I have been teaching in Nashville for more than 8 years now, and my favorite, and exclusive, location is at Stardust Designs Bead Shoppe. Mitzi has some of the most unique supplies for sale in the area, including the scrimshaw work of Mary Bailey. The atmosphere is relaxed and you'll find different things in each little nook and cranny. (Don't forget to open the drawers in the dental cabinet!)
This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with several returning students, as well as some new to my 'wired world'.
Stay tuned to my Class Schedule page to see what we'll be offering for classes when I return in October 2008!

As I've mentioned before, Sonja Kiser is an art teacher for a middle school in Grahn, Kentucky. As a fine artist, her favorite medium is water color. When she came to visit this time, she treated us to a small showing of her paintings and spent some quality time with my daughter, Skye, teaching her different water color techniques. (I think she's created a new passion for Skye!)

Sonja Kiser has been working with me for less than 1 year and is producing some awesome pieces! During our recent 3 day session, we concentrated on a variety of settings and ways to use and work with faceted stones of all shapes and sizes. When she returns for her first 'Designer' class in October, it's going to be exciting to see those ideas she has in her mind come to reality!!

I mentioned Kim's gardens - she served very tasty lunches, and treated us to veggies from those gardens. Kim also surprised me with an ice-cream birthday cake! How cool is that?! (Yes, I am officially on the other side of that hill, and curious about the rocks that form the next one!) Yes, I'll be back to work with these awesome folks in upstate New York again next year ~ maybe I'll even take time to see Niagra Falls next time.

Kim Pandina hosted a two day, intermediate designs, session for her wire group in her home in Rochester, NY. Saturday, we made my Victorian bracelet design and Sunday we accomplised a prong-framed faceted stone pendant. (These are two very intense and detailed classes!) Everyone made great looking projects, and left loaded with new knowledge and techniques using faceted stones. Kim and her partner have a beautiful yard, filled with flowering plants, a hothouse full of unusual cacti and a nice veggie garden. (In her "spare" time, she enjoys canning!)

Thursday I boarded yet another plane to fly to Rochester, NY for 3 full days of classes. Betty Schnellinger had taken classes with me at Beadfest events and then traveled to my studio for semi-private sessions. She returned to her home in Buffalo, and scheduled me for an intensive, all day beginner's workshop for members of her bead group. We worked from 8:00am until about 7:00pm, completing three full projects. These ladies were a lot of fun to work with. They provided a wonderful lunch buffet, and made some beautiful projects. I know I'll be back next year, to take them even further with their gorgeous work and designs. Many thanks Betty!!
(Also to her husband Jim, who makes unique handcrafted pens, one of which was presented to me as a thank-you gift!)

After flying back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, we spent a day in the city, and visited a convention center which was hosting a cultural event featuring craftsmen from each province and their skills. We then hit the road to travel to the shore at Hua Hin. A few of us walked down to the tall Buddah you see on this point. Charlie got some great photos on our way, while I picked up some amazing shells. We all enjoyed our stay there, our rooms were in turrets, completely round, and each day a variety of fresh flowers were scattered on our beds. (Green orchids one day!) We shopped at the night market, lazed by the pool and indulged in a massage and salt-scrub in an underground spa.