March at Dragonfly Beads

Well, I avoided a mushy-gushy letter during the “Month of Love” in February, but this month, I just want to tell ALL of my customers how much I appreciate you! You are what allows me to do what I enjoy doing. You keep me on my toes, and whether you know it or not, encourage me to continue to stretch my creative limits. So I want to give you all a big BIG thank you and a giant virtual hug. The response to last month’s newsletter has been overwhelmingly positive, and another thanks is due. Thank you for choosing to spend your money locally and avoid the big box stores. I count myself as so lucky for being in a position to meet and form relationships with such creative and kind souls. Thank you for the continued support of local businesses!

Since I am so inspired by my customers, I want to inspire you…to get creative! This month, keep the receipt for any purchase you make of beads at Dragonfly Beads. Finish a project with those beads within the month, and submit your piece for entry into a new beading contest! Submissions will be judged by this very mailing list, and winners will receive a gift certificate for 50% of their initial cost. (So if you spend $50 on supplies and you win, you’ll get a gift certificate for $25!) Submissions need to be in by Tuesday, March 31st, and voting will be the week of April 6th through the 10th.

To help inspire your creativity, I am introducing a new offer, with NO EXPIRATION! From now on, take 10% off all books and magazines in store, and 30% off all back issues!

Congratulations to Ann Stefanini, who is the winner of this month’s Frequent Beader drawing. Ann will receive 40% off one regularly priced item in store.

I’ve been remiss about offering a Tip of the Month, but this month, I’m offering one in honor of Laura Slivinski, who was lamenting that during a recent beading project, her thread kept being cut by her bugle beads. This tip courtesy of beadwork.about.com (http://beadwork.about.com/od/tipstricksandtems/qt/Bugles_Cut_Thrd.htm)

“Do you love to work with bugle beads but hate the way their sharp edges cut through your beading thread? Here's a great way to keep the bugle beads from doing that! First, inspect your bugle beads. If they are very rough or sharp at the edges, make sure you can incorporate a small seed bead as a "buffer". You can place a seed bead at the end of each bugle so that the thread will exit (and have its tension over) a seed bead instead of the edge of a bugle bead. Most beading projects are not so exacting as to be disturbed by this small change of size and you'll be so much happier with fewer cut threads. You can even use the added seed beads as a design element - just take the project colors into account and use a similar or contrasting color or a slightly different finish in the seed bead glass versus the bugle bead glass.”

Finally, I am bursting with excitement today. One of my Reliquary pieces was accepted into the juried exhibit at these years PMC Convention in Purdue Indiana. The exhibit is entitled “Cultural Messages: Symbolism Through the Ages”. I am thrilled to have been asked to showcase something that I am so honored to create. It means so much to me to be able to make these memorial pieces and it is amazing to have my work recognized in such a large forum.

Ok, enough tooting my own horn. Remember that Chris and Jackie Rice of CNY Glass will be here this Saturday, March 6th, with some delightful St Patrick's Day themed beads, as well as their beautiful and one-of-a kind originals.

Stay tuned for the March class list. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you. Enjoy some green beer and a day of good luck! And bead lucky!

erin



	Happy March! Well, I avoided a mushy-gushy letter during the “Month of Love” in February, but this month, I just want to tell ALL of my customers how much I appreciate you! You are what allows me to do what I enjoy doing. You keep me on my toes, and whether you know it or not, encourage me to continue to stretch my creative limits. So I want to give you all a big BIG thank you and a giant virtual hug. The response to last month’s newsletter has been overwhelmingly positive, and another thanks is due. Thank you for choosing to spend your money locally and avoid the big box stores. I count myself as so lucky for being in a position to meet and form relationships with such creative and kind souls. Thank you for the continued support of local businesses! Since I am so inspired by my customers, I want to inspire you…to get creative! This month, keep the receipt for any purchase you make of beads at Dragonfly Beads. Finish a project with those beads within the month, and submit your piece for entry into a new beading contest! Submissions will be judged by this very mailing list, and winners will receive a gift certificate for 50% of their initial cost. (So if you spend $50 on supplies and you win, you’ll get a gift certificate for $25!) Submissions need to be in by Tuesday, March 31st, and voting will be the week of April 6th through the 10th. To help inspire your creativity, I am introducing a new offer, with NO EXPIRATION! From now on, take 10% off all books and magazines in store, and 30% off all back issues! Congratulations to Ann Stefanini, who is the winner of this month’s Frequent Beader drawing. Ann will receive 40% off one regularly priced item in store. I’ve been remiss about offering a Tip of the Month, but this month, I’m offering one in honor of Laura Slivinski, who was lamenting that during a recent beading project, her thread kept being cut by her bugle beads. This tip courtesy of beadwork.about.com (http://beadwork.about.com/od/tipstricksandtems/qt/Bugles_Cut_Thrd.htm) “Do you love to work with bugle beads but hate the way their sharp edges cut through your beading thread? Here's a great way to keep the bugle beads from doing that! First, inspect your bugle beads. If they are very rough or sharp at the edges, make sure you can incorporate a small seed bead as a "buffer". You can place a seed bead at the end of each bugle so that the thread will exit (and have its tension over) a seed bead instead of the edge of a bugle bead. Most beading projects are not so exacting as to be disturbed by this small change of size and you'll be so much happier with fewer cut threads. You can even use the added seed beads as a design element - just take the project colors into account and use a similar or contrasting color or a slightly different finish in the seed bead glass versus the bugle bead glass.” Finally, I am bursting with excitement today. One of my Reliquary pieces was accepted into the juried exhibit at these years PMC Convention in Purdue Indiana. The exhibit is entitled “Cultural Messages: Symbolism Through the Ages”. I am thrilled to have been asked to showcase something that I am so honored to create. It means so much to me to be able to make these memorial pieces and it is amazing to have my work recognized in such a large forum. Ok, enough tooting my own horn. Remember that Chris and Jackie Rice of CNY Glass will be here this Saturday, March 6th, with some delightful St Patrick's Day themed beads, as well as their beautiful and one-of-a kind originals. Stay tuned for the March class list. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you. Enjoy some green beer and a day of good luck! And bead lucky! erin