Sunday Bead Gallery workshop

Genevieve arranged for our large workshop to be held at the beautiful Beebe Estate building.


The Beebe Estate provides gallery space and is currently exhibiting photography, sculpture and furniture. Genevieve and I both admired this carved and painted box.


A couple beaders were already bead crocheters and now allllllll of them are. It was very satisfying to see them "bang out" a few inches.


When everyone felt confident with the crochet, they bezeled one of the two rivolis.


The selection of rivolis and an entire trunk show of firepolish made for some great choses. It is always a delight to see the various color combinations in play. Amy would love Nancy's fuchsia rivoli and spotted black firepolish combination.


Stacey worked in gunmetal gray and blues but, has the supplies for a few more.


The gold fumed amethyst firepolish are lovely but proved a bit pesky to string onto the crochet cord.


Wish the colors were true on this picture. I wanted to share Vicki's bead combo. Her silver lined topaz, gold amethyst luster and silver lined dark topaz were the most exciting combination I've seen in a while. The way the gold and amethyst enhanced and underscored each other was unexpected.



And one last note about color...Stacey wore this necklace and explained that it is mostly copper beads. Over time, the copper gave way to this verdigris. Beautiful.
Joan had to get to her Packers game, trick and treaters would be out and about and so we wrapped up promptly at 4pm.
I'm back home, unpacked and eager for our weekend of April 30th...felting and beading.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Saturday at Bead Gallery in Melrose MA

What a sweet place Melrose is. Hillary makes some fine muffins and scones at her Bohemian Cafe. We're stopping there for coffee on our way to the workshops each day. I had what Hillary calls the "healthy" scone yesterday. She said it is made of oats, dates, whole wheat, nuts and seeds and, she neglected to mention: butter & sugar, right? Delish.
Today we had simple oatmeal before heading out. Genevieve already knows the microwave method Judy showed me. It works so well and fast and easy with no clean up.





Stacey was able to sign up for the weekend workshops so I was glad to see her today. I always get to see her when I teach at Bead Gallery. It is fun that we keep in touch through facebook too.





Claudia wore this "friendship" necklace, as she called it. She and her bead buddies in a weekly bead group at Bead Gallery, swapped meaningful beads from their stashes and, in composition with other beads purchased on site, created special necklaces in an evening to carry a bit of their fellow beaders around with them always.





This is the dressed window as seen from the street side. Earlier you saw it from within the store. Oops, I cut off that beautiful copper colored necklace I'd meant to show you. Vicky, who taught and worked at the former BG when it was in New Hampshire made it. We get to see her tomorrow when she comes to the Crochet Lariat workshop.


















Gee, I really dropped the ball. I can't believe these are the best shots from today's workshop. Sorry. The work was amazing and I found the beaders' color choices thrilling. Nancy Tobey sent a wonderful trunk show of her focal beads so there were more than enough choices.





I'll be teaching this workshop again at the Bead & Button Show again in June. Thanks to Sylvia, I was able to lay in a supply of those precious stripey beads for the kits. Whew!
I'll say goodnight and relax for a few moments before dinner and email and early to bed.






Tomorrow we'll work our beady magic on these firepolish beads. Genevieve has a trunk show on hand for a limited time. There is a mass of Picasso ones that look like gemstones. If you call her before she returns them, they can be yours.
Hopefully there will be great pics to share. Ill be driving home afterwards so I likely won't post until Monday.
Did I tell you? We booked my return here for the last weekend of April (29, 30th and May1st). Though we've a pretty good idea of the workshop choices, check with Genevieve and Facebook later on. Yes, Jamie, now that the store has moved closer to your office, AND we're pretty certain I'm offering a felt making workshop then, I hope you'll mark your calendar. I'll be freshly returned from teaching in Australia for a couple weeks, mostly Hand Felted Jewellery (oz spelling) and Beads and I'll have sooooo much to share. Expect to wear finished pieces and take away several components to complete at leisure.
PS some of you know how perfectly giddy I become when in the company of pug dogs. Well...





Here is Bailey. For this weekend he is " my little pug" fantasy. OK He did try to cut me off at the ankles when I came in the house. Not exactly the greeting I'd dreamt of from my weekend pug dog, but it is probably better we respect each others, or at least HIS boundaries, since I'm just passing through. He is cute.

Let me catch you up on Friday

Last night I shared every delicious moment with you about my workshops at Bead Gallery in their new location, when alas... it all disappeared. So I'll try to catch you up so tonight I can report on today's creative joy. As is our habit when I teach at Bead Gallery every 6 months, we devote an ENTIRE day to squeezing in 3 short and sweet workshops on Friday and then two full day on Saturday and Sunday.



Dionne and Genevieve (left to right) are beading their Pillow beads. Dionne, a regular at Bead Gallery when it was in the former New Hampshire location, is delighted to have the store nearby now. Most everyone benefited by this move...


...except Rita, in red, who said it IS still worth the trip.



Annette and Claudia (left to right) joined us for the afternoon and evening sessions.


Annette wore this bracelet which I asked to share with you. She said the peyote base is from a previous workshop I taught at BG.



Here are a few of the Intricately Beaded Beads from the afternoon workshop. I was stunned to see so many beader's finish it in such a short time.
Some Indian dishes were delivered and a few of us had supper together.


The evening right angle weave project taught the double needle method and was all about bling. Beaders chose fron the gorgeous selection of Swarovski crystal. Can you believe it if I say I love love love sand opal? Honestly. Claudia finished hers. The color is Padparadcha cathedral.
So let me wrap this up with the snap of the last few beaders I captured before they all got away.


Karen, Patty and Priscilla are between Claudia and Genevieve.
Check iu the cool window dressing Gen did for Halloween.
Ok...sort of caught you up.
More about today's class later.
-posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Fabulous weekend at Bead Gallery Inc in new location

It is always a treat to teach at Bead Gallery, especially so this Halloween weekend. Genevieve JUST finished the bead display on the new cabinet tops beneath the wall of beads on Thursday, yesterday. She is there most days 9-2 putting out inventory and yes, she's resumed her teaching schedule in this new location. Give her a call if you want to confirm a visit.Today the press came sniffing around and soon everyone will know where the best Boston-area bead action is.


I have just invested an hour or two writing this blog with photos of our great day and yipes!!! The screen went black and allllllll of it disappeared except that first paragraph and pic.
It's really late after a full and fab day so, check in tomorrow. I'll redo all if the good stuff I wanted to share about today and I'll add Saturday too.
Until then.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Off to Bead Gallery Inc

The car is packed and ready to head to Melrose MA, new location of Bead Gallery Inc. Every 6 months or so I teach new workshops here, often squeezing 5 into a long weekend. Among the beaders there and myself, is the private joke that owner Genevieve Martineau is my muse. Frequently she'll suggest a
topic or focus or interest for the next time, and I design a project to fit the bill. I love it. For example, last time I was there I taught "A Bevy of Bezels"


And this time I'll teach a project that utilizes them:



This time I'll teach beaded beads on Friday. In the afternoon we'll make intricately beaded beads like those i made that landed on the cover of THE ART OF BEADING STITCHES: 9 AMERICAN BEAD ARTISTS


following the morning workshop of the Pillow and Trillium Beaded Beads.


Perhaps I'll be invited back to teach Twirling Trillium lariat, the brandy new project that uses the trillium beads plus teaches new techniques to create twirling versions of beading stitches.


I promise not to keep all the goodness to myself. I'll keep you posted during our exciting weekend. Until then...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

A beadiful day at Blanches

When I left early this morning for Blanche's, i knew I'd be in for a long but lovely drive. I opted for the scenic over speedy route. The foliage is beautiful and some of the trees are already bare. I'm enjoying every moment, every leaf every color.



Blanche Herself (on right, Wendy on left) took my workshop: a Bevy Of Beaded Bezels, despite an injured wrist.



Donna, visiting NYC from Australia, came too. She said I can expect to see her in Orange when I teach at in Australia in April.


Karen and Maria, experienced beaders, were quite productive and completed several bezeled rivolis.



Eileen sat next to a few trays of Blanche's extensive inventory of rivolis and Swarovski stones, that I brought into class from their special cabinet. We bezeled a couple round ones, a square, two ovals and one bezel meant to remain empty.
Pardon the shameless self- promotion but, I have to mention that I do offer kits for these beautiful, quick and easy bezels based on polygon stitch. They contain a rivoli and the recipe for a beaded bezel (use your own seed beads sizes 8, 11 &15). The kits are $15 each. Genevieve from Bead Gallery Inc, sitting with a treasure of rivolis, had been collaborating with me to make the kits...her stones with my recipe. Meanwhile, her attention as been diverted elsewhere, including moving her store from New Hampshire to Melrose Massachusettes, where i will teach next weekend. I am building my inventory of vintage and special rivolis/stones to continue to offer an array of Rivoli Bezeling kits. Today I have only a few 18mm rounds and the fuschsia dome below but I'll keep you informed as new shapes are available.


Remember, I can take credit cards now.
Enjoy these beautiful autumn days. It's like seeing the world through the eyes of Frederick Church. And a full moon to boot.

Jet beads and Beadzo

My friend Jane showed me a patch of bead embroidery on decaying fabric. It had belonged to her friend's grandmother. Because of their age and their opaque blackness, I am wondering if they are jet. I told Jane I would enjoy designing something out of these sentimental beads and the faceted seed beads that accompanied them. For her part, Jane strung the seed beads with a few 8mm beads from this stash. From this I made a multi-strand necklace for the pendant I would design. The finished pendant is a composition of the beads stitched to blackened stiffstuff and backed with black felt.



At last night's workshop at Beadzo, Cindy showed us that she finished the layered cross needle weave bracelet that she started last time. She is a quick study and followed the recipe in MASTERING BEADWORK more than relying on my help.






Terry worked on more Trillium beaded beads, one of the workshops I'll be teaching in Melrose MA next weekend at the new location of Bead Gallery Inc.


Sherry wanted to learn free-form peyote stitch. She chose a floral array of seed beads in many sizes and finishes.
It is so much fun teaching at Beadzo when there are several different projects to teach " at once". It works because everyone present knows they will have the attention and instruction they need. And for me, it is a bit like my 22 years as a chef. You never know how many or who will be coming to the restaurant or what they will want to order. It us fun juggling the stitches in my head and circulating among the students coaxing each through their progress.
Because, in the morning, I'll drive down to Bergenfield NJ to teach at Beads By Blanche, I'll say goodnight. Goodnight!
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

New York Sheep and Wool Festival

Over the decades of attending the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival we've experienced weather that ranged from monsoon rains to bone chilling cold to this weekend's perfectly exquisite quintessential autumn day replete with gorgeous foliage.








And this year, for the first in a couple decades I was free to shop, schmooze and take it all in. I wasn't teaching, I wasn't helping my friends at Amazing Threads , and I wasn't playing Suzie retailer in my friend Susan's booth...all things I love but, not happening this year.








My friend Deb and I met at building A at 9am and methodically worked our way through. We even checked out the llamas. Here is one half shorn.








Suzanne Higgsshowed us her new nuno wraps. She is also doing new hollow sculptural work. She just accepted a large corporate commission for them. Congratulations.
We breezed past the yarns, both Deb and I have quit knitting. We paused to appreciate the garments, stopped frequently for affection and visits as we ran into friends. And we sought out luscious fiber and fellow feltmakers.








Heather Kerner of Spiralworksis soooo much lovelier than this mug shot. Forgive me Heather. In 2001 Heather debuted her felt vessels here. I was captivated and asked if she would share her technique as one of the artists featured in HOW WE FELT.

















Her vessels have evolved over the years. Check out the 3 pictured here. She has added a line of tote and hand bags that marry beautiful leathers from a tannery near her new home, with her gorgeous textured nuno felt.








Here is one of these totes.








And here is another of her vessels, still edged with the coiled basketry. The handbag on the right features her felt framed in buttery leather. Visiting her and her booth were the highpoint of a day abundant with highpoints.
And we saved a stop at Marlene's Felting Madnessfor last. I was hot to buy some of the fibre fusion Australian Felbi wool batts. Plus, it always a joy to see Marlene. She is a savvy and abundantly stocked wool source and patient and generous ambassador of felting, plus a high energy vibrant woman. I loved my time with her in April when she invited me to Ohio to teach workshops at the French Art Colony in Gallipolis. She told me she will be hosting a workshop with Australian feltmaker Martien vanZuilen. Martien contacted me this year when she knew she'd be stateside, to inquire about venues where she might teach. I introduced her to Jennifer via e mail and she taught at NFAC this past summer. I'm eager to see her in April when I return to Australia to teach again at TAFTA again.
- Posted using BlogPress htyp from my iPod