Blog Tour - Beading Arts & Give Away!

I am over Beading Arts today! And guess what... there is a give away!! Just pop over to the Beading Arts blog and leave a comment!! Good luck!!

Blog Tour - Art Bead Scene and MORE!

Later today you'll be able to find me over at Art Bead Scene with Heather Powers of Humble Beads. She'll be reviewing Totally Twisted and sharing projects she created inspired by the book. Yoo HOO! Thanks Heather!

I am so excited to get to share this next announcement with you. Over the next six weeks, each Friday, I will be visiting blogs on a virtual blog tour!! Cool huh? Me, on tour. Who woulda thunk it? HA! This is going to be so much fun. There will be reviews, Q&A's, maybe even a Podcast, live stuff from Wire Fest, and give aways too. I am so so excited. SO, without further ado... I give you my tour dates and locations.

March 19th - Sweet Bead Studio
March 26th - Art Bead Scene
April 2nd - Crafty Pod
April 9th - Live from Wire Fest
April 16th - Beading Arts
April 23rd - Craft Gossip

Each week, I will do a reminder post (like this one) of where I will be that Friday and what we'll be doing that day. I hope you'll join me for it!! I also wanted to share this with you because I think it is freaking awesome. Check out this group of snippets that other artists/authors/designers/people have been saying about the book. (eeekkk, I am so proud!)

'Takes you on an amazing step-by-step journey for learning to combine interesting wirework with the beauty of colorful lampwork beads' –The Detroit News

'The step-by-step directions and great photography make this a good choice for all ability levels.' –Austin American-Statesman

'I'm confident that I could tackle the projects in this book after reading the how-tos in the opening chapters.'–CanadianLiving.com

'This book is delightful to view and filled with interesting new techniques and meticulous approaches to the familiar... this is one of those books you'll want to have in your studio to keep referencing. It's a fun read too.'–Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter ™

'Kerry's book has been such a helpful resource... I think you'll find that too. From simple things like reminding us to file the flush-cut ends of wire, to challenging us with advanced wire techniques-there really is something for everyone in this book!' –Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

'Now here’s something you don’t see every day: an array of bright and bold wirework jewelry projects fashioned out of art glass beads and wire coils in every color of the rainbow, great ideas for using spirals in unexpected ways (including as an added decorative element to ear wires), even instructions for fashioning beads out of colored wire.'–Crafter's Choice Book Club

'Kerry has a natural eye for color but understands not everyone does. The photos throughout the book are fantastic and the explanation is clear, just like Kerry is sitting next to you.'–Barbe Saint John, Jewelry Making Editor, CraftGossip.com

'Many of the methods she uses may be familiar to most of us but she has her own "twist" on how to approach them. Kerry Bogert's book is a testament to her obvious belief in experimenting and having fun while doing it.'–Tammy Powley, About.com Guide to Jewelry Making

'Incorporating big, honkin' glass beads with wire can be a challenge. But Kerry does so in ways that make it look effortless. Get this book whether you're a newbie or a pro. It'll make you smile!'–Jean Campbell, former editor, Beadwork magazine


'This fresh approach to design shows jewelry artists the secret to combining sterling silver wire with colored wire and glass beads to produce high-end looks. The clear instructions and excellent photography make recreating these designs a snap.'–MonstersandCritics.com

Twisted Tuesdays - Some FAQs

Don't forget! There is still time to enter Cindy Wimmer's give away of Totally Twisted!! Hope on over and leave a comment to enter, and there are way to get extra entries too. She will draw the winner tomorrow!! I am having so much fun reading all your comments on her blog. Y'all are sooo wonderful to me :)

For today's Twisted Tuesday, I thought I would touch on a few of the frequently asked questions I have been getting in my inbox. Or rather, they aren't frequently asked. They are the questions that have popped up and I thought more than one of you might like the answer to. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Q1: Kerry, the book looks great, how much did it cost you to make?
A1: Funny FAQ to start with huh? Well, this really is the most asked question and it mostly comes from people I see in person, like family members. Apparently, they all think I self-published the book, but nope! Interweave is my publisher, and they paid me to write, I didn't have to pay them to publish it. For those interested in publishing, I received an advance against royalties. Which means, I have already been paid everything I will be paid and won't receive additional royalties until/if there is a second printing.

Q2: Will the coating rub off on that colored wire you use?
A2: Unfortunately, I can't give you a direct answer on this one. There are really too many variables to answer. But, more often than not, if you aren't treating your jewelry respectfully, it is going to wear off. What do I mean by respectfully? You are creating ART JEWELRY and your jewelry should be treated with care and worn with love. It should not be left in the bottom of your purse with your keys and cell phone. The coating is very durable though, and I have found that if I am mindful of how hard I am tooling it, and I don't have something abrasive rubbing directly on the wire, it folds up just dandy.

Q3: Can you hammer the colored wire?
A3: YES! And I tested this!! Keep your hits true and it can be done. I would practice it first though. Make a test link, hammer it, see what happens, and go from there.

Q4: Can the wire be put through a rolling mill?
A4: I actually had to look up what a rolling mill is for this one (thanks Dee!). Now that I know that a mill is for flattening wire into a sheet, I would say no, you can't put it in a rolling mill. I don't think that the coating would hold up to being stretched like that. But hey, I could be wrong. Test it out! But for the average beader, you do not need a rolling mill. (and the fact that the cheapest on I saw was $295 makes me thankful I don't need one.)

Q5: Are those really your hands in the photos?
A5: Yes, and I had a manicure... only the second one I have ever had in my life, LOL. And thanks to the amazing Joe Coca for making the step by step shots look so fantastic.

Q6: Have you ever had trouble with your colored wire fading?
A6: Personally, no. I have, on a rare occasion, received a random spool of wire that wasn't consistently colored. Actually, it was only once, and it was a spool of lavender. I actually really loved that spool, I liked the effect that the discolored spots gave to my coils. But overall, no, I haven't had any fading. I would say, keep your wire stored in a toolbox or something where it can be hidden from direct sun when it isn't in use and that way, if you are worried about fading, it is less likely to happen.

Q7: When is book 2 coming out?
A7: Ummm, I dunno. LOL. I am still riding the high from this book and am really looking forward to teaching the projects and techniques in it over the coming year. I have a couple of ideas rolling around in my head for book two that I am really excited about though. So I am slowly, SLOWLY I say!, starting to work on a proposal for book two. You all will be the first to know if it is a go. If you keep buying up all the copies of Totally Twisted, there is a much better chance it will happen sooner rather than later. :)

If you have questions you would like me to answer in the next Twisted Tuesday FAQ, send me an email and I will add it to the list of Qs for the next FAQ post!

Blog Tour - Sweet Bead Studio!

EEEEKKKK!! I am so excited about this! I "blog book tour" is finally getting started. Each Friday over the next few weeks, Totally Twisted is going to be the highlight on a new blog. I am really excited to hear impressions about the book from so many different people. I couldn't think of a better place to start the tour than with my best beading pal, Cindy Wimmer over at www.sweetbeadstudio.com. Click the link and go see what Cindy and I are up to over at her blog. And um... warning... she made me cry.

Oh and guess what... there is a TOTALLY TWISTED giveaway involved!!

Twisted Tuesdays - Kit Talk

I am gonna let you absorb a little color before I start blabbing away... enjoy.




I doubt there is a person out there that wouldn't love to run their hands through all those beads. OH how awesome they are when they are piled up together. What you are looking at is how I have spent the better part of the past three days. In that pile are more than 225 handmade soft glass lampworked beads (I think a big old bunch of beads deserves a fancier description then '225 beads'). I won't ask you to guess what they are for, the post title gives it away. Yep, they are for kits.




Now, those that know me well maybe wondering if I have lost my mind. I am known to suffer from a rather severe condition called reactance, lol (click the link and read the definition, it is me to a tee). Knowing I am like this may make you wonder why I would agree to teach classes that would have me doing my least favorite thing (making the same thing over and over because I *have*). To that I say, it is a easy to commit to something eight months before you actually have to do it. I figured I would make beads here and there as time passed and then voila, my kits would be ready in time to teach. YEAH, right! What happened was I made beads like that once in the past eight months and then the other day realized just how many days are left until Bead Fest Wire and that lit a spark under my butt.

Teaching on a national scale is a huge opportunity for me. It is one I don't want to mess up by being a bumbling teacher only half prepared with partial kits and not enough tools. I am taking this very seriously. So, how to react to my reactance and get the job done? Enter my alter ego, Carrie. You remember her don't you? She is the part of me that loves to clean (rather psychotically), likes order and straight lines, and twitches when I, meaning *Kerry*, repeatedly avoids starting a load of laundry when I pass the pile on the way to the studio. For the past three days, I have let that organizational, methodical, big girl part of my brain take over. And I tell ya, when I do that, some pretty amazing things can happen.





While one part of my mind carefully deducted which beads needed to be made when and in what order, my creative side got to wander and imagine the other things that could be made with these beads. So, as I went along, Carrie set mini goals and rewarded Kerry for her patience... ex: get through the next 6 beads then make a green hollow for yourself. It really was a win/win situation. I have been banging out beads like crazy and working on new designs too!! What could be better?!? I am really taking this on as a personal challenge. I want to prove I can do this. I can make kits, AND I can make them unique and one-of-a-kind. Look close at those photos... no two kits sets are the same. Seriously? Seriously.

Now, some of you may be thinking to yourself (apart from thinking I am nuts for talking about myself with different egos and going so far as to name them) "I can't get all the way to PA for a class, but I want to make a BANG Gal!, is Kerry gonna let me in on any kit action?" The answer is a resounding YES! You just have to be a bit more patient. Here is the plan (plans are important to Carrie, so let her have her way on this), I am making 25 kits for each of the 4 classes I am teaching. What aren't used by my students will be made available under a soon to be added Kit category on my website. When I run out of these kits, I will start to take orders for them. These won't be "custom" orders but rather "made-to" orders. That means I will make an order as I get it in the color combos shown on the item page and those kits will mail out in a set amount of time (I am guessing with in a week). Then, once the novelty of these first 4 kits wears off, I will release other kits from Totally Twisted each month. I am also envisioning special edition kits with different color combos. But note, kits will be created for personal use only and not intended for resale.

I really must say, I feel like such a grown up making this announcement about kits. Seems silly, but for me, I rarely remember that not only am I a Mom, Artist, and Author, but I am a Business Woman too. Acting like a spoiled brat about not wanting to do certain things often sweeps that Business Woman part of me under the rug. I am proud to let her be known more and still maintain my artistic values (like keeping things one-of-a-kind). So, here is to me dawning some big-girl underwear with a purple and blue pin striped suit while my hair is in a bun and I strut around in red shoes.

Twisted Tuesdays (on Thurs) - The Cover

I have been a bit of a space cadet mentally the past week and, obviously, very rightly so. Last week, I had all the Tuesday Tuesdays planned out in my head for weeks to come. I am finding I really should have written them down because... hello? are you there thoughts?... nope. LOL. So, forgive me today as I keep things kinda on the light side, rather frivolous and "behind the scenes" instead of "how to".

Before we dive into talk about the cover of Totally Twisted (signed copies available here), I want to have a brief chat about the photography. I am going to be completely honest with you, when I first saw the proofs of the "beauty" shots (these are the large shots of each project opposite the project descriptions, tools, and materials lists), I had a bit of a panic attack. Okay, it was more than a bit of a panic attack, it was bordering a meltdown, lol. Why? Because I hated them. I don't know what exactly I expected, I just knew it wasn't what I was seeing. I was thinking "are you serious? chunks of broken glass? are those upside down ballet slippers? seashells with yellow water? what the heck?" I put in a frantic call to my editor, who tried put my mind at ease, and did a little, but not enough to keep me from putting another call into a different editor. Talking with the second editor (my acquisitions editor) was what ended really calming me down. She said something to the effect of "let's just wait and see what the book designer does with it. Maybe they will be able to pull it all together." She was right.

I should mention, I am going out of order here. When we waited to see what the designer would do with the photos, the first thing I saw was the BLAD (book layout and design) not the cover. I will definitely be doing a post about the BLAD, but the cover is what you see first, so I thought I would go with that.

Once I saw the BLAD and cover samples, I was able to get an idea of the direction things were going and I started to like what I was seeing. The opening shot at the top of this post shows the first six design ideas for the cover. For those of you that aren't familiar with publishing, it is really surprising just how many people are behind all the decision that go into picking the cover of the book. There is the art director, the acquisitions editor, the book designer, and even the marketing director (they want a cover they can sell after all). From what I hear from other authors, I am lucky to have been able to give input on the cover at all. A lot of publishers work into contracts that all design decisions are theirs to make. I specifically asked for a clause to be added to my contract so that I would have design input. Thanks Interweave, it is one of the many reasons I love working with you!



Marketing decided that two pieces on the cover was a must. So, we focused on layouts 4,5, and 6. I had my heart set on the cover projects showing beads made by me, so the Bang Gal! made with Cassie Donlen's lovely beads was in the end swapped out for Unhinged. When playing with the different fonts in the second round of revisions, the photo hadn't been reshot, so that is why you see the samples showing the Bang Gal!. Check out all those wild font ideas! I loved the curly dot over the "i" in "Twisted". I also loved the upper lower case combo of the second sample too. Ultimately it was decided to go with the simpler font, move the accent dots around, and change the colors. I love what we ended up with. And now I can't imagine it any other way!



Now how freakin' stinkin' cool is this?!? My sister and I went out to lunch and popped into the local Barnes and Noble to see if Totally Twisted was in stock yet. We looked and looked and thought is wasn't in. Then with a loud screech I saw it!! To continue the writing-a-book-is-just-like-having-a-child analogy I have used before... I swear, leaving the store without buying that copy was like leaving my child at the babysitter's for the first time. I seriously wanted to call the store every five minutes to check on it. I resisted though, LOL. Thanks to Bonnie for getting this shot for me. *sigh* I still can't get over it... I wrote a book and it is on the shelves!!

Jewelry Alert!

I just posted 5 original pieces from Totally Twisted in the Knock Out Necklace section of my website! These are the real deal, peeps. These pieces are the ones created for, photographed, and shown in the book. A few pieces have already been snatched up, if you want one... better hurry!

I will post bracelets, pendants, and earrings from the book later in the week.

The Start of Twisted Tuesdays

I have been toying with this idea in my head for a few weeks now and with Totally Twisted finally released, I think it is as good a time as any to get it started. I decided to make this first Twisted Tuesday post about what Twisted Tuesdays will be all about. Makes sense, right? Right.

I have said over and over how excited I am to share my new book with you!! And I really and truly mean it. I am one proud Momma when it comes to my baby Totally Twisted and I want to show it off to you. I want to take you behind the scenes (even more than I have already). I want to introduce you to the awesome bead makers you'll see inside and others I wish I could have worked with, I want to show you more wire projects, I want vlog (video blog) more, and I want to tell you about the awesome companies I have been working with too. Twisted Tuesdays will be when that happens. LOL... if I don't find a way to spread things out and pace myself, I will throw it all at you at once and that would be total sensory overload. I think this will be better.

Another thing I want to be able to do on Twisted Tuesdays is share what you all are doing with the book. So, I'll link to reviews (email me the link!), I will share projects you all have made yourselves, I will answer questions that come up, and really, hopefully, celebrate the fun that comes from working with glass and wire. Cuz' ya know its some serious fun peps... seriously. All things being equal though, when the not-so-fun stuff happens, we'll talk about that too.

To get the sharing started, I created the Totally Twisted Designs Flickr Group - YOO HOO!! Join the group and post photos of the projects you have made from the book. Share the projects the book inspired you to make too!! Everyone is welcome to join.

Last week I mailed out the initial flurry of books. They should be floating into mail boxes around the country (and OMG! w-o-r-l-d) over the next few days. I am waiting on pins and needles to hear your thoughts, and I have no doubt, there are others waiting to buy their copy of Totally Twisted until they hear from others too. I get that. If you have your copy and are so inclined, I would greatly appreciate reviews!! You can leave them on my website by visiting the Totally Twisted book page, and clicking "write a review" in the lower left corner. You can also leave reviews on Amazon, I think these reviews reach the most people! Just scroll down about 3/4 of the way, on the right hand side click "Create your own review". OH, and if you talk about the book on your blog, please send me the link, I will add you to the list of review links I started on my side bar.

Okay... I think that is enough twisted info for one day. I am excited about this!! And I hope as we get going, you will really start to look forward to Twisted Tuesdays with me. And I promise, this will be the only photoless post, lol.

Totally Twisted In The House!!

They're here!! AAAAGGGGHHHH! I am a little excited, can you tell?!? I am at a loss for where to begin... do I start with how lucky we are that those printers in China were ahead of schedule and my book arrived two whole months early... or do I tell you about what I was doing yesterday when I noticed giant boxes outside in my breeze way and how I hadn't heard the UPS fella drop them off... or I could tell you about my envelope woes and how many times I have had to order new ones trying to get ones that will fit the book just right without costing an arm and a leg... or should I tell you about trying to decide just what to write on the cover page when I sign my name? Where to begin?!?

I will start with the timing. How awesome is it that the books arrived for an earlier release than expected?!? Amazon is still listing the release date as April 1st but they are already shipping and copies of Totally Twisted are popping up in mailboxes all over the country!! Now, here it is February 17th, not April!, and I am signing these beauties, addressing dozens of envelopes, and getting ready to send them out into the world. Sheer awesomeness people... truly! And em yeah, apparently, an 9 x 8 1/4 book won't fit in a 11 x 9 envelope, you need a 12 x 9 1/4 one. LOL. Trust me, I know. Thankfully, I have a shipping supply company that has next day delivery at no extra charge. They ROCK! And man was that UPS fella sneaky. Granted, I was a little distracted as I was babysitting my cousin's two year old daughter for the day. But still, he carried in four 20+ pound boxes and I never heard a peep. I went to wash some dishes, looked outside and there were all the boxes!! OH OH, and something super cool I saw on Amazon this weekend... they were down to only 5 copies in stock at one point!! EEEEKKKKK!!

I have been hemming and hawing over what I should write, other than my name, when I sign my books. Silly, I know. But I want something that is clever and catchy and, of course, *me*. It finally came to me yesterday and you'll have to wait until you get your copy to see what it says!! Some of y'all like surprises, so we'll leave it that way. And so y'all know, unless you specifically requested my to do the signing "to" you, I am keeping it simple. That way, should you ever want to hand it off you some one, it doesn't say "to my dearest friend Sally". LOL. Zing me an email if you want a "to"... there is still time.

So, how peeved do you think the post office lady is going to be with me when I walk in with 50 pounds of books to be shipped? LOL. I may go in the evening to the automated do-it-yourself post office to avoid the glares from everyone in line behind me. Oh the things you don't think of in the beginning!!

Okay... now what? I am hoping to plan a "blog tour" for the month of March. I have goodies galore up my sleeves for you. Namely, one word peeps... KITS. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's do a GIVEAWAY!! Leave a comment here on the blog (just click the word "comments" at the bottom of this post and it will take you to the comment screen) with your name, don't forget your name!, and in three words or less tell me what has you excited today. I will pick a name at random on Monday Feb 22nd at 9am, and international commenters are welcome!!

Breaking News!!

YOO HOOO!! I just got confirmation that 100 copies of my book will be delivered to my door step today. That means I'll be signing and shipping with week, sooner than expected!! Watch your mailboxes peeps... books will be coming soon.

Beside Myself

I had the most amazing experience yesterday...





IT IS HERE!! Well, not here here... it isn't ready to ship yet, but, my advanced copy of Totally Twisted: innovative wirework & art glass jewelry arrived yesterday!! One of my editors emailed me Monday afternoon letting me know that the advanced copies had arrived in the Colorado office and she would be overnighting me a copy. I so very anxiously awaited the FedEx fella and shortly after I posted my blog yesterday, I heard the knock on the door.

Rebecca at Interweave is such a wonderful woman. She packaged the book like a gift and what a special gift it was. When I ripped back the tab on the mailing envelope, I thought the book would fall into my hand but having the anticipation last just a little bit longer and holding a gift in my hand was absolutely perfect. I held that pink and brown package in a hug for a few minutes as tears welled in my eyes. I had to catch my breath before I could open it.

Once I opened it, truly, it was was like holding one of my kids for the first time. Seriously! There was instant joy and tears and love and relief and overwhelm and surprise and awe. Sounds a little nutty right? But really, I have just gone through a 16 month pregnancy and yesterday I got to hold my bundle of joy for the first time. LOL. I sat, unmoving despite a serious call to use the bathroom, and looked at every single page. I love the soft satin matte finish and feel of the cover... the smell of the press room and ink of the pages... the bold colors oozing out of it... just amazing. I am so proud, and not of myself, but of the book itself. Goodness, I can't wait for you too see this.

After my bonding time with my new baby, I started to make the calls to let everyone know my news. First to my hubby of course, then to a friend, and my Mom of course. She was the first to get to see it. As she has done with all my children, Mom instantly was trying to steal it away to her house. LOL. She is a very proud Momma too.





My friend wouldn't let me spend the afternoon holed up in the house. Despite the 100 straight hours of snow that has been piling up here, she said some celebrating was in order and she treated me to lunch at Panera. Her necklace, sorry about the blur, is one of the first beads I ever made!! Such a great sentiment of how far I have come.

Later in the evening, I got to share the book with my Dad. He has been a pressman for 25 years and of course, looked at the book through a pressman's eye. He liked the work, but naturally, a little sad to see it was printed in China. He said they did a good job with the printing, commenting that it was offset printing on a sheet fed press, not on a web, with 4 color process not pms. He said that he loves all the color and had he been printing a job like this, he would have been very excited to go to work. Makes me wonder if the pressman in China grabbed a sample copy and took it home to show his family like my Dad does with many of the jobs he prints. While showing my Dad, Mom was again trying to find ways to steal the copy away to live with her.

Ron and the kids had their time to check it out too. I showed the kids the special dedication that is just for them. It reads "to jacob, andrew, and lauren... look kids, momma wrote a book". I had an interesting chat with Jacob. I said "see, your name is in print." And he said " 'Jacob' is in print in a lot of places." To which I said "yeah, but those are different 'Jacobs'... this one is you." I know the kids will appreciate it when they are older. I hope they will look back and see all the hard work I put into this and how I was still their Mom at the same time. My Dad has pointed out to me several times that 'someone' was left out of the dedication... where is the thanks to Ron, my hubby? Ah, I know, I may seem like a bad wife, but this one is just for the kids... the next one can be for him. ;)

Tonight... hubby is making hot fudge sundae cake to celebrate!!

Best of 2009 - Challenge

I am not ready to reveal the big dining room update just yet. The paint is done but I am still waiting on some prints I ordered. I don't want to share until they are hanging on the walls. Until they arrive, I am feeling at a loss for words and blog topics, so I am taking a que from this fun blog and joining in on the Best of 2009 topics. I will do it here and there all month, when I am otherwise short on words. Reminicing is fun... you should do it too.

Today's Topic:
December 9 Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

I think my biggest challenge in 2009 has been my book. Writing it, finishing the projects, editing it, the photo shoot, the tv spot to promote it, and all the ups and downs that go with it. Jean Campbell, my editor, recently talked about much book writing is like giving birth. Everything from the book pregnancy to the birth with it's release into the world. And I would have to agree.

If you would like to take a stroll down blog memory lane, here are links to posts from 2009 about my journey through writing my first book.

Oh The Glamore Of It
Apropos
Sent Away
Adventures In Loveland
In 3...2...1...
My Book!!!

There is so much more I am looking forward to telling you about in 2010 when the book is actually released. I hope you'll still be here with me then.

Ring-A-Ling-A-Lings

Helloooo...

You guys remember the book Wire Style that I contributed on last year? Follow the link and scroll down and check out the last page of the "preview". You can see my "Ring A Ling" design on the back cover. It isn't on the back cover of the book sstore shelf copies but it is there online. Out of the blue, this design popped back in my head and I decided I had to do a few for this week's show.

I decided to have fun and do them up in BRIGHTS! Lots of brights! You know what is great about these? They fit any one. If you think it is too long, squeeze together those coil and you can shrink these up at least an inch. If you need something a little longer, pull those coils out and you can add length. Cool huh?

I am very excited to have met my goal of 30 new pieces fof this week's trunk show. Actually, I passed the goal! I am taking 32 pieces in this afternoon. Everything has been polished and tagged. Today is the day that I will drop things off to the gallery so they can input it all into their system. One of the nice things about this show is that I don't have to handle the transactions. They do it all! It does mean I have to give them a huge percentage of the sale price, but it all benefits the museum so that is good.

As a reminder: the show starts THURSDAY June 11th and I will be there from 6-9pm. I will be there FRIDAY from noon - 4pm. And again on SATURDAY from 10-4pm! I hope to see lots of you there.

Pre-Orders Available!!

Yesterday I was mindlessly surfing Amazon.com and found two very exciting things! Remember back in Aug/Sept when I was scrambling to finish up projects and tutorials for books to later be announced? Well, here they are! And they are available for pre-order on Amazon.

The first book is Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs by Jane Dickerson. I am really excited to get my hands on this book. I can't wait to see all the projects in its pages. I know what my projects look like, and they are very different from the style shown on the cover. Which leads me to believe there are a wide range of designs shown! Something for everyone!! And the cover there... why it is my new jewelry pal, Lorelei Eurto! Congrats Lorelei, you rock!


Also up now on Amazon is 101 Wire Earrings: Step By Step Projects and Techniques by Denise Peck. I am really excited to be a part of this book too. I think earrings are my weakest skill design wise so I can't wait to see the inspiration these pages have to offer. This is my second time contributing to a book by Denise Peck, editor of Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine. The first one, Wire Style, is a great addition to every jewelry book collection.

While we are talking about books, I am entering the "presentation" phase of new book. If anyone is interested in putting together a mock project for me to use in the pitch, zing me an email! I would love to have some fresh ideas to use in the examples. I can give you more information when you get in touch. :)

Important Announcement!

I am interrupting this blog with an important announcement!!

It is a little early to let you in on this secret, but I could use some guidance from you beading divas of the world. So here we go!!

A couple weeks ago, I was approached by a British publishing house about acting as the author/editor of a new book they are working on. That's right!! I am working on a second book!! Well, not quite yet. This project is still in the very early stages. I can't disclose any details, it is all tightly under wraps as this is a super wicked cool project. Were I to reveal this totally awesome new concept, everyone would be all over it wanting to get a piece of the action, lol. So mums the word, don't even try to get it out of me.

I am spending the next week pulling together the pitch for the book. It is a rather detailed task and I am asking you... my beading crew... if you could learn any beading technique under the sun, what would you want to learn and who would you want to learn it from? And not just as it relates to glass. I want to hear what is going on in the beading arts outside glass that you are fascinated by and the artists doing it.

Send me emails... or leave comments with links... I am eagerly waiting to see where your links lead me.

Sent Away

I did it... IT IS DONE!! This is the box of finished jewelry for my book. YOO HOOO!! There are more then 20 pieces of jewelry in there! Some people might write a book and only show you one picture of one finished design... but not me. I did a couple of each and some with totally different bead options. I have put so much energy into this box. *sigh*

To celebrate, Ron and the kids took me out to dinner. With three kids, dinner out in a resturant isn't something we do. There is always fighting over who sits where or whinning over what there is or isn't to eat. Not last night though. We had a lot of fun. The kids asked me lots of questions... an interview of sorts about the book. "so Mom, how long did it take you to write the book?" "Mom, are you gonna be famous now?" "did they give you a lotta money?" LOL.

Once home last night, I felt a huge sense of relief. From the beginning I knew I could do it. I knew I could write the book, but at the same time... I am hard on myself and I had a lot of doubt too. But I look through all the photos I took of the finished things and I open the files of text and I am so excited. I can't wait to share it all with you!!

The work isn't done yet. There is still a lot more to do. There is editing that needs happening, and a photo shoot in May. I worked on a "shot list" on Monday (which is a list of each and every photo I want taken for the book) and we'll be taking about 262 pictures. And I need to get ready for all those photos. Kinda reverse engineering the jewelry and breaking it down into the steps that need shooting. Cool huh?

I have a little time in between though. And I have some new jewelry I will be working on for spring!! YOO HOO!! I have some fun ideas up my sleeves and I am itching to work on something I can actually show you, lol. I already started too. I have whipped up a couple fun and simple pendants with loose beads on my desk. I'll share 'em soon.

Just Me

I had a pretty amazing experience a few weeks ago and I have been chomping at the bit to share it with you. But, I needed to wait until everything was ready. Now that it is, I am so excited to show you...

Way back in November, I got it in my head that since I am a big time author now, I need proper head shots. I couldn't very well have a photo of me holding the camera at arms length from my face taking my own picture. I typed in "portrait photographer" into google and started my search for someone who was able to take a nice portrait. I didn't want a standard issue Sears photo center portrait, or a "glamor shots" thing. I knew I wanted something fun, and relaxed... artistic, and colorful.

I found just what I wanted in Kelli Marsh. You can view her portfolio on her website HERE and there are more images HERE on her blog. Ya know, I complain to my family all the time that I am constantly taking picture of them... couldn't someone take my picture once in a while without making me feel vain or making me look like and idiot? Really would it be so bad?

I was a nervous wreck during the first, oh I don't know, hour, lol. I was thinking to myself "this was stupid, I feel like an idiot, I'll have two chins and chubby cheeks... why did I think I needed to do this?" Kelli made this whole experience so great. We chatted like two girlfriends that have known each other for years. She helped me feel at ease and the pictures.... Oh they are awesome!!

The two on the blog here are my favorites. I don't know if it is the lightning bolt part in my hair or the twinkle lights in the back ground, but something about that top photo makes me feel like a rock star. Would you look at my lashes? *sigh*... such an awesome photo. The bottom one will be my "head shot". I love the expression and the light and the color of this one. I dare say there is even a twinkle in my eye.



There are a few more shots in my Flickr Gallery. Check them out... and if you need a photographer for anything, ANYTHING... I am tellin' ya, you gotta get Kelli. She is the best.

Apropos

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
- Henry David Thoreau

I picked up this bottle of wine back in September when we went on a day trip for my Mom's birthday. It is from a tiny winery in Naples NY, called Imagine Moore Winery. Each bottle they make has a single word for the title with a quote on the bottle. I loved this wine when I tasted it, but hadn't paid very close attention to the quote. It was very apropos to the situation last night.

I finished the text for my book last night!! And I do feel like I am getting to "live the life I have imagined." I still have a lot of work left, but last night was a time to celebrate this small accomplishment. I still need to make a ton of finished pieces between now and next Wednesday (the day everything needs to be in the mail). So, I am not back to my regular blogging just yet, but I wanted to share the news and let you know where I am at.

And while I am at it, since I am writing way already... I'll keep blogging. And I'll let you in on a little secret, I have writing ADD, lol. I could have finished the text in half the time had someone taken my wireless access away. I would write a step or two... then surf... write another step... then surf. I think it might be a disease. LOL. And OMG... if I never see the words "wrapped loop" again in my life, it will be too soon. Along with surfing, I did some shopping too. I have some new goodies headed my way, and it isn't a new handbag or shoes, it is jewelry "stuff". Oh yeah, don't you worry... this book isn't cramping my creative urges and burning me out. It has me chomping at the bit to move on and make new things!! I got cool ideas stewing, people. Cool ideas.

One Month And Counting

In exactly one month from today, I have a deadline. It is the deadline for the rest of my book! Did you know it was coming up so fast? When I signed the contract back in October, the details were to have at least half the book and half the completed projects turned in by a certain date in January. Then, the second half and the rest of the projects are due by April. Man the past 6 months have flown by.

It all still seems a little unreal to me, ya know. I tell people "oh, yeah, I am writing a book," and they are all like "wow, that's cool". But as many times as I say it, it doesn't really seem real. I guess it won't be really real until I see it on the shelf at Barnes & Noble and I have an idea for book number two, lol.

There are lots of exciting (to me) things going on in the background of book writing Kerryland. For one, I was talking to my acquisitions editor last week (or was it the week before) and she told me lots of goodies. Here is a quick run down... I am going to Ft.Collins CO the week of May 18th to do a photo shoot of the step by step making of each project for the book. (I can't wait to blog about my hotel room, lol) I will be there at least 3 days, and hey, if you are in CO and wanna plan dinner or something, send me an email. Also, they have a set schedule for my book, beyond my deadlines. Cover art is due in July, which means I will have a title in May. EEEKKK!! I don't know if I have told you this or not, but they have a "title" meeting for every book. A bunch of editors sit in a room and hash out title ideas. I have submitted what I want it to be, but it still isn't definite. Now, we have a set schedule because.... I have an editor!! I am not going to reveal who she is just yet, because we haven't actually gotten to chat with each. But, I will give you a hint. You may recognize her from your email inbox if you get "daily" updates from my publisher. Hmmm.... can you figure it out?

Okay, so a big deadline like this means a few things. I am going to end up going into shhh shhh mode here on the blog. I won't be able to show you things. But as I did in January, I will show you a few of the artists I am working with and I want to share with you some of the AWESOME online retailers that have been supporting things. And um, I am sure there was something else... but it seems to have slipped my mind.

That happens a lot lately, things slipping my mind. I saw on some show, can't remember which one (LOL, big surprise there, LOL), that said your memory peaks at 22 and it is all down hill from there. I used to have a wicked good memory, now it is crappy crapola. I can't remember if I have done something 5 minutes after I have done it. I can't remember I wanted to do something as I am doing it. It is that whole starring at an open cabinet and not knowing that I was going it get a glass of water. Why was I getting a glass again? Oh yeah, water. ugh.

Anywho... sorry to be all over the board today. But that is my brain right now. All-over-the-place. I was able to focus long enough to make this sweet little goodie yesterday. A sort "ode to spring". I am calling it "Freshly Picked". It is light and fresh, just right for this time of year, don'tcha think?

Building A Better Book

A quick survey for you on the this fine January morning!

I was talking with my editor last week about some design and layout things for the book. One of the things she asked is if I had a strong feeling either way about whether the "Basic Techniques" section should be in the front or that back of the book? Hmmm... I hadn't thought about it. I assumed it would be in the front, right?

I thought it would be fun to pose the question to you that will be reading it...

Do you like "Basic Techniques" in the front of books or in the back of books?

And hey, ya know what, we haven't had a giveaway around here in ages!! So leave a comment with your opinion of basics in the beginning or end and you'll be entered to win one of my toggle beads. If you leave comments as "anonymous" please remember to put for first name, last initial and city,state (or foreign country, yes you over seas peps are welcome to enter) so I keep y'all straight. I will take comment entries until Friday at noon.