What's going on in the Desert at Monica's?

    It's hot outside but it's cool at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations in Palm Desert. Enjoy cool savings this month on all our classes & supplies! We're giving anyone brave enough to weather the heat 10% off classes and 20% off supplies for the month of August.
    We're so excited that Deb Benson is coming back to town and will teach a fabulous class on September 11 that combines her love of metals with her love of book making. Learn to make a Mini-Book Pendant with Deb--check our website for the details, www.monicasquiltandbead.com. Kits will be available during the Bead Hop. Isn't it darling?

      Some of the bead shop owners are heading up the mountain on August 11 to check out Inspiration at Big Bear Lake, the retreat center that's the Grand Prize for the September Bead Shop Hop. I'm sure you can understand why it was SO necessary for ALL of us to check it out, just to make sure our winner will be happy! (Don't tell anyone, but I've already been there--you're gonna love it.)
      Speaking of the Shop Hop, we're getting ready--choosing our Make it-Take it projects and the goodies for the goody bags. Time to line up your car pools for the Hop--you won't want to miss a single store. Maybe we'll include a way to use our terrific new real metal seed beads--honestly, I'm in love with them and have been trying to sneak them into every project I make. We have them in 11's, 8's and 6's, polished, matte, and antique in silver, pewter, nickel, zinc and copper.
      Seeing as how I'm a quilt shop too, I wanted to just touch on our quilt side. We've finished 2 of our 4 weekend retreats with over 60 enthusiastic quilters each weekend, all having the time of their lives at the fabulous Esmeralda Hotel here in Indian Wells. Our theme this year is Winter Wonderland, so our mystery quilt is called Tracks in the Snow. This year, a record number of participants finished piecing their tops before it was time to go home! Everyone has already signed up for next year!
     We're not just about quilting on our quilt side--how about trying your hand a mixed media project that's perfect for embellishing with beads! Take Mary Gorfine's Girlfriend Wallet class on Friday, August 10. Check out the website for more information. http://www.monicasquiltandbead.com/Pages/GuestQuiltngArtists.aspx

 Here's to a week of beading creatively!    ---Monica