SIGN UP IS TOMORROW!

B121356 Mixed-Metal Layered Acid Etched Pendant (Saturday, June 9th)

B121468 and B122554 Riveting: A Keepsake Pendant (Friday, June 8th and another session on Sunday, June 10th)

B121469 Metal Etching 101 (Wednesday, June 6th)

Tomorrow (January 10th, noon central time) is the day that sign ups for the Bead and Button Show classes begin.  I'm so excited and I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new students in Milwaukee.  My friend Gail Lannum and I are teaching 4 metal fabrication classes at the show this year.  I met Gail at the show some years ago and we've been great friends ever since.  We have so much fun together and such a passion for jewelry and design that I know our students will have a great time.  Since I discovered The Bead and Button Show it's been a huge part of my life.  I've learned so much there as a participant, I've been awed by the vast variety of what's available on the show floor, and most importantly I've made life long friends at the show.  It's an adventurous week, for sure. Needless to say, I'm a huge fan of the show.  Which is why I'm so honored to be taking part this year as an instructor with Gail.  I hope that if you are able, no matter if your passion is metal, beads or glass, that you'll head to Milwaukee this June for your own adventure.

YULETIDE GREETINGS

Merry Christmas to all of you!  I wish you all the most excellent and happy holidays and a wonderful year to come.  

RETURN TO THE LIGHT

I like the winter solstice.  I always have, since learning about it in school as a kid.  I've always thought there was something magical about the longest night of the year.  After this night the sun begins its slow ascent and the days become longer until the snow melts and the wheel of the year brings us back to spring.  In ancient times Midwinter, as some call the solstice, marked the return of the sun, the giver of life.  Such a hopeful and magical thing to think on.  Who couldn't use a little magic in their lives?

BROWSE THE BEAD AND BUTTON SHOW

Browse 2012 Bead and Button classes HERE!

 The Bead and Button Show website is now open for browsing the classes in June!  You can't sign up until January10th, but you can register and browse and prepare your plan of attack.  There are more than 600 classes this year, and happily for me, 4 of those classes will be taught by myself and my good friend Gail Lannum.  The variety of classes available is staggering.  Whether you're into metal, glass, seed beads, or things I haven't even thought of, there's bound to be a class for you.  Take some time to check out the site, I promise you wont be disappointed.  

Copper and Bronze Mehndi Pendant.

Bronze and Copper Vine Shield Pendant

Bronze Prong Set Ammonite Pendant

Bronze and Copper Desert Flower Pendant

Large Mehndi Shield Pendant

Bunches of new things in the Etsy store today.  I have lots of new work, but getting it photographed and getting descriptions written always challenges me.  I'd rather just make stuff.  Time to put the big girl pants on though and get some of this stuff done!  I'm working on a lot of new things right now, including a tool and supply store on Etsy.  I want to make it easy for my students (and others, of course!) to find the tools that we most commonly use in my classes.  I'm pretty excited about this.  I'll post here when it's up and running.

THANKFUL

It's been a very hard couple of years for my family. Still, I am thankful. I'm thankful for all of the people in my life who I love and count on. I'm thankful that I've had such loving relationships with my parents, and I wish with all of my heart that they were here. I'm grateful that I was lucky enough to have them as my parents. I'm thankful for my sisters and Paul and his family and all of our friends scattered near and far. I'm thankful for my sweet cats. I'm thankful that I live where I do and that I get to make jewelry as my job. I hope all of you have lots to be thankful for too. Happy Thanksgiving all!

DREAMING OF RIVETS

Bronze and copper with brass rivets

German silver and brass.

Jasper, copper and fine silver.

Rivets on a very old Illinois Central engine (in Independence, Iowa)

Rivets from the South end of the Golden Gate Bridge

Lots happening here. Working on new jewelry. I'm on a riveting kick lately. Probably due to the fact that I've had rivets on the brain since Gail and I submitted our Bead and Button classes. There will be a lot of riveting happening in Milwaukee. I swear the other night I dreamed of rivets. Aircraft, bridges, robots, you get the picture. I really enjoy soldering and I'm actually quite good at it. It's a satisfying part of my tool box. Having said that, I like the look of a rivet. Rivets make it clear to the observer what's going on here. They make sure that you understand how a piece was constructed and more importantly that it was constructed by human hands. I never realized how much I employ rivets in my own work until I started to think about it. I spend a lot of time thinking about weird things.