Taking the train

I love train travel but there are few trips I take in the U.S. where it is a practical alternative.  However a trip to North of LA really is the perfect time to take the train.  It saves a 3 to 4 hour drive through LA depending on traffic and I can bead for the 4 hours and 21 minutes it takes to get there (well maybe 4 hours and 10 minutes)

I'm on my way to Creative Castle where I'll teach Vienna (somehow also known as Vienna Square, not sure if I lost my mind which does routinely happen), Pacific Morning Glory and Spirit Flight.

The weather promises to be the perfect high 70's and I look forward to a visit with owner Carole and all the folks I've come to call friends over the years there.

I have taught at Creative Castle longer then any other bead store I currently teach for, with an average of once and sometimes twice a year for the 12 or so years I've been there.

Pacific Morning Glory is the perfect piece for re-enforcing you cubic right angle weave skills with a crystal studded band that traps the 2 sided medallion.  A clever closure makes the bracelet fully reversible so using two distinct colors is a fun variation.  The flip side of this one is predominantly lavender.

I'm often fickle about which Vienna is my favorite, but this is the one whose colors were inspired by the upholstered recliner in my studio (you might want to read that post it still amuses me). There is plenty of learning curve going on in this piece as you move from a single row of cubes into a 2nd and 3rd row, changing sizes and style of beads on each end.  Cubic raw also lends itself beautifully to curves and angles which can be seen in the pendant.

 And my well loved spirit flight.  This started life as a very different piece with a felted ball, and crazy bail and some pretty out of the box colors.  Facing the prospect of teaching it to 48 people I decided to work at refining the design as you see it here.  The bottom shows off a beautiful Swarovski fancy stone and one of my favorite Swarovski elements the loch rosen.  This piece is the perfect bauble for wearing on a ribbon so a good solid day of beading and many folks were able to call it done.

I especially like the little spirit flight collar at the top of the netted ball.  I have fun making different colored collars and changing them up, or stacking multiple atop this fanciful piece.

Classes this weekend at Creative Castle!  And, most exciting and I almost forgot, we're going to have a book signing Friday night!  Marcia DeCoster's Beads in Motion is scheduled to arrive at Creative Castle today!  I've got my pen ready and would love to see you.  I suspect you will be among the very first to get to peruse this new book.