INTRODUCING SYLVIA CHAO IN HER OWN WORDS

Hi Everyone!

Over the last 50 years of beading and being part of the beading world on many levels, I have met beaders and seen some beadwork from every angle. Every once in awhile a bead artist comes around that touches souls and inspires from the heart. Sylvia Chao is one of these artists. She brings the spirit of the past to the present, and done with extraordinary passion and honor. I am thrilled to introduce to you Sylvia Chao.

IN HER OWN WORDS

I have been a bead artist for over 10 years. My jewelry has been sold in galleries and bead stores. I recently moved from California to New Mexico, as my husband is a physician at UNM. I started experimenting with bead embroidery and found it fascinating way for me to express my vision around found objects. The photo I sent is of a portrait painted by a San Diego artist who passed away, her works were being sold off at antique shop. I wanted to honor her memory. I used Swarovski crystals, pearls, and seed beads stitched to embrace and enhance the porcelain plaque. I have tried other methods and materials, even tried dyes and paints to color my background, but your product (Nicole's BeadBacking) is superior to any! No messy dyes, paint, you can pick a background color and go for it. I love history and bead embroider frames around antique photos of women and children. I felt drawn, compelled to bring them some measure of honor by my use of color and design. I hope you enjoy them! You can contact me at ladysyl(AT)yahoo dot com and I'd be happy to show you more. I have also done work using religious prayer cards and your products and results came out great!

Warmest regards,
Sylvia Chao 

Now here is just a few pieces of Sylvia's art.

Please leave a comment and then drop Sylvia a line to tell her what you think of her art.
 

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Hi Everyone!

I am very excited about 29 Faces for September.  This is where you draw, paint, or sketch a face everyday for  29 days. Martha of   Ayala Art is the wonderful host of the event. Check out the link and get ready to join in. It is so much fun. 

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY WINTER?

Hi Everyone!

It has been  a pretty good week in our household. Finally!  It feels like some things are looking up. DH still has double vision and that is more than difficult, but on other health issues we are making progress.  So with feeling better and less stress I have actually painted this week. It is no where near my best but right now it is what it is. Now, you may ask why snow??? Who the heck knows. I lived in big snow country most of my life and I will never go back to it. I dislike it A LOT! However, when I picked up brush and paint this is what came out. 

I also started a pyro leather piece of one of my favorite subjects. Just getting it started on it.

Draw out your pattern on tooling leather.

Outline the pattern with a burning tool.

 I go over the lines with a different tip to make them all the same depth and width. 

 

The eye is lightly burned. 

 

 Pattern drawn and first burning done.

This is going to be a larger piece with more skulls.

 

Thanks to the wonderful ladies Eva and Kristen for hosting Paint Party Friday.  

 

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Really Good Muffins or Cake

Hi Everyone!

I just had to share this. I made them yesterday and seriously can't stop eating them. I made muffins for me thinking I could just eat one. Ha ha ha ha,  I made a cake for DH, Ya know a small coffee cake size. The cake is almost gone. So here is how I make these. 

 wheat yogurt muffins. So easy. 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 t vanilla, 3 cup whole wheat or white flour, 1 1/2t of baking soda and of backing powder, 3/4t salt. 1 1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt. I use Oikos. 350 preheated oven. Mix wet ingredients except the yogurt. Mix in dry ingredients then add yogurt. I don't know why. LOL It will be a thick mixture. You can add raisins or nuts at this time. I make muffins with mine but you can grease a backing pan and make a cake. Make a simple oatmeal crumble to add to the top then bake about 30 minuted. Check after 20 to see where it is. Crumble 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, cinnamon, clove, and alspice to taste. 1/3 cup soft butter. Mix completely then add to top of muffins or cake. Now I never said it was a healthy muffin or low fat muffin. 

It is just a darn good muffin. Enjoy.

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

END OF AUGUST SALE

Hello and happy end of August!
This is the time to really start beading and making other types of crafts and art for holiday gifts.
So we are having a big sale to get you started on right now! Everything in our  

Beadwright Etsy store is 27% off.
Don't ask, the number 27 just seemed right. LOL

Now the only way to get 27% off your total order in our Beadwright Etsy store, is to use this coupon code at checkout in the appropriate box. I cannot deduct the 27% if you do not apply it at check out.

If you are having trouble email me before you purchase.

So use code EAS27

This sale starts today and ends August 31, 2016

It is good for Anything in our Beadwright Etsy store

Loads of new Ultrasuede colors and sizes.

Each piece comes with a free 9x6" of Nicole's BeadBacking.

Here are just a few of the 61 Ultrasuede sets. Ambiance Ultrasuede is very high quality. 

I am finally getting more art listed from my website. 

This sale includes the art as well.

Don't forget to bead up those Halloween projects. There are lots of patterns at 

Beadwright Etsy.

There are over 80 patterns and tutorials to choose from.

Also we have a few craft books that are already discounted
and your coupon of 27% gives you an even better deal on them.

There are lots more items so come see what we have. Of course don't for get to stock up on Nicole's BeadBacking for those beading projects as well as decorating for the holidays. 

 

Join my Beadwright Newsletter to get the latest sales and the latest crafting and art ideas. It is free to join. In my sidebar.

 

Nicole/Beadwright

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PPF BIRD ON LEATHER

Hi Everyone!

I don't know where this week has gone! For those of you who didn't see it, we finally got good news on some of DH health. In short, he no longer has hep-c and his liver biopsy shows no damage. Which is a miracle because in O7 his liver was a 3.75. (1-4. 4 being cirrhosis)  Now there is microscopic fibrosis. We are so happy. Thank you for all of the prayers and healing energy sent our way. Now to get his double vision fixed. Hey, one thing at a time. 

Okayyy. Paint Party Friday the best day of the week. Thanks to Eva and Kristen for hosting and to all the talented artists who take the courage to show their art. 

For me I am almost finished with the Bird on Leather. I still need to bevel the outside edge and add some hanging embellishments. I am enjoying this type of leather work very much. 

I have some ideas to 3-D it. 

Wishing everyone a happy weekend.

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

FINALLY GOOD NEWS FROM THE DOCTOR.

Hi Everyone!

I posted this on FB and just now have time to post it here as well. 

We received a call from the liver doctor yesterday. OMG..... we really were sitting on pins and needles, and heard the best news ever!  DH is completely cured of hep-c and his live is normal. I mean normal for a person without liver damage. There is microscopic signs of fibrosis. We have been celebrating!!!! 

Now I know that this is because of all of you who have kept us in your prayers, sending healing energy, and just sending us well wishes. In 2006/7 at DH last liver biopsy is was at a 3.75 of being damaged.  1-4 is the count 4 being cirrhosis. We asked if the liver regenerated itself. The doctor said it doesn't do that. It will just stay at the stage of damage and not get any worse. Wellll slap my on the side of the head, sounds like a miracle to me!  He has a clean bill of health for this with no more ultrasounds or blood work and a NORMAL HEALTHY LIVER. 

Can I say relief?  

So to all of you who kept us in your hearts, thank you from the top, middle and bottom of ours.  Thank you, thank you thank you,  just doesn't seem like enough. 

We are sending out our love and light to all of you.  

Nicole/Beadwright
Honor and integrity in art, in life.

IN HER OWN WORDS MARISA GOMEZ ARTIST

Hi Everyone!

Today I have the honor of introducing to you Marisa Gomez. I truly can't say enough nice things about her. She is a delightful young lady with a beautiful family. She creates from her heat and soul, you can see it in every piece she creates. 

So in her own words,

 Marisa's Blog

Hi, I'm Marisa, and I'm an artist.

What you don't see behind those words is me shifting from one foot to another, blushing uncomfortably. You see, I have a picture in my mind of what an artist is, and deliberately inviting you to think of me in those terms makes self-conscious. And yet, in the past year, discovering that I'm an Artist--not merely a Hobbyist, or Evening and Weekend Crafter, or Loyal Craft Store Customer--has been one of the truest explorations of my identity in my lifetime.

This month, I did the most daring thing an artist can do: I went public. I opened an Etsy shop. Exposing your art publicly and putting a price against its value requires equal amounts of humility and pride, and it took me nine months to prepare a line of products and simultaneously get up my nerve.

Part of the problem was finding my medium. I've been jumping from one creative channel to another my entire life: bead lizards in second grade (50 cents each, the sign on my desk informed classmates), novelty yarn scarfs in junior high (I regret to admit), piano and choral performance in high school, writing in college, and fiber/textile arts in the last decade. Friends and family gush over the cross stitch samplers, crocheted doilies, knitwear and weavings I churn out, but no single craft or medium has held the answer to my creative unrest. And, practically speaking, none have seemed lucrative enough to move beyond the old familiar (read: yet another) cowl or scarf for my near and dear. 

Soft and pliant fibers and textiles capture my heart and hands most, but I also have a very real love of gemstones, clay, ceramic, glass and wood. Enter the world of soutache jewelry: where all of these materials can combine in a one-of-a-kind, pocket-sized, wearable piece of art that delights the senses of sight and touch. The moment I saw a piece of soutache jewelry on Etsy, it clicked. This was my medium. (At least, for the moment!)

Soutache (SOO-tash) is a narrow, herringbone-woven ribbon that has been used for centuries to adorn military paraphernalia and elaborate evening-wear and wedding gowns. In the past few decades, it has gained popularity among bead artists, resulting in stunning, delightful, one-of-a-kind jewelry like the pieces I share in my shop.

As soon as I spotted that first piece of soutache jewelry, my hands burned to start creating, so I excitedly researched the necessary materials. Among them, Nicole's Beadbacking came up again and again, so I ordered some in every color, naively unsure of what to do with it at first. As my confidence and pieces grew, the value of Nicole's BeadBacking became evident since it remained flexible while holding up to a serious beating as I design and correct my work.

Each new piece of soutache jewelry I create inspires ten more, and I can't keep up with my own imagination. If that's not the sign of a good art, I don't know what is.

My Etsy shop opening coincides with quitting my job as a language education researcher and assuming full-time care of my two boys, age 2 and under. In some ways, my kids save me from that uncomfortable exchange about being an artist, and in others, they empower me to say it with full eye contact. Every time I finish a piece and hand it to my 2-year-old, he oohs and ahhs and "wow!"s like its the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. (Let's face it--It probably is). If I get half that reaction from a new customer, it'll be worth it. If I don't, then I'll keep doing it for me. Because fulfillment of the artist is at the heart of art, anyway, and I can say that with confidence.

I hope you stop by Maris Etsy shop

festoonerie

Also https://www.instagram.com/festoonerie/

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY BIRD

Hi Everyone!

I am doing a quick write tonight. I have a bead meeting soon and still need to feed DH. LOL  This week I only had time to get this bird started. Burned on tooling leather. I will color it in this weekend, I hope.  LOL

A big thanks to Eva and Kristen for hosting Paint Party Friday.

Update. On Wednesday DH had a liver biopsy. We will know the results in a week or so. I am only thinking positively.

Now for the bird.

First draw it on the leather with pencil.

The burn it on with a wood burning tool

And here is a close up.

 Have a great weekend everyone.

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY?

Hi Everyone!

 I want to thank everyone for voting for my painting. I am thrilled that I got 315 votes. The winner got close to 6,000 votes. That is almost the population of the town I live in. WOW.

Since we were in medical mode this spring I was unable to "spring clean" Sooooo I have been doing that this week. From walls to floors I only have one room left. It feels so good to have my house spotless again. LOL Yeah I am a clean freak.

Now that the contest is over with, time to change things up and get some art going. Today I am starting another leather project. I have the leather soaking now so it will be ready for me this afternoon.  

What are you doing today? 

Nicole/Beadwright

 Honor and integrity in art, in life.

LAST DAY TO VOTE FOR ME PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

Hi Everyone!

First I want to thank all of you who voted for me in the Dick Blick challenge. This is the last day to vote so I am asking just one more time Please. If you voted already you can vote every 24 hours. Yeah that is strange but that is how they set it up. 

So head over vote one last time or vote your first time. Thank you so much.

VOTE HERE

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

NEW BEADING PATTERN 2 DROP PEYOTE

Hi Everyone!

I have been trying to get my act together. Ha ha ha.  Part of that is creating new beading patterns. I have been revamping old ones and getting some new ones made up.  The latest are two that are so different from one another. Both are 2 drop peyote stitch, so these can be made very quickly into jewelry, belts, guitar straps and even home decor.

Both are in my Beadwright Etsy store.

 

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PPF AND A REQUEST :)

Hi Everyone!

Happy Paint Party Friday and thanks to the wonderful Eva and Kristin for hosting the best art party on line. Come see all of the beautiful art from around the world.

Tonight I have two items to share with you. First I finished my colorful horse on leather. I need a name for this guy. LOL

I am pretty happy with the finished piece. I added some finishing touches that include a Native warp stitch with embroidery thread over horse hair. Some glass crow beads and tea dyed hair pipe bone beads. I need to curl the horse hair a bit. 

 Second item is..... I entered this painting in a Dick Blick challenge and it is in the voting stage of the contest. I know some of you are being very faithful voting every 24 hours. Thank you so very much. If you have not voted and have just a minute please help me get more votes. After you vote a prompt will come up for your information. YOU DO NOT need to fill that out. At the bottom of it there is a place to skip it. So none of you info has to be shared. 

This is the painting. "Send a Raven". By the way because of this contest the painting sold!!! YaY an unexpected bonus, I wasn't thinking of selling it.  So please go vote HERE

Thank you so much and you know if you ever need my vote I am here for you.

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

VOTE FOR MY ENTRY PLEASE

Hi Everyone!

It is August 1 and this starts the voting for Go Big Dick Blick art competition. Yes I entered a painting. I am hoping that I can get some votes from all of you. It only take a moment to vote. 

This is my entry; "Send a Raven"

You can vote here

 Thank you all so very much. Your vote wishes me luck. 

Please Vote

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.