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My study trip to USA, May 2006

3 June 2006, well I am back on board although I seemed to have brought back a bad cold ... I had the most wonderful learning experience in the USA. 10 days of classes in 15 days in the USA , with the first workshop starting a day after I arrived ! My first experience with taking lampworking class in the USA with 4 amazing and talented bead artists & a marble artist !I learnt so much and would never forget this fabulous experience ! It was great to catch up with one of my "Murano Sisters" aka Sue, Corina and make new friends.

Thanks Marge, Andrea, Cheryl and their families for your generous hospitality and kindness shown during my stay in your country. Thank you Marge and Sue for driving me to Lynnwood. A huge thank you to Sue and her family for picking me up from the airport, allowing me to stay with your lovely family for almost a week. Thanks Roxy for lending me your room !! :))

The class started off with Dustin Tabor and Stephanie Sersich 4 day workshop, then a boro marble class with Sabina Boehm and the icing on the cake , a 4 day workshop with Michael Barley and Andrea Guarino !! I was so lucky to be able to get this organised, one workshop was on lottery system, another became available due to a cancellation .. and they are all in the same part of the country ! These bead artists have always been my inspirations ever since I started almost 3 years ago and to be able to learn from them has been a huge dream come true !!

Sabina is a truly talented artist who has generously taught me her amazing boro butterfly marble technique. When she said on the phone a few days before class that we are going to make marbles ... I thought to myself .. "she will, I will just watch!" Prior to this, my experience in boro glass was using them as punty and no more ! However, she is a fantastic teacher and before I knew it, I made my first marble and had so much fun !! She taught at the Momka glass factory and I had the opportunity to meet the wonderful lady. She showed me the factory and her laboratory corner where she concocts her new colours !

Michael Barley and Andrea Guarinos amazing talents are a true inspirations ... It was an invaluable lesson to be able to watch them create their amazing beads and learnt all the techniques.

As always, these "sabattical" time for me has been a huge learning experience, both in glass and in life. Many words of wisdom and experience exchanged, the humbleness of these amazing teachers and their generosity ... I can not thank them enough !

Last but not least, THANK YOU to my husband for looking after James and Jessica. I was in two minds about this trip because Jessicas birthday was in the middle of my trip ... She encouraged me to go , with a promise of "lots of prezzies !!" .. :))

Lotsa love,keep beading

Lily.

Dustin & Stephanie making their two-bead-bead

Some of my beads made during the four day Dustin & Stephanie class. We were quite industrious, so there were alot more beads made ...

Borosilicate glass marbles made at the Momka glass studios under Sabinas guidance. Amazingly beautiful and easier than I initially thought. Corina dropped in to say hello and took the photo below of Sabina and I.