Fabric of My Life with Shelley Graham Turner: Knot Just Macrame

Play Date artist (PDa) is a new feature here on my blog. I send out a package to my playmate which includes some of my handmade components (beads, charms and/or focals) along with a few coordinating beads and findings. My playmate and I will both create a piece of jewelry using those same select components plus some of our own stash.

Today I am having a beady play date with one of my favorite Facebook friends, Sherri Hartman Stokey, of Knot Just Macrame.

Sherri is a fabulous micro-macrame artist. I won't even TRY to play in her macrame world because my work would be a total embarrassment compared to her mastery. I mean when I say she is good, I mean she is GOOD!!

Look at one of her Dragon bracelets...

Look at that detail! The craftmanship is excellent!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/111853062/asian-coin-polymer-focal-beadpendant

I decided to send Sherri one of my newest pieces, the Asian Coin. I created this one with gold clay and antiqued it after baking. Next I added copper pigment mixed with liquid polymer clay and hit it up with a heat gun to set the colors. Turning up the heat ended up adding a little more texture to the piece. I love how it turned out.

I added a shank to the back of the focal bead, Asian Coin, because this is the type piece Sherri normally uses in her jewelry.

I put together this soup with a few coordinating bits and pieces, one for Sherri and one for me.

Now we don't have to use all these in our jewelry pieces, and we can use our own stash, but we do have to use the focal piece, my Asian Coin.

So here is a few pictures of a bracelet I created -

The colors look a little different when placed on a different background. I don't really like the way the shank button sits so I will probably replace it with one that sits flat and connects on each side of the focal bead -

Here is a closeup of the seed beads and pearls which were interwoven into the copper chain using 7-strand stringing wire.

So now you know what I did with my beads..

NOW, what did Sherri do with hers? LET'S go and SEE! CLICK HERE!!

READ my BFF feature about Sherri Stokey by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks for coming by and be sure to tune in next week for our next episode!

This week's featured artist is Sherri Hartman Stokey, of KnotJust Macrame!

I love Sherri! She's such a sweetheart. But besides that, her work with micro macramé is outstanding and inspiring. Come - learn more about my friend, Sherri!

VITALS:

Real Name? Sherri Stokey. Sherri Lynn to familyJ Yes, a bit like Elsie May or Billy Bob or John Boy…

Location? North Platte, NE. Take a pin and stick it smack dab in the middle of the continental USA then scootch it just a teeny bit to the left – that’s me!

Marital Status or Relationship? Married to the same man for 26 years

Children? Two offspring. My son is just a week shy of 20 years old and my daughter is 16.

Pets? One big, lazy, loveable Black Lab; one retired police service dog (German Shepherd); one spoiled rotton mini-doxie; and a garage cat.

Other hobbies or interests? Everything! I’m an Aries – I like to try everything and I bore easilyJ Right now I’m obsessed with anything bead-related , but I’ve done ceramics, sewing, cross stitch, stained glass, cake decorating, scrapbooking and genealogy (I’m probably forgetting a bunch of stuff, but that should give you an idea). I love to cook and I really love to travel. I like fantasy and science fiction (not to worry, I haven’t attended a convention yet and don’t own any costumes LOL) and everything history related. Oh, and ancient Egypt – everything about that fascinates me.

These interviews are shared with my blog readers but are really for me, I love to know what is behind the art. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

BFF: What do you do with beads?

SHERRI: I do mostly macramé – and I prefer micro macrame with thin cords and tiny seed beads. But I’ve done some stringing, some bead embroidery, some weaving… I want to do everything (remember, I’m an Aries – that’s my new excuse for everything!).

BFF: How would you describe your role in the beading world?

SHERRI: I’m not sure I HAVE a role in the beading world. I’m just over here in my own world doing what I love to do and sharing it with anyone interested enough to watch.

BFF: How long have you been working with beads?

SHERRI: If you count the first time I did macramé back in the 70’s, for about 40 years LOL. But I did take a pretty big break in thereJ I’ve got interested again about 5 years ago.

BFF: What is your style? And what attracts you to this style?

SHERRI: I don’t think I have a style, unless “whatever I like at the moment” counts. Sometimes I like everything fussy and feminine, sometimes casual and grungy.

Statement Necklace

BFF: What are your favorite metals to use?

SHERRI: I use antiqued copper and brass mostly. And antiqued silver. I usually can’t afford sterling and gold just seems too formal for me.

BFF: What is your favorite stringing medium to use?

SHERRI: I don’t do enough stringing to have an opinionJ

BFF: What is your favorite color palette?

SHERRI: Teal, aqua, seashore colors, definitely. I do belong to a challenge group which helps me move outside my comfort zone and try different color combos, though, and I think that’s good for me.

BFF: Your technique(s)?

SHERRI: Does this count? I like to pull out all the beads and findings and cord that might work in my design so I can see them together and try different combinations. I have almost as much fun digging through my stash and playing with my beads as I do actually creating a piece. I like to photograph my “palette” and my finish pieces – sort of a “before” and “after”. It’s just fun seeing how a pile of beads and cord can be transformed into something beautiful.

BFF: What else would you like to try your hand at?

SHERRI: Enameling – I bought a torch fired enamel kit and tried it once and I melted the window blinds, but I’m pretty sure that was a fluke. Looming- I bought an inexpensive loom, but haven’t tried it yet. Kumihimo – I bought the stuff for it… Are you seeing the trend here? Come to think of it, I think my “technique” is collecting.

BFF: Other artist/designer(s) you admire? Any special reason why?

SHERRI: Many! There are several lampwork artists I admire and I’d hate to name any and forget some, so I’ll just leave it at that. That’s a medium I don’t think I’d attempt so I really admire those who can create such beautiful beads.

Erin Simonetti and her loom work. She is doing some absolutely amazing piece that change the way I think of loomed pieces. I can’t wait for her book to come out.

BFF: Where do you want to be in 5 years from now?

SHERRI: Retired from my “regular” job, spending winters somewhere warm and still making jewelry.

BFF: What’s your favorite quote or saying?

SHERRI: I can’t think of one right off…

BFF: Any advice you'd give to new artists who are just beginning in your medium?

SHERRI: Don’t be afraid to experiment – cord is cheap!

BFF: What is your favorite blog that you like to follow?

SHERRI: The Beading Gem’s Journal. Pearl Blay scours the world for new and interesting jewelry artists, techniques, tutorials, etc.

Sherri's BSBP entry!

BFF: What has been your favorite Blog Hop or Challenge?

SHERRI: I’ve only done a couple of Blog Hops – in fact, I’ve only had a blog for a couple of months now. One of the things that finally pushed me into starting one was so I could participate in some of the hops.

I’m in the first reveal of LoriAnderson’s Bead Soup Blog Party ® and I’m insanely excited about it (I know, what a geek, huh). I love, love, love looking at everyone’s blogs to see what they made.

Quirky questions often give us a better understanding of the real person behind the artist, so here goes…

BFF: If you had all the money in the world, what would you buy?

SHERRI: My own island with a beach. And a huge house with guests houses for friends and family - with a whole wing for beads. Like my own private bead store with EVERYTHING so no matter what I felt like making, I’d have the stuff on hand. And a margarita machine. I know, I know, I was supposed to say “world peace”…

BFF: As a child what was your favorite cartoon or tv show? why?

SHERRI: Land of the Lost on Saturday mornings – so full of cheesy, sci-fi goodness – with dinosaurs mixed in. What’s not to love?!

BFF: Favorite toy as a child? why?

SHERRI: Barbies. Malibu Barbie was the bomb. Or my Crissy doll – she had hair that “grew” (okay, you pulled it out of a hole in her head, but it DID get longer LOL) Oh, and my brother’s Legos. (Editor's Note: I had a Crissy doll too - LOVED her!)

BFF: Favorite subject in school? why?

SHERRI: Probably math. It always makes sense – not really any gray areas, nothing open to interpretation. All is right with the universe. (Editor’s Note: Amen, sister!)

BFF: What was your favorite YEAR of your life thus far? why?

SHERRI: Hmmm… I’m going to say 1998 because both of my children were born by then and my father-in-law and my grandparents were all still alive. All of my favorite people in the whole world were part of my world. I’d love to go back and have just one more of those days just to savor it a little more. I try to remember that and apply it now. Someday I will probably look back with longing on this time in my life. Funny how that works.

Sherri is in my Etsy circle and I have noticed how alike our “tastes” are, and I follow herfavorite links A LOT! I think we are really “soul sisters” because we have so much in common (like my name, it's Shelley Lynn). YES, we share common interests and talents - although I do NOT have the micro macramé gene! I do NOT have the patience or talent it takes to create such beautiful pieces. Thank goodness I can buy all I like from wonderful artists such as Sherri!