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SPOTLIGHT ON ... ARTICLE
March 2009
Reading and Beading
Written by: Lori Anderson
I am an avid beader. I make jewelry full-time for a living, traveling through several states to sell at craft shows, in addition to running a web site. It can be (can be? IS!) exhausting. So when I lie down to go to sleep at night, I have to find a way to get my brain relaxed, to stop it from coming up with new designs while I'm desperately trying to catch some shut-eye.
I've always loved books. I can't remember a time I didn't. Mom said I learned to read when I was three, and in Kindergarten was reading "The Wizard of Oz" instead of "Goodnight Moon". My house is full of books, in every single room - in huge bookshelves that reach the ceiling, shelves tucked in corners, and in random stacks on any flat surface. Thomas Jefferson said, "I cannot live without books," and I agree.
I've been asked if books influence my jewelry, and I had to stop and think about that one. Honestly, no. To me, books are an escape, and a way to completely throw myself into a different realm. Only once did I use books with beading, and that was for a charm exchange that had a fairy tale theme. I cut words from an old book of fairy tales and glued them to the back of the Scrabble charms I made:
I'm not sure I'd like to mix the two ever again - if I start blending books with beading, I'll never get any sleep!
Interestingly, though, the books I read have led to jewelry sales.
I have a blog, which is another cathartic release for me. I write about jewelry, of course, but more often about my son, random things, and, of course, books. I discovered a web site called Good Reads, and started cataloging all the books that I've read over the past few years. I decided to put a widget on my blog that showed what book I was reading, and what I'd already read, and regularly shared my GoodReads book reviews. And I discovered that my blog was discovered by people who Googled for information about those books, and they in turn wandered over to my web site. They also have given me suggestions as to what to read next, and in one case, mailed me a lovely book as a present.
The entire social networking phenomena - blogs, Facebook, Twitter - it's all fascinating to me. I have wondered if I should ONLY write about jewelry design, but I write for Watch Me Create and Collective Creatives already, so I think I'm going to keep my "social networks" about daily life. It's what keeps my jewelry personal. People know me, so the jewelry is that much more special - they know the person who made it, even if they have never met me in real life.
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Lori Anderson Designs started as a way for a stay-at-home mom to express her creativity amidst diapers and the Teletubbies. With a diverse work background that includes the Air Force, marketing and sales, and a degree in Biology from the University of Virginia, Lori has found her niche in the artisan jewelry world. Lori uses art glass, semi-precious gemstones, pearls, vermeil, and sterling silver to create her designs. Each piece is designed entirely by hand by her, and she offers custom design services with each and every piece. You can view Lori Anderson's work at www.lorianderson.net
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