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

Beader's Give Back!

It's time for beaders to give back. The Southern California local bead store association will be:

Region 1 member stores local charity: The Art of Giving Foundation

Region 2 member stores local charity: City of Hope

Region 3 member stores local charity: The Polinsky Center

All of the stores will be collecting donations. Please contact your local store for information.

Beaders' Night Out

We're growing!!

We are excited about the news that Ocean Sky Beads will be opening their second store. The new store will be located at 630A Grand Ave, Carlsbad, CA. Looking for an opening around first weekend of May so keep up the news by following us on the blog or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sclbsa

Happy Leap Day! and more...

It only happens once every four years! A Leap Day is a perfect way to get an extra 24 hours of beading in. What will you be working on?

Spring is just around the corner. Save the dates for some upcoming events.

March (entire month) is Craft Month. Go out and learn a new beading technique. Take a workshop you have always wanted to take. Have fun!!

May 4 - Beader's Night Out - The members stores will be featuring another special night with lots of fun and food!! More information to follow!

Beader's Give Back Week - August 14 - 18 - The members stores will be having Make N Takes and more during this week of giving back to the community with fundraising events. Plus, a BEAD SWAP! What is that? You bring your stash of goodies and swap them with others to gain more goodies! Now that's fun!!

Southern California Bead Shop Hop - Bigger and Better!! We have added one more weekend to the hop. Save the weekends of September 7-9, 14 - 16 & 21 -23 for your adventure.

Keep following us for all the details.

"FOR THE LOVE OF BEADS"

2012 Design Contest

Sponsored by the Southern California Local Bead Store Association

Be a “Design Star” at your local bead store.
Create an original piece of jewelry that is either strung or bead woven and show your love of beads!
Stringing and Bead Weaving Category
Two Winners Per Category
12 Winners
$100 or $50 Gift Certificates
Contest is open to all customers and is FREE to enter.
Employees and family members of local bead stores affiliated with the SCLBSA and professional and/or paid bead instructors are not eligible.

Entry Deadline: June 23, 2012
Please submit entry to your participating SCLBSA local bead store.
Winners Announced: June 27, 2012
All entries will be on display from June 30 - July 7 at store submitted to.

Pick up the rules and regulations along with your entry form at your local SCLBSA member bead store.

Drum roll please.....

and the winners for the 2011 Bead Shop Hop:

Grand Prize Winner: Margaret Hagar (home store: Bead Gallery)

Region 1 Store's Basket	Shop Hopper Winner	Shop Hopper's Nearest Store
San Gabriel Bead Company	Jack Owensky	Ocean Sky Beads
CT's Beads N Things	Margaret Gentry	Bead It!
Beadniks	Tiffany Perry	Beadniks
Beadtopia	Joyce Wade	Garden of Beaden
Creative Castle	Gilbert De Hoyas	Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations
Beadiak	Karen Adams	Garden of Beaden
Beads of Paradise, Sherman Oaks	Wanda De Hoyas	Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations
Beads of Paradise, Ventura	Lynn Becker	The Bouncing Bead

Region 2 Store	Shop Hopper Winner	Shop Hopper's Nearest Store
Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations	Rebecca Roth	Brea Bead Works
A Rolling Stone	Gilbert De Hoyas	Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations
Phebie's Needleart	Ron Mendoza	Brea Bead Works
Bead It!	Cindy Diaz	A Rolling Stone
Bead Station	Michelle Isomura	San Gabriel Bead Company
Brea Bead Works	Connie Stewart	Brea Bead Works
Garden of Beaden	Wendy Kao	The Bead Station
Beadology	Betty Wong	Brea Bead Works
Beads Beads	Margaret Hagar	Bead Gallery

Region 3 Store	Shop Hopper Winner	Shop Hopper's Nearest Store
Dancing Bear Indian Trader	Lynn Becker	The Bouncing Bead
The Bouncing Bead	Tracy Audrich	Oskadusa
Mountain Beadworks	Julie Salazar	Dancing Bear Indian Trader
Ocean Sky Beads	Barbara Willhite	Bead Gallery
Beads, Crystals and More	Pat Levya	Brea Bead Works
P & P Beads	Monica Tucker	A Rolling Stone
Bead Island	Barbara Viayra	San Gabriel Bead Company
Beads and More	Mona Arnold	Bead Gallery
Oskadusa	Dawn Alvarado	Bead It!
Bead Gallery	Lori Jepson	Garden of Beaden
The Black Bead	Rhonda Bloom	Beads, Crystals and More
The Bead Boutique	Nancy Stout	Beads and More

Lanyard winners:

SCLBSA Employees:

1^st Place: Sonja from Brea Bead Works $100 SCLBSA Gift Card

2^nd Place: Donna Unett from Garden of Beaden $50 SCLBSA Gift Card

3^rd Place: Elaine Shaver from Dancing Bear Indian Trader $25 SCLBSA Gift Card

SCLBSA Customers:

Region 1 (4 entries):

1^st Place: Jane Jeffries; home store: Beadniks $100 SCLBSA Gift Card

2^nd Place: Brenda Thatcher; home store: Beadiak Choice of Subscription

Region 2 (19 entries):

1^st Place: Dawn Arnote; Garden of Beaden $100 SCLBSA Gift Card

2^nd Place: Charlene Rice; home store: Brea Bead Works Choice of Subscription

Region 3 (9 entries):

1^st Place: Jacqueline Ciolli; P & P Beads $100 SCLBSA Gift Card

2^nd Place: Margaret Hager; Bead Gallery Choice of Subscription

A very special thank you to all of the participants for the 2011 Bead Shop Hop! It was a fun event, it was nice to see faces from last year, and new faces this year. We look forward to doing another Bead Shop Hop next year.

XOXO,

Your Local Bead Store.
Southern California Local Bead Store Association

To keep in touch with our group and our events follow us on:

Blogger http://sclbsa.blogspot.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SCLBSA
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/SCLBSA