Even when you can't imagine it being any better...it is! So, there I was at the Bead & Button Show: reunited with other beaders from around the globe that I have scant few opportunities to be with; offering 8 classes that were mostly filled, many with beaders I have beaded with before (such an honor and joy); with access to all the newest and best bead stuff. AND...there were gifts.
In the upper left of the photo is a small, hand bound, artist sketch book from http://www.twinklebeads.de/. See the small photo of Twinkle Beads Stores owner Saori Abe-Schroder. She was also the first chief editor of Germany's first beading magazine, Perlen Poesie. She founded both the Perlen Akademie (where I taught in Dortmund Germany during the Creativa Expo in March and will again next March), and the first PerlenExpo! Plus she is an active designer and instructor.

Naomi Sato and Yuko Watanabe are beaders from Japan who have taken my classes at B&B shows and in Tokyo. Yuko gave me the exquisite card deck, each card a completely different illustration protraying 54 scenes based on the Tale of Genji (appreciated as the supreme masterpiece of Japanese prose literature written in the 11th century), in the Yamato-e style of Japanese painting. In the next photo see the Tenugui that Naomi gifted me. It is cleverly presented as a fabric book about Japanese garments. It can be easily "unbound" to reveal it as a cotton Tenugui, a hand printed cotton fabric that originated in the Edo period. Their multi-use includes as handkerchief, tapestry, towel, lunchmat, pillowcover, neckband of kimoni, bandanna, store sign, apron and dishcloth!

To the extreme right is a tiny hand crafted kaleidoscope made by and gifted from Keiko.Upper left in photo is the lovely leather purse made to contain one's personal stamp. There is an attached small red ink pad. Motoko Natsubori had my stamp made and presented it to me in this case. I am delighted that I can now stamp my documents in the traditional Japanese way. Bottom left are the new double drilled tile beads from Muyuki I first told you about in March while I was at Creativa Expo in Germany. To the right are the new Bead Crochet hooks designed by Kazue at Tulip Co. She sent me a set of 5 sizes and I am eager to put them to use on the new bead crochet yarns by Toho and Miyuko. More on those when I know more.

Freddie and Andrea Ott, photographer and publisher of Perlen Poesie gave me the newest issue, featuring Judy Walker, kumihimo braiding and right angle weave.

On page 96-97 is the call for entries to the IBA (International Bead Award). Within the next few weeks the contest will be described in English and French on their website: http://www.perlen-poesie.de/ I am one of the jurors along with Herman Hermsen, Toshi Myoda, Evelyn Ulzen and Silvia Winterstein.

This beautiful Spring Fever necklace was made by a (self-proclaimed) "new" beader. Renate brought it to show me that she made it from following the recipe in MASTERING BEADWORK . Previous to beadweaving, she was an accomplished bead crocheter.

Renate came with her friend Ilke to my Harlequin Bracelet/Necklace workshop at Perlen Akademie in Dortmund Germany. This orange necklace is another example of the very cool bead crochet that Germany beaders are turning out. As you'd expect, Ilke said all the beads are strung in advance, and then 3 or 5 or more beads are secured in each crochet stitch. She used polyester thread and it is barely visible.

Ilke was wearing a coral colored necklace you can just barely see between the lapels of her cardigan sweater. It is lovely. When she described the pearly looking beads as "waxy" and that the finish can be picked away by the beading needle, it sounded a bit scary. Not sure I really understood. Gorgeous though. As a generous bead ambassador, she carried along a box of her beadwork to show what type of beadwork German beaders are making. Because I begged, she posed wearing her snake necklace of undulating peyote.

My first glance into the box revealed a necklace that looked VERY much like the Harlequin project we are making in class. Plus there was a bangle bracelet rendered in larger beads but the same colors and stitch of Harlequin. I looked at her puzzled and she looked back sort of sheepishly, explaining...Renate bought MASTERING BEADWORK and wanted help with the Harlequin project and African Helix, in general. So, Renate sent photocopies of the book's pages to Ilke. Ilke followed the recipe using the most similar beads she had at hand. Then, to help her friend understand, she translated the book's directions into German and included her own hand drawn illustrations. Quite impressive and I was charmed. Realize that both Ilke and Renate are making this project with me in my workshop here. Amazing.

Other beaders had to leave for flights home. Those that could hang on to the last moment I captured here. Andrea (top left), appeared in a post earlier in the week. Let's see, was it of her wearing a newly crafted felt bangle bracelet? I forget. Forgive me, it is after midnight on this last day of a full and fabulous week teaching here in . In just 6 hours the cab will pick us up to wisk us to the airport. to return home. In a few days she will share with me, and I with you, the source for a most wonderful necklace cable for wearing beaded pendants. To Andrea's right is Katja, only beading since Autumn she said. She is a speedy beader and nearly finished a necklace version in class. Seated left is Renate and to her right, Ilke. It will be interesting to see how prolific these 4 are by this time next year. (Hoping we will reunite here at that time.)

PS. I bought 2 hours of wifi to get thi slast post out to you from Germany. Guess they only gave me one. Soooo, just posting this now, from home.

Check out the necklace of geometric shapes that Margot wore to my Diamonds of Fire Necklace workshop today at Perlen Akademie in Dortmund Germany. She could have joined the other 80,000 people shopping at the Creativa Expo next door but, instead, bless her heart, she spent the ENTIRE day beading with me. Honestly, she took the 9am-430pm (9 to 1630 as we call it here) workshop that focuses on cubic right angle, Diamonds of Fire. PLUS she beaded with me all evening in the workshop of Fireflies at Sunset Necklace. Diane Fitzgerald was teaching across the hall. When she dropped by and saw Margot's necklace she assumed that perhaps the book she wrote on beaded shapes might be behind it. Margot said she designed this piece a couple years ago. Just another example of simultaneous interest in geometrical beadwork that cropped up all over the place at around the same time. Especially rendered in peyote stitch. Just this week: Diane taught her Trillium design here today (based on triangles). Laura taught a design based on triangles yesterday and I taught the Beaded Pillows Necklace on Wednesday, also dependent on the basic beaded triangle. All such different manifestations of beaded triangles.Andrea (shown here) came to the Fireflies workshop with Felted Bangles with Beaded Beads she made, having seen them in the Bead and Button Show catalog.
Though the class concluded a long beadiful day, these beaders still look energized and even happy. One of them has just beaded for her first time. How exciting to usher yet another lucky person into this meditative, creative and joyous medium. She is eager to get around the expo tomorrow and set herself for the many years of happy beading ahead of her.
Tomorrow I will spend the entire day demonstrating feltmaking at the Perlen Expo (Hall 5 at Creativa Expo, dedicated to all things beads!). Kits will be on hand for those choosing to seize the opportunity to have a lesson and create some felted jewelry right on the spot.
In the evening I will continue with felting but, in a workshop at Perlen Akademie. We will make the Felted Bangle with Beaded Bead.

Anna and Laura demonstrated at the Perlen Akademie this morning. Laura taught a class there in the afternoon.
This is lampworker Michou Pascale Anderson. Check out the beads she is wearing as well as those in the case. If there are 4 empty spaces in the display it is because I could'nt resist them. Plus she is sparkling and as vibrant as her creations.

This is Marina, our faithful and fabulous interpreter, caught in the glow of the wonderful restaurant where she took us for authentic Dortmund cuisine. Yum. Great beer, delicious fish and fresh potatoes. Everyone else had sausage and slaw and potatoes.

We took this parting shot of the restaurant. The weather was perfect for dining outside in this plaza known as the old market square.

Quickly before my wifi time expires...I'll post this.

Today at the Perlen Akademie booth, Creativa Expo, in Dortmund Germany, I snapped this photo of someone snapping a photo of the exhibit of my beadwork and felt jewelry.

Today my teaching schedule was clear so I had a chance to take in the Expo. While Marina (our interpreter, kindred beading spirit and German ambassador) took us around, we passed this beader wearing her "Bead Happy" necklace. As I noticed and remarked about her, we hugged and snapped photos: I took away this photo of her and she has a photo of the two of us. It is such a warm and wonderful life, this felty beadedness.

When I spotted this lovely felt necklace and earring, I just had to meet her. This is Crystal. She mosly felts hats and is working on garments recently, mostly incorporating silk.

This is the second photo I took of Christa Saalfrank. In the first one she was not wearing her gorgeous felt bead jewelry. Wish she had a website. Her work was lovely. Many felted beads embellished with decorative stitches strung on cable or (yikes) elastic. Many pieces with silver components.

Couldn't even get near this booth. Guessing by the appearance of mass production, I figure there must be a felting collective behind this. These pieces are very different than those I have seen for sale in the U.S. from the Nepalese felting collectives.

It was exciting to see the variety and abundance of felt items at the show. There were a couple demonstration/workshops going on also. Saturday, all day, I will demonstrate both wet-felting and needle felting in the Perlen Akademie Hall 5. There will be kits on hand so that anyone choosing can have a workshop right here, right then. In the evening I will teach the felted and beaded bangle bracelet that is so popular at Bead and Button Show.

Tomorrow I leave for Germany to teach at Creativa Expo in Dortmund. Not only will I be in the company of 75,000 fellow "hand-craft" enthusiasts, but I hope to get in some quality time with European facebook friends, and fellow teachers Laura Mc Cabe, Diane Fitzgerald, and Anna Draeger.
We're teaching for the Perlen Akademie (Perlen is pearl in German and is used generically for all beads.) If you check the site, the homepage features one of the projects I will be teaching. It was also featured on the cover of the premier issue of Germany's only beading magazine, Perlen Poesie. It will be a treat to reunite with PP publishers, editors and photographers that I met at Bead and Button Show last June.

I'm packing light and bringing along my computer, in hopes of sharing this experience with you here. I'll be in flight and over the date-line so... give me a couple days before I can check back in with you. Until then, felt and/or bead your heart's desires, and smile.