Field Trip

My son's 4th grade class are making models of the California Missions. This annual project has them writing a report and building a model of their assigned mission. Calder was assigned the "King of the Missions", San Luis Rey. Being the crafty family we are, we love this sort of thing. My first thought was to visit Art From Scrap in Santa Barbara. Salvaged bulk items are donated and they sell them for art and craft projects. This was our first visit and while my eyes were trained on "mission" building materials, they still went roving for jewelry making supplies....

Stop! I'm Gonna Pee Myself!!

Too much funny. Not enough diapers!

Portlandia - We laughed until we couldn't breathe!

An Idiot Abroad - I'm still laughing!

Ok... Gotta breathe...

Flutterby...

A few more springy things at Lima Beads....

Enjoying...

I like to "watch" movies while a work. I am not just enjoying but LOVING these...

Micmacs - By Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is sweet and sad and funny and clever. I loved every minute of it!

Exit Through The Gift Shop - An amazing documentary by about incredible street art, obsessive artists and the media. And it's free to watch on Netflix! LOVED IT!!!!

Art of the Steal - A priceless private art collection that was not up for grabs but ends up in the wrong hands. Another Netflix find!

A Room With a View - Sigh. Yep. Netflix.

They're There! They're There!

The goodies that I sent to Lima Beads at the beginning of the month are about to actually be "there" on their website! I am hoping they are good little hearts and mind their p's and q's. It would be a shame if they acted up (like certain kindergartners I know). But I have a feeling they will be good little pendants. Perfectly happy and sweet like all hearts should!

 

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Where To Begin?

I am finding myself in this rut of playing catch up. It has gone on for years. Maybe I pile things on a bit high on my plate of life. Maybe I just don't know how to balance work and home. Either way I find myself in a constant pull between this pile and that and don't ever feel like I am accomplishing much. I am horrified by the mess in my home and studio. I guess the daily grind has ground me down. Where to begin? I'm sure many of us feel like that. Like so many deadlines are looming large and there is no end in sight. I may begin to understand how my 9 year old feels at the end of a long day of doing what the school wants and then comes home and is faced with a double sided math page, a nagging little sister who constantly "gets me in trouble!" and a spelling lists that go on for days. I feel a vacation brewing but always seems just out of reach. Pardon me while a rant a while. It is only Wednesday and I've had quite a week. Yes, that is my 5 year old in the principals office for the second time this year. Don't ask. She's a tough nut and I hope, even though it makes parenting a challenge, that she keeps her spunky, nut self into adulthood. That proverbial middle finger she seems to wave at us may just come in handy down the road when she wants to do her own thing and will not take no for an answer. I want to grow up to be my 5 year old.

Having said all that, I've got my kiln loaded and on. I've got more bundles ready for the etsy and a cup of mint and chip ice cream ready and waiting. I can do this!

Thank you, Andrew! And a Stringing Lesson!

Lovely artist and jewelry designer Andrew Thornton, must have seen my feeble attempts at using stringing wire and took pity on me! To my utter surprise (and serious excitement!) he sent me a fantastic package with these treats in it! I am so excited to use them! Thank you andrew! 

Then I got an email from the lovely folks at Beaducation asking me if I would like to try one of their online stringing classes. Who am I to turn down learning something new! I was dubious. Will I be able to sit through a whole lesson? What if I don't have time to do it all at once? But I was really impressed! Their site was easy to navigate and I was able to pause the video to answer the phone or grab a cup of coffee and I didn't even have to get in the car and go anywhere! Since I had the beading wire that Andrew sent me I was off and running! I loved that the lesson was broken up into section and I could go back over it again and again! I'm not done with my lesson yet so I have no project to show but maybe after the kids are in bed tonight I will give it another go!

Went For A Walk

It is my birthday today. The big 41. I decided to get out of the studio and take a walk with my son's class to our Meadow Preserve. They had a field trip planned for today to plant acorns. It was a beautiful day and the kids seemed excited to be out in nature. We planted acorns to make new oak trees and played a few games. Fun!

 I'm back now and have jumped into work. I'm listing a few etsy items and making beads. Not a bad day so far. A family dinner later will be the cherry on the cake of my day! A happy day to all!

A Very Exciting Challenge!

I have been sitting on my hands over this! You may have noticed the lovely link to the right-------------------------------------------->
The one for Earthenwood Studio... There is a great reason for it being there!

Fellow clay and bead artist Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio has assembled a design team to celebrate and cross pollinate a pile of beady goodness. She has asked a few designers to to receive a few of her beads every month and then see what designs materialize. Very exciting! I am super excited to say that I will be participating and can't wait to play with her goodies! (oh that sounds dirty!)

This is the list of participants...

Andrew ThorntonGaea CannadayDenise Yezbak MooreErin Prais-Hintz Erin SiegelHeather PowersLorelei Eurto Lori AndersonJean YatesMarie Dodd 

Here is a link to her announcement!
Here is what Melanie will be sending...

The theme for this month is "Cabin Fever", and I may want to work with some of these...

Let the fun begin!

Bead Fest

Bead and jewelry artist Barbara Lewis will be teaching a class at the August 2011 Interweave Bead Fest Philadelphia. I am proud to say Barbara's project will feature some of my mermaid beads! Here is a peak at her project!

Is It Too Early?

I am usually surprised by the calendar. I don't plan in advance of things, usually speaking. But since I do love a heart, to distraction, I am getting ready for Valentines day! I have to thank Lima Beads for my timeliness this year though as they are the ones getting prepared for Valentines Day. A few heart shaped goodies should have arrived to them by now.... I used the over stock from their order to make a few bead bundles and they are now in my etsy shop!

Can You...

I love a good challenge, so when someone asked "Can you make me a toggle clasp?" I thought, "I sure can try!" My first toggle set. I was hung up on making them from hand, no cutter or mold. I may be rethinking that thought! It took some time and they are not perfect, but I have to say they have character! I wanted them a bit smaller (the heart is about 1 1/4" tall) but it really isn't that big. I've gotten over it!

The Bend.

That is what the beginning of a new year feels like to me. I'm approaching a blind corner and nothing is visible until I turn it. Like turning a corner into the unknown. My mind visualizes the year as a spiral always turning. The universal screw. I don't really like thinking about what maybe around the bend or trying to plan for it. Too logical for me. But I do usually feel optimistic about the future. No point in being other wise.

It has been cold in these parts. Not as cold as the snow the other coast is having, but cold for sunny So. Cal. It makes a cozy cup of tea and a snuggle in the blankets that much more enjoyable. It also makes it difficult to leave my cozy warm tea and blanket cocoon to play with the cold wet clay. But I did. It's good to have work. Here's what happened...

A little of this.

A little of that.

It will get glaze. It will get glaze. It will get...