SPOTLIGHT ON ... DESIGNER
April 2008

Our featured designer for this month is Tatiana Van Iten.

I was born and raised in Russia.  I graduated from the Leningrad State University with a Master of Arts degree in photojournalism.  Twenty three years ago I married an American citizen and moved to the United States.

I learned beading from my grandmother, starting at the age of six, and have been pursuing this art ever since then.  Because I have been beading for such a long time, I know lots of tips and secrets that allow me to work quickly and without mistakes.  I believe it would be shameful to keep all this knowledge to myself, and so I have been teaching beading classes at local stores, libraries, and bead festivals.  But to teach classes people need to know you and your work,  So, in 2003 I began taking part in contests and publishing my work in bead magazines.

I make most of my necklaces free-hand, with no pattern, and each of them is unique.  I use a great variety of materials including freshwater pearls, gemstones, lamp work glass beads, wood and leather, and fossil specimens collected with my husband.  The fossils in my necklaces range from 150 to 400 million years old and are from a variety of countries. When making a large necklace I try to use light-weight beads because the gemstones and fossils I use are fairly heavy. Of course, I have to use Soft Flex® Wire for support! For my small necklaces I am using Soft Touch™ Wire.

In addition to being an avid beader, I am a free-lance photographer and martial arts instructor with a second degree black belt in Kung Fu.

TATIANA VAN ITEN
vaniten@hanover.edu
(812) 866 5104
4620 West Lea Lane
Hanover, IN 47243