Even when you can't imagine it being any better...it is! So, there I was at the Bead & Button Show: reunited with other beaders from around the globe that I have scant few opportunities to be with; offering 8 classes that were mostly filled, many with beaders I have beaded with before (such an honor and joy); with access to all the newest and best bead stuff. AND...there were gifts.
In the upper left of the photo is a small, hand bound, artist sketch book from http://www.twinklebeads.de/. See the small photo of Twinkle Beads Stores owner Saori Abe-Schroder. She was also the first chief editor of Germany's first beading magazine, Perlen Poesie. She founded both the Perlen Akademie (where I taught in Dortmund Germany during the Creativa Expo in March and will again next March), and the first PerlenExpo! Plus she is an active designer and instructor.

Naomi Sato and Yuko Watanabe are beaders from Japan who have taken my classes at B&B shows and in Tokyo. Yuko gave me the exquisite card deck, each card a completely different illustration protraying 54 scenes based on the Tale of Genji (appreciated as the supreme masterpiece of Japanese prose literature written in the 11th century), in the Yamato-e style of Japanese painting. In the next photo see the Tenugui that Naomi gifted me. It is cleverly presented as a fabric book about Japanese garments. It can be easily "unbound" to reveal it as a cotton Tenugui, a hand printed cotton fabric that originated in the Edo period. Their multi-use includes as handkerchief, tapestry, towel, lunchmat, pillowcover, neckband of kimoni, bandanna, store sign, apron and dishcloth!

To the extreme right is a tiny hand crafted kaleidoscope made by and gifted from Keiko.Upper left in photo is the lovely leather purse made to contain one's personal stamp. There is an attached small red ink pad. Motoko Natsubori had my stamp made and presented it to me in this case. I am delighted that I can now stamp my documents in the traditional Japanese way. Bottom left are the new double drilled tile beads from Muyuki I first told you about in March while I was at Creativa Expo in Germany. To the right are the new Bead Crochet hooks designed by Kazue at Tulip Co. She sent me a set of 5 sizes and I am eager to put them to use on the new bead crochet yarns by Toho and Miyuko. More on those when I know more.

Freddie and Andrea Ott, photographer and publisher of Perlen Poesie gave me the newest issue, featuring Judy Walker, kumihimo braiding and right angle weave.

On page 96-97 is the call for entries to the IBA (International Bead Award). Within the next few weeks the contest will be described in English and French on their website: http://www.perlen-poesie.de/ I am one of the jurors along with Herman Hermsen, Toshi Myoda, Evelyn Ulzen and Silvia Winterstein.

Make this hand felted bangle bracelet with a beaded bead using the kit that includes my first instructional dvd. Boy, was that a trip. It is in 5 parts and I havent figured out how to edit it yet. It gets all the info across and I am happy with this first attempt.

For next year I can't say I won't offer a blingy project but, I will retire this Diamonds of Fire when the last kit sells.

Two Sides of the Story was popular. It features an original stitch that corrugates as you work, making it reversible. I was criticized in one evaluation that "it was too easy" and that person rated the class a 7, on the scale of 1-10. I was devastated but, what can I say. It is a new and original stitch. Sorry if it was too easy to learn in the class or too easy to do. But, it sure does thrill me and I am having a great time beading off into unchartered territory.

If you need a kit of a class I taught at Bead and Button, just call or write. I'm happy to sell you one while they last.

I'll propose the Nancy Tobey Glass Bead Inpsired Lariat again and probably Fireflies at Midnight.
To my joy, the two sessions of Hand Felted Bangle Bracelet were nearly full and full, respectively, and I will propose it again as well. Hot off the press are kits for this project that include an instructional DVD, my first, along with wool, beads, recipe, and Turbo Felting Board! $80 complete.

This entry by Janne Teague is intriguing. Sure, it is bead embroidery but, the beads are added in a unique way. Really captured my interest. Hope we see more of her work.

It made my heart sing to see a felt bead in the exhibit. It is by Kim Vanantwerp, a glass beadmaker, but a felted bead none-the-less!

Sherry Serafini is always a winner in the Bead Dreams competition. Gorgeous.

Diane Hyde designs amazing jewelry and has sold fabulous findings to us under the name "designers findings" for many years.

Vanessa Walilko made a garment I would love to wear!

Sorry I couldn't take more pictures or blog a little more as all the goodness unfolded. Happily I was too wrapped up in the moments, one right after another... days full of teaching and beading and visiting and all the love.

The upshot is that I cannot wait for next year. Between now and next year's Bead & Button Show, I am thrilled that I'll be teaching once again in Germany, and Australia; hoping to finalize a European tour of teaching in Belgium, Switzerland and Holland and always dreaming of teaching in Japan again.

If you need a kit of a class I taught at Bead and Button, just call or write. I'm happy to sell you one while they last. I'll propose the Nancy Tobey Glass Bead Inpsired Lariat again and probably Fireflies at Midnight.

To my joy, the two sessions of Hand Felted Bangle Bracelet were nearly full and full, respectively, and I will propose it again as well. Hot off the press are kits for this project that include an instructional DVD, my first, along with wool, beads, recipe, and Turbo Felting Board! $80 complete.

Pamm Horbit showed in the exhibit at the Bead and Button Show plus at the Toho reception.

Last year's blog entry for B&B showed Suzanne Golden at the showcases while I checked out the exhibit. I didn't shoot her this year but...here is her entry!

Heidi Kummli won Best in Show for this piece. Wish you could have seen it in person.

Hoping to share as much as possible, here you go......

These pieces are from the beadwork exhibit at the Bead and Button Show. I tried to always include the artists name in the photos. If you click on the photo it might enlarge for details.

I've some more of the exhibits at the Bead and Button Show to share with you. Caitlin Hyde's bead reminded me of the artwork I saw in Australia. She was helping Nancy Tobey in her booth so, while I was there, I had a chance to visit with her. Some people are getting all over her because her work is evocotive of aboriginal works. No one recognizes more, the primal affinity for the dot than a beadworker. Gosh, what is it about the dots? Don't we just love them? Beadwork is dotty and stipled, the beads themselves are often dotted. We just plain love dots.

Ronit Dagan's beads are always provocative. Rachel Nelson Smith has collaborated a few times with this beadmaker, and you can find pictures on Rachel's website.

Boy, this one was a stunner. I was certain it was Bronwen Heilman's work. Au contraire. The graphics are so similar to Bronwen's beads that I used in the Marcasite project that I taught at B&B for two years. Cool bead.

In this entry let me share some images of pieces from the display of Japanese beadwork presented by Coronet Co and JALD. This necklace is actually bead crocheted. Japanese beaders have taken some techniques learned from U.S., Turkish and German beaders and expanded on them dramatically. These pieces are evidence. This is by Hana Takamatsu.

The same basic shape is reflected in this piece by Misako Kishi.

And again in this composition of beads with metal components by Emi Tsuneoka.

This necklace is again a sample of Japanese bead crochet and is by Keiko...ah, I cut her last name off. I am so sorry.

Tomorrow I will post several photos of the other exhibits at Bead and Button Show.

This is Suzanne Angell. She is a designer and instructor at Studio 34 Creative Arts Center in Rochester NY. Notice that her Handfelted Bangle with Beaded Bead is actually a necklace. We passed each other in the skywalks between the convention center and the hotels a few times. She was always wearing this felted necklace and it seemed to go with so much of her coral based wardrobe. Lovely.
Studio 34 owner, Marilynne, contacted me several months ago about teaching workshops at her store on the weekends that bookend the International Glass Beadmakers Society bi-annual conference, The Gathering, at the end of July. Upon linking her website I see she has my classes listed for June. Hmm. Interesting. I will give her a call and find out what she has in mind.
Several of my workshops utilize lampworked glass focal beads. But, last we spoke, Marilynne said we would postpone my felt workshops, fearing they would be eclipsed, rather than enhanced by coinciding with the ISGB Gathering.

Monday I had no classes to teach at the Bead and Button Show. It gave me the chance to arrange the class supplies/kits and recipes, in separate boxes, one for each day. It will be sweet to just grab the supplies for the day and run. Motoko looks forward to steak when she is stateside. We enjoyed a delightful and delicious dinner at the Milwaukee Chop House at the Hilton. The waiter was kind to take our photo.

Tuesday I had a chance to visit with several beaders I see only annually, here, before teaching Fireflies at Sunset. Everyone loves Amy's bead colors. Using the same bead soup of drops, I wove one using black eights. Guess that one is Fireflies at Midnight. It went well with everything I wore and fit nicely with the complex cane felt beads necklaces I wore.

This is Kimie Suto. She is seen beading my Glass Bead Inspired Lariat in Wednesday's class. Notice the poster next to her beading mat? Motoko made it for her to promote the necklace class she is teaching Sunday morning. Here is a photo of her :double core, classic necklace.

You've read about Motoko Natsubori many times here before. She was at B&B to interpret the Japanese bead teachers' classes. She translated their directions for the kits and helped them understand the contracts and correspondence by management. She translated MASTERING BEADWORK and interpreted all my classes when I taught in Japan in January 08 and 09.

Kimie finished the lariat in class! After teaching an additional session Thursday, I'll deliver kits featuring Nancy Tobey's gorgeous lampworked bead to her booth.

I'll use the next few blogs to share my whirlwind week at the Bead and Button Show. After my first postings I was just plain toooooooo busy to update. So to hold out on you but, not for long. Whenever I wasn't teaching or sleeping I pretty much gravitated to the Hyatt Regency lobby. On the couch in the right in this pic is where I could use complimentary wifi to check email. Straight ahead is a suite of classrooms where I will teach on Wednesday. Out of view and to the left is the lobby area that serves as additional seating for the Bistro 333 at the Hyatt. I had lunch there nearly everyday. It was convenient, fit within the one hour lunch break and usually meant I could meet up with Motoko for a quick visit.
Sunday the 6th I taught the first of two offerings of Hand Felted Bangle with Beaded Bead. No one assembled the finished bangle in class but, most accomplished quite a few rounds of beadwork after hand felting a bracelet.
Evalie came all the way from Saudi Arabia. This was her introduction to beadweaving. I was exhilerated to see her settle so comfortably into the meditative and soothing repetition of the stitch. On Thursday evening the show floor opened with 500 vendors. Evalie told me she was picking up a few more seed beads there, when we ran into each other. I'm guessing she experienced that sweet spot, that centering that occurs when we pick up the beads.

http://www.tulip-japan.co.jp/kyoutsu(englis)/syugei/lace.html
In lieu of a photo, as I continue to figure out how to incorporate them into blog from the iPad I am traveling with, click on the link to see some crochet hooks by Tulip Co. in Japan. While here at the Bead & Button Show I received a parcel from Kazue at Tulip Co containing her newly designed crochet hook made especially for bead crochet. Now I am eager for the vendors to open so I can purchase the supplies to start using them. They are the comfort handle I admired in their new line of hooks last year. It pleases me that they have found a distributor in U.S. It is Caron company. Can this mean that we will soon be able to purchase fine quality Tulip brand hooks, needles and felting supplies in our local yarn and stitching stores? I am delighted.
Moments ago at lunch I met up with Martina, a German beader and Facebook friend. She is wearing a necklace that looks at first glance so similar to Fireflies at Midnight ( new black version of Fireflies at Sunset). It is bead crochet. She placed memory wire inside and wears a bead dangling from each end. Sweet.
More later, gotta run...

Sunday,yesterday, was the first official day of the Bead &ButtonShow. It was sensational to meet up with so many people I love to see here. Adding to the joy, I have a chance to spend a little time with my Japanese friends and also reunite with the German beaders I met while teaching in Germany in March.
A perfectly wonderful day wrapped up with a late evening Hand Felted Bangle Bracelet class. This added session didn't sell out like the one later this week. But, it was a hearty group of a handful, so to speak, of Americans plus Wendy from Australia, Evalie from Saudi arabia and Cyndi from Nova Scotia.
Nancy Cain and I had a chance to visit briefly as she packed up to vacate the classroom I'd occupy after her. She shared with me how I will be able to accept credit cards via my iPad. This will be such a wonderful option to offer those who wish to purchase my kits on Wednesday night at Meet the Teachers event. I applied immediately and hope to have it up and running by then.
Today was chock full of tiny bursts of socializing with: European Facebook friends like Petra and Sabine; Japanese beaders Emi, Takako, Keiko, Yumiko, Kimie, and Kumiko; Laurie (of lomi lomi massage in March blog entry); Suzanne, Merle, Stacey, Mary from BSGNY; Anna, Laura, Michael and yet another Laura ( that were in Germany also at Creativa).
Motoko and I had an utterly fabulous meal at the Milwaukee Chop House. She got her dose of steak while stateside.
We're going to watch part of her new acquisition from Borders: a 3 DVD collection of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation! Good night. More tomorrow, hopefully with pictures.

Yesterday I checked into the Hyatt Regency Hotel here in Milwaukee for a week of beaded bliss with other beaders from around the globe who gather for the Bead and Button Show. Anne Lorch greeted me in the lobby and we made dinner plans. It was great to visit briefly with familiar students and other teachers as I picked up my faculty kit.
JR, the bell captain that we have come to adores and count on at the Hyatt over these 10 years of Bead and Button shows, called us a cab, as it was raining hard, to convey us the 3 blokes away to restaurant row. Our dinner at Buck Bradleys saloon and eatery was delish.

Before leaving my laptop at home, I downloaded these images into a blog post so I could tell you about them later,well, now. These are the workshops I'll be teaching this autumn for the Indiana Bead Society.

On Friday September 24, from 9 am to noon we'll bead a beaded bead and felt a bangle bracelet for it. That afternoon from 1-4 we'll felt over a wire armature that will boast a lamp worked bead on one end and bead embellishment on the other. Saturday we'll spend the day creating hand felted complex cane beads, which we'll complete as a necklace. Sunday the 26 th we'll explore several facets of a little known and, regrettably named, polygon stitch while beading pods and vines for this necklace that closes with a bead bezeled rivoli that is so lovely, you'll wear it front and center. Hope I see you there!

Well, I'm off to set up this evenings workshop in the felted beaded bangle. More later...

Janet is the first to make my limited edition kitted design that marries bead crochet with the textured and fun bezels for Swarovski rivolis (available as kits) with a stick pearl-petal slide using right angle weave and peyote.

Wish me luck in finding more stick pearls in that amazing green color. I've prepared a couple kits with other pinky-peachy pearls but, that color green really moves me.

So in the throws of final preparations for the 8 classes I will teach at the Bead & Button Show starting Sunday, and the kits I will offer at the Meet the Teacher event for those who could not get into the classes, don't you just know that technical issues erupt. Yipes. Yes, after making an instructional video for the Felted Bangle Bracelet with Beaded Bead kit, I just couldn't figure out burning it onto a dvd. There were two 3 hour sessions with Dell tech support over the ocurse of 2 days. There was Fran's capable assistance and familiarity with Roxio, that led us nowhere. And even after doing all the critical updates they asked for, they only support the 10.1 edition...an additional purchase I didn't wish to make. But I did buy ConvertXtoDVD program that one of the Dell techs could recommend from personal experience. Finally, Dell decides it is my optical drive and sends a tech with a new one. That didn't do the trick and oops, something occured that locked up our wifi. So today, another visit with the Dell tech with a new optical drive and motherboard to install. Plus, he figured out how to undo the wifi mess created yesterday....and I'm back in business. Whew.

I did get the DVDs burned and am very excited about adding this media to my felting kits. Ahhh, but I digress. The flower here, what's the story? In the depths of the above tech misadventure, what's the best thing to do? Bead and/or felt. So, this felted lariat is the first collaboration with Carolyn Baum, the lampworker who made the glass center. Now I'm even more eager to get to work with more of the glass components she gave me last month when I visited her studio.

This closeup pendant is on one of the new series I'm concentrating on: Felt Component Jewelry. It is also the name of the week long workshop I will likely teach in Australia in April 2011, at Tafta Forum in Orange. (Though I had not signed the contract accepting this engagement, it went on-line for registrations and so, I am seeking to bookend a couple more workshops to that week, and I'll be going back to Australia!)

The golden merino felt is the perfect foil to the embedded swarovski stone. The crescent component utilizes an armature technique I appropriated from a method Pier Voulkos uses for polymer clay. The components are connected with a polyester chain and embellished with antique dark bronzey metallic 2-cuts. It is a gift to Fran, who will wear it for her ordination in a couple weeks. She said I can "borrow it from the collection of..." when I need to for demonstration purposes for workshops.