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Writer Archives 
Beaded Jewelry: What’s Design Got to Do with It?
by Susan Campanini on 7/27/10 | 9 Comment(s)
The answer to this question might well be of interest to Etsy sellers whose craft is designing with beaded materials, to Etsy buyers who wonder what’s involved in the creation of the jewelry they purchase, or to other crafters who design with various components in other media. Some years ago at …
Flavor It Asian: Beads with a Far Eastern Flair
by Susan Campanini on 6/17/10 | 3 Comment(s)
Many countries make and export beads these days, and it isn’t always easy to tell the provenance of a common type of bead such as a colorful pressed glass round. But there are beads with distinctive themes or styles that suggest a culture or aesthetic that is interestingly ethnic. This …
Thinking Out Of The Box On Etsy
by Susan Campanini on 5/30/10 | 4 Comment(s)
There’s an old saying: “If what you’re doing works, keep doing it!”. But what if it doesn’t work or, at least, doesn’t seem to be working as well as you’d hoped? Quite a few of us with Etsy shops haven’t realized our goals yet, shall we say … What to …
U of I Mom’s Day Craft Fair
by Susan Campanini on 4/22/10 | 4 Comment(s)
Last weekend was the time for the annual University of Illinois Mom’s Day Craft Fair in the Illini Union on the campus at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Beaded Jewelry by Susan has been participating in this event for nearly twenty years. If you’ve read my prior Handmade Spark article called “The Big …
Bead Show Road Trip!
by Susan Campanini on 4/05/10 | 4 Comment(s)
Bead Show Road Trip!
Every year, the International Gem and Jewelry Show, Inc. holds expositions all around the country. For many years, we made an annual trip to the exposition center in Rosemont, near Chicago’s O’Hare airport, braving the “terrifying Tri-State” highway traffic, excitedly purchasing numerous strands of beads of all …
My Etsy’s Worth
by Susan Campanini on 3/25/10 | 8 Comment(s)
Amethyst and Pearl Earrings My Etsy’s Worth For those of you readers who have recently opened an Etsy shop, what has your shop meant to you so far? Excitement, adventure, income, fame, fortune … frustration, effort, disappointment, anxiety? Maybe all of the above! I know from comments in the Etsy forums that some …
The Big Transition
by Susan Campanini on 3/15/10 | 4 Comment(s)
When I first started making beaded jewelry, it was just for family gifts. I didn’t really intend to run a business, but I found myself making earrings like crazy. Pretty soon, there just weren’t enough ears in my family! The only way to justify and pay for my bead addiction …
Oh, Those Lovely Bones!
by Susan Campanini on 3/09/10 | 2 Comment(s)
Oh Those Lovely Bones There’s a novel by Alice Sebold called The Lovely Bones that has recently been made into a feature film. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I do know just how lovely bone beads are.
Bone is one of the very earliest materials used by …
