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JANUARY And, my most amazing second trip to Japan!
A year has passed since I shared
any news. At first glance, you might not notice because, like last year, in January I was in Japan. Last year’s excursion
was my maiden overseas adventure, and it was the time of my life! That said, this return trip that I have just unpacked from,
was every bit as wonderful as the first time. Studying Japanese on the Rosetta Stone program certainly enhanced the experience.
It was disappointing that I understood very little of the conversations around me but, I could make myself understood whenever
I tried. People giggled good-naturedly and it didn’t deter me from trying. Of course I was blessed with having Motoko
Natsubori as my interpreter again. She is amazing. We have worked on many projects together and I am looking forward to more.
It was a delight to see so many familiar faces, as I had the honor of having many of the same students return to my seminars
again this year. In June I will actually get to see a few of them yet again in my classes at the Bead & Button Show in
Milwaukee.
In addition to teaching beadweaving and presenting certificates to those who completed the advanced level course,
I demonstrated feltmaking and signed copies of my new Japanese feltmaking book (my English manuscript was translated by Motoko
Natsubori) in the Tulip booth at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival. It was quite amazing. The Tulip staff members
I worked with were professional, organized and a joy. In the evenings they shared their favorite restaurants with me and we
even took in an evening of Karaoke. (Yes, I sang!)
FEBRUARY On February
28 I will be in Bergenfield, NJ at Beads by Blanche (http://www.beadsbyblanche.com) to teach hand felted Complex Cane beads
which we’ll actually string into a necklace before class ends.
March and April Spring is in the air at last. It has been a cold,
cold winter. Spring will find me in Atlanta, Tampa, Cleveland and Worcester teaching at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expos.
I have just submitted the proposals for the workshops I’d like to teach there in Autumn and then Spring 2010.
Where better to spend my birthday weekend in April than at The Bead Gallery in Salem
NH? I’ll be teaching half and whole day workshops, one designed especially for them. Because Genevieve and her customers
had asked for a sequel to Elements of Beadwork I have spent several months dreaming, designing and ultimately beading Advanced
Elements of Beadwork. This complex and textured necklace is a venue for sharing 6 more beadwork techniques.
The Bead Society of Greater New York has placed me on their calendar
for the first weekend of May. It would be wonderful to share that new Advanced Elements of Beadwork with this group, and I
think they will choose the Marcasite chain polygon project too.
A
couple of my classes for the Bead & Button Show in June have already sold out. We added additional sessions. As usual
my schedule is full and I’m offering 7 classes this year.
In
anticipation of the Puget Sound Bead Festival, I have already started to track airfare to Tacoma for July. What a fabulous
event this is. This show is smaller and more intimate than most other national shows, allowing for more socializing and interaction
with other teachers and attendees. It is so beautifully organized and managed that it is irresistible to fly across the country
to teach there. I’ll be teaching all 4 days.
 TO ARRANGE A WORKSHOP FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR GROUP, CHECK THE DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME POPULAR WORKSHOPS IN THE Workshops section
-- click on the BEADED BEAD Photo here.
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