2024 Chilly Clay Retreat Demos

Registration for the 2024 Chilly Clay Retreat is open. This year it takes place over February 3 & 4. Members current after February 1 attend at no additional charge. New and renewing members are charged $45 which includes an annual membership. The event includes our traditional turkey chili for Saturday lunch, lunch on Sunday, and coffee service.

Members should log in to receive their discount, if applicable.

Register on this page.

Demo 1: Multimedia Silk Sari Beads (Saturday)

In this workshop, we will make unique multi-media beads to use as connectors, pendants, focals, or any component that you can use in making your jewelry or multi-media project. We will make a polymer clay component but this project can be done with many of your beads, charms, and components that you have already made.

Don’t we all have a bunch of “I don’t know what to do with this” beads sitting around the studio? This is the perfect project for those! We will combine our polymer clay components with wire, silk sari ribbon, lampwork glass beads, glass seed beads… and anything else you want to grab… to make our beautiful unique Multi-Media Silk Sari Beads.

Download the Supplies List (with Shopping Resources)Download

Demo 2: Wonderfully Wired with Lou Schneider (Date TBA)

Many beaded and fabricated jewelry pieces contain wirework components. Lou will demonstrate a variety of wirework components that will add interest and value to your creations.

Lou is the Queen of Wire!

If you’d like to try your hand at some of the techniques, please come prepared with the following items:

Roundnose and chain nose pliers
A good pair of flush cutters
Wire: 20ga and/or 22ga. The Beadalon craft wire sold at Michael’s works fine. (“German wire”)

Demo 3: Bouncy Buna Bangles with Ellen Rumsey Bellenot (Date TBA)

Learn to make these fun, stretchy bangle bracelets with Ellen. Easy to wear in multiples and they make great gifts.

Supplies & Tools

Beadalon hollow rubber tubing. I use both 4mm and 6mm; it’s a matter of taste. It’s available at Munro and on Amazon. (If you are an IPCA member, you get a big discount at Munro)
Acrylic paint. Anything will do but I particularly like DecoArts glossy enamels (acrylic) and of course Lumiere.
Elastic. I prefer the beading elastic that’s wrapped with thread. It’s available at Joann’s and, of course, Amazon. But you can use anything you want.
A bamboo skewer or knitting needle or some such that you can thread the cord on to hold it straight while you paint it. Then you can stick it into a piece of styrofoam or some such for it to day.
Dotting tools. You can use ball tools, the end of tooth picks, circles of fun foam glued to the end of a piece of dowel. You can also search micro applicator brush on amazon. I also use fine combs, plastic canvas with an eye to the ones that are shapes, pieces of that ridged shelf liner, well, you get the picture. (Yeah, we see.)
Any clay that you’d like to make a bead from. The ones that look like ceramic are white with colored liquid clay on them. Terri demoed that awhile ago.

Demo 4: Tour of Creative Ideas with Maurine Kramerich (Sunday)

Member Maurine Kramerich (Pensacola, FL) will have a “Show and Tell” of her work from the past few years. Beaded seashells, tube beads with tassels, and beaded spiders are just a few of what promises to be an interesting (and hopefully inspiring) presentation.

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