A Day in the Life

Come see me on my all new website!

2010-12-06T19:58:00.000-06:00

I have moved! Come see me on my new website at www.BrendaSchweder.com.

I'll Pay You a Movie Tomorrow for a Blog Post Today!

2010-09-11T23:56:00.008-05:00

I promised myself a selection from Movies-On-Demand if I wrote and posted my blog tonight. (It's 10:22pm--I had better work fast!)

And I promised myself that from now on, I only had to write a paragraph with each blog post.

I foster deals between Strong-and-Successful Brenda and Rather-Sit-on-My-Duff Brenda to motivate both me's. I mind-murmur things like "You only have to run to that far mailbox, but you do have to run to it." or "Since I had that chocolate shake this afternoon, I'll have ice water instead of a Coke just now."

[Alright, well technically I'm already three paragraphs in . . . but, that's sort of the point, I just need to get over the initial hump of starting something, then I'm fine.]

But, enough of that.I have been meaning to tell you about the workshop that I took with Dean Ebben at Kathy Malkasian's Valley Ridge Art Studio (located here in what Richard Salley describes as bucolic Wisconsin).

Dean's an amazing artist--and it takes an amazing artist to get me to break free from taking non-jewelry workshops. (Since the new millennium, Micheal deMeng's the only other victor in this regard). Long story short, I was blown away. I expected to be wowed, but instead I was mesmerized. Star-crossed. Hooked.

And guess what? You may just be seeing some cyanotype art jewelry pieces come out of this studio soon. They'll look similar to these exposures I did during the workshop:

Leaps and Bounds

Pirouette Skirmish

Kewpie Gets Spit Curls

Escaped

And here's a little photo summary of what will become a draped cowl neck piece that I absolutely love (scroll down Dean's Workshops pag e a bit for more of the same):

After all the sun's work and the rinsing is done,
I prepare the piece to be hung on the line to dry.
(Domestic Brenda--take a good, long look!)

Reminds me of wash day at my Grandma Mae's.

My Vally Ridge friend Janet Eskridge.
(We met at a Keith LoBue workshop at VRAS in 2008.
I'm the proud owner of three pieces of her work!)

Janet and the very wind-blown me.

A very BAD hair day (not you, Janet!) makes for a very GOOD art day!

[And I'm all done! I've earned a movie, but it will have to wait since it's now after midnight. It'll be nice to bank that movie reward for another time!]

Leather Jewelry--A New Lark Love Story!

2010-07-12T20:35:00.010-05:00

I usually don't review/share/blog about cool books herein, but now's as good a time as any to start!

You know how I love adding any new material or technique to my jewelry making arsenal? Well, I've got another arrow to drop in my quiver with Nathalie Mornu's new Leather Jewelry: 30 Contemporary Projects!

Now, I know what you may be thinking--this review is nepotism at best since I'm now a Lark author. You're right on one score in that I do have a newly heightened affinity for all things Lark. But, you're also wrong (wrong, WRONG!) since I can honestly say that "Lark had me at 'Hello'!" (When I became aware of the fact that 90% of my jewelry and craft books were published by the same company--yep! Lark!--I knew a love affair had already begun without me and I just had to catch up!)

But that's just the start of my Lark Love Story. What a fabulously tempting book Nathalie's put together! Leather Jewelry makes what I used to think was an out-of-reach medium (where do I get this stuff? what do I use to sew it? will I like having all-brown jewelry?) another enticing "pull (-me-in-another-direction)!"

Fave projects include: Big Zip (Joan K. Morris) (what a surprise that I'd like a zipper necklace); Link (Marina Massone) (can you say way-cool interlocking-ness?); and Gossip (Nathalie herself) (the dictionary defines this one as "pure flirt!"). The book's subtitle marks the projects as contemporary, and it tells no lie! The designs are clean, colorful, fun, and fresh!

And, the illustrations had my heart palpitating--they are heaven-on-paper! Nathalie tells me that the awesome Frenchman, Olivier Rollin, sketched these oh-so-pretty (and immaculate) step-by-steps which is another side love-story (and I haven't even seen him, nor heard him speak!). (Oh, PS! These illos actually show the "how-to" as well as dress things up!)

My love fest finale is all about the book's gallery. You see, when that green-with-envy feeling starts to well up inside, and I know "I wish I would have thought of that first," it's a good-sign-of-good-design!

Suffice it to say, that I'm about as green as I can get about Leather Jewelry--and that's a GREEN-LOVE-THING for sure!

Bead&Button Preparation Season

2010-05-23T10:31:00.007-05:00

My husband Jim is an avid archer. He loves hunting deer and elk with his bow and arrow and gets so excited for bow hunting season, that he created Hunting Preparation Season at the Schweder household. This means that since the real buck deal opens mid-September, he spends basically all of August and the first half of the following month getting all his gear down from the garage attic, sorting through and reorganizing it, culling out any worn or unnecessary items (hunting is an evolutionary sport you know--what worked last year, may not jive with 2010's strategy), etc., etc. (What all this boils down to for me is that I can't schedule any family or friend gatherings or unnecessary doings while he's in this . . . fervor.)

It used to drive me crazy, but I'm in the same boat now getting ready for the Bead&Button Show. I've been notifying attendees, ordering elements for and assembling class kits, creating a movable display (I'm teaching in four different classrooms this year, so I need to be mobile) for teaching and the Meet the Teachers event, planning my book signing attraction (should I invent a Make-n-Take again this year?), and manifesting a new steel wire demo at the Create Your Style with Swarovski Elements booth. I'm even scheduling and gearing up for a Guinea Pig class at my home studio since this is the first time I've taught a three-day workshop on resin jewelry techniques.

Of course if that's not enough, I need to be involved in set-up of our Loose Bead Society package check, help in the organization of the Go Global: A Global Bead Society Exchange, and assist with a little soiree Debbi Simon and I are hosting for our fellow CYS-Swarovski Ambassadors.

(If I told you now that my god-daughter's high school graduation is the Thursday night of Show week, would you call your therapist to schedule an appointment for me pronto?)

Jim asked me the other night (at my now-twelve-year-old's birthday dinner), "Are you alright? Are you mad at me?" And, after I snapped back to the conversation at hand with a startled, "Huh?," I replied, "Yes dear (get it? deer?), I'm just in Bead&Button Preparation Season!"

And I wouldn't miss all the B&B fervor for the world--come join me!

Expanding Your Horizons--No Time Like the Present

2010-05-01T20:58:00.009-05:00

Our local beading guild, The Loose Bead Society of Greater Milwaukee (yes, I'm head bead) has a great theme for 2010--Expanding Your Horizons.

And, our Web Goddess Traci Otte issued a challenge to members to post ways they have reached past their usual and comfortable jewelry making habits on our site. Some have taken a class on tatting (fellow member Marilee Rockley taught this at our Spring retreat); some have tried peyote or right angle weave stitches for the first time (ouch--my brain hurts just thinking about it); and some have ventured into the puzzling world of chainmaille (many rings, so many ways to cross my eyes)!

Me? I've been fighting my urge to dive into PMC until this week. Oh, I've dabbled a bit: a rollover pendant class here, and a Kate McKinnon workshop at the Bead&Button Show there. But nothing ignited a fire under this b-u-t-t to make it jump up and run toward all of silver clay's potential.

[Note: I admit this had more to do with my readiness than my past teachers or workshops.I've recently discovered that I tend to like to work directly with jewelry materials. I like fast results, instant gratification, and a high rate of excellent results. (Anyone see why steel wire and I get along so famously? A quick bend of the wrist yields a fabulous right angle. Simple. Done.) Media that have more steps, scarier tools, or longer bench-times take longer for me to warm up to.]

As a matter of fact, my friend and fellow designer/author Debbi Simon and I have threatened, but have never taken the silver clay plunge. Until this weekend!

A two-day workshop taught by Irina Miech (author of umpteen books on the subject and owner of Eclectica), yielded these (and a few more) sweet silver pieces!

This class was just what I needed--a short, concentrated time period (two full days to fit our busy work/play/family schedules); a lot of bench time (there's no equal to practicing what's been demonstrated); and a flexible enough workshop format (Irina kept us class renegades interested but within our certification boundaries)!

And guess what? I did it!! I've expanded my horizons AND I've got a certificate to prove it! After all, leaders should set a good example for their members, shouldn't they?)

It's a Girl! (And, I'm an Octo-Tool-Mom!)

2010-04-14T10:40:00.002-05:00

Hush little baby, don't say a word . . . .

I'd like to announce the birth of the new addition to my family --my new precious one:

Name: Anna Villette Schweder
Weight: (A whopping) 15-pounds
Length: 11-inch long (short and stout!)
Eyes: Steely Gray
Hair: None (no change from my real babies)

Born at: Harbor Freight Hospital

Baby's healthy as a horse (and can help in shoeing one, too) and doing fine at home in her new nurs...studio!!

I'm joking, but there's a small part of me that feels a deep, deep love for my tools! In fact, the visit that brought Anna home has actually birthed a few more little ones:

a fabulous tool belt, a 4-inch scratching awl, a replaceable head mallet (of course, a NEED), a short-handled utility hammer (for small spaces), a one-pound mallet, and a set of 12 riffle files.

Time to stock up on diapers! If this keeps up, they'll call me Octo-Tool-Mamma!

Do you feel like your tools are your children? Do tell!

Now shhhhhhhh! -- baby's napping! xoxo!

Friends of Friends of Friends!

2010-04-04T19:28:00.004-05:00

May I just say I have the best friends, and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends EV-VER?

My college roommate Beth and I have the most interesting relationship -- she challenges me, and chews me out, and I ignore and love her for it! (You need to know that this is her way of expressing her undying devotion!) But, besides being a royal (but sweet-in-her-own-way) pain in the ga-zot-nick (my mother's term for a$$), she promotes my jewelry and books by telling her friends how dumb I am for not selling my stuff in every gallery and boutique from here to the lake (and the SI swimsuit issue to boot)!

The funny thing? In a slightly dysfunctional way, her charming ways have benefited me!

Beth turned her friend Mary on to me (as dumb as I am) and my jewelry, and Mary visited my home studio. While here, she purchased my Army Pin necklace (featured in Junk to Jewelry) which perfectly complemented a sweet calico sundress she wore to an outdoor summer wedding. (Mary is a size negative 2, but we'll forgive her since she has impeccable taste in jewelry).

So, I suppose Mary wore her necklace (around her size negative 2 neck) -- and talked about where she got it and this kooky jewelry designer who makes necklaces out of weird things like army pins -- to her friend Joann.

Fortunately, Joann has no idea how dumb I am (the beauty of three degrees of separation in this case) and has signed up for my Steel Wire Intensive Master Class at the Racine Art Museum later this month!

It's amazing how my sassy friend has been a marketing asset despite her best attempts at discrediting me. With friends like Beth, who can do without 'em?

You Need Wirework 2010 -- Get A Lotta' Loopy!

2010-03-29T01:15:00.007-05:00

I know you've been meaning to; but actually purchasing Wirework 2010 has alluded you still! Get your own fabulous copy before the last ones are pulled from the retail shelves! Run, do not walk, to your nearest newsstand, book store, or online source for the best example of DIY wire work by leading wire jewelry designers ever!

When she was planning this issue, editor Linda Augsburg needed a project that featured plain loops. Due to the strength of steel wire, and the fact that plain loops are certainly ample for just about any project created with this wondrous product, I created this little ditty, called Winterfrost Pod (Statement in steel), to round out the offerings:

I created 20 plain loops in the necklace alone; 72 more in the Create Your Style with Swarovski Crystallized Components crystal charms (sporting two plain loops each); and 100 more in the earrings! A grand plain loop total of 192!

I have to say I was a lotta' loopy from bending all these loops!

'Course if you like steel wire and you love crystals as much as I do, this project is offered at The Bead&Button Show on Wednesday, June 9

Join me!

A Study in Contrasts: Benchtop Sneak Peek

2010-03-01T09:07:00.004-06:00

Last week's blog post may have you believing that my studio is quite clean and organized. Poppycock! Just a few feet away is the chaotic workspace of Brendita-the-Spastic-One! And so comes my theory of balance.

First, a left-to-right (now top to bottom) scan of the main workspace in my studio:

(Now, a moment to rest your eyes and regain some composure.)

The lesson here -- at least what works for me -- is that having an organized starting block is important to getting one off and running in the creative process. For many creatives (including moi), beginning is probably the single most important thing we face. But the messy, everything-up-in-the-air part is where the genius comes in.

In the chaos, you'll find new juxapositions of objects you may never have thought of combining before. In the pile, you'll gain a clarity that comes from being able to work multiple projects at once. In the jumble, you'll gain a momentum that has you producing more.

These two works have recently erupted from the hot bed of disorganization:

I guess (for me) slow, steady, and cluttered is what wins the race!

The Fine Line Between Creativity and Clutter

2010-02-21T13:36:00.005-06:00

There's a fine line between creativity and clutter -- and I walk it every day. Sometimes I'm on the creativity side, sometimes I'm on the clutter side -- mostly I straddle them both.

Since I've recently had the excellent talents of my technical designer brother Jeremy at my disposal (he's since taken a full-time job in addition to his growing business and abandoned me, but that's another story), I took full advantage. I waved my arms around to explain my ideas of creating systems that would support my work, and he interpreted those dreams into realities of wood, hardware, and paint! (I'm so grateful to have his shaman-like ability tempering my creative visions with his engineering-ness -- and encouraging me in the process. I LOVE this guy to pieces!)

You saw the Wall-o-Jars that I posted a few blogs back. Well, here are two more ideas that have already boosted my ratio of creativity to wallowing-in-stuff-I-can't-get-to:

Precious Finds at a Glance: A set of shallow and narrow shelves that hold all my one-of-a-kind found bijoux. Since I work my found objects in jewelry sizes (smaller goodies than my assemblage buddies), I could afford to gather them in one area where I could see the whole collection at a glance. The shelves' placement in my studio also serves to engage my moodling mind with future projects each time I walk by.

(Here's a close-up: noisemakers, vintage buttons, toy wheels, pipe-cleaner chicks and Eight Balls galore.)

On-Deck Works: I enjoy playing with a number of projects simultaneously. I group components for budding jewelry pieces in these black trays where they audition (this is my friend and studio assistant Becky's term). They remain there until they "get the part" to work on a portion of them at a time. Some never make the cut and their components go back on the narrow shelves or into beading inventory.

Note how the trays slope down from the wall (like the magazine racks at your local library), so that they, too, are in prime moodling position!

Am I more productive with these systems in place? Sure, if you agree that freeing up my studio floor for little things like walking help! Now I'm ready(er) for loads of jewelry makin'!

Smiley Face Watch

2010-01-31T13:42:00.004-06:00

I've shared this image with my Facebook friends along with a post something like, "this piece just makes me smile." It's true. I've seen some fabulous resin work that traps unexpected things inside (isn't that 90% of what makes us goofy about resin -- the trapping part?) like big, fancy pearls and even a mouse (ewww!). That's what inspired me to try my hand at my own version of freezing stuff in time!

My friend KaKO recently gave me a big box of goodies from her past -- kind of like a 3-D scrapbook of her life. I spied this 80s watch from the middle of the pile. It probably just needed a new battery, but I decided I'd rather not know so I could be fearless in trying this idea. I prepped a frozen food tray with some release and went to town positioning the watch and carefully pouring the resin.

After it cured enough to pop it out of the tray the following morning, I noticed a bubble at the 10 o'clock mark. Rather than ditching the project (I tend to try to save just about anything with even a little potential), I thought I'd enhance the even-numbered hour marks with chatons. (Just so happens my friend Debbi Simon has been working with these sparkly bits lately, so I gave her a jingle.)

Another little glitch worked out as well, after I hit an air pocket (that darn 2 o'clock mark this time) while drilling the chaton divots. After I carefully removed the drill dust, I filled the pocket with resin one drop at a time. Then I used the resin to not only set the other five chatons, but add a high polish to the face of the piece. (I waited until the resin at the 2 o'clock mark set and thickened a bit before adding the last little glitz-bit.)

I learned three things about resin during this work: that it has a longer pour-time before setting than I thought; that matte surfaces can be glossed up with an additional resin skimcoat; and that mistakes are easily repaired with some patience and precision.

All-in-all, this watch-let was a pretty quick project. It makes me smile and feel happy every time I look at it -- a new take on the smiley face watch from the 70s!

Funny How Baby Steps Can Span a Mile (or More)!

2010-01-24T12:06:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I just sit and wonder at how simple studio play-time can translate into something bigger and better (and longer-lived) than I would have ever imagined! Take this wonderful chunk of seaglass I received as a barter from a doubly-wonderful client! I was just putzing around one Saturday afternoon, experimenting with how to capture the piece in steel wire. I twisted and turned, bent and unbent (yep, steel's like that -- you can "erase" bends!).

Soon after, I attached the pendant to a funky-found-dog chain-turned-necklace, and wore it to lunch with friend and Art Jewelry Associate Editor, Jill Erickson. It just so happens AJ was planning a green trend issue (see May 2009) and a full-fledged (capture pendant) article was born!

Now, rewind a few years to the debut of my first book, Junk to Jewelry. The fabulous Matt Quandt of Kalmbach got me a podcast gig with Alison Lee's Craftcast to help get the word out! (That was an amazing opportunity that I still have to pinch myself to believe.)

Some full-circle-to-now math:
Art Jewelry feataures Alison Lee in their current issue
+ Capture article popular with AJ readers
+ Craftcast interviewees' work used to enhance new article
= More fabulous publicity over a little bit of quality time between me, my wire, and my junk.

Ain't life grand?

Redux for the Studio: Wall-o-Junk

2010-01-17T10:54:00.016-06:00

This week, I started (believe me, this will take some time) cleaning and organizing my studio. I wonder if this just-started feat is a typical reaction to having just-entered the New Year, or simply my reaction to having some breathing room after finishing the bulk of my book-writing responsibilities?

Nonetheless, a few updates to my creative lair (which have been brewing and gurgling in some portion of my brain for some time now) have begun thanks to my wonderful jar-collecting friends and my ever-so-talented (albeit likes-to-pretend-he's-curmudgeonly) youngest brother, Jeremy.

The first order of business was to organize my found objects (which are now on, beneath, all around, and falling from, a folding table) in a way they could be quickly and easily assessed. Digging through deep boxes full of assorted (yes, I'll say it) junk for hours on end is neither fun, nor practical. And, just-the-right piece of junk or combination of pieces of junk is crucial to a fabulous jewelry work.

That said, I dream-pt up this new/old idea of a wall of jars! (Remember your Dad's or Grandpa's garage workshop and how neat rows of baby food jars filled with nails, bolts, washers, et al, were fastidiously screwed to a board above their workbench?) Well, this is that, just Brend-ized -- no order, no neat rows, no fastidiousness!

Oh, and since my junk is larger than Dad's leftover hardware loot, my wall is larger too. Here's the 3/4" MDF backer board installed into the studs:

Then painted with a stupendous Martha color (Bee Hive) and the first screwed-in jar cover (gotta' start somewhere!):

Here we go -- had to see if the theory really worked!:

Then a few more:

And a few more:

'Til voila! A Wall-o-Jars waiting for a Wall-o-Junk!:

A little closer:

I've already started filling them with bits and parts and jibs and jabs . . . stay tuned for the filled-to-full status!

Thanks to all my friends and husbands-of-friends (especially Mr. Steve, the Cherry-Pepper-Eater) for all their saving and label-taking-offing, and delivering! Me, my husband, and my studio floor thank you!

Peek of the Week No. 3

2010-01-07T20:19:00.005-06:00

I'm behind on my Peek of the Weeks! (Don't ask this designer to do anything that's at all structured, like give you a peek -- a tiny cropped image -- of one of the projects in my upcoming Steel Wire Jewelry book!)

I'll give you a hint of what lies within this time: the bits of blue and gray are from a stone via the wonderful world of Gary Wilson. Boy, that guy can cut a stone! As a matter of fact, that guy cuts and cabs (and beads) many, many wonderful things. For those of you who aren't familiar with Gary's work, he'll be at two different Tucson venues (where you will see me bent over every tray, head down, and eyes glued. See you there!

Be a Double Winner!

2009-12-18T11:26:00.002-06:00

The fabulous publisher of my first two books, Kalmbach Publishing Company, placed the Ring-let project from Vintage Redux in the current issue of Crafts 'n Things!

Is that not super? This issue is chock full of sweets and sweet ideas. (I stopped counting cupcakes after twelve. Do you think there's a theme here?)

Here's the sweet spot -- check out the article (page 115) and find out how to win your very own copy of VR just in time for the holiday season!

And/or comment on this blog by the end of the day, Sunday, the 20th, and I'll send you an autographed copy of Junk to Jewelry! You could be a double winner!

What's Your RL/EO Quotient?

2009-12-05T22:03:00.012-06:00

Sometimes I astound myself (in a not-so-good way). You'd think after 47 years, I'd know me pretty well. And to be honest, most of the time I'm pretty astute about what makes me me and what I can and cannot do. But this last little task I took on just hammered home the point that I'm a little dense in the what-can-be-accomplished-in-real-time-and-space world (a.k.a. what you can get done in real life).

You see, this girl's an eternal optimist. And, she's a little slow on the uptake when it comes to committing to deadlines. She says "yes" automatically before weighing a project's actual doing-ness. I blame it on my analytical side -- the side that on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the largest) is a .5.

So, next time I nod my head to drawing 70-plus sketches of 30-plus projects (which guide readers through the process of making the jewelry in say a book called something like Steel Wire Jewelry), I'll say I need two months instead of one. And I'll really draw sketches instead of schematic models that look like they're from an engineer's drawing board. And I'll start the project before there are only two weeks left to deadline. Ahem ... did I say that my procrastination quotient of big projects is also a .5?

What's your Real Life (RL) vs. Eternal Optimist (EO) quotient?

What's in a Name Anyway?

2009-11-24T11:10:00.003-06:00

Well, I'll tell 'ya -- more than one would think!

With today's emphasis on marketing and search engines, and -- well that's about the crux of it, marketing and search engines -- things (book titles, that is) need to be straightforward, simple, specific, and (yes, I'll say it) boring! That's okay though, 'cause a good, minimal title is weighty enough to counterbalance all of my uber-creative copy inside (which frankly, confuses even me at times!)

What am I droning on about (you analytics ask)?

I just received the formal title for my next book. It's moniker is Steel Wire Jewelry. The equally important and obviously encoded subtitle is: Stylish Designs, Simple Techniques, Artful Inspiration. You got it! All very good words to describe exactly what is inside the book -- style, design, simplicity, technique, art, and inspiration. There you go, and there you have it.

I'm not complaining. Or, am I? The early-career marketer in me says, "Yep! Get it out there, and get it far and wide." The creative-type in me says, "Good God, can't anyone think a little? Would it kill them? Do we have to spell out things at a fourth-grade level all the time?"

Then I pan back a little, take a few breaths, and envision my little book ... on the Barnes&Noble shelves ... among tens of other wire books ... hundreds of other jewelry books ... thousands of other craft books ... and millions of other books books ... and, that's just one store. And then I say:

"I LOVE simplicity. I LOVE the name Steel Wire Jewelry! And, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE search engines!

(And I'll "wow 'em" on the inside!)

Thank you, Title Team!

xoxox!

(Pssst! Next comes the fabulous cover art . . . !)

Where'd the School Year Go?

2009-11-09T09:51:00.006-06:00

Seems like I just submitted my proposals to teach at the 2010 Bead&Button Show (actually, that was last July -- time flies) and now the Show's almost here! I'm kidding, really. (Thank goodness that June is several months away and the boys' school year has three more quarters to go -- plenty of time to raise those first-quarter grades!) The good news is that Marlene and crew at Kalmbach Publishing Company have recently announced the classes and workshops we teachers will be offering.

I am super-psyched to present four iron wire classes and one surprise! I get to teach a three-day Fundamentals in Resin workshop early in the week! Look for the complete catalog late this month and sign up in January!

Here's my roster:

Maniacal Jewelry Pound
A three-hour wacky and wonderfully loud pounding of iron wire: a great chance to try the medium in a shorter time-frame.

Found and Captured

Create custom captures (bails) for all your fabulous cabochons and found objects.

Create Your Style with Swarovski Elements presents Winterfrost Pod

A beautiful combination of iron wire and flashy crystal.

All plain-loops! Simple-dimple!

A Pound(ed) Heart

Try your hand (and hammer) at forging 12 gauge iron wire. Grrrr!

Fundamentals in Resin by Brenda Schweder

A three-day intensive play-date where

you discover and/or re-explore resin, resin, resin!

A Head-in-the-Clouds Tour of Greece

2009-10-25T09:19:00.030-05:00

What a complement (and a misnomer) it is to be stereotyped as having your head in the clouds!

When my eldest son was in the fourth grade, his well-meaning teacher diagnosed him as a "dreamer." He didn't thrive in overly-structured environments like classrooms where you sit in nice, neat rows of desks, wear school uniforms, or move around the place to the tune of buzzers every 50 minutes. I didn't either. Nor did his Dad, really.

We see the world differently. We allow ourselves to take in beauty in ways many others do not. When we're in Greece, we go to the monuments, the museums, and the restaurants just like everyone else, but we see things that inspire us at our feet, our finger-tips, and yes, in the clouds. At least, I did.

Jim and I took around 1,000 pics during our 11-day tour of Greece. He was in charge of the camera, but I directed these -- my favorite shots -- which I present to you in a short faux slideshow:

Ancient Athens floor (tile).
The ruins at the Acropolis Museum, Athens.

A sneak peek of the floor tile from a side room.
The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, Athens.

Three sidewalk textures.
Athens.

Stone wall textures.
(Maybe the Agora?)

Rebuilt stone wall solution: what I call "puzzle fitting."
Near the Oracle at Delphi.

Iron storefront fencing (particularly interesting to this designer.)

Downtown Athens.

Stonework.
Thira Town, Santorini.

Residential door knocker.
Thira Town, Santorini.

Door latch.
Thira Town, Santorini.

Marble tile floor.
Senor Zorba Mexican restaurant, Santorini (open 12pm-12am!)

Cement wall-work, embellished with polka-dots of small, red volcanic stones.
Volcano View Villas, Santorini.

Motifs from ancient Akrotiri clay work (1800-1500 BC).
Santorini Museum.

Entrance to the Akrotiri Museum.
Thira Town, Sanortini.

A beautiful and fashionable fellow traveler.
Poros (A Saronic Island.)

Vestibule ceiling.
Museum, Hydra (a Saronic Island).

Sub-floor to an upper balcony walkway.
Museum, Hydra.

Beautiful sidewalk tile work in front of a restaurant.
The Plaka, Athens.

When there's no tile work, create your own.
The Plaka, Athens.

My teary-eyed stare at a bird-filled dusk sky.
The rear seating area of our ferry in the Aegean Sea.

And, 55 seconds of joy for you as well:

What's Tangled and Mangled and Colorful Throughout?

2009-10-09T19:43:00.006-05:00

Peek of the Week No. 2, that's what! It's been a month since I shared Peek of the Week No. 1 on September 10th. Today I'd like to introduce Peek of the Week No. 2. In true Brenda form, you may have guessed it involves two of my favorite things -- Irish waxed linen and (of course) iron wire. But what gauge? How is it tangled? Is it a bracelet, an earring, a brooch? I'm such a trickster for keeping you guessing!

Smokin' Mirrors & Inquiring Minds

2009-09-29T21:42:00.012-05:00

Not everything is as it seems. Sometimes it's better; sometimes it's worse. Sometimes it's both if we step back a bit.

We dig for answers when things seem picture perfect. We want to know that others are like us -- a little less than perfect. We spend money to know the truth about other people's lives (my husband Jim's Granny Aurelia was a longtime National Inquirer subscriber), we research and Google! any little curiosity, and we take back stage tours to get an inner sanctum glimpse at how things really work on the big stage.

I got my own little peek at the "better and the worse" of my work this week when I visited Deone Jahnke's photography studio. We (she worked, I "assisted") shot six of my better pieces for the gallery section of Iron Wire Jewelry (coming out Fall, 2010).

The shoot went like clockwork, but I got a chuckle when we prepped this necklace (Scrapyard No. 1) by dangling it from a pole with gray duct tape (see evidence, lower left). VERY classy! Check out the little mirror propped on a tiny box with paraffin wax (another photog trick to bounce light around) and the adorable Ms. Jahnke's left hand and camera zoom lens.

Funny how the before (what the camera shows us) and the after (the "bigger picture") vary a teeny, tiny bit! Just thought your inquiring minds would want to know!

Introducing Peek of the Week!

2009-09-10T16:18:00.008-05:00

Seems I have a more than a few red-haired friends (we used to be so uncommon!). Well, my red-haired friend Kelly (ummm, red and pink-haired friend Kelly) suggested I give my blog readers a peek of my new book's jewelry designs a tad early. She heard from a little facebook bird (another red-head ... me!) that I sent the whole three-box set of finished jewelry projects to Lark Books on Tuesday.

SO, I got permission to give a peek without givin' away the whole pic! And actually, I'm taking a bit of creative license (I LOVE creative license and believe in incorporating it whenever possible) by giving one peek each month for a total of ten months leading up to the publish date. We can wait for Iron Wire Jewelry (working title) to publish in Fall, 2010 right? Please?

Here's hoping this helps! xoxox!

And thanks, Kelly!

Peek of the Week No. 1:

Third Time's the Charm

2009-08-10T22:43:00.010-05:00

And, Three Moons is the third time -- or the third design I submitted to Lark's upcoming 30-Minute Necklaces on the third of this month.

Of course, even though I've had designs swimming through my head since I discovered the call for artist entries some weeks ago, I was (literally) hammering away at the first two ideas the very day they were due. Ferociously. Hammering.

Numbers one and two came to fruition, but they were lacking. I couldn't put my finger on what may be missing, and I hadn't given myself the luxury of time to "moodle" out the answers. They had to go in. (Now, after a few days "clearance," I like them a lot when I see them layered one atop the other -- a clue.)

Then, I ate. I chatted with my husband. I hit "reset" on my (left) brain and returned to the studio. Thirty minutes later, I photographed this new piece that flowed out of my head, down through my arm and out my hammer-holding fist. It was "the charm." Simple. Elegant. Fun. Me.

My bet's on this piece being the one of the three to be accepted (notice how I'm using positive thinking? . . . I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!). I'll report on my status (or should I say my necklaces' status) in my next blog.

Which will it be? Number 1, Number 2 or Number 3?

WonI: Proof I Found "It"

2009-08-02T22:02:00.010-05:00

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. But this time was different. This time, I did know that some thing was missing in my new work direction, but I didn't know what it was, really. I couldn't put my finger (nor my pliers) on it. Then "it" came to me -- "it" became a reality this week.

I discovered the missing link at Micheal deMeng's demented toys workshop at Valley Ridge Art Studio (thank God proprietors [the lovely and wonderful] Kathy Malkasian and her [what-a-guy] husband Bill bring awesome instructors to Wisconsin ).

Sure I'm into iron wire (more on my upcoming iron wire jewelry book in another blog), and vintage an-y-thing, and junk lovelies -- but I've been toying with found plastics lately 'cause: a) I love color; b) I adore whimsy (and a lot of plastics are toys); c) there's sure a lot of it out there for cheap (I LOVE cheap); and d) I can claim I'm green (so chic) instead of cheap (just plain uncool).

The problem is that as much as I love whimsy and color, I love patina even more and could never marry my good old junk with my awesome can-only-be-so-old plastic treasures. The old didn't jive with the new and I was forgetting my collage/assemblage problem-solving tools.

The "IT" (and the answer to my dilemma) is using paint to visually blend disparate objects like those in (working title) WonI Strikes Warrior Pose. Formerly a Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Happy Meal toy before literally losing her head, she's now a pendant and happier for it. Thanks Michael for providing my "IT" sooner than later!

The Good in the Tornado's Path

2009-06-13T23:04:00.004-05:00

I know I'm not the only teacher blogging about the trail of evidence caused by the tornado that is the Bead&Button Show. I may, however, be the only one that is writing about it a full week after it has ended! Ay!

I do feel somewhat vilified that my delay in reentry has not only entailed a now-clean house, watered plants (boy, were they thirsty!), and my eldest's sixth-grade graduation (complete with memory books made into hand-rolled diplomas), but some really solid studio time (which is always fruitful after a super-charged week of inspiration).

I still have to make my deposits (money? is that important?) and unpack, but I've been true to what's most important to my creative process and that's makin' stuff -- with a half-dazed smile running from ear to ear! Ain't life grand?

A Peak at the Bench: Subject C-Carly

2009-04-10T11:06:00.009-05:00

The idea of my art metals class taking a field trip to my basement studio came up during critique the other day (I'm taking advantage of the illustrious Sr. Rosemarita Heubner's last semester teaching [Mount Mary College, Milwaukee] before retirement). I not-so-jokingly confirmed "let's do it, but give me some time to dig a wider path!"

That said, I thought I'd offer my blog readers a similar field trip (one you don't have to trip through). Here's a peak at a project I've been working at my jewelry bench. It's 'a moment in time' from 'A Day in the Life.'

This little ditty continues a series I've started titled with letters of the alphabet (you may have seen V-Voracious and N-Newfangled in my book, Vintage Redux). This new one is a memory piece called C-Carly -- a memento to my husband's Brittany Spaniel who passed away when the boys were crawling and beginning to walk.

This project was spawned by finding a bric-a-brac spaniel head at a local antique store. I played with pairing it to other found objects and discovered that it fit in this UFO (unidentified found object) really well. However, it did need some sort of border to set it off from the grayness of the metal form. I liked the idea of using a zipper with only the teeth showing (ha! that phrase is quite dog-ly itself) and remembered the words of Michael deMeng in a workshop I took with him last fall -- anytime you repeat a pattern around an object, it sets it off and draws the viewer in.

Voila! Resin set the zipper, the dog, and the what's-it's-thing together. (To be honest, I didn't realize the zipper formed a C shape at first -- it was just too short to go all the way around. But, sometimes things just come together and this particular twist of fate cinched the name and it's place in the alphabet series!)

Next (because I wanted to moodle just how to tackle adding an iron wire bezel around this odd-shaped object), I decided on this old (watch?) chain for the necklace and cleaned it up with my wire brush. (I love my wire brush -- thank you Keith LoBue for introducing me to this fabulous tool).

Next time, I'll show you the results of taking iron wire to its limit (or "What Happens to a Bezel When You Putz with it Too Long") and (hopefully) C-Carly in finished form!

The Cobbler's Children, They Have No Shoes!

2009-03-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

You've heard about the cobbler's children and their lack of leather footgear? How about this former marketer's inability to properly promote herself? How long have Bead&Button Show classes been available for their frantic filling by way of the online registration site's 'buy' buttons? You guessed (or already know) it. Since January! (I'm only two-ish months late.)

But, enough self-deprecation and onto some shameless self-promotion. There are still a few spaces left in my three Largest-Retail-Show-in-the-World classes! Two explore my new favorite medium, iron wire, (Calder Meets Carrie Cuff [upper right] and Maniacal Jewelry Pound [below left]) and the third is a waxed fiber repeat (High Fiber Diet [bottom right]) back by popular demand from '08's offerings.

Check out the B&B Show website for more info and to click that 'buy' button (not-so-subliminal messaging here) for yourself!

And, see you in June replete with shoes (and bells on them).

PS For those of you linking in from the Art Jewelry blog, thanks for taking part in the Found-object pendant: Do you know what this is quiz. Your thoughtful responses tell me you're a foundling too! What a Pop-pop 'toot!'

I'm a Tree Hugger!

2009-03-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

Little did my parents know that they raised a Green Girl! Here I thought I was just a cheapskate with a capital CH!

But it's official! My newest published article is out there in print for the world to see. May's Art Jewelry is hot off the press and available at a newsstand near you (that is, IF you don't already subscribe, which you should surely consider doing).

Anyway, I'm back from my diverted writing path. The article title is Capture found objects with low-cost steel wire (page 64). I'm proud to say that I own a whole six pages of the mag's prime real estate with my second AJ article (the first was an applique piece in their inaugural issue: How Fish Fish. It was the very first piece I did in Sr. Rosemarita's summer school jewelry class at my alma mater, Mount Mary College).

For added fun and frivolity, Associate Editor, Jill Erickson, came up with a fun quiz you can take on their newsletter link: ArtJewelryMagazine@maillist.kalmbachmail.com. Take a guess what the featured found-object pendant once was! Over 200 people have already ventured their answers -- and some have even entered takes of their own! Yippee!

Reuse, Reclaim, Up-cycle!

-b, the redheaded eco-designer!

I Tried to Answer the Television Remote Last Week

2009-03-16T09:44:00.000-05:00

It's true (she admitted sheepishly), the phone rang and I picked up the remote, pushed the select button and said, "Hello?" At first, I tried to swear my son (who witnessed this early-onset Alzheimer's incident) to secrecy, but then he handed me the electric pencil sharpener and suggested I call my mother. It was at that moment that I knew the jig was up! I'm praying that this (somewhat) errant happening is due to all the stuff I'm juggling right now. There's just so much going on! Here are two of the ga-zillion hot topics:

Submit a jewelry design to my upcoming book gallery. Calling all wire jewelry designers! Check out Lark Book's site for the link and how-to's for submitting a piece/s to my upcoming book, Iron Wire Jewelry (working title) http://www.larkbooks.com/submissions/artist-submissions.

I've also promised a few designer friends some tips on iron/steel/rebar wire and how to clean and finish it. Without giving the book away, here are a few tip-arino's:

Get the wire (also called tie, stovepipe, or dark annealed steel wire) at your local Home Depot/Lowe's (for the 16 gauge stuff in the ce-ment/rebar rod area) or True Value/Ace Hardware (for the finer diameters packaged in smaller amounts).
Work it as you usually do (it's dead soft and dirtier, but gives you a lot more flexibility except when hammered on top of itself).
Clean it with a brass or steel wire brush or fine steel wool.
Finish it with an archival wax (like Renaissance).

Check out Jane Konkel's blog entry. It's all about me! Jane has wonderful taste in jewelry and in friends. Hee! Associate Editor of BeadStyle magazine, Jane Konkel is on my Mutual Admiration Society Top Ten as well. Seriously though, when I browse through the magazine and see a piece I'm particularly drawn to, it's most always hers! She's got this Anthropology meets 'lovely' meets Jane thing going on.

Anyway, we've been working on a fun recycled glass bracelet for the magazine's May issue and an accompanying video demo showing how to make the wrapped linen loop. She tells me that it will also be posted on YouTube (I admit this part is a bit daunting). Ay yi yi! Check it out! http://cs.beadstylemag.com/bdscs/blogs/beadstyle/

More on my antics later; I realize that I'm pretty darn entertaining (albeit in a geeky, sort-of-scary way). I'm thinking of writing a book querie themed A Day in the Life-The Goofy Side of Me next (only half-kidding).

It's Pajammah Time (sung to "U Can't Touch This," MC Hammer)

2009-01-07T11:30:00.000-06:00

The other day, I woke up with one of the epiphanies I get from sleeping too late in the morning. A lot of my really grand ideas come to me while I’m in a half-conscious state – or at least due to the zone my mind occupies at the time, my ideas are grand only-in-my-own-mind. (Example: Sometimes these balloon-helium highs result in a decision to start a skydiving career, so I don’t always trust the ideas from further down the dream-pipe.)

That light-bulb moment (Oprah’s given us so much new vocabulary) though, was a real winner – the sticking kind. I decided one day into the New Year that I really did have a resolution. Wow! I never like to force these decrees (for obvious reasons) (and apparently this one’s been with me for a while since it’s a chapter of my last blog), but here goes:

I WILL spend one minute each day in my studio.

Sweet. Simple. Steadfast. And further mused (is mused a verb?) by my friend Lela. Lee was supporting a fellow Weight Watcher buddy (she used to be a Weight Watcher counselor) with something she just read about resolutions. That something was the reasoning that we seem to fail at resolutions because they are often hard-to-impossible to live up to. In order to succeed, we need to make baby-step goals that are not only achievable, but give us those little victories to boost us on when we succeed. The idea is that we can string a lot of little victories together to change our worlds (and win at resolutions).

My goal of a minute each day seems ridiculous on one hand, but entirely doable and like a slightly sneaky self-psych project on the other. I tried it last night. My one minute turned into ten-plus and I ended my time with a head full of inspiration. Then, I worked another hour at my computer doing a little research that spurred me back downtown (my studio is in my basement) the next day.

Yep! On the third, I got up and the first thing I did – in my pajammahs (Pajammah Time) – was run down to my studio where I stayed ‘til I was so hungry, it was eat or feint on my found objects! I spent two-and-a-half hours working and grinning from ear-to-ear!

Today’s the 7th and I have been (really, I’m not lyin’) working in my studio each and every day. The time varies from about ten minutes to three hours, but I think I’ve psyched myself out in a totally good way. Sometimes I’m in my jammies; sometimes I’m not – but I’m ALWAYS present with my good junk working these little hands of mine!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, The Difference One Minute Can Make!

2008-11-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my BFF, Helen. We celebrated her birthday by attending the SOFA (Sculptural Objects Functional Art) show in Chicago (WOWWEE!). Spending 12 hours with someone -- especially if four of those hours are traveling in a car -- tends to produce some deep conversation that there is no way to unearth during say, a lunch or coffee date.

One of the things that I dredged up (upon seeing about a ka-jillion aisles of the most ingenious jewelry amassed under one roof -- there was sculpture there too?) was the question of what my art could become if only I spent even one hour a day at my bench. (Sounds like it should be easy, huh?)

I do know that going to events like SOFA (in a very Julia Cameron/The Artist's Way way) fill my creative well and I'm endowed with a noggin-full of ideas spinning and whirling, topsy-ing and turvy-ing madly about.

It creates the fire or desire that I think Eric Maisel (Ph.D) writes about in his book, A Writer's Space: Make Room to Dream, to Work, to Write. (BTW, I love these how-to-write books, I just substitute the word 'design' for 'write' and 'piece' for 'book.')

He shares: "Writers who write (I'll interject: designers who design, jewelers who jewel?) are dancing bundles of desire. . . . They crave; they itch; they lust; they are alive. . . . without all that dancing, pressing desire they'd sit quietly like old folks lined up in the corridor of a nursing home." (Note-to-self: my studio and its contents will NEVER fit into a nursing home room -- I will do what I have to do to stay out of one.)

Another few snippet from Maisel's book:
". . .
Every day I rekindle my desire. Somehow.
Hallelujah."

(Note-to-self 2: Somehow is key. I will 'show up' at my bench every day even if I have to trick myself by gently promising: "Brendaisy -- just go down there and clear a hole to work. I promise, it will only take a minute.")

(Commitment-to-self:

Step One: I will rekindle my desires by doing/reading/seeing something inspirational (books, shows, trips like driving to SOFA) once a week. (Yes, Julia, I am listening).

Step Two: I will spend just one minute (WINK) in my studio each day!

(Thanks, Helen! Your birthday gift-trip had a bounce-back affect to me!)

Steel Magnolia Anyone?

2008-10-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

Will you be visiting Tucson this coming February for the "Big Bead Shoe" (my knickname for The Tucson Gem and Jewelry Show)? Would you like to try your hand -- your hammer-holding hand? -- at combining steel wire and glimmering Swarovski Crystallized Components in a beautiful petal necklace?

Join me and a team of Swarovski's talented guest teachers at the crystal magnate's new downtown Tucson venue to take part in my Steel Magnolia Necklace workshop. (I'll take a break from soaking up the Arizona sun just long enough to play together -- it's mid-winter Vitamin B(ead) and D therapy!) (Thanks Helen for the use of Vitamin B(ead).)

Check out this link for a detailed description of my class (pps. 6 and 19) and my peers' beautiful crystal jewelry versions. YUMM-E! (Sorry Rachel Rae!)

http://www.create-your-style.com/website.php%20id=/events_fairs/events/Tucson_Show_2009.htm

And if you need an extended crystal fix, be sure to take my friend, Deb Simon's, class working filigee and flat back crystals (pssst! her book Crystal Chic will be out in December!).

BTW, if you do end up coming out, give me a head's up -- we'll do lunch! (Have your girl call my girl ... my Steel Magnolia girl!)

The Cockles of My Heart

2008-09-25T09:35:00.000-05:00

Cockles -- what a funny word. Now, if I were my friend, Luci, I'd be Googling the origin of cockles right here and now. But I'm not, and so I will just enjoy the funniness of the word and repeat it to myself, "Cockles, cockles, cockles . . . ." Hee!

I'm thinking (and repeating) the word cockles to myself 'cause I am indeed warmed (you know, "it warms the cockles of my heart"?) by a few of the comments I've already received about my new book, Vintage Redux:

Erin says she has a collection of pins from her Grandmother that she would never wear as pins (sorry Erin's Grandma!), but would love to turn into pretty bracelets like those in Mod Squad (page 29).

Pat wants to dig up a little box of ruby rings her parents gave her for several of her childhood Christmases to make a ring bracelet (Ring-let, page 22) all her own. She says she loved the idea from first sight!

And Marianne, my friend who is the star of Pass It On (page 78) along with her Grandmother Margaretha, can't wait for her mother (Margaretha's daughter) to receive the surprise copy she's mailing (I'm betting she won't see this unless she searches blogs for ideas on reinventing vintage jewelry). Marianne can't wait for her mom to see of bit of their heritage in print!

Of course, Marilyn (who owns Good Grounds Coffee Shop in town and carries my book), is fast becoming my largest distributor. I love her dearly for talkin' me up the way she does (and Carla too for introducing me and my books to her)!

What an awesome world, huh? -- where doing what you love brings you good friends, special relationships and coffee! Speaking of warming ... I think I've got my tummy and my cockles covered!

It's in, it's IN, IT'S IN!

2008-09-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

Vintage Redux! It's IN!

My second child is kickin' and screaming, is out of delivery, and has left the hospital. We're home now -- Mother and baby are doin' fine! (HA! Like I'd ever really give birth again! I love my boys, but two is just enough for me!)

Writing books has a little longer gestation but is a lot less painful -- though I DO think that I had some kicking going on in the last trimester (you know, the kind where the underside of a foot stretches out your right side another yard from your body?)!

A little side-note: my oldest son, Jimmy, had his friend, Carl, over yesterday (the day the baby came home) and I was showing the newborn off. Carl kept asking, "Old re-dux? What's re-dux?" (He pronounced it re-ducks.) While I was answering the re-ducks part, it sunk in that he was translating 'vintage' to 'old' and it made me crack up! I hope my target audience gets the title, 'cause I'm not sure "Old Something Reinvented" is gonna' do much for sales! Bless his little 12-year-old heart!

BTW, my youngest, Liam, knew right away what I was proudly parading through the kitchen and showed his happiness for me with a "Great, Mom!" On the other hand, Jimmy (he'd kill me if he read my blog) said, "What IS that?" (I did NOT lay hands on him, I swear!)

Thanks to each and every soul who helped with VR, from my tried-and-true friends (especially Becky who worked just as hard as I did that last few weeks); to my family who waited on themselves during the thickest part (gee, maybe I should be continually writing against deadline); to all the folks at Kalmbach who took another chance on this Goof-ball Girl! Love you all!

For those of you who preordered through the likes Amazon or BN.com, you (unfortunately) will probably have to wait (so sorry!), since these folks seem to pad the avail date by about a month (yeah, it does have something to do with distribution, but...). And, for those of you who are buying through Kalmbach or lil' ol' me (lucky dogs), the book is available ASAP (WITH my amazing little book plates that I autograph just for you!) (Psst! When you do buy my book, just email me and I'll send out a personalized plate on me!)

Off to the Printer with Ye!

2008-08-12T22:18:00.001-05:00

My editor called this morning with a very nervous voice. "Do you have Bake-lite in your book?" she eeked out. She really knew the answer was no, but I'm sure she was in panic-mode and just wanted to bounce the question off someone who knew*. Turns out we needed to tweak the back-cover copy to reflect the fact that I have a faux Bake-lite (Bake-lite-like?)re-done (re-dux-ed?) necklace and no Bake-lite at all. ('Ya gotta' be careful when you are dealing with things as collectible as Bake-lite, but I digress . . . .)

My point is that Karin was nervous because the completed book's digital files were probably on the verge (and I mean at the very tip of the edge of the cliff) of floating off through cyber-space to the printer. Yep, floating to the actual printer to become a real-live book instead of a figment of my imagination.

She's always had faith in this book and has repeatedly reported, "It's going to be a beautiful book" to her peers in review meetings. I have to agree. I'm really proud of the projects and all the variety I was able to pull off with what is basically old-jewelry-junk. Maybe the title should have been Jewelry to Junk to Jewelry Again? Gee!

"Someone who knew" is also a funny notion -- now that it's been seven months since I turned in Vintage Redux's manuscript and jewelry to the Books guru's at Kalmbach, I hardly remember what is in the book at all. Out of sight; out of mind! Hee!

My Reputation Precedes Me!

2008-04-29T17:51:00.000-05:00

The daaaaahhhh-ling Marlene Vail of Kalmbach Publishing fame has put her (poison) pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I have to say that NONE of what she says about me as a Bead&Button Show teacher is correct (unless, of course, you know me . . . or know someone who knows me . . . or you've heard about me . . . !) KIDDING!!

A recent e-newsletter regarding the wonderful, fabulous Bead&Button Show (largest retail bead show in the world!) featured (among other things) three faculty members and I was one who got to share the "beady spotlight" this time! Here's what Marlene says (lies are in bold!!!):

Meet Brenda Schweder
Brenda Schweder is a frequent contributor to BeadStyle magazine and the author of the book "Junk to Jewelry: A step-by-step guide to using found objects in jewelry you can actually wear." She's been published in all of Kalmbach Publishing's jewelry titles, as well as a number of Kalmbach's pamphlets and books. Brenda sells her finished jewelry on her Web site, brendaschweder.com. She has a dynamic personality which enlivens the classroom environment. Classes with Brenda are never dull! You won't want to miss a minute with this eclectic teacher.

No worries though! I have duly reprimanded her with a subsequent dynamic and enlivening (have I made up my own new word again?) email of my own.

The pressure's on for me to WOW my poor workshop participants this June -- yikes! I just can't shake this rap!

Got to www.BeadandButtonShow.com to see the classes I'm offering!

Looky, Looky . . .

2008-04-29T17:27:00.000-05:00

. . . I'm in the Booky! Well, Crafttrends magazine, that is! I'm sure craft retailers around the globe are calling their book orders in to Kalmbach (ask for Retail Book Sales -- hee!).

Lord knows my mother probably would have never guessed her little space-brained redhead would be considered an expert at anything but arranging her crayons in the box, but here I am reporting to the astounding Katie Hacker about the vintage jewelry trend.

That's one of the projects from the book on the center page (the Mrs. T. necklace) and my earrigs on the right (Curtain Call). (Don't look too closely at the photo credits -- they got the designer (me) right, but have flip-flopped the titles.)

Thanks Katie! Thanks Crafttrends! Thanks Karin and all those at Kalmbach books!

I LOVE this job!

Have a Great Vintage Piece? Get Published!

2007-09-29T13:49:00.000-05:00

Come one, come all! Enter your terrific designs for possible inclusion* in the gallery section of my upcoming book, Vintage Redeux (that's the working title)! The book shows beginning and intermediate beaders and jewelry designers how to take vintage jewelry apart and 'redeux' it into the trendy styles we see on catwalks today! Submit as many pieces as you would like, but keep to the following tenets:

- The book has three sections: Vintage Redeux-A New Order (take vintage jewelry pieces apart and put them back together in a faboo, new style); Unexpected Redeux-Vintage Collectibles Become Jewelry (work vintage found objects into a wonderful piece); and Heirloom Redeux-Sentimental Pieces Kept Close (update old pieces that meant alot to their original owner or mean alot to their current owner by making them into something that will no longer be tucked away). The book's gallery will reflect the tone of the book, so keep to one of these design conditions as your first order of business.

- The term vintage, as this author defines it, means any jewelry piece or component from the Victorian era up through the 80s (don't worry -- that makes me really old too!).

- You may use new or vintage components to complement your designs, however, the piece should not be made up of all vintage beads and/or components that you have purchased. Remember, the book is about reinvention.

- The work must be your own.

- Please email me for clarification: b@BrendaSchweder.com.

- *Submissions will be juried by a panel of editors and myself.

- Pieces are due to me by November 1, 2007. Go, go, go!

Dragging the 300-Ton Ship through the Sahara

2007-08-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

Man, I shouldn't be allowed a summer vacation. For someone who is a little too comfortable with structure-less days, the absence of getting the boys up, fed and out of the house by 8:20 each morning has been permission for chaos-of-the-creative-kind!

A business peer from my past life as a marketer in the corporate world presented on the topic of diversity. In particular, his discussion of the Maori (pronounced mow-ree) people really hit home. A tribe indigineous to New Zealand (by way of Polynesia), whose sense of decision-making and the consequent action-taking makes the habits of our southern statesmen look lightning-fast. ('Course the western world as a whole is also criticized for this too-speedy virtue.) The Maoirs discuss, they mull, they consider, they reflect. Over decades.

So do I -- to the point where I make myself frustrated by dancing around my studio, bopping back and forth, moving this to there and that to here until . . . (aughhhh!) my left brain FINALLY kicks in and I have some sense of reality and deadline.

My point to this lengthy introduction (I write like I create) is that my lovely second book (working title Vintage Redeux) is finally gaining some momentum. The background papers are chosen; the new camera is now (somewhat) understood; the projects are sorted and in trays; and the brain cells designated to inspiration and that zing have begun their slow, squeaky waking up process. It's just that it feels like I'm dragging a 300-ton ship through the Sahara with only a big, fat jute rope and my no-muscle-to-speak-of arms. The good thing is that now the ship has left dry-dock and the course is set for Manuscript Deadline. It's the maintenance and down-time while in port that takes a ton more effort than I ever care to admit.

And all in the name of jewelry -- who-da' thunk it!

Little 'Ole Me on Alison Lee!

2007-08-23T00:38:00.000-05:00

Whoa! (Pronounced woe-ah in the Schweder household!)

Guess who's going to be interviewed about her found object jewelry book for a pod-cast segment on http://www.craftcast.com/ with Alison Lee? ME!

What an honor to be among such talent (when you go to Alison's site, you'll see she has interviewed the likes of Bruce Baker, Tim McCreight, Sherri Haab and even SARK!)! So, I'm warming up my speaking voice (la, la, la, laaaaa), meditating for a zen-like experience and trying to think of every possible question she may ask (gotta' be ready, Freddy!).

I'm feeling so high-tech, move over hubby-geek, Honey's comin' through??!

I'll let you know when it will air (or subscribe to her newsletter and it will come directly to your e-box).

OhMyGod! I'm BUSTed!

2007-08-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

That's just like me -- to tell you something's coming (my mention of being published in BUST magazine earlier this summer) and then check it off my mental list. (Written, done, gone!) (Follow-up? Completion? Hello?) Ha!

So, the good (no, FABULOSO) news is that two of the pieces I submitted for their fall fashion feature (Aug/Sept '07) are front and center (pages 85 and 86)! (Well, the piece on the lovely gloved model's wrist is front and center (p.85), but the 'Rings . . . bracelet (p.86) is behind the dog leash. That's funny!)

Still, I am giddy with the layout and double-mention and am honored to be included with other respected authors such as Sherri Haab, Linday Cain and Sarah Weir. Pinch me!

Note to self -- keep creating! Go, go, go!

Galena -- A Romantic Business Trip!

2007-08-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

There's so much to catch everyone up on!

First, I have to report that a (belated) anniversary trip to Galena, Illinois (you HAVE to go when you're able if only for the architecture and back-in-time feeling) with my hubby turned business trip when I contacted Wendy Mullane of Vintaj Natural Brass. Vintaj makes the most beautiful jewelry components and they are eco-friendly. Natural brass -- can you dig it? ;)

I consider her a friend (though I've realized that her endearing and authentic personality has everyone feeling they've also made an exclusive connection) as we're joined at the vintage-hip. And her business partner sister, Jeanne, and business partner friend, Jess Italia, and their families are just as super-special which is as refreshing as it is infectious! Look for designs I've made up with Vintaj components in future issues of BeadStyle! Visit their site (http://www.vintaj.com/) for wholesale purchases and (http://www.etsy.com/) to buy finished pieces made with their wonderful components!

Second, and oh-so-cool -- I have to tell you all about Jamie's Wine Studio (Main Street) (http://www.jamieswines.com/). This Renaissance woman (who is also a pilot -- LOVE that) is my new best friend! Ha! (She doesn't know it yet!) Besides being wonderfully knowledgeable about all types of wine and champagnes (ask her about her brother too), she is the hostess-with-the-mostess when you drop in to choose your next pairing. Of course, you can buy wine there but you can also sit-a-bit and sip a glass while you shop (and shopping in Galena can be very, very taxing)! The cherry-on-top though, for all of you who won't get to Galena soon, is her new web site: http://www.tieoneon.com/! If you know of corporations looking for a new 'twist' on gifts for their clients, this is where to send them in cyber-space. Jamie artfully pairs wines (and their labels) with exquisite ties and scarves (and possibly jewelry? Hee!). Brilliant!!

Get Ready to See my Stuff in BUST Magazine!

2007-07-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

Something wonderful happened on the way to my book's release! My publisher, Kalmbach Publishing Company, got a call from BUST magazine inquiring about using designs from the book in their upcoming fall fashion piece (August/September issue)! Long story short -- they asked for seven of the pieces and voila! . . . I'm published by my first non-hobby magazine . . . a fun and edgy one . . . that fits my stuff . . . ahem!

For you The Secret groupies, this happened just a few weeks after reading the book (or listening to the book-on-tape . . . or watching the DVD . . . for the first time). H0w 'bout that for an answer from The Universe? 'Ya gotta' love it!

Anyway, the newsstand date (I've been stalking their web site: http://www.bustmagazine.com/) is July 24 (my wedding anniversary!!).

Now I'm asking the Universe for a Marc Jacobs or Prada job!

A Holiday Gift to You

2006-12-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

Hey cats! Things are craaaazy here (as I'm sure they are at your house), as usual! The boys had a wonderful Christmas concert (firsts for both: Liam a solo and Jimmy on recorder). Their sappy mom had tears in her eyes the whole time -- I don't know how they stand it!

Anyway, shameful family biz aside, Carla and I have some good news cookin' here for you. As a thank you and a celebration of this wondrous season, I'm going to have my very first e-Me-First newsletter (the one I've been threatening for years now) be a holiday sale of all my finished samples. I haven't been sure I wanted to part with these at all, but I'm ready now.

Some are the sample pieces for now-sold-out limited edition kits, a few are one-of-a-kind's that never made it to kit form or that I made up for BeadStyle's Fashion Forecast. SOME are the actual published pieces in BeadStyle feature articles.

I've also thrown in a few odds-and-end pendants for good measure.

SO, what's the sale price you say? Half off (my finished jewelry pricing is double the kit price, so you're getting the finished pieces for kit pricing). Yay!

Watch for your e-Me-First newsletter in the new few days!

Where in the World . . . ?

2006-11-06T11:19:00.000-06:00

Lordy! Who knew this blog was a bi-annual feature? Sheeesh!
Well, I'm sure by now everyone has learned that this artist's only consistency is her inconsistency and that you aren't all awaiting my next little message.

I do have some housekeeping though, since I left a couple of cliff-hangers out there with my last post. I still can't tell you about one wonderful occurrence (that will have to wait until the new year -- augh!) BUT, my good news is that I have a book on its way (its gestation is about 14 months -- somewhere between that of a human and an elephant!).

Look for Junk to Jewelry: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Found Object Jewelry You Can Actually Wear in book/bead stores near you around the 4th of July (fireworks will have a new connotation for me this year). I'll have signed copies available on my site (probably with a little incentive something). As usual, Kalmbach (my publisher) is doing super-well by me and I can't wait to see the actual physical piece.

A little hint as to the innards, you ask? Well, there's a fishing lure ring (A-Lure-ing), a tape measure bangle (The Long Way Around) and a 'rock locket' (a commemoration of my Grandma Mae) to name a few. I hope you'll weigh in with your favorites when the time comes. I'm excited to get your feedback!

My First Post

2006-06-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

June 12th 10:57pm: My first blog entry. As with everything in my life, the beginning is heart-wrenchingly s-l-o-wwwwwwwwwwwwwww! The web site has been forever in getting up and the fault is my own, but I wanted to do it up right!

So, through this little no-spin format, you’ll learn a few things about me, the real me. For example, if you happen to follow the Fashion Forecast column in BeadStyle (co-author Sandra Keiser), the jig is up. My grammar, syntax, and yes, punctuation have a lot of help before they get to you. I tend toward the flowery, the verbose and, many say, the run-on. I think the more I write, the more I am humbled by: a) how I just don’t want to absorb some of the rules and, b) rules are, well, made to be broken. I’ll stick to what I’m good at – good old ‘just me’ communication between us.

There ARE a few things (honestly, I’m not making this up) that I can’t share about new directions with the company. Two things in specific are in the works for 2007. I am so proud of the potential to share both that I am sure I am driving all my friends and family crazy with their details and updates. More later.

BUT, what I really want to say is that both are a result of simply ‘showing up’ at my design table and following through with each (well, most) opportunity that comes along. Successes really do build-on and it has been a blast taking each step, following each new opportunity. Now, that doesn’t always mean that I am super efficient (another soul-bearing moment – goodness I am so NOT that) or always the most big-picture gal. It does mean that even when I don’t know how I’m gonna’ get through a project (or a day or hour sometimes), I put my foot out in faith. I’ve gained a lot of confidence by problem solving my way through conundrums and admitting my errors when they come about!

I’m looking forward to sharing ‘me’ for those who are interested. I’m sure I’ll be full of news about designing, trend, sources and the all the underpinnings that make my life a lot like your life. We’ll bound along together (and sometimes we’ll carry or drag each other)!

P.S. Special thank you to my husband who spent many long nights getting my new web site up and running.