Diane, we trust you had an amazing time in Germany and that all of the classes went extremely well for you and your students. I know it would be a dream to learn anything at all bead related from such as master - the Zulu Flowerette bracelet sounds amazing.
Travel and teaching
In just a little over a week, I'll be leaving for Dortmund, Germany, to teach at one of the largest creative needlework shows in Europe, the Creativa Show held this year in Dortmund. This year, bead classes will be offered and I am one of the fortunate teachers to be selected to teach. While it is not my first time to visit Germany, it will be my first time getting to know German beaders. I look forward to learning about their preferences in beads, methods, how they organize themselves in networks, the availability of beads and so much more. Three of my four classes feature Crystallized Swarovski Elements which have been provided so generously by the company. One of the classes, the Zulu Flowerette Bracelet, is part of my collection of Zulu techniques which I've recreated to feature crystals rather than only seed beads.
The idea to incorporate crystals into the Zulu techniques was a gift from Ayumu Miyake who was then Sales & Market Manager for Swarovski Japan in Tokyo. At his suggestion, I developed classes using the Zulu techniques with crystals and now teach them and offer the instructions on CD. It is another example of how two very different entities can be merged to create an entirely new style of beading.