Bead&Button Recap!

While the past few years have involved many work-filled days in Milwaukee due to the Bead&Button show, this year involved a tactical strike. I traveled to Milwaukee early Wednesday morning, stayed the night and then traveled back to Chicago on Thursday early evening. I somehow managed to get through two 18+ hour days on mostly adrenaline and homemade orange bread.

The Meet the Teachers reception was the wonderful whirlwind I expected. I met the editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Denise Peck in person for the first time. Also, my beaded animals got a lot of great attention--it looks like I'll be developing instructions for the cat first, then the little purple dragon.

Thursday was wonderful, even though I started working at 8am. My class was fantastic! I had four wonderful students and taught them all Dragonscale. Honestly, I can't believe that I get paid to talk with and teach chainmaille to lovely people. I feel like I'm getting away with something sneaky. I really hope that the classes I submit for next year are accepted so that I have the opportunity to teach there again.

To top it all off, my chainmaille jacket won 2nd place in the Wirework category for the Bead Dreams competition. I'm excited to get that gift certificate from Beaducation.

Also, before I made my return journey to Chicago, I met a bunch of lovely wonderful people from Fire Mountain Gems! I've been buying supplies from them for the longest time--and been a finalist or winner in the past three of the last five competitions. (Someone even recognized my dragon!) In fact, if I manage to eke out some time, I have a project to finish for their upcoming Swarovski crystal competition. It's going to be a bust few months!

Vanessa Walilko
Aluminum chainmaille jewelry

February Classes

When I wore my dragonscale bracelet to class, I knew that I was teaching it somewhere soon. Well, here is the list of all the classes I'll be teaching in February:

Dragonscale - February 7
Briolette Beads, Forest Park

Chainmaille Earrings - February 8
Discovery Center, Chicago

Japanese Cascade - February 12
Caravan Beads, Chicago

I will also be subbing for Rebeca on weeks two and three for her Vikings and Dragons class at Lill Street starting February 11, and I'll be running the open studio at Blue Buddha Boutique on February 9.

As always, contact information for all of these locations can be found on my Resources - Classes page.

Vanessa Walilko
Gianessa Designs - Handcrafted Beaded and Chainmaille Jewelry

Rubber Rings Workshop

Just yesterday I took a class with Susan Thomas at the Blue Buddha Boutique studio. It's definitely a new way of working with jump rings--actually manipulating the shape of the rubber ring instead of using it in place of metal rings. I took the marathon bracelet class on Sunday, and were my hands feeling it that night and today.

Here's the result of hours of meticulous work:

You can purchase rubber rings at Blue Buddha Boutique, along with Link It!, Susan Thomas' book.

Vanessa Walilko
Handcrafted Beaded Jewelry, Chainmaille, Fashion and Art