Bead Cruise 2013

I can hardly believe I'm about to say this. Hang on to your hats, kids!! This is exciting!! Can you guess what it is by the post title?!?

I'm teaching at/on Bead Cruise 2013!!

YEE HAW!! I know, it's crazy right? It feels like I just got home from the trip yesterday!! Committing to a cruise is a big deal though, so planning starts early. In fact, one of my deadlines last week was to submit my class proposals to our fearless leader, Heather Powers. I really was so so excited, and honored, to be asked back. On March 3rd of next year, we'll be sailing out of New Orleans, Louisiana, for a 7 night adventure on the high seas, visiting Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. The instructors are all AMAZING!! I can't wait to hang with me new teaching BFF, Tracy Stanley. I can't wait to give a big hug to our Mom away from home, Beverly Herman. Plus, I get to meet polymer guru, Ronna Sarvas Weltman, too!! Plus, not only is she our leader, but Heather will be an instructor as well. AWESOME!!

I'm rather eager to share the classes I'll be teaching. I've kept these kind of on the down low for a while, waiting for the release of Rustic Wrappings. But, the time for waiting is over! I told you in a video a few weeks ago that I really can't wait to share this with you and I am even more excited to be teaching these. So, here goes...

(new class #1... EEEKKKK!!)

True Colors: Cold-Worked Bezels & Colorful Camouflage

This is a class based on a wire embroidery technique I teach in my new book... with an added twist. Instead of using rustic patinas that take a little extra time to develop, we'll play around with adding fun embossed color patinas. This technique can translate into all sorts of components for jewelry be they pendants, links, or clasps. To read more about the class, pop over to the Bead Cruise Classes page. I soooo can.not.wait to teach this!! I'll be making my glass cabochons for students (though you could use any cabochon for the technique), and we'll be cutting metal, dapping washers, sewing with wire, and creating one of a kind finished pieces.

(new class #2... whoop whoop!)

Sweet Tweeter: Embroider A Flock

Does this little guy look familiar? You might be thinking of his brother shown on the cover project of Rustic Wrappings!!  As a little back story, I had an aha moment a couple of years ago while in the sewing section of the book store. I then spent months working on developing a technique for embroidering with wire before adding it to the new book. I'm good at keeping secrets, yes? I am so excited that I can finally put it all out there and I hope you'll join me for the fun that will be exploring the possibilities that this new technique has to offer. I can't not even begin to explain the peaceful feeling that washes over me when I work on wire embroidered projects. This is going to fantastic, I know it!! Again, all the details are over on the Bead Cruise Classes page.

Finally, I'll also be teaching a 3rd, optional, class. I'm bringing back Snaptastic for cruisers again! The seven students I had in class absolutely loved what they learned. (So much so, I really need to ask them to write some reviews for me!!) So, I decided I needed to give others a chance to get in on the experience. I taught this in a kind of lecture style way with lots of hands on stuff too. Being on the cruise gets you into the class for half the cost of the online ecourse too, which is a total bonus!

As a side note, I hope to be sharing lots more samples of the types of finished projects here on the blog. So, visit often to see the goodies as I finish them up!

Okay... so who is coming along this time?!? You have 11 months to save your pennies, treat yourself to the beading experience of a lifetime, and make some incredible memories while learning some really cool new techniques.

Random Memories

I've been caught in a bit of a whirlwind... so much happening all at once... family stuff, book proof deadlines, unseasonable warm weather. Time flies when you're having fun and when you are overwhelmed by what life is dishing out. So, my apologies for my total lack of keeping to my posting schedule. Oh well... I couldn't have done my Friday Film post even if I had the time because my iPhone acted up last Thursday and I lost all my data on it. So the wonderful videos I took, gone. So sad. But I still have my memories...




:: our first port of call was on the Dutch side of St Maartens
:: my Dad told my I'd see water as blue as the sky and this was the day that happened
:: I signed up for the Power Rafting shore excursion with Tracy Stanley and her daughter, Kelsey. We were joined by one of the students, Deb, too. Awesome group of ladies to share this adventure with.
:: high speeds on the high seas and huge smiles and belly laughs when hitting the waves
:: I said in my mind and out loud "this is not my life" so many times
:: I snorkeled and it was freaking stinking AWESOME! I popped up out of the water to say "this is so awesome" so many times
:: Pierre and Eric were our guides... Pierre was captain, St. Maartens born and raised... Eric, a Frenchman, on the island for the past 4 years
:: Rum Punch




:: we dropped anchor and swam up to the beach
:: we giggled like school girls... it was a nude beach
:: there were naked people and there were cows... not figurative people cows... real cows... one brown, one black & white
:: what was in the Rum Punch?
:: the very first shell I spotted and brought home was broken and heart shaped... perfect for my Mom
:: wondering down the beach farther, I found a conch shell... bigger than my fist and broken by the rocks to reveal the coil inside... I smuggled it home, customs might not have approved
:: back to the boat by 1pm and time for a nap
:: if I ever run away from home... look for me in St. Maartens.

For those of you hoping to get your hands on one or some of the kits from Bead Cruise 2012, they are posted on my website. Get 'em before they are gone!

Oh My Old San Juan

Alternative Post Titles...
A Color Lovers Paradise
The Art Of Architecture
Seeing Beauty In Decay
Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around

I could go on and on! Sitting in my messy living room this morning, nursing my cup of coffee, and prodding my children to get a move on, it's hard to imagine that on Thursday morning just a week ago, I was waking up in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The city was nothing short of amazing. I loved every moment spent wandering the streets. We were docked in the port for a short day. Where we could explore until 4-5pm in other stops, here we had until just 1pm. So rather than go on a preplanned shore excursion, I teamed up with fellow instructor Tracy Stanley and her daughter Kelsey for a self guided tour. I really don't think there could have been a better way to discover what a gem this place is.

This was one of those times where I went nuts with my camera. To make sure I'd be able to shoot abso-freaking-lutely everything I saw, I actually changed my camera settings to a lower resolution so the memory card could hold more. I think I took several HUNDRED photos! I spent hours yesterday and this morning picking through them all and editing my favorites. I was able to knock the 300+ down to 84. Don't worry, I haven't posted all 84 here. They are in a sweet set over on Flickr. If you love the architecture of an old city, I encourage you to click through the stream of photos. So many cool things to see! Flickr Set: Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I was so very happy that Tracy and Kelsey were just as happy as I was to explore in this relaxed way. There are two experiences that I know are going to say with my for years to come. First happened about mid-morning as we wandered around a cemetery on the water. One of the grave sites was clearly damaged and there was a hole in the large marble slab covering the coffin inside. The coffin itself appeared to be made of metal and was completely rusted away in the area where the marble was missing. You could see inside to the bones of the person entombed so so many years ago. It was the first time I had ever seen human remains and it definitely left an impression. I walked to the head stone to learn the name of the person or the year of their death and there was nothing written. So many of the graves had no names actually and I wonder why. The second experience that I'll be holding close to my heart is walking down a street and stepping into an open air restaurant and ordering the local tapas. Sitting at a table next to one of the sets of wide open doors that were every few feet around the perimeter of the room, while the breeze blew in, and I sipped sangria, made me feel like such a world traveler. Oh how I love to travel.

Now, enough of my babbling... sit back and enjoy the show. Here are a few of my favorites from Old Juan...

9286, A Room With A View

Ya know, I hadn't really thought about it much until the cruise, but I am not at all a sceneic photographer. I love life's little details. I tend to see something, zoom in on it, and try to catch the memory of it in a still frame. One of the things, though, that I was absolutely knocked off my feet by was the grandure and openness of the world viewed from my balcony on our cruise ship. Rarely do I find myself pulling back my lens so far and wishing I could capture more of the BIG pictures around me.

So... about half way through the voyage I decided I would create panoramics in each port we stopped in. I stood on my balcony and took frame after frame while turning from all the way left to all the way right. I thought it would be a clever way to get about 60 different photos into one post too!

Click on over to my Flickr Photostream to see the individual shots that make up each panoramic. I know they look super tiny here, but over on Flickr, you can click Actions > View All Sizes > Original and view them in their panoramic glory.

Our first port of call, St. Martaans...

...then we stopped in St Kitts...

...Thursday we found ourselves in San Juan, Puerto Rico...

(The view was as nice as we left San Juan as when we were docked.)

...with the last stop before heading home being Labadee, Haiti...

With views like these, there is no doubt as to why I walked straight to my sliding glass door and out on the balcony every.single.time I went in my stateroom. Paying the difference to upgrade from a standard room to this one was worth every cent. I can't image cruising in any other room from here on out. I've been spoiled rotten, I tell you... just rotten.

And since I'm sure you'll send me emails about it... I made these panoramics in Photoshop Elements 10. I edited the photos first then went to File>New>PhotomergePanoramic. Photoshop did the rest. I think the sunrise in San Juan and the day that followed was my *favorite* of the cruise. Though, snorkeling in St Martaans is viaing for the first place position as well. More on those thigns soon...

Conference Room Snippets

Bang A Rangers sporting their bangles!

Since I got home from The Bead Cruise, I have been trying to decide just how to unload all my cruising adventures on y'all in a way that 1)doesn't bore you, 2)gives you an idea of just what an amazing experience it was, 3)doesn't drag talking about the cruise into next month, and 4)shows you the most images possible without slowing your computer screen loading times to a complete crawl. Um, really now, I took about 1000 photos. Quite frankly, I don't have the time to edit them all and I know you don't have the time to view them all.

So, with my handy dandy note paper near by, I jotted down a few post titles in an attempt to get it all organized. I think it's going to work. Here is what you'll have to look forward to over the coming days.

Conference Room Snippets (today)
9286, A Room With A View (tomorrow)
Oh My Old San Juan (thurs)
Film Footage Friday (fri)
Random Monday Memories (next mon)
More of The Ports & Previews (next tues)

It's a good list, don't you think? Yes. Then, by next Wednesday, we can start to return to our regularly scheduled blogging with things like new kits, progress on the studio move, and other things me.

Heather's table full of beady treats at the evening Bead Bazaar

Students Barbara and Marie waiting to hear Tracy's presentation at Open Beading

My new teaching bff, Tracy Stanley

On The Bead Cruise, when it came to the groups' activity of choice (beading, d'uh) we really hit the ground running. On the first day at sea (Sunday) we had a full day of classes. Which was followed by our first formal night in the dinning room... Fillet Mignon anyone? I taught my group of 8 wire whippers my Bang A Rangs class and over the 6 hours together we made my Bang Gals, Remember To, and Mixed Up bangles. My students came in as Coiling Cadets and left as Commanders, I kid you not. I showed them all the tricks I had up my sleeves including my secrets to two-tone coiling.

The second day at sea, I taught my half day Frameworks class in the afternoon. It was a much smaller group which really worked out great. With more time for individualized attention, everyone was able to finish there bracelets in class. Which is something I know means a lot to students. They are always happiest when they leave a class with a finish project.

Heather announcing the nightly door prize winners.

Jill doing a presentation on the life cycle of designs and how to make projects into something unique to you.

Classes all took place on Deck 2 of the ship in the Conference Center. It was just like the fancy conference centers of major hotels... only it was on a boat... that was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean... coolness. Only down side, on the days we were having 9-10foot swells (aka waves) that 2nd floor was really rocking. Thankfully, I didn't suffer any sea sickness at all!! I think I have my vertigo to thank for that... I'm used to being dizzy and swaying.

But I digress.

Continuing with the beady goodness... on Monday night we had The Queen's Ball. And I give you permission to refer to me fence forth as the Baroness of Wire. That's what our amazing leader, Heather Powers, dubbed me and I'm keeping the name. I think it suits me. Sadly, I didn't bring my camera down to the Ixtapa lounge for the party that night, but so so many others did! I'm sure you'll see photos pop up from other photographers soon. It was such a BLAST to see everyone sporting their handmade fascinators!!

One of the fun things about the Bead Cruise is the Bead Bazaar, Presentations, and Open Beading. There are nearly 60 people in our group and naturally they can't all take every class. So the bazaar is an opportunity for students to meet all the instructors. Plus, they can get beads and kits from the classes they didn't take and learn from the instructors they didn't get to be in class with through the presentations. I spent a good half hour talking all about coiling for my presentation... which led to selling out of the coilers I brought and I stumbled upon and FANTASTIC new idea for seedbeaders to add wire to their work. The talented Jill Wiseman is going to get on that little diddy for me. Cuz I don't do seedbeads. No way, Jose.

The very last night of the cruise... after I ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, AND 2 desserts at dinner, we had the big farewell party. Students had spent the whole week working on secret projects and it was finally time for the design contest. We had some seriously talented people in our midst. Prizes were awarded for Most Intense, Simply Sweet, and Show Favorite after votes were tallied. Then... the picture snapping commenced!! It was seriously like something off the red carpet with a sea of paparazzi flash bulbs going off for about 30 mins straight. I snapped Instagrams with each of the other teachers... Heather, Tracy, Jill, and my favorite lady, Beverly Herman (Heather's Mom). Beverly is an absolute sweetheart and OMG, an amazing instructional illustrator. Her project pattern graphics are nothing short of brilliant. If you have the chance, you must take a class with her!!

Okay, I think that's about enough for one afternoon.

Sigh... after 15 hours trying to get home last night, this beach in Labadee, Haiti seems like such a dream. Going on less than 3 hours sleep, I'm a little woozie and still swaying like I'm on the boat!! After a proper nap, I'll get to editing photos and sharing all my adventures on Bead Cruise!

Until then...

Bead Cruise Kits

ATTENTION BEAD CRUISE STUDENTS!!

Please take a moment to hop over to my website and purchase your class kits.

They are for the Bang A Rangs class kit and the Frameworks class kit.

A Caribbean Combination

When it comes to making kits, my slight tendencies towards OCD really comes in handy. I really have to be methodical about it 1) to keep my brain entertained when spending 15+ hours making the same thing over and over and 2) to make sure each and every kit really *is* one of a kind. I have really come to enjoy and look forward to creating the limited edition color combinations just for special teaching events. (You might remember the 2010 ArtBliss set and the 2011 set.)

The cleaning, sorting, organizing, stringing, and then playing goes a little something like this...





















Kit Hours Clocked
15 hours torching (plus an additional 15 hours of kiln time)
1 hour photographing tutorial
3 hours creating tutorial pdf
1 hour cleaning beads
2 hours sorting & photographing
1 hour editing images & blogging

23 hours total so far (38 hours counting kiln time)

Still To Do
Choose & cut to length wire, package kits, list them on my website, ship them to the cruise local, and teach the class.

Thankfully, this is the biggest kit I need to make (it has 9 beads per kit). The nine other kits I'd like to create shouldn't take nearly as long... I hope. I couldn't be happier with the way these colors came together. I picked Light Steel Gray (because I think steel drums when I think Caribbean), Turquoise (for the blue of the water), Sunburst Coral (for the sun fun, obviously), Periwinkle (because I thought it brought it all together), and Ivory (because white would have looked terrible). Students taking my Bang A Rangs class will each have one of these kits and the others will be available at the Bead Bazaar in the evenings. Naturally, if there are any left, I'll let y'all have at 'em in my shop.

Then... the fun part of this kind of photo shoot...