Amy Katz has been part of the world of seed beads since 1993 as a student, teacher and designer. Her admiration for high-end jewelry pieces is her inspiration. As her commitment to her own designs grew, Amy made the decision to give them a fine jewelry look using seed beads, crystals, pearls and other elegant materials. Using imagination, this vision has come to life as her signature style. Amy is a national teacher with a passion for sharing her love of the work. She is also the co-author of Beading Across America and author of Seed Bead Chic.
I am inspired by pieces of fine jewelry. Sometimes I see actual pieces in an ad or in a shop. At other times, ideas about a fine jewelry look pop into my head. I am not known for using a great amount of color in my work. I like to keep the look as close as possible to fine jewelry. My favorite beads in the world are Delica DB0038 (palladium plate) and Delica DB0031 (gold plate). These are the defining beads of almost all of my pieces.
My basic philosophy is to use the most expensive materials you can afford in your pieces. If you are going to put in the time to create, use upscale materials and make the pieces look great. It will also make them last longer. I would rather invest in a few expensive beads than dozens of less expensive ones that don’t do my pieces justice.
While seed beads are my first love, I am also starting to love shrink plastics. The company Shrinkets by Julie Haymaker makes a great product that is a wonderful marriage with seed beads. Both my "Inner Goddess Necklace" and "From Another Planet Necklace" are created with a mixture of Shrinkets and seed beads. Shrinkets are easy to use and allow you to add a little piece of your “art” to the work.
To contact Amy or see more of her amazing beadwork:
Website: www.beadjourney.com
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/AmyKatzBeadJourney
Email: amy@beadjourney.com
