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The Story
How did I start making beads?!?!
The story begins on a hot summers day in Frankfort, Michigan. I walked around the impressive art booths of their annual summer art fairwith my mother. Each one interested me. One specific booth caught my attention, it consisted of a pan of clay beads. I asked the artist what the beads were made of. She told me they were made of sculpey and fimo clay. My curiosity kicked in and I asked how she made them. She told me very little, so I decided to try it myself.
This is where I began when I was twelve years old. I taught myself to design and create my own beads. After making the beads that summer I went to an art fair with my grandfather, he carves and paints freshwater fish. I only had one tray of beads and they sold like crazy! I was very surprised. I continued making trade beads. Each year I would have another tray to bring to the art fairs.
Two trays filled with beads at artshow. Bead trays and plants in dorm room at college.
I decided to call my business "Bug's Beads", after my nickname "Bug" given to me by my dad. The name has stuck for the last six years. I chose the nine spotted ladybug to be the symbol of Bug's beads. Believe me, almost everything I own has a ladybug somewhere on it :)
Throughout the summer months I attend various artshows across Michigan. They vary year to year, depending on my current residence. I have showed in Ludington (my home town), Manistee, Charlevoix, Mackinaw City, Elk Rapids, Cadillac, Frankfort, Au Gres, Grand Ledge, East-Lansing (M.S.U.) and Pentwater.
Mom and I at Mackinaw City artshow.
Origin of Clay Beads
Bug's Beads specilized in sculpting and building handmade clay "tradebeads" which originated from Africa, and the glass millefiori beads from Venice, Italy. The nativies from Africa handmake the clay beads and use them in their religious ceremonies. Long ago they used these beads as an object for trade such as commerce. Glass beads from Italy are made in the same way as the clay beads. The Venetian millifiori beads were also used as a form of commerce long ago but today are collectors items.
Candles I have made from the various designs of canes and loaves.
Making Clay "Tradebeads"
Handmade clay tradebeads are fun to make, but they take a lot of time and patience. There are many steps that you must follow to make polymer clay beads. I will only hit on the basic items and ideas in this paragraph. The items I use to make the beads are as follows: Sculpey III clay, pearing knife, razor, and toothpicks. First you will want to think of a design for a loaf, and draw it on a piece of paper. Then you can build your loaf/cane from the various colors of clay. After you have built the loaf you can roll it down until it reaches the desired size of the design. Slice the designs off the end of the loaf in paper thin slices. Carefully place these slices onto a small ball of white clay. Roll the ball softly in your hands until the designs are pushed into the clay ball and it appears as one continuos design. Pierce the bead with a toothpick and place in a glass baking dish. Bake at 275 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. This is only a very simple overview of how I make the tradebeads.
Resources
Links To Other Informative Sites about Beads and Polymer Clay
