Beading 101.. sort of

I am starting my goals of 2011 early, wherein I will take classes in things I am really interested in. Like jewelry making.

This past Saturday I fnally took the class in wire wrapping that I had scheduled for an evening in September... but a tornedo touched down and the class went all cancelled. I finally called and asked when we were rescheduling... and it turned out they had forgotten to call me.

Fortunately there was an opening this past Saturday. Which was great timing.

I already make myself necklaces by stringing beads. I have made some lovely ones and learned a fair amount along the way. I tend toward beads of natural stones, silver, and glass, and my designs are far from wacky. Since I am small, I also tend to make things that are not "statement" necklaces in terms of size but hopefully are in terms of design.

The shop, Beading Dreams, I spoke to had three intro courses: color choices, wire wrapping, and knotting. I chose only the wire wrapping, because it is a basic skill and I feel I already have a great color sense.

The 2-hour course was fun. It started an hour before the store actually opened, so we could get undivided attention and no distractions. We began by learning how to use the 3 versions of pliers on cheap/base wire. I shared a table with three other women, one of whom had taken the other two intro courses and the other two who planned to. A nice group.

Our teacher, who also owns the shop, was very direct and went s-l-o-w-l-y as appropriate. Then she turned us loose. We got to make a bracelet and pair of earrings; I chose to make mine to match two scarves I have acquired in the last year which both feature yellow and bits of red. Not common choices for me, so the new bracelet and earrings match both scarves and have already come in handy. I poked myself once with the pliers, but avoided real damage. Surprisingly.

Once I did a couple, the whole link-making thing made sense and was fun. I plan to go back on Friday (Black Friday!) for their early 50% off sale. I can buy the pliers I need for the wrapping, as well as some beads for projects. Of course, I have lots of beads. I am such an international beader I know great stores in both Paris and Bath--huzzah!

Photos to come of the final projects, but I think they both turned out nicely. We could choose from two trays of relatively inexpensive but funky beads. I chose some flat, pale yellow beads in hard plastic, with lines slashed in them, and small red textured beads. The yellow was very pale while the red is bolder--like both scarves, actually.

A worthwhile two hours! My next class: I actually hope it will be on the firing range, wherein I will learn to fire a gun. My goal is to reduce my own fear of firearms (is it possible?) and one of my students from last summer in Oxford has offered to go with me, as she is very familiar with guns from family hunting events, etc. Like the opposite of my family.