Bead Street November Classes

We have another fun-packed month for you - just in time to learn something new for the holidays.  If you see something you like - but can't make that date - drop us a note, or a comment, or even a call.  We add classes regularly based on customer requests.  On any classes that are full, we would be happy to add you to our cancellation/waiting list.


November 6th - Wednesday, 1:00 to 3:00, Just Rollin' Along with CzechMates 2-hole Lentils - FULL

November 9th - Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00, Madeline's Pearl Netted Bracelet

November 13th - Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:00, Tila Flower

November 15th - Friday, 1:00 to 4:00, Coiled Wire Bracelet

November 16th - Saturday  1:00 to 4:00, Charniers  Bangle with CzechMates SuperDuos

November 16th - Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00, Breezeway Bangle - FULL

November 23rd - Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00, Coiled Wire Bracelet

November 23rd - Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00, Irene's Beaded Cross

Sorry no photo yet

November 23rd - Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00, Fabulous Frills with CzechMates Tiles and two-hole Lentils

More information is listed under the CLASSES tab at top of this blog. 

You can call the store 336-9707 to reserve a spot in these classes. We are also in the process of scheduling December. If there is something you'd like to take, send us an email or call the store to request a class.

Floral Medallion Class with Czechmates SuperDuos

We had a cancellation in Friday night's Burgeoning Blossom class.  If you are interested (or want to switch from Saturday to Friday night), please let us know.

Bead Street's recent class on our Floral Medallion was a great success.  Gals worked really hard on this difficult pattern but got pretty far in their progress.  Can't wait to see the other finished bracelets.

Great fall colorway with SuperDuos
and Czech glass rounds.

This project works well with a button as a clasp.

We had three students that wanted to create the original turquoise and bronze colors

Kathy wasn't too happy with her first choice of colors
until she got farther along.
I think absolutely beautiful bracelet,

Created by Amanda - a new beginning beader.
She also selected beautiful colors and
did wonderful work for one of her first projects.

Beaded with translucent CzechMates SuperDuos,
I thought it looked like a different pattern.
Love these colors.

This class will be repeated again in December.  If you would like to learn this pattern, stop in and let us know.  You can click on CLASSES in the above header to see a list of other classes already scheduled.

Czechmates Two Hole Lentils, Bricks and Metal Classes

Bead Street store hours for October are Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 to 6 and Saturdays, 11:30 to 5.  We still have lighting and signage to do and then we will be open additional days and maybe even Sundays for the holiday season.

We now have our class display cabinet set up with the new class samples for all the new CzechMates two hole beads; Lentils, Bricks, Super Duos, and the new Rizos and Rullas.  

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Friday, October 18th, 6:30 to 9 - Floral Medallion Bracelet made with CzechMates Super Duos and Size 11 seedbeads.  And you can even just make a couple pieces into fabulous dangling earrings.

Saturday, October 19th, 1:00 to 3:00. our new Harvest Embossed Bracelet.  You will get to emboss metal, patina it with color and then tie the look together with dangling wire wrapped beads. 

Saturday, October 19th 1:00 to 4:00, Adele Kimpell's Lentille Bracelet constructed with herringbone stitch and the new CzechMates two hole Lentils.  

Saturday, October 26th, 1:00 to 4:00, Parisian Lace is our new stitch utilizing the CzechMates two hole Brick beads.

Friday, November 1st, 6:30 to 9:00 Burgeoning Blossoms with the new CzechMates two hole Bricks and new Czech baby petals.  

New CzechMate Two Hole Beads

Some time ago I was asked to be part of Starman's Trendsetter group.  With this I get to see  the new bead shapes and new colors they have selected to be manufactured for the year. These new bead shapes will be introduced at Tucson in just a couple of weeks.  Exciting things coming and here is a preview of just one of the new beads.

This is a bracelet created with the new CzechMate 2-hole Brick beads.

I call this Parisian Lace. 

This was Version 1.  This bracelet has 'grown' into
 a wider band and did remind me of Paris - hence the name.

The 2-holes match up precisely with the
Czechmate Tiles, Super Duos and 2-hole daggers.

If I remember correctly (and you know how I am),
I think there are 50 colors of the CzechMate Bricks
 that will be available in just a couple of weeks.
 Can't wait to get my hands on more of these.

Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

Well it's the weekend and time for the Paris Flea Markets.  I have a separate post on two that we attended - with lots of photos.  For now, here is a bracelet inspired by the Eiffel Tower and details of Barb and Jimmila's great adventure. 



At first glance you would think the Eiffel Tower is a steel grey. 
 However, I saw bronze, copper tones and dark browns in
 the beams.  Those matched perfectly with the Matt Apollo Jet
 Super Duos and Bronze 1.5 MM cubes I had with me.

 

Completed, this became a very structured cuff.




Angular form of the Czech Super Duos juxtaposed
against the horizontal and vertical 'bars'
of the 1.5MM Cubes.
Love the look - have to do another.



I didn't take clasps with me -
but if I could find a button that would work,
then the bracelet got finished. Here I think I found a perfect antique button from one of the flea markets.

   

The Luxembourg Gardens are just a couple of
 blocks west of our apartment. 
My mind was on the Flea Markets but Jimmila and Barb
decided to visit the gardens.



A pond at the gardens with the Montparnasse Tower
 in the background.
We saw these ponds a lot around Paris. 
 With chairs surrounding them, and people napping or reading a book and kids floating these fabulous, colorful boats in the water,  the French really know how to enjoy their day.



From the gardens, they walked down St. Michel towards
the Seine.  By the Notre Dame they caught a river
cruise west towards the Eiffel Tower



The river cruise allows passengers to get on at the Notre Dame, get off at various points along the river and then get back on again.  So Jimmila and Barb rode it past the Eiffel Tower and got off close to the Champ d' Elysees.

Remember I said each neighborhood had its own feel and flavor?  Well this one is obviously traffic and people - both locals and tourists.  The shops along here are very high end
and of course terminates at the Arc de Triompe 



Since they were getting a little tired - they took a Rickshaw ride back and of course, did some window shopping. 
This is the Grand Palais where the Cacharel fashion show
 is today. One of the few showing prints.
If you'd like to see this 2 minute recap, click Here

View from the river. 
 I think they caught the boat here to go back to Notre Dame.

  


After the cruise back to the Notre Dame,
 they tried to make their way back to the apartment. 


Remember I said my job was to navigate - to get everyone where they need to be and then safely back home?  Well, I wasn't along and they got lost.  On the street, trying to read a map in the dark, not knowing what street the apartment was on, they tried to ask people if they spoke English.  Barb did find someone who spoke Spanish - so they communicated some that way - go figure - in Paris! 

Now standing in front of a bookstore, still trying to figure out where they were, they heard this voice that Barb said sounded a lot like Maurice Chevalier.  He asked - Can I help you?  They told him they were lost and trying to make their way to the Moofart street market.  (The name is Mouffetard but I had pronounced it Moofart on the first day, and unfortunately it stuck.) 

He said, "If I help you, will you give me a little kiss?"  Barb replied, "If you help me, I will give you a BIG kiss".   Needless to say, they made their way home safe and sound.  And they won't tell me anymore about this Frenchman, who they now refer to as 'their  bookseller'.

Parisian Inspiration

After our little walk, and since it is raining, we all decided to eat in tonight.  Which also means a time to bead.  I'd like to say this bracelet was inspired by some of the things we saw this day - like some of the Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque or (my favorite) Art Nouveau architecture, or the bling we saw in the great boutiques or the colorful Parisian street fashion.  But no, it was actually inspired by dinner.



Made with the Czech Super Duos with a Picasso finish
 - perfect for Paris



I'm not sure this is finished yet. 
 I may have to add another row or I may have to add
some scallops or picots to the outside edge. 

And here is the inspiration.   I had to use the beads I had brought with me - which of course,  was something teal.

We didn't buy this, partly because we didn't know
what it was and no one could tell us. 
 I thought I would ask Gloria Google later. 
 Unfortunately the sign is not for this vegetable.
Update: Andrea (a follower) said this is Romanesco
(a variety of cauliflower). See her blog Here Thanks!

This is part of  'what's for dinner tonight'.
Is this the biggest head of lettuce you have ever seen.

Barb is very much interested in French History and I love architecture in general.  If you are interested, here is an easy (and somewhat entertaining) read about both.  Paris Buildings

Bead Street Store Events

A lot happening this month and last.  Our new location will hopefully be open by December 1st.   Still lots and lots to do.  For those interested in knowing why we have moved - see the last paragraph of this post.

So far we have also traveled from Boise to Portland to Seattle to Reykjavik to Charles de Gaulle airport  in Paris.  We were there during fashion week and a lot to see.   And we bought a lot of beads and buttons and trims.  

I have also learned three new beading patterns  that will become new classes this fall.



On the plane ride from Seattle to Reykjavik,
Barb and I each beaded a Super Duo bangle
and I beaded the Russian Spiral to match



 

This is a new pattern using the two-holed Super Duos or Twin beads along with size 11 seedbeads.  We have had a test class on this pattern and instructions are currently being edited.

Closeup of the Russian Spiral.
Pattern in October 2011 Bead and Button



My friend Barb beading at 35,000 feet.

More information about the fashion shows, bead stores (I should say the bead wholesale district), and some of the sights we saw in Paris coming in the next few days.

One of the things I found interesting in Paris was, of course, the jewelry.  One show had a lot of chains hanging everywhere.  Another show - showing a lot of 'cuff' necklaces - large, Swarovski embellished pieces.  Another show - beaded bracelets - one for each arm and both identical.  We couldn't get into the shows but did see a lot of fabulous street fashion and were inspired by the vibrant colors of the clothes and jewelry we saw.

For those interested in the Paris fashion shows, this video is sort of a recap.  Paris 2013 Ready To Wear Highlights


For anyone interested in why we are moving:  Our European buying trip had been scheduled since early spring.  Two months ago we got word that because of safety issues with the sprinkler system and  insulation falling down, some major repairs needed to be done which would require us to be closed for awhile.  We asked if these repairs could be done while we were gone.  Two weeks before leaving, we were told that most all of our inventory  and store fixtures would have to be removed to do the repairs. 

So, we chose to not move back in and instead open at a new location. Because this all happened very fast, our new location is not yet ready and we have moved part of the inventory to our warehouse and part to a temporary location. Right now I'm told that painting is being done, the Gemstone slat wall has been installed, painted, and most of the gemstones and pearls have been hung up. In a couple of weeks, all seedbeads and Czech glass will be available to purchase. I really appreciate your patience and all the offers to help with the move.