Mother's Day preparations

On Saturday, May 2nd, at Poco Créations, I will be teaching this class for intermediate polymer clayers as a Mother's Day item. It would be a great gift for Mom or some other family member to keep special little mementos of Mom inside. (Thinking...a lock of hair? or perhaps a little photo of the family or whatever.)

This box is a smaller type of the style we'll be doing, but the range of size is about 1 1/4" wide by 1 1/2" tall and can be made up to about 2" by 2 1/2", depending on personal choice. It's all polymer clay, including the transfer. The image here, which didn't show up that well, is one of my late Mother. The picture was taken years ago, as you can tell by the hairstyle, when she was a bridesmaid. I made the copy from a family photograph (the wedding party), printed it out on the Xerox machine and then transferred it to polymer clay.

It's timely, since the class is very close to my Mom's actual birthday (in early May) and I'd like to kind of acknowledge that. Maybe if there's time before May 10th, I'll make several to give to her other children, grandchildren, and maybe great grandchildren.
Of course, I'll vary the box colours and beads for the others, but I think I'll keep the antique look of the ivory frame around the image...

And it doesn't have to be worn as a neckpiece; these items look equally nice hanging on a wall or in a little niche somewhere. I have a little collection of "Mom stuff" in a spare bedroom and that's where I think this will find a nice home when it's not in use around my neck.

Next Class at Poco Beads

We had a great time at the Bead Shop yesterday during the Faux Ivory Class at Poco. All the beads were fantastic, and there were a lot of "improvisations" happening, just what I had hoped. The group was terrific...kudos to all the participants!

As for next week's class, (alas it's on a Saturday too,) we'll be honouring Moms just a week before Mother's Day. I've asked the participants to bring in a small (about 1 1/2 inch square) black and white Xerox photo of Mom, which we'll transfer onto clay. Then, we'll incorporate it either as a little treasure or as part of the exterior in the amulet we'll be making. That will be suitable to either wear or hang as a wall piece. I don't have my class sample worked up just yet, but will have one on a post very soon.

If anyone would like more information about the class, you can contact Poco Creations at 204-219-2528 or email to poco@shawbiz.ca to get the class details. There are samples of the project at the store if you are in the neighborhood and can stop by. If the Saturday time slot doesn't work, perhaps we can try for another day and possibly in another location. I know the shop has a lot of classes going on right now! (Ashlyn...contact me)

I didn't have my camera there to snap a picture when I took the sample there, but will take a scan of the prototype when it gets finished tomorrow or Tuesday. Sorry! Too many things going on in this little mind of mine, not the least of which is getting my income tax completed by Thursday of this week. Yikes, the time goes so quickly!

Faux Ivory Samples for POCO

In between getting ready for sales and doing some teaching, I had a chance to stop by Poco Créations last week to drop off this sample of faux ivory the class will be working on this Saturday. After creating the beads we'll incorporate some fabulous beads from Poco to make the pieces truly standouts. The faux ivory will be textured before baking, but I'll also demo a scrimshaw technique and perhaps a post-baked incision, if time permits.

Speaking of scrimshaw, when I was at the Artisan's Market this past weekend, there was a fellow who did this work in old ivory piano keys. His work was marvelous, and the details were incredibly small...of course he used a jeweller's magnifier, something I have been meaning to get for a while. Even though I have new glasses with much greater magnification, I still have a bit of trouble trying to get the perfection needed for really intricate designs. That's not an excuse, I realize, so I'll have to "bone up" on my ivory or sharpen up my needle points.

Looking forward to a fun weekend. Gotta get some striated ivory made tomorrow in preparation.

Buttons, Quilts and Fort Whyte Alive

Whew! The first of the two weekend events is today! Somehow, between television interviews (not mine but hubby's), teaching and running around like the proverbial headless chicken, we got everything organized. Oh yah, and did I mention two of our access road entry ways to our home are closed due to flooding?

Well, it takes more than a flood to stop some people, but I hope it doesn't stop the folks out there from coming to either of the shows. The buttons pictured here are part of some of the ones I made for Noreen, a member of the Manitoba Prairie Quilters. She's a member of the group that's organizing their International Quilting Event today. Unfortunately, the folks from North Dakota are still experiencing flooding, and their drive here will have to be a circuitous route, but hopefully it won't prevent them from attending the gathering.

Later on today and all day tomorrow, I'll be at the Fort Whyte Alive Centre, amongst the exhibitors at the Artisan's Market. There,I'll have a wider selection of my art work. It's a varied collection, with books, jewelry, home accent pieces and wall art. It is a little cool outside, but then again, cool is good for the flood conditions.

Now, to get dressed and then off to somewhere...

Getting it all done by Friday.

Yes, it's almost Friday and that's the day for setting up for this show. Will I be ready?

I have been trying to juggle preparations for this show and also making a ton of buttons for the International Quilt Event that Manitoba Prairie Quilters are hosting which, coincidentally also happens to be taking place this weekend.

And just where is that guy Friday when ya need him? Off in or at some hockey pool or somethin' like that.

No point in belabouring the issue...there's work to be done! Ciao!

ZenDoodles and Last Minuteness

I don't usually do a lot of sketching and drawing, but I had a few days with time on my hands as we were driving home. Aside from looking at a few nice mountain scenes and some interesting Pueblo villages, I found that doing these Zen Doodles was a good way to pass the time as a passenger. I haven't yet decided what I'll do with them...I did only four, but they are on good quality watercolor paper, so just maybe I'll get them matted and framed. The walls in some of our rooms are just crying for some different stuff, so this might be the ticket.

Or perhaps I'll shrink some photocopies and make them into some transfers for little polymer clay shards.

This past week has been very hectic. I have a big show and a little show and a class to prepare for, and of course not everything is ready. I read in one of my favorite publications about someone who called herself the Goddess of the Last Minute, but I am willing to compete for that title as I have always been a last minute person too. Goddess, no, but Last Minute, definitely. I come by this trait honestly, honestly I do. So what am I doing sitting at the computer?