Jul 08, 2010 – Memphis, TN - The Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show will take place Saturday July 24th and Sunday July 25th, at the Agricenter International from 10am to 5pm. Unique vendors from across the country will display and sell their many styles of ancient and modern quality beads and jewelry. As well as precious and semi precious gemstones, an amazing variety of dazzling emeralds, rubies, gorgeous freshwater pearls, and glamorous seed and raku beads. Find your unique style with glass blown beads, swarovoski crystals, Czech glass, and Bali and Thai silver beads. Just starting out? No problem you can choose from tools and kits to start you new jewelry collection.

The Intergalactic Bead Show will include an amazing array of fascinating history and art. The fascination with beads is not a new found love, people have been admiring, wearing, and praying with beads for over forty thousand years. This bead show will feature over eighty tables representing the country’s finest bead vendors from coast to coat.

The Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show will be the premier place to harness the potential of antique and modern beads of every size, color, style, and material. Along with beads and bead-making supplies there will be numerous amounts of beautiful finished pieces to choose from, including beaded bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings.

Here’s what some of the customers had to say about the Memphis show.

Carole Cornell:  “It is exciting to see so many different vendors and types of beads in one place!”
Stephanie, “I love the shows not only do you get to find fascinating beads and findings you have the opportunity to network with other beaders to share techniques.”
Carolyn Beverly – “The bead shows I have attended for the last 10 years or more have been great - good quality of beads, great people working shows, very friendly bead sellers.  Go every time in Memphis and sometimes get to go to Nashville - love it!!!”

All of the Intergalactic shows are open to the public, in indoor facilities and have both wholesale and retail pricing.  The Intergalactic shows have something for everyone.  So whether you’re a beginning beader or experienced jewelry designer you’ll find what your looking for at the Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Shows.  For more information visit http://beadshows.com/index.jsp.

1. Download and print 2 copies of each template section. (Template A and Template B)

2. Cut out rectangles, and tape together to form template for bag.

3. Lay a piece of Ultrasuede fabric slightly larger than the template on a cutting mat. Attach template to fabric with masking tape. Using a craft knife, cut through template and fabric along marked broken lines, working inward; then cut along border to remove excess fabric.

-Buy quilts in the best condition you can afford. That means no gaping holes, no stains, and no worn spots. You should have a reaction when you first see the quilt. If you don’t love it, don’t buy it.

-Nineteenth-century quilts are in high demand because there’s a finite supply of them. The most unusual designs in pristine condition are the most valuable. Don’t use investment potential as a way to gauge a purchase, however.

-To learn more about heirloom quilts, view as many as you can. Visit antique shows and talk to quilt dealers and historians. They have a wealth of knowledge to share. There are hundreds of books about quilts; read as much as you can. Learn to identify fabrics and quilt patterns, because these will give you the best clues for determining the age of a quilt.

-You have to have a broad base of information about quilts so you have a sense of what patterns show up again and again. Those quilts are worth less than the ones you rarely see.

-Everyone has a favorite quilt. Early 1800s Amish quilts from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are attractive because the quilters used only four patterns and made quilts from solid fabrics, usually very fine wool. Others love the charm of quilts made in the 30s and 40s with their sweet motifs of innocent childhood. Folk art lovers prefer those that hark back to a more primitive lifestyle. And who can resist a quilt that reminds us of the wagon rides across the prairies?

-Because of their beauty and historical charm, quilts should be used. Hang them on the wall or drape over a chair. Stack them on beds or fold them into a cabinet. If you have pets or children, you might need to take more care in how they’re displayed. Always be sure to refold or turn the quilts to avoid damage.

-Vintage quilts were made to last and are a fun choice for a child’s room. Heirloom-quality quilts, however, shouldn’t be used by small children. If you’re worried about damage, think about displaying the quilt in another way.

-Try to be as nice to your quilts as possible so they don’t need to be cleaned too often. Wash 20th-century quilts yourself but send those from the 19th-century to a textile conservator for washing. Make sure the quilt is strong--both fabric and stitching--before you wash it. Absolutely do not dry-clean a cotton quilt.

-Auctions are fun and lively events to attend! Preview the quilts first so you know the condition of the quilts you want to bid on. Set a spending limit before the auction begins—it’s very easy to get caught up in the moment when the auctioneer is shouting out bids. Remember to ask about selling fees and sales tax; they will add to your total expenses. Selling quilts on Internet auctions is a booming business. If you see something you like, ask to have it sent on approval. It’s impossible to see the quality of the quilt and the colors on a computer screen. Ask for references and only buy from reputable sellers.

-There’s a misconception that antique quilts are expensive. Many can cost under $200. That’s a lot less than many reproduction quilts. Common patterns, such as 1930s-era floral kit quilts are more affordable. You can find most quilt types in any price range. Condition and artistry of the design raise the price.

SOURCE  _   http://www.allpeoplequilt.com

Jewellery designer-maker Rosemary Lucas will be showing again in October at the fabulous Chelsea Old Town Hall at Handmade in Britain and launching her 2010 winter collection. Look out for new twists on her stunning range of elegant, long frosty-silver necklaces and earrings.

Opening on Wednesday evening 27th, the show runs to Saturday 30th October.

Rosemary’s signature necklaces often begin with the gemstones. “I’m like a magpie” she confesses, “I am fatally attracted to strings of gemstone beads!”

She finds herself particularly drawn to the forms of teardrops and the boat-like shape known by jewellers as a marquise. She creates each new piece with handmade silver elements, working to capture the spirit of the stones’ form or texture in the gentle, asymmetric rhythms of the stringing. No two pieces are ever the same.

Rosemary will also be launching new variations on her very popular River Cuffs, a series of gorgeous bangles inspired by maps of the Thames. Catch her at Handmade in Britain or contact her through her website rosemarylucas.com. She is always delighted to discuss commissions so customers can have their very own piece of her style specially made for them.

For more information, visit: rosemarylucas.com / handmadeinbritain.co.uk

Recycle an old pair of jeans into a funky bag with this tutorial by Stefi Luca. Use a bright fabric like the red fabric pictured for the lining and embellishments.

Materials:

For step-by-step instructions go to -  http://www.favecrafts.com/Sewn-Bags/Funky-Jeans-Bag

It’s been two summers and I’m still really, really into anything that even remotely resembles a friendship bracelet.

Now, the wicked talented Erica Domesek–she of our favorite DIY website, PS- I Made This–has created a rope necklace that I just can’t resist.

Domesek partnered with adorable boutique Tauk–in Montauk, obviously–to release a limited edition run of the macrame necklaces she’s been wearing all summer. And yes, she made them. Each is handwoven with string, bright ropes, and ultra suede.

I’m partial to the navy, black, and white, but let’s be real, they’re all cute. I’m heading out to Montauk in two weeks, which means my first stop will be Tauk. And at $80, it won’t drain me of spending money.

SOURCE  _   http://fashionista.com/2010/07/i-need-i-want-i-have-to-have-ps-i-made-this-summer-woven-necklace/

Sandy, UT, July 07, 2010 -- Every year, Time Magazine releases its list of Most Influential People. This year, for the first time ever, Ella Publishing Co. will release its list of the Most Influential Scrapbookers.

The women on Ella’s list may not be saving the world or brokering world peace, but they are helping scrapbookers everywhere save memories and move a few steps closer to inner peace. And that’s still something worth celebrating.

Starting July 12, 2010 the Ella Publishing Co. blog (ellapublishing.com/blog) will start dropping hints about the identities of the nine Most Influential Scrapbooker Award nominees.

On July 15, 2010 at ellapublishing.com/blog, the full list of Influential Scrapbookers will be revealed, including bios and links to their websites and/or blogs.

On July 16, 2010, Time to Scrapbook: 9 busy women share 27 tricks for fitting it in, will be available for sale at ellapublishing.com. This exciting new eBook contains the Most Influential Scrapbookers’ best tips for making memory keeping an integral part of their lifestyles, plus gorgeous scrapbook layouts from all of the nominees.

On July 19, 2010, the Most Influential Scrapbooker Blog Tour begins. All week long, scrapbookers will hop from blog to blog, enjoying prizes and inspiration along the way. There will be 100 winners and 100 prizes.

Who are the nominees?
They’re not the world’s best scrapbookers, they’re not the world’s smartest scrapbookers, and they’re not the scrapbookers with the cutest kids. They are simply, in Ella's book, the most influential. They’re the scrapbookers who give of their time and their talents to inspire the world’s memory keepers. They’re innovating, teaching, sharing, partnering, and spreading the good news of scrapbooking far and wide. They’re attracting new audiences to the hobby, making scrapbooking look cool to the uninitiated, and keeping longtime scrapbookers motivated and inspired.

About Ella Publishing Co.
Founded in 2009, Ella Publishing Co. produces high-quality, educational eBooks for scrapbookers and crafters, covering such topics as photography, journaling, design, and creativity. The site offers a free monthly eZine and 13 eBook titles available for sale so far, ranging in price from $4.99 to $6.99. Angie Lucas, former managing editor of Simple Scrapbooks magazine, owns and operates Ella Publishing Co., with a team that includes her former Simple Scrapbooks colleagues Wendy Smedley, Cathy Zielske, and Rachel Gainer.

Great-looking flowers are just one of the things you can do with the help of a loop turner.Photo by Mary Ray

by Mary Ray

A loop turner is such a simple tool that works so well. It’s a very thin metal rod with a ring on one end and a hook and latch on the other. It’s great for any fabric cylinder that needs to be turned right side out. If you want really skinny spaghetti straps or tubes for fabric frogs or loop buttonholes, I think this works the best. And here’s a bonus: You can use the hook to dig out the cording that gets lost in the casing of your hoodies when they come out of the dryer!

For step-by-step instructions go to  -   http://www.craftstylish.com/item/10166/how-to-use-a-loop-turner

Photo by Tracey Taylor

by Tracey Taylor

The underground knitting activists have struck again, and this time their target is one of the pair of imposing sculptures on Berkeley’s  I-80 pedestrian overpass near University Avenue. The sculpture on the east side of the bridge now features a knitted cozy covering the book of the reader in the work of art.

The sculpture, called “Berkeley Big People,” is by Emeryville artist Scott Donahue and was erected in 2008. It immortalizes Berkeley’s greatest protests, from People’s Park to disability rights, and includes fist-waving demonstrators as well as tree sitters. It has not been universally embraced......

Read more at  -  http://www.berkeleyside.com/2010/07/07/yarn-bombers-strike-again-in-berkeley/

From the Knotty Knitters website:

Welcome to our Knotty Knitters for Autism Calendar site. Our calendar project has been a long & fun journey inspired by two darling autistic children who are very loved. The brain-child of Marsha Cunningham (grandma & Miss September) this calendar is a fundraising effort for children with autism. Thank you in advance for your support.

SOURCE  _   http://knottyknittersforautism.com/