Focus On: Kerrie Slade

Profile: Kerrie Slade

Shop http://kerrieslade.etsy.com/

Blog http://www.kerrieslade.blogspot.com/

Kerrie Slade is a published member of the EBW Team on Etsy.com. Her beautiful beaded blossoms have graced the cover of Bead&Button magazine.

Tell us about yourself. What makes you, you?

Hmmmmm, looking from the outside in I suppose I see a whimsical, nature loving, bead addicted Brit. with a quirky sense of humor and an eye for detail.

Do you see yourself as an artist or craftsman or both?

I've been called an artist and a technician (amongst other things lol!) and I never would have considered myself an artist, but I kind of like that idea. I'm still a little too self-controlled to really let myself go and be what I consider 'a proper artist' but I'm growing into my new skin gradually.

What made you want to be an artist?

It's still all relatively new to me and seems like the second stage in my life very far removed from the first stage. It was never planned, I just stumbled into it and am very grateful to whatever lead me here.

Why beads?

I can't answer that one, I think beads picked me rather than the other way around, but I have no complaints!

How do you see your style?

I like to see it as a kind of modern pared down style that uses age old techniques. Lots of floral pieces, generally a limited palette of colors, resulting in what I hope are very wearable pieces.

What's the most wonderful thing you've made? The oddest?

Wonderful - well I suppose so far I'm most proud of my Foxglove Trio necklace that appeared on the cover of the April issue of Bead & Button, I've had lots of great comments on that design. Oddest - a commission for a glow-in-the-dark floral belly bar!

What inspires you?

Nature - flowers, butterflies, trees, the sky - oh and the beads themselves ... just seeing a particular color or finish of beads can spark off an idea.

What scares you?
Freeform! I know lots of beadweavers just love the freedom of expression it gives them, but I feel a strong need to be precise and symmetrical!

Tell us about your creative process.

Generally, I see a flower in the garden I want to try and recreate in beads or an image of a finished piece flits into my mind. Then I either jot down some notes and add them to the list of things to try, or get working straight away. It's rare that a piece ever turns out how I imagined and there is always lots of trial and error, unpicking and remaking involved. I have partially made pieces, still with long threads attached, all over the place. If it does work, and it's a design that a magazine is interested in, then I remake it, writing and testing step-by-step instructions as I go.

How did you get on Etsy and where else do you sell?

I opened an Etsy shop just over three months ago, after hearing lots of other bead buddies in the UK talking about it. I haven't sold anything there yet, but it's been a lot of fun learning the ropes and 'meeting' new people. I generally sell my work via craft fairs, galleries, my website and word of mouth.

Describe your shop.

Eyecatching!

Make a recommendation.

Recommendation - of another Etsy shop you mean? It would have to be all of the EBW team members shops!

Tell us the answer to a question that we didn't ask, but should have. If you can't think of anything, tell us something random.

What is your favorite beadweaving stitch? Ndebele/Herringbone.