My Beading Life - Off to Alaska

What could be better than a bead cruise to Alaska?  I do love to cruise.  I also love to bead so the combination is a great thing for me.  Add in a trip to Alaska and I'm one lucky girl. 

This trip was organized by Amy Loh Kupser of I-Bead.com.  Her bead cruises are different.  She hosts a smaller group and offers organized days to bead while at sea.  She does not include a guest instructor.  She brings a selection of kits, some are her own, some from other national instructors.  For me the format is perfect.  I have enough projects and or other kits to keep myself busy.  But I do love being with fellow beaders and this format works to keep us organized and beading while enjoying the cruise.  Behind me when I took this picture from our private bead room were large windows overlooking the stunning views of Alaska.

 

Two of the projects I finished are shown next.  The green one is a rambling bit of bead embroidery on Shibori silk.  The focal at the center is by Heather Powers.  I didn't have much of a plan except to play with the silk and use Heather's great focal.  I even added the brown beads from the fantastic goodies in our gift bag.  It is a little odd but I like it, very light!  The second piece is mostly a kit from Betty Stephan.  I changed a couple things as I'm apt to do.  It was fun to do and perfect for a relaxing day at sea.

Want to have a massage?  No problem, leave the bead area, you 'stuff' will be safe, get your massage and return.  You can pick up where you left off with your work.  Bead cruisers come and go and mostly bead bead bead.  It is perfect for me.

 

A little sentimental for me as many of these stops brought back happy memories of my brother.  In Skagway, I recreated a pose in the Red Onion Saloon.  I think Ed enjoyed it more than I did.

And of course there is Alaska!  Our bead room allowed us to look out at the marvels of the coastline or sea.  We saw whale several times from the ship! 

 

Next time it will be New England and Canada departing September 10, 2017.  Check out I-bead.com for more information.