Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Contest 2010 featuring Pearls, Organic Beads or Kato Polyclay™
Silver Medal Prize Winner
Category: Necklace
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Contest 2010 featuring Pearls, Organic Beads or Kato Polyclay™
Finalist |
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Meet the Designer-Artist
Where do you live?
San Diego, California
Describe your artistic style.
Just put a bunch of sparkly, pretty things together and see what works. Start something and see what happens.
What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Colors and textures.
What materials do you most enjoy working with?
Seed beads and pearls and crystals.
What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Pearl Fringe and
Sara's Bracelet
What inspired this design?
Sara's wedding inspired Sara's bracelet and the materials inspired the beaded fringe necklace.
How did it come together?
First, I started beading around the cabochon and the rest of the piece evolved from there.
Share Your Background
When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
I was a cross-stitcher and a cross-stitch book was using beads instead of thread in a design and that started it.
Who introduced you to beading?
A woman I worked with at San Diego City Schools started making beaded ornaments and taught me how. That with beaded cross-stitch started this cycle of jewelry making. Her name is Dorothy Hunter and we started a lunchtime beaders group that we called the ''Beady Bitties.'' We have all since retired.
How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
I discovered Fire Mountain Gems and Beads from the ad on the back of Bead and Button magazine.
What other hobbies do you have?
Other hobbies have fallen by the wayside except for recreational reading.
Do you belong to any beading societies or beading groups?
I no longer belong to any beading societies or groups although there is a circle of friends in Gig Harbor, Washington that beads together when I can be there.
Beading Success
What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
I bead almost every day, it provides a term of therapy almost like meditation. It is not only a hobby but a part-time career.
If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
I enter contests, I teach at Gig Harbor Beads, Sacred Rocks RV Park in San Diego and privately.
Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?
No I haven't. I'm not opposed to the idea, I just have not had the opportunity.
Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
Just start and worry about your masterpiece next week.
View all of Phyllis's designs in the Gallery of Designs. |