MARCH 2005 

BEAD NEWS

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Latest Project Pictures

Upcoming Classes

News & Name Dropping

The Jewelry Workshop IN the News

Prickly Beaded Bead in new Bead & Button book

First Tucson Visit

Bead Store Sales & Events

LATEST PROJECT PICTURES

These are pieces I've finished recently, from items for a new seed bead class in Saratoga Parks & Recreation to stuff that comes out when I'm teaching or just messing around. I hope you enjoy the photos and let me know if you have any questions.

TECHNIQUE: flexible beading wire

This was created during a private lesson in Aptos. The winner of a local newspaper gift certificate choose a bead stringing and earring making lesson with her son. 

TECHNIQUE: paletting

This is an example of color studies. Pay attention to which colors recede and come forward and which speak directly to you. These pieces use simple Taiwanese beads but are quite vibrant an beautiful.

TECHNIQUE: knotting on silk

This piece was completed during the third class meeting of Extraordinary Jewelry Workshop offered in February through  Redwood City Parks & Recreation. The Czech glass beads are light blue and crystal AB on #4 light blue Griffin silk.

TECHNIQUE: heavy wire and wrapping

This piece come out of one of my long-winded demonstrations in a recent Wire Jewelry Workshop class offered in January through the Capitola Parks & Recreation. 24-gauge sterling wire is wrapped onto the 14-gauge form to attach the row of freshwater pearls. 

TECHNIQUE: cold-forging and cold soldering

This is a Valentine's Day inspired collection of unique pendants created in and out of classes of Wire Jewelry Workshop.

TECHNIQUE: bead woven centerpiece and wire-wrapped necklace

I just moved into a beautiful little cabin in a lucky sunspot in the Redwoods. I was particularly pleased with everything one day and made this little beauty in my new sunny workspace. I might see if I can get this one printed. The centerpiece is woven with Fireline, 6 Lb. test and the body is minutely wire wrapped on 24-guage with my super-duper ergonomic Lindstrom chain-nose and round-nose pliers and my German flush-cutters. Good, small tools make such a difference!

TECHNIQUE: spiraling peyote stitch and stringing with flexible beading wire

The spiral of this peyote stitch is absolutely entrancing and can do so into the wee small hours of the morning. I finally had to get the project done and finished it up with 7 strands of bead stringing and a super PMC bead made by my friend Lou.

TECHNIQUE: PMC

This is an up-close look at Lou's bead she gave me for Christmas.

TECHNIQUE: heavy wire and making a coil

I know I made this within the last few days but I can't remember where I was or who I was with! I must be doing too many things at once... This beautiful piece features beads by Jackie Mar, owner of Kiss My Glass. They were a present on my 30th birthday from Jackie. She's got more great beads she sells in her shop on 7th St. in Santa Cruz... for super-duper prices! I stop in to shop when I can.

TECHNIQUE: tchotcke necklace

Etymology: Yiddish tshatshke trinket, from obsolete Polish czaczko

TECHNIQUE: pearl knotting

This piece is centered around the lovely hand-painted mother of pearl pendant from Russia. I love these pendants!

TECHNIQUE: memory wire

Memory wire can be a tough one but it can also be rewarding. I definitely had some fun with this one. That big bead is a sea cockroach from the Dominican Republic. Ask me sometime, it is a good story!

TECHNIQUE: wire wrapping

This is a nice little pendant I worked up during a demonstration in Wire Jewelry Workshop.

TECHNIQUE: wire wrapping

This is my attempt to make something for Susi's (lovely florist in Aptos, CA) to sell in the Valentine's Day season. I still have it... :) I hope your V-Day was good too!

TECHNIQUE: caterpillar bracelet

This is a new sample for a summer class I hope to offer in Saratoga. I had always wanted to make something like this and now I've finally had a reason! This worked up real real quick--a good one for those of you on the run. I might run one or two more rows of fringe on this one.

UPCOMING CLASSES

EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART I

Wednesdays, Mar. 2nd - 23rd

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Capitola Parks & Recreation

BEAD THERAPY

Sat., Mar. 12th

9:00 am - noon

E3 Playhouse

Santa Cruz, CA

STRINGING I: THE BASICS

Sun., Mar. 13th, 

12 noon - 5:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

EARRINGS III: THE TWIST

Fri., Mar. 18th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

WIRE JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART I

Mondays, Apr. 4th - 25th

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Capitola Parks & Recreation

EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART I

Wednesdays, April 6th - 27th

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Redwood City Parks & Recreation

WIRE JEWELRY WORKSHOP

Thursdays, April 7th - 28th

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Redwood City Parks & Recreation

BEAD THERAPY

Saturday, April 9th

9:00 am - noon

E3 Playhouse

Santa Cruz, CA

SEED BEAD THERAPY

Tuesdays, April 19th - May 10th

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Saratoga Parks & Recreation

EARRINGS I: THE LOOP

Fri., Apr. 22nd

6:00 - 9:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

STRINGING II: THE NEXT STEP

Sat., Apr. 23rd

12 noon - 5:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

SCULPTURAL PEYOTE CUFF

Fri., Apr. 29th

6:00 - 9:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

INSPIRATION WITH COLOR AND DESIGN

Sat., Apr. 30th

10:00 am - 1:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

WIRE III: THE NEXT STEP

Sat., Apr. 30th

2:00 -5:00 pm

The Beading Frenzy

San Mateo, CA

PEARL & GEMSTONE KNOTTING

Mondays, May 2nd - 23rd

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Redwood City Parks & Recreation

PHOTO COMING SOON!

EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART II

Wednesdays, May 4th - 25th

6:00 - 8:30 pm

Redwood City Parks & Recreation

EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART I

Thursdays, May 5th - 26th

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Palo Alto Adult School

EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP, PART I

Fridays, May 6th - June 3rd

(no class 5/20)

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Capitola Parks & Recreation

THE JEWELRY WORKSHOP NEWS & NAME DROPPING

Things have been progressing for The Jewelry Workshop at a fine clip. Keeping the scheduled month-long 4-week classes all straight with all the park & recreation programs has been a challenge--and some have actually run and some have not. The new year has seen the unveiling of 3 new classes: WIRE JEWELRY WORKSHOP, EXTRAORDINARY JEWELRY WORKSHOP PART II, and PEARL & GEMSTONE KNOTTING. The Wire Jewelry Workshop has to be my favorite class so far and has somewhat over-shadowed the other two classes in popularity. Pearl & Gemstone Knotting is only scheduled in Redwood City Parks & Recreation so far.

I am happy to say I finally got a BUSINESS LICENSE and opened an official BANK ACCOUNT for The Jewelry Workshop. I even got a Business Platinum Bank Card--whatever that means! Overall, I've been reaching milestones for the business.

Apparently, my name got around the LAPIDARY JOURNAL editorial office and I was referred by Merle White to Managing Editor Hazel Wheaton who contacted my by email to contribute to an article she is writing on parks and recreation programs. I teach for a nice handful of city programs and she'd heard I would make a good resource. We did a PHONE INTERVIEW just the other day and I will be contributing photos as well. Keep a look-out for that article in Lapidary Journal.

Also, I moved in January into a beautiful little cabin in the woods of Mount Hermon in the Santa Cruz Mountains with  a nice little space for private lessons. If you need some special work on a project or technique feel free to schedule a time for us to work together. And, as always I continue to teach in student homes.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June I will be teaching Embellished African Helix Bracelet and the Wrapped and Wrapped Again Bracelet at the 2005 BEAD & BUTTON SHOW. Currently there are 4 spots of 20 left in the African Helix class and 9 spots of 20 left in the wrapped wire bracelet clasp. My youngest aunt, Winny, will join me in Wisconsin and we've been invited to a Friday night even held by Toho, the company that makes my favorite Japanese seed beads! I was also invited to submit proposals for BEAD & ART GLASS FEST held September 29th - October 2nd in Orlando, Florida and I've submitted proposals to LAPIDARY JOURNAL to teach at their BEAD FESTS in Atlanta in August and Ft. Washington in October. I've got my fingers crossed!

Also, if you've taken a class or classes with me, take a photo of the learned piece of technique and send it to me to be included in the new STUDENT GALLERY!

THE JEWELRY WORKSHOP IN THE NEWS

On February 22nd, The Jewelry Workshop got a nice write-up in the local Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper. Click here and scroll down for the online article:

A bead on success

Beader extraordinaire RACHEL NELSON will have another of her projects featured in the June 2005 issue of Bead and Button magazine.

"2,4,6,8! Expanding Peyote We Appreciate" is about the traditional Native American bead-weaving stitch named the Peyote Stitch, which Rachel features.

This isn’t Rachel first appearance in the international magazine. She’s had four items in the magazine last year.

If you want to experience Rachel’s skills firsthand, she’s offering classes through Capitola and Santa Cruz parks and recreation departments and also as part of the E3 Playhouse on the Westside of Santa Cruz (www.e3playhouse.com).

For information, you can call Rachel at 408-348-7003 or visit www.msrachel.com.

RACHEL'S PROJECT IN NEW BEAD & BUTTON BOOK

A Bead & Button magazine Associate Editor had this to say to me in an email:

"Congratulations! Kalmbach Publishing, publisher of Bead&Button magazine, has chosen your article Prickly beads to be included in an upcoming booklet titled Beaded Beads, to be published later this spring. I will send you a copy when it has been published."

More details to follow!

FIRST TUCSON VISIT

In the afternoon of Saturday, February 5th, my mother and I set out driving for the fabled gem, bead, jewelry, and mineral shows in Tucson, Arizona. After 20 hours of  driving, including a 5 hour road-side nap, we arrived in town and went straight for "To Bead True Blue". The smallish but comfy show was a new one this year designed for beaders, full of beaders, showing gear for beaders, instructions, talented glass bead artists, and of course beautiful beads--that was before we arrived to visit our family. With Aunt Wanda and Uncle Bill we had a good visit, dinner, and cherry Jell-O made with red hots to rejuvenate us for the next day. On Sunday all four of us visited the Rodeway Inn and the Intergem shows. At Rodeway, visions of beads and jewelry poured from the meeting room into the hallway and walk ways and from hotel rooms into the outdoor lawn area where weary shoppers enjoyed refreshments--each hotel room converted into a showroom. I was prepared to be a little fish in a humongous pond and I was not disappointed what with being ignored and forgotten when bigger sales came along. Monday was our last day and my Mama and I took one last look at the Rodeway show and headed right back out of town. The last leg was grueling but we made it. I think I'll fly if I ever go again. It was a great trip to make with my mother but I learned one big thing even after visiting only 3 of 32 shows in Tucson. That is, the San Mateo gem and jewelry show has what a need without driving for 15 hours each way!