Graduations

As June is upon us graduations of all kinds are happening. From College, high school, junior high, even kindergarten graduations. I was going through some photographs not too long ago and ran across a photo from my 8th grade graduation. I thought I would share it. Looking at the photo now it helps me see that I was my own person even back then. Can you pick me out of the picture? Even back then I didn't like being in the pictures. With any big event you can imagine the number of photos that were taken through out the evening.

I must not have gotten the memo or didn’t care and did my own thing. I’m not really a pink person and white is just to blah. So when my mom and I came across this peach dress, I knew that was the one. Thank you mom for letting me be myself, even back then.
I still have that dress in the back of my closet. Come to think of it I could repurpose the lovely fabric in some way. Ideas are a brewing now. C#@p, I already have enough up in my head. I think other stuff seeps out my ears every time something else pops in. Maybe that is why I wear my ear phones so much. So as not to loose any more thoughts and such.

Congratulations to all those graduates of 2009.

Lisa Donahue learning to solder

Sharing some of what I do, we took Lisa's mermaid painting from her Suzi Blu's workshop and scanned it so she could learn to create a soldered charm. She is hanging it from her rear view mirror in her car.
Happily Creating!

Convenzione Part 3 and My Boat

Let's Continue. Friday night after the class was done, pretty much everyone headed over for the evening dinner and guest speakers.
Dinner time was a buffet style. So we all got in line and dished up. Some quicker than others.

My new friends Lyn, Jill and others sat at the back table. Though, for some reason, I wanted to mingle and sit at a different table to meet other attendees. I sat with Diane, Kathryn, Shari and a few other great ladies.

Once we got done eating, the first speaker Jill Badonsky came to the podium. Talking about ‘A Journey to your Creative SAelf’ from the special pass card that was handed out to everyone. She talked a lot about “The Voices”. Everyone has them and they come from our fears. It was very enlightening. To drown out those voices a lot of the time I put my head phones on and listen to my music. It helps me focus on what I am doing at that moment.
Our second speaker was Michelle Beschen, who will have a new show coming out this summer called B. Organic. Talked about how every single one of us has creativity in us. As we go through life creating and what not, there are always those Happy Little Accidents. She is so down to earth. I was happy to have my picture taken with Michelle.

Ok, so now on to my Marionette boat from Lisa Kettell’s class.
Come Along for the Ride.
A close up of my doll that dances and moves all glittered and sparkled up. Ready for her big show.
More close ups.

And atop my boat, some great pin wheels sparkling out at sea.

It's All Good.

Convenzione Part 2 - the classes

It was tough to choose from the many great classes that were offered. Though I did and these are the two that I chose.
Ruth Rae taught a fabulous wire, coils and such class that I came away with this lovely piece of jewelry.

The many techniques I learned in that class I will use again and again.

Though that Love Knot technique is a real hate it but love it one.

Photo of classmates working on the patina part of the class. Claudette, Terri, Donna, Ruth, Nadine and Julee are just some of the ladies that were in the class. Go check out Ruth Rae's blog as she took photos of the class and posted them right to her blog in literally 5 seconds. She's like photo and zip, there everyone goes as a photo on my blog. Wow, I need to find a way I could post my photos that quickly.

It’s amazing how when working with copper wire or even silver wire, it looks all shiny but once you patina the wire and polish off some of the blackness. The wire shows great depth. A life of its own. Ok so this may just be me. Though the beads you use in your creation take on a whole new look once the wire is patinaed.

Then the class I chose for my second day was Lisa Kettell’s Fairytale follies boat assemblage or something like that. Oh my! So much fun in this class. I did not assemble my boat during class because I needed to pack it and I didn’t want it to get smooshed. Though I now have it assembled but haven’t had time to take pictures of it. I wanted to share a photo from the class showing all the fun we had. Lisa, Gypsy and Lona. While Jennifer, Ann Denise, Joan (mama Kettell) and Kathleen hard at work at the other table.

I will share pictures of my marionette boat later this week.

Happily Creating :)

Part 1 of Convenzione

So I landed in Oakland

Oh wait that’s a photo of San Francisco. Here’s my Oakland landing. It looked like we were going to have a water landing. But luckily we hit the run way. It was a smooth flight and landing. No worries.

Once there I took BART to Fremont to meet up with my gracious housing hostess, Lyn. Had a little time before we went to pick up our other roomy Jill, coming in from Ohio.

The Three Amigos. Jill, myself and Lyn.

Headed to Pleasanton for the ZNE opening night reception. There were Bon Bons the size of golf balls.

Mingling! Chel our lovely hostess for the event is on the left in the yellow dress. Donna, Jill, Gina, Julee and Joan are just some of the fabulous ladies I met that night.

goodie prizes! Chel’s daughter came around with a basket for people to draw a letter from to win a prize. I won the letter G. It’s the glitter key to the city (of creativity) and other ephemera.

Music! Jon Troast played at the opening night reception as well as on Saturday at the Art Paperie Vendor Faire. Oh but that wont be the last of Jon Troast.

We’re not in Kansas anymore. We’re in California baby. Palm trees everywhere.

It's All Good.

California here I come...

Heading to Pleasanton for the ZNE Convenzione. Mingle with fellow artists, take a class or two, do some shopping (even if it is window shopping). It will just be a great time and place to get rejuvenated.
That way when I come back I will be all raring to go for my next Vendor event that happens on May 9th. Can you believe it, Mother’s Day weekend will be upon us.
So if you are out in the SE Portland area that Saturday stop on by Gilbert Park Elementary at 13132 SE Ramona St in Portland, just north of Foster Rd. For the 'Love Your Mama' Mother’s Day Craft Fair from 10am to 4pm. Dozens of local artists and unique handmade items will be on sale.
Come and see what I made these lovely soldered pieces into.

Mothers deserve to be Queen for at least that day.
Happily Creating

I made a lot of progress.

I made a list of what I wanted/needed to get done this weekend. For the most part I worked down the list.

Here is my basket of copper taped pieces that I worked on creating and copper taping on Saturday. All sorts that will become earrings, pendants and rings oh my.

And this is what they looked like on Sunday after I spent the majority of the day in my studio soldering my fingers away. This photo doesn’t show it but all of them have there jump ring attachments on as well. Thank goodness for that jewelers third hand. Now I need to work them into earrings, bracelets, rings and pendants.
I even had time to make a copy of the video for my family members from Easter. My niece can now be nicknamed the Chicken wrangler. At the age of four she is able to catch Aunt Monica’s chickens. I told my brother, at Thanksgiving she can go out and catch you the turkey. Joking of course.
Well of course Aunt Melissa was there with the video camera recording her sitting with the chicken, trying to take it on the trampoline with her, and then trying to crawl in the big shrubs that the chicken is now hiding from her in.

So the discs are in the mail.

Oh, one last thing I completed off my list was to finish my Welcome Friends mural. This is now the view on my living room wall. I made my frame into the shape of a house instead of just the usual rectange or square shape. These paper dolls are from the swap I was in last year that Tammy Moore hosted. So now they have found a home on my wall.

Cheers

Creations and another find

Here is a glimpse of a necklace I made earlier this month and sent into Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine. Now just waiting to hear if it was accepted for their Fall issue.

I'll share the rest with you once I hear.

I had an extra hour or so to spare and was able to get some practice using PhotoShop. I went back through and watched the great tutorials that Gail Schmidt from Creative Workshops put together for her on line class I signed up for back in March. This is how mine turned out. The idea was to go with a ghostly feel. Though I am a lover of Autumn and this picture just stuck. I used a different back ground than the one used in the tutorial. Learning to use the different blending tools and layering. The little star brush is great, I'm hooked on using that know. What do you think.
Metal measuring spoons, who knew they would be hard to find in stores. If you do find them they are a bit spendy. So these I won off of ebay. I have plans for them, though it is just getting around to working on that plan. Another thing to add to my ever growing list.

I have alot I am wanting to work on and get done this weekend. This is one of the few weekends I don't have any running around or events to be at. So it's work in my studio time.

Happily Creating.

Randomness

It has been a while. I have many things to share. These may not be exciting but I love my finds I won off Ebay.
These Thimbles came in this great flip top box. Bonus.

I found my marbles, or some marbles. A great mix of colors and sizes.
Who doesn’t have a stash of scrabble tiles. Oh, I didn’t. Until now.
Ok, so I am a week or so late posting about Easter. Though I just had to share with you my lovely Easter tree. I went kind of a different way with it. One, I don’t have much table space and two; I can just see my cats having fun batting each of them around. Not so good. So I went this way.
Found this great metal tree that I hung on the inside Entry door. Hung each of my ornaments and displayed them proudly. It was great fun being in this Ornament swap with such talented artists. Looking forward to the next one.

With the décor and such in my living room already Leaves. I will probably keep my metal tree up year round and just change out the ornaments.

I have been creating some and I will share that later this week. Stay tuned.
thanks for stopping by.

My bird charms have finally found a home

Last Summer I was in a charm swap, Summer Birds, were I received 20 plus charms in this swap. I have had them stored in a zip bag up until this last weekend. When I figured out what I wanted to do with them. Usually I attached my charms to a necklace or bracelet. Then it hangs on a hook until I decide to wear it. With my birds I wanted to do something different, but was not sure what, until now. I snagged a small branch from the ground under my elm tree. Took out my wire, link chain, jump rings and charms. Wrapped the wire, hung the link chains and attached each charm to the chains to hang down.

Then at the bottom I incorporated my Birdie that I made a few weeks back in Sally Jeans class. Glitter legs and all.

So now hanging from the hook they have a great view out my kitchen window. It makes a great addition to my kitchen.

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do.

Another Belive in yourself Quote - Understand that you will always have one person upon whom you can depend -- yourself. by: Sonya Friedman