Two More Days To Wire Wrapping Class

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day!

The weather has been great around here and, even though some people might not be as happy with it; since it hasn't affected us much this year; I love how full and fast the river is (that I get to cross barely above everyday)... sorry. No picture. I'll try harder next time. ;]

So, just two more days til the start of my first teaching gig at the Kimball Art Center over in Park City. Still room for a couple more students - (no experience needed) - for the Wire Wrapping Class which starts Thursday at 6pm. It runs for 5 weeks and you'll get to learn all the basic basics of wire wrapping that will let you start creating great works of your own personal jewelry art. Well... that's what I think you'll do with your new found skills anyway.

Plus... The materials fee includes everything you need to make all the jewelry in the lessons: a bracelet, necklace, a couple three pairs of earrings, rings, and a pendant. Plus, you'll get your very own travel tool kit (6 mini pliers in a zipper case), bead mat, & some polishing cloth (for straightening and priming your wire). Did I mention Vintage Beads are part of that class stash too? Yep, straight out of my own private stash.




Oh, and if you sign up for the class from my blog, leave a comment here and I'll make sure you get a little extra Vintage something with your materials (though, I'll probably give it to you separately after class so the other students don't get jealous;).

AND, I also wanted to let you guys know that I picked up an extra date for Park Silly. Going to be there on July 3rd (at the PCPAA booth space) and I'll let you know where that'll be when I find out - on Main Street somewhere. I'd guess. ;]

Hope to you see some of you at the Kimball classes and some of you at Park Silly and some of you other places as well.

Oh ya. I knew there was another reason I needed to write to you guys:

Happy Summer Solstice!

I'm Teaching Classes!

Hey everybody! I know. Long time no blog.

Still living at home with a broken computer and limited internet/computer access. Though, I do have a simcardless iPhone now. But, it doesn't really work for me with blogger, yet. Hopefully soon - or I finally get my computer fixed - or can afford to get a new one - either way.

Anyway...

Going out of my way to spend my limited computer time letting everyone know that I'll be teaching classes at the Kimball Art Center starting next Thurs! If enough people sign up that is... think there are 4 or 5 spots left... They do the assessing tomorrow so, if you want to take an ABSOLUTELY Beginner Wire Wrapping Class in Park City (Utah) on Thursday nights for 5 weeks, get online and sign up now! It's absolutely no experience necessary & the materials fee even includes your very own (zipper cased) travel tool kit! So, you can practice at home if you want.

Everyone in the Beginner class will learn to make jewelry similar to this:



With different beads and stones and stuff, of course.

Then, when that class is over, I have a Necklace and Bracelet Finishing Class (2 Thursdays) where you'll learn to make the ends of your jewelry look like this (as well as how to suspend beads with crimps along wire like the bottom necklace shows):




And; the last Summer class I'll be teaching; an Intermediate Beginner Wire Wrapping & Sculpting Class starting in August (4 Mondays)...where you'll learn to make wire jewelry similar to this:



No soldering or glue... you'll learn to hold everything together just by placement and wrapping. I'll be teaching the basic techniques in a way that you can figure out your own designs and style too.

Going to be a lot of fun and just what a lot of you have been asking for. So...

Hope to see some of you "do you teach classes" people at the classes!

Treasure is Where We Find It?!

You know the saying:

One man's trash is another mans treasure... well, that goes for women too... probably for some animals as well... It's a matter of taste and style and upbringing and interests. Always is, no matter what you're talking about. 

I personally love trash AND treasure. I like treasure from trash and I like some trashy treasures. I was a dumpster diver when I was a kid. That was some good treasure, I'll tell you what! 

We lived behind the local shopping center so we could go diving for everything from still good food to toys! Yes, there was a toy store that threw stuff out! Broken display stuff mostly but, there were the occasional broken but still fun toys too. Plus, the other side of the street had a huge vacant, hilly lot that provided a place to build a hidden fort - where we could stash some of our dumpster goods if only have a place to play with them so our parents wouldn't know we'd been dumpster diving - and a lot of native plants and animals to wonder at and catch. Something which made us well known in the pet store as well. Though, I kinda feel bad about it now, we used to catch blue bellies (lizards) and sell em to the pet store for a quarter... which we'd inevitably give them back for the privilege of watching them feed the MataMata turtle - who was supposedly 150 years old! 

Ah, good times. 

This was also a time when my Cracker Jacks were giving up the occasional cool metal toy - like working compasses - and my mother and grandmother were giving me their unwanted extra and broken costume jewelry. Which got even better as I was learning things like how to string jewelry from parental friends during our occasional weekend days at the flea market. Now that was a lesson in finding treasure wherever you looked if there ever was one. It may have even been my inspiration for some of the first jewelry I ever made - from Cracker Jack and gumball machine toys. Mostly earrings, but the occasional necklace too. Still have some of those somewhere. In a box in the garage no doubt. 

Since my mom was also a single one (hi mom!), I was  getting dragged to the field portions of her geology classes around that time too; due to lack of babysitters, and possibly the unending sound of "please take us". That was GREAT! We had our own hammers and got to search for fossils in the shale and sandstone along the creek just like all the adults. Found a geode or two and a fossil here and there. Nothing like banging on rocks to find treasure! Later, every time I went up to visit my mom and sis and aunt and cousins (hi everybody!), I got to wander around Park City finding crystals. Which I eventually learned to wire wrap and started making necklaces and earrings from. 

I still walk around looking at the ground or sifting through the edge of streams and rivers; picking up rocks that speak to me everywhere I go - and sometimes putting them into my jewelry - however, I'm ready to move into a new phase along those lines. So, I'm planning to travel around to all the dig your own gemstone places in the US (everything from diamonds to opals and all the precious stones inbetween!) and incorporate the raw, uncut, might polish them a little first, precious gems I find into some truly unique stuff. I'm aiming to start next Spring. 

I know it won't be everyone's idea of treasure (even though, technically, it will actually be considered precious and therefore: actual treasure) but the raw and found have always captivated me as much as, if not more so, than the finely cut and polished purchases I've made, so I want to reflect that more in my jewelry. 

Now, all I have to do is make my life more conducive to that particular goal.  All help and suggestions welcome!