Designing with wire & beads

If you ever thought about making jewelery but did not know where to start, think no further, take a class!

I am very lucky to live in the same city with jewelery instructor & my fellow etsian Albina Manning. So I thought about it, called some friends who'd like to learn it too. We picked a day & time for the Girls Night In Party and got together last Saturday night and hired her as an instructor.

I have to say, the class was amazing! We are beginners, and Albina spent a lot of time with each of us, helping to understand the basics better. The result of a 2 hour class was great. I made cute earrings & matching bracelet. My friends left with newly made gorgeous Swarovski crystals earrings they made that night. I also bought a book Albina wrote with other talented artists and I am hoping to make at least a couple of beaded necklaces I found there!

Albina is a professional teacher and jewelry making instructor. She enjoys teaching at the Bead Museum in Glendale, AZ. She also does classes at the Beaderie in Chandler, AZ and at the J.O.G.S Gem & Jewelry Show which is occuring every year in February in Tuscon, AZ. The photos of her beaded tree Bonsai Shakkan has been used by Fire Mountain Gems (Beading & Jewelery Supplies Company) both as a back cover advertisement and inside their catalog. In 2009 Albina won 1st Place, the Gold Medal award with Inca’s Gold Necklace in FMG’s wirework category. She has been published in the Art Bead Circle Magazine, as well as the book Mixed Media Jewelry Techniques.

You can visit Albina's web-site www.around-beads.info and her store www.aroundbeads.etsy.com

With kind regards -
Tanya at socksandmittens