International Beading Week 2019…My Plans

I’m very thrilled to announce that I have been made one of the first permanent ambassadors for Beading Week. So, I thought I should put in a little extra effort for International Beading Week 2019…

Which, naturally, made me feel slightly under pressure…

The result: I’ve been procrastinating!

But now, at last, I am in a position to start announcing some of my plans.

What is International Beading Week?

Before I do that, for anyone new to the beading world, you might be wondering what this is all about. Well, International Beading Week has become an annual event in the beading calendar. It takes place during the first week of August. So, that means 27th July – 4th August 2019.

It is basically a huge celebration of beads and beadwork, all over the world. So, you’ll find shops and designers hosting events and competitions. You might get some bargain beads and you’ll certainly have the opportunity to try some new projects.

The event has an official website, which you can find here. And that will give you details of all the events going on around the world.

Plus, you can pick up more information on social media. You will find the official IBW facebook page here.

My International Beading Week 2019 Plans

So, now you have an idea about the event, what am I planning?

Well, for the past couple of years I’ve done a beadalong. This has given people the opportunity to try out some projects and learn new techniques. And it has been a lot of fun. You can take a look at last year’s event here.

This year, I’ve decided to keep up the tradition. But I’m going to be trying out a new format…

So, instead of just giving everyone a pattern to follow, I’m putting together a virtual workshop.

(This isn’t it, by the way…I’ve just put together a short, free workshop that you can try out here to test the format. Then, if you like it, you might want to join me for the real thing during IBW).

What is a virtual workshop?

Good question! Well, I’ve missed teaching since I had to give it up. So, for a long time I’ve been contemplating the idea of using the internet to teach. I have to confess, it has all felt a bit scary to work out how to put this together.

But I think I’ve figured it out. So, think about it…what do you get in a real workshop?

• A written tutorial with instructions for the project
• Demonstrations from the tutor to show you the different stages
• The opportunity to ask for help if you get stuck

Well, it turns out, I can provide all of that in a ‘virtual’ workshop. I grant you, it’s not quite the same as meeting me in person, or meeting the other students in person. But you can still interact together online.

On the plus side, it’s much easier for anyone who has difficulty in travelling (like me). Or, if you struggle to find the time to take a day out for a workshop, you can follow this kind of online workshop in your own time, in as many sessions as you need.

Then, of course, all the demonstrations are on video. So, they’re not a one-off thing that you soon forget. You can go back and replay them as often as you need.

So, I’m hoping this will turn out to be a great format. In fact, if you want to try out a free workshop to see how it works, you can! I’ve just set one up, showing you how to bezel a cabochon or rivoli. So, use this link to try that out and see what you think of the virtual workshop.

Follow this link to sign up for information about the mystery beadalong>>

Mystery Beadalong

For now, the project in the real IBW2019 beadalong is a surprise…

But, I can tell you the following:

• It’s a beaded box
• I’ve designed it specially for International Beading Week 2019
• The project is suitable for all levels
• You’ll get a PDF tutorial that you can keep and use offline
• I’ll be showing you the techniques in video demonstrations
• Plus, you can ask me questions and get personal help (all online) if you get stuck

So, if that intrigues you, I’m inviting you to sign up to my International Beading Week 2019 mailing list. You’ll also get a free pattern, just as a little gift for signing up.

Then, I’ll be revealing the project and the details of how to join in the beadalong. Plus, I have a few more plans in the pipeline. But I’m still discussing them with others, so I can’t reveal anything yet…

If you want to be the first to find out, though, the mailing list is the way to do it. And here’s the link you need to use to sign up.

International Beading Week 2019…what to do next

So, let me just quickly recap…

If you’re interested in joining my ‘Mystery beaded box’ beadalong for International Beading Week 2019, you should follow this link and leave your details. You’ll also get a free beading pattern as a little welcome gift.

If you’re curious about how a virtual workshop works, you can follow this link to try one out for free.

And I will be talking more about International Beading Week 2019 as we move closer to the event. So, stay tuned to this blog!