Hidden in Plain Sight

I recently finished another necklace. But I can't show it quite yet. A group of bead artists I hang out with has challenge themes periodially and we all try to make a piece to go along with that theme. This time our theme is "Hidden in Plain Sight". I've been working on a necklace for that challenge for quite a while, and it is now finished. However, the judging won't happen until January and I don't want anybody to know which piece is mine. I think it's gonna kill me to not be able to show it off for six weeks!

Finished my CrissCross Necklace!

I finally managed to get these finished - two necklaces using my CrissCross beads. I've been having a lot of fun with these beads. They are great in that you can make them whatever size you want - itty-bitty for spacer beads or great big for focals. I love the versatility of them!

This is one I just finished - I love the green and purple together.



I call this one my Candy Cane Necklace. You can't see it real well in the photo, but the cords are a double spiral that look just like candy canes - one spiral is red, the other is sparkly white and gray. This a beautiful festive necklace that would look absolutely stunning at a Christmas party.

Criss Cross Beads

I've been doing a fair amount of beading lately, and am almost finished with a necklace I am making with my CrissCross Beads. I was playing around one day and came up with a very simple, yet beautiful, design for a beaded bead. The wonderful thing about it is that you can make it whatever size you want! That makes it so versatile - I've found I like making two small beads and one large as the focal piece in a necklace. It's quite striking!

I'm now almost finished with the second necklace using these beads. As soon as I finish this one, I'll take some photos and post them.

Christmas in Ghana

Yep - that's right. I'll be spending Christmas in Ghana. I've been invited to go to a small village that is known for their powered glass beads. They apparently make wonderful beads, but don't have the stringing expertise to be able to effectively market their handiwork. That's where I come in. I plan to spend two weeks with them in December/January teaching the local people how to create masterpieces from their beads - should be a lot of fun! I am now awaiting a package of beads and will be sure to post pics once I get them. Then the playing will begin - what fun!!

Twilight Fantasies

I finally managed to get photos taken of this bracelet I finished over a month ago. I call it Twilight Fantasies because the colors remind me of some of the lovely summer evenings we have here in Boise.

I also snapped (since I had the camera out) a photo of my work space. OK, I'll admit it - I need to clean this up. I just have so many ideas roaming around in my brain that I can't seem to take the time to put one project away before getting out the next.

Who Am I??

I am Nancy Sathre-Vogel, a beadwork artist, classroom teacher, and biker/adventurer. I've been around the world a time or two, and have finally decided to take the plunge into the blogging world. I hope to keep this blog updated with info about my beadwork - past and present.

I first started beading way back in the later 1980's. I was teaching on the Navajo reservation at the time and fell in love with the lovely beaded pieces I saw there. However, on my paltry teacher's salary, I was unable to buy them. One day, in a stroke of genius, I thought, "If I can figure out how to make them, I wouldn't have to pay so much!" Little did I know just how addictive beads can be, and I've now spent way more than I ever could have imagined on my little gems. That being said, they have also given me more hours of enjoyment than I ever thought possible, so in the end it was all worth it.

My beadwork started off simply. Very simply. In fact, these are the first two pieces I ever made:

Pretty basic eh?? Now, nearly 20 years later, my work is much more involved and intricate:





























In the coming days I plan to post more pics of pieces I have already made, as well as post what I'm currently working on. I hope you come back frequently to see what's happening in my life!

Nancy