BEAD CROCHET SNAKES ON SALE!!

To add some excitement to these dog days of summer, Bead Crochet Snakes: History and Technique is on sale at Sova Enterprises! From July 17 though August 14, the price will be only $17.25. For more details visit http://www.sova-enterprises.com/catalog/specials.php.

For those not familiar with the book, I have written a history of the bead crochet snakes made by the Turkish soldiers captured by the Allied forces during World War I, bead crochet snakes made by village women in the Balkans after World War I, and snakes made specifically to be worn as necklaces.

There are also patterns for people who want to make their own bead crochet snake jewelry.

JAPANESE CROCHET BLOG

I am busy working on some new bead designs but, in the meantime, have fun with this look at fun and inventive crocheted items on this Japanese blog http://blog.livedoor.jp/m203gow. It takes a minute to load but scroll down past the Japanese characters to view the photos--the mushrooms were my favorite.

SIDEWALK CATWALK

As I was fruitlessly hunting through the bead district in Manhattan for some size 15/0 Japanese seed beads today, I stumbled upon the Sidewalk Catwalk event. This is a series of mannequins wearing fashions by 32 local fashion designers, some famous and some not--or at least not yet. The fashion show is located on the pedestrian plazas along Broadway between Herald Square and Times Square. Here are photos of most of the mannequins around Herald Square; note that I am guessing about some of the materials.

PRABAL GURUNG: outfit made of paper and screen (I think)

ISABEL TOLEDO: dress of screen or mesh with drinking straws.

ELIE TAHARI: dress of riveted metal and glass or plastic

RACHEL ROY: bodice of plastic cabochons fastened to fabric, mesh skirt, felt(?) vest.





YEOHLEE TENG: a dress of bricks

REBECCA MOSES; top knit or crocheted out of some kind of eyelash trim with knit, metal wire sleeves. Belt is snakeskin and the skirt is felt(?). The best part was the metal bracelets.

BETSY JOHNSON: Paint with a belt of real flowers.

CHRISTOPHER CIACCA AND ARIEL PENZER: Dress of those same plastic cabs and some kind of electronics parts (?) fastened to fabric.

The mannequins will be on display through Labor Day.

SHIPWRECK BEADS GIVEAWAY

Shipwreck Beads is doing a weekly drawing to give away 2 $250 gift cards to their electronic newsletter subscribers through September 1, 2010. To enter the drawing, just sign up for the newsletter at http://www.shipwreckbeads.com. Your newsletter number will then be entered in the drawing.