A year ago, the Design team prepared for our Woodland Blush theme and realized we used a lot of Humblebeads in our designs. It inspired the idea for our Art Bead Partner program…so you could say it all started with Humblebeads! Heather Powers has been a friend of Vintaj for years and we were thrilled to have her attend our Two Day Workshop last Fall, where she shared her talents and her new book, Jewelry Designs from Nature!

How long have you been designing (selling) beads?
I began selling my beads nine years ago. I had been making my own beads for a line of jewelry that I sold at local artist markets. I decided to expand my business and offer my beads to other jewelry designers.

What is your background and how did you get started?
I started creating my own beads 16 years ago while I was in art school. I liked the instant gratification of beadmaking. I loved discovering the history of beads and applying my color and design skills to these mini canvases. I also loved creating jewelry with my own beads knowing that offered my work a creative edge in the marketplace.

Heather Powers of Humblebeads

{See Vintaj on the cover… this book is full of inspiration, it’s a must have!}

Where do you find inspiration for your lines and how often to you introduce new ones?
My inspiration comes from nature and art history. My beads find their roots in branches, the nests and woodland creatures of the forest. The garden and sea also breath life into my beads. I create new designs when the muse comes to visit and have new beads for each season.

Do you have a similar design process for each line?
Each bead starts off as a sketch and comes to life after careful planning and a few prototypes to refine the idea.

What kind of space do you design & create in?
I have a large studio that I was in the middle of setting up. It is now waiting for me to heal from a knee injury with a flight of steps taunting me! Needing a dedicated space for my work, we converted some of our living space into a temporary studio. As they say, “Make it work!” I can create in any space, but I am looking forward to returning to a ‘real’ studio.

How often do you get to design jewelry?
I love making jewelry and playing with my bead stash! I spend time each month working on samples, designs for publications and projects for my blog.

What are your favorite Vintaj products to use with your beads?
My “go to” pieces are Vintaj charms and pendants that go with my art beads. I’m drawn to leaves, birds and branches time and time again. I’m also somewhat obsessed with the 15mm jump rings and those awesome etched ones! And lately I have been having fun with my Vintaj Big Kick and metal blanks. I took the Vintaj two day workshop last fall and enjoyed learning all the mixed media tricks to use with my Vintaj collection.

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Is there anything you can add about our theme, Forest Friends…how your beads and Vintaj work together?
Thematically my beads work well with Vintaj products because both lines find their inspiration in nature. All three metal finishes compliment my color palettes and offer an earthy woodland feel. When I think of forest friends, birds are the strongest draw for me. Those feathered friends in brass mix so well with my polymer clay beads! Arte Metal owl charms perched above my disks in a branch pattern look great swinging from a large Vintaj jump ring. I could spend hours pairing up my beads with Vintaj components. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Vintaj design team creates with my beads!

For more inspiration and beads, visit Humblebeads:
BLOG
BEAD shop
ETSY shop
Check out her Vintaj Bead Partner Section for some of the goodies we used in our Forest Friends theme!

Heather is also the founder and editor of the Art Bead Scene Blog. The Art Bead Scene is an interactive blog that celebrates art beads and inspires those who use them. Published daily since March 2007!

Join us in our Forest Friends Design Challenge. Submissions due by NOON (CST) Friday, March 2.