Hubble Stitch in the Alps

I’ve just arrived back from a fab week teaching in the Les Carroz in the French Alps at The Alpine Experience, hosted by husband and wife team, Mark and Nadine. A whole week of beading – what more could your heart desire (except perhaps 2 weeks)! Hubble stitch was our agenda in as many different forms as we could possibly manage. Everyone worked really hard (well, I say worked but I really mean played) and produced lots of fabulous colourful samples and finished pieces, and our reward was Mark’s divine Cordon Bleu cuisine.  Their outdoor hot tub was a welcome tonic and, at the end of most days, it was truly decadent to sip some fizz whilst lounging in it with one’s beady pals, taking in the stunning scenery, and letting the wonderful massaging bubbles do their stuff. Ah bliss!
We had one day off in the middle of the week to take a trip to the delightful little town of Annecy and its lake. It was a gloriously sunny day and we all had a good look around the fresh food market, and wandered around the town and the lake (but still had enough energy to bead again before dinner that night). There were waterways through the town leading from Lake Annecy, populated by many water birds including lots of swans, and I was pleasantly surprised at the extreme clarity and lack of pollution of the water, both in the lake and the little town streams.
Below are some images of the girls and their samples and finished pieces – the fruits of their Hubble stitch labours throughout the week. I am always inspired to push my colour boundaries when I see some of the delicious colour choices in my students’ work.
As always, the time seemed to fly by so fast, and before we knew it we were celebrating our last night in a restaurant in Les Carroz, just a few minutes from our chalets. I had a great time, everyone was such good company, and now I’m planning the project for next October at The Alpine Experience.