More Chances To Learn!

I was pretty excited to share last week what classes I'll be teaching on the Bead Cruise next year. I'm just as excited to share what I'll be teaching at this year's artBLISS!! This will be my 3rd year teaching at this wonderful event put on by my very dear friend, Cindy Wimmer, and her partner in work-shopping, Jeanette Blix Ryan. These two really know how to put on a retreat that is not only fun and educational but that also builds a sense of community and camaraderie. It's happening this September 21-23, 2012 in Sterling VA, just outside of Washington DC.

The jewelry blog world is going to be on fire today with all things artBLISS. Already my blog reader is over flowing with posts! I love it!! It just goes to show how much people truly connect with this event. You really really won't want to miss it. I could go on and on about it, really, but who has the time to read babble. Let's sum it up...

10. I'm bringing back my K.reating A.rt B.eads class! I taught this at the event in 2010 and I'm thrilled to be doing it again. Don't be intimidated by the flame! YOU CAN MAKE ART GLASS BEADS!! I'll teach you how. 

9. Oh my stars... Cindy gets the best desserts for the Meet & Greet party on Friday night and this year instructors will be doing demos. (Students get in for FREE, the general public can buy a ticket!) Plus there are giveaways during the gathering too. PLUS, this year there will be AUTHOR SIGNINGS!! Both Erin Siegel and myself will be signing copies of our new books. 

8. All new for 2013, the Don't Trash It, Destash It Social is happening Saturday night!! It's like a swap.  Bring beads from your stash that just aren't igniting your inspiration, drop them off at a set time (to be determined), and then, all the beads collected will be sorted/mixed into great packages that will picked up during the social! The more people that attend, the bigger the assortment that you get to take home. 

7. I'll be teaching the fast paced 3 hour version of Snaptastic Saturday night (after the Destash Social). Now, I realized that not everyone wants to take digital photos to sell there work. So maybe you have passed on Snaptastic in the past. BUT, look at it this way, even if you aren't selling your work, you want to be able to take great photos of the things you make to share with family and friends. This class is an opportunity to learn to do that. You can even take photos of the things you make at artBLISS to show off. 

6. EEEKKK!! I'm registered for Christine Damm's Color Your World class on Sunday! So you should totally come just to see me make a complete fool of myself trying to make polymer beads. HA!

5. You definitely want to learn my technique for making cold worked bezels and adding embossed color to metal in my all new True Colors class. I am so incredibly proud of this class. I want you there!

4. I'm driving down this year instead of flying so I will have so much more stuff with me!! That means more beads to sell, people... and kits... and books... without the restrictions of airline baggage weight limits. You want a good selection, right? You don't want to wait for me to post leftover when I get home, right? Be there.  

3. THE artBLISS ANNEX! I am so freaking stinking excited that Cindy is doing this!! That girl has an amazing eye for vintage goodies and antique treasures. She is going to be making her finds available for you to buy. Seriously, I would travel to DC for the weekend, even if I wasn't teaching, just to get my hands on some of the things she is bringing. 

2. The other instructors lined up are out of this world! There are classes from April Bowles-Olin, Diane Cook, Christine Damm, Stacie Florer, Erin Siegel, and Beth Taylor. Frankly, you are going to have a hard time choosing which class NOT to take. There are 13 workshops packed into 3 days!

And... DRUM ROLL PLEASE... 

The NUMBER 1 Reason YOU-WANT-TO-BE-THERE... 

1. You can win free stuff!! Cindy and Jeanette are giving away 4 of the gorgeous artBLISS canvas totes loaded up with goodies. Visit Cindy's blog to learn more about how you can win a new jewelry saw, blades, DVD, and some gel liver of sulfur. The giveaway ends May 2, 2012... so get on it!