Stuck for learning opportunities - Help please !

[suzi]

I am English living in Belgium. I started beadmaking nearly a year ago. I followed a one day course using a hot head. Since then I have worked on my own at home and have progressed to a minor burner. I feel that I have reached a plateau and need to follow a course or find some other means to improve my beads. However there does not seem to be anyone here that can help. I am prepared to travel a reasonble distance but despite my efforts there is very little out there. Many of you, wherever you are in the world, must have found yourself in this situation I would appreciate it if you could share your experiences and how you coped for my benefit and that of others. It is not just course recommendations that I am looking for, though I could do with guidance on technique and errors I know I am making, but also ideas for self help, etc.

[dogmaw]

Suzi,

Welcome! We are a pretty friendly bunch here. I'm afraid I can't help you in your quest for a live class. However if you post a picture of what you are working on and a request for help, you will get lots of it! I learned most of what I know from here and other glass boards, and books too. Videos also helped!

[Cosmo]

It seems to me the easiest solution is for you to send me a plane ticket, and I'll fly over there and teach you whatever you want to know! :D

Seriously, though, if you can't find any classes around there, consider getting some videos or DVD's. I don't know what suppliers you have there, but I'm sure anyone that carries glass supplies can probably get you videos. The DVD's are mostly American made, so I don't know whether or not they'll play in European DVD players.

What kind of thing are you wanting to learn? I may be able to suggest some videos.

[Firelilly]

Greetings, Suzi! I've nothing to add that can help you in your quest...I just wanted say welcome. :waving:

Lil

[e. mort]

How about taking Kristina Logans class in France? Her work is awesome!

Glass Beadmaking & Pâte de Verre
Provence, France - Information Link
Contact: Kristina Logan, 603-430-2020
france@kristinalogan.com

[DancingSalamander]

I can only imagine how hard this must be. Have your tried video tapes/DVDs.

I remembered that one of the Cindy Jenkins books had some artists that taught in Europe. So I grabbed my book and looked it up. Their names are Nicole Zumkeller and Eric Seydoux. The quote from the books says, "We teach in both Switzerland and France, and our students come from European countries all around." Perhaps you might have luck doing an internet search for them. There's not any contact info listed in the book. Their beads are beautiful. edited: did a quick search and found http://www.fleury-optic.ch/ver_framboise.htm

Also found a french glass bead association. Perhaps they could recommend some folks :http://www.perliers-art.com/

Another idea: Become a member of ISGB and apply for their international scholarship. That will get you to the states and you can take classes before and after the Gathering.

http://www.isgb.org/gathering/scholarship.shtml

Good luck

Stacia

[suzi]

What a warm welcome. Thanks to all of you who have replied. It certainly helps re-establish confidence to know help and guidance is so readily available.

I would love to go on the Kristina Logan course but I'm not sure I'm up to that level yet and family commitments and the course dates unfortunately don't match. Maybe another year !

I've got one or two books but no videos. Getting some is a great idea. It would be helpful to know what is worth getting and what to avoid. The video and DVD standards are normally different in Europe but thanks to a technically minded husband ours are multi standard and so we don't have a problem. However I do have a problem with where to get them as my glass suppliers carry very little supplies other than a few colours of glass rods and some basic tools. If anyone has any recommendations on DVDs or worthwhile books and the best mail order sources to get them from I would be very grateful

I have contacted the French bead makers association and they have got an interesting forum. For those who understand French its at http://perles-au-chalumeau.forumactif.com/index.htm
but it is nowhere near as complete and active.

Thanks also for the other leads which I am following up one by one.

Sue

[Kikki]

Hi Sue,

GlasDesign Volkmann in Hamburg has lots of classes. This year Jim Smircich, Evan Hollander, Donna Mehnert and Bronwen Heilman among others will be teaching there!
Check out their schedule here:
http://www.perlentreff.de/index.php?cont=db&dbcont=spo&pageid=24

Edited to add that the Volkmanns also carry everything you could possibly need in the way of tools, torches and glass (Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, Bullseye, Reichenbach, boro and Czech). Their email is on top of the above mentioned page, just ask for their catalog.

[suzi]

Dear Kikki,

Thanks for the suggestion. There are indeed a lot of interesting looking courses on their schedule. Have you been on any of them before yourself ?

Sue

[Kikki]

Dear Kikki,

Thanks for the suggestion. There are indeed a lot of interesting looking courses on their schedule. Have you been on any of them before yourself ?

Sue

I took a class there last summer with Corina Tettinger and had a great time.
Mr and Mrs Volkmann are a very sweet couple, very helpful.
Their studio is equipped with Minors, Bobcats and Mini CC's and their warehouse is glass heaven! It's absolutely worth a visit for a chance to pick out your tools and glass in person even if you don't take a class there.

Oh, yeah! the food is great as well! :biggrin:

[DancingSalamander]

I haven't watched that many DVDs or videos, but I did purchase Jim Smircich's first DVD. He now has a second out, but I haven't seen it. I thought the first one was very good. If you are having difficulty getting nice shapes to your beads this is a good one to get. He shows how to make nice ends on long beads. Of course there are other things in the DVD. It's been a while since I watched it, but that's the main thing that I took from it.

You may want to post a separate question with a new title asking for video/DVD recommendations. I bet you'd get a bunch of ideas. You may want to do that with the "where to glass in europe" question as well.

Good luck
Stacia