To my surprise, when I asked Linsey what she's beaded lately, she produced from her bead box one of my very own designs! This happened last Thursday evening at my class in Tivoli at Beadzo. I asked how she came to make it, knowing this was her first class with me. Turns out, her grandmother's friend taught her grandmother, and then her grandmother taught Linsey. Wondering how it started. Was it from a kit purchased from my website? Or, had Linsey's grandmother's friend taken one of my workshops where I share these beaded bezels: Ostara's Emerging Blossoms, A Bevy of Bezels, Rivoli and Pearl Charm Earrings, Raku and Rivoli Bracelet or the Stick Pearl Petal Slide Lariat? Interesting. Hey, if you would like to whip up one of these beauties, each kit is only $15. They can be purchased off the website using paypal or, since last month, I can now accept credit cards over the phone or in person.

Sure hope you can make this out. It is a most amazing knotted cedar that Jim Clark has made into a table. You may recall me raving about his incredible cedar furniture in an earlier post? After years of admiring his work at the Mohonk Mountain House barn museum, where he is curator, I finally bought a piece a couple years ago. It is the bench in the heart of my studio. It is where I sit every day to bead for hours at a clip. You might be able to see part of it in the video R.A.W. lesson on YouTube.

He designed a symmetrical glass top with an irregularly shaped and precise cutout that allow the cedar to protrude through the glass. It is a striking piece.

It was a slow afternoon in the Barn Museum last Tuesday when I was there. On the 24th I return to do my final craft demonstration of the season. I'll likely work on felt components for the collaborative piece I am doing with Carolyn Baum's wired glass components. In a perfect world, I'd have finished something for Carolyn to show at the International Society of Glass Beadmakers' Gathering in Rochester. Oh well.

Speaking of Rochester, NY, Marilynne from Studio 34 Creative Arts Center, herself freshly returned from the ISBG Gathering, has finally set our date for my workshops there for the 3rd weekend in November. We'll keep you posted on content as soon as it is decided.

Sorry I haven't been posting. Last week I shipped off 21 proposals for next June's Bead & Button Show. Yup, 21. It is always fascinating to see which projects they select for me to teach there.
Then, as soon as they were signed, sealed and en route for delivery, I began my project for Tulip Co. They'd asked me to advise on their English translation of their delightful booklet of recipes and accompanying kits. So, today I was able to put the finishing touch and send that off.

Next in the pipeline: to finish the samples for the new workshops I have designed especially for Germany in March and Jelly Beads of Mogo in Australia in April.

The studio class tonight was so thrilling for me. Well, as thrilling as it can be without Beatrice. Not only had we had to skip last week but, we also had some of the long-distance-beaders show up. Ellen came down from Palenville with the handpainted "canvases" she prepared for us to beadle-point (needle point with beads). She'd been inspired to to do this when we saw the beaded panel that Janet beaded, using a purchased canvas. You may have read about it in an earlier blog post. See it in the photo here displayed on a handbag that Janet found for her work. Ellen painted and then proceeded to bead the one at the top of the pic. Of the hand painted canvases Ellen offered to each of us, I selected the one seen on the left.
At the Bead Blast last month, a few beaders were working on Pat Riesner's tennis bracelet using permanent finish galvanized beads (size 8) and Swarovski bicone crystals (4mm). Ellen took that idea and ran with it, as Ellen does. She pumped up the number of rows of metallic beads and combined rows of gold with rows of platinum, along with the obligatory row of crystals. Rather than making it an endless bangle to slide onto the wrist, she added other beads, beaded beads and a gemstone and sterling silver closure,.

One shot shows the crystals and the other shows the play of gold and platimum beads.
Beautiful.

Ellen arrived wearing a herringbone necklace that she had created to showcase a Dora Shubert bead but, found they competed with each other. She'll have to make something else for the Dora bead.

Ellen said she's hoping to go to The Gathering, a conference of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) to be held in Rochester NY at the end of the month. A few months ago Marilynne at Studio 34 had asked if I would teach at the studio in Rochester on the weekends of the Gathering. Later, realizing that perhaps it would be wiser to schedule them at distincly different times, rather than concurrently, she said we'll schedule some workshops for the Autumn or Spring. It actually better be Autumn because in March I'll be teaching in Europe and in April in Australia again. Speakinf of Australia. beadmaker Liz Deluca is coming in from Australia for the Gathering. We won't have time to schedule a meeting while she is stateside. But, I'm thinking she will produce beads for the workshops I will teach in Australia in April at Jelly Beads of Mogo, and perhaps we will meet then. It is all so exciting! And I have 3 new projects in my head just bursting to be rendered in beads in time to propose them for the Bead and Button Show 2011...Due August 6th! Wish me luck.

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.

Today three beaders arrived to the Advanced Elements of Beadwork workshop wearing felt jewelry. Well, Linda Darmes, above, wasn't actually wearing her felt until I asked her to for this photo. Her piece is still in progress and will be entered into a juried competition for exhibition in the Lawrence St. Gallery, in Ferndale MI. The exhibit will showcase collaborations between beadworkers of the Great Lakes Beadworkers' Guild and members of the local branch of the ISGB called Glass Act. The beadmaker she is collaborating with is Darlene Dombrowski.

Linda G. is wearing a beautiful necklace that combines her bead weaving with one of her hand felted beads as a focal element. B.T.W., the gorgeous sweater she is wearing is one of her hand knits. Its subtle sheen and graceful drape is due to the bamboo yarn.

Audrey wore a strand of felt beads. She was quick to say she had not made them but, we applauded her good taste to purchase them! She will be hand felting her own set of complex cane felt beads in tomorrow's workshop.

Sharon, a board member of the GLBG, wasn't wearing felt today but, she was wearing a Carpet of Beads Bracelet (a retired kit of mine and a project in MASTERING BEADWORK) and an incredible Jeannette Cook necklace she made in a workshop with her.