Holida....SHUT UP! By Karen McGovern

I shudder to write this.  I am freaked out that I am even thinking about this.  It's the end of September.  You all know what that means.  HalloThankChrismicus is coming...sneaking up like toxic fog.  Wait, did I say that out loud?

Every year at this time, those of us in the Artsy biz turn our attention to designing for the season.   Seasons.  Holidaze?  WHATEVER.  We all start thinking about production, even tho that word makes my skin crawl from an artistic standpoint.  Every year I struggle with the idea of producing "holiday" work.  For those lucky, talented artists with large followings, this insn't so much of an issue.  But for smaller, lesser known artists trying to make a living creating art, this seasonal madness is sometimes a make-or-break time of year, filled with pressure and a healthy dose of TERROR.  How to create irrisistable art without selling your soul artistically.  I know many artists that are becoming busy little elves about now, disappearing into their studios and craft rooms, emerging sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving hollow-eyed and hunch-backed, but STOCKED FOR THE SEASON, BY GOD!  

This kind of says it all...the endless list, frantic work, and a GIANT CLOCK ticking away...

Well, to quote my all-time favorite Christmas elf, "I want to be a Dentist!"

By that I mean I choose not to get all worked up about holiday stuff.  I tune it out as much as I possibly can and go about my business as usual--even when weaving my way thru seamless displays of pumpkins, turkeys and trees EVERYWHERE.  I say we dress a turkey as Santa, perch it on a jack-o-lantern pumpkin and call it a day.  Litterally.

Anyway, to those that go into creative overdrive, I wish you the best.  Stay hydrated.  Go outside every once and a while--I'm sure you'll be vitamin D deficient before it's over.  Remember to eat.  Remember to occasionally visit your family so that they will remember who you are when you actually come up for air.  Install a UV light near your bench so you don't morph into Gollum (not a good look, people, seriously).
 

Bottom line--don't give in to the pressure.  Trends.  WHAT'S HOT THIS SEASON?  ETSY MADNESS.  Blarf.  Stay true to who you are as an artist from the get-go.  Your clients come to you for a reason, THEY LIKE YOUR WORK--PERIOD.  If you are typically a mixed media artist who creates stunning raw stone jewelry, your clients aren't coming to you looking for candy cane earrings or adorable ghostie pendants.  So...DON'T TRY TO MAKE ANY.  If your clients come to you because you make candy cane earrings and adorable ghostie pendants APPLAUSE TO YOU and keep up the good work!  I have a dear friend that makes cupcake pendants and earrings.  Exquisitely detailed glass cupcakes that look entirely edible and ARE SO FREAKING ADORABLE IT KILLS ME.  When I see her work, I always think, "I should try to work small..."  Then I punch myself in the face and move on. 

 

I make weird stuff.  If I were to try to make anything else it would frustrate me and I would waste TIME AND ENERGY, two things YOU NEVER GET BACK, and, I would end up feeling like a failure and that sort of SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF YOU ARTISTICALLY.  This time of year is full of stress for so many reasons--don't let that bleed into your art and your ability to create art.  Creating art is therapy, and should be joyous and an escape from all the madness.  If it is anything less than that you are doing it wrong....for reals.  This time of year brings one holiday to the forefront that is my favorite.  Day of the Dead.  I love making sugar skull themed art.  So I do.  But I make that any time of year, it just so happens that October really supports this expression.  And yes, I am aware that sugar skulls are quite popular right now, so the market will be flooded with them.  But, I'll make mine anyway, becuase I truly love the meaning behind the art and the art itself.  I will NOT make 50 sugar skull themed designs.  I will NOT try to reach some sales goal with the work.  I will make what I feel, when I feel it.  I hope you all will at least try to do something similar and not set yourself up for frantic production.....it ain't healthy I tell ya!

 

A few of my sugar skull designs...more to come!

AND, harkening back to my earlier post about custom work--I advise artists to not accept much of it during the holidays.  One more thing to add to the pressure???  No thanks. Do what makes you happy.  The end. 

So, I wish you all a productive and creative season.  Enjoy the changing scenery.  Watch the leaves change if you can.  Hell, jump in a pile of leaves the first opportunity you can.  Celebrate the changes and the beauty given to us by the Earth.  Be peaceful.  Close your eyes and just BREATHE.  Time is FLYING and we must capture the moments we can and hold them close--create something beautiful, unique and in our own voices.  Look at your hands and marvel at what you can make with them.  Don't waste time or effort on anything less than joyously YOURS.  Can't wait to see what you create......

Time Squeeze

Ughhh.   I am always waiting for the days to get longer and for the day that I will have more time. I kid myself thinking that day will be right around the corner waiting.

I am a full time special education teacher so I have my summers off. I always think that will be the time together caught up on jewelry, bead making, etc.  I also think it is the time to catch up with the million other things I cannot do during the school year. This past summer I was determined to get the house painted and change some things that needed changing.  We built this house 8 years ago and moved in before it was done. Needless to say, some things never got done..... Until this summer ! We, with the help of my son and step daughter painted the entire upstairs interior (next year is the downstairs projects) and redesigned our god awful bedroom.

Now, a couple of last minute things before the snow flies. I cannot believe I am even saying the word snow already! Summer just ended!

I have to take advantage of nice weather while it is here. It has been in the 70's and will be through the weekend. I just didn't have time to wow you with what I am up to in the bead world so I decided to wow you with the mess that is in my garage where my car needs to be when winter hits!

Putting off finishing and refinishing furniture has also been on the summer list. I am determined to get it done..... The dressers are for my son and daughter-in-law and the bookshelves are going to be for the gallery we will be working on next summer when I have lots of time! Of course, last minutes I decided to experiment with chalk paint. It's not looking like I thought.  I have to go back to research a little more since this impulse change of paint ideas happened while I was walking into Lowes!

And, of course, I am in a rush, the computer wouldn't boot so this didn't get done in time. Time to slow down, take a breath and hope for more time tommorrow!

MaryAnn

Recycling Ceramic Clay

Delightfully I have a few custom orders I am working on with this Chocolate Stoneware Clay.

Unfortunately, the clay I have has been lurking in the studio for quite some time (at least 9 years) and is a bit hard. 

So I have to reclaim or recycle it.

When you are sitting there with a 25 block of hard, stiff full of attitude clay, you have two choices:

1. If it is still a bit wet, you can break it into small bits and spritz it with water, wrapped tightly with plastic until it reaches a workable stage. This may take a few days of diligent spritzing.

2. Let the ceramic clay dry to a bone dry stage, then immerse it in water.

After the clay particles have become wet, the excess water is drained off, then the remaining clay is laid out - usually on plaster slabs (pottery plaster #1, not the stuff you get at a craft store), and the excess water is removed through the plaster and the air (sunshine also helps this process if you are outdoors). 

Once the clay has dried enough, it is peeled off the slab, then is ready for working or storage again.

My son (4.5 years old) was in the studio with me as I was wetting the dry scraps, and he loved putting his hands into the bowl and breaking he pieces under water. 

Then he got to smack the plaster slab with his wet hand before washing it...

I loved watching him experience this for the first time. Pure delight!

It's always good to get this recycling done so that one can jump into creativity as the time and muse permit and have the necessary clay ready to go.

I decided to make beads!

Glazing will happen sometime this next week...

A few safety notes when working with Earth Clay:

1. Do not breathe dry dust particles - dry earth clay contains silica (which can be inhaled into your lungs, but will not come out). Work "wet" as much as possible. Do not make dust.

2. Many people have a skin allergic reaction to raw Red Iron Oxide. Earth clays that are red or brown in color usually have a high percentage of R.I.O. in it. Gloves may be necessary.

3. Wear dust, gloves and safety eye gear when using Pottery Plaster #1.

4. Do not put clay particles or plaster down a sink drain! Work in buckets or bowls and dispose of excess in a smart way.

fall....Fall.......FALL

by Staci Louise Smith

I love fall.  I live on the East coast...so it is cool nights, beautiful days......

There are leaves changing colors, and breezes blowing.

I also love seeing the seasonal designs that come with a season change.  

There are lots of leaf beads and jewelry.................

Like these adorable leaf charms by Suburban Girl Studio

https://www.etsy.com/listing/186189566/leaf-print-stoneware-link-pair?ref=related-3

Starry Road Studio will soon have these crows back in the shop

www.starryroadstudio.com

This lovely necklace by Martha Thomas really embodies fall

http://etsy.com/shop/marthasrubyacorn

I even got into the fall bead making and made some sugar skulls and eye beads (not really fall, but skulls are always fun, especially with Halloween around the corner)

www.stacilouiseoriginals.com 

But my favorite fall beads I made were these......to me....fall is crisp nights by a campfire, preferably under a full moon, and spider webs.....while hiking in the woods.  Like spiders or not....lol

What is your favorite part of fall?  Do you have any seasonal designs in the works???

Go ahead and share them on our facebook page if you do (and like our page if you don't already)!!!  Tell us a bit about it, and make sure to like to your shop.  One post per person please !

https://www.facebook.com/lovemyartjewelry

Please post in the comments of the post I put up on the LMAJ facebook page

We can't wait to see what you are up to- and Happy Fall!!!

The Storage War.....

by MaryAnn Carroll

So, one of the dilemmas that I have had since beginning of my love for beads 8 years ago is storage! I've had plastic containers that I bought from JoAnn's to plastic containers from Chinese take out. I like the Chinese takeout containers better since there's more room to shuffle through. The problem, however, still remains as to how to store them without looking like I live in a bead store.

I do have a studio that I use when fire and cutting are involved, but really find myself at the kitchen table whenever I make jewelry. I've heard that from many jewelry designers. A year ago I decided that I just needed to accept that I wasn't going to change and needed to find something other than plastic containers to store my beads in.

This Pier 1 wicker basket storage was from when I lived alone before meeting Bill. It works, but is a little flimsy. I really only have wire and chain in the top and glaze containers that don't fit in the armoire you see behind it in the other drawers. This is an ideal spot for me to add bead storage since it is right next to where I sit at my table.

This doesn't cut it.

I got this at a barn sale last summer.  It's nothing fancy, but works well in our house that sports a little rustic furniture. It is near my table, but I have to dig through my Chinese takeout containers to find what I need.

Like most of us, the collection grows, the odds and ends grow and just the entire mess grows! I wanted something that would be more practical and could sit next to my armoire.

In the meantime, this is where my beads have been living. It works, but it's not pretty when I need all of those beads to work with. And, believe me, it usually when I am in a rush for a show or gallery orders, so all neatness is thrown to the wayside.

Our latest activity is antiquing. Bill hates garage sales, but we have discovered he loves to go antiquing. That works for me because so do I! We have a few things that we are hoping to find and one of those was something for my beads that would not be too big and would work with the look we have in the house.

I've learned patience in my older age. Years ago, I would have just run out and found something. Now, I find that I will wait until that something finds me.

And it did! This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I LOVE it!! It's from a local factory from the late 1800's, early 1900's. It is perfect!!! It's not quite as green as in the picture.

Here's the best part.......

Every single one of those drawers other than the deeper top one looks like this!

Patience paid off. I have a long ways to go with transferring everything, but this it my start.

Do you create in places other than what you intended? How do you handle your storage?

And, as always... Thank-you for supporting artists who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn

Inspiration and Evololution

by Staci L. Smith

It is no secret, that most of us who make beads and / or jewelry......LOVE beads and jewelry.

I am no exception.  So when Karen McGovern made these rings, I had to have one.

She made me one special, just for me....

(I added the wire to make it just a hair smaller so I could wear it on my pink.....i love it!)

She also sent me some of that wonderful aquamarine, and some citrine crystals too.  I was thrilled to have some, and I loved this design so much, I wanted to make myself a necklace to match.

Of course, I added some more rustic elements- mastadon bone beads.....and i  am not one for measuring, so, its a bit rougher.  However, I am so happy with how it turned out.  

I didn't measure at all, just cut some silver that looked like enough to fold up, made a few cuts so I could fold it, and added my beads, and worked it like a huge bezel.  I added some balled headpins on the ends to add the chain.  I love little cabinet curiosities, and boxes always always always had my heart, so this got the ball rolling in my mind.

I made another in copper, and then I made some shallow, large copper boxes, and added some large and small gemstones to make a sort of shadow box pendant.  I also made another silver one that is really rustic looking, not sure I love it, but it has sea glass and a fossil shell.

 I just love when another artist inspires me so much.  The process of watching a simple concept, like "box"  or "capture" evolve and change into many forms.  That is why I love surrounding myself with art.  I see color schemes that inspire me, or a texture, or a shape......and I have to try it in jewelry.  

Custom orders, and one happy customer. Me

Carol Dekle-Foss

In keeping with the topic of Karen's post yesterday of doing custom work, I wanted to share a positive experience I had as a customer with the talented ceramic artist Natalie Kay of NKP Designs. 

While researching how the ceramic raku process was done, I stumbled upon a great post on the Beads of Clay Blog by Mary Harding of  Mary Harding Jewelry. I discovered some very talented artists there, including of course, Mary Harding, Lisa Peters of Lisa Peters Art, Marianne Kasparian of MAKU Studio, and Melanie from Earthenwood Studio. Mary's post had a picture of some of Natalie's raku beads. I fell in love with them immediately.  I then quickly did some more research and found these beautiful beads on  her blog. I just HAD to have them. The problem was she had made them in 2010. The chances of her still having them were nil, so I contacted her and asked if she would be open to a custom order. 

She responded immediately and let me know that unfortunately she no longer does the raku process. I was bummed for sure. I still loved the overall design of the beads though so we worked together and came up with these beads.

I am completely smitten with them.  I wanted two complimentary colors, green and red but left the exact color choices up to her. The beads ended up having two of Pantone's Fall colors. Great job Natalie!

To be on the other side of a custom order was refreshing for a change and Natalie was a delight to work with. She responded very quickly to my questions and also gave great suggestions. 

I am very grateful that Natalie was open to a custom order and will be purchasing more from her in the future.

Thank you Karen for your post on this important topic!

The Highs and Lows of Working Custom - By Karen McGovern

Yep, I'm going there.

I guess I should begin this post with a disclaimer.  What I'm posting is my opinion, so don't get all worked up about it.  What I am posting here is from the perspective of an artist who loves to create and strives to not only please her clients, but strives to communicate and create relationships with her clients as well.  My goal here is to hopefully help prospective clients and anyone interested in working custom with an artist to consider--and appreciate--just what the artist goes through when working one on one with a client.  Just like any relationship, there are moments of joy and happiness, and moments of...well...NOT joy and happiness.

Art is tricky.  It's personal, for both the artist and the client.  Artists are a bit crazy.  IT'S TRUE AND YOU ALL KNOW IT.  We pour our heart and soul into our designs and then offer them up to the universe in the hope that others will see and appreciate our vision.  It's scary and exciting and sometimes overwhelming!  But ultimately, so, so rewarding and renewing. 

 

Some of my favorite custom designs for clients ranging from a retiring art teacher
to a marine biologist, to a young girl celebrating the memory of her Grandfather.

So, you are approached by a client asking for a custom design.  What a thrill.  Creating something specifically for an individual, working one on one.  It's such an honor!  Seriously, when I am asked to create a custom design I am always excited and grateful for the opportunity to interpret someone else's ideas into 3-dimensional reality.  In theory, we work together and create something amazing.  That has happened for me many times, from creating a signature design commemorating a milestone birthday, to creating a design in tribute to a loved one's passing.  Each have been meaningful and inspirational to create. 

 

These types of custom requests are always welcome and give me such joy to make.  BUT....(you knew there was a but) this isn't ALWAYS the case. 

 

From the Make Believe--for the purposes of this post--Client (MBC)--You want a specific design and have a specific idea that you want realised.  You contact your chosen artist and if they accept this challange the work begins.  You asked for blue beads--a specific shade of blue beads.  Not aqua, not turquoise, not navy, not perriwinkle.  BLUE.  What is the big deal?  Why can't you find BLUE beads???  And you want those cool silvery beads you saw in that one design on the aritist's Facebook page that one time you were surfing the Web back in February of 2009.  Remember?  That one design with the cool silvery bead things? 

 

Make Believe--for the purposes of this post--Artist (MBA)--After frantically searching for days through all your old images you find what MIGHT be the correct image and forward it to the client. 

 

MBC replies--Yes, that's it!

 

MBA--Fantastic.  You acquire more beads, supplies, etc. for the design and spend a few days designing, mock it up, then send a photo of the new design to MBC.

 

MBC--Now that I see it again, I don't think the beads are BLUE enough, and those silvery things aren't what I thought they'd be.  Can we go GREEN with GOLD beads instead? Oh, and did I mention that I need this day after tomorrow for MY WEDDING?

 

MBA--Screams and throws their computer out the window.

 

Now, this is make-believe, okay?  BUT, things like this happen to artists all the time.  The saying goes that the client is always right, and you know what?  THAT IS TRUE.  If you accept the challange of a custom design you have agreed to work with that client until the dream is realised no matter what.  You, the artist, said YES.  Therefore, you the ARTIST must produce.  BUT, (this post is full of buts....) you can protect yourself and impart the seriousness of the collaboration with the client by setting up a few rules that MUST BE ADHERED TO by BOTH PARTIES.

 

These policies are for the benefit of both the artist and the client.  The more info you can give and receive up front will ensure a smoother transaction with no surprises (there are ALWAYS surprises, but at least you can say you tried). Gather as much information as you possibly can about the custom request before agreeing to ANYTHING.  Set a time limit.  I tell clients that a custom design will require 4 to 6 weeks to complete NO MATTER WHAT.  If it's finished early, great, but this gives everyone a cushion and space to work.  Require a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit before work begins.  THIS IS REALLY, REALLY important.  At least 50% of the total quoted price.  And, artists, don't agree to something you are not 100% sure you can produce.  Don't leave anything to chance.  If a client asks for a design that includes elements you had five years ago, be sure you can get your hands on those elements today!  If the design will be mostly hand-constructed you may need a higher deposit to cover your time and costs to construct.  Each request is individual and you can adjust your policies accordingly, but COVER YOUR BUTTS!!!  (See what I did there?  HA!)  Finally, upon completion, if for some reason the client is unhappy....well....suck it up.  You can try again, or move on.  You, the artist will have to make that decision, and hopefully this NEVER HAPPENS and the client is so happy she/he crys tears of joy over your creation.

 

Now, for our Make Believe Client--if we could ask one thing, it would be to understand that as artists, we are all unique and interpret art and design individually.  What does that mean?  That means, that while we will do everything we can to make your design a reality, we will do so with our own artistic voice.  Please understand that this is what, hopefully, brought you to us in the first place--our original designs and creative expressions.  It may not be easy for us to create the same exact thing twice.  This is especially true for hand constructed designs.  Gemstones vary,  and getting that EXACT shade, that EXACT stone may be impossible, but I guarantee we will make something stunning anyway if you give us a chance.  We also are not psychic, and ask for your patience when working with you.  We also ask that you undertand and appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into every design.  While many artists hate the idea of time equalling money, we also do not work for free and the design process is a part of the creation process.  That layout we made for you several times to get the desigh just right?  That counts towards the purchase price of the finished work.  Hours and hours go into each and every design, and we love this.  It's what many of us DO FOR A LIVING and we appreciate your support and collaboration.  We WANT to do this, we are excited by the opportunity and we LOVE making an idea appear, solid, 3-D, to hold, wear and cherish.  It is an honor, seriously. 

 

So, bottom line, as artists we must individually decide to accept custom design requests--or not.  If you do, commit to that and give it everything you've got.  Even then, understand the power of the word, "No".  It's okay to turn down a request if you don't think you can fulfill it or make the client happy.  I refer clients to other artists if I think they can do a better job than I can.  Treat your client with respect and demand that they do the same for you.  As I said earlier, these collaborations are a relationship, with give and take and compromise.  They are also wildly satisfying and exciting!  Do you work custom?  Any clients out there with wonderful custom order stories to share?  Be nice, people....we all have horror stories, but I bet the great stories far outnumber the bad.  DO SHARE!!!! 

inspired by history

mary jane dodd

Headdress, Ur, 2600-2500 BC

do you ever look back into the history of jewelry making

to see what inspired the ancients?

we gain the perspective of seeing what we share in common

with other makers of adornment through the millenia,

like the need to honor the beauty of the natural world

Irish Lunula, Ireland, 2000-1500 BC

or a fascination with how we can work with metal.

Korea, 5-7th c.

here we find the use of cold connections to create interest and movement in earrings.

Roman, 3rd c AD

viking knit, hooks for closures, flowers and granulation,

Egyptian, 1300 BC

the use of stones - and ancient combinations like carnelian, turquoise and lapis.

i encourage you to research the history of adornment - not just ancient, but through to our current time. not just Western, but from all over the world. there is more than you could ever imagine to inspire you.

i have just recently begun to integrate granulation into my work - it is something i was drawn to in college when i studied etruscan art. by looking back, you are given the opportunity to see how you fit into the long line of people who have given their skills and imagination to the adornment of the human body. 

On the work bench

                                                                  by Kelli Pope

So many projects.  So little time.

  Working in batches helps me to be more creative by having more components, bead options when I sit down to make jewelry: copper components, ceramic beads & pendants, pewter pendants & charms, enameled copper beads & pendants, etc. So, at any given time, there are projects in process all over the house!

Here are a few of the pieces on the bench now.

Finished, glazed ceramic pendants, beads.  This glaze should have come out a rich ruby red. its much darker than expected, but a great color for Fall.

Pewter pendants, components.

Enameled copper disc, awaiting matching enameled beads

Bisque fired clay beads patiently waiting for me to find time to glaze them.

Sometimes it feels completely chaotic, but I never get bored. And there is always something to spark my creativity.

How do you work?  One piece of jewelry at a time? 

Or in creative chaos?

A foray into making my own tools.....

by Barbara Bechtel

Several weeks ago while hopping down the rabbit hole that is the interwebs, I came across a link for a youtube video on making your own sinusoidal forming stake. I've been wanting to tackle some more complex forming projects but lack the tools so I thought that this might be a nice project to see if it's a process that I gravitate to before investing hundreds of dollars on forming stakes that I may or may not use.

While you can build this with just a few simple woodworking tools, working in a well equipped wood shop does really help. I happened to be visiting my parents recently and my stepfather has a wonderful workshop that, with his supervision, made this project a breeze! We were able to crank this project out in about 2 hours.

Another bonus of this video is that if you follow her instructions and use a large enough piece of wood, you can actually make 2 identical stakes at the same time. Since they are wood and won't last forever pounding metal, you can keep one for later on! I actually gave my 2nd one to Staci as a gift at BeadFest.

While at BeadFest, one of my purchasing goals was to gain a second Fretz hammer, and armed with my new forming stake, I'm ready to tackle some simple anticlastic forming!




I'm looking forward to sharing my experiments in forming with you! If you try this out, I'd love to see how you use it! 

Teaching.......I think I like it

by Staci Louise Smith

So, I taught my first "real" class at Beadfest this year.  I was beyond nervous.  Now, I wasn't nervous cause I didn't know what I doing, and I wasn't nervous cause I thought I wouldn't be able to convey it in words (if you know me, you know I have no problem talking for hours on end)......I was nervous, because we were making these in 4 hours.

Painted Polymer Fossil Talisman

 The class was designed so my students would learn to organically form the polymer, learn to paint it, using my crackle technique (I have a tutorial on the painting alone you can purchase here).....and then, they learned to make the whole thing in to a necklace.  

I really hoped they would walk away with some new polymer skills they could play with and incorporate into whatever art they do, and that they would get to have some fun using wire and mixing art beads to create an asymmetrical necklace.  

All in 4 hours.

My panic came from knowing I am not naturally organized.  And what I found from my practice class I held, was that this was going to have to be timed.......with a schedule, and I would have to stick to it in order to finish.

My friend Jenny Davis-Reazor was also teaching for the first time this year, and she came out to stay with me, and help out, and be moral support on Wednesday night.  I was so thankful for that!!!!  We also found out that another friend, Linda Landig came in early for the show, and she volunteered to help me with my class!  

Here we are having dinner and drinks

 meet the teacher

 this is where they could pick their kits....they got to pick colors and beads to truely make it unique

just waiting for the students to arrive

I don't think we would have finished the project if I had not had Linda's help in the classroom.  Jenny helped out in the morning, but then she had to run to pick up a friend at the airport (have I mentioned what a whirlwind Beadfest is???)  

Anyhow, the class rolled in one at a time, which allowed me to introduce myself and get them all started picking out their colors for their kits...........and then we were off.

I was thankful that Linda is not only a teacher herself, but she works with new teachers (student teachers) so she was wonderful at giving me prompts and tips so I took time to explain things here and there that needed more.  I learned a lot!  

(she also took picture of the class for me, since I was busy.....i never realized I look so much like an opera singer when I talk....lol)

and I make funny faces.....I think Linda caught them all too!

Class rolled along and I stuck to my schedule, which had time frames, and what had to be done within them, all mapped out.  It worked wonderfully!

I think my students enjoyed their time and learned a lot as well.  They seemed happy, and everyone got to go home with a piece of jewelry they made.  I think that is important in a class.  Not just to learn a technique, but to go home and be able to wear something you made!  

Student work

  I was very proud of my students, because we had to really hustle to get it all done, and they dug right in and did it!  I think many of them were pushed out of their comfort zone and they just went with it!  We had mistakes, which were great opportunities to show that you can work them with mistakes, and sometimes fix them, and sometimes go with them.  

For me, I enjoyed seeing them each put their own spin on their pieces.  The variety of sizes, and textures and shapes was great.  Although they are all similar necklaces, when you look close, no two are alike.  

So overall I loved it.  I thoroughly enjoyed teaching.  (did you know I actually majored in secondary education for a time in college??)  I plan to teach more in the future, and may even do this same class again in the spring at Beadfest, as well as adding another.  So if you didn't get to come, you may have another chance to do so!

Thanks for the ladies who came out and created with me, and thanks to the women who supported and helped me with my class!