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A Look Forward A Look Back
We had a great time at the Spring Retreat at the Radisson
Hotel Racine Harbourwalk!
The Special Events Committee worked hard to put together an
exciting schedule of
classes taught by experienced artists/instructors. Whether you are new
to the Society or one of our most experienced
artists, there was something new for you to learn. From stitching and
felting to cold connections, this variety of classes added to
our
weekend of fun!
Of course, the Open Beading room was hopping with activity.
Click any of the pictures to see the rest of the album on Facebook.
Friday
A number of us stopped by FoxDen's new store in Racine.
Friday, 6-7:30pm - FREE
All were invited to Hot Shop Glass where our friend,
Amanda Paffrath, amazed us with a glass blowing demonstration.
Then headed back
to the Radisson for Demo with Dessert.
Friday, 8:00pm-until ? -
FREE
Demo with Dessert – Brenda Schweder
Brenda demonstrated how to make our own findings such as: ear
wires, closures, head pins, etc.
Saturday, 5pm until ??
Reception and Shopping at
Funky Hannah's Beads and Art at 324 Main
Street. We enjoyed free
beverages and appetizers, and 10% off everything in the store. Then,
we had dinner on our
own, and we headed back to Open Beading at the Radisson.
Modest pajamas
(such as the Bonnie wore) were acceptable attire
for this evening.
This year our classes and demos covered finding-making, bead stitching, felting, metal smithing, and glass ornament making!
| Clinging Vine
Bracelet
- Cristie Prince www.glassyjewels.com Students started a beautifully blingy bracelet in this class of spiral netting, sometimes called Russian spiral. Sparkly ends of elegant crystal drops and bicones overlap in this eye-catching, loose-fitting bracelet. 
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| Mixed Metal
Medallion - Julie Sanford www.juliesanforddesigns.com Students learned metal-smithing basics as they created a pierced, cold connected, multi-metal pendant. 
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| Seeing
Stars Earrings - Cristie Prince www.glassyjewels.com Bicones and seed beads combined to make these fun earrings. 
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| Felted Bangles for Beaders
- Jan Falk (LBS member!) Participants learned how to wet felt a bangle bracelet. 
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| Glass Ornament
or Paperweight -
Funky Hannah's Students learned how to make a glass ornament or paperweight at Funky Hannah's. This was a great way to wrap up the Spring Retreat experience! |
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| Cristie Prince www.glassyjewels.com  |
Cristie comes
from a long line of crafters and needle workers, and she has played
with
beads for as long as she can remember. Beading and
lampworking became the focus of her creative interests in 1999 when she
retired from her Human Resources career to chauffeur her children to
and
from after-school activities. At the urging of a store owner, Cristie began teaching lampworking in 2002, followed by beadweaving in 2004. She designed her first beadweaving project in 2004 and it was quickly accepted for publication. She has served as president of the Atlanta Bead Society and as co-president of the Southern Flames chapter of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Cristie lives in Georgia with her husband and two sons and teaches beading at several stores in Georgia and Alabama. Known for her detailed instructions and patient, encouraging teaching style, she loves sharing her passion for beads with students. |
| Julie Sanford www.juliesanforddesigns.com  |
Julie
Sanford is an award winning metalsmith, creating fine art jewelry in
the West Michigan area for over twenty years. Her work is
featured in galleries, books, magazines and museum stores.
With a background in art education, Julie now spends her time as a full
time jewelry artist, teaching nationally and at her studio in Grand
Haven, Michigan. Inspired by nature and the surreal, Julie combines organic elements and textures with contrasting contemporary details creating one of a kind art in jewelry. Each piece is a unique composition, fabricated, soldered, fused, formed, hammered and reticulated with various metals, final finishes and extraordinary gemstones. Julie’s education includes a degree in Art Education from Western Michigan University, studies at The Kalamazoo institute of Arts, Oxbow Summer Institute of the Chicago Institute of Arts and Kendall College of Art and Design. "I
became interested
in the art of jewelry making at an early age - my father was a
silversmith and lapidary artist. Developing my skills and working with
the metals gives me a sense of closeness with him.
“My work is hand fabricated using various hot and cold metal techniques. I enjoy experimenting with textures and forms that imply materials other what I have used. I draw on the unique characteristics of each stone as inspiration in creating compositions, allowing a natural organic balance between stone and metal.” |
Jan Falk |
Jan
Falk is an artist and teacher. She taught elementary through high
school art for more than 25 years. Now retired, Jan wants to
concentrate on teaching adults, creating, and showing artwork. After
dabbling in many different forms of hands-on fiber work, she was
enthralled by wet felting. The transformation from loose
fibers to felt is magical. Part self-taught and part learned from
taking
classes, she continues to explore the possibilities of direct wet felt,
partial needle felt, and combining felt with other materials. This is
her third year teaching wet felting and second selling her work.
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