New Challenges

2012 is shaping up to be a year of new challenges and adventures and I'm so excited to start exploring.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am trying new materials in my jewelry and it's been so much fun to let my creativity run wild and see what I can come up with.  Be sure to check out the Get Your Bead On store for my new Industrial Chic pieces -- I've been having fun with hardware and alcohol inks to make some interesting jewelry. 

I have also pledged to get more involved in the jewelry making community.  There are so many unbelievable artists out there and the Internet takes away all barriers to working with crafters around the world.  I've started reading a number of blogs from other countries using the Google Translate tool.  The translation isn't always perfect but it allows me to read Russian, Polish, Italian, German, French... you get the idea.

I'm both excited and nervous about an upcoming event I've signed up for.  Every year Lori Anderson runs an event called the Bead Soup Blog Party.  While I am not participating in the main event, a smaller group of us is doing a swap and will be revealing our creations the first of April.  My partner for the swap is Beth from Anchorage, AK.  Besides being a great artist, she's a very nice person and I'm happy to have made a new friend in the beading world.  Right now we are putting a package of beads together to mail to each other.  I'll post pics when I get my package.  I'm a bit nervous about this event because my work will be seen by many, many talented jewelry artists and I want to make a good first impression.  On the other hand, I'm very excited to have this opportunity.

I'm also participating in another type of swap event.  In this one, about 20 people sign up to receive a box of beads.  The box starts out with the first person on the list who takes as many beads from the box as they would like, replacing them with beads of equal value from their personal stash.  Then the box is shipped to the next person on the list who does the same.  Eventually, the box arrives back at the person who started it and they have a box of new beads to enjoy.  I'm anxiously waiting for my box to arrive but I'm near the end of the list so it will be several weeks before my package arrive.

There are so many fun and interesting opportunities in the world of beading -- my "things I want to try" list just keeps growing and growing.  For now, I'll see how these two events go and where it takes me from there.