May 1-3, 2026     Portland, Maine

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I'm so excited to invite you to my new three-day design retreat: Kumihimo Mysteries Unlocked!

We're meeting at the amazing Museum of Beadwork in Portland, Maine the first weekend of May.

Kumihimo Mysteries Unlocked takes my first retreat Mastering Color & Composition, combines it with my second retreat Designing in 3D, and adds a ton of all new content like surface embellishments and combining kumihimo with other beading techniques.

Peek behind the curtains and step into a world of creative exploration! Kumihimo Mysteries Unlocked is your opportunity to unplug from your daily life, work alongside the incredible inspiration of the Museum of Beadwork, and explore the infinite possibilities of beaded kumihimo. Learn creative problem solving skills that will allow you to braid with any bead. Deepen your understanding of kongoh gumi and learn how to write designs where you expertly control the placement of every bead.

Join me for a three-day design experience in Portland, Maine that will open up a whole new world of creative opportunities! Give yourself permission to escape your everyday life and take the time to hone your skills as a designer. This intimate gathering allows tons of one-on-one time with me as I distill my years of experience into accessible information you can use now.

Accelerate you kumihimo designs with the techniques that take your design from good to great!

In the first lesson, The Design Lab, you’ll unlock the mysteries of the kongoh gumi braid structure and conduct experiments to reveal the fascinating and beautiful braids that are possible when you combine a variety of bead shapes and sizes. You’ll learn my proven strategies for overcoming the challenges of working with larger beads and soon your response to every bead will be “I can braid with that!”

In the second lesson, The Artist’s Studio, you’ll refine your understanding of traditional design concepts such as rhythm, symmetry, balance, and proportion, but this goes far beyond an art appreciation 101… You’ll master the how and the why. You’ll be able to make design decisions with intention so that your elements work the way you want them to.

In the third lesson we shift our focus to the art and science of color selection. Explore color theory as it applies to glass beads (all those different finishes complicate things) and confidently select beads that you KNOW will look great together! 

Each day you’ll be working hands-on writing your own jewelry designs, critiquing your work, prototyping, and braiding. This is an amazing experience that will change your approach to design no matter what level you’re starting at!

Registration is now open and I invite you to join me! 

$999 per person super early bird price!  Save $500!

Click here to register!

The Mysteries Unlocked Kumihimo Design Retreat is an amazing exploration of design theory and color.  You'll learn what you need to design your own original kumihimo jewelry!  You'll know how to customize a beaded pattern to your exact size requirements and desired color palette.  Leave with the practical skills to take an idea from concept to written pattern to finished necklace!  

Invest in yourself and get on the fast track to design mastery. This intimate gathering allows tons of one-on-one time with me as I distill my years of experience into accessible information you can use now.

$999 per person super early bird price!  Save $500!

Click here to register!

What's included?

• An amazing exploration of design theory and color.  You'll learn what you need to design your own original kumihimo patterns.  You'll know how to customize a beaded pattern to your exact size requirements and desired color palette.  Leave with the practical skills to take an idea from concept to written pattern to finished necklace!
• The 100+ page design text book by Rebecca Ann Combs.
• Lunch on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
• Wine & cheese First Friday reception at Museum of Beadwork Friday evening
• Farewell lobster dinner Sunday evening.  (You can’t come to Maine and not have a lobster!)
• Tea & snacky snacks during class.

• Early bird bonus! When you register by September 15th you also get an 8×8 memory book with all of the best pictures from the retreat. Photo books will be ready approximately 8-12 weeks after the retreat.

What's not included?

• Lodging.  There are lots of great hotels, bed & breakfasts, and AirBnBs a short drive from the museum.
• Transportation
• breakfast
• dinner on Friday or Saturday
• beads & supplies for your project.  You’re encourage to bring special beads and focal pieces from your stash.  You’ll also have access to amazing bead shopping at Caravan Beads. (Caravan Beads and Museum of Beadwork are in the same building.)

Tentative Event Schedule

Here are the answers to a few of the most commonly asked retreat questions:

 Will we be working on the disk or the marudai? 

The skills you learn can be applied to braids on either the disk or marudai.  I encourage you to bring whichever equipment you usually work with at home.

What are we going to make? 

You're going to write your own kumihimo pattern! Unlike most classes this isn't about us all making a specific, predetermined design chosen by the teacher.  You're here to unlock your design talents and to learn HOW to come up with your own designs. 

What are the prerequisites in terms of kumihimo skills? 

So long as you are comfortable doing beaded kumihimo (dropping beads into an 8-warp round braid) you have all the technical skills needed. 

What about all that math? 

You can do it even if you don't consider yourself a "math person."  The math is just addition, subtraction, multiplication & division.  No algebra!  I encourage you to use a calculator and I break everything down for you into a straightforward step-by-step process. 

I was at one of your other retreats. Will I learn anything new here? Although some of the course material is the same, you'll be approaching it from a different level. The keys to improving as a designer are studying, practicing, and focusing. This time around you'll be able to apply the design concepts at a higher level and improve your design skills mastery through practice. Plus there's a ton of all new content like surface embellishments and combining kumihimo with other beading techniques.

What is the cancelation policy?

We know that life can be unpredictable and that is why we highly recommend that you purchase cancellation and travel insurance just as you would for any other vacation package. Because so many moving parts have to work in harmony for an event like this to be a success, once you register we are counting on your attendance. We reserve the venue, catering, and other professional services on your behalf.

 Fifty percent of your registration fee will be refunded for cancellations at least 60 days prior to the start of the retreat. There will be no refunds, store credits, or transfers to other events for cancellations less than 60 days prior to the retreat.

Why Portland, Maine?  Portland is an awesome artsy town and is the home of the incredible Museum of Beadwork!

Getting to Portland, Maine

The closest airport is the Portland International Jetport (PWM).  It's about a 15 minute drive from the Museum of Beadwork.

Depending on what part of the country you're traveling from, you may have better flight connections to one of the other airports in the region.  For example, last year I flew from Tucson to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in Manchester, New Hampshire.  It's about a two-hour drive to the museum. 

Another good choice might be Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).  It's also about a two hours drive to the museum.  There's a bus called the Concord Trailways that runs about once an hour (during daytime) from Boston Logan to Portland, Maine.  From the bus station it's only a 10 minute Uber ride to the Museum.  

Where to stay in Portland, Maine

There are so many choices when it comes to lodging in Portland, Maine!  Everything from historic hotels, to bed & breakfasts, to national chains at all price points. 

I just did a quick search at Hilton.com and found quite a few choices:

• Spark by Hilton Portland Airport $140 per night
• DoubleTree $160 per night
• Home2Suites $180 per night
• Hampton Inn Portland Downtown Waterfront $240 per night
• Longfellow Hotel $400 per night

Of course, hotel rates change all the time.  This is just a quick sampling to give you an idea of what hotels cost in Portland in early May.

Student Testimonials

I understand that attending the Kumihimo Mysteries Unlocked retreat is a big investment in yourself.

That's why I want you to check out what students have to say about their experiences at our past design retreats and how it improved their design skills, their confidence, and their love of kumihimo.

"I could always follow and execute a pattern flawlessly and put something together on my own, but now I have an understanding of what will make that something great. Like a light bulb went off."

-Melinda Connell, Florida

 "I've taken the kumihimo math class and design class from Rebecca in the past, but it all came together for me at this retreat. I can be intentional about creating kumihimo pieces. Also the camaraderie among the attendees was phenomenal."

-Vikki Carpenter, Arizona

 "Loved learning the color wheel. I've never been able to make good use of one in the past. I appreciate all the individual help; enjoyed seeing what others had done. Liked being able to take the time to practice design. [...] Big things for me were the process for design, the math ... and the time to practice. Am so glad I came, it was even better than I'd expected."

-Fern Bailes, Canada