Spiritual Speed Hump

Greetings friends, and thanks for checking in.  Kind and well-meaning people ask me daily about the shop.  They are shocked that we are still closed.  I am not.  Life is full of unexpected bumps in the road.  We get to decide how to ride them.  I am choosing to see this crash as a "spiritual speed hump" sent from The Beyond.  I expect that the full meaning and gifts of this divine interruption will only become apparent to me in hindsight.  Meanwhile, I can share some of what I've learned through this experience.

Forgive Accidents - It feels really good. 

Acknowledge difficulty - It helps diffuse the stress

Don't Dwell - It makes things feel worse than they are.   

Laugh When Possible - It feels really good.

Accept Help -Needing others is not a sign of weakness, but of being human

Stay in the Present Moment - Anxiety is usually caused by imagining disaster that never happens  

(such as my customers will not return, insurance won't come through, my business will never recover)

Have Patience for Things That Take Time  - Change takes time

Be Grateful 

(for good health, good help, good friends, good landlords, 

well wishes, nice people everywhere)

Beads Make Everything Better - This I already knew! 

Restoration Update

New Windows Installed

We are getting closer.  Windows are in, and security gates too.  Carpet is supposed arrive this week.  When I have a date for the carpet installation I will let you know. 

Product Update

Rose Montees

New seed beads ordered in "Southwest Sunset" palette. It is a variety of turquoises, oranges, reds, and browns in 11/0's, 8/0's, and 15/0's (wherever available). Truly beautiful and according to my recent trip to the mall, "in fashion" right now.  

Rose Montees - in 4 mm and 6 mm - These are crystals in silver plated settings with "sew-on" channels built into the the setting.  Available in packs of 12 and 24 pieces, and several colors.  There are some free patterns on the web using these, and I will have links for you when we re-open.  

15/0 Delicas - Yup, already tubed and on display. Available in affordable 3.5 gram quantities.  

Thanks for hanging in with us!  

Peace and Beads, y'all.

The Pow - Wow and the Tribe of Wannaknow

The work of Naomi Bebo worn by her 2 year old daughter

 Last year at Poppyfield Bead Company,  in the weeks before the Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow, I could feel the energy building.  I had Native American customers from all across the country showing up in a state of "seed bead emergency" to finish up or repair their garments or their children's.  I don't know how people from as far afield as New York, Idaho and Oklahoma found me.  But they did and I was excited that I was pulled into this great event in my role as bead supplier.  This year I was hoping to get the word out about the shop in the weeks prior to the event.  But, God laughed at my plans.  With the shop closed for restoration after our car crash, I was relegated to absolute outsider, with nothing to offer.  

This year, I noticed that I could not feel that same energy.  I knew that it was happening, right here in Albuquerque. But without my shop in action, I saw that my thread of connection to The People, was absent. My mom and I ventured out to the Pit, as respectful and ignorant spectators.  It is a role I am learning to accept, even as it can feel wholly uncomfortable. 

Astonishing Regalia

As we approached the Pit, the traffic increased, and parking lots packed with cars had their "LOT FULL" signs standing.  Crowds of people on foot,  were waiting for the light at corners, or crossing.  Some were dressed in full regalia.  As I stood beside them, I instantly felt excited and connected.  Their intricate seed bead covered garments, medallions, and hair decorations spoke to me.  

Women of Service representing the

 US military stand for the Buckskin Dance

I was happy, even as we had to wait in line for entrance (as the Pit was full to capacity).  Families sat on the grass playing with children. Young and elders milled about in absolutely astonishing regalia. The long line we were on was comprised of patient, calm people.  We entered into a very crowded arena, just in time to stand for the Buckskin Dance of Elders; a dance by women over 55 years old to honor mothers and grandmothers.  Perfect and meaningful for my mother and me.   We only had a short time to spend.  We strolled through the market and saw absolutely fabulous beadwork.  But I must say, the most stunning was the beadwork worn by the dancers.  I felt a tremendous sense of reward that I am in some way connected to such amazing art and rich culture.  I have a renewed sense of purpose in Poppyfield Bead Company.  

Farmington Lad

Selling seed beads in New Mexico these past 2 years I've had an opportunity and need to interact with Native bead artists.  At the same time, I know that I know relatively nothing about these people surrounding me.   My ignorance is right up in my face and I feel an imperative to educate myself.  I have started this exciting and humbling journey through books, Native narratives, museums, and Native radio shows.  I will keep striving to seek, listen, and learn.   I am not a Wannabe (I have my own culture - and we actually have tribes too.)  I am a Wannaknow.  That is my second tribe.  

Restoration Update

We are still boarded up.  The first of our 4 deliveries has arrived: the security gates. We are still awaiting windows, window frames, and carpet.  Although Wendy, June, and I are finding much to keep us busy, none of it impacts the re-open date.  I just don't know...it's all out of my hands.  So I am practicing the spiritual gift of "letting go".  But, being human and of a type not prone to letting go, this practice has its limits.  So, June and Wendy keep me sane. I will keep you posted as new information becomes available.  Again, if you are in dire straights due to business or ceremonial need for beads, please get in touch with me.  Thanks for hanging in with us...

Road Trip

Greetings beady friends and thanks for checking in.  We've been diligently working on the bead tubes.  It is a somewhat mundane and tedious task.  And we kinda like that:  Rhythm, repetition, and a vague sense of progress. We are "seed-beaders" after all.  Plus, I think it has a healing effect after all the tumult.  

Of course, we like a little excitement too. Hence....the ROAD TRIP.  As I mentioned in the last post, we decided to take a trip to our seed bead supplier.  

Lunch on the Road

Before we left on our trip, I said a little prayer that we arrive home safely and still on good terms with each other, and I am pleased to say that my prayer was answered.  We almost didn't make it,  because the night before the trip both my headlights went out.  But, in my determination, I rented a car and we were off.  Coming home, we had to deal with road closures due to high winds and low visibility.  But that forced us onto ever more remote and beautiful routes.  I noticed the worse our situation got, the calmer and more polite we all became.  That immediate acceptance was new stuff for me, and something I hope to cultivate more within myself.   

Winding Through Natural Beauty

Our trip took us into the heart of what is still called "Indian Country" out here in the American Southwest.  I marveled at the jaw-dropping scenery as we wound our way on 2-lane twisting roads through various Pueblos, Apache lands, and the Navajo Nation of the Dine.  As a native New Yorker* living in New Mexico for 18 years,  it still startles me to find vast stretches of pristine land between communities.  In contrast, the East Coast is crowded with towns that blend into each other and I still expect that. 

Taking out our beads in Denny's

Sometimes you just have to  

Only bead lovers could spend 17 hours in a car for 5 hours of bead shopping and think "this is awesome".  We did stop and all get matching tattoos of a heart with "Miyuki" inside.  So that took a little extra time.  NO, we didn't.  What we did do, was work as a team and review every bead color offered by our supplier.   We have 75 NEW colors chosen, and we brought home a tube of each (see pic above).   We will be introducing them in color palettes when we re-open.  We are excited and proud that we will have the most current selection possible. 

Solange and Julia

Friday, we enjoyed a brief visit from Solange, who is back in town for a short time.  It was great fun catching up with her. Many of you ask about her and what she's been up to.  Solange spent some months traveling in Chile with family.  Now, she is back living in her hometown in North Carolina. She says hello to all her Poppyfield friends.

 

When will we re-open???

Everything needed to re-open has been ordered...security gates, carpet, windows, window frames.  So, now it is out of our hands.  As these items arrive, the physical restoration of the building can begin.  Again, I ask you for patience and please hang in with us through this very strange time.  We are still hoping to re-open in 2 weeks.  But, we all know how that goes.  When we have firmer dates, we will let you know.  

Until then...

 

*For clarity:   people born in New York refer to ourselves as native New Yorkers -  this does not imply membership in a Native American Tribe.  

Restoration Day #5

Greetings beady friends, and thanks for checking in.  June, Wendy, and I spent the majority of  Tuesday through Thursday cleaning the 5 seed bead cases.  As we go along, we are are cleaning, relabeling where needed, and culling some unpopular or duplicate beads colors.  Our goal is to move all the "orphan beads" or "new beads tubes" into their rightful places. We are also planning to update our colors.  On Monday the 3 of us are making an overnight road trip to our seed bead supplier to check out the latest colors, and beef-up our selection.  We know, thanks to Margo's years of accumulating beads,  we've had a great seed bead selection all along. But we think we can make it even more current, and so we head West, to an undisclosed location.   

I still feel overwhelmed by the work ahead of me for the insurance claim. I have got to document all the damage, and provide "supporting evidence" which means get quotes or provide receipts for replacement costs.  I have to find out what is available and what I will need to substitute with a different item.  This particularly refers to our counters and displays - which were custom refurbished for me, and so are not available to purchase.   
It was seeming like a huge unscalable mountain, until yesterday. I woke up on Friday and just felt like diving in.  I spent the day making measurements of my furniture, and taking photos of everything that is damaged. A lot of it is pitting from glass flying at high speeds.  That is not the easiest thing to photograph.  I got myself a notebook, a binder, tape measure, camera and an external storage drive for all my documenting. I brought home my huge folder of receipts.  So after writing this post, I'll be documenting, documenting, documenting.  Now you know....I'd rather be beading.  

Documenting Damaged Stuff

We are getting a sense of the timeline for re-opening.  We need new glass windows, new metal window frames, dry wall repair, painting, and new carpet throughout.  The painting is last, and is minor.  But the window frames must go in before the windows, and the windows must go in before the carpet. Laying the carpet is a big deal, because EVERYTHING must be moved - including the bead cases full of beads.  We plan to open as soon as the carpet is laid.  We are anticipating that we will be closed for 3 more weeks.  As we get firmer dates I will let you know.  

I am sorry for your frustration while we area closed.   I realize for some customers it is an inconvenience.  But for other customers the situation is more dire.  If you are in need of beads for ceremonial or business purposes please contact me by email at julia@poppybeads.com and I will try to help you get what you need.  

Saying Goodbye to Jasmine

In the midst of all this mess, I had to say goodbye to our dear cat who passed on Thursday night.  It is the first time I have lost a pet and she was very dear to me and my family.   I am trying to stay upbeat.  June and Wendy have a great "can do" attitude and that really helps me.  I know intellectually that everything is fine, and will be fine.  But I do not like the way this feels.    I think the opportunity to go pick more colors will fire us up  and  remind us how wonderful it will all be when we re-open.  That is some energy we can really use.  

Some of the things you can look forward to when we re-open are: 

Easy to read "bead maps" for customer use

New bead colors

Delicas in size 15's

New customer loyalty/discount plan

Price breaks for large quantity purchases

Til then....

Restoration Day #1

Beads Are Looking Good

Yesterday was the first day I could actually feel our recovery.  The clean up and restoration actually begun within hours of the crash.  But, it was hard to feel progress as I was still absorbing the destruction.  As soon as the car was towed out of the store, the clean-up crew got underway.  They started to pop out the remaining shards of glass and to saw the twisted metal into removable pieces.  By nightfall, the big debris was hauled away and we were left to survey the space.   All we could say was WOW!  It is a weird mix of total destruction and pulverization next to beautiful well preserved inventory.  

Last Friday, still stumbling around in shock, I made my way to Lieber's Luggage just down the road on Menaul. They had a van crash into their store in January.  Leslee the owner was extremely nice, and took the time to talk to me about how they have been handling repairs, restoration, insurance companies, and general coping.  The insurance piece is confounding.  I called their adjuster for some advice.  It turns out that in the grand scheme of insurance claims mine is not really a big deal.  The gentleman spent 1/2 hour answering my questions and explaining how it all works. It really is another language and I am naive about it. 

Yesterday, was the first workday that the insurance companies have been in gear and that's when everything started happening. Our building repairs have been assessed by my landlord's insurance agency and we all agree about what needs to happen next.  A big factor for re-opening is that the carpet needs to removed. Not only is it burned in the front of the store, but it contains glass slivers throughout the store, all the way to the back wall and near the bathroom.  It can never be cleaned to safety so it will be replaced.  This is apparently the standard for restoration.  We are hoping to pick our new carpet today. We wanted a Poppy pattern, but my landlords (nice as they are) said "no".  We understand and will likely pick a brown mix again.  When the carpet is ready to lay, everything will need to be moved. GULP!

Another big job is cleaning the tubes and cases.  Apparently, I have the right to have my insurance company buy all the inventory affected by glass.  It would mean replacing all the beads and relabeling the tubes.    We have 10,800 tubes of beads in just the standing cases alone. So re-tubing and relabeling would keep us busy and closed for a long time. Instead we will be removing the tubes and cleaning them off and cleaning the cases to make everything glass free and safe to handle.  In the end, that is the most efficient use of our time.  I am sure our insurance company will be pleased that they do not have to buy over 10,000 tubes of seed beads.  As you can see from the photo, we've already begun the process. While we are cleaning we are re-organizing the beads.  We finally get to integrate all those gorgeous new permanent and duracoat galvanized beads into their rightful places with the colors of their kind.  Hybrids, new colors, and "orphans" are being moved too.  We get excited at the thought of it!!   We plan to  have new "maps" for customer use so you can easily locate the bead tube you want.  So you can bet, in some ways, we will be a new and improved Poppyfield - even though we were pretty new (and pretty great) before all this.  

A lot of our furniture was damaged, including the counter display set up. So we will be documenting with photos and getting price quotes for replacements. We don't mind opening without furniture or windows.   We are sure you won't mind bearing with us as we get back in gear.  I know from our first time around...GET THE BEADERS THEIR BEADS, and everything will be just fine.  So that's our plan. ASAP.  

Until then...

CRASH!!!!!!

SOME DAYS ARE STRANGER THAN OTHERS!  

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 2:11 PM a car came crashing through the front of our store. It is a miracle that no one was hurt, and we are so grateful.  One of our customers was coming to shop. It seems she pressed the accelerator instead of the brake and thinking she was on the brake, pressed the pedal to the floor to try to stop.  This brought the car through the front of the store and even popped out our side windows.

The force of the crash pulverized the front and side displays with their jewelry and displays and sent glass throughout the store, as far as the back wall and bathroom.  The security gates and window frames (now twisted metal) were forced into the store and crashed into everything in their path, including furniture and our counters.

IN THE MESS - THE MIRACLES

June and Wendy my wonderful sales assistants were both there - Wendy was working, and June was visiting on a day off.  They were 10 feet from where the car stopped, and in the path of all the glass and metal, and yet neither suffered a scratch.  At the time of the crash, I was supposed to meet one of our consignment bead artists.  We were to be collecting her items from the display. Her beadwork, and the display itself are  not visible in the picture because they were thrown forward in the crash.  We were to be standing where the green twist of metal is.  For some strange reason, (and very uncharacteristically) I completely missed the appointment. It seems I had never entered it into my calendar.  She left, and right after that the car crashed through the front of the store sending everything in its path careening forward or smashing into bits.  The driver is also fine as is her dog who was an "unrestrained passenger".  The fire department extricated her from her debris covered car.  The car was towed away, and even it seem relatively unscathed. It is all so hard to explain.

WHAT NOW???

Like the poppies that inspire our name, we will bloom again.  Of this we have no doubt.  We are so sorry that we have to close temporarily.  But the store is just not safe.  We have removed the major debris and secured the store, and we are doing our best to get up and running as soon as possible.  I know some of you have orders that you need to complete for your customers.  I will work hard to figure out a way to help you.  We will know more early next week and I promise to keep you all posted through this site, emails, and Facebook and Twitter.  I hate to inconvenience you, believe me.  

LIFE AND LEMONS

During the last 10 years I have learned that all hard times come with gifts, if we are open to receiving them. I am determined to see this as another "bump in the road" and allow myself to experience the good that all hard times bring.  Already, I have been blessed with the support, loyalty, and wonderful energy of my 2 sales assistants, June and Wendy who have buttressed me through that past 3 days.  My landlords, Ed and Paula, are kind and supportive, and their care for my well-being has really helped as well.  And, you my dear customers, have sent your concern and well wishes through Facebook and emails.  You have no idea how much your kind words mean to all of us in the Poppyfield family

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Please don't come to the store while we are closed.  It isn't safe for you inside, and we can't sell to you right now (even though we want to).
2. Like our page on Facebook - Poppyfield Bead Company (you will see the red flower logo).  As soon as we can sell to you, in any form, we will let you know on Facebook, as well as well as twitter and email.  You can follow me on on twitter at PoppyfieldBeads.
3.  Share our news with your friends. Keep us in your thoughts. Send us good vibes.  Please please hang in with us.

Remember - all beautiful flowers weather storms, and we will too.  

The Future Unfolds

Designed by Jessy Petit Bijoux

Beaded by Julia

Sometime after I opened the shop in 2011, I had the fortune of dining with a well-known bead master.  She developed her reputation in the '90s, during the bead resurgence that heralded the current wave of seed beading.   She shared with me her view that the seed bead wave had crested, and we were now beginning the decline of seed beading in America.  Sort of disconcerting "news" for me as new seed bead shop owner.  Today, I am absolutely certain, that this famous smart person was WRONG!  

Thanks to the internet and information exchange, ideas are moving at the speed of broadband.  Amazing European beaders and their stunning creative works are in my home everyday...via my little laptop.  While our American beaders, the pioneers of the '90's Bead Renaissance, continue to stitch wonders, Europe is exploding.  Lately,  I have been "traveling" to Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia and Italy, all with my cat on my lap.  The newest beads originate in Europe and you can see what's possible with Rullas and Rizos (our newest items) from European beaders who've been using them while they were still an ocean away from American bead shops.  The rising popularity of Perlen Poesie, the German beading magazine, here in America, is just another sign.  

One of the easiest ways to plug in to this world is through Pinterest.  At Pinterest individuals from all over the world are posting photos.  You can search a word like "beadwork" or "rullas" and suddenly scores of beautiful photos are sent to your screen.  You can collect your favorites on a "Board" that you set up, or not.  If you set up a board (and it's easy to do), your favorite photos (and links to where they originated) will always be there when you sign back on.  If you want to let others do the searching for you, you can follow others' Boards.  Pinterest is great for  inspiration and gawking at some jaw-dropping creations.  It is also a source for FREE patterns.  

I have set up 2 boards of free patterns - FREE Beadwork Tutorials and FREE Wirework Tutorials.  This means you can sign onto Pinterest and search Julia Hecht.  You will come to my page and you can click on one of my Boards to look around.  If you want, you can "Follow" me or one or more of my Boards.  That way, when you sign on you will see the newest "pins" I've collected. 

Right now, I'm very taken with a young lady from Rome named Jessy who goes by the name "Petit Bijoux".  She posts FREE, in-depth tutorials on "you tube".  They are in Italian, but I find that I can follow them anyway.  I made this Friday night using a 14 mm rivoli, Super Duo's, 4 mm Fire Polish, 11/0's and 8/0's.  It is ingenious, but not difficult.   For me, decoding these tutorials from far away lands, whether spoken or written, is like finding the key to hidden treasure.  But if foreign languages makes you cringe, don't despair.  There are plenty of  "photo tutorials" and many people know English and will post in our tongue.  

There's a whole big beady world out there, just waiting for YOU to explore.  Come see us if you have difficulty, and we'll be happy to help.  

ON THE WAY

15/0 Delicas

Two hole tile beads from Czech Republic

3.4 mm Drops / Magatamas in lots of new colors

4 x 7 mm Long Magatamas in lots of new colors

Letting Go and Beading On

 My Aloe Vera Ring

It has been a rough week for me physically and emotionally.  But it was also a spiritual adventure.  I have lived with mental illness since the age of 10.  In surviving such a thing, I've come to respect this part of myself.   It came for me this week, and out of such respect, I honorably opened the door to welcome it.   I leaned into the calling of my dis-ease and turned inward.  So, my friends,  I have been mysteriously absent from my beautiful bead shop and the online social sphere.  On the physical plane, I took good care of myself in the way I've learned.  On a strangely parallel spiritual plane, I tried something new:  I let go. I allowed myself to be carried to wherever I needed to go.  For me, all existence is like a tapestry of woven interconnection that goes beyond our wildest imaginations.  Instead of resisting and clawing my way out, I trusted the Weaver, the threads, and the mystery to bring me back to myself.  And here I am, alive, well and in the present with a new peace, and a new strength.   Ahhh, to just be who I am, to breathe in fresh air, and to be able to shift to the joy of connection with all of you.  I am exhilarated by simple well-being.  

Where does beading fit in? Beading is the touchstone for my healing. It grounds me in my own spirit when I am unable to connect to the rest of the world.  It helps me find my way back to myself as I wait patiently for time and willingness to take care of the rest.   During the past week, I have been able to learn some new techniques from Kate McKinnon's book Contemporary Geometric Beadwork Vol 1. 

 I made my Aloe Vera ring (see 1st pic, above) by following Kate's instructions for a removable belly band, wings, and horns.  It is spiky, beautiful and powerful.  Below is my latest plaything, an unnamed work in progress in which I am modifying the techniques to my own design.  

Spiky Work in Progress - Just for fun!

This book has an amazing new stitch, Modified RAW. Kate says it is not a new stitch, but I feel like it is.  It is a new and different way to create the bead pattern of RAW using a different, simpler, thread path.  The book is the work of a number of bead artists who put their heads and hearts together. Some names you will recognize, like Dustin Wedekind and Jean Power, and others you might not. But from now on you will.  This a book to make you think about beading.  It is alluring and persuasive. So much so, that I am even using Nymo again.  Something I thought I'd NEVER do.  What's more, I am enjoying Nymo - I've learned to appreciate it for what it can do and accept its limitations.  Get this book and let it take you into a parallel beady universe! We've got it, so come and make it YOURS.

Perlen Poesie is Here

 Europe's leading bead magazine, Perlen Poesie (translation: Bead Poetry) is now at Poppyfield Bead Company.  Don't be intimidated by all those big capitalized German words.  There's an English insert with a full translation.  The last 3 issues are at the shop and are now available at a special introductory price of $20.  This is actually less than the European newsstand price of 15 Euros.  I will ship to long distance customers. Just shoot me an email at beadfingers@gmail.com or talk to me on Facebook on the Poppyfield Bead Company page.  Featured artists from these 3 issues are  Sabine Lippert, Maggie Meister, and Jean Power.

Take the Plunge - Beginner Classes 

Specially Designed for the Confused and 
Never-Ever-Beaded Amongst Us

June's Peyote Premiere in an Earthy colorway  

We have some intro level classes coming up very soon.  If you worry that you can't do it... these classes are for you.  Wendy is teaching Intro to Kumihimo - the basics of braiding using satin cord.  This is the foundation for all amazing Kumihimo beading.  It really isn't difficult to do and Wendy is an excellent teacher.  There is a class tomorrow night, Monday 3/18 6-8 PM and again on Saturday, 3/30 10-noon, if that suits you better.  With these skills under your belt, you will be able to do the Kumi Bangles, Blooming Braids, and brand new Dancing Diamonds patterns.  You will even be able to invent your own patterns.

June is teaching a wonderful peyote stitch skills workshop in her Peyote Premiere Class on 4/6 10 AM-1PM.  You will learn odd and even count flat peyote, following a peyote pattern and how to decrease.  These skills will take you far.  If you've met June, you've probably met one of her peyote masterpieces. (You won't be surprised that she was a Bead Dreams finalist).  Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from a passionate, yet humble, peyote stitch master.

Click here to see details about classes.

Open for Registration

Wendy's Dancing Diamond kumihimo beaded necklace and original 3-D star pendant has places available in the April classes.

We still have some places in my Hollywood Sparkle Class.  There's a series on Mondays in April and another on Saturdays in May.  Learn new ways to create an explosion of crystals and pearls, herringbone rope with built-in beaded beads, the peyote stitch bezel made famous by Laura McCabe, and a beautiful hidden clasp.

More Classes Coming Soon... stay tuned!

New and Amazing Beads

Rullas and Rizos have been flying off the hooks.  These beautiful 2-holed beads begged to be explored. 
We have new displays that we are loading up Super Duo's, Twins, Rullas and Rizos.  

New Products Page

Wondering what we have in the shop?  Click on the Products for Sale page in the header and see a list. 
Call or email us if you have further questions. I am happy to ship for minimum orders of $25.  

*****REMEMBER*****

Monday is late night and we are open til 8 PM

Tuesday is a free Wirework Meet-Up 1-3 PM

Hope to see you soon!

Endless Possibilities

Rizos in Action in

Daisies by Sabine Lippert

Welcome to the resurgence!  Lots of brand new bead shapes are just hitting the shelves at Poppyfield Bead Company. I've been out scouring the internet and my European sources to see what's at the cutting edge of the bead world.  I am happy to report that there are now exciting new beads in fabulous colors and finishes that can be used to complement seed beads.  We have just gotten RIZO beads and RULLA beads in all available colors.   Rizo beads are one holed beads that are something between a drop and a dagger.  Rullas are two-holed barrel shaped beads.  There are already lots of pics of amazing beadwork out there using Rizos....especially by Sabine Lippert, who designed them.  If you want to see more, go to pinterest.com and type in "rizo beads" and you won't be disappointed.  

Starburst Earrings by Deborah Roberti

Click here for a free tutorial for these earrings

Rulla beads are little 2 holed barrel shaped beads.  Both RIZO's and RULLA's come in the same colors as the Super-Duo's so they will work up in wonderful color combinations when you mix the types together.  This gives you endless possibilities.  Another interesting new bead is the "stud" - a 4 sided pyramid.  It is so new that I can't even find project examples, so you'll have to see what we come up with.  

NEW CLASSES

Dancing Diamonds by Wendy Speare

Wendy has done it again!   This beaded kumihimo pattern will delight and mystify you.  The elegant rope uses size 8 seed beads and 3.4 mm magatamas (drops) to create a spiraling pattern of diamonds.  The pattern is Wendy's to share, and I dare anyone else to try to figure it out.  Hanging from a netted bail is a lovely double decker star pendant comprised of twin beads.  The Dancing Diamonds Necklace class meets on Saturdays 4/13 and 4/20 from 10 AM -1 PM.  The cost is $55 for the class (beads sold separately).  If you don't know how to braid with the kumihimo disk, you can take an Intro to Kumihimo class with Wendy on either Monday 3/18 6-8 PM, or 3/30 10 AM - Noon.  

REMEMBER...

We have places available in Hollywood Sparkle Necklace with me (Julia Hecht) and in June Malone's Peyote Premiere.  Click here to go the classes page for more details.  

FREE WIRE MEET-UP UPDATE - Tuesdays 1-3 PM  

Our dear friend, Sylvia Abeyta was injured in a car accident and will not be leading the Tuesday Wire Meet-up for some time.  I will be filling in for her while she recovers.  Sylvia is in good spirits, is glad to be alive,  and hopes to make a full recovery.  She has several broken bones, and it will be a while before she's back at Poppyfield.  We send all our love and wishes for a speedy recovery out to Sylvia.  

The Tuesday Free Wire Meet-Up is open to all.  The only requirement is "a desire to twist wire".  The atmosphere is casual and light.  Bring your tools, wire, and beads, or purchase at Poppyfield.  It's a fun and low-key, friendly way to learn new wire skills. All levels are welcome, including those who have NEVER EVER worked with wire.  

Remember.... Monday night is late night at Poppyfield Bead Company. We are open until 8 PM.  

Hope to see you soon.

Hollywood Sparkle

Hollywood Sparkle by Julia L. Hecht

Just in time for the Oscars!  My long awaited Hollywood Sparkle necklace is finally finished.  I've scheduled the classes and they are open for registration.  This is an intermediate - advanced class.  Choose either Monday evenings 6-9 PM:  4/8, 4/15, 4/22 or Saturday afternoons 1-4 PM:  5/4, 5/11, 5/18.  This class uses peyote stitch, tubular herringbone, and various embellishment techniques.  I will be focusing on how to embellish the bail and the lower portion with crystal and pearl "explosions".  There is more to it than meets the eye.  Click here to go to the classes page for more details. 

Peyote Premiere by June Malone

Not ready for such an advanced class?  Don't despair.  We all started at the beginning and June Malone, our resident peyote stitch master will guide you in the basics in her Peyote Premiere class.  This class meets once for 3 hours and covers everything you need to know about flat peyote stitch.  These circular earrings she's designed can also be made individually as a matching pendant.  Choose June's colors or your own.  You will be able to apply these techniques to all sorts of peyote stitch patterns in books and magazines.  Class meets Saturday, April 6th 10 AM - 1 PM.  Click here to go to the classes page for more details.  

Samples of both the Peyote Premiere and Hollywood Sparkle are on display at Poppyfield Bead Company now.  

There are still 2 places left in Margo's Floral Fantasy Necklace class that meets starting this Monday 2/25.   If you want to take this class contact us ASAP.  Click here for more details.  

WIRE MEET-UP - FREE - Every Tuesday 1-3 PM  

Classes Coming Soon 

Wendy's new Kumihimo Beaded Diamond Spiral 

Margo's Floral Fantasy on Saturdays

Free Wire - Julia's Drop Everything and Twist - TBA

New Products

Swarovski Large Teardrop Pendants (seen in Hollywood Sparkle)

10 and 12 mm Swarovski Margaritas (sparkling flower beads)

New Super-Duo and Twin Bead Colors

New Rivoli Colors:  Rose Starlight and Crystal Brandy 

New Swarovski Bicone colors: Crystal Astral Pink, Blue Zircon, Garnet 2AB, Erinite, Fern

Fully Stocked Peacock Daggers and Spikes in 3 sizes

New Books on RAW (Lark), Peyote (Interweave), 

and French Beaded Flowers

Old Favorites Back in Stock

On The Way - Just Shipped

Rizo's and Rulla Beads in all available colors

*******Remember  Monday night we are open til 8 PM

Hope to see you soon!

Color Piques

Sneak Peek!

Many customers ask me how I pick colors.  It is not something that comes from my head, in any conscious way.  It is just something that happens.  Something that percolates up from inside me.  Probably like music does for those so inclined (which I am not).  Yes, color theory can be learned.  But I am always  bored by those discussions.  At this point I don't think it terms of saturation, value, or other color terms.  I just know what I like.  My color choices on any day reflect my mood - excitement, rebellion, serenity.  Sometimes they are born from a memory - snorkeling in a tropical sea or hiking on a sunny autumn day.  

My "color-seeking" can come as a spark, a restless itch, a subtle stirring, or even an almost painful surge that must burst through.  Sometimes I feel overwhelming inspiration from a stone, a bead, a picture or a product that hangs on the wall in my shop.  Lately,  it has been Swarovski's Medium Vitrail.  Seen in the pendant above.  This is a sneak peek from my Hollywood Sparkle Necklace, which is nearly finished.

In the pendant I see several greens and blues and then a strong contrast, fuchsia. There is even a little orangey topaz.   I love the excitement of bold contrast and often choose to play this up and emphasize it.   In the past I have olivine and fuchsia with medium vitrail - all by Swarovski.  But the day I chose colors for this piece I was feeling rebellious and sassy.  I wanted to put together colors that many people ordinarily would not. I wanted  colors that are not supposed to go together.   I kept my fuchsia contrast. Teal and fuchsia are often put together as jewel tones.  Fuchsia and other greens such as olivine are also seen together.   But teal and olivine are not generally seen together.  Could I put them together?  I look at it this way:  Since several greens and blues are in that one piece of glass they must "go together" because they are together.  I chose a yellow green (see the upper left of the teardrop) and a teal (see the lower left of the teardrop).  I decided to forgo the topaz to avoid a rainbow.  I love the final effect.  I am sure I am not the first person to ever mix these colors.  But it is unusual and I feel sufficiently sassy.  In my rope I went a step further.  But I'll keep you in suspense and reveal that another day.

If you like these colors together then think about these crystal colors by Swarovski:  fuchsia, emerald glacier blue, olivine, green sphinx, fuchsia purple haze and of course, medium vitrail.  They are all hanging on display in the shop.  Poppyfield seed bead colors that work with this color scheme and the above crystal colors are:  459H, 468, D4217 and 638A.  They are on display at the counter. So stop in and mix up a batch of sass for yourself.  

Press Release!!!!

Today, I am interviewed on the international bead blog here...

www.beads-perles.blogspot.com

WIRE UPDATE

We've had some really fun FREE wire events around Valentine's Day.  All the classes "sold out" within a few days and we just had a blast.  Sylvia's wire meet-ups on Tuesdays have been growing.  More types of project ideas are brought to the studio, so I've decided to expand our wire products to give "twisters" more options.  We will soon be carrying German half-hard wire, as well as twisted wire.  When we've got it in stock I will let you know via this blog, Facebook, and Twitter.  Til then... come take advantage of the free wire expertise we offer.  Wire Meet-Up is every Tuesday 1-3 PM in our lovely Studio Poppy.  It is friendly and free. Bring your tools, or buy what you need with us.

NEW CLASS OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

Peyote Premiere by June Malone

Many of you have asked for a peyote beginner class. It is finally here.  June Malone, our resident peyote master, will be teaching a pendant/ earring class, Peyote Premiere. This class is for beginners and anyone who wants to get back to basics with their flat peyote skills - odd count, even count, reading a pattern, and decreasing. The class meets on Saturday, April 6th.  Click here to go to the classes page for more information.

Margo's Floral Fantasy class has only 2 places left.  If you are thinking about this one, don't delay.  See pics and details on the classes page.

Remember Monday Night is Late Night....We are open until 8 PM

Hope to see you soon!

Wrap Around My Heart

Wrap Around My Heart

This Saturday's Free Wire class is now open for registration.  The Wrap Around My Heart necklace is a free-form heart pendant embellished with tiny Swarovski crystals.  The piece resembles wrought iron, but is gunmetal enameled copper wire - soft and easy to work with. First, make the heart your heart desires.   Then,  learn to wrap crystals to the heavy gauge heart, using fine gauge wire.  The kit is $19.50 and includes 18" of oxidized brass chain, 3 gauges of wire, Swarovski crystals, 2 fresh water pearls, and jump rings.   This is an all-levels class that meets from 10-noon (door opens for participants at 9:45).    I am limiting the class to 10 people.    Purchase of the kit reserves your seat.  You can call with a credit card or come by the shop and see the necklace for yourself.  

Margo's Floral Fantasy Necklace

There are still a few places left in Margo's Floral Fantasy Necklace class. This fabulous sculptural design is on display at Poppyfield.   It's an intermediate to advanced level project that meets 2/25, 3/4, and 3/11 6-9 PM.  More details are on the classes page on this blog.

NEW POPPY PRODUCTS

• 17 mm Swarovski Heart pendants for sale in 3 colors:  Astral Pink, Crystal Golden Shadow, and Crystal Red Magma.  
•  76 colors of Super Duo Twins and 58 colors of Preciosa Twins.  All tubed up and hanging on our display for your shopping pleasure.  Wondering what to do with them?  Ask us about the Magic Carpet bracelet instructions. Or click on the Etsy badge under "BUY NOW" on the right of this blog.  
• 12 mm Swarovski Margaritas (crystal flowers with a center hole)
• Azurite-Malachite stone beads (30 x 20) - really pretty and in limited supply

Coming Soon...

• Wendy's Dancing Diamonds Beaded Kumihimo Necklace Class
• Julia's Hollywood Sparkle Necklace
• Another round of Not Grandma's Cameo (it was just sooo popular)

Ongoing...

Wirework Meet-up with Sylvia Abeyta

Tuesdays 1-3 PM in Studio Poppy

Open Studio Time (FREE) for your beading pleasure 

**Remember - Monday night is late night - We are open til 8:00**

Hope to see you soon!

Precious Hearts

Free Wire Class -  Saturday, January 26th 10 AM -12 noon

Precious Heart Earrings by Julia L. Hecht

Join me for a special opportunity in wirework.  This Saturday, I will share my Precious Hearts Earring design and demonstrate the techniques needed to make these lovely sparkling vintage inspired earrings.  The focal dangles are 18 mm heart pendants from Swarovski - they are absolutely gorgeous.  Their size is perfectly balanced with two clusters of crystal dangles.  You will learn how to create a strong connection for the hearts using my twist and wrap technique.  Plus, there is plenty of opportunity to practice and perfect your wrapped loops.  The class is appropriate for all levels.  The kit is $26, and is available in three color ways:  Tango (shown here), Golden (golden hearts with various golds and reds ), and Valentine (red hearts with reds and pinks).  There are only 8 kits available so don't delay.  Call with a credit card or come by. We open on Monday at 2 PM. 
(More kits will become available in the future when the Precious Heart crystals are available again.)

 Seed Bead Classes

Not Grandma's Cameo still has a few places available for Mondays 1/28 and 2/4 6:00- 9:00 PM.  This beautiful netted collar class is back by popular demand.  I taught this in 2009 and probably won't be teaching it again.  So, if you're interested, sign up while you still have the chance.  

Coming Soon

Floral Fantasy Class by Margo (Uses crystal margaritas - yummy!)

Hollywood Sparkle Class by Julia  (A sparkling neckpiece you could wear to the Oscars)

Twin Beads - We've got 'em in every color.  This week we will be tubing them and getting them out on display.  They will be sold in 5" 20 gram tubes.  They are cute, affordable, and offer plenty of design opportunities.  We still have our fabulous Super-Duo precision twins and will continue to carry both in every color. 

Crime Scene Update...

Many of you remember that when we opened on 3/20/11 only a small portion of the store was ready for shopping.  We had a large section across from the studio that was replete with wonderful Czech glass strands, but hanging in a disorganized mess.  I referred to it as "the crime scene" as in "Do Not Enter".  Eventually I opened the crime scene for business as I worked to clean it up, and shrink it.  On Monday, Wendy, June and I roll up our sleeves to attack what remains in earnest.  We 3 will spend the entire day reorganizing the back end of the store.  We will be bringing out  fire polish, druks and Czech pressed glass that we've had sequestered and hidden away.  Come visit and see what's happening and what new products we bring out.  Poppyfield will be open from 2-8 PM, as usual and at your service to help you with all your beading needs.  

Tuesday Wire Meet-Up with Sylvia Abeyta

 Come join us for an informal wirework session every Tuesday 1:00 - 3:00.  Sylvia is a retired teacher and is great at explaining techniques and helping troubleshoot.  Come with your own ideas or see what's on Sylvia's creative agenda.  All levels.  FREE.  

Remember Monday is late night at Poppyfield.  We are open til 8:00 PM.  So stop by after work or after dinner and browse our great selection of beads, fiber, and metal at your leisure.  

HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON!