Regrouping, Resting and Reinventing.

It takes a few days to decompress from these huge trade shows. We’re on like a 100 watt light bulb from sunrise to WAY after sunset and there’s not really any downtime to reenergize until we get home. I’ve started getting that scritchy throat feeling and am ‘lying low’ this weekend hoping to stave off any further unpleasantness. Snerg.

I finally unpacked this morning and found my missing cell phone...in my suitcase. Of course! Where else would it be?! Good GRIEF! It’s a conundrum to be sure.

I’m working on some long neglected ideas this weekend and relaxing so the scritchy throat doesn’t progress. I have a two hour show at QVC on Tuesday from 5-7pm EST. If you’re around and you like modern and chic marcasite jewelry, please do check it out. Then I after we celebrate my lovely daughter’s 11th birthday on the 4th, I head off to Tucson for the Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements (a.k.a. the brand formerly known as Swarovski) event to teach a class on Friday, sign books with my co-authors that afternoon and attend the fabulous cocktail party. Then it’s back home and back to the ongoing and recently accelerated process of reinvention.

If there is one thing at which I excel, it’s reinvention.

Go ahead, underestimate me...I dare you.

xoxo
Madge

True Tales from CHA!

Stitch and Bitch Party in Vickie Howell's room at CHA! (Pic courtesy of Vickie's blog!)

I got back from LA early this morning and we pulled into our driveway at about 3am. CHA was a great experience, and the fact that I could barely get from one event to the next without being stopped by folks wanting to talk with me made me feel like I’m actually building a name in my industry (which is after many years of hard work a very good feeling.) My first day started out rather horridly. My class attendance was smallish and there were some issues with the materials that I had to sidestep with a lot of diplomacy, which made me grateful for the small and understanding class! I arrived at my first book signing to find that we didn’t have books to sign; in fact I had three book signings without books. I went on from there to refer to them as ‘not book’ signings! Yes, it was interesting to say the least! I was more than a little thrown off my game by these concurrent events so I made a decision to go back to my hotel room, take a breather, regroup, reach down deep inside gather my Super Girlie Good Power™ before returning to the show to kick some arse and take some names-which is what I then proceeded to do. Sometimes you have to get a do-over on things to get it right.

I had a wonderful time seeing friends and colleagues at the show. Lots of evenings spent with folks with whom I rarely get to catch up. I also met some wonderful online friends, I can officially call 3-D friends. It’s such a positive industry because we’re all about creativity. Going to this show is an affirmation that I’m doing something worthwhile and it’s beginning to resonate. I needed that. Sometimes you lose perspective when you’re holed up in your studio for weeks on end in dorky striped fleece pants and ink splattered sweatshirts.

The best experiences that I had were teaching one on one with folks who either never made jewelry before or didn’t know some of the basic info you need to get it right and not have disappointing results. Although I’m impatient with myself I am incredibly patient when teaching others, I’m so driven to help people learn the right way to make jewelry that I spent a half an hour with each group making sure that by the time they finished turning 12 head pins and opening and closing 12 jump rings to make a swingy pair of earrings, they had these two basic and important skills down. I made them do it over until I knew they got it and although they worked pretty damn hard for their free earrings, everyone of them was so excited when they left! It’s my mission to make sure folks get good solid basics instructions. There are tons and tons of folks out there who’ve gotten bad information and have therefore been frustrated with jewelry making.

Unfortunately I didn’t have time to really walk the floor and explore new products. I did spend a few minutes with the brilliant Judi Watanabe of JudiKins and she’s got some amazing new items for mixed media jewelry folks. She has a powdered resin you can bake in the toaster oven and a new UV Ray cured resin that dries crystal clear under a UV light. I’m looking forward to playing with these new mediums and seeing what I can come up with. Iliana from Blue Moon Beads took me on a tour of their newest lines, and there were some awesome vintage inspired jewelry making items you’re really going to love when they reach the market.

I found out while I was at the show that both of my new books have been picked up by Michaels! That’s really fabulous news. I’m hopeful it will mean some decent royalties. I’ve had three books there for the past year, but I have no idea how they’re selling. It takes forever for royalties to start rolling in, but it’s a good feeling when they do! I’m hoping that the connections I made serendipitously at the show (and there were many) will result in some exciting new directions for my work. I also had 50 fabulous new Press Kits designed by my uber talented mother on disc that hopefully will generate some new leads. One never knows. You certainly can’t say I don’t approach it all with style, moxie and chutzpah to spare!

I didn’t have anyone to take pics of me; so I’m waiting for friends to email me some. I managed to lose my cell phone right before leaving LA yesterday, duh. Luckily we have a spare and our cell company is sending a new SIM card for free. Phew. I’m recovering from my travels and from a bit of bad news I got this morning, but I’m not letting it get me too far down. It’s just a little nudge from the universe to trust my instincts and be willing to take risks. It’s time for me to start in a new direction and I’ve got some cool new ideas brewing. We’ll see what ferments!

I’ll hopefully have some more pics to share later!

Cheers,
Madge

TastyLinks™, CHA and Shine a Star!

Shine a Star Necklace and Earring Set Copyright Margot Potter

I’m off to La La Land for the CHA Show! I added a taping of When Creativity Knocks to my show schedule on Monday at 1pm, if you’re there and near the Beadalon booth please stop by! I also want you to know that if you take my CHA class W045 (scroll down to get the details) on Sunday morning from 7-9am, you'll get a free pro hot fix crystal applicator tool from Kandi Kane AND three people will win a Sizzix Big Shot with a set of Brenda Pinnick flower dies! How cool is that?! My plane leaves at noon and I’m off to the airport at 9am, we’re about an hour away and just in case I take the wrong exit or hit some traffic I’m padding my arrival time. I won’t be blogging from LA, I simply won’t have time. I promise to regale you with tall tales and short stories when I return. I managed to crank out one last show swag design, I can not tell you where I found these stars but the rest of the design is made from Beadalon Quick Links, wire and findings and CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements accents. It’s so easy and quick to make, I may do it as a video. We promise to get some new vids up after CHA and Tucson. I leave you with this week’s sampling of TastyLinks™ from the Crafty Bloggers Gang. Until next week...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge

About Family Crafts Why not give your Valentine a special, home-made card this year. You can get spectacular results using these easy techniques.

Aileen's Musings Aileen's posted the winners of her blog giveaway! Come stop by and see if your a winner!

Cathie Filian Cathie Filian is sewing and re-crafting and old T-shirt and skirt into a new fashion with a few simple steps.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world This week at Craftside there is Fabulous Funky Fill-In Lettering with Lisa Engelbrecht, Floral Clump Mini Mirror and Bird's Nest out of polymer clay and mixed media with Christi Friesen, needle felted flowers from recycled wool sweaters with Stefanie Girard and an Ultra-mini pocket booklet from Lisa Sonora Beam.

Cross Stitch at About.com Stitch a chart fit for Royalty - Or at least a Pharaoh. Connie shares her new Egyptian Cat Welcome pattern this week.

Layers Upon Layers Every day, new information on classes and educational opportunities are being added to Layers Upon Layers!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery See some wacky photos of fabulously fun knit hats with ears, horns and alien eyes from PolarKnit with links to the free downloadable patterns!

The Impatient Crafter Copycats got you down? Read Miss Madge's recent post on Internet Etiquette.

Break a Leg Avalon!

11 years ago I was about to give birth to my daughter and living in a funky little apartment in Pittsburgh. I had walked away from a deeply flawed MFA acting program and my husband was dissolving a dysfunctional business partnership. To say that we were taking a leap of faith into the great unknown would be an extraordinary understatement. To say we were scared out of our minds would be a more apt description.

We had decided to move to eastern PA and open a bead store and fair trade handicraft gallery and were working on the logistics of said move. We gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that February and we began to undertake the arduous and daunting task of parenting. She was the center of our universe and we designed a reality that allowed us to share in taking care of her every day while running our new store. We could have done it differently and perhaps in hindsight it might have made more sense financially, but we did what we did and I think our daughter is the better for having had both of her parents take turns parenting her. There is an old proverb I love that says, “Mothers give you roots and fathers give you wings. You need both.”

I was still pursuing my acting and vocal music career when we first moved to the Philly area; I’ve since merged those goals with my current career. People asked me over and over again why I didn’t get her an agent and get her work. She was an ethereally magical creature with huge blue eyes and porcelain skin. Perfect strangers went out of their way to comment on her beauty. I simply couldn’t imagine trudging my baby around to auditions. I felt as if it should be her choice and not mine. There is nothing worse than a parent who forces their dreams and goals on their children, I believe we should all choose our own pathway and not bear the weight of someone else’s dreams. I suppose I've been the opposite of the stage mother because I’ve not pushed my daughter towards performing at all.

Last year we were looking at summer camps and she asked to do theatre camp. I said yes and told her if she liked it she could explore it further. She loved it. The woman who ran the camp loved her and asked her to audition for The Wizard of Oz. She did, she got three roles and a solo song and tonight, my lovely daughter, my favorite person on the planet and my bestest friend debuts in her first play. I can take absolutely no credit for her talents, she’s fiercely independent and she’s not really wanted my advice or help and I have respected that by staying out of her way and allowing her to shine.

Of all of the things I’ve done in my lifetime, of all of my incarnations and experiences, none of them come close to the joy I feel at being the mother of such an amazing, smart, creative, talented, beautiful young woman. My current career was designed so that I could be present with her and I feel so lucky to have that opportunity when I put her on the bus every morning. I’m arriving in LA tomorrow evening for CHA, which has proved to be a bit of a logistical nightmare because of my early class on Sunday, but I wouldn’t miss my daughter’s play for the world.

Break a leg, Miss Avalon!

Love
Mom

Coif and Pouf Day.

Howdy Pardners!

I'm off for my pre-show coif and pouf and pedi! I've gotten the ball rolling on the cruise and have a potential surprise celebrity co-host! I wish I could hire all of the designers I know to teach, but I'm afraid I know so many it'd mean I made no money on the cruise effort. I'm doing this because I saw other folks doing cruises and thought...heck...why don't I try it out? If you want to create your own crafty cruise, I'm quite sure with a little chutzpah and a dash of moxie, you'll be able to figure it out. I'm looking for students and for ideas about where they might like to travel. It's going to take a year or so to get it all together, so that gives us all plenty of time to save our pennies!

I had to laugh when the tenth designer asked if I'd hire them to teach! I mean...I can't even afford to pay my magical helpers! Hullo! I must away!

xoxo
Madge

Madge Ponders a Crafty Cruise.

(Painting by the incomparable Alberto Vargas)

I'm thinking I'd like to host a Craft Cruise. I've been pondering this idea for a while. I'd want crafting, dancing and music, because I'm a vocalist and I think a crafty cabaret with a little karaoke/piano bar action would be a hoot! I have an incredibly talented friend who makes his living entertaining on cruise ships. We used to do theatre together in Atlanta and he's my daughter's godfather. He's always traveling to the most interesting places and he sends her the most thoughtful and fascinating gifts. Although just going on a regular cruise isn't appealing to me, going with some creative fun folks and doing some crafting, dancing, singing and shopping together sounds fabulous!

Several of my crafty friends have hosted cruises and they all seem to have enjoyed them immensely. I think it's time for me to join in the fun!

Those of you who've read The Impatient Blogger for a while now all know that my true goal in life is to make enough money that I can retire to a tropical paradise, lie around in a hammock with an ocean view in some saucy shoes, a huge sun hat and a sarong and drink tasty beverages from pineapples served by cabana boys. So a cruise would be a great way to check out some tropical locales and find the one that suits my goals. Tee hee.

If I did host a cruise, what sorts of events and crafty projects/techniques/focuses would entice you to attend? Where would you most like to go? I'm curious. I'd need 30 people to go along for the fun to make it fly...are there 30 of you who might like to join me? Would you like it if I had another instructor or two to give it some extra bang for the buck? Tell me what you think and I'll start the ball rolling here when I get back from CHA.

Sailing...crafting...over the ocean blue!

xoxo
Dread Pirate Maggie

PS: Here's one last CHA swag sneak peek...one of a kind recrafted vintage faux pearl and chain necklace with added ginormous vintage faux pearls and plastic pendants and Beadalon bead caps.

Busy Little Bee

"So little to do, so much time. Strike that, reverse it." Willy Wonka

I'm a busy little bee buzzing around my studio getting ready for the big show this weekend. Buzz, buzz, buzz. Therefore I have not much time to chat, so I'm just stopping by to say have a craftacular day!

Cheers,
Madge

Internet Etiquette with Miss Madge

The designs I showed in my Show and Don't Tell Post below were mistakenly believed to be bracelets...they're actually necklaces. You can go back and look at them again with that in mind and I'll wait here. The beads on them are ginormous. Those plastic rounds are as big as a huge gum ball. In fact they look so much like a giant gum ball, someone might just try to pluck them off of my neck! The spines on the spine necklace are each over an inch long and when worn ruffle around your neck like a Rennaissance style collar. The coral in the primal choker is one to two inches long. I guess it might have helped for me to model them, but I've been so busy there's not been much time for gussying up! I finished a bracelet to go with the Mod Bubbles design yesterday along with a commissioned design for a book request. I'll show pics of me wearing them to CHA when I get back.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post...

Internet Etiquette with Miss Madge

I wanted to take a moment to talk about copyrights here. Anything that I post here that isn't attributed to someone else is under my copyright. If you look down my sidebar you'll see I have a very specific notice that indicates you may not copy my posts or my images and you may not make derivative works from my images or my posts. If you like a design I've posted here or on my website and offered the directions and you make it, give credit where credit is due. You may make it for personal use, you may not make it and sell it on Etsy or at your local craft fair or anywhere else for that matter. You may not turn it into a class and make money on it without my explicit permission and a percentage of your fee! Now you might do it anyway and I might not catch you, but it's a karma thing baby. It may not seem like it, but when you do that you are stealing someone's intellectual property. It's in my mind not any different from walking into their house and stealing something from a shelf. It isn't yours. If I'm inspired by another designer as I was with the Lorraine Schwartz Beyonce choker, I give the name of that designer with the piece. I don't make exact copies of someone else's designs, I may use a technique I've seen elsewhere or do something that is informed by another design, but I don't steal. Just because it's posted on the internet doesn't make it free for the taking. The same goes for my website and for anyone else's blog or website unless they offer a different copyright notice. Once it's published, it's protected by the laws of copyright. That means my images, my text, my concepts, my branding and everything on my website and my blog from the page design to the images on the pages...the whole enchilada.

The internet is a bit like the Wild West. There aren't clear cut rules yet. There's a lot of shady stuff that goes on and a lot of rationalization that happens. There are a lot of folks riding into town toting six guns and taking whatever they please. It doesn't help that we can go to Google images and easily pluck whatever we like and plop it wherever we like and feel perfectly justified in doing so. It doesn't help that with a click of a mouse we can copy and paste anything that isn't locked up anywhere we like. I get that. I understand that it seems like if someone puts it out there, you should have free access to it. That's what's complicated about the internet, that's the struggle we're having now. It's particularly hard on artists because what we're peddling isn't soap flakes, it's our art work. We work hard on every aspect of our branding and if people feel they can just take it and make it theirs, we all lose. It means, don't watch pirated movies because the people who made that movie aren't making any money on their intellectual property when you do, it means don't download music without paying for it, it means don't download images and use them in your collages or artwork (I can tell you (because I've contacted the company that owns the rights) that Frida Kahlo's art work is not permission free my friends.) Remember that art is for those of us who make our living making it, a commodity. You may sell shoes, I sell ideas.

I know that a lot of folks don't know these things so I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. If I find someone has 'borrowed' my intellectual property, I'll diplomatically contact them and request that they cease and desist from said activity. It almost always ends up being a simple matter of internet etiquette confusion, but not always. You have the right to ask people not to copy your work. I'm embedding everything from here on out with either a blatant copyright image you can't remove or a watermark. So if you do 'borrow' it, it's going to be very clear that you didn't make it yourself.

My entire brand is about sharing with you the power of creativity to transform, elevate and inspire. I want you to trust your own artists's eye and to be inspired by the ideas I share to make it your own. I'm not a make the exactly same thing kinda craft expert. I truly believe that the more we trust our eye, the more we allow our own creative impulse to inform our work, the better our work will become. Most people operate from the lack mentality. In other words they feel that they lack the ability to succeed where other people possess it. Let me tell you a little secret, it's in all of us. The power to write your own story is within you. You can choose an adventure or a mystery, a romance novel or a thriller, a comedy or a tragedy and you can (if you so desire) write your own happy ending. Trust yourself. Give yourself permission to shine in your own uniquely beautiful way. It may appear that I'm there...wherever there is...but I am (as we all are) a work in progress and I'm not there yet. Walk your own path and remember that there is room enough in the sky for every star to shine.

"If someone loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that's enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars. He tells himself, 'My flower's up there somewhere...' But if the sheep eats the flower, then for him it's as if, suddenly, all the stars went out. And that isn't important?'" from Le Petit Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery

xoxo
Madge

TastyLinks Saturday!

(Image Copyright Elvgren)

Howdy Pardners!

Get out your slickers and your wellies, it's time once again for a Linky Love shower! I'm still prepping like a madwoman for the shows and I still need students. You can read about it here. If you're attending as a designer at CHA, consider my class because it's a. going to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys and b. worth almost twice as much as the cost of admission in free stuff! Come on, people now, what better way to kick off the show than to join The Impatient Crafter for some crafty fun?!

Without further shameless pandering I leave you to this week's sampling of TastyLinks™. "TastyLinks™ are all the best blogs, all the best blogs wrapped up in one!" Here's what the gang from Crafty Bloggers has for your craftertainment this week:

cathie filian Cathie Filian has a quick and easy idea for storing girls hair barrettes and bows.

The Impatient Crafter Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but crystal and a little ingenuity are a crafty girl's best friend! Inspired by Beyonce's Golden Globe glam necklace, Madge whips up her own budget friendly version!

The Crochet Dude Drew has released his latest video podcast filmed from his studio in Houston.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery You'll have a darn shootin' good time making a recycled sweater cuff with gun studs that kinda looks like the recycle symbol and be sure to read an article that's over at MSNBC about Sweater Surgery that includes two of the projects from the book! I had a great time being interviewed by a wonderful AP reporter!

Layers Upon Layers Cyndi's friend Debe is just as obsessed with mixed media clocks as she is!

Cross Stitch at About.com Download an exclusive pattern from PinoyStitch based on the classic painting Love and the Maiden - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to fold a gift bag, make a photo strip with your own photo stash, brass knuckle crafts, our author schedule for CHA 2009, and a few "computer altars" in addition to questions posed to you readers and as our thanks for sharing you are entered to win a free book!

Crafty Princess Diaries Crochet is hitting the runways of LA as the crochet bikini makes a comeback, sorta, kinda, reports the Crafty Princess.

About Family Crafts Start getting ready for St. Valentine's Day by making these fun beaded safety pins.

Show and Don't Tell.

Primal Copyright Margot Potter 2009
Mod Bubbles Copyright Margot Potter 2009
Spines Copyright Margot Potter 2009 (Inspired by Coppola e Toppo Italy 1964)

This is what you call show and don't tell. In other words, I can't tell you how I made these designs or what I used to make them because they are for me to sport at the tradeshows and hopefully some or all of them will find homes in publications. Though I must admit sometimes I love things so much, I want to keep them for myself and in the case of all three of these designs that's how I feel. I worked extremely hard on executing these. Balance, form, problem solving...I told someone today that I'm an architect who works with beads and wire and I think that describes my work well. These suit my style and my sense of scale, which is larger than life.

I'm still spinning straw so I'm keeping it brief. Enjoy the pics! Until we meet again...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo
Madge

Free Jewelry Project! Hugs and Kisses Necklace

I am in full swing show prep mode. It means I look rather scary because there is no time at all for the foofing or the poufing! I sure hope Ed Macmahon doesn't show up with a film crew or I am seriously screwed! Tee hee.

In lieu of any deep thoughts I'm giving you a freebie mixed media jewelry project for Valentine's Day. I used a vintage French image from my personal collection, but there are plenty of sources for vintage ephemera online and I'm sure Dover has a V-day themed permission free image book. I made this for a mag but it got bumped and I think it's really cute so I'm sharing with the class.

I'm off to spin more straw...until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge Hugs and Kisses Necklace Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(click on image to view close up)

Hugs and Kisses Necklace
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter

A trip to the Paris Flea Market yielded some tres charmant vintage postcards, one of which inspired this romantic pendant. This mixed media design shows you some fun techniques you can apply to your own romantic images. If you can’t find any vintage postcards at the local antique malls, there are many online purveyors of laser printed ephemera image sheets and there are also databases of permission free images on the internet.

Materials
2” square Ranger Memory Glass Frame
2 2” Ranger Memory Glass squares
2 7/8” frosted clear acrylic letters (x, o)
2 small letter beads (x, o)
6x9mm padparascha Swarovski briolette
6mm light topaz Swarovski rounds
7mm faceted freshwater pearl
3 6mm silver plated jump ring
26” length silver plated ball chain
Ball chain connector
4 24 gauge sterling head pins
Ranger Gloss Paper
Cornish Heritage Farms Plaid Stamp
Jet black Archival ink
Marigold Distress ink
Alcohol ink silver mixative
Alcohol ink red pepper
UHU twist and glue

Tools
Brayer
Round nose pliers
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Sharp scissors
Felt and felt applicator tool

1. Ink Gloss paper with marigold Distress ink. Brayer ink into paper until you get a consistent color.

2. Stamp paper with jet Archival ink using the plaid stamp.

3. Cut paper to fit inside of frame.


4. Select an image, cut into silhouette and adhere to stamped paper along the right hand side. Adhere small images of roses on lower left hand corner.

5. Insert images in between two panes of glass and inside of frame, securing closed.

6. Place a small drop of each color of Alcohol ink on opposite corners of your felt on the applicator tool.

7. Gently pounce colors on acrylic letters, alternating in layers until satisfied with the result. Allow to dry.

8. Adhere inked letters to top left and bottom right corner of frame. Allow to dry.

9. Create coil topped dangles for your small letter beads, faceted pearl and light topaz round.

10. Slide the pearl, briolette and light topaz beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.


11. Slide the letter beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.

12. Slide both beaded jump rings on a third 6mm jump ring and attach to the top of the pendant.

13. Slip the ball chain into the top jump ring and secure with ball chain connector.

Sources
Letter beads and acrylic letters JoAnn, frame, inks, brayer, felt applicator tool, Gloss paper Ranger, UHU glue Saunders Manufacturing, findings Beadalon, ball chain and connectors Rings n' Things, ephemera sheets available at Art Chix Studio, rubber stamp Cornish Heritage Farms, crystals CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements.

Free Jewelry Project! Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set

Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set
Red Carpet Ready Choker and Earrings
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(Click on image to view close up)

This chic crystal choker was inspired by the Lorraine Schwartz design worn by Beyonce Knowles to the 2009 Golden Globes awards show I posted here. I loved the way it filled in her neckline, but still left plenty of open space for light and skin to play. I had to have something like it and being the crafty gal that I am, I spent the better part of my morning devising a pattern. My version is made of Beadalon Satin Silver wire and Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements crystal beads and is a bit more diminuitive in scale, so you can bet your sweet bippy this one is a lot more pocketbook friendly than the diamond and platinum version sported by Ms. Knowles. I can’t wait to wear this to an upcoming Swarovski Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™ cocktail party I’m attending in Tucson!

Materials
1 12mm crystal a/b flower pendant
9 6mm crystal a/b twist beads
36 4mm crystal a/b bicones
2 11x5.5mm crystal a/b tear drop beads (for earrings)
20 6mm crystal a/b rounds (4 for earrings)
68 4mm crystal a/b rounds (8 for earrings)
1 large silver plated swivel lobster clasp
5 6mm silver plated jump rings
9 silver plated head pins
4 silver plated eye pins (for earrings)
1 3” length silver plated rolo chain
2 silver plated crimp covers
20 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes
.015 Satin Silver Beadalon wire

Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Crimp tool
Mighty crimp tool
Wire cutters
Bead Board

Finished size 15-18” inches with extender chain

1. It really helps to get the core of this design on your bead board so you don’t skip any beads while you’re working along the design. Here is the core pattern: Start with 9 4mm rounds then use the following pattern: 6mm round, 2 4mm rounds, 6mm round, 3 4mm rounds and continue working around the board until you’ve added your ninth 6mm, 2 4mm, 6mm segment. Follow that with 9 4mm rounds.

2. Create 4 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 4 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

3. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 5 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

4. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 6 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

5. Create 1 beaded head pin with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 7 4mm bicones. Loop the top.

6. Attach a 20” length of .015 Satin Silver wire to your lobster clasp with a crimp tube using your crimp tool.

7. Add your 9 4mm rounds to the wire. Cut off a 3” segment of wire and create a small loop by threading the wire into a crimp tube. Use chain nose pliers to smash tube flat. Add 13 4mm rounds to the wire. Thread wire into a second crimp tube and round wire so it’s not too stiff, then thread wire into crimp tube leaving a small loop before smashing flat with chain nose pliers.

8. Thread one loop on wire. Follow by your 6mm round, 4mm round, thread on your smallest beaded loop top head pin, another 4mm round, a 6mm round and the other loop on your wire. This creates a mini beaded swag. Move down three 4mm rounds and repeat using another small beaded loop top head pin.

9. This is your pattern for swags along the necklace. Each swag is inserted before and after your 6mm rounds. The swags graduate in size along with the beaded head pins. Here is your pattern: 15 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 5 4mm rounds, 19 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 6 4mm rounds and center of necklace is a 25 4mm round swag with a 7 4mm round loop top dangle. Repeat pattern in mirror of opposite side.

10. When you reach your final swag, add 9 more 4mm rounds and secure your necklace closed using a crimp tube and your crimp tool around a 6mm jump ring.

11. Slide a crimp cover over the crimp at the clasp. Use mighty crimp tool to gently close the bead over the crimp. Repeat for other side.

12. Attach a 3” section of rolo chain to the jump ring side of your clasp.

13. Slide a flower bead on a 6mm jump ring and attach to the end of your chain.

14. Create coordinating earrings by sliding a 4mm round, 6mm round and 4mm round on an eye pin and looping the top. Repeat for a second segment. Slide a tear drop on a 6mm jump ring and attach to one of your beaded segments. Attach the top of the segment to another beaded segment. Attach an ear wire to the top. Repeat for second earring.

Sources
Beads and pendants CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements, wire and findings Beadalon.

Here's a pic of me wearing the necklace to see how it wears. (I suggest that you not click on this image unless you enjoy seeing a forty something woman without make-up in extreme close-up!)

Golden Globe Favorites!

We watched part of the Golden Globe awards last night. Mostly I found the dresses to be rather blah or odd, though there were a few pretty fabulous frocks. I don't understand why women wear strapless dresses without a necklace, it never quite works. That's a space just begging for some adornment. We don't want them to tone it down this year, we need them to be extra gorgeous, think Hollywood in the Great Depression. We all know they're borrowing the bling anyway! That being said I was mad for Beyonce and Eva Mendes collar necklaces and I'm devising a couple of wire and crystal pieces inspired by these stunning pieces. I'm not a diamond gal, don't like the way that industry is run, but I do like to sparkle.


Beyonce in a stunning Lorraine Schwartz necklace

Eva Mendes in a gorgeous Van Cleef and Arpels necklace (sorry I couldn't get a close up shot!)

I spent the better part of the weekend on kits for classes and demo materials for the CHA show and the Tucson Gem Show. It's a carp load of work my friends. Thankfully my hubby stepped in to count tiny crystals for the 50 kits for CHA, I'd never have finished without his help. Thanks honey!

More show prep and some other projects are calling me, so I must away. Thank you again to all of you who posted the links to my classes. I surely hope some folks sign up! Oh and in case you missed it, I posted a new video I appeared in for my friend Rebecca Peck and Streuter yesterday.

Cheers,
Madge

A New Crafty Video AND Supersized TastyLinks!

My gal pal Inky a.k.a. Rebecca Peck and I made this video for Streuter Glue Film recently. She posted it on YouTube last night and it’s really a hoot in a handbasket! Plus it’s a revolutionary product so you’ve gotta watch!

This morning was one of those, why do I have to be the grown-up mornings? My kid is a world class slob. I call her The Slobovian. There is no surface in that room, including the floor, that isn’t covered with schtuff. We ask her to clean it quarterly. Is that so much? Is that so wrong? My maid who comes every two weeks just to sweep and mop for me because of my asthma can’t even go in her room because there’s that much crap on the floor. So this morning, it became a tearfest because Mom had the unmitigated gall to pronounce it time for a clean up. If only she’d let go of a few of her tchotckes and knick knacks...she’s a hoarder that one. I have absolutely no idea where she gets that...

Super Linky Love Shout out to Corrine at Articus Studio! She's got a great art and craft site and she's a delight! Thanks for your help with the wavy copper foil tape, Corrine!

Today’s Linky Love Post is SUPERSIZED with links from the Crafty Bloggers AND the Bead Babe Bloggers. The gang from Bead Bloggers were kind enough to post a link to the 411 on my classes and in return I’m sharing their links this week. They’re all incredibly talented folks and if you’d like a true craftstravaganza, grap a cuppa and get to clickin’!

xoxo
Madge

About Family Crafts Over the years I have learned some tricks when it comes to storing craft supplies and staying organized, and I am happy to share these with you.

Aileen's Musings Download some freebie Cabinet Cards from Aileen's Musings this week, and check out her gouache paint and altered cabinet card tutorial.

Cathie Filian Cathie Filian has a fun tutorial on recycling jeans into fashion cuffs with personalized patches.

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Kicking off the new year Craftside will theme each week with a letter from the alphabet and give away a book a week to a lucky commentor. This week there is ATC art, a free antler graphic from Design Parts Sourcebook: Romantic, photos from an appearance by Patti Medaris Culea with doll and altered book pocket design, and a sneak peek at some of the cool pages from Essential Fashion Illustration-Men.

Crafty Princess Diaries The Crafty Princess asks: Are you a tweaker or a tried and true crafty type?

Cross Stitch at About.com Be the first to stitch and submit a photo of Connie's free BGB Gizmo Pattern and have your photo featured as the stitched model. Get your 15 minutes of Cross Stitch fame!

Layers Upon Layers Fabulous artwork by a very motivated distance learner :-)

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Check out super cute pair of camo baby booties I knit from a pattern in the book Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting.

The Crochet Dude Drew kicks off the New Year with a free pattern. Check out his "Cafe Couture"!

The Impatient Crafter If you're attending the Tucson Gem Show or CHA, Madge would love to meet you! Check out her schedule and come take a class or get a signed copy of one of her new books!

About.com Jewelry Making Since many of us are trying to get our jewelry studios organized this year, Tammy collected some excellent ideas to help out jewelry designers and crafters of all kinds.

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene's January Challenge is ‘Inspired by Irises’. Enter a piece of jewelry and win free beads.

Art Jewelry magazine Jill's teaching at a retreat; check out the information.

Carmi's Canvas Flower Bracelet Carmi has a short demo using the new Sticky Back canvas.

Carter Seibels for Divali Glass Jewelry Carter looks forward to the exciting year ahead and shares some photos from her time away from beads.

Jennifer Jangles Blog Gather some New Years inspiration from the Jangles Blog.

Jewelry & Beading Cyndi is hosting an educational blitz this month, and she's wondering if you know of classes she should add to the list.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Book Review from Jean: Add some sparkle to your New Year with Crystal Chic, a super pretty book by Debbi Simon

Strands of Beads Looking for new shopping opportunities? Melissa suggests visiting your local rock shop!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew creates a buying guide of skull related beads and pendants.

Calling all students!

I need your help. My classes aren't filled yet and I need to get the word out here! I'm working my arse off prepping the kits and making the plans and if folks don't show up...it's gonna be kinda well...disappointing.

I realize that my class for CHA is both at 7am...ergh...and the first day of the show. Most folks are too busy gearing up for the show to take a class first thing the first day. BUT...I have fabulous door prizes...I have great swag...and the project really is awesome. All that fabulosity for 25 dollars? Talk about a bargain! I'll see if we can't get some coffee in there and you'll have my sparkling personality, a great project and all you have to do is show up half awake and excited to learn something new. We're going to die cut, bedazzle with hot fix crystals and add a pin back to a recycled denim flower AND we'll make four gorgeous chunky crystal stretch bracelets that you can mix and match to your heart's content. Plus I'll show you some rockin' products from Swarovski, Beadalon, Sizzix, Brenda Pinnick for Sizzix, Beacon Adhesives, Kandi Korp and my local Goodwill!

Here's the 411:
CHA
Sunday January 26th 7-9am Room 213A Workshop W045
Margot Potter and CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements
Recycled Denim Pin/Bracelet
What to bring: nothing!
(Tools provided for use in class)
Be there or be rectangular!

If you're going to Tucson for the Gem Show, why not stop into the newly downtown Swarovski event and take a class from the new book Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed. Zig-Zag is a deceptively simple to recreate multi-strand exposed wire necklace that is sure to garner many compliments and teaches you a fun new technique you can add to your jewelry making arsenal. I'll also talk a little about simplicity in design, exposing elements that often remain unseen and fresh new approaches to your work. PLUS we're using the BeadMaster technology to show you step by step how to do the project with flash animation! This class is open to the general public...so COME JOIN THE FUN! What you'll get is worth far more than the admission fee.

Friday February 6th 9-noon
Zig-Zag Exposed Wire Necklace
Instructor Margot Potter
Create Your Style Event
525 North Bonita Avenue
Tucson AZ 85745
$55.00 (includes supplies)
(Tools will be provided for use in class)

CHA and Tucson 2009 Show Schedules!

I've got a mountain of straw to spin. It's daunting. It's prickly. It never, ever seems to get any smaller. I am not complaining, mind you. Having a mountain of straw is a pretty darn good thing these days. It just means my brain is currently moving in about 20 directions at once. Eek!

I thought I'd share my schedule for the Tucson Gem Show and CHA. If there are changes I'll post them here. If you're going to be at either show, please consider taking my classes or attending one of my book signings or demos! Please! It's awkward when no one shows up. Plus you'll get free stuff and who doesn't like that?!

CHA

Sunday January 25th 7-9am

Recycled Denim Flower Pin/Bracelet for Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements Room 213A

We'll make a simple flower pin from a reclaimed pair of blue jeans bedazzled with hot fix crystals and bedecked with a pin back along with four gorgeous beaded crystal stretch bracelets you can wear together or separately.

Sunday 10-11am

Book Signing FW Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Books go fast, so get there early for your free signed copy!

Sunday 3-5pm Beadalon Booth Make it Take it Demo Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Come and play with Beadalon Quick Links and Swarovski crystal pearls to make a stunning pair of earrings.

Monday January 26th 10-11am Book Signing Beyond the Bead FW Media Booth

Get there early because the books go FAST!

Monday 3-5pm Beadalon Booth Demo Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Tuesday January 27th 10-11am

Eco Lounge Make it Take It Recycled Soda Can Pendant
I've collected a carp load of soda cans for these easy to make pendants on Beadalon chain. We get to play with scissors and metal! Yes, I'm playing with sharp objects...hee. Make sure to show up early to grab a seat!

Tuesday 1-2pm Book Signing Beyond the Bead FW Media Booth

Tuesday 3-5pm Beadalon Booth Demo and Book Signing Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Wednesday January 28th 11-1 Beadalon Booth Demo Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Come and play with Beadalon Quick Links and Swarovski crystal pearls to make a stunning pair of earrings.

Tucson Gem Show

Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements Event

Friday February 6th

9am-Noon

Zig Zag Wire Exposed Wire Necklace

Join me as I show you how to make a stylishly intriguing and deceptively simple exposed wire and crystal necklace. This class is a sneak peek into the new book Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed. We're using the BeadMaster flash animation technology in addition to my personal instruction to guide you step by step through this process. Check online for info on classes from my co-authors Katie Hacker and Fernando DaSilva.

Friday 4:30-5:30pm Book Signing Showroom Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

Pay No Attention to the Woman Behind the Curtain!

Photo Copyright Lloyd Pratt 1987

Well folks, I'm strapping on my seat belt for the busiest month of my year. I have two major tradeshows with classes to teach, books to sign, make it take it demos to prep and copious amounts of shameless self promotion. First I head to Anaheim for CHA, then I come home for a week, breathe, celebrate my daughter's 11th birthday and jet off to Tucson for the CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements event at the Gem Show. It's a two city marathon and it couldn't happen at a better time of year because these months would be long, grey and cold if I weren't spinning straw like a mad woman!

I'm hard at work today on my final manufacturer project for display on the CHA show floor. CHA stands for Craft and Hobby Association and it's the world's biggest art and craft industry trade show. I've been working WAY out of my comfort zone here for a few weeks now and it's good to stretch my creative muscles, but sometimes I look at the outcome and wonder if it's brilliant or just plan wacked! If I were being honest, I'd claim to have about an 80% design success rate and about 15% of things that are pretty cool, but not quite ground breaking and 5% of things that really, truly suck wind. So let's just say I edit...a lot!

I wish I could show you what I'm doing, but unfortunately I can't. I can't show you what I'm doing or reveal who I'm doing it for until after the show. That's part of the deal. I am entrusted with a lot of secrets and it's my job to maintain them. I often know about new products months and months before they debut and if I blather, I'm apt to lose my standing in my industry.

I work in a highly competitive arena and manufacturers are trusting me to test products and make innovative projects that showcase their new materials and also to keep my trap shut about that those new materials are. What I can say is that there are a lot of folks who spend their days dreaming up new pathways of creativity for you, the crafter. There's some very exciting stuff on the horizon and I'm looking forward to sharing with you when these fabulous items hit the shelves!

I'm going to be insanely busy for the next month, but check back here regularly because I'll be posting book giveaways, free projects and crafty inspiration. Until then...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge

TastyLinks™ Saturday 2009!

It’s time once again to spread the Linky Love across the blogosphere! This week’s sampling of TastyLinks™ is brought to you by Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed by Margot Potter, Fernando DaSilva and Katie Hacker. This totally unique take on jewelry making and design shows the reader how to bring elements that usually take second billing and give them leading roles. Wire and findings become the focal elements in extraordinary designs created by three talented jewelry artists who each have their own signature style. Prepare to be inspired, challenged and excited by this ground breaking book! Every project combines Beadalon and CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements materials for chic and stunning jewelry. Look for a smattering of free Sneak Peek projects, prizes and book giveaways in this blog in the coming weeks!

Remember if you want to sign up for Inspire Me Today, I’m the featured luminary...today January 3! If you sign up, use code 2FMUQIROFK. Inspire Me Today is a daily dose of inspiration from folks like Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Randy Pausch and Dr. Bernie Siegel...and yours truly. Who doesn’t need a little inspirational kick start every morning?!

Without further ado I bring you this week’s sampling of crafty goodness from the Crafty Bloggers gang, open wide and say AH!

Cathie Filian Spring brides are getting busy planning all the details of their big day and Cathie Filian has an easy tutorial on making wedding favors.

Crafty Princess Diaries It's time to get organized for 2009! The Crafty Princess talks about her own battle with the clutter bug.

Aileen's Musings Aileen has a great blog giveaway going on. Stop by and answer a question and maybe you'll be a lucky winner of an issue of an Altered Arts Magazine!

Cross Stitch at About.com Make some stitching resolutions for the coming year using these ideas from Connie G. Barwick to get you started.

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world The last week of 2008 at Craftside brings you a mixed media polymer clay design, a sneak peek into the upcoming book Paper Puppet Palooza with a fun egg and bird moving card and a melting Tyvek technique. Happy New Year Crafting!

About Family Crafts If you are looking for a reason to celebrate, find out what holidays and birthdays are celebrated in the month of January 2009 using this special days calendar.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Jackalopes are real and they love being the motif du jour on a needle felted pillow made from recycled wool felted sweaters.

Layers Upon Layers Come and drool over the multi-layered collages of Melinda Asztalos.

The Impatient Crafter Need some solid advice about how to do what you love and make money? Madge shares some old advice for a new year.

Join Me Tomorrow at Inspire Me Today!

Please join me on January 3rd, 2009 as I am the featured Inspirational Luminary on InspireMeToday.com. InspireMeToday.com is a website that provides the best inspiration daily, each day from a different Luminary from the fields of empowerment, health, business, family, loving relationships and more. You'll enjoy reading my 'Today's Brilliance', my personal 500-word text of the best things I've learned in life. The 30 minute interview with me and Gail Lynne Goodwin is amazing! As my gift to you, just use the affliate code provided on this invitation to access the free inspiration! Please stop by, check out the site and help us inspire the world, starting with you!

(When you register, please remember to use my referral code:2FMUQIROFK)

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/index.php?affil=2FMUQIROFK

Cheers,
Madge

My Mother's Painting and a Moment in Time

I promised to share the painting my mother did of my daughter for Christmas. It began with a photo I took several years ago on a visit to Hopewell Furnace. (This is a cropped version of the full image.) Hopewell is a park with an old mill and forgery buildings that are still filled with the remnants of their former glory, piles of old rusty metal objects, old benches and tools and the light on this particular day was spectacular. Unfortunately I lost the bulk of the pictures I took, but thankfully this pic of my daughter didn’t get lost. We were outside walking past a window and it all sort of fell into place. I asked her not to smile and she looked up and gave me this soulful gaze. I kept thinking it would make an incredible painting, but I’m not a skilled painter. I asked my mother earlier this year if she might be willing to create a painting inspired by this for her granddaughter as a legacy. As you can see, she did a wonderful job. This painting is even more striking in person than this photo shows. Photograph Margot Potter Copyright 2006
Painting Copyright 2008 Sharon Scanlin All Rights Reserved

My mother is an incredibly gifted fine artist, writer, graphic artist and craftswoman. When I was a kid, she made mind blowing dimensional macramé sculptures with driftwood and feathers, crocheted afghans, painted metal mailboxes and old metal milk jugs, baked bread, decorated our home beautifully on a dime, made awesome Halloween costumes...and her paintings and charcoal drawings were exquisite. Being a single mom with three daughters, there wasn’t a lot of time for creativity and her artwork took a back seat to the task of raising us, but I’ve always hoped she’d pick her paintbrush back up. This painting is a gift not only to my daughter and me, but I hope also to my mother. Three creative women are now united through this moment in time and I’m so, so grateful my mother was willing to take the painstaking effort of making this museum worthy work of art.

Thank you, Mom. You have always amazed me and I love you more than mere words could ever express.

Love,
Margot

A quick note to the two folks who won the pens last week, your names are in the post, but I’ve not heard from you! Please email me at margot@margotpotter.com with your mailing addresses so I can get your pens out!