Summer Bead Fling Highlights

This past weekend, HBS held it's first Summer Bead Fling. Artist, Mary Lowe, demonstrated her wire techniques on how to create her lovely "Natalie Necklace" on Saturday and Sunday she showed us how to work with bronze clay.

Here are some highlights from this fun weekend.

Saturday, we very willingly worked our fingers to the bone as we wove beads and wire into an intricate and somewhat freeform pattern for the sweet Natalie Necklace. A simple, yet oh so appropriate, bead chain completed the look. Some of us actually completed the necklace in class - an accomplishment in and of itself - since I can't tell you the number of times I spent a weekend beading only to come home and show David a small 2 or 3 inch section of some sort of beaded project.

Mary Lowe and the group - including Faith Strunk, Audra Gladney, Kathryn Kelley,
Kathleen Carlson, Janet Taylor, Mary Lowe, Lillian Skogsberg, Laurence Dusaulx,
Janie Fitzgerald, Lynn Geren & Shelley Dearing all working our fingers to the bone.

Mary Lowe, Faith Strunk, Kathleen Carlson, Lynn Geren & Mary's
Assistant Kate looking over the color choices for the Natalie Necklace.

Kate demonstrating how to create a simple beaded loop chain necklace with
Kathleen Carlson, Lillian Skogsberg & Lynn Geren

Janie Fitzgerald attaching a wired component.

Audra Gladney & Jo Ann Schmitt working furiously.

Finished piece by Audra Gladney

Finished piece by Faith Strunk

And, I am always amazed that although several of us get the exact same kit, we all create something totally different from it.

Sunday, we spent our time creating molds and making bronze clay components like clasps that Mary took home to fire. Most of us got to make at least two molds and 8 to 10 pieces. I made square components for a bracelet in addition to 7 or 8 other pieces. Can't wait to get mine back!

Pieces sitting out to dry before we finish them off a litle more.
Mary Love, Mary Lowe & Lillian Skogsberg



Mary Lowe explaining the intricacies of working with bronze metal clay.

Mary Love & Katy Edwards
Lillian Skogsberg, Mary Lowe and Katy Edwards

Audra Gladney is busy pressing bronze metal clay into her mold.
Faith Strunk is cutting out a shape for a pendant.

Katy Edwards, Faith Strunk & Audra Gladney



Hope you enjoyed the pictures - stay cool ya'll.

Now go bead something.