I bought the very first issue of Stringing at a bookstore. The bright cover necklace with coral and turquoise caught my eye. I'd never heard of Interweave Press, nor of Jean Campbell, the editor who designed that cover piece. I just thought it was a cool magazine.
So imagine my surprise that only a few years later I actually have something in this special issue, Best of Stringing. My "Winter Blooms" necklace with the beautiful ivory porcelain vessel from Off Center Productions is one of the featured projects. (I love working with their beads. In fact, I'm just now submitting a piece to Stringing with one of their heart pendants.)
I also have a pair of earrings in Best of Stringing. While I was quietly thrilled at the necklace that was chosen, the earrings made me laugh. I have a friend who sometimes looks at my submissions to guess which ones might be accepted for publication. She has been nothing but supportive about my jewelry designs, but I could tell she didn't like these earrings at all. Of course, being a friend, she didn't come out and say that they were the ugliest things I'd ever made. Instead, she said something like, "Uhh . . . I'm sorry . . . I don't think these are . . . maybe . . . your best work?"
They are quite different. I challenged myself to make a pair of earrings without the normal wirewrapping. Instead, I used some paper cord and knotting to combine carved wooden beads and square shell beads. I thought they were fun and funky and sent them in. (The photo here is mine; the one in the magazine is better.)
In any event, I couldn't wait to show my friend this issue. That's the fun of flipping through any jewelry magazine. Everyone has different taste. You might love something that I can't stand. And vice versa. It's a good thing. Can you imagine a world where everyone was the same?