Studio Musings

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Okay, maybe not literally; it's still a bit too warm here in Seattle for actual snow. But I was treated to a flurry of snowflakes yesterday and how pretty they were! Yesterday nine students joined me for my second annual Snowflakes and Stars class at Fusion Beads. Such a fun, festive time we had!

Snowflakes clockwise from top left by L. Kay Rokusek, Cathy Warms, Nancy Lundeen, Debby Smick
Snowflakes clockwise from top left by L. Kay Rokusek, Cathy Warms, Nancy Lundeen, Debby Smick

Karen Lusby's snowflake with her bead selections
Karen Lusby's snowflake with her bead selections
I truly enjoy teaching at Fusion Beads.  They have two great classroom spaces and they really go out of their way to take care of their instructors and their students.  And this is one of my favorite classes to teach because a) I get to share one of my favorite, quick and extremely versatile patterns and b) I receive all sorts of inspiration from my students' creations. 

Isn't Kay's garnet, white and silver snowflake at the top left above stunning?  It's so rich and regal.  Nancy named her snowflake at the bottom right 'Siena' because it reminded her of the floor tile mosaics there.  Every student tried something different, and every snowflake was truly unique.  Thank you to everyone who let me photograph their work to share here.  

Karen Lusby even suggested I include her bead selections in my photos of her lovely pastel rainbow creation.  I took one photo just of the snowflake, and then another with the bead packets - transparent light azure AB, transparent light lilac lined AB and sterling plated iris over clear. 



Beaded Snowflake ornament by Karen Williams
Now, it's time to draw for the winner of my Snowflakes and Stars Kit and tutorial.  Between the two blog posts where people entered, there were a total of sixteen entries.  I printed out the comments and started to assign numbers so I could use Random.org, my usual method for determining a winner.

Looking at the neatly arranged comments, I decided to do something different this time, so I chopped the pages up into strips, folded the strips and put them all into my hat.  Then I woke my sleeping husband and demanded he draw a name from the hat.  After a little wait during which time I thought he'd simply fallen back asleep, a hand snaked out and plucked a piece of paper, which he then tucked under his pillow.  Luckily, only a peck on the cheek was required to achieve it's release. 

When I finally opened the paper, I found Christine Altmiller's name winking up at me from the page.  So Christine - you are the winner of my bead kit!  Congratulations and I hope you enjoy!  Let me know whether you'd like Cobalt, Silver and Gold or Snow White and Silvery Blues for your kit.  I'd love to get this out to you tomorrow.

Thank you all for participating!  And check back - this isn't the last give away I'm planning for the holiday season.  At least one more is still to come. 

6 comments:

  1. I like those snowflakes, and would like to make some for our tree - what do you thread the seed beads on?

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    1. I like to use either Superlon or Silamide beading thread.

      Superlon is a mono-filament nylon that comes in a huge range of colors. It's a great thread, but should really be waxed before you use it.

      Silamide is a two-ply, twisted thread and is already waxed, so it's great that way, but it doesn't come in quite as large a range of colors.

      I buy both through Fusion Beads, but most local bead stores will likely carry at least one of the two.

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  2. Karen! I had no idea I even entered!!! LOL
    Thank your husband for me (if he remembers the drawing!)and a big THANK YOU to you!!!
    Love your snowflakes~I wish they were the only ones I would see this winter! Tough choice.....but I think I am gravitating toward cobalt.
    I logged on to do something completely different and saw in my blog roll you had a new post. Glad I stopped by :-)
    The class snowflakes are fantastic~absolutely love the first one (red and white and silver)!

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  3. Yeah Christine!!!!
    So, are all the stars from the same pattern? I do like that top left one. I bet they are all super proud of their new ornaments!

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    1. Shirley - yes, the stars are from the same pattern. It's an extremely versatile pattern with lots of possible variations. Which is one of the reasons I love it - enough possibilities that I never get bored! :)

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  4. Looks like a good time was had by all. I would like to see all of these grouped together in a piece.

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