The Bead and Button Show just added another session of the Felted Bangle with Beaded Bead for Sunday June 6, 7-10pm. This class was popular last year and sold out again this year. Providing the Turbo Felting Board for use in class, really accelerates the felting portion of our 3 hours, leaving ample time to create the undulating beaded bead. Most students complete the project in class. As B&B classes go, it is a bargain at $95.

Once they've tasted the sweetness of hand felting a bracelet, I'll show examples of additional styles they could make using what they have just learned and embellishing them in a myriad of ways, depending on their beading skills and tastes. Sparkling beads and matte felt are perfect foils, underscoring and enhancing each other.

Sure would love to turn more beaders onto felting. The process is so satisfying. It has the same color seduction that beadwork offers with the sensuousness of fine fiber. Each year I submit several proposals hoping that they'll select a few.

Perhaps 2011 will be the year that I teach 4 felt and 4 bead classes. It will be fun placing my energy to that end.

Tuesday I fly to Ludlow UK to teach a 4 day intensive in hand felted jewelry and beads at Moral Fibre Felting Studio. Not only does an extended workshop provide the luxury of time to teach/learn and develop new skills or techniques but, it attracts only the most devoted and passionate. When in Australia last year, I taught felt jewelry intensives at 2 separate week-long fiber forums. It was bliss. The first day is thrilling as the entire week lays ahead and everyone is full of anticipation. The next couple days are full of adventure as new approaches and methods are tried. Then the panic sets in, that oh my goodness, tomorrow is our LAST day. And, the day after everyone's gone home, I find that I miss, truly miss, some of the people I've had the priviledge to work with.

Hey, a head's up if you have travel plans. When I checked the airline regs for carry-on luggage I found that the two pieces I'd previously always traveled with (one to check and one to carry) are now considered over-sized. Yikes. If you've a flight in your future, take nothing for granted. The rules change all the time. Fortunately my little purple one qualifies if I don't stuff it. That and a tote containing my handbag, cosmetics, Kindle and toys, and I'm all set.