Let me share the wonderful time we enjoyed this past weekend in New Hampshire at Bead Gallery Inc. While I prefer to blog about each day's adventures that evening, sometimes I just can't get to it until later. Fridays of our semi-annual (April and October) workshops at Bead Gallery are always packed full, with offering 3 workshops: morning, afternoon and evening. Sometimes these are abbreviated versions of workshops that we just HAVE to squeeze into our time together. Sometimes they are refreshers or prerequisites for the full day workshops to follow on the Saturday and Sunday and October Monday. (Scheduling Columbus Day weekend for the October workshops gives us the chance to offer a full day on Monday too, since, for many, it is a holiday).

One of Friday's projects was Bead Happy. In this abbreviated 3 hours, each beader worked from her own stash and there was no expectation of finishing, but check our the beautiful combinations and the inches completed in so little time. Patty and Robin beaded a few more rounds overnight and brought them to Saturday's class. Ooo, please don't think less of me if I admit to coveting these. Their bead combinations are thrilling.

In elementary school I began reading biographies, mostly about influential women like Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Blackwell and famous artists. When I read about Van Gogh's blue period, the concept fascinated and puzzled me. These years later, I understand it completely. I too have passed through my blue period. Guess I have moved past my palette that informed Bead Happy. If you stop to consider your wardrobe choices over the years, perhaps you'll see that you too, have worked through color periods.

There was a trunk show downstairs in the store, while we had our workshops upstairs in the newly renovated, bright and comfy classroom. We all took a break to buy a few beads, while we could. These are the ones I brought home with me. The beadmaker was selling them wayyyy under their value. From what I heard, she is happy at this time in her career, and while shaping her own style, to work up beads and then sell them off as she refines her technique. Her work is refined and meticulous. In these beads you see her admiration of Dustin Tabor, Patty Cahill, and other accomplished glass artists. As soon as she develops her own voice as an artist, she should be rewarded with purchase prices appropriate for her skill set and talent. She can be reached at eva@eskiebeads.com in Derry, New Hampshire. We'll be able to say we knew her when...
In October, when I return to teach 4 days for workshops (one of them is the Glass Bead Inspired Lariat which features a Nancy Tobey bead), Nancy Tobey will offer a trunk show.