Sunday's workshop at Bead Gallery, Inc was the Fantasy Flower Lariat in 5 Stitches. This is the one of the series of botanically inspired necklaces, that features pearls that look like cornflakes, as the petals.

Here I captured Stacey snapping of photo of Dionne's, so you get to see both!

Looking at Nancy's, you can see how much material was covered in the 6 hours (with a lunch break squoze in). We began by beading a mandala of circular peyote. Once lavishly beaded with fringe, it became the flower's center and the base of the calyx. We transitioned to beading the Ndebele herringbone calyx, tapering through strategically placed decreases to peyote and then the long stem of netting. Before adding the pearl petals, we beaded sepals along the top to support and lift them.

Rita's is the same composition though using a different color palette. Each beader had the freedom to express color preferences, with the selection of pearls at hand.

This is the store owner, and jewelry instructor Genevieve Martineau. She was able to sit in with us for the day. What a treat. You may recognize her from public t.v. appearances on Pam Healy's Jewelry Junkie show.

You may recall my writing about her collection of vintage, rare and custom Swarovski stones and rivolis, because together we are offering kits that pair my recipes for beautiful, fast and fun polygon bezels with her stones. They are priced around $15 each, so they can be purchased several at a time. Production stalled while she renovated the store but we expect to have a selection of these irresistable kits at Meet the Teachers in Milwaukee at the Bead & Button Show in June. THey can also be purchased from my website and Genevieve's store.

Let me share the wonderful time we enjoyed this past weekend in New Hampshire at Bead Gallery Inc. While I prefer to blog about each day's adventures that evening, sometimes I just can't get to it until later. Fridays of our semi-annual (April and October) workshops at Bead Gallery are always packed full, with offering 3 workshops: morning, afternoon and evening. Sometimes these are abbreviated versions of workshops that we just HAVE to squeeze into our time together. Sometimes they are refreshers or prerequisites for the full day workshops to follow on the Saturday and Sunday and October Monday. (Scheduling Columbus Day weekend for the October workshops gives us the chance to offer a full day on Monday too, since, for many, it is a holiday).

One of Friday's projects was Bead Happy. In this abbreviated 3 hours, each beader worked from her own stash and there was no expectation of finishing, but check our the beautiful combinations and the inches completed in so little time. Patty and Robin beaded a few more rounds overnight and brought them to Saturday's class. Ooo, please don't think less of me if I admit to coveting these. Their bead combinations are thrilling.

In elementary school I began reading biographies, mostly about influential women like Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Blackwell and famous artists. When I read about Van Gogh's blue period, the concept fascinated and puzzled me. These years later, I understand it completely. I too have passed through my blue period. Guess I have moved past my palette that informed Bead Happy. If you stop to consider your wardrobe choices over the years, perhaps you'll see that you too, have worked through color periods.

There was a trunk show downstairs in the store, while we had our workshops upstairs in the newly renovated, bright and comfy classroom. We all took a break to buy a few beads, while we could. These are the ones I brought home with me. The beadmaker was selling them wayyyy under their value. From what I heard, she is happy at this time in her career, and while shaping her own style, to work up beads and then sell them off as she refines her technique. Her work is refined and meticulous. In these beads you see her admiration of Dustin Tabor, Patty Cahill, and other accomplished glass artists. As soon as she develops her own voice as an artist, she should be rewarded with purchase prices appropriate for her skill set and talent. She can be reached at eva@eskiebeads.com in Derry, New Hampshire. We'll be able to say we knew her when...
In October, when I return to teach 4 days for workshops (one of them is the Glass Bead Inspired Lariat which features a Nancy Tobey bead), Nancy Tobey will offer a trunk show.

Cookie finished her "cross-stitched bracelet with rivoli closure" tonight at the Beadzo class. (Neither photo came out very clear, sorry.) The bezeled rivoli (yes, you read about these kits that Bead Gallery and I have collaborated on) fits through a loop that extends from the bracelet, making a beautiful finish. Cookie chose those wonderful khaki beads (no 2035) for their elegant patina. They are the perfect contrast to the rivoli and shiny beads at the edges.

This cross-stitched technique is one of a half dozen new techniques I teach in my new workshop: More Faces of Polygon. It is the sequel to my Many Faces of Polygon workshop. It will premier at Bead Gallery Inc on April 9th. Only fitting, since I developed this workshop in response to their demands for MORE polygon adventures.

That same weekend in April, at Bead Gallery Inc, in addition to More Faces of Polygon, I will teach Bead Happy, the Fine Marcasite Chain for Focal bead, Pentagon Pendant on Chain, and the Cornflake Pearl Petal Flower Lariat.

A couple of designs that sprung from developing More Faces of Polygon are suitable as half-day or evening classes. A few I'm offering at Beads By Blanche in Bergenfield NJ. On March 3oth, 6-9 pm is Aurora Borealis bracelet, one of the new techniques plus a bezeled rivoli closure!

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...

This was day 4 of my 4 days of workshops at Bead Gallery Inc in Salem NH. It was devoted to feltmaking, rather than beading. Of course some cross-over beaders were in attendance: owner Genevieve, Dionne, Marianne and Gerry. But we also had lampwork beadmaker Jacqui, art clay instructor Michela, a fiber and jewelry artist Jamie, and a special surprise: Fran, a beader whose work appears in MASTERING BEADWORK page 185 (Fran's Swirling Ndebele) and is my studio assistant and Jamie's sister.
The sweet little reversible coat shown here is Michela's beautifully and seamlessly constructed masterpiece. She was kind enough to bring it for "show and tell".
Our project for this day is nuno felted neckwear. Here they are shown embellishing a hemmed 9 x 54 inch silk scarf with fine merino fiber, yarns and synthetic fibers.

After wetting the wool, some felters worked on their own projects and some shared the laborious rolling by layering several onto one piece of solar pool cover and taking turns.
I let all but three felters get away before I remembered to take a shot of their work to share with you. Sorry. Dionne, Gerry and Marianne are shown here.

Notice the quilted tote to the right of Marianne? Last year she came to class with a similar one and I coveted it so badly, she sold it to me. Plus, when I asked, she brought another to class the next day for my beloved niece Amy, who shares my passion for cool bags and the ceaseless search for the perfect one! Looks like she managed to make a replacement one for herself. Marianne makes exquisitely beautiful beading "cases". She combines gorgeous fabrics with her talent for piecework and quilting, with a beading mat. It has pockets for tools and supplies, and rolls up and buttons conveniently. She gifted me with one in a Laurel Birch cat fabric that I love! Thank you Marianne. PS If you are longing for one for yourself, no problem. She makes a constant supply for purchase at Bead Gallery Inc.

Ya know how that marketing business and competitiveness between Art Clay and PMC is foreign to us and frankly, off-putting? Many of us are wayyyy more interested in the medium and less hung up on choosing a camp. When we were talking about such things today, Michela shared with us that several metal clay instructors joined forces and began a registry of teachers that is not based on the branded product or marketing. She is proud to be the 7th of these Registered Metal Clay Masters!
Gerry had asked about bangle and beadmaking during this nuno class. I was able to demonstrate both quickly, since we had several Turbo Felting Boards on hand. So, while I packed up after class, Genevieve "banged out" this layered felt bangle. She'll use the slices she cut off as felt cabochons.

We have a series of workshops scheduled for April and October (Columbus 4-day weekend) for next year. There are already several sign ups so, if you want to join in, don't delay.