2014 Art Fair Application Creations

It is Art Fair Application time of year now. I decided to continue exploring my collection/series of porcelain jasper colors, concentrating on more wearable, less elaborate, over the top, WOW designs, i.e. ones that stand a better chance of being sold. I plan to do more items in the under $100 category before summer shows. Planning on Czech glass button bracelets and working on bead embroidered rings and whatever else the Muse creates.

A favorite seller is my dutch spiral necklace. I thought the grays in the porcelain jasper would make a more versatile item, wearable year round versus last year's creation featuring the pale vintage rose and light creamy white. The spiral transparent gray beads have an aurora borealis finish, which breaks from my natural color palette with semi precious stones.

A favorite style is the flat spiral weave which I used the round porcelain jasper stones as the core beads for this two strand bracelet. The center and edges feature Swarovski vintage rose bicone beads.

Using the flat spiral weave with the same beads but in a single strand, I created a shorter version necklace, 19 inches long including the beaded toggle bar and ring closure.

This is another two strand flat spiral bracelet which has fresh water gray pearls as the core beads, vintage rose Swarovski crystal bicone beads in the center and porcelain jasper rounds on the edges. I have previously used the pearls only on the edges of this style. I used the lighter pinks for the beaded toggle bar and ring because the pearls create a more delicate looking bracelet.

None of my porcelain jasper collection is currently listed in my Etsy shop, KRDesigns11, but you can express interest in purchasing items here on my blog or contacting me via Etsy. You can see my 2013 items on this blog starting around June 2012. My etsy shop does have similar styles of items in a variety of colors of beads. Thanks for bearing with me during my adventures of my new computer, new operating system, new software for photo editing, etc. My lack of blog posts spared you my complaints from the changes that were not of my choosing.

Look for the listing of my 2014 Art Fairs on the upper right hand column of the blog as I learn of my acceptance in the shows.

JoAnn Deck

I have many good memories of one of my blog followers. Please click on her name for more information about her.

JoAnn Deck


JoAnn Deck gave me a tour of TLD Design Center & Gallery, Westmont, Illinois, when I finally visited the shop after seeing Tammy at the Naperville Riverwalk Art Fair and the Morton Arboretum, west side, in a small art fair. This tour of the shop opened a whole new world to me, and I owe her a debt of gratitude as this really changed my life. She was in the first class I took where I got to see first hand her incredible creativity and artistic abilities. JoAnn wrote about me on her blog when I was an Emerging Artist in Geneva, Illinois in 2008, with my bead weaving jewelry. Her post was dated 8/21/2008 which you can find through the archive link:
http://joanndeck.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

I like to think that JoAnn is watching over us from heaven in her new comfy purple chair.

What I did since my Last Post

I am writing this post on my new computer. I am happy with my purchase, at least as much as I have set up and can operate. It has a touch screen as well as a keyboard with a key pad. It was one of the best buys at Best Buy this week--pardon the pun--but totally unplanned. My advice to everyone is to learn to back up your files and to update your software when the new version comes out so that you don't have the additions from five versions to learn as I do in Photoshop Elements, going from 7 to 12! I promise photos in my next post.

I have been studying how to sell what I make with an emphasis on the customer's perspective rather than demonstrating my passion for bead weaving. I really do love creating jewelry for customers. I like to create beauty, beautiful things that my customers enhance with their own wonderful qualities.
Visitors to my art fair booths fall in love with items, but perhaps cannot envision what occasion or event they might wear it to or with the clothing they already have in their closets. Perhaps they see something in my shop they kind of like, but it's not their color or it's too narrow, the beads are too tiny, or whatever.

I am planning to write my blog posts to address those subjects and more if you care to post in the comments what you would like to learn more about. I am going to correspond via email with those who agree to sign up to a mailing list when I set it up. Please give me some feedback as to how frequently you might like to receive a mailing from me.

Enjoy November before all the craziness of the holidays and cold weather set in upon us.

Autumn Arrives at KRDesigns

It seems fall has arrived early this year. My neighbors have a beautiful maple tree which has been decked out in Christmas colors of red and green for some time now. Perhaps it is suffering the effects of last years heat and drought; I'm hoping it recovers to continue decorating the neighborhood. Things in my life have made me feel my years as I am undoubtedly in the autumn of my life.

I have been creating with shades of brown, even khaki which is a brownish olivine green color, as well as bronze and rose gold. The color choices are beautiful and striking in that I rarely use these colors and do not wear them myself.

I returned to my Noreena Jasper palate, which I shared at my Art Fairs late last year, to make a couple bracelets with the 4mm stones and some maroon Swarovski crystal pearls. I made these too large for the women who were interested in them; they are larger than average size and will be in my Etsy shop after I photograph them.

Noreena Jasper is a semi precious stone which comes from Australia. I ordered seed beads for a dutch spiral necklace emphasizing either red or golden brown in the spiral part; the one I made last year with variegated beads sold immediately and before I had taken a picture of it. This year's version with red delica beads in the spiral sold when it was less than a six inch piece of beadwork. These are perfect autumn colors.

Art in Your Eye Festival in Batavia, Illinois

My next Art Fair is my last outdoor show for the season. My booth and inventory have been cleaned and/or polished after last Sunday's all day rain event. We have been promised sunny weather with  high temps in the low 60's.

For details about this show, please check their website http://www.artinyoureye.com/fineartshow.htm#

My booth is in row A, #3, close to last year's spot.

The photo is of a noreena jasper dutch spiral necklace which I just completed. I sold it last Saturday when it was about a 6 inch spiral. I have more items in my Noreena Jasper collection, as well as my Porcelain Jasper collection which I featured in my jury photos. I also have several new bracelets in autumn colors, and in rose gold. The link to Art in Your Eye's website has a photo of my Porcelain Jasper dutch spiral necklace, which is available for sale.

I am bringing my camera, hoping I have some time for photos for this blog.

LaGrange West End Art Fair This Weekend

Friday night from 6 pm to 9 pm the LaGrange, Illinois Art Fair has a preview night with a jazz performance, beer, wine and appetizers available to for sale, plus some of the artists are open for business (bring your wallets, please). It is fun to see the booths with lights with the electricity provided free to the artists who bring extension cords. Commuters can get off the train at the Stone Avenue Station and start their weekend. I will again be participating in the preview evening, so please stop by my booth.

The full show starts on Saturday at 10 am until 5 pm and continues Sunday until 4 pm--remember the early closing time.

My display has shifted to fall colors with new bracelets in khaki green, copper and shades of brown replacing the pinks and yellows of my summer shows. I'm working on a dutch spiral necklace in Noreena Jasper colors featuring cranberry, terra cotta, amber, and dark topaz.

For additional information, comment on my blog or check out this link for a schedule of events.
http://www.lgba.com/www.lgba.com?eventId=310945&EventViewMode=EventDetails

Grand Detour Art Fair on Sunday

This Sunday I will be participating in the Grand Detour Arts Festival from 9 am to 4 pm at the John Deere Historic Site in Dixon, Illinois. This is approximately 1.25 hours drive from the western suburbs of Chicago travelling along I88, so it would make a great fun and educational day trip. The site has a house and replica of John Deere's blacksmith shop where the first steel plow was invented in 1837. Wikipedia has a five page description giving details at John Deere Historic Site

There is a customer parking lot near the entrance. Admission fee is $3 or canned goods donation to the Dixon Food Pantry. There will be food vendors on site with an eating tent not too far from my booth, #31. There are 60+ artists, just the right size to have an enjoyable family day. An alternative to the Bears football game.....