Beaducation Classes on Sale!

Just popping in (from my busy, busy, busy day prepping for the NYC Gift Show in possibly the coldest weather that I have ever been in) to say that all online classes and DVDs at Beaducation.com are 35% off through January 28.

This is where I will modestly add that I have a bunch of classes that I teach online there and they are pretty darn good. I will also add that the other classes by my fellow instructors are also pretty darn good. So the moral of the story is that if you want to take some pretty darn good classes, click on over and check out all of the classes that they offer.

If you wanna see what I teach over there... click here...

Enjoy!

I've just got a minute...

... but I wanted to let you know that I have a couple of new classes on the studio schedule.

Embellished Leather Cuff. Date TBA in Feb or March. Check the calendar next week for the final date.

I also have a couple new sessions of metalworking on my class calendar.

Introduction to Soldering

Ring Roundup

Get more information here... and more classes coming soon!! Next week, stay tuned for my adventures in NYC. Now off to pack. I hear it's cold back there and I have to find my mittens.

Great Classes and Even Better Students!

What a weekend!

I taught two classes this weekend at two great local Bay Area treasures. Small business brick and mortar craft and bead stores are slowly fading away. Thank goodness that we still have a few great ones in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Saturday was ring fabrication at Baubles & Beads in Berkeley. Now THAT'S a bead store! Lovely selection, great staff and a nice classroom with a CAMERA to show the demos up close to students. I had a super time and my students made such beautiful rings. Great job ladies! New class sign up start on Tuesday and you can find the whole schedule here.

Sunday was Patinas and Cold connections at A Work of Heart in San Jose. Seriously. I have no words to describe how cool this place is. I had a super-full class with such terrific and creative ladies. It was a pleasure to have all of you in class.

AWOH Studio is a craft-a-ganza. Andrea (the owner) has a great schedule full of all kinds of craft classes. I am teaching a class on Fine Silver Fusing on Thursday that still has a couple of spaces left. You can check out their entire class schedule here and make sure to sign up for the newsletter to stay current on what's happening. I also wanted to mention that my friend and excellent instructor, Steven James is teaching his Torch-Fired Enamels class there at the end of the month. It's a great opportunity so sign up if you can as there are a few spaces left and learning to torch fire enamel is AWESOME! Check it out here.

Bead & Button Signups Start TODAY!

Set your alarm. Consult your watch. Write a reminder, 'cause class sign-ups at the biggest bead show in the world start at 12 PM CST.

With over 600 classes and the best instructors in the biz, it's a week to be remembered!

Oh! And I am teaching FIVE classes. (That's the whole point of this post!) Check 'em out here.
Here's what I am teaching.

Epoxy Clay the Vintage Way

Patinas and Cold Connections

Simple Soldering Sampler Boot Camp

Dapped, Capped & Soldered

Ring Roundup

View the entire Bead & Button show website here and start making plans for June. Hope to see you there!

Ten Life Lessons From IKEA

Happy New Year!

The New Year is a time for assessing, pondering, putting plans into place and moving forward. But for me it is also a time for learning. Most of all learning about me, it seems.

So this is how it went. I needed a shelf space in my new studio for shipping and receiving all of my Etsy Shop products. Plus a space to store all of my shipping supplies. Enter the IKEA catalog. I found the perfect thing, but WOW (!) that sucker was heavy. 75 lbs to be exact. I knew I couldn't move that thing on my own so I grabbed my friend Mary and we managed to select, purchase and wrangle it into my car. (LIFE LESSON #1 Teamwork always works.)

But Mary had to get home as she had a skirt to make. (Like you do.) So I was on my own getting this behemoth out of my car. (LIFE LESSON #2 Don't worry too much about the future. The solution will present itself.) So I dropped Mary off and went on my merry way up to my studio.

As I pulled into my parking space I saw two guys standing around and chatting. So I got out of my car, smiled and asked if they would mind helping to slide the heavy thing into my wheeled cart (that I had put in my car just in case), and I could take it from there. (LIFE LESSONS #3, 4 & 5 Be polite. Ask for what you need. And have a backup plan.)

After the nice guys helped get the package in the cart I wheeled it into my studio, dumped it over, opened it and got out the directions. I gathered my tools and got started. (LIFE LESSONS #6 & 7 Read the directions, they are there for a reason and always use the right tool for the job... and keep 'em in a tool box so you can find 'em.)

I was a bit daunted. I mean I make stuff, but I don't really build furniture you know? But I thought "Heck... I can do this. How hard can it be?" (LIFE LESSON #8 Stay positive.) 

 I checked the directions and started in step-by-step (LIFE LESSON #9 Heed the warning signs) and you know what? In 45 minutes I was done!

One last consult of the directions gave me LIFE LESSON #10 (Don't do anything stupid) and presto my shipping station was complete and I felt like a super hero.

So you know what? Bring it 2013... If I can build IKEA furniture, I can do anything!