approaching burn-out syndrome!
I’ve felt that way before, and I knew I have to change something if I don’t want to go down the hill all the way. Finally, taking a step back, a long awaited vacation, a lot of brainstorming and a helping hand which came by surprise (I’m talking about you, Amy 🙂 ) persuaded me to continue. I managed to establish some kind of order in my chaotic life and learnt to say ‘no’. I don’t want to say everything is perfect now, but I definitely feel better, and do better.
With today’s ‘special edition’ I would like to restart the Face to face interviews. Some of my beading friends who where featured in the series earlier, told me what they were up to during the past year or two! Enjoy reading, and make sure to visit their webpages and blogs, they did some amazing work in the meanwhile!
Thanks for still being here after this hectic period.
Love,
Erika
Lucy Struncova
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
Since our first interview, so many things have changed, that sometimes I can’t believe where my life is now. I am really happy about the way I am going throw my life. In summer I organized very first Polymer Week event in Pilsen and about one hundred people from 21 countries came to the Czech Republic to share their love with polymer clay. Also, I had a lot of opportunities for the promotion of my work and myself. I had a chance to speak in a radio, be a part of the press conference and share my knowledge with so many people on the Prague Design Week and also with kids from primary school in my atelier. It looks like I have still a lot of things to do and it’s called life :). I love it.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
My favorite jewel right now is probably a piece from my Cubic Birds collection of brooches, which is really unique and important for me as it was a little bit different process of making and I am proud it’s a piece of design I really love. Also, this collection won the second place in a design competition on Pilsen’s university, so it looks like people already accept the polymer clay as a medium for designing and art. The collection is inspired by cubism, easy shapes and tiny patterns which are hidden on each bird.
Cynthia Newcomer Daniel – Jewelry Tales
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
Tereze Drábkává – Jewel in the Crowd
www: Jewel in the Crowd
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
Two years is a long time. But not in the life of a scientist. Since I am not a full-time beader, sadly I had to focus more on the “normal” life which meant that over the last two years I haven’t created as much stuff as I would love to. Nevertheless, I managed to participate again in the Battle of the Beadsmith, I also changed my brand name, started to work on much more intricate stuff, and surprisingly, I have started to really enjoy custom orders since those are usually the only cases I get to sit
down to my bead desk and create something. My biggest accomplishment during the past two years is probably the fact that sometimes I can play with new, sometimes even not yet publicly known, beads which leads into designing something new and special. That is a big honour for me, a girl from a small country which has beads only as a hobby.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
My most favourite piece of jewellery I’ve made since the interview is related to what I’ve said above. It is a two-piece brooch made with French beads par Puca. I have already recreated it three times – also to be worn as (huge!) earrings, and two more of these pieces are yet waiting to be made. The effect of beads used as centre pieces is very special and I must admit that to create the brooch is not easy at all. It’s one of the most complex things I’ve ever made 🙂
Lenka Gondová – L2Studio
www: L2Studio.sk
What were you up to since the time of the interview?
When I look back to the last year, I must admit it was a crazy ride. The combination of my work life with another creative work – L2Studio, the effort to keep also some other design creative activities that I do besides beading and ceramics – this all ended up in one multitasking turmoil that took a lot of energy but also brought a lot of synergy and inspiration from one to another and back.
L2Studio as a new company took a lot of effort and somewhere on the way unfortunately I lost the „other L“ – Lacka left the company before the end of last year. Despite all the difficulties I have  learnt a lot from this short history of cooperation. First of all, L2Studio taught me to shift from simple creation to real production, what is a huge difference, especially in artistic work that you just cannot teach to somebody else. Also I have learnt that the more you try ceramic material and glazes the less you think you know about it! But after a while I missed also working with my other favorite materials like textile and of course beading, so there are still some not-yet – tested new glazes there on the shelves.
What was your biggest accomplishment?
Well, I do not know if this I can call accomplishment as it is at its beginning only but I would call it a conclusion and testing it now in practices. When we were working hard to establish the production of artistic cabochons in L2studio, one of the negative consequence of it was that the effort for productivity and cost effectiveness almost killed the creative process – which  is crucial.
I loved those common designing sessions of solving problems and this almost overcome the difficulties, but only almost. It ended up that either you can have productivity and profit or artistic creative energy. When Lacka has left I stopped striving for productivity and seek more the creative part of the process. I am focused now to cooperate more with artists that would like to use cabs in their specific work and to cooperate closer to help them to reach their artistic aims. I am always so happy to see what are the trillions of possible combinations and results when other artists (like you btw. !) take L2Studio cabochons and do a miracle with colors and combination of techniques.
This was also one of the reasons to establish the „Creativity support Club“ (KRK is abbreviation for the name in Slovak language) – a nonprofit organization optimized for support of (not only beading) crafts, encouragement of new people to try techniques that I have came across and have some idea about materials, and what’s most important to share the happiness that the creative process brings. It has been proven many times that artistic work has therapeutically positive impacts and the magic of colors can have positive influence on health, so this is what I am using to relieve stress from work and that I can share to other people interested to try.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
When I see marvelous works of beading masters I am ashamed to admit, that I recently found myself in seeking for simplicity. I am beading more and more like for „therapeutic reasons“ when I am happy just from the colors of beautiful material like Delicas and do not try too complicated patterns that I cannot finish in few hours or too many new shapes that are distracting me from enjoying the beads I already have. As we were preparing the first exhibition of KRK’s works I was preparing a lot of simple necklaces and bracelets for sale and for attracting beginner beaders to the Club. I also was thinking that when I wear beadwork I am more into simple shapes and the color is what must match to my dress. Recently when I was opening a conference, I had this bracelet that I have finished just the night before the conference.
So Sassy – by Susan Lifton Sassoon
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
Since the time of the interview, I’ve had a lot of exciting news! I placed as a finalist in three of Fire Mountain Gems‘ competitions, I placed high in a couple of design competitions at Potomac Bead Company, and most exciting is that I was asked to join The Beadsmith’s Inspiration Squad. It is truly a great honor to work with The Beadsmith and to be one of the first people to play with their newest beads. I really love all the new bead shapes and getting the opportunity to exhibit my work internationally.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
My Scalloped OmbrĂ© SuperDuo Necklace is definitely my favorite. I made it for the Beadsmith’s Inspiration Squad and was honored that they chose it to demonstrate on Jewellery Maker TV.
Kathy King
What were you up to since the time of the interview?Â
I have done a few arts shows, but mostly I have been teaching and working on new class ideas.
What was your biggest accomplishment?
Moving into my studio last year.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
I have finished up one large piece in the last year and really love it. It is a two-necklace piece. I’ve attached pictures of the pink one alone and with the silver one inside. The large pink one is called Pink Nebula and the silver one is Satellites. The silver one sits inside the pink one when worn together.
Patrick Duggan
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
At that time I was preparing tutorials for teaching at Beads by Blanche in New York in June 2016. So I guess that has been my biggest achievement since the interview. The classes went okay – Blanche wants me to return – so I couldn’t have done too badly. I certainly learnt a lot from the experience as well as receiving some good feedback.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
Would have to be one of the class pieces I designed for teaching at Blanche’s – “Shanghai Rose”. I have not beaded much for most of this year. All my focus has been taken up readying my house for sale. I am also readying myself for retirement south of Sydney for a tree/sea change.  When I say “retire” I am sure I will work even harder at the beads, being able to give it my full focus.
Anna Lindell
www: Tigerguld
What were you up to since the time of the interview?Â
I have been travelling to several bigger bead events in Europe and met lots of lovely beaders from all over the world! I have visited Italy, England and Germany, and it is always so much fun to meet everyone and share our passion for beads and beading. We don’t always understand our different languages, but “Beadish” is always present and understandable for us all.
What was your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment has been to re-design my websites. It’s that kind of work that always end up at the bottom of the list for me, and I’m quite pleased that I’ve been a good girl and managed to re-make them.
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
My favourite jewel since the last interview is simple: it has to be Chloe Menage’s wedding bouquet! I am so happy she asked me to make it for her wedding, it was truly an honour. Chloe looked stunning on her wedding day, me and my husband was invited to attend and it is a weekend that I will always carry with me.
Erzsebet Kis Jakab
What were you up to since the time of the interview? What was your biggest accomplishment?
A year and a half passed already since the time of the interview, and most of my days are still occupied by jewellery making. I simply love what I do, and my family is very supportive. Creating is easy this way!
Which is your favourite jewel made since then?
I’ve made three bigger pieces of jewellery in the meanwhile, and a lot of smaller one. Two of the bigger ones were made for the Battle of the Beadsmith, one of them still waiting to be revealed. You can see it in August 🙂 The other one was my competition piece in 2016. Later I made a copy of it in a different colour. I was a bit afraid if I will be able to do it again, but fortunately everything worked out well. The ‘copy’ is maybe even nicer then the original. I made it as a custom order, and the new owner is just as happy as I am!
Soon there will be new articles coming in the ‘Face to Face’ series! Until then check out the interviews with beaders from the past two years!
I enjoyed reading all the updates – great job!
Hi Jeanne,
I’m really happy you enjoyed reading it 🙂
Have a nice day, and happy beading!
I’m a relatively new jewelry beader. I found your blog by accident and would like to be notified of your new posts.