Bead Retreat Weekend - Vashon Island

The view from the back deck of Camp Burton's Dining Hall

I spent last weekend in the company of eight amazing women and fellow artists at a mini-bead retreat.  The setting couldn't have been more perfect.  We stayed in the cutest little house at Camp Burton on Vashon Island.  A short ferry ride from Seattle, Vashon feels like another world.  It's like stepping back into time to a slower-paced world then sideways into an artist community.  Ice-cream shops have huge front porches, flanked by artist collective boutiques and the coolest 'junk' shops.

What I think I love best about retreats is the chance to step away from my everyday to-do lists and focus on simply being and creating.  Stitching, beading, a little sketching, walks along the beach; the little things that bring such joy.

The luxury of leaving home for a long weekend is fantastic.  I started and finished several pieces while I was there.  Which makes me wonder if the magic can't be captured even if you stay closer to home.

Talking with a friend, she mentioned that she periodically hosts 'mini-retreat stitch-ins' at a local community center.  She reserves the room for the whole day, invites friends, buys snacks, even arranges for door prizes.  And when the time comes, she leaves all her cares at home for the day while she spends the day with friends.  Have you ever done a single-day 'mini-retreat'?  I'd love to hear what arrangements you made and how you thought it worked.

My beading table - I organize my beads like kits to save space in packing

clam shells encrusted with barnacles

Another view from the island, at low tide

Tales from the Tyler Bead Retreat

I've been home now for a couple of days and just starting to get back into the swing of things after returning from the Tyler Bead Retreat.  Organized by the amazing Belinda Defoor, the Retreat is a truly wonderful weekend with a stellar line up of classes - any of you living down that way I highly recommend you check it out (she'll be hosting another retreat in October). 

Mandi, Ralonda and me with a packed to the gills Prius ready to hit the road

Mandi Ainsworth grabbed me at the Dallas airport, then she, Ralonda Patterson and I packed the car and headed out.  Road trip to Tyler!  Facebook friends might have seen the selfie Ralonda took of us - three teachers in a Prius!   

 
 
 
 
I was absolutely amazed we all fit.  I think Mandi's Prius might actually be a TARDIS in disguise.

the main beading room, my spot is in the lower right corner!

The retreat itself was a blast!  This being my second time around, I actually knew people (besides Mandi and Ralonda) this time.  What fun it is to walk into a room and have people you haven't seen in a year recognize you and realize you recognize them in return. 

And so much space.  The main beading room was huge, with big round tables and lots of room in between.  Made it really easy to visit other tables and see what everyone else was working on.

I taught two classes.  And have to admit to a slightly embarrassing secret.  I have two different fishy classes that both go by the same name at the moment.  There's the chatelaine I'll be teaching for Fusion Beads come August.  Then there's my latest class, inspired by one of the necklaces I made for Lori's Bead Soup Party last year.  This one features a fish pendant made from a modified right angle weave bezel (RAW being my second favorite stitch behind peyote.)

Both classes are currently titled "Catch of the Day".  Technically, the title really does work for both as whichever I happen to be teaching that particular day could reasonably be considered the 'catch of the day'.  But, it lacks a certain clarity. 

So now I need to find a new name for one of them.  Ideas anyone?

Lisa Steven's freeform peyote pendant

I also taught a short freeform peyote ruffles class.  Happy me.  Since we only had three hours, the class focused on making a pendant or brooch. 

Where my fish class was packed - I think I had something like eighteen students - there were only two people in my freeform class.  Some of that may have had to do with the freeform class starting at 8:30am!  But it was such wonderfully restful, yet creative class. Interestingly, both of the students in my freeform class had been in my fish class the night before, too.

Lisa Steven's finished up her freeform pendant later that day and allowed me to take a picture.  Didn't it turn out beautifully? 

snapped this picture as they set up one morning

One of my favorite (and most dangerous) luxuries of being at the retreat was that the local bead store, Bead Crazee, moved the better part of their shop into the other half of the conference ballroom.  This included an incredible selection of Toho Bead seed beads laid out in an easy to browse rainbow array. 

Perfect for designing. 

Just steps away from my seat! 

See what I mean about dangerous? 

My beady purchases

I was amazed and impressed that I managed to get away so lightly. 

I bought the spools of 0ne-G from Cynthia Rutledge - she turned me on to the beading thread at last year's retreat.



Now, it's back to work on my book.  

NW Bead Society Bead Retreat

Time truly does fly by this time of year!  I can't believe it's already been a week since I returned from the wonderful Bead Retreat on Vashon Island.  I'd meant to write about it the Monday I returned.  Oops!  I didn't even have time to download all the photos until last Thursday.

The NW Bead Society's retreat is sort of like WWDC in that it sells out almost as soon as it's announced, with many returning year after year.  I was a little slow off the bat, and spent much of the summer on the waiting list, but finally got the call that someone had backed out so I was in.

So bright and early on the last Friday in October, Patricia Hardway and Pamm Horbit grabbed me and we all headed for the Fauntleroy Ferry.  There's something magical about ferries - I always feel like I'm on vacation as soon as I'm onboard.  Despite the fact that it's really right next door, I'd never been to Vashon Island, an oversight I was very happy to rectify.  It's amazing to me how close it is to Seattle, because it truly felt like a world away. 

a quick snapshot of the main beading room taken from my little corner

Then there was the retreat itself, held at the Retreat Center at Camp Burton, a wooded, waterfront property with gorgeous views.  Our main room was quite spacious, with a little kitchenette area and good light.  I managed to grab a corner spot with windows on either side.  Besides lots of time for beading, it was such fun to simply spend time with the other attendees.  Time to really talk with women I'd known casually for a couple of years now.  And to meet new people - like Sally Anaya, who teaches basket weaving around the world and maintains a blog that she updates daily.  Daily entries - I am so impressed. 

And when I needed a break from stitching, there was always someone up for a walk around the camp or a foray down to the beach (where my friends helped me find several more items for my Found Objects challenge piece).  Meals were served in the main dining hall, a short walk away, with a spectacular view.  For a day and a half we shared our meals with the Ballard High School Choir, who gave us a mini-concert Saturday night, singing Ave Maria.  Which of course made me think of my Mom because that's one of her favorite songs.  The food was simple, healthy and absolutely yummy and it was sooo nice letting someone else worry about menus and prep and cleanup, too.

view from the dining room at Camp Burton

the same view from just outside on the deck

from one of my walks

But perhaps one of my favorite things about the weekend were the Secret Bead Buddies.  Everyone was incredibly sneaky, and it was such fun returning from a short walk to find a package sitting at my workspace, or a package waiting outside your bedroom door in the morning.  It was equally fun trying to find ways to sneak my packages to my Buddy and helping others do the same.  And even more fun watching everyone discover the surprises.
 

I didn't find out until the last morning, but my Secret Buddy, Sharon,  couldn't be there.  But she gave all of her packages to Shirley with explicit instructions.  Shirley did an amazing job - she was definitely sneaky extraordinare.  I found my first surprise waiting on my workspace Friday evening with a hand-written note saying "Do Not Bend".  It turned out to be this mask. 

I spent most of my weekend working on bits and pieces for my Beaded Bottle project.  And collected several new messages for my project.  (To recap - I'm working on a Message in a bottle project and I'm still collecting messages for my bottle.  Feel free to send me one if you're interested). 







Sunday I took a fun class from Debby Zook on making Icosidodecahedrons (otherwise known as Beaded Baubles).  There was supposed to be a large bead in the center, but mine didn't fit (too small) so all I have is the framework, which supports itself quite nicely.  I'd love to make a bunch of these for my Christmas tree. 

They're also another bead project that you could give to a guy. 






Because I can't resist sharing, here are a few more pictures from the beach:

Tidewater with barnacles

barnacles encrusted on an old stump