Home About Bylaws Join the LBS Contact Newsletters
Contributors Local Bead Stores Resources
A Look Forward A Look Back
On Friday night, we were challenged to "show our stuff"
during our first ever "Wear Your Best" evening at Hot
Shop Glass where there was also a glass blowing demo. There
were door prizes and a special prize for the Best of Show (won by Becky
Conrad-LaMere!) later at Uncorkt.
Throughout the weekend, the Open Beading room was always an exciting
adventure - as ideas and projects were shared, our knowledge,
enthusiasm, and loopiness grew!
On Saturday night, there was "Jammin' in our Jammies"! There were many
beaders that worked late into the night (including some of us that
weren't staying at the hotel!), and many of us relaxed and got very
comfortable.
Some of our goodies were donated by Swarovski
and ArtBeads.com.
They have been so good to us this year - check them out!
This year we had wonderful teachers who taught us new techniques in seed bead weaving, working with metal, resin, hot glass and fiber!
| Cubic Right Angle Weave
Earrings - Lynne Soto Ever wonder how designers like Marcia DeCoster, Diane Fitzgerald, and David Chatt do sculptural beadwork? One technique is Cubic Right Angle Weave. |
 |
| Bezel, Bezel - Debbi Simon What a fun way to learn the ins and outs of resin! This mini workshop had participants practice mixing resin batches, using color additives, layering, making and using molds, and adding found objects. They left with an eclectic group of pendants of various sizes and shapes and a working knowledge of what it takes to create with resin. |
 |
| Beaded Stars Bracelet - Lynne Soto In this class, participants used their bead stash of seed beads, hex-cuts, triangles, cylinders, and specialty beads to make a star! |
 |
| Copper Lentil Bead Pendant -
Louise Pederson Participants learned hollow-form techniques to master one of the newest metal clays—copper clay—to make a richly textured lentil bead pendant. |
|
| Lacy Treasure Beaded Pendant -
Marilee Rocklee In this class participants learned to master the “flip,” the basic essential to shuttle tatting and made good progress on a beautiful beginner project, one of Marilee’s original designs! |
|
| Glass Bead Making Class at
Funky Hannah's Participants were able to make a number of lampwork beads in this class. We don't have pictures from the actual class, but look at this bracelet Bonnie DeSautelle made with her beads! |
|
Many thanks to the Retreat Committee members whose many hours
of work made this Retreat possible: Maureen Bartz, Rebecca
Conrad-LaMere, Helen Dahms, Kat Feldman, Luci Link, Jan Mueller, Susie
Ragland, Brenda Schweder, and Kathy Willmering.
Many thanks to our talented instructors for their energy, enthusiasm
and patience: Louise Pederson, Marilee Rockley, Debbi Simon, and Lynne
Soto.
Many thanks to those who donated items for the door prizes: Maureen
Bartz, Susan Beal, Rebecca Conrad-LaMere, Helen Dahms, Marge Huffman,
Judy Ludwig, Ruth Maegli, Chris Plichta, Brenda Schweder, The Skin
Cancer Foundation, Nancy Smessaert, The Mary Groups, Tiffany at Salon
Flo, Artbeads, Erik of Norway Salon Spa, Rings & Things, Rio
Grande, Swarovski “Create Your Style,” Vintaj, and a very special thank
you to Kalmbach Publishing for their extremely generous contribution!
Many thanks to Amanda Paffrath of Funky Hannah’s and the Hot Shop Glass
for her hospitality and guidance and for assembling the Racine welcome
bags. Thanks to the Racine merchants and the Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
for their contributions to the welcome bags. Thanks to Sherry Etes from
Uncorkt, Karin Nickel for her spa treats, and to Dawn Stepien and the
staff of the Radisson Hotel for their gracious service.
Thank you, Laurie Kestelman, for being our Bead Doctor! Thank you,
Susan Duehl, for designing the brochure! Thank you, Gail McGuire, for
making the gift favor boxes! Thank you, Brenda Schweder, for making the
name tags! Thank you, Kathy Willmering, for making the fantastic tiara,
and thank you, Susie Ragland, for providing the grapes!
And most of all, many, many thanks to all of the
attendees who have made this year’s retreat very, very special!
Top of page