Beading by the Bay Classes

Let the Beading begin! 

 

 

Our group was considered "the wild girls"by Marcia.  I have no idea why?  Our first class was with Huib.  He taught us a new way to do Cubic Right Angle Weave and used the word MATH withing the very first hour.  His class was very challenging and made most of us really have to think. 

This is about all I got done in the 6 hours...and shall I tell you that after those 6 hours Huib with his infectious laugh told me I "really should take it all out and start again".  Wise Mr. Petersen...wise.

Huib brought a collection on his work for us to drool over.  I feel in love with the bugs he had beaded and indulged in one of his kits.  He also told me he is in the process of talking about a book deal.  Oh joy...can't wait.

Even Cynthia cringed when Huib mentioned MATH!

Our second day was with the stylish Marcia.  She is poising here with Liz and the gorgeous beaded purse Liz gifted Marcia with.

I really enjoyed this class.  This is probably the 6th time I've taken a class with Marcia, and just as the first I enjoyed every moment of this Pacfic Morning Glories.  This class had the most clever attachment without using toggles or loops. 

Our last day was with Sabine.  I've never met her before, but instantly I loved her style and wit.  We laughed and enjoyed the whole day.  Here she is with my beaded Benjamin Bunny at the Dragon Lady    

 

                          

Using peyote tubes and a little weaving Pendulum creates sticks in different lengths.  

 

I changed Marcia's class from the bracelet to a necklace.  I would wear the necklace more than the bracelet which was too bulky for me.

And the best party of this class was that I learned to make a piece that had motion.  The flower portion actually turns.  Marcia's new book coming out this Summer is going to be called Beads in Motion. All I can say is "waiting".

Like Marcia's Pacific Morning Glories, Sabine's Pendulum  piece has motion also.  They each stick swings.  Though a little itchy when first wearing, this necklace really is quite elegant.

 

Canceled class

I just woke up this afternoon to see a note from Chris telling me that 1 Stop called & said my Spiral Infinity amulet bag was canceled.  No one signed up for the two day class.  I don't know if I should be really sad or really happy about this.  Let me talk about why I'm happy first.  Well, I hadn't done the instructions in the first place.  I know...bad teacher!  I guess when I went into the store two weeks ago and saw no one had signed up, I knew right then and there that it would be canceled.  Lisa gave me some advice on how to attract students using expensive silver seed beads or doing whimsical things. Then this Saturday when I went in to take Amy's Cherry Blossom beaded flower class, I once again saw no one had signed up.  The display itself was situated in the back making me realize it wasn't a sample that people wanted to look closer at.  Then yesterday, I burned the tips of three of my fingers causing instant blistering.  How?  Let's say that Dot did not wear her gloves when she reached down to try to fix a stalled lawn mower & the bare skin sizzled on the mower's manifold.  Yes, very bad burn.  I can't feel anything & spent yesterday with a bag of ice wrapped around my hand, but I did manage to make it to work.  So it would have been hard for me to teach this class anyway.

Now for the sad.  I love to teach.  I do it at work all the time, and for me the greatest joy is when someone has that look in their eye of "I GOT IT!".  I like to share my achievements and my mistakes to get another person psyched into creating Art.  I do love doing Square Stitch.  It was my very first bead weaving technique I taught myself.  I went crazy with it in the beginning making bracelets for everyone I knew.  I even sold many of them. Then I made a few amulet bags which I gave away, and started playing with dimensional Square Stitch.  It has never been a very popular bead weaving technique, but it is one that I still enjoy as it has a rhythmic trance producing path that lets me escape into my inner being.  I knew that plus the fact that this was a level three (intermediate) class that might put people off.  Then it was split into two sessions of 2 2 1/2 hours on Friday nights.  Not good either.    So here I am with a big graph and half written instructions.  I am not going to just ditch this project.  I intend to finish it up and maybe send it off to a magazine as it is a very nice design & makes a lovely bag.

So what has this taught me.  Well, first off, I have decided to not submit anything to teach for the Summer.  I really need to take a few steps back and wrap my head all around this.  First off, do I want to continue to try to teach at the local bead store, and if so what do I do to try to build up a student following.

 Lori Anderson during these past month was asking people to send her inspirational photos that helped you beat the Muse and create.  I sent her my picture of Kauai which she used in her new motivational e-book called :  Follow the Path which can be purchased at Lori's website.

 

I read the e-book, and it made me start to think about where exactly do I want to go with this blog. Which made me even think "where do I want to go with my beading career?".  The book gave me lots of ideas and took my brain on one sweet roller coaster of a ride.  I'm still digesting all the information and contemplating where do I want to go from here using her ideas and suggestions.

One thing is that I definitely need a new banner for this blog.  I haven't beaded a beanie in years, and I do love dolls almost as much as beading. But then, I love my Scotties too...and the beautiful city I live in. So like Lori, I'm going to just blog about what I want.  Definitely a new banner is in store!

Second I decided to take this Summer to back track a little with my teaching.  I want to use the advice Lisa gave to me.  I definitely need to scale back my classes to things that people can complete in a weekend or even in the limited time set aside for a class.  I need to also look at whimsical themes as they always attract my attention.  I was trying to go for elegant, when that definitely is NOT me!  I like crazy out of the world or amazingly cute things.  So I'm going to sit down and design easy fun classes for the Fall term.  I know people cannot commit to the tons of hours I do in my personal projects, so I have to do simple things: Fun simple you got to learn to make that things.  I'm going to give it my best try.

Cherry Blossom

Yesterday was Friday the 13th.  Nothing bad happened to me at all, but I'm not a very superstitious person so maybe that is why I decided to go out & enjoy the fabulous weather here in Central Ohio.  Started the day with Chris & my baby brother, Victor, with a nice lunch at Cheesecake Factory over in Easton.  I promised myself to get something besides the Orange Chicken but when the waitress took our order, I automatically said "Orange Chicken".  It was so nice to get to spend some time with my brother.  He lives way to the south of Columbus, and I live way north of Columbus.  But now we text!

Then after a nice nap, I went to Janet's studio over in Valleyview where the Guilded Lilies were invited to come and look at teacher's applications for next year's Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay.  Wow is all I can say.  Some people are really going to have a very hard time next year picking out which classes they want to take. And yes, I'm holding my hand up already.

Carolyn posing for the camera

I think practice will make perfect with this technique. But I love it.

This morning, I didn't mind that Fiona woke me up bright and early.  I needed to get my class supplies ready to take a French Beaded Flower class over at 1 Stop this morning with Amy Gaspard.  Amy and I met at a teachers' meeting and seemed to like each other.  Her classes fill up very fast so I felt so lucky that after a phone call, Amy opened up two more spots for the beginner's Cherry Blossom class.  It was fun & imagine my surprise to see Carolyn & Andrea sitting there in class with me.  It was fun & though we only had 3 short hours, everyone got at least two blossoms completed.  Amy let me use her bead spinner.  I KNOW I have some someplace and now I must clean that desk to find my good scissors still AND I need to go through a cabinet where I think the bead spinner resides.  I think I've found something pretty and addictive.  Oh no...something else to keep me busy.  Thanks so much to Amy.

1 Stop Bead Shop Classes

I am going to be teaching a new class at 1 Stop Bead Shop in Dublin Ohio.  It is a square stitched amulet bag on April 20th and May 4th.  This class is to be split into two 2 1/2 hours sections so students can get a chance to work on the amulet bag for a couple weeks before learning to put the bag together and do the fringing and embellishments.  Both classes are in the evening at 6:30 pm and is $50 for both days.    For this class it is a plus to have some experience in other bead weaving.

Spiral Amulet Bag

Square stitch is also called off loom bead weaving.  A graph similar to that used in counted cross stitch is used making it easy to read the pattern.  Please join me in this fun class.  Once square stitch is learned, you can make bracelets or even dimensional creatures.  I'm thinking that I need to explore this forgotten bead weaving technique a little more and develop some new pattern.

Master Class in Milwaukee

Myself and Carol

Two weeks ago today, I started out on my first day of the bead weaving Master Class at Bead and Button with Carol Wilcox Wells. Can I say it was an amazing three days with a true bead Master? Well, indeed, I can. Carol's class was about "Creating a Common Thread". Each day we all sat in a circle and shared what we wished to accomplish and how, or what we discovered about our selves being there in class with so many other talented beaders. Carol would then show her journey through slides on how she developed her true voice by experimenting and establishing a style totally her own. She encouraged all of us to do that too, but the key to finding your own style or voice is to first master the venue you are wanting to excel in. So by taking us each day through the different steps in Mastering Right Angle Weave, we slowly grew and learned to take the different projects and make them our own. Carol was a fantastic teacher. Her approach was open and gentle. She taught the way I like to teach, taking time with each student and patiently listening and watching to make them not only comfortable but achieve the lesson without being overwhelmed. Carol's laugh is something I'll always keep with me. It was so true and so filled with joy. Carol's assistant was her daughter-in-law Annette who was just as open, just as charming, and just as joyful as Carol. Annette would patiently sit next to anyone helping them to understand the thread patterns while Carol was on the other side of the room helping another student. Annette & I talked about dogs (she'd just lost her dog to cancer), her children, her adopted children and everything else in between. She was such a welcome addition to this class & I think she herself is a great teacher.
Third Day project

Carol shared with us stories of how she progressed from making amulet bags to baskets to sculptural jewelry pieces. She showed us slides of her studio in the Appalachian Mountains, her garden, and her family. I felt like I was taking back a piece of Carol with me along with the skills to Master RAW. When I got back home, I was so immersed in this bead weaving technique that I even found myself dreaming of the twist and turns of the needle and thread. I dreamed of taking what Carol had taught me & reworking all the old necklaces I'd made using the foundational skills I have learned. Oh, it was such true journey for me those three days to "see" how I can take this one bead weaving stitch and use it on my own style. Thank you Carol. Thank you Annette. Thank you Bead & Button.

My entourage was with me during the second day class:
yes, I take my beaded beanies with me wherever I go.

Class photo

As for the Master Class location itself, we were shuttled to the Milwaukee Area Technical College each day. For me, it was just as fast for me to walk from the Double tree hotel each morning and afternoon. Every morning waiting for us was a luscious breakfast hand made. No microwave or thawed out donuts for us. A group that I forgot to get their names made us breakfast and a delicious lunch each of those three days. I would be so full that I could barely keep my eyes open but there was my favorite beverage all the time. I asked one of the guys if I could take a picture of him making my omelet for me. He was thrilled & did a little throw in the air to make us all laugh. I have to share with you this little thing about the MATC...the bathrooms on the 6th floor had the best view of downtown Milwaukee! I told my class mates this & we all rushed to the ladies' room to check it out.


For my classmates, we had people from all over the US there. We laughed, we shared stories, and we sat quietly beading away. One of our classmates was from Japan, and we all loved looking at all the beading treasures she was using in class. I got to share three wonderful days with women around my own age which for me was the best part of the Master Class.

Classes & more classes

The last two weeks besides traveling all over the world from one blog to another during the One World One Heart blog event, I also have been beaded & even taking classes at 1 Stop Bead Shop here in Dublin/Columbus Ohio. This first set of bracelets are from a little mini class during Bead Club where Cindy A. is developing a class. She wanted us to be her guinea pigs & my wasn't I lucky for my very first time to get to learn a new technique. I don't remember what she is actually calling the class, but it is netting using 4mm pearls. The closure is magnetic, but this can be converted into a free flowing bangle or use toggles or other closures. I have a bunch of magnetic closures left over & have used them. These are two of the three bracelets I made. I made a gorgeous one with orange & yellow sea glass with green Delicas, BUT...I lost it Friday when my brain was in a daze from lack of sleep. Someone either at Applebees on Sawmill or Trader Joes now has a new bracelet. No, they didn't show up, but those were the only two places I was before I noticed it was gone. I think I learned my lesson there about those magnetic clasp.




I took 3 out of 5 classes Janice Berkibile was teaching at 1Stop Bead Shop this weekend. I really enjoyed the Pod Rings on Thursday night even though I'd been awake for over 24 hours. I came home Thursday morning with my hip aching from being on my feet all night at work & took a pain pill only to realize instead of calming the pain and making me drowse, it calmed the pain but made me hyper! I hadn't seen Janice since I was out in Tacoma this past July taking another one of her great classes. Friday I signed up to take two of the classes Fierce Connections and Crown of Jewels. Well, it would have been great, but Fiona woke me up before 6 am so there I was forcing to stay awake during the day class trying to learn to make earrings. Do you notice I have no pictures of earrings...because I didn't finish them. I had to go & eat (therefore losing my bracelet) & then came back to wait for the evening class. I must have drank 5 cups of coffee at dinner so I could wake up & have some conscience thoughts. It worked, but I realized that when I crashed it would be bad. Lisa was so wonderful to get in touch with the person on the waiting list & having her take my place for the all day class on Saturday which I KNEW I couldn't never make. I'm happy someone else got to learn more great metal working techniques and tips from Janice.



Saturday? Well, Fiona must have been tired too as she didn't wake us up until 6:30 am. We were both so tired we went back to bed for another three hours. It felt so good to sleep in. Then lunch at China Dynasty and a local shopping at Costco. All the time we were in the car, we were listening to Robert Plant's Band Of Joy which has been in my car since I got it from Amazon last December. I love this CD & Chris feeling better really enjoyed it too. No, I didn't take it out of my car...still there for me to enjoy.

So this weekend it was nice with 60 degree temperatures, and now the ice cold dampness is back. I was wondering if Janice brought some nice weather for us, which was a much needed break.

I need to mail out my two OWOH giveaways but realized tomorrow is Presidents' Day so I'll have another day to package all that up along with some other things that I need to mail out.

I keep wondering when Spring is going to arrive. This freak warm spell caused our young maple tree to sprout some buds & I saw some plants shooting up in the back. I just hope they all survive as I KNOW Winter is still here for awhile. Meanwhile, I'm going to bead away and find some time to do a little metal working.