2026 INSTRUCTORS & classes

anne acker

From an early age Anne enjoyed creating handmade objects. In her early twenties she was thrilled to find a local artist who taught her the basics of silversmithing. It was fun, but when she discovered metal clay, she found the medium she enjoys working in the most. She is certified through Rio Grande, PMC Connection, and Art Clay. Anne lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and teaches silver metal clay classes at least twice a month at the Jacksonville Gem and Mineral Society (JGMS). This is her fifth year teaching at The Great Bead Escape Retreat. She also teaches at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts. She has presented at an international metal clay conference. She served on the board of directors for the Alliance for Metal Clay Arts World wide for a number of years and is still very active in the organization. She is a past President of JGMS and is on the Board of Directors.

jessica anderson

Jessica has been teaching at The Great Bead Escape Retreat since 2017.  Her main focus in teaching is metalsmithing and organic style casting.  Jessica has been teaching various jewelry making and metalsmithing classes since 2010 and has owned a bead store in Savannah, GA for 8 years.  In her classes you will learn metalsmithing techniques, while embracing "imperfections" and natural forms. You will likely be playing with fire, so make sure to wear closed toe shoes and non-synthetic pants such as jeans or cotton.

karen boger

Karen got into making Christmas ornaments in 1974 which led to making jewelry making.  She made gifts for everybody for years.

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In 2006 she discovered the Jacksonville Gem and Mineral Society.  This opened a whole new world of artistic expression.  She has taken classes in silversmithing, all types of beading, stained glass, precious metal clays, polymer clay, cabbing, wire wrapping, enameling, cold connections and chainmail.  And then came Gem trees and she found the thing she likes to work with the most.  Karen has taught classes for 11 years at JGMS teaching beading, gem trees, and wire wrapping.  She also served as a board member with JGMS and has been a vendor at many venues over the years.

If you have any questions about her classes, please contact her at Karenboger1@gmail.com.

Marti Brown

Marti Brown is an internationally known instructor who has taught at Bead Fest, Bead and Button, BeadFx in Canada, the Tucson bead shows and bead stores and societies on the east coast. She has been featured in Artisan Jewelry Times and had an online video at Kalmbach’s Jewelry & Beading Store. Marti became a professional artist and craftsman after completing her BFA in jewelry making from Miami University in Ohio. She has been designing jewelry for over 45 years and loves creating jewelry and teaching. She has worked 35 years primarily with niobium, a colorful metal, often adding beads.

Gail jahn

​Gail has been creating beautiful jewelry for more than 21 years. She has studied with some of the greats in the jewelry realm, beginning with Ronda Stevens of Twists n Turns. She began working with polymer clay more than 16 years ago and loved the versatility of the medium. She has studied with some of the greats in the polymer clay world, including Donna Kato, Bettina Welker, Fabiola Perez, Sara Shriver, Debbie Crothers, Alice Stroppel, and Lynn Yuhr. Gail is past president of the First Coast Polymer Clayers Guild and a member of the Jacksonville Gem and Mineral Society.

Kristin Pietras

Kristin is beyond excited to not only teach at, but to also co-own The Great Bead Escape Retreat.  For more than 20 years, Kristin has enjoyed making jewelry.  Over the years, Kristin became fascinated with many forms of jewelry and is proficient in Chainmaille, Micro Macramé, Kumihimo and Beading. Kristin's first jewelry teaching opportunity was Chainmaille at The Great Bead Escape Retreat but she is now an instructor of Chainmaille, Micro Macramé and Beading Weaving at the Jacksonville Gem and Mineral Society and, in 2025, Kristin began teaching her Micro Macramé designs for William Holland School of Lapidary Arts, Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies at Wildacres and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Florida.

deborah ritter

​I love crafts! To me it is very rewarding to be able to create something from nothing. Many times, the creations have been failures, but I have learned from each. When something works out great, I sit back amazed thinking, “WOW” I did that? That is why I love teaching. I have been teaching cold connections, metal folding, and enameling at Jacksonville Gem & Mineral Society for about 11 years. I enjoy watching what others create. It surprises me to see how students work with color and put them together. Typically, I teach enameling using a torch. The torch gives you a good sense of the transition stages of the glass. Within minutes you can obtain a beautiful piece of art. The kiln is also fun, you can create larger pieces, experiment, and acquire a polished finish. When I combine the cold connections, metal folding, and enameling into one piece it is self-gratification at its finest.

Jennifer shibona

Jenny was one of the founders of The Great Bead Escape Retreat. She has been a bead weaver and instructor for well over 40 years. Currently she has been busy creating new art pieces and jewelry designs for her own line of kits. Widely recognized for her artistic accomplishments, Jenny was a finalist in Beadworks Embellished Shoe Show and had a beaded ornament on the White House Christmas tree in 2008. In 2012, Jenny had the honor to have one of her pieces published in the book "Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry". She participated in the Battle of the Beadsmiths from 2015 - 2017. For the past 11 years, she has entered the Best of Best Show held by the A.E. Backus Museum in Ft Pierce, Florida. She has been accepted into this show eight times and has received ribbons for some of her pieces. She is also one of the represented artist for the A.E. Bachus Museum & Gallery and her works can be purchased there. You can view her designs at www.madchiwawadesigns.com. If you have any questions on her classes, you may contact her at madchiwawadesigns@gmail.com

ed Stevens

Ed is a retired US Marine and the husband of fellow instructor Ronda Stevens.  He has always enjoyed working with his hands and his projects in carpentry, wood craft and stone cutting show the quality of his work.  Ed first became involved with lapidary arts in 2003 on a trip to William Holland to accompany Ronda to a Wire Wrapping class.  She signed him up for a gem and mineral identification course, which involved daily field trips to streams, mines, and sides of mountains to look for gems.  He came home with boxes of big ugly rocks that were relegated to the back of a closet.  He and Ronda joined the local gem and mineral society and he took his first class in cutting, shaping and polishing cabochons.  He was the one initiating the next trip to William Holland to take a week long course in cutting cabs.  That box of big ugly rocks was retrieved from the closet and it became a treasure trove of cabochons waiting to be cut.  The following year was another trip to William Holland to learn to cut and polish opals.  He is a firm believer in “He who dies with the most tools, wins”.  He owns 3 cabbing machines of varying sizes and ages, one of which is an antique.  If you have any questions on his classes, you may contact him at EdStevens88@msn.com

ronda stevens

Ronda is one of the original founders of The Great Bead Escape Retreat.  She is excited to step back and enjoy teaching under the new retreat management team.  Ronda has been teaching wire wrapping classes since 2006 while traveling across the country to bead and gem shows.  She enjoys creating her own designs and has published two books, The Art of Wire Wrap Design and The Art of Wire Wrap Design II.  These books can be found on Amazon.com.  You may view many of her designs at www.TwistsnTurns.com.  If you have any questions about her classes, you may contact her at twistsnturns@msn.com.

susan Sudnik

Susan tried her hand at bead stringing at a local bead shop and fell in love with the process. The people in the shop were helpful and so encouraging, urging her to continue. And so she did. Local classes lead to a trip to Milwaukee–yes, the Bead and Button Show. Susan’s sister, Jean, joined in and got hooked as well, leading to the Bead-N-Sisters. Susan more than 20 years of experience as a student, teacher, vendor and shopper! And is eager to pass on knowledge and skills to TGBER 2026 attendees.