A Little Bling Bling

Wow! Gretchen just got in LOTS of fabulous cubic zirconia (synthetic diamonds). If you haven't had a chance to see them yet, or if you missed the last batch (they sold quickly), come on in! She even got the coveted pink color and drops, both the briolette (flat) and the regular. Nothing says "bling bling" like cubic zirconia.

Also new are the roccoco color series of size 5 triangle beads. These two-tone, silver-lined beauties can be found next to the size 6 seed beads.

This weekend is Destination Art, a shop hop event involving 6 stores: Piece of Mind, Stamp Art, Art Ellis, Rumplestiltskin, J.R. Flamingo, and one more, whose name escapes me right now. It will be held both Saturday and Sunday. The way it works is, you begin at any of the 6 locations and pick up a passport. Visit all 6 locations, get your passport stamped at each, and be eligible for a drawing for one of the wonderful gift baskets containing items from each shop. Visit Piece of Mind for complete info and a map to all locations.

Spring is Sprung

Gretchen must have Spring Fever, because she is experiencing ordering frenzy! She has added 50 new Delica colors and new size 5 triangles are due to arrive soon in fancy Rococo colors. Two new Swarovski colors have arrived, Light Olivine and Light Emerald, and they are beautiful. Just the thing to add to your pile of five or more packs to get that special discount.

Also on the arrival horizon are hand dyed ribbons and cords, which you should begin to see in a couple of weeks. Just the thing to use for those fiber necklace and kumihimo finishing of my pendant classes like Sugared Donut and Medieval Medallion. The colors are to die for.

More seed beads! Look for new and expanded colors of size 15 and 11 seed beads very soon! Thanks to the response to the colors she added in the Fall and Winter, Gretchen is adding EVEN MORE. Woohoo! For a seed bead junkie such as myself, this is music to my ears.

Also new and now in the store, many colors of size 5 twisted bugles for your enjoyment. There are so many projects using bugles nowadays, and these colors are luscious. Come check them out.

Lots of new sterling clasps including very unusual ones and a gorgeous large geometric one that would be perfect for the in style chunky semi precious necklaces so many of you are creating.

New Stuff!

Many new items have arrived! We have been packaging lots of new colors of Delicas this week. Also new (from Tucson) are gorgeous pearls, semi-precious stones and pretty new sterling clasps. Sorry, but the cubic zirconia are nearly gone. Hopefully, there will be more soon.

Also look for fabulous new colors of triangles and magatamas. There are new raindrop beads (tiny drop beads smaller than magatamas), and more colors of those should arrive in the near future.

There is a special on crystal: buy 5 or more bags of 4mm regular colors for $8.60/bag of 100. If you buy wholesale, you will get your 15% discount on top of the special price, bringing it to $7.61/bag of 100. If this special is successful, Gretchen is considering making it permanent.

Gretchen is putting together the new class schedule as we speak, so if there are any particular classes you want to take, please let her know so that she can be sure to include them.

And just to let you know, there will be another Destination Art tour March 19 and 20. Look for a postcard in the mail. More about that later.

New schedule posted

The new schedule of classes is now posted and signups began today. If you're interested in taking a class this session, come in or call soon so that you're sure to get a spot. Classes are filling up fast.

Photos of many of the samples are posted on this site. Check out the full Piece of Mind schedule here. You can view just my schedule by using the "Schedule" button above. Also available on my schedule are printable supply lists for my classes.

We are still trying to get all the new seed bead colors out for use in the new classes. Gretchen has over 100 new colors of seed beads, Delicas and triangles. If you don't see the color you are looking for, ask. We will be glad to check the unbottled bags and bottle a color that you are waiting for.

Seed bead heaven!

Gretchen got tons of new seed beads in yesterday in sizes 11, 8, 6, and 11 triangle including some wonderful matte metallic colors that are too mouth-watering to resist. If you have a chance to stop by Piece of Mind, be sure to check them out.

We also discussed the next schedule of classes, and it looks like she is going to delay adding kumihimo until we have a reliable source for good quality, reasonably priced looms (called marudai). Look for those classes being added perhaps next session. The classes we talked about having me teach this time are: Butterfly bracelet, Totally Tubular, Serpentine Ndebele, Tubular Ndebele, Nile Queen, Chaldean bracelet, Eye of the Storm (new), Gloria bracelet (new), Passion Flower bracelet (new), Embellished Peyote Cabochon (new), Beaded Byzantine bracelet, African Helix necklace, Crystal Garden, Medieval Medallion (new) and...one more that I can't remember. We did have 19, but had to cut back or I would probably have had a breakdown of some kind.

Good news to us is that Charity, who was going to be moving to the Seattle area soon, is not going to be moving at all, so she will still be around to teach her fused glass classes. Woohoo! They have been very popular.

Bad news is that Lynda Roubineau will be taking a break from teaching this session. She should be back next session.

I will be selling my work at the Victorian Christmas Faire in Nevada City on Sunday, Dec. 19 and again on Wed., Dec. 22, for anyone interested in purchasing my jewelry.

New items at Piece of Mind

Gretchen ordered a bunch of new Delica colors and they have all been bottled and priced. Look for them in the lucite tube displays on the tables. Also available now are 18 gauge sterling and copper jump rings size 6mm for those of you looking to finish up some beaded chains. We will also have new copper and brass jump rings in a variety of sizes very soon. I just need to polish them up and package them.

Next Schedule of Classes

The current schedule of classes is ending soon. For me, it ends next week. Gretchen is currently composing her next offering of classes and there will be, as usual, a lot of new classes from which to choose. Since she has 8 teachers, and more are being added all the time, her three classroom areas are going to be busy! Last session there were over 60 classes, and I believe there will be at least as many this session.

I have a few new creations that may be included in the next session. Many have been waiting for the Chaldean bracelet , a confection of bugles, seed beads and fire polish. Also with a long waiting list is the Passion Flower bracelet , made of Swarovski™ crystals and tiny seed beads; this one is vaguely similar to Crystal Garden , but easier and faster to make. I have an airy, elven-looking pendant necklace that I call Arwen's Trinket . I've worked up several kumihimo offerings, and perhaps a tatted bracelet as well. In addition, I created a Medieval Medallion with bail that looks marvelous over those new fiber packs that Gretchen carries. Not to leave out the obligatory crystal confections, I have a crystal-captured donut pendant and something I call All That Glitters, another crystal pendant that works beautifully with kumihimo. Beginners are welcome for the Gloria bracelet, a simple introduction to Right Angle Weave, deliciously embellished. Also suitable for beginners, Anastasia Necklace is a beautiful stitch from Russian beadwork, simple and elegant. While in Russian mode, I also created a Ukrainian style netted bracelet using bugles and seed beads I call Russian Lace . And I'd like to offer an embellished cabochon class, since I had so much fun working with cabs at BABE. Gretchen has some fabulous dichroic cabs from local artist Charity Heroux that are gorgeous when worked up using this technique.

Do you think I have time to write instructions for all those new classes? Is there even time to fit them all in to a new session, and offer some popular repeats? Only Gretchen knows... I'm guessing that there will be time for only some of them. You need to let me or Gretchen know your favorites so we know how to prioritize them.