SPOTLIGHT ON ... DESIGNER
May 2007
Our featured designer for this month is Jeanette Shanigan
Although my oldest son often claims to have kindled my interest in beadwork, he's only responsible for the rekindling. From an early age I was intrigued with the beads that my Lakota Sioux grandmother wore. She didn't teach me how to do beadwork, but taught me hand-sewing, embroidery, and crocheting. In the late 60's and early 70's I used beads to string "love beads" and for macramé. But beads were put aside for a while, in favor of a teaching career, marriage, and child-rearing. In 1986 my son brought home a beaded necklace that he had strung in his Indian Ed class at school. It reminded me that I could do that; I bought a copy of Deon DeLange's book; taught myself how to do brick stitch, and the rest is history, as the saying goes. I wrote my first beadwork book Beaded Holiday Earrings in 1993. Suncatchers Beaded Jewelry followed in 1994. In 1998 Beaded Adornment was published.
But after three less-than-wonderful experiences with three different publishing companies, I decided that if I wanted to get all the books in my head on paper, I would have to self-publish. Since I made that decision, I have published nIne beadwork books: Beaded Holiday Adornment, The Beaded Basket, Beady Trivia Crossword Puzzles, Beads for the Holidays, Beadazzled Cabochon Jewelry, Bevy of Beaded Bracelets, Holiday Beadery, Bead-Embellished Objects, and More Beaded Baskets. Self-publishing has been a real education-it's not easy and there's a lot more work involved, but I control the content of the books, rather than some editor who's never done beadwork. Some of my books are available through Soft-Flex. Check out my site for the others: http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.com/Books.html
In addition to self-publishing beadwork books, I have written magazine articles for Lapidary Journal, Jewelry Crafts and Beadwork Magazine. I am currently writing a monthly article entitled "Seed Bead Aspirations" for the on-line magazine, The Bead Bugle. Also, I have over 150 of my beadwork designs on the internet stores Bead-Patterns.com and Sova Enterprises. I just feel the need to bead and create beadwork designs.
After 31 years of teaching high school, I retired in June 2004. Teaching at bead shows is now a focus and I've taught at Embellishment, The International Spring Quilt Show, Bead Expo, The Bead & Button Show and Bead Fest. Check out my classes at the upcoming Bead & Button Show.
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At the moment, I'm busy putting together kits for the Bead & Button Show and finishing up details for the Bead Artists against Breast Cancer butterfly quilts.
My mother succumbed to cancer and I promised that I'd do something in her memory to help find a cure. Bead Artists against Breast Cancer is a campaign organized through the folks at Kalmbach Publishing. At first, I donated a beaded bead and a beaded basket to the auctions, but I began to feel I could do more. For two years I organized a bead quilt through my Yahoo group, Beady Shenanigans.
Last May I decided I could do still more, so went international through the internet in organizing the bead quilt. The response has been overwhelming. I received 372 butterfly squares from folks in 34 states and six foreign countries. As a result there will be twelve beaded butterfly quilts up for auction at the Bead & Button Show on June 9.
All twelve quilts can be seen here. If you will not be at the show, but would like to own one of the quilts, please contact Tonette at 916-344-2323 or Tonette@BeadBabe.com with your contact info, credit card number, bidding wishes and she will proxy bid for you. Let's raise some serious cash for breast cancer research!
