My Favorite Bead Art Links! Unique Beaded Jewelry Elizabeth Kobelka Bead Cave Artful Bead Creations beAd Infinitum Ruby's Beadwork

I would really like to hear from my visitors and maybe share your work in pictures. I will continue to update my site as I complete designing and creating my art. So please stop back from time to time. You can contact me directly at erin@simonetti.com When I was twelve years old, my Great Aunt made me a wooden bead loom, much like was seen in Native American Publications. With some beads and string, I found my self beading, any and every chance I could get. Since there were no books readily available, as there are today, to give patterns and teach techniques, I had to devise ways to utilize all the little strips of beads I had loomed! My idea of 3-D beading came to light! This then created another dilemma of deciding how to secure my creations, decrease and ascend rows to accomplish particular shapes. I also purchased a lot of graph paper to plan out my designs and color them accordingly. I always enjoyed graphing large scenes and designs depicting flowers, birds and butterflies. My first three dimensional necklace were completed early in these times, but today I have proven finer techniques. My goal was always to use glass seed beads, 11/0, 15/0, 22/0 and smaller, create a realistic design, and mold them like clay to make wearable art. Some people have commented that my work looks like painted fabric and not beads! My College days found me a student at the Maryland Institute of Art, majoring in crafts. Again, there was no outlet, at that time, for beads, so I confined my interests to stained glass and painting. Later, hosting a stained glass class in the evenings for interested friends. I have been married for over 28 years, living on a 10 acre piece of property in Howard County, Maryland. Together, my husband and I own two businesses, 'Content Contracting' (repairs to any and all household goods) and a 'Personal Property Appraiser' with the ISA. Through this time as well, I continued to perfect my "mind's eye" of beading.   My husband and three children, ages 13, 17 and 18, have been very supportive of my "constant beading". Introducing myself to the 'beading and festival' communities had been a perfect way to meet others, also interested in creating art through the medium of beads. In this light, I have met many "bead lovers" who feel as passionate for beading as I do. I have shown my work, as a vendor, in many 'jury selected' art shows, been published in magazines and books. Thank you to everyone who has purchased my work and contacted me via e-mail with their support! Please feel free to contact me, any time, for questions or comments. I'll probably be working in my studio!! erin@simonetti.com "Copyright: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Erin Simonetti All rights reserved No part of this site is to be reproduced for sale, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the artist." If you have any questions about my beadwork or art, e-mail Me!! erin@simonetti.com