Carlisle School of Glass

Sooooo many things to post about and soooooo little time! I can't believe it has been over a month since I last blogged! Yikes!

This past weekend was the 3rd Annual Retreat for SGB-MA (Society of Glass Bead Makers - Mid-Atlantic Division) at the fun-fun-fun Carlisle School of Glass in Millville NJ.

It was my second time attending and I hope to continue to attend all the rest.

This pic I fondly call "annealers row" as we filled no less than 4 annealing ovens to the brim, over and over!

Last year's retreat was bitter-sweet for me because it marked the beginning of the downward spiral for my brother in his fight with cancer. He had called me on Sunday morning to say his legs were numb and from that point on, he never did get back on his feet. A very sad memory.

Below are pics of this year's group, I think there were 10 of us all together. We made lots of beads, gabbed, shared tools and materials, gabbed some more, had some great meals, and, did I say... Gabbed?

Did I mention that we had some great food? This was at "Fresh" for breakfast on Sunday, when we managed to stuff even more food in after our fabulous dinner at "Library IV" Sat nite. What were we thinking?!!
On the left (front to back), Gail, Joy, Jan and Nolly...On the right, Lisa, Pat, Debby, LJ and (Little) Lisa. Check out the Sunday French Toast Special - yes there really is French Toast under that HUGE mound of Fruit and Whipped Cream!



And finally, the fruits of my labor - nearly forty new beads, hot off the press! Thank you Lisa for the great murini lesson - I love it! (see the blue & white bead bottom left & ivory/black bead bottom center), Joy's baking soda bubbles (green bead upper left), a successful iris gold frit and silver leaf bead from "The Flow" magazine (big dot lavender bead top center), and an odd-shaped (like it tho) attempt at pushing colors inside the bead with a floral "frog" no less (thank you Barry & Lisa) bottom right. I am appalled that I only took pictures of MY beads - because everyone had SPECTACULAR stuff! Yeesh! Next year we will have to have our own little bead swap so I can take home real treasures from this retreat!