I CARRY YOUR HEART

A heart-shaped stone that I found on a beach in Cambria, California.

i carry your heart with me ~ e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

BEAD & BUTTON 2013

 Metal Clay Tube-Bead Bracelet #B130586 

 Metal Etching 101 #B130417, #B130586, #B131713
(3 different sessions)

 Metal Clay Embellished Bracelet #B130590

 Mixed-Metal Layered Acid-Etched Earrings #B130574

Etched and Riveted Metal Bracelet #B130788

It's only 144 days until the biggest jewelry spectacle on the planet.  Of course I'm talking about The Bead & Button Show held every June in Milwaukee.  Registration for classes opens January 8th at noon Central Time.  If you are planning to attend, then you've already been poring over the ample class catalog.  This years offerings look great, as always.  This will be my second year teaching at the show.  I taught last years' classes with my great friend and teaching partner Gail Lannum.  Gail and I really enjoy teaching together.  We both have different strengths and we have a lot of fun together.  Last year was so great.  The students were fun and eager and Gail and I had a blast teaching at such a venerable show.  The show was kind enough to have us back, so we're doing it all over again.  This year we're teaching 7 classes (yes, we are crazy!)  All of our classes are appropriate for beginners (one of the bonuses of having 2 teachers is that we can give students more attention) but they will be challenging enough for experienced students as well.  Students will walk away with finished pieces from all of our classes.
Our classes include a silver clay bracelet that combines lampwork with leather, 3 acid-etching 101 technique classes, a bracelet class that combines acid-etching, silver clay and riveting, an earring class that combines acid-etching and metal fabrication, and a bracelet class that combines acid-etching, riveting and metal fabrication. Wow, are we gonna be tired?  It's going to be a great week of jewelry technique and fun and we would love to see you in one or more of our classes!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: jewelry@cristinaleonard.com

2013

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope the new year finds you all happy and healthy.  It's been a hard year for so many people, but I suppose that's how it will always be.  I hope all who have lost so much find some peace in the upcoming days and weeks.
The year has been an interesting one for me personally.  My hand surgery taught me, I hope to be a bit more patient.  Happily, that's behind me and I'm working again. Making things with my hands is the thing besides my family and friends that brings me the most happiness in the world.  I'm taking it slow but it feels incredible to work without crippling pain in my hand.  I'm not pain free yet, but I feel sure that it's coming.
The past year included lots of travel for shows and vacations.  One of the highlights was a wonderful trip with Paul and my little sister Jamie up the California coast.  We had a spectacular time, every day was a new adventure.  Paul and I are hoping we can talk her into another trip this year.
This year I'll travel to Tucson again for the spectacle that is collectively known as the Gem Show.  I've been there several times and it never gets old.  Paul and I lived there during his internship and we really like going back. Right before that I'll be in Albuquerque for two classes at Rio Grande.  I'll also be going to Miami to see my wonderful friend Gigi sometime this winter or early spring.  In June I'll be at the Bead and Button Show teaching 7 classes and before that to hopefully take a class as well. I look forward to seeing many of you there.  That's the first half of the year, who knows what will unfold in the second half?  Lots of good times and laughs I hope.  I wish that for all of you too!

BACK TO WORK

I'm happy today, not just because it's Christmas, but that rocks too! I've finally gotten the ok from my wonderful physical therapist Laurie, to get back to doing a little work. Happy Day!!!!  The piece above is a Christmas gift for my sister Jamie.  I also made a commission piece for a lady who's been patiently (I hope) waiting for it almost 2 months.   The same day I made a couple of pairs of earrings for my other sister Cindi.  The hardest thing was the wire wrapped loops on the earrings.  My hand was sore and tired by the end but it felt so good to get back to work.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Lily Leonard

I want to take a moment to wish all of my family, friends, students, and customers a very  happy and safe holiday season.  I hope you are having a happy and bright time! 

EXCITING NEWS

The cover of the 2013 Bead & Button Show Class Catalog

I got some great news today.  The Bead & Button Show chose an image of one of Gail and my projects as one of the pieces for the cover of the class catalog for 2013.  It's exciting to think of all of the many people who will see this catalog and study it and pore over it.  This is really special for me, because I was one of those people.  For many years I was an attendee at the Bead and Button Show.  I had been making jewelry years but really wanted to do it as my job.  I went to the show for just a weekend the first time and was amazed by the thousands of like-minded people at the show.  It was a game-changing weekend for me.  I learned a lot from all of the great teachers that I met there over the years and best of all, I found many of my best friends there too.  The show gave me the push I needed to do what I really wanted to do.  If you're a jewelry lover (buyer or doer) and you've never been there, you're really missing something.  Do yourself a favor and try to get there!  Maybe I'll even see you in a class :-)

THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!  I hope you are all happy and well with much to be thankful for.  I'm thankful for my wonderful family, those who are here with us and those who aren't.  I miss my parents so much this time of year (and always).  I have so many wonderful, happy holiday memories with them.  I'm thankful and lucky to have had them as parents.
I'm thankful for Paul and my sisters Cindi and Jamie, all three who I love so much.
I'm thankful for my fuzzy, sweet cat Lily who makes me laugh everyday.
I'm thankful to have had my sweet kitties, Max and Sophie, who I will always love and miss.
I'm thankful for all of my wonderful friends, scattered far and wide, many who are more like my family than friends.
I'm thankful that my hand is getting better every day and soon, hopefully, I'll be back to work. 
I'm thankful for warm, wonderful Iowa November days like today.
I'm thankful for snow, which I'm sure we'll have soon.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!