Shop updates and classes

I have some personal news about the shop.  We have had a long winter and my first year anniversary is coming up. Business has been sluggish and I realize as a new shop it can take a while to get re-established.  But one year has come and almost gone and unfortunately we have not turned a profit so I have made a decision to close my doors once again June 1st.  As sad as this is to me and my customers I am trying to stay positive and look at this as another stepping stone on my journey.  I will re-establish myself at Starline Factory in Harvard with a studio space to design jewelry and teach classes.
I realize Harvard is a bit of a hike for some of you but I hope you will make the journey.  Starline is a fabulous space and the atmoshpere is inspiring to say the least.
To encourage some of you to come I hope to establish what I am going to call play days.  I will teach simple classes for free with the exception of materials.  My hope is to establish a schedule every other week and possibly more depending on the interest.  Some of these classes will just be a gathering of beaders and jewelry makers alike to gather and share their passion together.  Starline is the perfect place for this because if we outgrow the studio we can use other parts of the building. So my plan is to keep you all informed with my blog and send out emails with a monthly schedule.  If you and your friends want to join a play day just text, call or email me and we will pop you on the schedule.  These classes will have 3 to 4 hour time limits with a minimum of  three people.  I think this will give us plenty of time to be leisure in our work with no time stresses.  Sounds fun huh!!
I will also offer classes for a fee that will be more advanced if there is an interest.  Classes such as wire fusing, stack ring making, pmc workshops and if other teachers are willing to make the trip possibly more advanced metal smithing classes and such.  But we will cross that road when I move. People have been asking me if I will still be selling beads.  I will still have my website with beads for sale @
www. katherinesbeads.etsy.com and what ever I have available I will be willing to sell.  So yes, I will still sell beads, findings and jewelry making materials but I will be some what limited to space.  These beads will be available on play days, class days, Fourth Fridays (4th fridays is a monthly art gallery-show established by Nancy Merkling which is the 4th friday of every month from 6 pm to 10ish) or  by appointment. 
Learn more about Nancy Merkling and 4th Fridays at www.nancymerkling.com.
So with all of this said I am going to post a few lovely pictures I have taken through the few years I was at starline.  Many of you have never been to the building and have no clue what it is.  Starline is a beautiful old factory that has been rehabbed into an art gallery and art studios.  Artists rent studio spaces to work on their medium.  Each studio is a private space for them to use as often as they wish.  They are kind of like loft style studio apartments. I hope these pictures will inspire you to come for a visit..
Thanks for your time and reading this lengthy blog post. So as I am winding down in Woodstock I will continue to have sales and continue with classes.  So keep your eyes peeled for emails.  Talk to you soon...katherine

The entrance to Starlines 4th Friday Art Gallery...

Those AC units are Studio spaces..

My old studio...

My old studio...recognize the beads??

Stairs going up to Studios..But there is a freight elevator if stairs aren't your thing..

An old 4th Friday event about 4 years ago..

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This is my daughter Ellie and do you notice the lady in the backround.  That is Nancy Merkling.  She teaches photography classes in her studio at Starline.  Ellie and I took a class together when she was home from college two years ago.  I hope to take more soon...

A place to lounge around at Starline...