Solo & Ensemble Day

Tomorrow is high school solo & ensemble day, and we're off to Cadillac High School. The students are ready, and now it's time to go and play for the judges. I'll try to get some pictures of some of my students playing tomorrow and post. Needless to say, there's been little in the arena of art making.

I have a swap due soon, and I knew I would need to have gotten the swap mainly done over the holidays, but that just didn't happen, so I guess Sunday will be a big art making day for me. I have lots of things to do for school, for band, and for ASBDA, but I'll get some art making in there, too. I think I need to splash a little paint around, it will be good for the soul.

See you again soon!

Michigan All-State

Congrats and kudos to all the kids in the Michigan All-State Bands and Orchestras - this past three days was wonderful & I was impressed by the performances on Saturday morning. What wonderful musicians we have here in Michigan, both band and orchestra! Thanks also to our outstanding directors - Dr. Andrea Strauss from Shorter University in Georgia, Dr. Robert Hasty from Northwestern University, Gerardo Edelstein from Penn State, and John Whitwell, Professor Emeritus from Michigan State University. I'm 'plum tuckered out' from the weekend, and also smiling from ear to ear. What a great time!

Did I Show You?

Did I show you all the cool stuff I made at Art Unraveled? Did I show you some of the other cool stuff I've been working on lately? Well, if I did, I'll chalk this up to forgetfulness. If I didn't - here's some new things to gaze upon!

This is the clutch purse & coin purse that I made in Alissa Burke's class at Art Unraveled - oh my she is a sweetie! If you like the idea of shabby chic (she calls it trashy chic, because yes, these items were made out of what others might call trash - brown paper bag and insert from junk mail) then hop on over to Alissa's website/blog & take one of her classes. I've taken a couple online classes with her so far, and have learned something new on each one. I understand she has a video out, as well, and I might have to put that on my wish list!

This is the book I made in Leighanna Light's class at Art Unraveled - I love it! The thing I like best about it is the cover, on which we used amber shellac. I'd never used amber shellac, and kept reading other artists (look at me, saying "other artists..." like I'm one, too.... *grin*) talk about using amber shellac on their projects and I finally got a chance to use it. And yes, when I got home, I went right to Wahr Hardware (the local hardware store) and bought a can. Sadly, it's sitting unopened, but I feel a snow day coming on some time soon (maybe even tomorrow, because it's absolutely frightful outside right now and not supposed to get any better) and will launch into some serious project work using amber shellac - I have several things just sitting there waiting.

Which leads me to my next story - the class I'm taking right now. My friend Kim emailed me last evening saying that I needed to take this online class with Mary Ann Moss - that I'd just love it. She was taking it and knew that I'd love it. (she was right!) Anyway, the funny thing is that I had been waiting until the drive home from Georgia to visit the in-laws to sign up for the class - I had signed up for the class on Thursday!!! LOL - Kim, great minds think alike!

So, I'm working on my "Remains of the Day Journal" today - this is the class that I'm taking online from Mary Ann Moss (no, Laura, it's not the pink and black journal I promised you - yours is sitting on my work bench, almost done.... I PROMISE....) when I run out of brown thread. So.... now I need brown thread AND a snow day....

Have a great day!

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010 everyone! I wish you blessings in this new year!