Zoom or In Person

I know there are many bead artists teaching on Zoom.  The Zoom option is making it possible to take a class from talented artists all over the world!  Just deal with a little time difference and you are good to go!  Your favorite designer is in England?  No problem.  Wonderful options abound.  I hope and believe that this online option will continue.  I hope it slows somewhat and we can get back together but it has brought a wonderful new media to the bead world.  I hope you agree.  My next class with SocialBeadia is Split Personality.  It is one of my favorites.  Register at the link soon, not much time left before the cut off due to shipping time.   https://www.socialbeadia.com/marcia-balonis

IN PERSON at The Beaded Garden in Oxford, FL (near The Villages).    There are several classes on the schedule now.  My favorite is "One Moon Circles", yes a Star Trek TNG reference.  August 20, 2021.  More information on side bar.   https://www.thebeadedgarden2.com/classes

And I'm excited to be getting ready for two in person bead retreats.  October 21-24, 2021 is the Bead Society of the Palm Beaches.  Link on side bar.  November 5-7 is the Arkansas Bead Retreat.  More information coming on that one.  There is a Facebook page of that name you can join  now.

In addition, at The Beaded Garden, we are planning a mini weekend in January 2021 featuring 3 different artists.  I will be doing an expanded necklace version of One Moon Circles.  Pamela Garbig is still dreaming something up but I'm guessing it will be ocean related AND we will soon announce a guest instructor for the 3rd day.  As soon as we firm up the details look for an announcement!

What's New Pussycat?

What's New Pussycat??    

I admit with the Covid restrictions world wide, it seems there is less 'new' and more survival going on!  In the beady world this is so true.  So what follows is some beady chit chat.

I can't say I miss the new bead shape of the week, which is what seemed to be happening for a while in the before time.  Bead stores couldn't possibly keep up with them all.  People need to be shown what to do with the new beads and with fewer publications, very few in person classes, and a general slow down of dreaming up designs for others, it now seems we are seeing less in the new bead category for now.  The need for new new new has slowed.  Few if any live retreats, few stores really able to bring in teachers, on and on.  So not a lot out there that's new, a good thing for now. One of my pieces using the Diamond (or Gem) duo bead.  I called it Diamond Fleur and the pattern is in my Etsy Shop.

I think this change is positive, now bead artists are working with our tremendous supply and designing new ways to work the beads.  I have seen some fantastic designs.  The pressure to come up with a design using yet another "new" bead has slowed.  This is good.  The outcome, in my opinion, shows in some great work by talented bead artists.

I know there are many bead artists teaching on Zoom.  The Zoom option is making it possible to take a class from talented artists all over!  Just deal with a little time difference and you are good to go!  Your favorite designer is in England?  No problem.  Wonderful options abound.  I hope and believe that this online option will continue.  I hope it slows somewhat and we can get back together but it has brought a wonderful new media to the bead world.  I hope you agree.  My next class with SocialBeadia is Split Personality.  One of my favorites.  https://www.socialbeadia.com/marcia-balonis

Another resurgence we are witnessing at our local store is beaders going for tried and true Peyote stitch word charts.  The number of our shoppers going for Delica beads to make items has increased.  Beady people know how to do the Peyote word charts, they are very soothing to make, and are great for gifts.  Small items such as pen covers, many bracelets, and detail items such as 3-D pendant shapes and even boxes.  There is a lot that can be done in Peyote shapes!  Fantastic to see a resurgence in that media.  I've joined in on the soothing fun of Peyote and hope some of you have too.

Now for our future hope, we have some planned LIVE IN PERSON retreats.  I'm excited to be teaching at the Bead Society of the Palm Beaches retreat at Club Med in Florida in October, 2021.  https://beadsocietyofthepalmbeaches.com/bead-retreat-2021/  My project features a Raku pendant made by the well known raku artist Marianne Kasparian.

I've also signed up for the Las Vegas Beaders' Dream Retreat spring 2022.  Yes, that is a year away but hope is important.  http://www.beadersdreamretreat.com/  Beki Haley's retreats are well known and a great way to visit, learn, travel, and BEAD.

Soon I hope for details to arrive to be able to sign up for the 2022 Bead Cruise with Heather Powers.  The web site is not updated yet.  We sure had a great time on the 2020 cruise just before........  http://www.beadcruise.com/

I hope this little chit chat finds you well.  Stay safe and BEad happy.

Marcia

Bling Sparkle Glow

Missing your sparkle?

The new year has arrived with my random thoughts related to the beady world:

Bead and Button gone gone gone.  The bead fellowship that event provided has created a void.  It certainly was the highlight of my year for many many years.  Bead and Button - does anyone remember the dinosaur's?  They were all over the streets of Milwaukee my first year.  

2018 - the year of my book signing

What no bead retreats?  No in person retreats to hug and share together.  Replaced for now with Virtual retreats.  I do look forward to getting back to the in person retreats.  Colorado Bead retreat in 2016 was one of the most memorable.  So many others also come to mind.

Bead Store beading classes and events almost non-existent with the Covid numbers surging yet again.  I am missing the events at The Beaded Garden when I often hosted the travelling instructor at my house.  I hope that will return in 2021.

Zoom to the rescue for a bead class fix and some connection with people, not quite the same as in person but still good for these days.   I have done some great pieces with new to me instructors.    Here are a few of them.  "Cupcake" by Catherine Haedrich, a variation of "Frozen" by Cindy Holsclaw, and variation of "Luna Moth" by Holly Bean.  (My variations are all about my lack of height and need to keep things light.)  Zoom has been a great thing for me!!

Then there was that announcement about Swarovski moving out of the DIY market to become more exclusive.  More news will come as they move forward in this transition but for a designer of beady things that sparkle, this news was yet another blow to my beady world.  We sure have had a lot to cope with!  Awakenings by Alexandra Sydorenko sure has BLING.

Covid, Politics, Racial Injustice, Social Distancing, and now no sparkle in our future.  Ok, so seriously, we can deal with this.  Small stuff with all that is going on in the world.  But the gut punch at this time still hurt.  What about that stash of sparkle?  What to do?  Use it?  Sell it? (If anyone is buying - people are MAD at the Swarovski attitude toward DIY artists.)  As with most things in life, time will tell.

And finally, I've gone totally gray/white now.  I promised a picture of the all cut off hair look.  Here it is with my fun new glasses.  I do not missing sitting for the coloring at all.  I may grow the hair back out longer but doubt I will go back to coloring my hair.  I own it now.  This move has been quite a release from the constant coloring requirements as my hair grows fast.  Hair FREEDOM.  Yes indeed, as I have read from so many others on the topic, it is a GOOD thing.  Bring on 2021.