Melissa Grakowsky Beadwork

Name That Kit!

2011-05-26T10:16:00.002-04:00

Now's your chance to name my next Beads East kit! Visit my Facebook Fan Page, "Melissa Grakowsky" and "like" it to view the necklace and earrings and submit your title. I'll choose my favorite from the entries and the kit will go live tomorrow with its new name on the Beads East website!

Class at Beads By Blanche in March

2011-02-23T09:30:00.002-05:00

There is still room in my class at Beads by Blanche in New Jersey March 12-13th. In this two-day class, you'll learn how to make lifelike beaded roses and assemble an elaborate necklace with many different components. Even if you don't like the necklace, you'll learn how to make amazingly lifelike roses using a simple bead weaving technique.

Visit www.beadsbyblanche.com to sign up!

2nd Exclusive Etsy pattern-Fern Earrings

2011-01-26T13:48:00.001-05:00

I've added another pattern exclusive to my Etsy site--Fern Earrings!

I'll soon add kits you can purchase with the pattern, so stay tuned!

"Lady Flora" Exclusive Etsy Kit

2011-01-18T20:49:00.002-05:00

I've released my latest bracelet pattern and kit as an exclusive Etsy offering. Check it out at http://grakowsky.etsy.com. You won't be able to get the pattern or kit anywhere else!

New Sinusoidal Class Section at the Bead and Button Show

2011-01-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

If any of you out there still want to take my Sinusoidal class at the Bead and Button Show, they opened a second section of it! I think it will be on Saturday and it will be a prelude class. Please check the website for the exact time/date and location!

Lady Godiva Bead Packs now available!

2010-12-30T17:52:00.003-05:00

I've just put together bead packs for my "Lady Godiva" necklace and listed them on Etsy. Now you can make one for yourself! If you need to purchase the pattern, you can do so at www.beadpatterncentral.com.

Fire Moutain Gems Win

2010-12-30T17:48:00.004-05:00

I have just been honored to receive the Gold Medal Grand Prize of Fire Mountain Gems' 2010 Pearls, Organic Beads, and Kato Polyclay beading competition! My necklace "Cultivation" is on display on the contest section of Fire Mountain Gems' website, check it out!

New Website Section-SHOW ME YOUR WORK!

2010-10-24T14:51:00.002-04:00

I am thinking about starting a new section of my website, grakowsky.net, that showcases the necklaces and bracelets you've completed from my kits or patterns! I think it would be neat to see the different colorways of kits and patterns stitched up.

But I want to hear from YOU if you think this is a good idea!

Send contributions or opinions to grakowsky@gmail.com

Fern Lariat Pattern and Kit now available!!!!

2010-10-12T12:57:00.002-04:00

After a long wait, the Fern Lariat is available both as a pattern and complete kit!!

Sorry for the long wait, but I promise it's worth the wait!

Third Headdress

2010-09-20T22:01:00.003-04:00

My Third Headdress is finished! Here are some step by step photos as I promised. I started on 9/13 and finished on 9/20. It is called "Vernal Equinox Headdress". Sorry there are not more, next time I promise I will take more!

Fire Mountain Gems Ad

2010-09-11T12:28:00.001-04:00

My "Matrimonial Headdress" made it to the back cover of Bead and Button Magazine this month!!

Etsy Beadweavers Sept. Challenge-Bollywood

2010-09-09T14:44:00.000-04:00

Voting is up for the September Etsy Beadweavers Challenge!

Go to http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ to vote for your favorite piece of beadwoven jewelry!

My piece, entitled "Bollywood Glamour" is entry #32!

Beading Classes Sept 17-19 2010

2010-09-08T13:40:00.001-04:00

Attention NEW YORK area Beaders!! My classes at Beads By Blanche in Bergenfield, New Jersey scheduled for the weekend of September 18th still have many seats open and are in danger of being canceled! If you're looking for something to do the weekend of the 18th, come take a beading class! www.beadsbyblanche.com

New Teaching Brochure

2010-09-06T21:59:00.000-04:00

I've created a new teaching brochure for 2010-2011 with seven brand new, never before seen projects. If you own a bead store or organize beading gatherings and would like me to come teach, check out my teaching brochure!

Sharon's Wildflower--first permanent Etsy pattern!

2010-08-26T21:40:00.001-04:00

My first pattern that will be continuously offered on Etsy is Sharon's Wildflower! I named this flower after my grandmother, Sharon. The pattern was featured in Bead and Button's April 2009 issue. I finally refined and re-finished my own version of the pattern and have it available in my Etsy store! I feel like I've actually gotten something accomplished this week.

Two Silver Medals from Fire Mountain

2010-08-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

The results are in!

I won a silver medal in the Earrings Category of Fire Mountain Gems' 2010 Seed Bead Contest for my fern earrings, and a silver medal in the Home Decor and Fashion Accessories category of FMG's 2010 Glass Bead Contest for my bridal headdress.

View all the winning designs and finalists for the Seed Bead Contest here and the Glass Bead contest here. Congratulations to Amy, Keiko, Jamie, Patricia, Paula, and Carol, all of the grand prize winners of the two contests!!

Classes at Beads by Blanche

2010-08-13T10:01:00.001-04:00

If you're in the Greater NY area and looking for a beading class, I'll be teaching at Beads by Blanche September 17th-19th! I'll be teaching three brand new workshops never before seen or taught!

Find out what they are at www.beadsbyblanche.com.

Bead and Button is almost here!

2010-06-03T11:27:00.000-04:00

I hope to see some of you there! Come to meet the teachers night, or find me Friday night at the Beads East booth!

New and Improved Etsy Store!

2010-05-17T09:19:00.002-04:00

I've expanded my Etsy store to include kits and patterns for some of my designs. Be on the lookout for designs that will be exclusive to Etsy.com! You won't be able to find these anywhere else...

Get 'em while they're here!

2010-05-16T17:29:00.000-04:00

Can't make it to Milwaukee this year for my "Hera" class? I've made these kits available on my Etsy site. There are only 40 of these Swarovski "Tabac" oval that is the centerpiece of this pendant in existence, as they have stopped producing them. So after these kits are gone, this colorway in this pattern will no longer exist!

Please note out of the forty that are made, five are reserved for my students at the Bead and Button Show.

Did you know your website runs away if you neglect it?

2010-05-01T20:14:00.000-04:00

I admit, I've been spending a lot more of my precious internet time on Facebook, and even this blog has been updated more this year than my actual website, grakowsky.com. Which has now apparently been sold to another hosting company NOT to my error, but to my web server's error.

I paid for my domain's renewal late, but I DID pay, and SOMEONE didn't give another someone this information. Right now my poor grakowsky.com is serving to direct traffic to links associated with the context of my name on the internet. Great. My web server (which shall remain nameless at the moment) tells me the problem should be getting worked out in the next 24 hours.

Let's wait and see, shall we??

Gearing up for the big show!

2010-03-04T13:19:00.001-05:00

I've been getting ready to teach at Beads by Blanche in New Jersey this weekend, as well as for the NY Bead Society on the 20th! I've also been gearing up for the Bead and Button Show in June. I never realized how much work goes into making kits! I just put together a kit for my Sunrise Lily and it's very cool!

Silver Medal Grand Prize

2010-02-24T10:43:00.000-05:00

"Matrimonial Headdress" recently took the silver medal grand prize in the 2009 Fire Mountain Gems: Swarovski Crystallized Elements Beading Contest! Check out the contest page to view the other amazing entries!

Celstial necklace pattern now available!

2010-02-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

I've made my Celestial necklace pattern available exclusively through Etsy.com, for instant download or a paper copy!

New necklace pattern: Renee's Garden

2010-01-11T12:06:00.001-05:00

I designed this necklace for my dear friend Renee, who has been like a mother to me. I named it after her and gave it to her on her birthday last year. The pattern is now available for download at www.beadpatterncentral.com.

New Class Available: Inexplicably Ndebele

2009-12-08T11:49:00.001-05:00

I have a new class available, called "Inexplicably Ndebele". The one-day class will cover the construction of a necklace that uses all Ndebele stitch in four variations that combine to make a very unique piece of jewelry.

If you are interested in me coming to your store to teach, download my class brochure here.

Fire Moutain Ad

2009-11-15T22:31:00.000-05:00

Here is the Fire Mountain Gems advertisement on the inside back cover of this month's Ornament Magazine, featuring my "Ceremonial Headdress"!

Vote for my Etsy Beadweavers November Challenge Entry!

2009-11-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

I've joined the Etsy Beadweavers Team just in time to enter their November beading challenge! The Etsy Beadweavers is a group of beading artists who have shops on Etsy.com where they sell their bead woven jewelry. There are over 200 amazing artists in this group! I couldn't believe when I joined how many talented bead-weavers there were on Etsy.

The November challenge is called "Beauty of the Flower". The goal of the contest was to choose a tropical flower and model a piece of jewelry after it, as realistically as possible. Check out the Etsy Beadweavers blog to vote for your favorite entry! You can vote from now until November 15th, and my entry is #13.

This is my entry:

"Draped Expectations" Bugles

2009-11-03T10:55:00.001-05:00

Looking for the hard-to-find 15mm Czech bugles I used in my "Draped Expectations" necklace? You can find these exact beads, plus the size #2 Czech bugles I used and many others too online at Beads East. Just look in the "Seed Beads" section, then in "Bugle Beads".

New Pattern

2009-10-24T19:29:00.000-04:00

My "Thumb Drive" pattern is now available on Bead Pattern Central. This pattern will allow you to create a decorative case for your most precious information!

Fern Lariat class

2009-10-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, November 15th, from 10am to 4pm I will be teaching a class on my "Fern Lariat" at Beads East in Manchester, CT. For more information and to sign up for the class visit http://www.beadseast.com/specialclasses.html.

If you can't make it to this class, I will also be teaching the "Fern Lariat" as a two-day class at Beads by Blanche in Bergenfield, New Jersey on March 6th and 7th 2010, as well as at the 2010 Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details will be forthcoming.

Bead and Button December Cover

2009-10-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

I just learned my necklace which I call "Victorian Elegance" is on the cover of December's Bead and Button Magazine!

Image courtesy of Kalmbach Publishing.

Welcome!

2009-10-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I plan to use this space as a way to share new beadwork with you and network with people with like interests!