Bio Link
Tara has trained with several artisans in metalsmithing and beadwork techniques. Tara works part time from her studio at home. Tara’s jewelry and wraps are currently sold through the web site and at Rehfeld’s Art and Framing in Sioux Falls, SD; The Center for Western Studies Gift Shop in Sioux Falls, SD; Aviena in Sioux Falls, SD; Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD; South Dakota State Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings, SD; and Museum of Visual Arts in Sioux Falls, SD.
Red Door Creations | Sioux Falls Jewelry and Art
Prairie Palette Exhibit
I am so proud of our church for supporting and funding the music and arts ministry! Myself and two other artists have our drawings and paintings on display in the Sacred Grounds room at church. Sacred Grounds is a place where people meet to visit, put a puzzle together or have a cup of coffee while reading the Sunday paper. We will have our work on display until the end of May. The church is also an inspiring meeting place for Prairie Palette, which is the art group I founded. The building is historic and it was built out of pink quartzite stone. I love looking at the stained glass windows and one window with a scene of the moon reflecting in water was the subject for my last drawing. I put the drawing on a postcard and mailed it out to my mother-in-law, who was recuperating from knee surgery in a nursing home. She said she loved it and she wants me to send more!
Associated Press Article
This article appeared in Forbes, Business Week, Yahoo News and other media throughout the world in October of 2011!
"South Dakota Woman Creates Jewelry Out of Corn
by Kristi Eaton
Sioux Falls, SD- Tara Barney doesn't think food, feed or fuel when she sees row after row of the corn South Dakota harvests each year. She thinks fashion.
Using corn kernels in a multitude of colors as beads, Barney creates necklaces and earrings to sell at stores and museums across the state and online.
"It pretty much embodies South Dakota, " she said.
The state harvests more than 400 million bushels of corn each year, and boasts the Corn Palace, a tourist attraction known for colorful exterior murals made of corn and other game.
Creating the corn jewelry, Barney said, is also a way to convert waste materials into something new or of better quality. Much of the colorful corn the Sioux Falls woman uses for her pieces was originally going to be fed to cattle. Barney contacted the farmer who grows the variety of colors for the Corn Palace in Mitchell and instead of giving his leftover to his livestock, (he sold four bushels to her for $20).
"It's grown, raised, picked, harvested, made all in South Dakota, and that's kind of a rarity, " Barney said.
Barney starts by separating the kernels from the corn cob. She then clips the sharp edges off the kernels and drills a hole in each kernel before stringing them like beads. Many of her pieces combine kernels with contrasting glass or seed beads. Making one $20 necklace can take a lot of time and work, said Barney, who sells the pieces as part of her arts and crafts company, Red Door Creations.
Still, working with the colorful corn has personal appeal. Barney's family used to grow it in their garden when she was growing up in South Dakota and Iowa. Barney recently held a class at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings to teach others how to turn one of the state's most abundant crops into a fashion accessory.
Carrie Van Buren, one of the museum curators, asked Barney to offer the class after learning about the jewelry.
"I mean, how much more agricultural can you get in South Dakota?" she said. "Combining agriculture and jewelry was just too much to resist.".,..
"South Dakota Woman Creates Jewelry Out of Corn
by Kristi Eaton
Sioux Falls, SD- Tara Barney doesn't think food, feed or fuel when she sees row after row of the corn South Dakota harvests each year. She thinks fashion.
Using corn kernels in a multitude of colors as beads, Barney creates necklaces and earrings to sell at stores and museums across the state and online.
"It pretty much embodies South Dakota, " she said.
The state harvests more than 400 million bushels of corn each year, and boasts the Corn Palace, a tourist attraction known for colorful exterior murals made of corn and other game.
Creating the corn jewelry, Barney said, is also a way to convert waste materials into something new or of better quality. Much of the colorful corn the Sioux Falls woman uses for her pieces was originally going to be fed to cattle. Barney contacted the farmer who grows the variety of colors for the Corn Palace in Mitchell and instead of giving his leftover to his livestock, (he sold four bushels to her for $20).
"It's grown, raised, picked, harvested, made all in South Dakota, and that's kind of a rarity, " Barney said.
Barney starts by separating the kernels from the corn cob. She then clips the sharp edges off the kernels and drills a hole in each kernel before stringing them like beads. Many of her pieces combine kernels with contrasting glass or seed beads. Making one $20 necklace can take a lot of time and work, said Barney, who sells the pieces as part of her arts and crafts company, Red Door Creations.
Still, working with the colorful corn has personal appeal. Barney's family used to grow it in their garden when she was growing up in South Dakota and Iowa. Barney recently held a class at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings to teach others how to turn one of the state's most abundant crops into a fashion accessory.
Carrie Van Buren, one of the museum curators, asked Barney to offer the class after learning about the jewelry.
"I mean, how much more agricultural can you get in South Dakota?" she said. "Combining agriculture and jewelry was just too much to resist.".,..
South Dakota Magazine Article
This article was featured in the "We Make It" section of the March 2012 issue of South Dakota Magazine:
"Tara Barney has handcrafted jewelry with stones and metal for over 20 years, but her Elegant Corn jewelry line began as a light hearted entry to an art exhibit. Today corn necklaces and earrings leave her Sioux Falls studio so quickly she recently hired her first employee to satisfy demand.
Growing up on an acreage 10 miles west of the state's largest city, Barney's family frequently planted colored corn in their garden. The memory resurfaced in 2009 when the Horse Barn Arts Center hosted an exhibit called "The Prairie," which invited artists to interpret the Great Plains through various motifs. "I remembered the colored corn and wondered what would happen if I paired it with glass beads and called it "Elegant Corn" as a joke, Barney recalls. "I tracked down the farmer who grows corn for the Corn Palace and I bought four bushels for $20. I entered my first necklace made with brown corn and tan glass beads and it sold. Then I knew I was on to something."
Creating corn jewelry is a labor-intensive process. Barney scrapes each ear of corn by hand , and then cuts a fine hole through each kernel using a jeweler's drill. Between 50 and 80 kernels, alternated with colorful beads, go on each necklace.
Even though corn is a natural product, Barney says it's as solid as a rock and won't deteriorate. "People think you need to treat it but you don't," she says. "Each kernel has a hard coating, like a nut or any other seed. People have been making jewelry from nuts and seeds and other natural things for thousands of years."
Barney also scours the state in search of other natural decorations. She creates pheasant feather earrings and necklaces made from pine cone leaves, which are collected by a friend on the Pine Ridge reservation. Barney
s jewelry is available through her website, www.reddoorcreations.com.
"Tara Barney has handcrafted jewelry with stones and metal for over 20 years, but her Elegant Corn jewelry line began as a light hearted entry to an art exhibit. Today corn necklaces and earrings leave her Sioux Falls studio so quickly she recently hired her first employee to satisfy demand.
Growing up on an acreage 10 miles west of the state's largest city, Barney's family frequently planted colored corn in their garden. The memory resurfaced in 2009 when the Horse Barn Arts Center hosted an exhibit called "The Prairie," which invited artists to interpret the Great Plains through various motifs. "I remembered the colored corn and wondered what would happen if I paired it with glass beads and called it "Elegant Corn" as a joke, Barney recalls. "I tracked down the farmer who grows corn for the Corn Palace and I bought four bushels for $20. I entered my first necklace made with brown corn and tan glass beads and it sold. Then I knew I was on to something."
Creating corn jewelry is a labor-intensive process. Barney scrapes each ear of corn by hand , and then cuts a fine hole through each kernel using a jeweler's drill. Between 50 and 80 kernels, alternated with colorful beads, go on each necklace.
Even though corn is a natural product, Barney says it's as solid as a rock and won't deteriorate. "People think you need to treat it but you don't," she says. "Each kernel has a hard coating, like a nut or any other seed. People have been making jewelry from nuts and seeds and other natural things for thousands of years."
Barney also scours the state in search of other natural decorations. She creates pheasant feather earrings and necklaces made from pine cone leaves, which are collected by a friend on the Pine Ridge reservation. Barney
s jewelry is available through her website, www.reddoorcreations.com.
Sioux Falls Woman Magazine Article
This article was written by Thea Miller Ryan and featured in the Artistry Revealed section of "Sioux Falls Woman" in the February 2012 issue.
"Finding yourself in "Forbes Magazine" isn't something many South Dakota artists can claim. Last year, Tara Barney had her creative jewelry made from corn put her in the news. Not only was she in "Forbes," she also made "Business Week" and many other publications around the globe.
"Corn jewelry is my favorite type of jewelry to create," she said, "because when you combine corn with glass beads and semi precious stones, the possibilities are endless."
She uses dried South Dakota corn, similar to the corn used on Mitchell's famous Corn Palace, combined with semi precious stones to create the one-of-a-kind, popular pieces. But her jewelry isn't only of the maize type- come of her work includes non tarnishable craft wire wrapped around South Dakota agates, embellished with beads.
Tara has trained with several artisans in metal smithing and beadwork techniques, in addition to some formal art classes in South Dakota and Colorado.
Her jewelry creations can be found at Rehfeld's Art and Framing, Aviena Vintage and the Center for Western Studies in Sioux Falls. The Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings and the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet also carry her work. She'll also have her work for sale at the 32nd Annual Artists of the Plains Art Show and Sale Feb. 17-19 at the Holiday Inn City Center, Sioux Falls."
Contact: www.reddoorcreations.com
"Finding yourself in "Forbes Magazine" isn't something many South Dakota artists can claim. Last year, Tara Barney had her creative jewelry made from corn put her in the news. Not only was she in "Forbes," she also made "Business Week" and many other publications around the globe.
"Corn jewelry is my favorite type of jewelry to create," she said, "because when you combine corn with glass beads and semi precious stones, the possibilities are endless."
She uses dried South Dakota corn, similar to the corn used on Mitchell's famous Corn Palace, combined with semi precious stones to create the one-of-a-kind, popular pieces. But her jewelry isn't only of the maize type- come of her work includes non tarnishable craft wire wrapped around South Dakota agates, embellished with beads.
Tara has trained with several artisans in metal smithing and beadwork techniques, in addition to some formal art classes in South Dakota and Colorado.
Her jewelry creations can be found at Rehfeld's Art and Framing, Aviena Vintage and the Center for Western Studies in Sioux Falls. The Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings and the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet also carry her work. She'll also have her work for sale at the 32nd Annual Artists of the Plains Art Show and Sale Feb. 17-19 at the Holiday Inn City Center, Sioux Falls."
Contact: www.reddoorcreations.com
Learning to Knit
I took a knitting class about four years ago at a store called Yarn Knit. I remember it felt very awkward to get those two needles to produce a stitch! My finished piece was a lopsided square which I gave to my son for a teddy bear blanket. After that, I bought a very helpful book called "The Knitter's Companion" by Interweave Press. However, I learned to knit by practicing with my friend Margaret while we were working at the Horse Barn Arts Center that winter. She was very patient with me and we had a lot of laughs during slow days when there weren't many visitors! I made scarf after scarf and donated them all to the Giving Room at our church. The Giving Room is a place where people donate gifts for children to buy for family members at Christmas time. Each gift costs $1.00. My son loves shopping there every year! Unfortunately, I have not learned how to read patterns yet. So far, I make scarves, Cozy Wraps and shrugs. I invented the Cozy Wrap, Button Scarf and shrug patterns myself. I did make one hat with Margaret's assistance and it turned out pretty good for the first time. I think when I pick up my next pattern, it will be for a long, warm cloak to wear during the fall. Post a comment about your knitting experience here!
Contest!
This week we are having a contest to promote the Red Door Creations page on Facebook! On Friday at 3:30 pm we will be giving away a beautiful corn bracelet made by Gabrielle. It is easy to enter. All you have to do is go to our page on Facebook and like, share or comment. Your name goes in my old straw hat each time. This week the focus is on corn jewelry in honor of our upcoming article in the February issue of Sioux Falls Woman. The article also showcased an agate necklace I made, so the focus in next week's contest will be agate jewelry! So far we have 16 new fans and I want to welcome each of you the Red Door Creations. Be sure to check out our web site www.reddoorcreations.com to see all our products and services!
Corn Key Chains
Would you look at me?! I'm actually blogging for the second day in a row. I just gave myself a pat on the back! Today I posted our new product, corn key chains, on Facebook and I got my first order! Yippee! I have to thank Gabrielle for these designs. I had originally designed the "Raindrop" key chain with 20 gauge wire, but after talking it over, we decided the wire was to rigid. Gabrielle came up with the "Corn Rows" and "Raindrop" design using our flexible beading chord and wa-la! New products were born! I just contacted the South Dakota Corn Growers to see if they would be interested in buying some of our products wholesale to use in their promotional events. Afterwards, I immediately sent up a prayer! This could be an awesome opportunity for us!
How to Make a Corn Bracelet
Tools: needle nose pliers, crimping pliers, wire cutters
Supplies: two packs of corn beads from www.reddoorcreations.com, two colors of size 8 seed beads, beading chord (we like Beadalon seven strand), lobster claw clasp with matching jump hoop, crimp beads
To begin: Use your wire cutters and cut an 8 1/2 inch strand of beading chord, thread two crimp beads onto the chord and the lobster claw clasp, loop the beading chord through the lobster claw clasp and crimp beads, squeeze crimp beads closed with the crimping pliers
Next Step: String one bead of your first color onto the beading chord and snug it up to the clasp, string one bead of your second color onto the beading chord, string one bead of your first color onto the chord (For example: yellow, copper, yellow), feed five kernels of corn onto the chord, repeat pattern until you can wrap the bracelet around your wrist
Final: End with the same beads you began, thread two crimp beads onto the chord and loop through the jump hoop, squeeze crimp beads together with crimping pliers, trim excess beading chord with your wire cutters
Enjoy wearing your corn bracelet made with South Dakota grown corn! You should be able to find your supplies at any hobby store that has a jewelry section, however, I always encourage people to shop their local bead store. It is important to support your local small businesses! If you are in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area, I recommend the Bead Company downtown on Phillips Avenue, which is where we by all our supplies! See our bracelet example on our Facebook business page Red Door Creations.
Supplies: two packs of corn beads from www.reddoorcreations.com, two colors of size 8 seed beads, beading chord (we like Beadalon seven strand), lobster claw clasp with matching jump hoop, crimp beads
To begin: Use your wire cutters and cut an 8 1/2 inch strand of beading chord, thread two crimp beads onto the chord and the lobster claw clasp, loop the beading chord through the lobster claw clasp and crimp beads, squeeze crimp beads closed with the crimping pliers
Next Step: String one bead of your first color onto the beading chord and snug it up to the clasp, string one bead of your second color onto the beading chord, string one bead of your first color onto the chord (For example: yellow, copper, yellow), feed five kernels of corn onto the chord, repeat pattern until you can wrap the bracelet around your wrist
Final: End with the same beads you began, thread two crimp beads onto the chord and loop through the jump hoop, squeeze crimp beads together with crimping pliers, trim excess beading chord with your wire cutters
Enjoy wearing your corn bracelet made with South Dakota grown corn! You should be able to find your supplies at any hobby store that has a jewelry section, however, I always encourage people to shop their local bead store. It is important to support your local small businesses! If you are in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area, I recommend the Bead Company downtown on Phillips Avenue, which is where we by all our supplies! See our bracelet example on our Facebook business page Red Door Creations.
Prairie Palette
I founded a drawing group seven months ago called "Prairie Palette" and we currently have six members plus two high school kids we mentor. The group meets every Monday at 10 am at our church here in Sioux Falls. We already had one exhibit at the Museum of Visual Materials and I invited my parents car club and all the members invited friends and family. We had a good turn out with a crowd of about 75 people! We are planning another show in March in the "Common Grounds" room at church, which is where the congregation meets to have coffee, socialize, play games and read the paper. The drawing group is where I met my assistant, Gabrielle, who now works with me at Red Door Creations. I am able to maintain my drawing skills with this practice once a week and the group is a great way to get out and socialize, since I work from home. I really look forward to this weekly gathering with friends!
