Hand Felted Bangles & Beaded Beads plus Bezel for rivoli with DVBS

The plan for my workshop with Delaware Valley Bead Society was to hand felt 3 bangles AND learn two types of beaded bead to finish 2 of them and a quick bezel for embellishing the third bangle with a rivoli.
It came to light in conversations during our reception at the "D.Vine home", that while they are a talented and jewelry-oriented lot, there are not so many bead stitchers among them. It is always exciting to introduce beaders to the wonder of bead-weaving with tiny seed beads.
Often in a beaded-felt project, we start by producing the felt. Then we clean up the supplies and work area and break out the beads. This time I figured it would be wise to teach them the beadwork while they were fresh and eager...first thing.
We started with undulating peyote. Even those beaders working with seed beads for the first time "got it" and 1.5 hours into it we were ready to switch it up and bead a bezel. Some beaders came with 18 mm rivolis and I also brought along some vintage Swaroski stones.
By the time we came to think about breaking for lunch, I had already demonstrated the third beadwork: odd-ct peyote. This group is a powerhouse! Whew!
Jay told me once, "if anyone in New Jersey offers you pizza...eat it." They ordered pizza delivery and, no surprise, Jay is right. New Jersey pizza is worth eating!
After a quick lunch they selected their wool and commenced hand felting their 3 bangles each.
No whiners in the bunch. Everyone made their 3 AND had time to start the odd-count peyote beaded bead.
We even had time to discuss deconstruction techniques. A couple beaders created windows or channels in their felt, to hold the bead bezeled Rivoli.
This was a fun and exhilarating group. Yes, when they invite me hack next year, I'm there!
Would that I could include more photos. This blogger app on my devices keeps changing and I have trouble making the changes work for me. The pics are in my device and not on my Mac, so there you have it.
Hope I sort this out by the time the new iPad arrives!

Weekend with the Delaware Valley Bead Society

My trusty Garmin directed me beautifully to the D.Vine, yup, divine, home. Debbie is gracious and charming and lovely. We met a few of the Delaware Valley Bead Society members for Thai dinner. Actually, it was one of those Asian fusion restaurants, though trendy and popular, I just don't "get". Thai and Japanese and Chinese are distinctly different cuisine. But hey, I'm old enough to recall how popular the "continental" restaurants were a few years back. It is just as much a stretch to present Italian and French cuisine from the same kitchen....,I digress, sorry.
But, before I leave this topic, my lemongrass grilled shrimp with veggies was superior and I, dare I say, envied Karen's sushi and sashimi entree. No have not seen anything that fresh and authentic looking outside of Japan.
This weekend we will felt no few than 3 bracelets. Plus they will also learn undulating peyote, my fast new way that I had to "dope-slap" myself for not inventing in time for MASTERING BEADWORK, double needle odd-count peyote and a secure, quick and sparkling bezel. These 3 or others we'll explore, will be used to complete each bangle.
This group has some very talented jewelry makers: beaders, metal workers and metal clay sculptors, and fewer bead stitches...until the end of the weekend. There will be a dozen or so mad hot bead stitchers soon.
Well, more fun to share after the workshop. Goodnight for now.

Kalahari Mirage Necklace

Kalahari Mirage Necklace is being offered twice at the Bead & Button Show this June. Unfortunately this new rendition of the blog app removed the ability to imbed links so I have to ask you to go to www.beadandbuttonshow.com and look up classes B121587 and B122616 .
Elaine is working on her green kit of Kalahari Mirage Necklace. When she showed up wearing that sweater... Well, it's such a knockout, I might have to offer this kit as an alternative choice to my students at B&B.

Bead & Button Show added sessions

The Bead & Button Show has added duplicate sessions for my more popular classes.
Three are Prelude classes for June 1st & 2nd, the Friday and Saturday that kick off the full week of show to follow.
Saturday June 9th from 9-5 is the entirely Swarovski crystal (except the thread and the closure) necklace composed of approx 1600 of the dazzling little beauties. And it is fun to make... And dazzling to wear...And will make cubic right angle weave a cherished addition to your beading repertoire. Because Swarovski is sponsoring the crystal, this daylong workshop is a real value at $164.
Check out http://search.beadandbuttonshowstore.com/beadandbuttonshow/default.aspx?searchtext=&mode=search

Crochet and Scrumbling

Irma mentioned her knitting & crochet group at our studio class. She enjoys the group but feels challenged to produce straight edges in her crochet. I told her to avoid even trying and take up instead, free form crochet or "Scrumbling" as James Walters and Sylvia Cosh called their highly textured, multi-patterned and potentially colorful style of crochet. Gosh, can it be 15 or more years since I took their workshops in "Scrumbling" at The Wool Room? It was life changing! Every stitch was a step on a yarn adventure. It provides the opportunity to use every size hook and every and all yarns in your stash. Their book THE CROCHET WORKBOOK and Jame's book CROCHET WORKSHOP are next best to a workshop. (r.i.p. Sylvia)
The very first exposure I ever had on the Internet was when James Walters posted my scrumbled coat in The Gallery section of his website.
The colors aren't exactly true but the extraordinary texture is evident. What a fun and creative process is free form crochet. I would crochet a patch the size of a notepad or placemat and then arrange the pieces like a puzzle and connect them.
When I taught in Australia the first time, crochet teacher and author of FREEFORM KNITTING AND CROCHETJenny Dowde was also teaching at that conference. I knew we would be fast friends. I'd read a lovely book review she had written about one of my books AND she is a free form crochet devotee and fellow fiber goddess! What's not to love?
While I was with Tulip Co last month, Mr Harada gifted me the gorgeous limited edition of blue Etimo crochet hooks (left, below)
On the right is the set of Tulip bead crochet hooks called Sucre...and they ARE sweet, in French or any language... silky soft in your hand with a perfectly crafted point that slips easily into the bead stitches. The beadstores carrying Tulip beading needles sell these gorgeous hooks individually and by the set.
Wow, I feel like getting my yarn basket out...but not until I finish the new sample I'm beading for an April workshop at Bead Gallery Inc.

Just 2 more quintessential items to share from my Japanese adventures last week

Those of you who have beaded with me know how much I love these sweet little pins...even more so now that they make them in Tulip shape.


During my tour of the Tulip plant and offices I saw this package of enormous pins. They are large replicas of the cellulose head pins seen on the left. I'm told teachers use these large ones for demonstration/educational purposes.
Please forgive me if you must sit through this while I tell the story once again:

For many years Tulip has been providing sewing kits to 4th graders studying handicrafts. Among the items in the sewing kit is a cellulose head pin. The children are encouraged to write their name on it, learning the value of the smallest tool.

How I love that story. It seems to me quintessentially Japanese. In contrast to my experience of elementary school...learning to use paper cups and a growing number of other disposable items.
Tulip staff knows I am charmed by this story, these pins and even more, to know Mr Harada's father invented the machine that made their first cellulose head pins.

Until a few months ago, before having my first Tulip fine beading awl, these pins were my fav item to tease knots open in beading thread.






Fumiko Ishikawa gifted me this 3 level lacquerware bento box. It is decorated with momiji, or maple leaves, the symbol of Hiroshima. We didn't have a chance to visit after I opened her gift and didn't ask it's origins. But, looking on line, it was made in Ishikawa prefecture. (This prefecture shares her name.) In Kyoto and Kamakura there was so much lacquerware I admired. I am delighted to have this gorgeous bento box as a reminder of Fumiko and this wonderful time in Japan. Plus, I carry at least one meal a week with me. This 4.5" cube will be a beautiful way to pack and enjoy these meals.



There... I seriously hope this concludes my posts about this recent trip to Japan.
There might be posts that describe the factory tour, but only when I start to put that all together.


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Just a final few things to share about my enjoyment of Japan last week.

In addition to exploring the food floor of Mitsukoshi Department Store Motoko and I shopped at Ninben.
Ninben is a purveyor of katsuobushi and other dry goods established in 1699.












In addition to a bag of the bonito flakes I use to make dashi, I bought the dried tuna filet.













Rather than purchase the device shown here to shave the filet to produce flakes, I'll use a plane, not so different from those my carpenter/woodworker husband Jay uses.
Ninben sells choice hongare katsuobushi, which means it has had the mold applied at least 4 times during the 6 months it takes skilled craftsmen to make.
Delicate flakes are also eaten as a food topping. It not only enhances the flavor of the other ingredients, it also dances in a most intriguing way.
When our appetites returned Motoko had a fine idea. She knows that the restaurant we enjoyed in Nagoya in 2008, known for its tebasaki, Nagoya-style chicken wings, has a branch in Tokyo. Yamachan's wings are crispy and non-greasy and soooo good with beer, though I took the opportunity to have saki.
Our visit felt luxurious though only a day long.
It was snowing on our walk back to the Tokyo Done Hotel. That little bit of white ornamental snow was lovely though, I heard it caused a bit of traffic havoc overnight. Tokyo drivers are unaccustomed to driving in it.












We won't see each other again until the Bead &
Button Show in June in Milwaukee. I'll be teaching 12 classes and she'll be translating for several Japanese teachers (Hiroe Tagaki, Keiko Seki, Yumiko Watanabe, Emi Yamada). Check my class offerings in a couple days. There will be duplicate sessions of a few.

At the peril of making my posts all about the food...

Ok, I admit it. When I'm sharing my travels it seems to be all about the food. It is ACTUALLY all about the people and the love and the food. Easiest to share the food and hopefully you feel the love.
Tuesday noontime, Daisuke came by to take me to lunch before my heading back home. Pressed for time, he apologized for suggesting we eat at the Tokyo Dome food court. What a departure from what I've seen of food courts in the USA. My rice bowl with raw salmon and salmon roe was attractive and fresh and served with pickles and a small bit of sauce. When half was consumed, Daisuke advised me to pour the contents of the pot (perhaps dashi?) onto the remaining portion and enjoy it as soup.



Shinichi Kodoma, director and general manager of sales division (Tulip) joined Daisuke in seeing me off. This shot taken from my seat on the limousine bus bound for Narita airport.


My airport experience in Tokyo has been very civilized. And I enjoyed these sculptures...


Uh, are those sperm? I'm thinking, wondering, can these be sperm when I happen upon this sculpture...



Well yeah, if these are hearts, those were likely sperm. Hmm.





























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