Susan Bailey

Susan Bailey

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Contest 2010 featuring Pearls, Organic Beads and Kato Polyclay™

Gold Medal Prize Winner

Category: Jewelry Design Sets

Susan Bailey

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Contest 2010 featuring Pearls, Organic Beads and Kato Polyclay™

Finalist

Meet the Designer-Artist


Where do you live?
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Describe your artistic style.
I love old things and most of my designs have an antique feel to them.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Everything! From the delicate decoration of an antique spoon, to wallpaper, everything has an idea.

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
Small seed beads, you can build with them and create a lot of detail in your design.

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Wolf Spirit and Wolf Star

What inspired this design?
Fire Mountain Gems had the most amazing carved bone focal pieces. Once I saw them, I had to have them. They are even more detailed in person.

How did it come together?
Once distressed to focals, they seemed to dictate the design.

Share Your Background


When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
When I was young, about seven or eight, my grandmother bought me a flower bead-making kit. I was hooked and have loved beads ever since.

Who introduced you to beading?
This flower bead-making kit with seed beads and wire, it was actually simple.

Do you have an artistic background?
Yes. I have painted for many years and have gone to art school.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
A good friend shared the secret.

What other hobbies do you have?
Making beads, cooking and painting.

Do you belong to any beading societies or beading groups?
Yes, Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild.

Beading Success


What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
Full-time career.

If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
I have a website, I do fine art fairs (juried only) and I am always trying to keep my name in publications.

Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?
I donate the proceeds of my animal beads to the Humane Society.

Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
Just have fun! Your success is only going to come with your happiness, so if no one else likes your work, then it's great because you like it!

View all of Susan's designs in the Gallery of Designs.