It's that time of the year again where I make my annual pilgrimage to Milwaukee to attend the Bead & Button Show! My work peeps have absolutely no idea my excitement when I tell them about B&B but it's the event of the year for me! This will be my third year attending and I have signed up for 12 workshops! Yes I'm crazy but I don't have other opportunities to learn from the industry's best in person often so I have to make it worth every minute!
I'm starting off this year taking Linda Darty, yes THE Linda Darty of the enamel queen, Enameling Master Class! What a way to kick off the event! It is a 3 day in depth workshop and I am looking forwarding to learning various enameling techniques. My jaw literally dropped when I learned Linda will be one of the Master Class teacher as I have admired her book The Art of Enameling for years and it's been my favorite bed side and studio reading. I will be like a sponge and absorb as much as I can from the Master of Enameling!
I'm taking two classes from one of my favorite teacher, Richard Salley, this year. I saw the Fire & Ice Pendant in last year's class and I had to wait an entire year to learn how! Talk about keeping someone in suspense! I'm also taking his Make the Impression class. I love the primitive and rustic look it can achieve. Right up my alley! I hope to see his beautiful and kind assistant Martina Stein. I just love her!
After moderate success with jeweler's saw, I decided it was time to learn from the master of sawing, Thomas Mann. Francesca Watson was raving about his class so I decided I really need to master this technique. I've also admired Thomas Mann's jewelry for years. The way he uses cold connection is so ingenious. Looking forward to learning two key techniques which I will use for years in future work! Check out his beautiful work at his website Thomas Mann!
I took Joe Silvera's class two years ago and was blown away with the set up. I walked into his class and there is a large monitor in the front and high quality tools on each table. The monitor makes it so much easier to see the intricate techniques he is teaching when you have many in the class so everyone gets a great view. I signed up for the Basket Prong class this year. Being able to capture delicate stones without the standard bezel will add another option to set stones. Looking forward to his gentle and thorough style workshop. Visiting his jewelry school in Berkley is on my list! 
This year's hottest workshops is being offered by Robyn Cornelius! Almost all of her 11 workshops are sold out and most sold out within the first 10 min when registration first opened! My partner in crime this year, Heidi Kingman, are taking this class together which I'm sure going to make it extra special. I can't wait to apply my new sawing skills from Thomas Mann and Robyn to pierce such intricate designs and get the amazing colors through liver of sulfur!
Another class that sold out within minutes was Lisa Barth's Cross Wire Pendant. I kept bugging the B&B peeps and when they added additional seats, I got in! Yay! I have long admired Lisa's metal clay and wire weaving jewelry. I just love the way she combines copper and turquoise in her work. I started a small collection of turquoise as it is my favorite stone. I can't wait to learn how to capture these beautiful stones and showcase them in a pendant!
When I saw Sherry Serafini's bead embroidery display 2 years ago at Bead & Button Show Exhibit, her work literally stopped me in my tracks. Her work is beyond amazing and they are mesmerizing. Bead Embroidery is so opposite of what I normally do which involves hammering, soldering, torching, and wire wrapping. Working with intricate teeny tiny seed beads is a bit intimidating. This is going to be the most quiet class I will take this year! It will be like a meditation session and I will look forward to learning from the Master of bead embroidery!
I learned metal etching from the fabulous duo Cristina Leonard and Gail Lannum last year who taught me how to use ferric chloride etchant to etch beautiful designs on metals. This year I signed up for John Fetvedt's Electro-Etched Copper Earrings. It will be great to have an alternative non-chemical etching method under my belt. John is known for his beautiful chainmaille work. 
I met Eva Sherman online and have admired her gorgeous copper cuffs she posts on a weekly basis. When I found out she was teaching at Bead & Button Show, I had to squeeze in one her classes. I'm so excited to take her Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Copper Ring class. I wear so many copper jewelry but don't have a copper ring yet so it will be a great compliment to other copper jewelry. So looking forward to meeting her in person!
My final class is Wire-Woven Filigree Ring with Kaska Firor. I love the look for wire weaved jewelry and the ring caught my eyes! I hope I have the patience in weaving intricate designs. Looks so tedious!I will have exciting news when I come back from Milwaukee.
Mahalo for being part of my creative journey!
Kumi ♥
