New Class Taken - New Opportunities!

I love learning.  Of late, I love learning about all things metal, although I still LOVE painting and journaling (when I have time).  So, I'm currently taking a class with Deryn Mentock called "Boho Bliss."  It's one of her two classes that I've really wanted to take since I saw the class examples (the other is "Balance Bronze Bangles," hint, hint, Deryn - offer it online!) 

I am now proud to show my latest creations - straight from my studio!  In fact, I paddled over there this morning in my bathrobe to redo one little aspect (it shall remain known only to me, gentle reader) before I posted here and on the class flickr group.  I always hope, while I am in the midst of a cockamaymie idea like that, that none of my students, current or past, have a video camera going.  LOL!!!  But, sometimes, a girl's gotta create!


So here are my earrings: 


Earrings #2 - made with baby blue faceted amazonite & dark blue apatite and bronze & copper wire.

Earrings #1 were made with sterling silver wire, and watermelon tourmaline chunks - decided to start with the expensive wire and just see what happens. 

I like both pair - I made the bronze pair to wear when I'm teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp - I think they'll look pretty cool with my camp uniform! 

Have a great day!

July 4th Up North

Northern Michigan loves a good reason to celebrate.  July 4th is one of the best reasons of all.  Yes, we have a wonderful parade - yes, I have 2 bands that march in it - yes, I actually go through the parade twice!!  (and it's not a short parade!)

We have carnival rides, fireworks, caramel corn wagons, and craft shows.  This year, my work colleague and I decided to have a craft show of our own, in living room and dining room of my "craft house."  (That's the house that has my studio in the basement - yes, I'm a lucky gal!)  We held it on July 2 & 3, and we had a lot of visitors, even though we did little to advertise it. 

My colleague does stained glass work and tatting.  I showed mixed media work and jewelry.  We both declared it a success when we finished on the third!  Then.... off to band practice we both went.  It was funny, as we packed up my colleague's car, we said, "Hey, fun show - see you in a couple of hours!"  It's so fun to work with someone who has common interests outside of work - sometimes we find ourselves chattering on and on about our "other" world, while we're at work!

Here's some pics from our crafty open house - hope your July 4th celebrations were wonderfully fun.

Blogging Blight

I try, I try.  But, I am a blogger who has ambitions of regular, beautiful posts, complete with wonderful pictures.  The reality - I am a some times (very, very sometimes) blogger with blogger remorse.  I wish I could post more often and have wonderful, beautiful pictures to include.  Maybe someday.  Maybe not.  Right now, with a full time job (I guess many would say more than full time), and more interests than I know what to do with, I'll have to suffice with a little blogger remorse from time to time.

Here's what's new around the compound:

We visited Dayton and the US Air Force Museum - really an awe inspiring place, especially for a flier.  We went to Huffman Prairie - the place outside of Dayton where the Wright brothers practiced and perfected their flying.  Another place of reverence for the flier in my family. 

We spent the weekend in Chicago - one of us (not me) had meetings on Saturday.  One of us (yes, that was me) went to Stamp Thyme in Lockport and went shopping, then came back and found some great little stores in Forest Park (just outside Oak Park).  What fun. 

And now, to prepare for the 4th of July!  An open house with friend and work colleague, two parade practices and a parade, and then collapse in exhaustion in the back yard.  Have a great week!

Full mode summer

Well, it's summer here, finally - the weather's gotten warm and sunny & I think everyone's finally feeling like we might actually have summer.  (If you're not from my neck of the woods, suffice it to say it's been cold and rainy here for most of the spring - really good because we will have more water in the lakes, rivers, etc - not really good because we've also had lots of water in our basements, yards, etc.)

It would seem that I've done lots and lots of work on school-type stuff and very little work on "me" stuff.  That's wearing thin, but I'm hanging in there. 

Yesterday we went to the garden store, bought our garden and our flowers and started planting.  Today, my muscles are reminding me "um...what were you thinking..." but it's all good.  I look out the windows and see the pretty, neat rows and the pretty, neat, cleaned flower beds.  Only a little more to do today to make it sharp.

Then, we decided to take the little yellow car out for a spin to our favorite fish place for an early dinner - late lunch.  Yummo!!

So, the day seemed too good to just end with a drive back home - so, we went to several little towns, and ended at the car ferry dock in Ludington.  This is an old coal-fired ferry boat, originally meant for rail cars to be shipped across Lake Michigan.  Now it carries passenger cars, trucks, and passengers back and forth.  It is a wonderful ride, especially on a nice day.  We were there at about the time the boat would arrive from Wisconsin, so we decided to sit and wait.  It was wonderful!

Sidebar - why I love teaching

Okay, so this isn't a blog about my "day job," but I have to insert something here about my day job, because well, I love it.  (most of the time, anyway)

I'm a school band director - that means I do a lot of concerts in a year.  The "famous" one around town is the big spring concert that has all the kids play in all the grades.  The seniors always take a moment, and do a presentation to me (I've been their teacher for 8 years by then).  Sometimes it's touching, sometimes it's funny.  It's always memorable. 

This year, my seniors latched onto something that I had done years ago.  I don't like the movie "Titanic."  There was a medley of Broadway show tunes that they wanted to play, and I said sure, but "we're not playing any music from Titanic..." When pressed, I had to admit that I don't like the movie, because, no matter what anyone does, in the end, the ship always sinks.  I like happy endings.

So, my presentation was all about "Titanic" and they even made this amazing Titanic replica out of wood - you should see the detail!  It had lights, and even smoke coming out of the smoke stacks.  Gotta love it. 

There was more, very touching, and very memorable.  My eyes fill a little just thinking about it. 

My very first bead show

Last Saturday, by some miracle of miracles, there was no school related anything going on that I needed to be involved with - all the State Festivals were over (that I involved me or dear husband), and there was a bead show at a town about 3 hours from here (where we own a condo....!)

And so, in a very un-me like turn of events, we got in the car on Saturday morning (after determining that while driving down the night before and staying in the condo was indeed the better idea, we were just too tired on Friday night to do so), we drove to the bead show.  I had never been to one.  I had an idea, after being at the Art Unraveled vendor show, and craft shows around, what it might be like, but needed to see for myself. 

Voila!  What a wonderful thing - all kinds of beads, at all kinds of price ranges.  Some beautiful things way outside of my price range, and some great things that were in my price range. 

And so, now I've got to get them organized, put away, and start creating.   And...well, if the truth be told, there are already a few things laid on the mat, awaiting time to put them together.  Who knew how fun this would be? 

Today is our big end of the year spring band concert - it's a 2-hour marathon, but we have every ensemble, grades 5 - 12 play, give out awards, hand all the graduating seniors (who survived 8 years with me! LOL!) a plaque, and then do a finale with every student musician (this year it's John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever") - it's a fun day - albeit a long haul - filled with memories and music.  I always look forward to today, although it does in some ways mean "the end," as some of my students will be graduating, and next year's groups won't be the same as this year's groups.  Guess that's just the way it is. 

Have a great week until I write again!

Studio Weekend

Well, I've spent a lot of time in the studio over the past two days - it was wonderfully relaxing.  This next week is going to be uber-busy, with State Band & Orchestra Evaluations at my school on Thursday and Friday, plus taking my three groups throught the festival during that time.  (not to mention the literally hundreds of students who will be coming with their ensembles, to perform as well...)

So....these past two days, I've lived in denial and did some fun things in the studio.  I did some stamping, some drawing, some journaling and some jewelry making.  All of it fun. 

Here are some pieces I made over the past two days - found this stuff in my stash and had to figure out how it might go together.  Ohhhh, did I have fun.  I didn't take pics of the cards I made while stamping - I forget how much fun that is, until I pick up a stamp. 

Have a great week - I'm powering up for my week!!