Bead Retreats
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Online Classes
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Meet the Teachers
You'll have a chance to meet the teachers Thursday night at the beverage and dessert reception, but read a little about them here first!
Sherry Serafini
Unusual objects and shapes become part of a new story as Sherry stitches beads and gemstones, one at a time, to a felt like base. Most pieces are born spontaneously as the beads and Sherry’s imagination dictate the design. She seldom works from sketches. Sherry finds this meditative form of art to be a rich counterpoint to a society full of instant gratification. Some pieces take a year to complete. Each is unique.
Sherry was raised in a military family, moving every few years. She credits that nomadic lifestyle with giving her an adventurous and uninhibited approach to her work.
Sherry was voted one of the top 10 instructors in the United States by Bead & Button magazine. She lectures and teaches throughout the U.S. and has won numerous awards for excellence in design, including Saul Bell Outstanding Jewelry Design Award, Bead International 2006, People’s Choice Bead Dreams, Runner Up Best in Show Bead Dreams, Kennedy Best of Nationally. She has been published and has written articles for several well-known magazines. Her work has been featured on the covers of trade magazines and catalogs and is the co-author of the Art of Bead Embroidery with artist and dear friend Heidi Kummli and Sensational Bead Embroidery by Sherry Serafini
Sherry’s beaded art is known internationally and is owned and worn by Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, and singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas. Her beadwork has been seen at fashion week in Milan by the artists who commission her.
My name is Miriam Shimon and I'm a bead artist originally from Denmark, but living in Israel for the last many years. I've always been creative and involved with art but beads and jewelry took my fancy 8 years ago and this is my main occupation today,- mainly teaching the many wonderful ways to create colorful art with glass beads, soutache, crystals, silver and gold.
My work has been featured in numerous magazines around the world and my work has won several awards. However, my priority love is still creating unique one of a kind pieces, each individually crafted and with its own soul.
Miriam Shimon
Apollinariya Koprivnik
Apollinariya Koprivnik is a Slovenian based jewelry design artist. A self-taught beader, started in the year 2011. She graduated with master degree in architecture yet started her own path in the world of glass beads and crystals.
From the beginning she was using only beads and embroidery technique, then she got inspired by Swarovski crystals and semiprecious stones. Since 2013, she has been working with mixed techniques as embroidery and bead weaving, by combining all sorts of Swarovski stones and elements, constantly searching for new and unusual materials. In January 2014 she started to create her instructions and tutorials for beading. She calls her art “Beaded Architecture” since her designs have complex multilayered structure.
She had several publications in international magazines (like Perlen Poesie, Germany, Make & Sell Jewellery, UK, Bead & Jewellery, UK and other). She is teaching workshop classes in Europe and USA and always is improving her technique by taking part in international beading competitions as a participant – organized by Swarovski Russia, Fire and Mountain gems, the Beadsmith and is also an invited judge in international beading contests for official Swarovski retailer shop Greenbird.ru.
Betty Stephan
Guest Instructor for Optional Classes
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Betty Stephan spent years exhibiting her beadwork at art shows all over the U.S. She now spends her time teaching, from Detroit to France- and anywhere in between! Her classes are fun as well as informational.
Betty has won numerous international awards for her bead embroidered collars including Bead Dreams, Bead Star and Battle of the Beadsmith. Her work has been published in several books and magazines.
Although Zoom is fun, there is nothing like an in-person class. She looks forward to spending time with so many beady friends again- and of course enjoying the beautiful Maine coast.