Felt a Fascinator in my Workshop this Saturday

Fabulous Felt Fascinator led by Carol Cypher
When
Sat, June 23, 3pm – 6pm
Where
97 Broadway, Kingston (map)
Description
Allow your most fascinating self to run free in this exploration of felt making, beaded edgings and embellish with feathers, sequins, tulle and ribbon. These bigger-than-a-barrette, smaller-than-a-hat adornments range from sweet and demure to edgy and outrageous! (Remember the Royal wedding?) For this photograph, one of several were chosen but, no two are alike.

You and the wool will co-conspire to make yours unique and gorgeous. Begin with making a flat or sculptural piece of felt from a palette of fine merino wool fiber. We'll accelerate this process by using a Turbo Felting Board (available for optional purchase), allowing more time to fabricate and embellish to your heart's desire using tulle, feathers, beads, sequins creating this work of art-to-wear. Don yours with the dignity of the Royals or the panache of Lady Gaga!

No experience necessary. All levels. Please bring a towel. If you have a feather, beads and tulle you wish to use, bring it along. These items, and more, are available for purchase in class.

Workshop fee $75: includes wool, use of felting equipment, beadwork recipe and some embellishment supplies

Register at A.S.K. at 845-338-0331 97 Broadway, Kingston NY 12401
Carol Cypher phone 845-484-6417 E mail carolcypher@gmail.com.




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Thursday at Bead & Button Show

Opening day of the marketplace is always exciting. After delivering the first and very few size 12 Tulip beading needles I made my way right over to the Craft Optics booth. I got to see this special eyewear in action during the 3 classes that Marg, owner of beadfx Beadstore in Toronto, had taken with me. She likes her pair very much. I'll post about my first hand experience of them when mine arrive, possibly next week. Can't wait. Owner Jeff Caplan was charming and attentive to each and every beader, and there were considerable, who sat down to try this eyewear.
Sara from C-Koop Beads showed me the new findings she thought might be a fit for my felt jewelry. I'll keep you posted, after I put them into service. I adore her colorful enameled beads and findings.
Toho president Iwao Yamanaka presented teachers with a sample of their newest beads, slated for 2013: seed beads with larger holes! These are kinder on the eyes, permit more thread passes and will provide more beads per kilo. In this entire display of Toho seed beads, don't you just know that my eyes went right to Y310. Gorgeous. There they are in sizes 11 & 6 but, where are the 8s? Hmm.
AN ASIDE RE Size 12 Tulip beading needles: When I returned home from BB, my inventory arrived from Japan and I am now supplying your local bead stores with these lovelies. They are priced between the $4.95 sizes 10 and 11 and the $14.00 size 13 at $9.80. Just yesterday I put my first pair into service in my own beadwork.
First time in years I didn't buy a ring from Gary Wilson. Just never got over there:(
More BB Show to share in next posts...

Beyond Beadery Woodstock Revival Roadshow at York Beads

For this entire weekend, Betcey (of Beyond Beadery fame) is presenting her stockpile of Swarovski bling and her treasure trove of Japanese seed beads at York Beads in New York City. Nikia Angel is joining her and offering classes too.
I'll be in Manhattan for the day so I am delivering more Tulip Beading Needles to her there tomorrow! Including the new size 12!

"Meet the Teachers" event at the B&B Show

Amy, my librarian super-hero, arrived in Milwaukee and the Frontier Airlines Center in time to set up my table for this evening devoted to socializing and exhibiting kits and class samples. The Beaders are always happy to see her and have missed her the years that she cannot come.
Kathleen came by to say she will be in the CRAW class and to share a great story: She was wearing the Twilight in Savannah bracelet she made in my workshop a couple years ago to find Diane Fitzgerald admiring it. Eventually, Diane suggested they exchange bracelets and so, she took her up on this. Kathleen was happy to have her work admired and desired. According to her fellow Bead Society members, Diane spoke about her joy at acquiring this bracelet. Kathleen made herself another version of this feminine and fluttering bracelet.
Joyce and Joanne stopped by to say they had enjoyed our class together soooo much that they signed up for 2 more. Wow. This is music to my ears.
It was a gorgeous evening of affection commerce and visiting.

Bead & Button Show adventures

Before class I sit in the lobby at Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, using the free wifi to blog and catch whatever visiting I can. Anna Draeger sat for a moment to catch up. We had taught at the same event in Dortmund, Germany at the Creativa Expo a couple years ago and it was nice to catch up a little. She has just given notice at Kalmbach Publishing, publisher of Bead & Button magazine, to pursue teaching her gorgeous, crystal endowed beadwork professionally.
Stephanie Dixon, aka the Dixon chick sat for a moment. She is a bubbling jewelry designer and is here to once again demonstrate crystal clay<\a> plus, this year is her debut teaching at the Bead & Button Show <\a>. On Facebook her little companion shows up in place of her photo. I love this cranky looking little Poopsie Mc AngryPants.

A year later and still using the same pair of Tulip beading needles.

When I handed students in last Night's class, a pair of Tulip beading needles Cydne remarked that she was still using the same package she bought at last year's Bead&Button Show . And she does some serious beading. She is wearing a design she learned from Met Inmon and her badge shows she will be taking the Master Class with Sherry Serafini later this week. Lisa had seen the Tulip needles for sale at the kiosks in the classroom lobby and questioned the $4.95 retail price. When she heard Cydne is using the same package For a year, Lisa confessed going through several other-brand needles per project. Yes, she agreed. They are worth it.
Seated with me is Carol Perrenoud, co-owner of Beadcats. She and Virginia Blakelock have owned Beadcats for 27 years. The business is in Wilsonville Oregon and has served our beadiful community through mailorder and bead shows. Carol and Virginia are the queen mothers to many of this generation of beadworkers. Virginia's book, THISE BAD BAD BEADS was the gateway to many of us. Their catalog and magazine articles were the go to reference about threads and bead types, origins and uses. And Carol is especially dear to me and I don't think I have ever mentioned this to her... Gosh, it was probably 15 or more years ago, my drum teacher, the esteemed ethnomusicologist from Bahia Brazil, Emilia Biancardi , was wearing a gorgeous beaded rope necklace. She said it was bead crochet! Despite my search, I found only 1 person who knew the technique, Benita, a fiberartist friend and busy gynecologist in the Bronx. What to do, what to do? Then I find at the Wool Room a video lesson on bead crochet by Carol. It was the first video I ever watched that wasn't a rented movie. And I owned it! I sat there watching and re-watching, hook and beaded-thread in hand until I "got" it. Thank you Carol.

B&B Show isn't the only event in Milwaukee this week

Last Night's class was the Sparkling Felt Bangle. Students finished and wore their completed (though damp) fresh felt bangles from class. Afterwards, exhilerated by the thrill, some of us sought out a nightcap at the hotel bar. It was a bustling place when we arrived. I hadn't taken notice but, Jesse Jackson is here in Milwaukee, actually, here in this bar. Jay sent me an email that Al [Gore, I assume] is also here. They are joining the throngs of folks imported into the state capital to either support Tom Barrett (in this case) or Gov. Walker. I think I mentioned in an earlier post those republican Walker supporters I met on the shuttle. Tomorrow everyone votes. We'll see.
Plus our hotel is full of roller derby dames sporting tats, tanks, interesting hosiery and short shorts. Word is that it is their conference. The photo here is off the Internet.
Gotta run...delivering the first size 12 Tulip beading needles to vendors here.

Day 3 at Bead & Button Show

Sparkling Felt class is this evening. Most of the students will want to make one JUST like the photo, so I brought black but, I'm bringing a trunk of merino wool in many gorgeous colors, just in case. The crystals were sponsored by Swarovski, which makes the class a value. Each year that I teach felting here, I ask for a pickle pail which is actually a 5 gal bucket. I use with with my immersion heater to make hot water for the class. Works great. I hope everyone remembers to bring a towel.

The beginning of the Bead&Button Show

Friday flights to Milwaukee were smooth as glass. Of course my hair and style of clothing earned me yet another pat-down. This one was like usual but, the one last month was more like a rub-down, than a pat-down. When it was over, I thought to myself, if I were a smoker, I'd be asking for a cigarette now!)
Anyway, travel went so well that, yes, my luggage even arrived WITH me AND was the third piece on the carousel.
The Gov. Walker recall issue is a hot topic here in Milwaukee right now. There both groups in our hotel, supporters and recallers . Ads are all over the tv. On my shuttle ride from the airport were a man a young woman, both recruited from out-of-state, to support and assist the pro-walker team.
The classes I taught Friday, Saturday and Sunday were all small but sweet.
It was an honor to have Marg, owner of beadfx bead store and glass/metal studio in Toronto, in two of my classes. We had the opportunity in addition to beading together, to discuss my visiting her store. Plus, she was sporting this cool iPad case. I told her I just HAD to take a pic to share with you. I think she said it is Logitech, $70-90 bucks. I held it and it is very light. When it snaps over the screen of the iPad it adds a little thickness but, not bad. Remove it to use the gorgeous keyboard and stand the iPad up in it either in portrait or landscape.
Motoko and I are squeezing in as much visiting as we can before our schedules hit the fan. She is translating for 5 Japanese bead teachers again this year: Hiroe Tagaki, Yumiko Watanabe, Keiki Seki, Emi Yamada and another teacher I do not know. These 4 beaders are well known to me. Over the years they have been my students here at B&B Show, well as when I taught projects to the teachers in Japan. Now they are teaching at B&B themselves.
Last night Motoko and I had our annual celebratory meal (always steak for her) at Hilton.
Well... Gotta run. More later.