Table of Contents Call for Handmade Activism Impatience is a Virtue Spotlight Button Bracelet Color Check Subscription Updates

As we creep into February, I'm already booking my summer and fall teaching jobs. It seems that whether I'm editing magazines or teaching classes I am always working ahead of the "real-life" calendar. For example, the current issue of Simply Beads was finalized in November and planning began in August.

Since I am always planning months in advance, I'm already looking past Groundhog Day, hoping for an early spring. After all, I saw my shadow, and I hope that counts for something!

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Call for Handmade Activism
On February 10, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) will change its policies in an attempt to protect American consumers. American artisans and retailers who deal in handcrafted items for children 0-12 will be profoundly affected by this change. According to HandmadeToyAlliance.org, "Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number."

If you go to Etsy.com, an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade items, and type "baby" into the search engine, the results total over 182,000. Imagine the costs involved to test 182,000+ items; the grand total is mind-boggling. Aprons, blankets, hats, wood toys, jewelry, soap and even diaper bags will be subject to inspection at the maker's expense. Imagine: You will no longer be able to purchase that cute little hat for a baby shower gift because the craftsperson that crochets the hats won't be able to afford the $180 per piece inspection fee.

To learn more about this new legislation, please check out the following Web sites for additional information:
HandmadeToyAlliance.org
Etsy.com

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Impatience is a Virtue

Beyond the Bead by Margot Potter, North Light Books, $22.99
Impatient beader Margot Potter is back with 25 mixed-media projects to inspire your next jewelry creation. In her new book, Margot uses items from the hardware store, like glass, resin, plastic, fiber, polymer clay and paper art supplies -- no materials or techniques are barred from this jeweler's studio. Beyond the Bead includes step-by-step instructions, a gallery of finished works and Margot's irrepressible, witty and inspirational take on personal adornment. Simply put, this is a must-have for anyone who loves to create.

If you crave fast, fun projects, then stamp your foot with beautiful impatience and get on with your creative journey. Excerpted from her latest book, Margot's "Wishes" design is featured on pages 22 and 23 of the February issue of Simply Beads. Margot also offers free online projects that you're sure to love, a personal blog and many insights on crafting, fashion and girl power at Margotpotter.com.

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Spotlight Button Bracelet Design by Michelle Mach Your favorite button takes center stage among a dramatic jewel-tone mix of pearls and sparkling blue goldstone rounds. Materials 8mm pearls: 9 green, 9 blue 4-5mm potato pearls: 10 black cherry, 16 iris blue, 14 iris green 13 (4mm) blue goldstone round beads 5 (6mm) gray Swarovski crystal pearls 4 (2mm) silver round beads 2 (2mm) silver crimp beads 3/4-inch-diameter button 6mm silver jump ring 5mm silver spring-ring clasp 2 (9-inch) lengths .012-inch-diameter nylon-coated flexible beading wire Crimp pliers Wire nippers Tape Finished Sizes 8 1/4 inches (including clasp) Instructions 1) Hold both wire lengths together and string a crimp bead 1/2 inch from one end; place wire ends through loop on spring-ring clasp and back through crimp bead. Use crimp pliers to flatten and fold the crimp bead. 2) Separate wires. String a silver round bead and a goldstone round bead on one wire. String 35-37 pearls and goldstone round beads in a random pattern. String a goldstone round bead and a silver round bead. Attach a piece of tape to end of wire. 3) Repeat step 2 with other wire. 4) Open jump ring and attach to button shank; close ring. Note: If hole on button shank is large enough to accommodate clasp, this step may be skipped. 5) Remove tape. Hold wires together and string a crimp bead; thread wire ends through jump ring and back through crimp bead and last goldstone round bead. Note: If step 4 was skipped, attach wires to button shank instead. Flatten and fold the crimp bead; trim excess wire. Sources: Button from Jo-Ann Stores Inc.; all other materials from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. Copyright © October 2007 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved. Click here for printer-friendly page.

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Color Check
Understanding how to put colors together is important when considering a beading project. Terms like hue, shade, contrast, shade and intensity are essential to color theory, and are easiest to understand by looking around your environment. Sources for palette inspiration are endless: nature, artwork, textiles, even a juice-stained countertop can become the basis for a fantastic color mix.

If you want to understand how color works, expert Margie Deeb can help. At her Web site, MargieDeeb.com, she offers free podcasts, Margie's Muse (a free newsletter), kits, gallery images and seasonal color-trend reports. Her book, The Beader's Color Palette is an eye-opening, inspirational guide filled with samples of finished work and sources for palette choices. Her free podcasts provide visual examples to demonstrate the relationships that Margie explains in a calm, clear voice.

Remember: What looks great on a color wheel doesn't always translate well into beads. Bead finishes run the gamut; transparent, reflective, translucent, opaque, or opalized finishes alter how colors appear when mixed. Just like sketching a design, making a test swatch with actual beads is always your best guarantee for success. Swatches can create a color check for large projects that use many beads or labor-intensive projects that take a great deal of time to complete.

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Subscription Updates
To change, update or cancel your subscription to the Simply Beads newsletter, please use the subscription link at the bottom of this newsletter to update your information. It's the fastest, easiest way to make sure you will never miss an issue, or use it if you need to have this newsletter sent to a different e-mail address.

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