"When one door closes, another opens;
but we often look so long and so regretfully
upon the closed door that we do not see
the one which has opened for us."
— Alexander Graham Bell
I've been thinking about the "one door closes, another opens" saying. As you may have heard, Bead Trends will cease publication in July. I had several projects published in that magazine, including the Pearl Posies necklace, the Southwest Style pin, beaded keychains, bird earrings, beaded napkin rings, and these Acorn Earrings. I enjoyed the magazine's beautiful photographs and easy submission process. I'm sad for the staff who are now out of work and for the many beaders who found their first published work in this magazine. (They seemed to be exceptionally welcoming to new designers.)
The same week I heard about Bead Trends, the new acquisitions editor at Interweave tweeted about welcoming book proposals from jewelry makers. I also heard about a new jewelry design contest sponsored by Beadalon. And while browsing Barnes & Noble that same week, I learned about an upcoming Mixed Media Jewelry Swap hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors.
Yes, none of them is the exact same as a beading/jewelry magazine, but they are all good opportunities to stretch your creativity in a new way. This is why I love Alexander Graham Bell's quote. If you're looking for that exact mahogany door with the 3/4 arch and beveled glass windows that you lost, you're going to be disappointed. Try opening that knotty alder wood door with the bronze doorknob or the oak double doors with the stained glass. You never know where they might lead.
About the photo: I created this fairy door a couple of years ago in an adult ceramic class. It's about 5-6 inches tall. The teacher showed the class some examples as "good kid projects." Naturally, that's exactly what I chose to do, while the college kids all made "grown-up" projects such as serving platters and vases. A friend sent me this article at Messy Nessy Chic with lots of photos of fairy doors. (You'll want to see the one at Google!)
Quote Source: BrainyQuote.