Ok, maybe it isn't quite fair of me to allude to my piece being featured in Stringing. Yes, the most current issue of Stringing has a section on pearls that are 'not your grandmother's' style. And I did enter this necklace, but it was not selected.
I'm posting it anyway, and I'm doing so because I think there is an important message to those out there that do submit to magazines, but get frustrated by the process.
So few pieces are actually selected, and it always is a bit of a mystery as to why some are selected, and others are not. I feel like I can say this now with some confidence since I have had a piece selected and published. Although I would not say that I am a regular contributor by any stretch of the imagination. But, I did think that I had finally figured out what might be selected, only to have 2 others rejected. And even more frustrating is that it seems to always be the same designers showing up. One other tip I will tell you is that once you submit you end up with a bit of a dialogue with the editors and it does help to make your name known to them. Although it clearly made no difference for me!
The message I would give other designers out there is to keep designing. Design in exactly your style. There are so many amazing pieces out there that never end up in the few select pages of these magazines --- to match whatever theme happens to be on the drawing board for that issue.
What I would encourage you all to do is to check out Bead Chat Magazine. This is an eMagazine designed, written and edited by the bead community. And in our short 7 months of publishing we are up to 100 pages each month full of the designs from all of you (August issue). You can find more about us on the CBC Facebook page or on Artisan Whimsy for upcoming themes. Or you can email us at beadchatmagazine@gmail.com
Join us!
I love the look of Art Deco whether that is in architecture or fashion (my Deco Pinterest board). And with the release of the Great Gatsby there has been renewed interest in the style of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. I would be remiss to not call out that it really is inspired by the book by Scott Fitzgerald
I stumbled across a fashion spread inspired by the movie release (left), and I noticed all those great hats! And it reminded me of a challenge coming up hosted by Bobbie over at Beadsong. I started a pinterest board for inspiration, and of course added a lot of examples from this time period. Click over to Bobbie's and sign up.
I recently had one of my pieces featured in Stringing magazine that was also inspired by this time period. You can see my design below, and all the others here.
I don't talk about my day job much on my blog, but one thing I do really love is that my office window looks out to the Chrysler Building. An amazing example of Art Deco style. And recently I've been noticing all the hood ornaments on the building. Yes you read that correctly. They really were designed to look like the designs used to adorn cars during the era.
Specifically I can see the wings, which is what my bracelet design is inspired by. It is that classic chevron pattern. You can also see the chevrons on the side of the building which are done in white and grey brickwork. I could just stare at this building all day long, but alas I'd get no work done!
Click over to the Chrysler Building history site and see the lobby details. Especially the elevator doors with the Egyptian Revival influence, which was the birth of Art Deco. The geometric shapes in design coincides with by the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 which heavily influenced the styles of the era.
I am (of course) an avid reader of Stringing Magazine and for years I've seen the bylines of all the wonderful bead artists that I blog with. But in this last issue I finally joined the ranks of all those amazing beaders and artisans!
The latest call to artists included a few various themes, one of which was for the most recent trend emerging for Art Deco from a revival brought on by The Great Gatsby.
Stringing Magazine put out the call to use a theme of the Great Gatsby while using colors from a Vintage Moxie color pallet. Since I recently received some gorgeous deer leather from Nina Designs and had a stash of pearls (including some pale pinks) I could immediately tell that I had the the right color pallet and I absolutely love this genre. So I knew I was in to submit for this last issue.
I was so excited when I heard from the magazine that they wanted to include my bracelet, but I had no idea that it would be a feature. I was so thrilled once I saw the issue and realized that my bracelet was the only one in among an amazing array of necklaces in the first section of the magazine.
Thank you Stringing Magazine for picking my design and making my day.
