Shootings and Shruti

I actually had a good night with some very interesting dreams that allowed me to awaken refreshed and get back to the treadmill for a mile. Not the greatest distance, but at least I was finally able to sweat for a while again. I'm so much happier. While cooling down I started catching up on my emails while the news was on in the background and they broke into the news with a Breaking News story. A mass shooting and possible explosion took place at the Century 16 movie theatre about a half-hour in to the premier showing of Batman - Dark Knight Rises. The theatres were packed for this premier and the latest update (3 hours after the attack) has fourteen people dead and at least 50 injured. So far they have arrested a single male and are thinking that he was operating alone.

I grew up in eastern Denver and spent a lot of time in Aurora. While experimenting with various standard religions I attended a Baptist church in that suburb, and I shopped one of the malls there on a regular basis. My godmother lived in Aurora and I still have friends in the nearby area. I was busy sending off emails this morning to my friends hoping that they and all of their friends are OK after this attack. I can't imagine what would go through someone's mind to cause them to open fire into a crowd like that. Then again, I'm grateful that I don't understand that. I'd be much more frightened if I understood the rationale.

I had a lovely conversation with my friend Shruti who is traveling through the US for one more week before she returns to India. It's always such a joy to hear her happy voice. She's a talented artist in several different media and is on her way to the International Glass Bead Conference in Seattle now. We first found each other when needing a roommate for Metal Clay World several years ago and had two conferences where we roomed together. Since MCW is no longer being produced, she has decided that she will attend Bead & Button Show next year and we'll have a chance to room together again! It's silly, in so many ways, that I'm anticipating something that won't happen for another eleven months, but I am. I guess I'm just forward looking :-)

Why I Don't Leave Town...

Catastrophe always seem to happen when I'm out of town.  Those "happenings" are part of the reason why my poor DH really hates it when I leave town.  This year's conferences were no exception. 



Ripples in a pond move outwards from a single

point, intersecting and moving the waters far

away.  Sometimes I feel as if I was the stone

starting the ripples.  Read why...

1 - Before leaving for Bead & Button Show, my car decided it needed $2000+ of work *head...desk...thunk*. 

2 - Before leaving for MCWC I needed a refill on a prescription.  That turned out to be impossible to achieve.  The doctor's office finally called me with an approval AFTER I was already at my conference.  Obviously THAT didn't actually happen until I returned a week later.  *head...desk...thunk* again...

3 - And on that note...this prescription used to be part of the $4 generic program at Wal-Mart, Target and other stores.  How much does it cost now?  $75/tube!  WTF???  My three tubes which should have set me back $12 set me back $225!  Ouch!  (It's a miracle med for me though and already, after only having it for two days, my hands are almost 100% healed with only two applications.  Goddess bless whoever invented this stuff.) 

4 - When I had called my DH on Saturday while I was attending the final day of the conference, he sounded pretty crabby (not that it's unusual, but...).  I later found out that we had 5-1/2 inches of rain in an hour early that morning, and that shrew burrow holes had caused a leak into my craft room and yet another flood.  Oy!  The water was restricted to his side of the room, so not as bad as we've sometimes had in the past (we've had waterfalls into that room in the past, flooding up four inches or more of water - very nasty), but it was still a pain, requiring wet/dry vac, fan set-up, and the dehumidifier running.  And then, of course, he had to get to work since he was covering my shift for me. 

5 - The heat!  -'Nuff said...

And now, Chickie is off on her vacation.  And my luck seems to have followed her to Montana because...

6 - Chickie phoned me yesterday and, while her Mom was visiting her Grandmother in her nursing home, the nursing home cat - apparently known to have "issues" with visitors - bit her mother.  Her mom has subsequently developed a raging infection to the bite and is hospitalized, where she will be for at least another day, perhaps two.  Since Chickie and her Dad were actually camping in Glacier National Park, unreachable by cell phone, etc., and a cousin had to drive up to the campground to get them.  They left everything set up in the hopes of returning in a day or so.  I'm not sure I would be quite so trusting...but that's just me. 

So...now you see why I am strongly discouraged from leaving town....guess I'll be here for a while - LOL. 

Conference Wrap-up

So, the final three days of the conference were spent at lectures and demonstrations.  The lovely and amazingly talented Carol Douglas demonstrated her miniature sculptures in copper clay, taking over at the last minute from Gordon Uyehara - still ill with pneumonia.  She was a trooper to step in like that, and her sculptures were absolutely amazing.  I attended lectures on cold connection techniques, making bezels for stones, applying gold to silver and other metals, photography techniques, and a lovely method for enameling that I can't wait to put into practice.  I was up at 6am and often didn't get to bed until midnight.  The candle was firmly burning at both ends, and it was well worth it. 



Christi is one-of-a-kind with a love for her art

that shines through.  Great fun!

I made a Ghoulie with Christi Friesen and ran into Maureen Carlson and Lisa Pavelka when I "crossed the boundary" and roamed through the Polymer Clay Retreat being offered in conjunction with the Metal Clay World Conference.  I am not a polymer clay artist - at all!  But Christi has been a friend for years.  I sat down to watch her work while my roomie was talking with Lisa Pavelka, and before I knew it she had pushed some clay into my hands and talked me through making a Ghoulie.  She even baked her for me and I picked my little critter up the next day.  I have to get some photos done within the next week and I'll add her to the list - she's actually quite funny and, since some of her clay is luminescent, she glows in the dark. 

This little critter is typical of Christi's work lately - fun,

little critters with a way of magically enthralling you.

Our breakfasts and lunches for the three days of the actual conference were included in our registration fee.  The food was very good, and one of the plusses were the raffle drawings.  Each of us received a raffle ticket when we checked in.  I was hoping to get the kiln that was being given away on the last day, but it went to a very good home.  I did win an assortment of glass clay, though.  What a highly appropriate gift for someone who works in glass!  I still need to read it through and find out how to use it, but then I'll get to play at no extra charge.  Yippee!  And speaking of play - I'd better get my chapter heads together for my Big Bang author or he won't love me any more !

Conference, Days 2 and 3

So after Robert Dancik's wonderful class on Monday, I continued my learning experience with a two-day class by Michael David Sturlin.  The class, entitled "Establishing Your Artistic Identity" pushed twenty of us into re-examining our designs, refining and minimizing them.  Did I establish my artistic identity by the end of the class?  No way.  But I did have an opportunity to explore some design elements in my own works.  This class will take me a while to internalize.  But I don't think it was correctly titled - I think it should have rather been titled "Refining Your Design Sense" or something similar to that.  It was a marvelous class, irregardless of the title, however. 

Michael David Sturlin

One good thing was working with 36 gauge foil in the class.  I really enjoyed the material and ended up purchasing some on Wednesday evening when my roomate Shruti and I took a quick trip north to the local Dick Blick Art Supply store.  I ended up with lots of wonderful art supplies - it's hard to beat a trip to an art supply store - and Shruti had no idea they had physical locations, she has only ordered from them on-line.  We left with much stuff and less cash - LOL.  Shruti was in 7th Heaven. 

Gordon Uyehara, artist extrordinary

The "Welcome" reception was held that evening with a wine bar and wandering hors d'ourve waiters.  I didn't get a lot to eat, but I did have an opportunity to meet up with several friends who had just arrived that day for the conference portion (the three prior days having actually been pre-conference classes).  One person who was missing was Gordon Uyehara who collapsed before teaching his class on Monday.  Apparently he had walking pneumonia and was quite ill.  He was in the hospital for most of Monday and confined to his hotel room for most of the remainder of the week.  If nothing else, he got enforced rest, but I'm sure that by the time he left to return to Hawaii yesterday, he was more than ready to leave. 

Home Again

So, I'm home again.  Can I leave and return to a place that has air conditioning...please????  I drove back in 96 degree and 81% humidity, and the prediction for the remainder of this week is daytime temps of 90 and above and nights in the mid-70's, with high humidity for the week as well.  Ick!!! 

The conference was outstanding.  I loved every minute of it.  I'll be paying this off for the rest of the year, and I will still consider it money well spent.  My first day was spent with Robert Dancik working with faux bone.  (He wants a pic of my finished piece, so look for that later in the week.)  Although I own the bone, purchased from him more than three years ago, I had never done anything with it.  Now I have a much better idea of what I can do with it and how to work with it.  It's a variety of polyvinylchloride, but not what your plumbing pipes are made from.  And it is great fun to play with and very fast to work with.  I have three sheets somewhere in my craft room (le sigh) and if I find them, I can play...

Robert is an outstanding teacher - everyone is met with positive comments and encouragement at all times.  Throughout the week, watching him greet many people, there was not a single person he met that did not receive a compliment - sincerely given.  Either the color of their clothes, the jewelry that they were wearing, their hairstyle, whatever - everyone received positive strokes.  Robert leaves positive feelings in his wake and is an excellent teacher with a long/strong background in public school teaching to fall back on.  A wonderful experience.  My roomie, Shruti, finally arrived about 10pm that night, long after our surprise birthday party for Katie Baum which was wonderful food, wonderful friends, and mega-dollars (well worth it, though).  More tomorrow...

Travel Time

My suitcases are out of the closet. They haven't been packed yet, but they will be tonight. I have all of the supplies I need for my classes and my roomate is at least in the US now, although it is possible that her luggage is still in India. Oh well, we'll make it work.

 I know my time will be very full so, although I'll have my laptop with me, I won't be posting on my blog or probably writing anything for the week. It's a week of art for me instead :-)

Chilly in the Hot Weather

Well, conversation is still not happening at home.  I'm supposed to care about this, but realistically this has happened so many times that I just don't care anymore.  I did have an opportunity to see Eleanor yesterday for a later breakfast.  It was such a joy to see her again.  It's been such an emotional rollercoaster that she's been on with Lee's heart attack and the other health issues that he has had over the past three weeks, that she almost burst into tears in the restaurant at least three times.  It was my job to steer her to the positive things and get her away from the brink.  After all - he is still living, is improving, and shows every indication of continuing to improve.  That's a very good thing. 

The Hotel that we stay in for Metal Clay World.

I took advantage of early registration for Metal Clay World 2011 yesterday also, and phoned in my early-bird registration on the first day they were accepting them.  Last year's conference was absolutely wonderful - one of the best times I've had in a long time.  I can't wait for next year's, I'm sure it will be an equally wonderful opportunity to share creativity with friends, both old and new.  The PMC Conference and Metal Clay World switch years, so the conference I'm attending at the end of this month is the PMC Conference.  If it is held in Purdue again in 2012, and if the pre-conference classes are still as boring, I might skip the PMC Conference 2013 completely (that's providing our world doesn't completely self-destruct in 2012 as has so often been discussed).  Creativity - my life preserver in stormy seas. 

The route for Le Tour de France 2011.  Wicked mountains!

Le Tour de France begins tomorrow.  Can't wait!!!!

Budgets!

I am still paying off items from the Metal Clay World Conference that I attended in July . I can't believe that I still owe from a conference that ended in July! It's not like I don't have the money, it's that I keep needing to get additional things that push the repayment to the back of the line. So today I paid my Discover bill for the month. I'm going to put the card away - totally away. No grabbing it, no using it. I need to get a handle on my spending and it's just not going to happen any other way.

I also need to start writing down what I spend my money on. It's rather amazing how quickly it can get away from my hand and back out into the general public. Money is just an exchange mechanism - it makes it much easier to get items needed. But it is far too easy to just whip out the plastic instead of focusing on the green. I think I need to focus more on the green.

In any case, I'll have to dip into my emergency fund and get a cash deposit into the bank today to help cover the last of the bills. Count me as NOT HAPPY about having to do this! Having to do this makes my color for today a violet - not a happy yellow-orange, but a violet - simmering and on-edge and not happy :-( But....I'm sure that I'll be much better by the end of the day :-)

Yippee, Skippee....Studio Day

Is there any magic wand that I can wave to increase the hours in my day? It's my studio day, and I really need to get some studio stuff done. But I have to clean house (visitors coming over next weekend and the house, especially the den, looks like a tornado hit it), do at least three loads of laundry (no clean clothes left at all - eeeeeek!) and get my hood attached to my cape so that I can draw on the embroidery designs and start work on those. My pictures need to be sent to Holly, I need to purchase tickets for Sharon and I to see the Titanic exhibit when she visits next month, and I have a project perching in my brain that at least needs to make it to my sketchbook. I have to start out at the shop, of course. Get things turned on and grab any items that I need to take to my goldsmith. I also need to hit a ring at the torch that I need to repair - she's moving to a different city and needs this one quickly. It's not a big repair, so I'll do it very quickly this morning so that I can phone her tomorrow for pick-up. And, of course, I also need to pet my pets on SuperPokePets - LOL. Oh....and the office supply store for some needed supplies and Target to return two dresses that just didn't look good off the hanger and on my body. I'm sure there's more that I forgot.

So, in between all of those items, I need to find some time to create. It's not that I don't think about designs and projects all the time - it's getting things from head to paper to trial piece to real thing. I do have to admit that taking Alan Revere's design class at MCWC was worth every penny of the entire trip. Although I usually would think designs through in my head, I would often skip the next two steps, opting instead to go directly to the clay or the metal. Working things out in trial first is a saving factor (and rather fun too). It lets me see whether or not I really like the item when it is made before breaking out the more expensive materials. So thanks, Alan. You've helped my projects a lot! And now to get going on my overly-busy day....

Work - Seemingly Forever

So, Chickie left for her vacation last night, and I am facing a seemingly interminable length of time that I have to be at work every day . I got a lot done yesterday, but no studio time. I did a long list of errands, the last one of which was to pick up my now-fixed computer from my computer doctor. Oh happy day! It seems to be a very content computer, and is running much quieter (even though he thinks it is rather loud). He replaced my two graphics cards that were linked with a single card that is 3x as fast, took away the linkage bridge and changed the switch on the motherboard that tells the system how many cards it is supposed to be working with. All I know is that I have a computer again and I have all of my programs on a single machine.

I did three loads of laundry so all of my conference clothes are clean again! And I spent more than two hours photographing the large variety of charms that I received from the charm swap that we held. I didn't bother setting up my full photo setup, so these are not going to be the absolute best photos I can do, but they aren't bad. I got so many beautiful charms. I put a few of them up here for people to look at until I get my website operational and can put all of them up there. Thank you to everyone who swapped charms with me!

Tonya - You should be arriving home today, so I expect a post in your blog TOMORROW MORNING (that's Friday to you - LOL).

Busy, Busy....

Today is a busy day, going all over the cities and trying to fit some studio time into the day also. I start out in the Northeast at my Chiropractor's. Then to the shop to get things turned on and do a quick mail order. Grabbing some repairs that require a laser welder, I'm off to the Midway area to see my bone doctor. Getting him finished by 9:15 or so, I'm off to Southwestern Minneapolis to drop off the jewelry repair at my friend's. After that, I'm off to the far Northern suburbs to pick up my computer. I need a few things at the office supply store and need to photograph some things for an article proposal that I want to get going. I have to punch a lot into today because I won't get a day off next week. After today I will have a long stretch of eleven days of work before my next studio day comes around. I think I'll try and refine some sketches and detail three pieces of jewelry that I want to make while I'm working these extended days. It's only one studio day that I'm actually missing and have to work through, but that mid-week island of sanity in my insane retail environment is so important to my mental stability.

I spent way too much money at MCWC. I'm basically going to be broke for the remainder of the year, and I'll probably have to carry a balance on my credit card for a couple of months . But I still think it was worth every penny. I learned so much, made so many friends, and exercised my creative side almost exclusively for a week. Now I have to start saving again for a new kiln and more workshops next year. The cash jar is still going to be used - life isn't getting any cheaper, just more complicated.

Back Home Again

I returned home yesterday in the early afternoon, exhausted. I did unpack and went out for drinks and some show-and-tell with DH later in the day, then came home and fell asleep around 7:30 pm. My main computer is still with the computer doctor, so I feel as if my right arm has been cut off. I can't save photographs, can't download the many MCWC photos in my camera, and can't do a lot of updating without my main system. Apparently my computer had a graphics card fry. My computer doctor ordered a new card (actually, two cards since my system runs two cards in tandem). I just have a feeling that I'll be really hurting for the money to pay for all of this when I consider all that I purchased at MCWC.

But what about Metal Clay World? I had an absolutely FABULOUS time meeting and interacting with many creative and artistic people. The venue was incredible, the food was amazing, and I got hugs from so many people (including Alan Revere) that I will be on a high for weeks. I can't wait to get some clay opened and get some work done.

So....according to agreement....Tonya - start posting on your blog. Start today! It's never too early to get a good habit going :-)

VACATION!

Just a quick note to say that I'm leaving for Metal Clay World in 30 minutes. I'll be there for the week and won't be posting for the week. I should have lots to tell about, and lots of new things to work into my own art beginning next week, so be good and come back and read starting next Monday.

Packing, Packing...

I leave on Monday for Metal Clay World (I will probably not be posting as often while I am there). I have my clothes packed. I don't have any of the supplies and/or tools for my workshops packed. I guess I'd better get going on this on Sunday so that I'm ready to leave early Monday. My DH is actually happy about the fact that this is a week's trip, not longer. The fact that I leave on Monday and return on Sunday made him quite happy. Then, next week, my co-worker, VerLaine, leaves for her family reunion in Montana, so I'll have to work a few extra days. It's OK, everyone is entitled to some vacation and originally we thought her reunion dates conflicted with my MCWC dates. The fact that they actually didn't was something that really brought a smile to our faces.

I can't wait to spend a week surrounded by creative people and talking about art. OK, I fully admit that not every conversation is creatively oriented - there are such things such as "what are you going to eat for breakfast" and "I'll be back - I need to call home", but any time I can immerse myself in a group of creative people I come back with project after project that I want to create. But I've been asked to be a focus artist in the fall so I need to concentrate on more of a body of work and get my personal web site up and operational. Just a few more things to do in my schedule , but the kick in the behind that I really needed to get these things on track again. Sometimes you just need an outside push to get back on track, so thanks, Gina :-)

Wrapping Things Up

I'm starting to move my mind-set into vacation mode. I still can't believe that I leave on Monday. It's a good thing that I still have Sunday for packing though because although I packed clothes for the trip, I still haven't packed any of the tools and supplies that I need for my pre-conference classes. But my charms are finished, I am making sure that I have at least one sketchbook and pencils/markers, and I will have tools. So what could be bad. Actually, the only bum thing about the entire trip is that I'm really broke so any purchasing must be minimal. That's much harder to do than to say since I'll be seeing some of my favorite vendors and friends while I'm there. But I'll manage, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Shruti again.

Shruti and I met last year at the Purdue PMC Conference. We got along very well, so when she posted asking for a roommate for the MCW Conference, I volunteered to share with her. She comes from Dehli, India, so it is refreshing to get a viewpoint that is not US-centric. Additionally, she also does enamel work so we have another point of artwork in common. I can only envision positive things from this trip and getting together with her again. And even though my broken arm is still waking me up with jags of pain, it's just one of the problems that come with healing and I am getting better every day.

Here is my July snowstorm photo. The cottonwood trees in my neighborhood have been shedding massively and it looks like a fall snowfall from a distance. I thought I would share the joy of "snow" that won't melt and that is "fluffy". The little sparkles of the cottonwood seeds almost look like fairies. Can't you just see the fluff as a massive fairy cotillion?

Movies, Friends and Pie

What could be better than movies, friends and pie. After a busy day trying to get things prepared for next week's trip to Metal Clay World, I met my friend Chickie at the mall to see Ice Age 3 in Disney 3-D. FUN! Very cute movie. We were laughing throughout. I love feel-good movies. Her Mom, Claire, was supposed to have joined us but had to bow out at the last minute. So it was just the two of us. Not a problem :-)

After the movie, we headed off to Baker's Square for salads and free pie. Wednesdays is free pie day and we were counting on it :-) I was too stuffed from my wonderful Bar-B-Qued Chicken salad to eat my pie, so I brought it home and I'll have it tonite instead.

I'll do the last finishing bit on my charms today while watching the morning's run for Le Tour de France. Yesterday there was a breakout of six riders and one of them, Thomas Voeckler, pulled it off and won the stage. Congrats to him! Although he wore the yellow for several days in the Lance Armstrong era, he had never won a stage before. He was SO happy! I love this year's Tour - yippee!

Packing and Art

Well, today is my "day off", my "studio day", my laundry day (that's an absolute, no options - LOL). I leave on Monday for Metal Clay World, so I will spend today finishing up the last packing on my charms for the charm exchange and packing. I want to make sure that I am not forgetting anything I will need for my classes.

Chickie finished adding gussets into my name pouch yesterday. She did an amazing job with this pouch - I am SO pleased with it. I knew I didn't have the time to deal with making it, and she is very good with leather. So I hired her to make it for me according to my specifications. It had to hold my name tag, business cards, sketch book and pen. The basic pouch design was based on an old plastic pouch that I had used for many years. The designs were totally my own. The front features papyrus and lotus plants with my Isis Rising logo in the center front. The back has an ankh for life, two feathers of Ma-at for justice, the triple moon symbol for the Goddess and the female existence, and Tengwar script that roughly translates to "What you have to decide is what you will do with the time you are given", a paraphrased quote of Gandalf's in the Lord of the Rings. (I'm too lazy to look up the exact quote right now.) So I'm sharing my vision in leather with all of you because I'm very happy with the results of my name pouch. Now, back to packing...

Forging Ahead

I brought my finished enamel charms to the shop and have started attaching them to jump rings and including business cards. I think I'll print tags explaining the process for each bag as well. I have culled the best seven out and I will choose one for myself from that group, as well as one for my roomie, Shruti. I'm starting to look forward to this next trip, even though I need to figure out a couple of things. Primarily in my mind is what I want to do for my bronze clay class. Gordon and Louise are teaching what they call a "Sea Witch". The techniques are most certainly going to be helpful to my own work. But I don't do human representational work. So I'm trying to figure out how I can wiggle here. I'm thinking my best bet may be to work with one of the Egyptian gods as my imagery instead of making a more human-styled mask. I don't really have any good reason why I tend to not make "human" or "doll-like" images, but I have steered away from that for many years. I'm sure there is some subconscious reason for it.

And Le Tour de France is turning into a great race this year. Yesterday's wonderful catch-up and breakaway by Columbia was incredible to see. Only those riders who were very aware and up front were able to keep up with it, including Lance and Fabian Cancellara. Mark Cavendish won another sprint stage (the man is absolutely incredible as a sprinter) with the Hammer - Thor Hushovd, coming in second. Lance moves up to third place overall, and today is the team time trial. Lots of great racing still to come - call me HAPPY!

Charm Continuation...

So I baked my glass painted charms on Saturday night. I had to resort to glass painting for the final coat because they were not accepting any more vitreous enamel or high heat (I guess I found one of the limiations of copper clay). So the final layer and my back signature had to be done with something requiring low heat. The glass paints worked very well. I had some sacrifices to the gods of craft experimentation . I think I ended up with almost 10 sacrificed and unusable. That would mean that I had an average 20% loss. Not a good percentage. Now I'm on the wait for a good %off coupon from Michael's so that I can purchase a small pottery wheel. I think I'd like to try throwing a pot from copper or bronze clay. Why not? There are a lot of drawbacks to it, and I've heard that these small wheels won't work for this application. But if I can get one of these "toys" for $12-$13, it seems worth the experiment to me. And I'm sure I can figure out other things to use the wheel for also.

And Le Tour is on again. Call me happy! I truly love watching the major races - Le Tour, the Giro, the Vueleta, etc. But Le Tour is the biggie and I try to not miss any of it. I'll be very disappointed to have to miss next week while I'm out of town. I'll catch what I can on text message and on-line, but it won't be the same. It's a sacrifice, but I'll learn a lot about my craft so it's a sacrifice that I felt was worth it. But I'll still miss my daily "Le Tour fix". (My picture isn't from the 2009 Tour, but isn't it it a lovely one? The peloton sillouetted against the clouds - perfect!)

High Gear

Time to switch into high gear. I have a lot that I need to accomplish today, so I'm cashing in my "certificate" for an extra day off. It gives me the chance to do more enamel work. I'm hoping to get the charms finished today - but everything has to work out perfectly for that to happen.

After looking carefully at them under daylight yesterday (and giving my arm a day to recover from the abuse that I gave it on Wednesday), I decided that I needed one more coat of color before I paint the details in the final fuse. That means, unfortunately, that I will need to stone the sides and faces of the charms at least two more times today and that hurts. I'm going to have to see if there is a way that I can use my left arm more for that today or repetitive stress injury becomes a possibility.

So, one more coating of color (I hope that one more will be sufficient and I won't need two), then mixing up my colors and using my pens and brushes to put on my logo and paint the details. Then the key will be getting everything fused on properly, having the temps accurate, and not losing the pen work to the fire. I am SO looking forward to an intensive day of playing. And then I get two more days off! It is such a rarity. I hope all of my readers have a fabulous 4th of July while I wish the USA a Happy Birthday!