Today is THE day that the The Bead & Button Show began accepting registrations for classes for the June show. I have heard beaders tell tales of sitting at their computers, poised and ready for the appointed moment when they can attempt to register for their selected workshops/classes. Competition is fierce for some classes and there are thousands of attendees (nearly 14,000 last I heard) and most classes cut off at 20 students. Truth be told, B&B contacts teachers to ask them if they will offer additional sessions, or at least this has been my experience. So, if you are shut out, check back.
Nancy Tobey, whose glass focal bead is featured in, and was the inspiration for "Glass Bead Inspired Lariat", will be so glad to hear what a hit this class is.
Again this year I am teaching Diamonds of Fire Necklace as an exercise in the joy and boundless scultpural capacity of cubic right angle weave. There are still some openings in this class. It is underwritten by Swarovski, making it a "value-added" selection. I will of course give students the option of creating the convertible version that can be worn as two bracelets or a necklace.
If you scope out the entire on-line catalog you can see which classes are still accepting registrations and which classes are sold out. As faculty, each of us is given an access code to monitor our own class registration numbers. It thrills me that of my 6 classes, 4 are nearly sold out!

However, I'd imagined that the 2 Sides to Every Story Bracelet would fill right up, since it is an original stitch that I came up with after exploring polygon ropes in exquisite details these past few years. Plus, the bracelet is pretty and feels wonderful, almost like leather. But, the very best part is that the flat beadwork corrugates as you weave, magically transforming it into reversible work.
Tomorrow, 10 members of the Arlington Middle School Fiber Arts Club will create their own nuno felted scarves during their after school meeting. The supplies have been packed and ready to go for days. I'd promised this weeks ago and was pre-empted twice by their first snow day and then their teacher's illness. Tomorrow we're on! I will take pictures to share here.
Marylyn, my web mistress extraordinaire, has revamped my website. She placed a link to this blog and from here, one can click onto my calendar. She is posting the clear-the-decks sale items to make room for the new bezel kits for Swarovski stones, rivolis and cabochons, the Turbo Felting Board (on sale with free shipping until Feb 2 ) and the books.

Almost everyone in class at Beadzo last night, wanted to make a Bead Happy bracelet using their own palette of happy colors. Tara's (upper left in photo) is tranquil happiness in blues, purples and greens, as opposed to my exuberant happy of yellow, red, aqua and greens. Actually, the kit for Bead Happy has about 50 different beads! It takes nearly as long to make a kit as to bead the bracelet. I wish I was kidding! Though it is retired from the roster of classes I teach at the Bead and Button Show, it remains popular. It is one of the classes I will teach in Germany in March at Creativa. Ithas been kitted by Coronet in Japan, and used in the beadstitch curriculum for herringbone stitch.

Kitty chose to forgo the Bead Happy bracelet to work on more bezels for rivolis. She is doing several in sizes 18 and 12mm to connect into a reversible bracelet, taking advantage of this style bezel that is as lovely from backside as from the frontside.

A reminder: I have kits for 3 bezel styles for 18mm rivoli. The kit features a rivoli (some rare and vintage and unusual colors) with easy to follow illustrated instructions. At $15 each, perhaps you'd like one of each! Just give me a call to check on colors 845-384-6417, or e mail.

Today I received my "teacher's" e mail from Bead and Button Show
with hotel info, early registration, a poster and the show schedule. Featured on the show schedule is this photo, captioned "Glass Bead Inspired Lariat: Artist Carol Cypher." Great exposure. THE inspirational bead is this one by Nancy Tobey. She wrote to say she has made all the 20 beads for the 20 kits I will make for the registered students. My covenant with B&B and the students, is that the kits will make a piece JUST LIKE THE ONE IN THE PHOTO. Don't you just know that the little stripey bead that dominates this piece has been discontinued! How I just adore those little stripey beads. Well, I have accumulated sufficient to make all 2o kits, plus a little to spare. When WILL I learn not to use rare or unusual beads in the projects I must kit? Honestly, I just cannot help myself. It is those uncommon beads that draw me in.

When I taught at the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild they were wary of an $85 kit that was really mostly seed beads. That project was composed of my accumuated collection of German and Italian seed beads from wayyyyyyyyyyyy back. Their exceptional colors have not yet been duplicated in the Czech and Japanese beads offered today. And when these discontinued beauties are gone, they're gone. This is why I say, when you see a bead you like, BUY IT. And if you risk not being able to get your beady little hands on more, BUY ALL OF THEM. Mind you, I'm not advocating greed. It is an artist thing. When the color speaks to you, you have to listen.
In the previous entry I mentioned Motoko Natsubori, translator, interpreter, beader, friend. Here we are at this June's Bead and Button Show.

I'm so excited to tell you that the first 4, of the dozens we're working on, of kits for beaded bezeled rivolis are now available. You've read alot about these quick and easy bezels in this blog. Click on the photo to see their lovely texture and that they are as beautiful from behind as from the front! 3 (Styles A, P and B so far) of these 4 are made for an 18mm rivoli (included). Call me so I can tell you which colors are available. We've priced them so that they can be collectible at $15 per kit. The 4th kit is the fuchsia flat-bottomed dome and bezel recipe to fit it like a glove. Only $12.50 per kit. You'll use 8, 11 and 15 sized seed beads from your stash with the easy to follow illustrated recipe and rivoli. Include $4 with each order for priority shipping.

While we're talking kits, I've also a limited quantity of kits for these Lea Zinke Bud Bead Earrings. They are fun to make, combining netting, polygon, ladder and fringe stitches. In addition to the rosy lavender ones, there are a couple yellow pair. Send me a check for $30 plus 4 for priority shipping.

Maybe you're wondering what the heck has been keeping me from keeping current with this blog. Well, where to begin. As inquiries about workshops mount up, I've begun compling the list and descriptions of new ones. Perhaps I shouldn't talk to you about the ones that are still firming up but, I like to share the process behind some of them. The pieces left are the front and back shots of a reversible pendant that features a complex cane hand felted bead on one side and a blob of glass I purchased in Seattle.
They are bezeled back to back in a technique I teach that works for any shape cab. The necklace is a fascinating rope that is supple and lovely as a necklace and I might even like it more as a bangle/bracelet. Fran and I brainstormed about names for some of the nameless projects. Evocative of its skyline and colors, this is Midnight in Manhattan. The kits for Midnight in Manhattan are ample for a necklace (with or without a pendant) or two bracelets. Expect to hear more about this when the kits are ready.

You know I've been bezeling my brains out. Hmm, Phyllis suggested that perhaps I can imagine a bezel book on the horizon. Maybe. Though still working on a dozen new designs for some of Genevieve's rare and unusual Swarovski elements, I am playing with the ways to use them.

The challenge is that, unlike most cabs or rivolis that are set into beadwork and viewed straight on, these cabs are embraced in a surround of beads to be appreciated from every angle. Used on the end of bead crochet, we can see the texture and color of the entire piece.

Meanwhile, did I tell you that Genevieve (from Bead Gallery Inc) and I are collaborating on a line of kits featuring my designs and her inventory of Swarovki. (Yes, in addition to contemporary elements we'll draw from her collection of rare and vintage stash.) We are working on them passionately and hoping to have the first designs available in a couple weeks. Providing lots of bling for the buck, and trying to prevent the angst of indecision, we're pricing them such that beaders will want to buy a few at a time.

Plus, we're kitting this project called 20 carat Diamond Ring. Hey, Amy, this one if for you!! It is a ginormous "diamond" set in sterling silver charlottes.

During my week's absence I also had to take and upload photos of the Bead and Button Show classes I'll teach in June. This year's photos are a marked improvement over last year's. Next blog entry...