Kate, Marcia and Screwts

Just a brief little note today. Recently, Kate McKinnon taught a class at Marcia DeCoster's studio. I was unable to attend since I was at Heather Trimlett's Garden Studio Friday and Saturday. However, I did get to go for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon. Kate was generous enough to give me some of her beads and show me what they were working on. The girls were working on Screwts, named after the plant in a Harry Potter book. I have been kind of busy working on my new studio, but try to bead a for little while each morning. My Screwt is pretty cute!

Kate had some of her jewelry with her and I couldn't

resist the tall building ring. The next morning, Kate came by for a little visit. Here she is with Jasmine. Aren't they cute together?

Heather Trimlett's Open Studio

My Beautiful Booth at Heather's
What a nice little show Heather Trimlett puts on each December at her house here in the San Diego area. I arrived early Friday to set up my booth and am very proud of the results. There are only ten artists showing their work. Each of us has to bring cookie dough ready to bake. A pot of soup and a pot of chili are simmering all day on Saturday. Along with the cookies baking throughout the day it is an enticing place to spend a few hours. Heather's home is lovely and her gardens are quite wonderful. Cobalt blue chairs and pots among foliage and rock and brick work make a stroll through the yard very pleasant. The show was well attended and it was so fun to see new as well as old friends.

I look forward to next year's show.

Nuno Felting Class with Arlene Watson.

Attending Arlene Watson's Nuno Felting class was really worth while on many levels. We learned the technique of fusing felt with fabric. This technique is one I have wanted to learn for quite some time. Arlene is very talented and a great teacher. Patient and generous. Her studio is large, comfortable and has everything you need to be successful. My fellow students were both very talented women.


This made for two days of stimulating conversation as well a great learning opportunity for Nuno Felt making. I created several pieces of Nuno felt in using different techniques that I will now play with. We'll see what they all morph into. I want more classes now. It is so good to stretch and grow with art! Thanks Arlene.

Behind My Blogs! SJBS & BSGNY

I have been kind of busy lately, so I am going to back up and do some posts from the last few weeks. Below is the first installment.

But first, here is a bit of exciting news for the summer of 2010 -
I am very excited to announce this new retreat. I love beading in the mountains and The Tetons are some of our most spectacular specimens! Join me July 24 - 28, 2010. The Teton Bead Retreat!

The South Jersey Bead Society.
I love teaching for the SJBS! They really treat you right when you come teach for them. How fun to see all these women create individual pieces during class. Each piece is so good. They all got an A+ in my book.


What a great group of bead crazed women! This Bead Society is full of dynamic women who are so productive and have a really a cohesive membership. They team up to make sure everything is perfect. They make it look so easy. But you know it takes a great deal of planning and coordinating to achieve what they do.

Fabulously colorful Fradel on the left, and a shot of some of the class hard at work. Pretty Piper Antonelli with a sequin on her nose, not planned, to make her sparkling personality even brighter!
Thanks everyone for another memorable weekend of classes.

The Bead Society Of Greater New York
I flew home from South New Jersey on Monday, then turned around and went to New York City on Thursday of the same week. Worth the trips back and forth! Carole Horn has chosen my classes for many years and I always go in the Fall when NYC is so beautiful!


Below, Suzanne and I at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, NYC.

I adore New York City. This November, Carole Horn and The Bead Society of Greater New York brought me in to teach workshops for them. They hold classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. It is such a very exciting place for me. You see, I dreamed of being a costume designer when I was young and just love seeing all the young students hustling to their classes. I think of how fortunate they are to be living their dreams at this time in their lives. Who knows, maybe someday they will have their designs displayed in a fabulous shop in Manhattan, Paris, and Milan... (To the right is the Eileen Fisher window near my hotel. So clever!)
Each time I travel to New York City, I fulfill one tourist destination on my list. My friend Peggy has guided me around NYC for many years. She recently moved to Taos, NM! Wah! I missed seeing her and our wonderful shopping trips and the great food we always had in NYC. This time
my wonderful tour guide was Suzanne Golden. She is one tour de force! We went to the Garment District to shop for beads and sequins. Then we went to the Museum of Art & Design for the amazing exhibition called "Slash" Cut Paper. Astounding and surprising. Then on to window shop at Barney's and browse the amazing wearable art at Bergdorf Goodman. It was my first time. Inspiring fashions, really! I will always remember my first time...

My favorite hotel when I am visiting NYC is the Hotel Beacon. It is 4 blocks from Central Park, has a fabulous theatre attached. They have great concerts right next door to "my" hotel! Someday I will plan to see a show while I am there. The Hotel Beacon is across the street from an amazing gourmet grocery store called the Fairway Market. I bought some yummy gourmet cheeses and coffee while I was there and brought them home to enjoy. Monday morning, I had a few hours until my 4:00 pm flight home so I took my camera and walked the neighborhood near my hotel. I love the beautiful brownstones!














Here I am in front of a window at Barney's. The Cone Heads in PJ's display was being put together as we walked up to the store. Cracks me up! Cone Heads!!!!

I can't wait to return to NYC, teach for the very talented women of the BSGNY and explore more of one of the most exciting cities in the world.