Dawn Dalto BlueBearBeads by Sigrid Wynne-Evans     © January 2006   I remember some years ago, seeing ads in Bead and Button Magazine that absolutely thrilled me! For some time, the ad in each new issue was something I looked forward to seeing. The artist was unknown to me, but later I learned it was Dawn Dalto. Her designs have always been exquisite!

Dawn is a southern belle! She was born in Raleigh, NC, lived in Greensboro, NC, Charlotte, NC and Murrells Inlet, SC. Dawn now makes her home in Asheville, NC. The advantage to living in the mountains, according to Dawn, is that she is able to see the beauty of the mountains everyday. Dawn attended a community college for a couple of years and studied accounting. She decided not to stay in the accounting field, but what she did learn helped her when she had her own business.

Sampling of Dawn's Designs:
            

Dawn's immediate family consists of Les her "significant other" or "Lova!" (This title is courtesy of one of her more world traveled customers/friends. It must be said as you toss your hair back over your shoulder dramatically!) Les (full name: Les Powell) is a potter. After being around Dawn long enough he even makes raku beads (www.SmokingTurtleStudio.com). Dawn also has a younger sister who lives in the Asheville area and her mom in Greensboro, NC.

From a very young age Dawn has always done some form of hand work. She has 2 talented grandmothers and a talented mother. Dawn discovered beads in the mid 90's when she belonged to the Embroiders' Guild of America and was working on a self designed piece of cross stitch with a beadwork border. She worked on the old mini loom that you had when you were a kid! Taking the loom and a loaned Carole Wells book Creative Beadweaving to a meeting and Dawn was hooked. From then on needlework went out the window and Dawn was beading! Dawn has taken classes from Carole Wells and David Chatt. Other than that her knowledge has been gleaned from books, magazines and the internet.

Sampling of Dawn's Designs:
            

Dawn started designing because when she I began beading there wasn't an abundance of patterns readily available in her area. She had always followed others designs in her needlework but she had to learn to make adjustments with her beadwork. The pattern may have been to her liking, but she didn't always have the exact materials that were needed. This led to improvising and improvising led to creating. There wasn't anyone to tell her whether it was right or wrong. As long as the thread stayed inside the bead it was right (and still is!).

The next step was that Dawn was fascinated by photo realistic bead images. She purchased Beadscape and began experimenting. After completing a few designs and having them complimented by other beaders she decided to take the leap and put together a pattern. Beginning with advertising a few patterns in Bead & Button Dawn later developed her own website. Dawn doesn't remember how she found out about B-P but she was instantly interested. Dawn gave it a try and Rita was very patient with the pdf learning curve!

Sampling of Dawn's Designs:
         

One of Dawn's "masterpieces" is a RAW Scarf that she did several years ago. Dawn's favorite design that she created is still her first photo realistic amulet (Shadow Bear). Like a lot of artists, she is never satisfied. She has been a "business person" for the past several years and hasn't taken the time to really work on beadwork. Dawn is trying to change that. Dawn laments: "I got into this business because I love to bead and now I don't have time to bead. Something is wrong with this picture!" Dawn closed the bead store that she owned, and scaled back the number of bead shows that she is doing and changing her product line to focus more on her own designs and kits. She hopes that this will let her get back to creating. Presently, Dawn is looking for a day job. Having been self employed for the past 9 years, Dawn finds that the present economy is making it rather rough to continue that. She is going back in to administrative/office type of work. Dawn hopes that this is for the short term and hopes to get back to supporting herself with her beads! She wants to continue to publish patterns and offer more kits for those patterns. Also, Dawn wants to focus on teaching more. Another goal that Dawn has is to take her personal beadwork to a larger scale and develop more of a gallery persona. Additionally, Dawn also works as a wholesale rep for Tambrook Beads. Having operated her own store she knows how time consuming ordering can be. Dawn has developed a unique inventory/order system for the stores she works with, taking all the work out of reordering seed beads. Dawn lives and works currently in a 34' RV. Her workspace can be the front seat of the RV or at the picnic table beside the RV or sitting beside the river. For designing on the computer, Dawn uses Beadscape. In addition, she had to learn quite a few different software programs in order to publish her own patterns: QuarkXpress, PhotoShop, FreeHand, etc.

"Just doing it!" is Dawn's biggest joy. Dawn was very excited a few years back when a friend called to tell her that she saw a lady wearing a completed amulet from one of Dawn's designs on TV (it was either Letterman or Leno). She was the lady that was attacked by a bear in Yellowstone and survived. It was one of Dawn's bear designs that she was wearing. Dawn looked her up after that and she was indeed one of her customers.

Sampling of Dawn's Designs:
         

When asked "What have been your biggest personal (not necessarily bead related) challenges, and accomplishments?" Dawn answered: "Divorce! It was the single worst and best thing that has happened to me. Through it I learned how to deal with depression, stand on my own feet and stand up for myself. I found friends in the most unexpected places and learned what I already knew, beaders are the greatest." "This is just one of many events that transpired during that time. I had just completed yet another frustrating and upsetting phone call with my ex. I was in my shop alone and didn't have the choice of leaving or staying. I was crying (and it wasn't a cry that I could get under control in just a few minutes). In came 2 ladies. Obviously I was upset. They both came around my counter and asked could they give me a hug. No questions, they just thought I needed a hug." "One of my favorite reminders has come from my divorce experience. I am the only one who is responsible for my happiness. If I am unhappy I am the only one who is responsible to change it. Take responsibility for your life."

Dawn's final thoughts: "I do it all to keep venison nuggets in the kitty bowl. It's Polly's world! Polly is my kitty cat. We have the RV because she was angry at being left home when we were doing bead shows. Now she goes along." "I have done an amulet purse of her and this is the story that is included in the pattern. The verse in the strap of this amulet is very apt for Polly's story. I believe that we have entertained an angel and would like to encourage everyone to entertain there own angels. I am owned by Polly. We all know that dogs have owners and cats have a staff." "Polly was my shop cat. She is now a full time traveling RV cat. Polly came to me through my sister Tonia who is a veterinary technician in Asheville, NC. Tonia loves animals and works hard to foster homeless animals into loving families. Knowing this, a friend brought Polly to Tonia. At the time Polly only weighed about 6 lbs. and was pregnant. Additionally, she was wearing a flea collar that someone had placed on her as a kitten and she had managed to step through it with one leg. Being either abandoned or lost, the collar had never been removed and she had grown-up. When she was found her little body had begun to grow around the collar and surgery was necessary to remove it." "Tonia took Polly in and I believe already had designs for her to become my shop cat. The next time I visited Tonia, she began encouraging me to take Polly home. It wasn't a hard sell since she got right up into bed with me the first night and started purring and nudging to be petted." "Naturally, she came along when I returned home. I consider her a wonder cat. She has been here through thick and thin with me and I would be lost without her".

   
Polly                     &               Dawn