Hager Studios News

If you receive my monthly newsletter, you know that I am getting ready for the Spring Bead Bonanza in Southfield, Michigan. I am a bead machine, I think. Of course, after I make the beads and anneal them properly, I have to remove them from the mandrels, clean the bead release out each and every hole, wash them up, put them on the plastic holders, tag them with price and inventory numbers, add them into my inventory sheet, and put them into their trays. Omigosh. It's not that those things are difficult to do, it's just so time-consuming.

Anyway, this bead is a new shape that I've just added to the repertory. Such fun! The flower shapes remind me of spring cherry blossoms. Hope you like it, too.

I am still working to get ready for my first March show. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, but the snow is still blanketing the backyard with more expected this weekend. It must be February in Michigan! So am I heading downstairs to my studio to make some spring beads. Won't be able to see the sunshine there, but I'll keep it in my imagination as I go play with fire!

I made these cute little thistle beads for Susan Schwartzenberger at Stony Creek Bead and Gallery. She used them in her beach scene embroidery last fall and needed some more, so I made about a dozen and sent them out to her this week. The ones pictured are the original design. I have since improved them so that they are "sturdier" but they still are very attractive, I think.

It's still snowing here in Michigan. Big gentle flakes with not much drifiting and blowing, thank goodness. But my boy, Robert, the king of dogs, is battling arthritis pain today despite taking his medicine every day. I wish I could make it better but the cold damp Michigan weather just doesn't help. From the sad expression on his face, I know that he doesn't understand. He is laying at my feet while I blog. Hopefully, tomorrow things will be a little better for him.

Speaking of tomorrow, it will be Valentine's Day, so happy Valentine's Day, all!

It's February and we're digging out from yesterday's snow storm. This is a view of our backyard. The small two-rail fence encloses our vegetable garden. Several weeks ago, I thought that Spring couldn't be far behind (well, I could see the grass!) and I was already looking at seed catalogues. Well, not today! As you can see the white stuff is back although I must admit,  it is beautiful. Never-the-less, I think that I will stay inside today and make some beads .

I really love this new bead which I included in this month's newsletter. It reminds me of a tiny glass terrarium with layers of flowers growing inside. I hope that you love it as much as I do .

I've been making these pretty heart tabs for February. Hopefully, later today, I'll get some of them loaded on to the web site for sale. I really liked the way this lavender tab heart bead turned out. Even though it photgraphed light blue, lavender always shifts depending on the light in which it is shone. But it looks great regardless of the light! I'm heading down to the studio to make more beads today. Even though the day is a gray, drizzly day here in Michigan, I can see some of the green grass where the snow has melted, showing just a hint of spring to come. I am hoping that the flowers on my hearts will be a hint of spring, too. What fun!

I've been making hearts for St. Valentine's Day. Ann and Anita from Bonita Bead Boutique in Maumee, Ohio, asked me to make lots of hearts for their Festival of Hearts, so here is a pretty heart tab that I just made. I am thinking that it would look great as a pendant with a pair of matching etched earrings, of course. Just hang it on a ribbon or silver chain and you are ready to go. Oooo-la-la!

Jeesh. It's January already! I've been busy getting my events scheduled for 2010. I am still in the process but since I didn't start until a little over a week ago, I've definitely made progress. Hopefully, if you are in the area of one of my shows, you will be sure to stop by and see what I have been doing. I must admit that I haven't done much in the studio lately, but since Valentine's Day is about a month away, I put up one of my heart beads just for looks!

Omigosh! Where has the time gone? It's been almost month since my last entry. It's all of the shows, you know? We have been either getting ready or presenting our beads and jewelry non-stop. Yesterday was the last scheduled trunk show appearance for the season, and as much as we enjoyed it, it will be good to slow things down just a bit so that we can get caught up. I am finishing up the special holiday orders and already starting to think about spring. Hope you enjoy one of the new black, white and red tabs that I made this week. It looks great wired up as a pendant and hung on a pretty silver chain.

This time of the year, I am up to my eyeballs in bead-making! I am excited about all of the upcoming shows and the opportunity to meet with so many of you, I can hardly wait. But in the meantime, I am makin' beads. I spent the weekend working on my Coffee and Cream series. I've made so many of these beads--the color combination is so neutral and yet so rich, too.

Because I've had so many requests for the Coffee and Cream series in the larger hole beads that fit the myriad of bracelets that allow you to swap out the beads, I went ahead and made some Coffee and Cream designs. They are really beautiful and I think that you will like them, too.

Last Friday, we drove to Ferndale for the gallery opening of the guild collaboration project. Wow! It was so cool to see all of the interpretations of "Water All Around Us." Sue Schwartzenberger, my collaboration partner, and I were thrilled to see our project mounted on the wall. If you get a chance to stop by and see it, be sure to do so. It's worth the effort. Margaret Sutherland and Sue acted as co-chairs and they both did a GREAT job! Congratulations!