Upcoming June Classes!

I have been so busy prepping and making sure I have enough beads, needles and thread that I've been forgetting to post reminders on workshops that I'm teaching in June.

On June 11, 2016 I will be at the 577 Foundation for Fiber 577 Workshops.  I'm teaching 2 half-day classes.  The 577 Foundation is located in Perrysburg, Ohio.  It has the cutest downtown so if I were you I'd plan on staying later or the entire weekend.  I also suggest checking out Grand Rapids, Ohio, which also has an adorable downtown (and pop into Angelwood Gallery who carries my jewelry).

The first is Two Drop Peyote Stitch which is my beginning beadweaving class.  As of Tuesday this week, this class still had 3 openings.  This is 9am-1pm.  This cost of this class is a steal.  You can register HERE.

The second class is Russian Leaf Stitch, this is a more intricate beadweaving stitch so the class limit is smaller and there was only one opening as of Tuesday.  This is We have a lot to cover in 3 hours (noon-1:00 is lunch).  You can register for Russian Leaf HERE.

On June 24 and 25 (Friday and Saturday), I am offering a 2 day Russian Leaf Class at Interlochen College of Arts.  The first day we will learn the basics of the Russian Leaf Stitch (pictured above).  The second day we will review and then move on to turning the leaf into a pod form (pictured below).  As we work, I will discuss how I use these pieces in my work, but also the many variations that these components are useful for.  I love teaching Russian Leaf in 2 or 3 days because it really gives everyone time to practice the stitch (of course there's take-home directions too), and combine the pieces they're making.

You can register for Russian Leaf at Interlochen HERE.

Summer Jewelry Matching a Dress

I thought I'd be getting tired of looking at pinks, whites and neutrals, then I pulled a dress from my closet and a tube of glorious 15/0 seed beads from my stash.

The earrings, dress and tiny two-leaf bangle I wore to the Arts Council of Greater Lansing's "Taste of Art and Life" event, but I've definitely kept going on filling out a grouping of these colors. 

I'm in full jewelry-making mode for a a show I'll be at in July, "Traverse City Higher Art" which is being hosted during the Traverse City Film Festival, so if you're up that way, come say hi!

Weeds

I guess this post is going to be more of a journal entry.  It feels like life is about what you don't have yet {these days} so no one looks around to be excited by what's already there.
I'm not quite a year in my new house, when I moved in, I planted a lilac (thanks mom)  and tulip bulbs, I have a natural green thumb thanks to my mother, but I understand certain plants are like taking care of any relationship, and sometimes I don't have time for that, so I have been more than excited by spring at "All Strings Attached."

No one has cared about my yard in YEARS, I have a really old lilac in the back (yay, best flower scent ever), a big forsythia bush, Plants popping up everywhere, some leftover of a rose bush that I can bring back to life, pink peonies in the back corner, I know they're really hard and picky, I can't believe they survived,

If you let beings grow, make space, they bloom.

I don't have a lot of windows in my house, I need to remind myself I deserve flowers.  So I wandered my yard with my clippers and filled vases. I'm sure it looks weird to the neighbors as I pick out the best dandelion, throw off some branches, and prefer the shape of some specific hosta leaves.

It's been the best meditative day ever, I'm always thinking about structure, color, pattern in my artwork and nature has all of that,

Latest Color Set at the Lansing Art Gallery

I sold a number of pieces from this original set at the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild Fiber Feast, but I did manage to make a shorter leaf necklace and a few other items to match the pink, gold and off whites that I had been working with.

The lariat necklace sold along with the cluster earrings (although I finished a new pair this week in these color palette also).  Pop over to the Lansing Art Gallery while the remaining pieces are still there!

Fresh pieces for Curvaceous on Friday! Deco Wing Bangle and Earrings, Bicycle Bangle

The very first Deco Wing Bangle sold the weekend after I finished it, so I decided to make a second one, with a slight variation on the colors.  I had originally wanted to make earrings to match, so  managed to get those done also.

I was looking through the colors I had pulled for the spring and I thought they would make a good variation on my Bicycle Race bangle. I usually stick to a green base color, but I seem to be using off white as a base a lot lately.

And last I made this delicate bracelet with two-drop peyote stitch and some small bugle beads:

Spartan Jewelry Commission

MSU Pendant $45.00

Yes, this is by commission only, seeing as how I'm a Wolverine.  I can't seem to avoid it living in the Lansing area. I am very pleased as to how these two pieces turned out.

Spartan Bangle

$85.00

As always, feel free to contact me if you would like to order one.