Earring Class

Friday, February 12 I will be teaching another class at Garden of Beaden.  Participants will learn to make these three wire earrings.  There is still room in the class...give GOB a call to sign up.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

The last couple weeks have been filled with activities...from taking classes in fine silver fusing and PMC to horsemanship seminars at the Equine Affaire. 

Both the fusing and PMC are keeper techniques and will add new dimensions to my metal work.  Fusing involves heating fine silver wire with a torch just to the molten stage and allowing it to melt together... it doesn't require solder...a great technique for joining links.  PMC is Precious Metal Clay which is silver particles suspended in an organic binder that you manipulated like clay to make stamped links, pendants, beads, etc...again you heat it with a torch this time to just before the molten stage and allow the binder to burn off and the silver to fuse together...lots of design possibilities here too.  The picture shows the projects I made in the PMC class.  I took both classes at my favorite bead shop...Garden of Beaden, see Links.

I also spent two days at the Equine Affaire attending seminars by some of the country's best horseman...it is so inspiring and energizes my desire to become a better horseman.

Immersed in Beads and Jewelry

This past week has been a busy beadie week.  Last Thursday my mother and I went to the Pasadena Bead show...awesome...I bought a strand of stunning labradorite beads and a short strand of natural blue topaz  briolettes from an eclectic woman named Kia and an assortment of intricate african animal polymer clay beads from Janet at TwoCan Clay Designs.  Check out Janet's beads at http://www.twocanclaydesigns.com/ ...unfortuantely Kia doesn't have a website.  I also bought Sharilyn Miller's Contemporary Copper Jewelry book...it is filled with wire projects...I'm going to have to try making each one of them.

On Friday I took the Treasure Necklace class from Robin Howes at Garden of Beaden.  Robin makes wonderful fun jewelry and is a good teacher.  I found soldering to be rather frustrating but I'm glad I got the opportunity to try the technique and I love the little treasure filled vial we made...I filled my vial with seed beads from my great-grandmother and tiny pearls from my grandmother...it is definately going on a necklace.

And today I taught my Kuchi Coiled Bead Bracelet at the Garden of Beaden.  Debra, Jann and I spent much of the day coiling wire and designing bracelets...I can't think of a better way to spend the day.  Even the rain couldn't quench the enthusiam.

January Class

I will be teaching the Kuchi Coiled Bead Bracelet at the Garden of Beaden on Wednesday January 20 at 10:30 a. m, drop by GOB to register as there are still spaces available.  For this bracelet I used metal beads and beadcaps from Tierracast and silver plated wire.  The glass beads are from my stash and include a lampwork bead, Swarovski crystals, vintage West German fire polished glass beads and two glass beads of unknown heritage but great color. The Kuchi bead is made with fine gauge wire which makes it soft and flexible. 

When we were thinking of a name for this class everyone laughed and said Kuchi coiled bead makes you smile.  I like it because it gives tribute to Lynne Merchant who brought this bead to us from Afganistan.

I am getting back to using the Kuchi beads in my work...they are fun to make and add a lot of character to my work.

2010

Happy 2010 to all.  I have high hopes for 2010, 2009 was a tough year financially but a great year personally.  Not having a regular job allowed me to explore other options.  This may be the bright spot in this "recession" I am learning what I can do without...what does not contribute to well-being...what masks the desire to be my best.  So here are my New Year's resolutions.

1. 
   
   Practice, practice, practice...faith, wire techniques, horseback riding, blogging
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Be involved in my community(ies)