A few days ago I received the last issue of Beadwork magazine in the mail. There was a time when my work life revolved around this magazine and others at Interweave. I promoted Beadwork as the editor of Beading Daily. Later, as a freelancer, I did some technical editing on magazine projects and wrote the occasional article or blog post. I also submitted my own projects, mostly of the simple stringing/wirework type, particularly after Jewelry Stringing closed.
It's been more than a year since I've had a new project in the pages of Beadwork, but I still enjoyed flipping through each new issue and admiring the beaded designs. I'll miss those paper pages and my occasional contact with the very smart and kind staff who have worked there over the years.
My Two to Tango Necklace
I knew my "Two to Tango" necklace would be in this Fall issue because the editor, Katie Hacker, wrote me awhile back and asked if there were any corrections with my bio or the resources. (Funny aside: My auto-correct keeps wanting to type "Two to Tangle" which might be a better title for this necklace. So many cords to keep straight!)
Doing the research to find new, updated resources was like studying my own little microcosm of how much things had changed in the beading world in just the last few years: My local bead shop, often cited in my projects for materials, closed this past June. Earlier this year Swarovski crystals announced that they would no longer be selling bead components. The Bead Gallery beads by Halcraft can now be found on their own website instead of only at Michaels. The version of the instructions in this last issue has all the latest information on where to buy these components (or very similar ones) in this necklace if you were to shop for them today.
I'm honored (and honestly, surprised!) to have a piece in this very last issue. This necklace design challenged me in that I don't normally work with such large, rough gemstones, gold findings, or too much sparkle. In other ways, it's pretty typical of my work: the use of cord/ribbon, the removable pendant that lets you wear the necklace in more than one way, and the use of some budget-friendly materials. I wrote about this necklace back in 2018 if you want to read more about it.
The Future of Beading
What's next?
The good news is that beading isn't going away any time soon. All arts and crafts experience highs and lows in popularity. There will always be a core of people who love to bead whether it's popular or not with a larger population. I'm personally one of those people who love to try new crafts (see my recent forays into upcycled notebooks and string art), but always loop back around to beading eventually. It's my home base.
As for the magazine, according to the editorial in the last issue of Beadwork, they are launching Interweave+, a subscription site with access to the back catalog of magazines, plus new projects. You can read a bit more about it in the "New Frontiers" post on the website and in the membership section of the FAQs. It will be interesting to see how it evolves over time.
If you have questions about Beadwork or Interweave+, it's best to contact the company directly. I am not an employee and I have no additional information.
As for me, the seed beads I bought in June are still sitting on my work table. It's time for me to start playing with them and see what I can make. Ready, set, bead!