I just arranged my airfare for September 16-19 to Great Lakes Beadworkers' Guild in Michigan. Of the three day-long workshops, two are beading and one is felt-making beads. "Advanced Elements of Beadwork" is a vehicle for learning 5-6 beading techniques: turbo bead crochet, spiraling tubular peyote, 2 types of polygon, a 3-D triangular element, and triangle weave that can be strung together into a necklace as shown.

Ostara's Emerging Blossoms is a necklace that explores the sculptural capacity of polygon weave, while beading organic pod shaped buds that hang in a pair from a bail. The closure is an excuse to use a polygon bezel on a rivoli. The bezel is highly textured and lovlier from the back than from the front, plus it works up quickly!!

Once I share the secret to making the concentric and spiraling canes, the beaders will make several to combine into a complex cane. By the end of the day, the solid and dense complex cane is sliced into several beads and strung into a necklace. It is thrilling to see the beads that result.

Last time I taught for the GLBG, I had such a great time. I cannot wait.