Excitement is in the air, not to mention pollen (sniffle,
sneeze). The Bead&Button Show is almost here and I am sooooo looking
forward to seeing old friends and new beads. I’ll probably make some new
friends because I’m taking two classes this year. Taking a class at the Bead&Button Show is great
because you can learn a new set of skills and make acquaintances with people
from all over.
My first class is Brenda Schweder’s “Maniacal Jewelry Motif
Pound.”
Doesn’t the title of the class alone tell you that it’s perfect for me? I’ve
seen Brenda’s jewelry up close and personal and am burning to learn how to
hand-forge steel wire into edgy-looking jewelry components. Brenda is going to
show us how to make more than 20 wire motifs that can be used for pendants,
earrings, or focal pieces.
I snicker to myself each time I read the list of supplies I
need to bring. Ballpeen hammer, metal files, etc. — it sounds like I’m going to
pound on steel wire like a maniac. (I could use some of that right now.)
There’s still an opening for this class: Join me and let’s have some fun.
My second class is something totally unexpected. It turns
out that the Bead&Button Show added some new classes, so I signed up for
one of them. The highly esteemed Paula Radke will be teaching us how to use a
new product on the market called GlasClay in “Introduction to GlasClay.”
Paula’s class has just been added, so there are probably seats available.
Do you remember me talking about it in a previous blog? Now I’m going to learn
from a professional and once again I’m jumping up and down with glee at the
prospect.
I’m looking forward to learning the basics of shaping
GlasClay, and most important, how to fire the pieces properly in a kiln. Just
think, a material that looks and feels like Play-Doh but shines like glass
after it’s fired. How awesome is that? I will probably drive Paula crazy with
questions about this product and I can’t wait to see and touch the class
samples. I promise to try and limit my Starbucks intake that day. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t promise, but
I’ll try.
Will I get to meet some of you fine folks who read my
blog? I wholeheartedly hope so.
Please, pleeez, if you see me, come up and say “Hi.” It’s all about meeting
people and making those connections that I value!
I am only able to see art glass artist Barbara Becker Simon twice a year but
every time I wander up to her booth, I know I’ll receive a warm hug and we’ll
catch up on each other’s lives. Barbara’s booth is always full of incredible
art glass. Her beads will go quite nicely with the wire pieces I’m going to
make in “Maniacal Jewelry Motif Pound.” The same goes for Tonya Davison, owner of the fabulous purveyor of all things metal clay, Whole Lotta Whimsy. She’s
now a brunette, and the love she gives is the same. Since I’m taking the
GlasClay class, I’ll ask Tonya for her thoughts on making components from metal
clay to complement my GlasClay pieces.
This year I will be looking for new products on the market,
cruising up and down the aisles, tracking down the latest stuff. Now, of
course, I’m going to share everything that I find with you, my wonderful
readers, and keep Bead&Button
readers informed about what’s new and now.
Thank you for letting me share my beady world with you.
Comments are always welcome and help me stay connected with what you’re all
doing with your beads out there.
What's in the Picture?
I decided to take some close-up shots of my beaded
cuff.
Just a little bit of
eye candy for my bead embroidery lovers.
Maggie Roschyk is an accomplished beadwork and jewelry artist who teaches jewelry making and publishes articles about designing jewelry. She loves teaching aspiring artists and seeing the "aha" moment in their eyes. Her goal is to inspire others to look beyond the empirical moment and strive to create beaded art that reflects their individualism.