Masterclass – Mastering Chinese Beaded Beads

Description:

This workshop is currently full.

In this class we will learn how to create hollow, 3-dimensional beaded beads using netting techniques that Valerie has learned in China, techniques which involve uniting beads in groups of 3, 4, 5, or 6. We will also learn how to vary these techniques to create ingenious variations that may well be unknown to Chinese beadworkers. Although diagrams for 9 different beaded beads will be provided to each student, we will only be able to get through 3 or 4 of these beaded beads in class. Students can complete the other beaded beads on their own.

This class is for intermediate students. The only prerequisite is a good familiarity with what Laura Shea calls “Plato” and “Archimedes” beads. Instructions for these beads can be found in Valerie’s book, The Art of Beadwork.

About The Tutor:

Valerie Hector is an award-winning jewelry designer whose primary materials are beads of glass, precious metals, resin, and other materials. She opened her studio in Chicago in 1988 and since then has participated in several hundred juried fine craft shows in major cities in the United States. She has exhibited at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, DC. Her work has been featured in publications such as American Craft, Ornament, Metalsmith, Fibre Arts, and Smithsonian.