ooh boy...Two New Classes for Bead & Button Show in June

Some of you know I'm a night owl. Been that way since I was old enough to read under the sheets with a flashlight. Oh, and some of you know how darned excited I can get about flashlights. Well, when I equip my Craft Optic eyewear with the optional (you're kidding, right? an option? this is the sexiest, most powerful, and nearly weightless little light you can put between your eyes!) Dream Beam, (Yup, that's what Craft Optics calls it.) I'm good for hours of nocturnal beading bliss.
Anyway, one night recently, while beading my heart out into the wee hours, the "magic started to happen" while making The Dragon Bracelet. That is, its shape took form as I'd hoped AND it was stable and firm and structurally sound. Not some accident of the way it was held. It was positively thrilling.
Dragon Bracelet will preview, as many of my projects do, at Bead Gallery in Melrose Ma. on Sunday April 14 from 10a-1p. (The afternoon previews another new bracelet called Regal Rondels.) Or join me at the Bead & Button Show Wednesday June 5th. (the screen shot of the B&B website is shown)
Playing with new bezel designs and unusual items to bezel, all the while immersed in peanut beads as I am this past year, led to the focal element of a new necklace called Reflections of Shakti. The exotic waves and curves of this piece explores and builds on a technique from Dragon Bracelet. A bonus with this project is Radiance Earrings, made by repeating one component of the focal element. The preview is at Bead Gallery on April 13th or register for the Friday June 7th class at the Bead & Button Show .
Allow me to return to how empowering it is for a beader to enjoy the bionic vision and perfect light of Craft Optics eyewear. You've read many posts here about some new lamp I saw or new "cheaters" with led lights. They pale by comparison. Let me tell you how liberating it is to not have to drag a task lamp around. And when I am teaching, I'm able to walk around the room, and at every given moment have perfect light and excellent vision, both when looking outward at the class and when examining a student's beadwork up-close. If you carry an iphone or iPod touch, there is an app that provides magnification AND a flashlight. Excellent for reading the menu, removing someones splinter. Admittedly, no help for beading but, pretty useful. It is "Over 40" in the App Store.
And while we're enjoying a tech moment, download App Gratis. They've made deals with app developers to offer each day one free app that would otherwise cost ya. The app changes daily and is only arranged to be free for that one day, then on to the next. Worth a look.