I posted about this in the meet-ups section a while back, then watched the tumbleweeds blow down the deserted street...

IS anybody else coming?

Just heard from the organizers and it seems they've had only one advance booking for one of my workshops, so they have both been cancelled Some of the others are still running - check with Stitch'n'Craft if you were planning on coming along on the day.
Good thing I hadn't spent hours doing all the photos for the handouts yet - and at least the two projects won't be wasted, they are both destined for Step by Step Beads now!
Pity though, I was looking forward to my last chance to teach for a while... hey ho, more time for shopping and chatting I guess!

Hi Lyn, I will be there but unfortunately I will be working there and not buying (having said that I sure my bank manager is heaving a huge sigh of relief).

May see you there

Jane

Ooo, which stand will you be on? I'll come and say hello

That would be lovely to say hello and put a face to a name.

I will be on the Choices Yours stand. They sell mainly crystal.

I've never worked at a bead fair before and I've heard its a very busy one.....Gulp!!!

Jane

It's usually mobbed - sharpened elbows and a big bag required to clout everyone out of the way!
That just makes it even more puzzling that I was cancelled owing to lack of interest though, I thought they'd be able to rustle up minimum numbers at least. We only needed two bookings per workshop for them to go ahead

It's the shame there were hardly any takers for the workshop. With the number of people asking for beading courses, I bet some people would have booked on the day. They might just not have heard there were going to be workshops at the fair?

Just a quick update... I suggested to the organizers that I do a demonstration, since I'm going to be there anyway, and they said yes I would love it if some UK Beaders came and said hello But maybe we should discuss it further on the meet-ups board - just in case!

Sorry to hear the workshop has had to be cancelled.

Can I be honest?

I'm a big Nemeton fan, a great admirer of your work and have just booked in for a couple of workshops - but of other people. This is despite the fact that it was the fact you were holding workshops which made me decide to go in the first place. This is because I have been beading for about a year and when I looked closely at the two workshops they required intermediate or advanced beading skills (I will also admit that the ribbon bracelet didnt photo graph well in any of the promo materials I looked at).

Now, I suspect I am like most women and underestimate what I can do. The required skill levels were off putting as I still regard myself as a beginner - although I have had a creditable stab at the amazing rose garden project.

I hope this makes sense and helps you decide what sort of workshop to offer in the future (and how to describe it) - this is meant constructively because, as I said, I am a big fan but sometimes it is helpful to know how people make decisions about these things,

Happy beading - and I will come and say hi.

Sandra

Sandra, thanks for that, it's exactly the sort of feedback I need (will pass it on to the organizers too if I may) - someone else mentioned that their promo photos weren't good (Peter, I think) and that's certainly something I'll be addressing next time.
You could always have come and asked on here if you weren't sure whether you'd be able to tackle the workshops though, and I could have explained a bit more what would be involved. To me 'intermediate' just means 'not a total beginner' - i.e. you have done a bit of seed beading before, so you don't need to be shown how to thread a needle and how to tie on a stop bead, you won't panic at the sight of a photo or diagram, you can pick up beads on a needle without too much difficulty, I won't need to talk you through every single bead of the project, and you have some idea of how the beads go together to build up a stitch, what the different bead sizes mean, and so on. Hmm, clearly it doesn't mean that to you, and presumably to other people... maybe I should run a poll, that might be interesting! and maybe we should put some sort of definition in the workshop programme.
And btw, if you have attempted the rose garden you are NOT a beginner You might have struggled with the beaded beadie, which needs even tension and an understanding of how to do circular peyote with increases and decreases, but the ribbon bracelet is simple right angle weave, requiring a bit of beading experience to put it together but definitely not as complex as the rose garden, which IS what I would call an advanced project.
The organizers asked for intermed./advanced projects - maybe they thought that more experienced beaders would attend the fair and want classes that would stretch them a bit. I get so many enquiries about the beaded beads that we thought they would be perfect. Maybe it just takes a while to build up a reputation... I haven't done a lot of teaching yet and perhaps it's a word of mouth thing. If you knew someone who'd been to one of my classes as a total beginner and come home with something amazing, it would persuade you that you could tackle it too... that sort of thing.
Lots of food for thought there, thank you so much for taking the time to explain - and look forward to meeting you!

I think there is a lot of ambiguity about these descriptions. There are only three - basic, intermediate, and advanced, that's the problem. If we could describe, as I try to do, a workshop as being 'some beading experience advised' or 'suitable for the more serious beader' it would dispel the stigma of everybody believing they are only 'beginners'. To me 'Advanced' is way out of my league - Laura McCabe is 'advanced', Sherrie Serafini is 'advanced', Marcia DeCoster is 'advanced', Dustin Wedekind is 'advanced', as is most of the Ukraine and Russia.................we aren't! I personally think now is the time to get rid of the three definitions and make our own, more relevant to the people we want to teach, and if the shows want 'advanced' workshops let them know how you feel about labels which only serve to frighten potential students away!

Your definition describes me but I'd definitely say I was still a beginner! I love the idea of putting more detail in prerequisites for courses and workshops. I feel I'm not a beginner but not quite intermediate yet either, IYSWIM, and usually um and aah over applying before deciding not to risk it!

Sarah

This is so interesting - keep 'em coming folks!
I do try to give a more detailed description on my kits and when I'm writing my own publicity material - and am happy to give extra info via the forums - but I agree, more thought needs to be given to these labels, especially if they are frightening people away!
Peter, if you're not 'advanced' then I don't know what is Don't put yourself down!

I give you - advanced................

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I'm not putting myself down - I just know how much more work I have to do to call myself advanced!