For the September Now That’s a Jig! Challenge, we were tasked with using Bob Ebendorf’s art work as inspiration. Brenda Schweder is a longtime fan of his work, but his name was new to me. So I surfed the web looking for his work, and became a bit overwhelmed. How in the world would I […]
At the beginning of June I traveled to Milwaukee for the Bead & Button Show. I didn’t really need any more beads, but I found a workshop I wanted to take and decided to make a long weekend of it. After my drive I visited the Milwaukee Art Museum, where I was overwhelmed with new […]
Next month the Bead & Button Show returns to Milwaukee. I love going bead shopping there, and this year I will also be teaching. This year, Brenda Schweder of Now That’s a Jig! Fame will offer 20 in-booth workshops. The Now That’s a Jig! Booth, number 907, will be teeming with wire designers who will […]
Right after fair season ended, it was time for a fun day. Now That’s A Jig! inventor Brenda Schweder had ordered an Ugly Sweater Angel via Instagram, which was a fun challenge. I used some of my Belgian felt pieces as embellishments, picked some ‘ugly’ paper, and then ‘uglified’ it more by creating as much glittery […]
Recently I took a mini-roadtrip to Waukesha to visit Brenda Schweder in her studio. I have been intrigued by her Now That’ a Pliers! since she introduced them, but wanted to take them for a spin before committing to another tool investment. She showed me her fabulous studio space that has various sections to run […]
Two years ago I visited the Bead & Button Show for the first time and was overwhelmed. It is amazing how a convention center can have a block worth of bead booths with all of them offering different wares. The plethora of colors and sparkles resulted in me only buying a few strands, since I […]
In 2011 I learned to make wrangled bangles with Brenda Schweder. Little did I know that intro to wire class would lead to a whole new career! Wrangled Bangle by Brenda Schweder in 2011 At the time I considered myself a paper collage artist, and encaustics were just beginning to show up on my radar. […]
My offline life is speeding up so the online blog is getting off-schedule. Here’s a peek at what pulls me away from the computer these days. In mid-October I was able to purchase Brenda Schweder’s Now That’s A Jig Starter Kit, which I eagerly anticipated. I consulted with Brenda via email on the various Rounds […]
Ayla’s Beads held a Bazaar in Highland Park’s Art Center last weekend and I could not resist going. Having learned from the Bead & Button Show, I took a visual inventory of what I had in stock. I sort of had a budget in mind, but made exceptions for exceptional beads in the 4 rooms […]
This year I attended the Bead & Button show for the first time, and it was a blast. I laughed at Milwaukee’s interpretation of compact cars. My intent was to systematically go down each isle, but there were too many sparklies and bargain tables distracting me. So I meandered and enjoyed the colors, the inspiration, […]
