Weekend Beadaway

We are located in Beautiful Cadillac, Michigan, a quaint tourist town in Northern Michigan. A wonderful small town atmosphere with lots of great activities for every season of the year! The nearest airport which services Northwest and many other major airlines is in Traverse City, just 45 minutes from Cadillac.

This is the place to find out if you like glass beadmaking before making any major investment!

Read More Comments from Former Students Below!

Check out Other Weekends!

TracyB Chuck and Kelly Nicole Sandra Carol and Tina Lisa Pam and Lindee Jackie & Ashley Kara Missy B Susan M Chris & Jason Marlene Janet A

Dan and Beth Ericka Debbie Shelly Janet Mary

Laurie Kirsten Judy & John Emily

Chris & Joyce Chelsea Catherine

Becca & Lori Alexis Brenda Keith

Sue and Teresa

"Chris, thank you so much for the wonderful Weekend Beadaway experience. As a complete beginner, I really appreciated your organized approach, experience, and enthusiasm for the art of lampworking. With your patient instruction & great sense of humor, I quickly developed a sense of confidence & learned more about lampworking than I ever imagined possible in two days! Many thanks to you and your husband Larry for your kind & generous hospitality in your lovely home. I hope to return some day to expand my lampworking skills & enjoy more of Larry’s terrific cooking!" Kirsten

Want to fly into Traverse City and have me pick you up and take you back to the airport? Only $50 extra for peace of mind and no rental car hassles!

Beginning Lampwork Bead Lessons - Weekend Beadaway	$225 + $25 Lodging 13+ Hours of Instruction
Hourly Rates (Encasing? Sculptural? Florals?)	$25 per hour
Traveling Torches - 5 Student Minimum	$50/per person/2 hours $100/per person/4 hours
Gift Certificates Available for Lessons

I have 20+ years of teaching experience, so rest assured you are receiving quality instruction twisted with a sense of humor to make you feel at ease behind the torch. I guarantee you'll walk away with a wealth of knowledge to help make your decision. Read about how the weekend works below and what you'll learn . Your experience doesn't end when you leave. I'm always just a phone call or e-mail away! (Well, until I die, then just use the "John Edwards" method of getting a hold of me!)

When I started working with glass, about 6 years ago, I taught myself by reading Cindy Jenkins book. Many people will tell you that you can self teach. In this class, you'll skip all the trial and error I experienced, and actually be able to make NICE beads, worthy of showing and telling. The book was extremely informative and helpful, but man I wasted a lot of glass! I thought, "I can do this! I'm pretty crafty". I wish I would have put down the money for lessons. The amount of money I lost in time and glass would have paid for an upscale class! And I AM serious!

I've put together lessons plans for the novice. Things you actually NEED to know to quickly improve your skills. I leave nothing out, there are no "secrets". It's all ready for you to soak up like a sponge!

For $225 (plus $25 lodging which includes all meals), I believe you'll find this is the best deal on the net!

Wow! $225 seems pretty major, you say? But just look at what you'll learn! You could pay (and I have) $300+ for a workshop! I don't have the name recognition like the old-timers*, but I do believe I know my "stuff".

If you've taken my classes before, make a referral and get a set of beads FREE from me!

"I had a fabulous time and definitely think your workshop is more than worth the cost. You and Larry and the kids are delightful, and I appreciated having a "substitute kitty" for the weekend. By the way, the food was awesome!" - Alexis Coxon

"I looked forward to this class so much that I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations! Talk about surpassing them! Catherine

Here's Just Some of the Items We Can Cover In Your Lesson!

Total Cost:

With Lodging: $250 (includes all materials and meals)

Without Lodging: $225 (lodging available in town)

Day One

All beads made on Day One will be annealed, cleaned and ready for you to take home!

Safety
Pulling Stringers
Making round beads – make lots until they are round
Apply dots with stringers
Making lines around beads
Raking/Dragging Lines around beads
Stringer Control
Making a tube bead
Using intense black to web a tube bead
Using gravity to “spin” colors on beads
Making a Bicone Bead
Melted in flowers on beads with one center raised dot
Raised Florals
Trapping a bubble
Two, Three, Four, Five, Six spacers on one mandrel

Want to fly into Traverse City and have me pick you up and take you back to the airport? Only $50 extra for peace of mind and no rental car hassles!

Day Two

Beads Made on Day Two will be annealed, cleaned, temporarily strung and mailed to you!

Making Twisties
Applying Twisties
Silvered Ivory Stringer
Applying and Using Silver Leaf
Striking Colors
Frit – Purchased and Making Your Own
Reduction Frit
Lentils – How to get them round
Millefiori mil-uh-fee-awr-ee
Reducing
Etching
Making Adventurine Stringers from Raw Adventurine
Encasing
Cleaning Beads
Applying Bead Release
Annealing (Kiln choices, costs, etc)
Making a bead on a Hot Head
Cost of Setting Up a Similar Studio

And much more stuff !