Ms. Beadbehavior on Business Names

Dear Ms Beadbehavior,

I am really getting serious about selling my beadwork. So now that I think I am ready to sell my work, I need to come up with a business name. I have been thinking of using Lady Beadiva as my business name. It is a take off on Lady Godiva.

The thing is, I also want people to know my real name too. I want my name to become well known in the bead world. So I have been thinking of tagging all references to my business name with AKA (Also Known As) followed by my name. What do you think? Would this help enhance my image?

Dear Gentle Beader,

When Ms Beadbehavior sees the designation of AKA,  all that she can think of is some Mafiosa Ganster such as Lucky Luciano AKA Charles Luciano.  Or Scarface AKA Al Capone. The most wanted list is filled with punk names followed by AKA’s. Criminals often have several AKA’s.

AKA’s bring to mind a ficticious name used in place of the real given name as a means to hide the fact of who someone is. Do fancy designers use AKA’s? I think not. If you disagree, show me one successful famous designer who names their line of clothing or jewelry as a business name followed by “AKA”. They have more class. If the name is to be associated with a company name, the two are related in a much classier way such as Heidi Klum for Birkenstock. Even the relatively low couture (as opposed to haute couture) clothing applies this nomenclature: “Missoni for Target”. Or you will get a brand name by the designer name such as “Lauren by Ralph Lauren”. AKA??? Not on your life.

If you want to align yourself with gangsters, or if you are a gangster then go ahead use the AKA. Otherwise decide how you want your “brand” to be known, by your name or by a business name. Urinate or get off the bedchamber pot. Or at worst, use your name DBA  (doing business as) your business name.

Stay away from using AKA. Give yourself some class and keep the FBI from your door. They might confuse you with another AKA.

Now go and have a proper cup of tea and bead.

Book Review: Dimensional Bead Embroidery: A Reference Guide to Techniques

First, my disclosure....The Publishers at Lark Crafts/Sterling Publishing sent me this book to review on my blog. They do NOT pay me for the review, other than the book(s) that they sent me for review.

Dimensional Bead Embroidery: A Reference Guide to Techniques

By Jamie Cloud Eakin

Sterling Publishing

ISBN 978-1-60059-796

160 pages

8.5 X 10 inches Hard cover

Publish date: October 4, 2011

$26.95

 I am really beginning to think that Sterling Publishing has set the bar for quality beading books so high that other publishers just cannot come close. This is another one of those "must have" books for my own collection.

What do I like about this book? The answer is in the title. It is primarily a reference guide to techniques used in bead embroidery, beaded cabs and how to put it all together. 

There are plenty of great books that are project oriented. But there comes a time when you want to create your own piece. In developing yourself as an artist in your own right, you will want to stop reproducing what someone else created. This book gives you the tools. And very good tools at that.

There are chapters covering the basics which nearly every good beading book has such as: Materials and Tools, and Basic Techniques. But those are the beginner tools.  From there, Ms. Eakin starts to give the reader tools in the design process and using different components. The tips in these two chapters alone are worth keeping this book within arm's reach of your work table.

Then more tools are offered. A great coverage of surface stitches, bezel stitches, edge treatment stitches and attachment stitches. With all of this, you should have plenty of tools to come up with some great projects. 

But if you should be just a little timid in going out on your own, there are 9 projects that will take you through most of the workings and techniques so that you have a chance to get comfortable with the idea. I especially like the Autumnal Elegance Earrings, and the cover piece.

The final offering to get your creative muse working is the gallery at the back of the book. There are some stunning pieces. Although the gallery is wonderful, there are lots and lots of pieces throughout the book used as illustrations for the text. I would almost say that the book itself can be considered a gallery. There are plenty of stunning pieces to drool over.

For me, the main value of the book is the tools it offers. While it is always nice to have step by step projects, I rarely like to recreate someone else's work. This book gives plenty of valuable tips and techniques to help anyone become a bead artist in their own right.

I highly recommend this book for beginners to advanced beaders alike.

New Patterns!

I have been in a MAJOR designing slump for months...but I finally did something new. The Chinese Phoenix Robe is done! And for those who don't want to tackle a robe, you can do the tapestry versions of the Phoenix designs.

The patterns are available now on www.beadedbear.com    CLICK HERE

Bragging Rights: Cathy Benton

In the continuing theme of all things India, Cathy has done it again with one of my patterns! How do you like this camel? We'll be see more camels than we can imagine at the Pushkar Festival!

New Family Member!

Last week, I had to do an inspection of a local Humane Society. And wouldn't you know it...there was one little furry critter that wanted to come home with me. Many of the dogs and cats had free run of the facility. All during the inspection this little pup was glued by my side. It was hard for me to walk away.

Once I got home, I still couldn't forget how this pup clung to me. So...I filled out the adoption application and now she lives with us.

She came with the name of "Bam-Bam" which I really didn't like. I wanted to name her "Weasel" but Steve didn't like the name so much. So for his choice it looks like her name will be "Rascal". I am not so sure I like the name, but that's ok.

As far as the the good folks at the Shelter know, the pup is part Boxer and part Chihuahua and about 5 months old. She is a great little dog. She is full of energy and full of love. A perfect little dog!!

Countdown!! And Bragging Rights: Cathy Benton

Time is flying by. I just can't seem to keep up with all that I need/want to do. Only about 5 more weeks before I go on vacation. Tomorrow, I have to go to the travel clinic. I put it off long enough. I have to get several shots tomorrow for the trip. A typhoid booster, polio update, Hep B, C and something for the prevention of malaria.

I HATE going to Kaiser for anything. But better safe than sorry.

Meanwhile, my beading friend Cathy Benton has been beading up a storm. She has been beading some trip related patterns.

Here is the behind the scenes story.

Cathy and I met in San Jose many years ago. I loved her instantly. She has a great sense of humor, she is smart, she loves beads...what more could you want in a friend.

Unfortunately, I rarely ever see her. She and her husband travel around the country in their RV (I am so jealous!! Sounds like so much fun!) I might see her once a year for a few fleeting moments. But she has always kept me up on her travels. She has a great knack for writing, so her "travelogues" have always been very entertaining. She really should blog about her life in the RV!!

She emailed me back around February or March and told me that she and her husband, Ron were contemplating a trip to Vietnam. I think I suggested Overseas Adventure Travel  (OAT) to them (a fantastic travel company). Then I told her I was thinking of going to India and Bhutan. And gee....would they consider going to India instead? This would be the first trip I have ever taken without Jasmine or Steve. I was going alone on whatever trip I decided on going on. Still with a group, but not with anyone I know.

I REALLY did not expect them to consider, much less change their original travel thoughts. But they did!! Long story short, we decided to take the trip with OAT with the Bhutan add on pre-trip and the Nepal add on post-trip. It will be a month's worth of traveling and exploring.

Getting in the mood for the trip, Cathy wanted to work on some beadwork reflective of the countries we were going to visit. So, I sent her some patterns. Here is what she has been working on:

Lessons My Family Never Intended to Teach Me #9: The Value of Camouflage

My dad had a questionable talent of which he was more than proud of. My mom, sister and I never did appreciate this talent, but that never stopped my dad in displaying his forte as often as he could.

Flatuance.

He could trumpet in four part harmony, with a decibel level that could make a horn quartet envious. While this particular talent was enough to make him grin ear to ear, it was not his ultimate pride. The SBD’s (Silent But Deadly) where his favorite.

Oft times as he was standing near one of us, he would plant one of those SBD’s. He would linger, and make nonsensical conversation while waiting for our reaction. The grin on his face would be the foreshock to the horrible eye watering, nose singeing stench that we would be forced to endure. The aftershock and his greatest joy would be to block us in that cloud of asphyxiating stench. He would barricade every route of escape so that we would have to inhale all of that foul odiferous vapor until we were nearly gassed to the point of delirium from oxygen deficiency.

As bad as this “talent” of my dad’s was in our own home, it was worse when this talent was displayed in public. An SBD deposited by my dad in the grocery store made us worry about produce rotting prematurely, or milk souring in the grasp of innocent babies in their strollers, (abject horror ravaged our hearts if we were near the dairy case). If the SBD was deposited near the freezer section, the super hot acrid air would surely melt the ice cream.

In addition to causing food spoilage, there was the other obvious consideration. If we could detect the nauseating smell coming from my dad’s lower orifice with our burned, somewhat desensitized noses from long abuse, the unsuspecting poor souls in his vicinity who no doubt had more sensitive noses than ours would certainly suffer all the more.

An SBD planted in a public place creates some interesting behavior. There are some who kindly ignore it. There are others who look around to see if they can match the odor with the contributor. Perhaps the odor bears some resemblance to the appearance of the person? The facial expressions may vary from that of shock, or slight wrinkling of the nose, to outright disgust that would not be any worse if someone had taken a bowel movement and deposited it in their morning oatmeal.

My dad once deposited his SBD in front of the Deli department while ordering some cold cuts. There was a small gathering of other shoppers who were waiting for their turn to order their sandwich meats for the week of work ahead. I caught the first nose hair burning whiff. I decided to go and inspect the grocery items that were outside of the danger zone.

I could not help but watch to see the reaction of those poor unsuspecting souls near my dad. Would they clear away from him? Would they suspect it was him since the concentration of the odor must be higher the closer they got to him? Would someone make some sort of remark that would cause me to disown my dad until we were far away from the store, and for at least a week thereafter?

Then it happened. An elderly lady standing near my dad at the deli case looking at the salads wrinkled her nose. She looked at my dad, and said:

“Do you smell that? The egg salad has gone bad! I can smell it all the way over here on this side of the case. It makes me wonder what else they have that has passed its expiration date. I think I will go to another deli!”

My dad looked at her and grinned. He said something to her as she turned on her heals and left, but I couldn’t quite hear him as I slinked away, trying very hard to stifle a laugh.

I think it was one of my dad’s proudest moments.

My Lesson:

When on a clandestine attack, be sure that you have some sort of camouflage, that way the counter attack will never hit you, but hit some poor unsuspecting alternative target. Good planning like this will always have you coming out smelling like roses.

Or at least not stinking like a foul fart.

Book Review: Bead Riffs By Rachel Nelson-Smith

First, my disclosure....The Publishers at Lark Crafts/Sterling Publishing sent me this book to review on my blog. They do NOT pay me for the review, other than the book(s) that they sent me for review.

Bead Riffs: Jewelry Projects in Peyote and Right Angle Weave

Rachel Nelson-Smith

ISBN 978-1-60059-783-1

128 pages, 8.5 X 10 inches hardcover

$27.95

pub date: September 6, 2011

Here is another Lark Crafts book that I am jazzed about! The projects make me want to sing!

There are earrings, necklaces and bracelets for the most discerning diva. It is hard to choose which one of these numbers I would like to try first. They are all on my play list.

As usual with Lark Crafts, the standard for this book is high. Great photos, great directions all orchestrated together for a harmonious presentation of the projects. All this along with photos of Rachel as a jazz diva to make you think that the glamour of Billie Holiday can't be far from reach.

I can see myself putting on the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone in my CD changer, while sipping a Manhattan for a cool afternoon of beading a project or two of this book. Hmmm, would that make me a cool-cat?

New Upcoming Design

Some of you have written to me stating how much you have enjoyed  beading the Chinese Dragon Robe, and have asked if I had plans to create more patterns similar to it.

I can design much faster than I can bead. (Gee....). I have several ethnic costumes on my list to work out, including some Japanese Kimonos, a Ukrainian costume, and more...My to bead list will take me a lifetime!

So, to answer the question regarding patterns similar to the Chinese Dragon Robe, I am working on a slightly different version: a Chinese Phoenix and Butterfly Robe. I won't have the time to bead it, but the pattern will be available in a few weeks.

Here it is, in progress (far from done!). The back will be different.

Here is my inspiration. Although my version is quite different!

Ms. Bess Beadbehaviour on Rude Customers

Dear Ms Bess Beadbehaviour,

I recently had a table at a bazaar where I offered my beaded jewelry for sale. I had many pieces of jewelry that took me hours to create and that I took great pride in. All my pieces were tastefully displayed to show them at their best advantage. All the prices were clearly marked, and when someone seemingly showed interest in one of the pieces, I explained to them what made that piece unique, the quality of its components and the time it took to create the piece.

Even after such an explanation, there were some rude so-and-so’s who would exclaim with disgust “You must be crazy to charge that! I saw something like that for $9.99….” when they considered a $50 pair of earrings that took me the better part of 5 hours to create. And that’s not even considering the cost of materials or the cost of my table for the weekend.

How do I deal with people like this? Should I ignore them or should I tell them that they are insulting and rude?

Dear Gentle Beader,

There are some people who will never appreciate art, quality, and the work and talent required to create it. To them, what is a painting but canvas and paint? And if it is old…who wants a musty old thing created by a painter named Monet who has been getting his mail delivered by moles for nearly 100 years? Still, these people probably shop for designer clothes and shoes and don’t think twice about the $6 coffee fix they get every morning.

Sadly there is nothing that would enhance the quality of the vacant craniums of these individuals. Ms. Beadhaviour has been known to tell such persons where the nearest flea market or TrashMart  is so that they might find tarnished trashy jewelry that is more to their questionable taste as it would take a person with refinement to appreciate the quality and artistry of the work shining brilliantly before them.

While  Ms. Beadhaviour does not suggest such a response as it might cause even more unpleasant dialogue.  It might give you a feeling of satisfaction when after delivering the barb to the cranium deficient person,  you can quickly turn your attention to someone else who is more appreciative. There is no sense in spending more time with the unappreciative. Even an attempt to engage the rude person by drawing them into a conversation by asking “So, tell me…how much commission does your pimp take…?” might not help either.

You will have to accept that there will be these types of ignorant people, and that no matter how you explain the hours and skill you have put into your pieces, or how you might try to dazzle them in witty conversation, their only intent is to find some way to insult you, not learn about your art or admire your skill. This likely comes from their own lack of being able to create beauty and feeling inferior rather than being frugal. In all likelihood, their lives are filled with empty, soulless trash of all sorts.

Take comfort in knowing that there are scores of kind gentle folk who are appreciative of your artistry. Ignore the ones who are crass, and once in a while, throw back an insult. It may not be lady like or gentlemanly, but it sure can put a smile on your face.

Perhaps we should enlist our readers to assist in suggesting quick cutting responses to have at the ready in such an instance? Suggestions from gentle readers are welcome!

Now go and have a proper cup of tea and bead!

Bragging Rights: Julie Eaklor

Julie won Best in Show for Hobby and Crafts in the Elko  County Fair in Elko Nevada with Amethyst.
(Available here)

I think she did an excellent job! Congrats, Julie!!!

Email to "Laurie"

I received the email below yesterday. I tried to respond to the email because I felt it deserved a response from me, as I feel most emails from folks do.

I crafted a lengthy response, but the email would not go through. It was rejected a few times. So "Laurie" if you are reading this here, please know that I did try to email you back!

click for larger image

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for writing.

I will try to answer your questions/comments...to the best of my ability.

1. when looking at a pattern for 15 dollars, how DO you know it will look like the internet picture when you are done?

Before I ever sold any patterns, I beaded up many of them. I played with the colors, put them together to see how they work. I never design without the beads (real) infront of me so I can reference the colors in real life. I do not rely entirely on what is on the screen anymore than I rely on the computer program I use to choose the correct colors. There are many designers who rarely if ever bead any of their work. I do bead a lot. Plus I also get pics from many beaders who have beaded up my patterns. I cant say that I have ever had anyone displeased with the outcome. I attribute this to having worked with so many of my own patterns. Will it look EXACTLY like it does on the computer screen? No, because the screen does not show if a bead is transparent, it does not show the real shine of the silver lined beads, it only gives an approximation. My hope is that it will look better than what it looks like on the screen.

2.  I think 15 dollars is a steep price to pay for a pattern 

My $15 patterns are for tapestry sized patterns. Typically they are in the 8 X 10 inch range. Time wise, they can take me 40 or more hours to create. I do not sell 100's of these patterns, so on an hourly basis, it takes time to earn even minimum wage. Sometimes you have to expect to pay for quality, which I believe my patterns are. Have you priced Cross Stitch patterns? I have seen some patterns run $50 or more.... At the risk of sound stuck up, I charge what I think my time, talent and experience is worth. You get the benefit of a pattern that will work. The beads and time you put into doing such a project will cost you MUCH MUCH more.

3. My problem is I like to learn from videos and not written directions especially when it comes to beading

We all have our best way of learning. There is no method that is better overall than the other. Videos may be the next best thing to a class. Some people prefer the quiet and solitude from learning from a book, others need a hands on approach, being shown each and every step. Select the best way FOR YOU. Only you know what's best for you. That's why there are so many different approaches and ways to learn.

In closing, writing directions and illustrations is a most difficult exercise. I suggest you try it once to see how you do. Someone may write directions that are clear to 80% of the population reading them while 20% may not get it. Sometimes this is because of the beader's (learner's) experience base, other times language even with illustrations is inadequate to get the finite points across. We all do the best we can. Just because you may not "get" the directions does not mean the directions are bad. It only means you do not understand them. There is nothing wrong with needing a little more clarification. 

My best to you

Sig

Ms. Bess Beadhaviour on Teaching

My old standby advice givers, Norm and Barney have not had much to do lately. They are enjoying their very extended vacation from answering questions. But they do look forward to answering questions you might have and give you advice on any matter. So don't forget them, if you'd like their advice on any topic.

In the mean time, I have discovered that there are many times in the bead-world that certain common-sense etiquette is somewhat lacking. My friend Ms. Bess Beadhaviour has volunteered to give advice for those who are seeking to be on their own best bead-behavior. If you have any ethics/etiquette concerns, send them on to Ms. Bess Beadhaviour., she is all to happy to entertain your concerns on bead etiquette for a better beading experience for all. Or so she says.

Ms. Bess Beadhaviour

Dear Ms. Bess Beadhaviour,

I teach bead classes at local bead stores and some times stores that are not so local. The arrangement sometimes varies. At times, I get paid by the student, other times it is a set price for the class up to a certain number of students with an additional amount if that number is exceeded.

It happens at times, where either a store employee, or even the manager or owner want to take the class too. I don’t mind this, except for when they take the class without any payment to me.

Do you think that just because they own or work in the store that they should be able to take the class for free?

Dear Gentle Beader,

Ms. Beadhaviour has always been suspicious of store personnel taking classes. Perhaps they want to take the class so that they can learn it for their own skill set and to help the students when they get into difficluties when you are not around to offer assistance. Or, more disturbingly, they want to learn the class so that they can teach it themselves after you leave. It is not for Ms. Beadhaviour to make such judgments, particularly since you did not ask Ms. Beadhaviour's opinion on this.

On the question of whether or not it is ethical for the store personnel/owner to take a class from you for free, Ms. Beadhaviour's answer is a resounding “NO” unless you have agreed to provide a free class as a donation or charity to them.

You are worthy of your talent as a beader and as a teacher. Why should you be expected to provide a free service just because you have been hired at their facility to teach? Does this privilege (lets not forget that teaching is always a privilege) allow them to ask you to serve them as they see fit? What’s next? Will they ask you to clean their W.C.?

Make this clear at the onset. No one gets a free class unless you decide to be magnanimous towards the store owner.

Now, go and have a proper cup of tea and bead!