Bead Cruise 2013

Today is the day, registration for Bead Cruise 2013 begins. Heather Powers has worked her magic to put together an exciting lineup of instructors and classes.

The sights and sounds of New Orleans were the inspiration for my classes.

All That Jazz

Jazz up your herringbone bangle with keshi pearls and crystals for a look that sings of elegance and sophistication. This bracelet wraps and stays around your wrist, just like designs of a by-gone eras.

Midnight Garden

Inspired by the dark and mysterious gardens surrounding the French Quarter, Midnight Garden captures a stunning rectangle crystal with leaves and surface embellishments.

Queen Wanna Bead

Like the Ancient Mayans she draws from her knowledge of the stitches to create with the elements of the Earth. Fire from goldstone, pearls from the sea and stones from far away lands she weaves with the color teal to create beauty. She is Queen Wanna Bead.

We will be sailing from my favorite Port of Call New Orleans on March 2nd to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.


Bead Cruise 2013 Registration opens today! Space is very limited so don't wait!

You will enjoy a great line up of national known instructors including Kerry Bogert, Tracy Stanley, Ronna Sarva Weltman, Beverly Herman and Erin Siegel.

A week on a cruise ship, taking classes, having fun with beads, friends and exploring tropical islands - don't miss it!

Click here for all the details.
Bead Cruise.com

Queen of Paradise

Queen of Paradise
She sits on white sandy beaches with ocean breezes, her toes nestled in the sand where small waves nip at her heels. She is the Queen of Paradise. You can capture your inner Queen of Paradise on Bead Cruise 2012. Where we will set sail aboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Sea. Our tropical beaches will be in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; San Jaun, Puerto Rico and the beaches of Labadee.

Caribbean Sunset
Picture perfect sunsets as you sail away from one port of call heading to the next. While at sea capture your favorite sunset with waves of sparking crystals and beaded chain.

There is more but it is optional.
Garden by the Sea
How does your garden grow? With art beads and leaves all in a row? Herringbone and surface embellishments complete this designs.

Join us on Bead Cruise 2012 with these great instructors: Tracey Stanley, Kerry Bogert, Jill Wisman, Heather Powers and Beverly Herman. 8 days of fun in the sun, great classes, workshops, gift bags, door prizes and more! Registration begins soon.

Sea Flower Necklace

In my previous post I neglected to give credit for this beautiful handmade cabochon by Summers Studio. I like this cabochon so much a third design is in progress.
Did you notice the new layout for my blog? Blogger has added a new element which allows you to create your own style using "Blogger Template Designer. I still have some tweaking to complete but I am liking the how it looks!
Thanks for stopping by. Beverly

Treausres from the Sea Cuff Bracelet

Amy Lowell - Sea Shell Sea Shell, Sea Shell, Sing me a song, O Please! A song of ships, and sailor men, And parrots, and tropical trees, Of islands lost in the Spanish Main Which no man ever may find again, Of fishes and corals under the waves, And seahorses stabled in great green caves. Sea Shell, Sea Shell,

Sing of the things you know so well.

Components: Sea Thing Cabochon by Summer Studios, Starfish bead by Humblebeads, coin pearl, keshi pearls, freshwater pearls, seed beads, ultra suede and ball & hitch clasp from Rings & Things.

Finding Treasures From the Sea

I am making progress on Glimpse of the Seas. Many pearly treasures are surrounding the Sea Things cabochon. It's going to make a wonderful cuff bracelet when done. I have stretched my creativity process with netting around the pearls to create an illusion of being caught in a net. It's Monday and the beads are calling my name.

Surface Embellishments

It's a two word night. Surface Embellishments. This is just the start. There is more to add at the bottom along with wisps of Charlotte loops to bring in more texture. We will see where this piece will take me. Right now it is way past my bedtime.

The Desire Turns In To a Design

First it started with a desire. A design began to take shape as the first beads were added. Visions of surface embellishments are forming to complete the design. The attention to detail makes all the difference. Looks like I am in good company with my late night beading hours. Check out "The Lone Beader" She is building a DeLorean. The attention to detail on her vehicle is out of this world.

The Queen of Denial

She has the whole world in her hands. No deadlines to meet. No kids to feed. No house to clean. Dinner at 6:00 not tonight. She is the Queen of Denial. She is sailing the high seas with her beads in hand.

She is one of my class projects for Bead Cruise 2009. We will have fun exploring surface embellishments on bead embroidery. The possibilities are limitless. The square face Art Bead is by Earthenwood Studios. I still have a few finishing touches to complete the necklace. I going to keep it simple susie by using a brass chain for the necklace. A special thanks to Denise for helping name this project.

Kits and Bits Part Two

Finally!! I finished the Raspberry Mousse bracelet. Kit by Ann Benson. I learned a new technique and changed a few of the beads. Instead of the using the four leaves to surround the middle crystal I used 8 mm copper faceted rondell crystals. The part I liked the best is the hooks and eyes instead of a metal cuff. Gosh I love the colors of this bracelet. Another view. Thanks for stopping by.

Kits and Bits

I thought it was time to put my rivoli in a different kind of setting. My friend Audrey shared a picture of a bracelet she made using a pattern by Nikia Angel called the sparkly wheel. I have this pattern and put my rivoli in the middle. You can find the kit for a sparkly wheel at Buy the Kit.com. Kits are the perfect solution when you are not able to attend a class by your favorite designer. I bought this kit from Ann Benson at Beads East. It is called Raspberry Mousse. The directions are very well written and the kit is gorgeous. If you would like to try your hand at bead embroidery I would recommend one of these kits. This is a sneak peak of mine in progress. I am almost done. I am taking this baby on the high seas. It will be perfect to sport on Bead Cruise 2008 Support your favorite designer and buy a kit today!

Are Those Mooses or Meese?

Last week I was asked if I still had my Dancing Moose Amulet bag I made with a pattern created by Liz Thompson who at the time had a website called Dancing Moose Designs. I remember how much fun I had making this amulet bag. Those silly mooses kept me laughing as I stitched along. Liz has since moved on to create beautiful bead embroidery pictures. I received this postcard along with an invitation to Downriver Council of the Arts show where Liz's pieces were on display. Stop by Liz's blog to see more of incredible work as she makes her name in the beadworld with Art. The Flamingo was a gift from Liz. I love being able to see this piece in its special place displayed as Art. Thanks, Liz I love this piece!

That Special Bracelet

Do you have a favorite piece of beaded jewelry? Something you put on just before you walk out the door? A piece that makes you feel like the person who created it is with you in spirit? I have just that bracelet. I am always telling Heather, I brought you with me today. I am wearing the bracelet you gave me. Her response "hmm which bracelet is that"? (I have a few of them. All of which are my favorites) My other favorite bracelet is the bead embroidery cuff my sister Rosanne made. I am waiting for cooler weather to arrive so I can start wearing it again.

Triton's Daughter

I have been in a beading frenzy for the last couple of weeks. I had deadlines to meet and class projects to complete. TRITON The fish-tailed son of Poseidon. He was a god of the sea who could calm the waves with a blow of his conch-shell horn. Triton's Daughter Necklace was designed especially for Bead Cruise 2008. The mermaid beads and shells are by Earthenwoodstudio. The collection of Goddess Beads. These original carvings are a celebration of the feminine, and an inspired love of the Earth. It was pleasure meeting Melaine at Bead & Button this year where I picked up the beads she had ready for me. Class Description: Bead embroider a pendant that features a ceramic mermaid from Earthenwood Studio. Embellish and add coraling fringe to accent the seashell art beads. Technique: Bead Embroidery with surface embellishments and coraling fringe. This a full view of the necklace completed with heart and oval pearls. Tropical Delight Bracelet Class Description: Catch the carefree island spirit with this twisted ndebele bangle. This week I felt like Rodney Dangerfield. "I laugh in the face of danger," As I look at the mess my creating has left in my beadroom! I borrowed this line from Heather. "Deadlines Amuse Me" As I dropped two projects off in the mail to the publisher. I realized....I no longer had an example for the class I am teaching on Sunday. Today I will work on making another!

June BJP Complete

If I was psychotic I would count to sea, if I really used 5,000 beads. Summary of June's page. Sunset on Lake Michigan. Special beads I used: Nailheads from Mary Tofaya, Raku bead from my friend Tammye. Gold Beads from a previous trip to South Haven, Michigan. Gold bugle beads from my sister Rosanne and teal bugles from Dona A. What did I achieved with this piece? Getting the effect I wanted with shading and the movement of the beads. I got a very late start on my June BJP. From April to June I drove 5,000 miles. A trip to Phoenix AZ, a visit to San Antonio and back to Michigan to take my Mom home. My sister Rosanne and I also squeezed a day in at the Bead & Button show. I made it back home to New Orleans just in time to celebrate my 18th wedding anniversary. Time was running out but I had one more project to complete. A Garden by the Sea bracelet for Bead Cruise 2008. I started my June page on June 30th. For the next 8 days I worked on it non stop. If I were to write an entry in a journal page for June it would say how much I miss being so far away from my family. Tomorrow I start another project that has a deadline before I can begin July's BJP page.

2007 Bead Journal Project

Tonight I planned out part of the 2007 Bead Journal Project. The surface I am using to for the bead embroidery is e'tal paper. The size 3 X 5 inches. I choose this surface for the metallic color that will show through if all the space is not covered with beads. A little pazza or sparkle to shine through. I am using bits and pieces that have a special meaning to me. Either they were given as a gift or picked up along the way in my travels. The center Raku bead was a gift from my friend Tammye. As I worked on my project tonight my mind wandered to my family and friends. I miss Tammye. I had a dream about Dona A. this afternoon. I think about her everyday. My sister Rosanne have been in my thoughts and in prayers for the last week as she deals with medical issues. The beads are soothing bringing good memories and healing thoughts for those in my prayers. Last but not least the raku shells are a reminder of the great time I had last year in Costa Maya with my daughter Heather. Jelly fish on the shore, sand between our toes and the $10 massages on the beach! Once again I have stayed up to late as I let the beads comfort me.

Bead Embroidery and Treasure Bracelets

All in the family. For years my sister Rosanne and I have shared a passion for beads. I was thrilled when Rosanne joined us on the bead cruise this year. It was great to spend a whole week with my sister. I really treasured our time together. This afternoon there was a message on my phone from Rosanne to check my email for pictures of the two bead embroidery bracelets she finished. Rosanne has been a long time admirer of Robin Akin's bead embroidery. After completing the Mayan Treasure bracelet class Rosanne was ready to start her own exploration into bead embroidery. The first words out of my mouth when I called her back tonight is "I Want it!!" The color choices are perfect as they enhance the moonface bead to create a beautiful piece of bead art. Bead Embroidery Bracelet by Rosanne Garvison Moonface focal bead by Melaine of Earthenwood Studio My favorite part of teaching is seeing where the beads lead each student. Thank you Rosanne for the kind words on the instructions from the class. Rosanne's Mayan Cuff Treasure Bracelet Liz Thompson's Mayan Treasure Cuff Bracelet