Tomorrow is the deadline for submitting proposals to teach at 2010 Bead and Button Show. Mine have been submitted and hopefully received (I'll check tracking when I finish here) but, I cannot resist sending this newest one, Spike and Sparkle Necklace, shown below.
Tonight at Beadzo (Tivoli NY) Terri started one after I taught her how to set a rivoli into the bicone circles we've been making (picture above). If B&B accepts this class, it will be offered as a 3 hour class and most people will finish the pendant and the liquid silver chain it hangs from.

Once again I've submitted the Complex Cane felt beads Necklace but, this year as a 6 hour class, rather than 7 hour workshop. This is possible because the Turbo Felting Board makes it so much faster. Yippee. There are also felt bracelets, bangles and lariats among the submissions. Can't wait to see what they choose.

Who among us doesn't love a good spiral? Amazing Threads sells these turned wooden shawl pins.
Here is the first ad I've seen for Rachel Nelson Smith's book, due September. We had a great time at Bead & Button Show and even "squoze" in a visit to share tales of our book writing adventures with each other.

In the studio class this week Amy is at work finishing the Tetra-Phyls workshop she took with Phyllis Dintenfass. All these sexy components link into a fluttery bracelet.

Last weekend's Bead Blast was the best ever! By request, Janet brought a trunk of her beautiful wooden-handled crochet hooks that her husband Bob turns. He also makes the beading looms, behind Janet's arm above, that have captured hearts worldwide. They ARE BoomerangPro and are appearing everywhere, including magazine articles.
Everyone shared techniques and show and tell. Pat Riesner shared how to make her crystal heart. I shared a spikey sparkling pendant I'm proposing to teach at the Bead and Button Show next June.

At previous Bead Blasts I would bead 5 rows and unbead 8, bead 2 more and rip out 4. This is not a complaint. Its the socializing, shopping, dining and laughter that I come for, and I don't expect to get any "work" done. But, this one was full of creativity and production along with all the rest.
The cabochon on the left is actually a glob of glass I purchased in Seattle last week. The turquoise peace sign was a gift from Carole and Mary from Voices of the Stones. During the weekend I actually completed the bezels using stiff stuff, gorgeous deerskin leather and the technique I taught for bezeling any-shaped item, at Beadzo (Tivoli NY -see my calendar) last week.

In that class Terri Pullaro bezeled a carnelian cabochon and strung and framed it with Swarovski pearls. It is so typical of her classic and feminine style, and is so evocative of an antique cameo that you can almost see a face in it.

Let me share just a little of the fantastic time at Puget Sound Bead Festival.
The first day there I taught the Complex Cane Felt Beads necklace. The morning is devoted to building the cane and in the afternoon it is felted and fulled (amazingly fast thanks to the Turbo Felting Board (TFB) I keep telling you about!). When the cane is cut into individual beads it is very thrilling. These are Dianne's beads being cut from the cane. Gorgeous!

The workshop concludes with a necklace strung of the felt beads with other spacer beads. Dianne wore hers from class and was the center of attention everywhere she went. I mean, it was like she was a rock star!

My final workshop was a felted, beaded and wired bracelet. Because we used the TFB (turbo felting board), Roz, Karen and Cheri had ample time to elaboratedly bead their new creations within our 3 hours.

YOU TOO CAN HAVE A TURBO FELTING BOARD...send $30 plus shipping and handling $8 and I'll get one right out to you. PO Box 916, Port Ewen NY 12466

The Hotel Murano was just as elegant and superior as I recalled. And the glass art that is EVERYWHERE allowed us to feel we were residing within a gallery.

This looks down on the lobby and at one of several Chihuly pieces that decorate the hotel.

Sunday before flying home, I had the joy of spending the entire day with Marilyn Moore. She too, had been teaching at the PSBF. She shared her favorite places in Seattle. We had dim sum at Ocean City Restaurant (609 S. Weller St.) We shopped at Uwajimaya. My students had suggested I would like it. Oh, I was in my glory. I bought a sealable "bento box", an entire burdock root (gobo), a huge bag of bonita flakes, red beans and more powdered green tea. I could have spent two days roaming around in that store. (Tonight I cooked many vegetables in dashi to carry to class tomorrow.) They even had a Kinokuniya bookstore on site ...and a copy of my Japanese felting book.

Yoshie Marubashi came to Kinokuniya Bookstore to say hello during my 4th of July beading workshop/book signing event. Here with us is John Fuller, store manager. Look at the beautiful cuffs these new beaders completed in class.

We scheduled two more workshop/booksigning events, to include a trunk show of my beadwork and felt: $25 registration fee includes instruction, materials and supplies!

October 25, 2-5pm. Registered participants will learn how to sculpt using wool and a felting needle. They can expect to finish a small item such as jewelry, ornament or decorative item.

November 15, 2-5pm. Registered participants will hand felt flowers using wet-feltmaking
technique and an array of fine merino wool. These are both wearable and decorative.

On my way from Grand Central Station to Kinokuniya I stopped at 70 West 40th St for a bite of lunch at Le Pain Quotidien . The comfortable and welcoming ambiance drew me in. The delicious and healthful cuisine offered this seasoned foodie a new treat: farro . Here is it offered as a salad in combination with raw beets and carrots and garnished with nori and sesame seeds. Yum. Did I say how charming and knowledgeable the waiter was? And...I had a macha latte that was so good. This morning I was eager to try my hand at making one at home, and did, and it too was yum!

From my seat at this huge communal table in the center of the dining room I could see the pastry case, blackboard of the day's specials and even catch a glimpse of the barrista at work.

When I returned to the Poughkeepsie train station, the entire station, all the platforms, and several surrounding blocks were teeming with people and cars and kids and dogs and everyone eager to take in the fireworks. Once the display was under way I was able to make it to my car in the parking garage and head through the congested streets towards home.

Mary Tynes came to the studio this week and put the finishing touches to her Ostara's Emerging Blossoms Necklace. She had been in the workshop at Beads By Blanche a couple weeks ago.

While at Blanches, we put the Flat Polygon Bracelet on the schedule for Tuesday evening 6-9 on September 22nd. Here is the one Beatrice made last week in the studio class. When Blanche posts it on her website, I'll offer a link.