Time Flies When I'm Having Fun

In just 4 very short weeks, I will be standing in Tucson, Arizona,
as I'll be there teaching three classes 
at 
Art Retreat in the Desert.
Two classes are first timers for me, 
coming from my teaching bag of tricks.
On Friday, February 8th, I'll be teaching

 Watchful Resin Charms with a Splash of Bangles
 We'll be pouring some resin in some fun little vintage watch bezels,
that can be used in the class I will teach on Sunday,
or as fun charms for the 
bangles we will also be designing in class.
Have to tell you, these bangles can become addicting.
You can wear a heap of them all at one time, 
and you won't be able to sneak up on anyone if you do!

They are fun and quite simple to make.
Really.
On Saturday, February 9th,  
I'll be teaching my second new class,

Time to Nest

We'll be playing with vintage mother of pearl buckles, recycled sari silk, 
vintage mother of pearl buttons, and a cool watch bezel...
that you can fill to your heart's desire. 
Then on Sunday, February 10th,
I'll be sharing one of my favorite techniques in a class 
called
The Gilded Heart

 Lookie what you can make....you will love it!
Here's a piece that Maria, one of my talented students,
made last October in the class I taught at The Prairie.

 BTW, Barb will be opening Spring registration
any day now...here,
for Art Retreat at the Prairie!
Now, back to the Desert...
I do hope you can come to Tucson as Barb has a field trip to the 
Tucson Gem Show scheduled on Thursday before the classes begin.
I know I'll be on that bus!
And, today she announced that she'll have
Magnolia Pearl 
clothing at the retreat in Tucson!
She had some of Robin's latest designs at The Prairie last fall, 
and of course who can resist Magnolia Pearl?
They, themselves, are works of art.
Take a stroll online to see her beautiful clothes.
You will love them.... 
*****
If you'd like to see where else I'll be teaching in 2013,
I now have most of them posted thru August, 
so just scroll back up to the top of my blog, 
right under the header you will see a tab that says
Classes.
They are ALL listed there, and right next door you will see a tab for my  
On-line Classes.
This is where you'll see all the details posted for Artful Gathering 2013.
Yes, I will be teaching two online classes there once again this summer.
More details about which two will be revealed in a couple of months!
I have lots of things going on behind the scenes...as always, 
but...
 if you are on Facebook, I'd love for you to friend me,
I seem to be there a lot more these days than here!

This was a class picture taken on Sunday just before I taught my class,
On A Wing, at The Prairie!
It was a magical day....love you guys!


  

Hoping in....

"Loves Hope"

I love a good challenge.

It truly always pushes me into a direction I would not take otherwise.

This challenge once again proved the same.

A couple of months ago, Carmi Cimicata of Resin Crafts asked if I'd like to participate in a blog hop featuring a new line, called Instant Glam, within a line of products called 

Metal Complex.

She sent a couple of components, one of which was a silver bezel.

I chose to use it for the hop!

 I had found this gorgeous rhinestone necklace at the antique festival this past Spring.

I knew it was destined for beauty.

I first oxidized the bezel, as it was much too shiny for me.

Then I sanded it a bit, just before I added a couple soft layers of Gilders Paste.

Damask was first, and then I topped it with Silver.

I reached into my bag of goodies

(really my shelf of supplies)

picking up some pewter hearts I had purchased from Thomas Mann.

This is the one I chose!  Just perfect, 

as it has a great little oval shaped well in the middle.

I found a rhinestone connector that had a hint of turquoise in it, 

snipping off the two end connectors.  

Then I pulled out my vintage book of Shakespeare, 

to find my next word,

hope. 

 I looked across my desk, 

finding some resin covered sheet music I had used in a previous project.

The title of the song had the word I was looking for,

Loves.

The name of my piece was born.

I attached the paper inside the bezel.  Mixed up a batch of Ice Resin and attached the heart inside the bezel using the resin.

I gently lowered the rhinestone connector, which now held the word hope,

into the tiny well in the middle of the heart.

As the resin was drying, I decided I wanted a few drops of silver inside the well,

so I added some silver glass micro beads.

Simply divine.  I am so in love with this piece.  

Thank you Carmi for asking me to be part of the hop!

It was a blast =) 

lending a hand

I have so much to be thankful for.

Maybe you feel the same way.

There are so many who need our help after experiencing the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy. 

Sallianne, from Art is...You, contacted Barb Solem & I, along with Linda Young, Zinnia Galliher, and Cindy Woods, in an effort to bring the art world together, 

to help lend a hand to the many victims of Sandy.

I am just a small part of a much bigger picture,

so please hop over here, where you will see how you too can give to those who so desperately need our help right now.

I myself am donating one of my 

Rhinestone Dreams necklaces.

If you are able, there are several options to choose from, 

so please go here.

Your name will then be added to a drawing that will be held at the end of the month, where you will be eligible to win art from not only me, 
but some other fabulous artists,

such as Pam Carriker, Sue Pelleteir and Jodi Ohl.

Won't you consider helping?

 Thanks so much!

~ diane

xo

and the winner is....

Christine

of 

Sweet Girl Design

You are the winner of the Bead Soup Book Blog Tour Give Away...

Please contact me with your address so I can get your goodies out to you right away =)

Congrats!

 

Book Blog Tour Give Away

Just as promised, 

here are the goodies I have gathered (and made!) to give away to one very fortunate reader who leaves a comment here for the book blog tour

of Lori Anderson's new book,

Bead Soup.

If you look at my previous post,

you will know what it's all about, and who's involved.

Many wonderfully talented jewelry artists, not to mention the super creative and equally talented author of the book, Lori Anderson. 

Just stop by each and every designer, comment on their post, and you will have the opportunity to win their stash of goodies!

Not to mention the GRAND PRIZE that Lori will be giving away between the 8th & 9th!

Details again for the Grand Prize are: 

For every blog you comment on, your name will ALSO go into the BIG bowl for the Grand Prize! 

How cool is that?

Be sure and check back here between the 8th & 9th to see who wins my

Bead Soup =)

~diane

xo

book blog tour for BEAD SOUP

More than a year ago, my friend Lori Anderson, 

asked if I would like to be a part of her upcoming book called

Bead Soup.

I was to design a piece (or pieces) of jewelry using the above goodies, along with some of my very own...just as I had done in the Bead Soup Blog Parties several times before.

Of course I accepted, with much gratitude....

I have to tell you I had never used a cameo in any of my designs, so this bead soup challenge stayed true to the test!

Here's the jewelry i designed, 

named Old-Fashioned Oyster Stew by Lori.  

If you just flip over to pages 84 & 85 in the book, 

you'll see a list of all my ingredients, 

including the ones sent to me (pictured above) by Lori, and how you too can design your very own necklace using ingredients just like or similar to these.

So with much anticipation, AND to celebrate Lori's new book...

beginning tomorrow, 

there will be 8 straight days of reviews & giveaways from a good number of the 25 contributing artists in the book, including me =)

Each day just hop over to the artist's blogs listed below, 

to see what she will be giving away! 

My giveaway....a bead soup stash that I put together just for you!

And, if you know me, there certainly will be some vintage rhinestones in that stash =)

I'll pick a winner, from those who comment on my post on Wednesday, October 3rd, 

doing so the night of October 8th or morning of the 9th.

In addition to the drawing I'll have here, don't forget to leave a comment on Lori's blog and/or on the other participants blogs each day to be eligible to win the Grand Prize -- because for each & every comment you make, 

you'll be in the running for some pretty cool prizes, some of which are shown here.

See you again on the 3rd.

Have fun!!

Monday, October 1st

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Rebecca Anderson -- http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com-

Barbara Bechtel -- http://secondsurf.com/wordpress/
 

Tuesday, October 2nd

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com


Kerry Bogert --   http://kabsconcepts.com/wp/

Melanie Brooks -- http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Jennifer Cameron -- http://glassaddictions.blogspot.com 
 


Wednesday, October 3rd

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Diane Cook -- www.rosa-josies.blogspot.com

Malin de Koning -- www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com 



Thursday, October 4th

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Cassie Donlen -- http://cassiedonlen.blogspot.com

Jeannie Dukic -- http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog  

Nan Emmett  -- http://www.spiritrattles.blogspot.com/ 


Lyn Foley --  http://lynfoleyblog.com  


Friday, October 5th

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Brandi Hussey -- http://www.brandigirlblog.com

Cindy Wimmer -- www.SweetBeadStudio 
 

Barbara Lewis -- Painting With Fire

Saturday, October 6th

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Melissa Meman -- http://www.melissameman.blogspot.com/ 


Stefanie Teufel -- http://stefaniessammelsurium.blogspot.com/

Shannon LeVart -- http://missficklemediacom.blogspot.com/



Sunday, October 7th

Sharon Palac -- http://sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com

Heather Powers -- http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com

Erin Prais-Hintz -- http://treasures-found.blogspot.com  

inspiring...lindsey stirling

Didn't catch her on AGT, but did she her on TV this morning...amazing!  

♥ her music, her dance, and most of all

her creative imagination...enjoy!

Going to Tucson with Vivi Magoo

Watchful Resin Charms with a Dash of Bangles

...is just one of the new classes I'll teach next year.  This one will make it's debut in 
Tucson next February!

Yep, Vivi Magoo is headed to Tucson...during the same time of the HUGE

Gem Show! 
I've never been, and going on a field trip the day before the classes begin 
sounds like a whole 'lotta fun to me!  Barb has it all planned out for us here.

On Friday, 
we'll be working with resin and vintage watch bezels,
along with heavy gauge wire and a bit of fire, 
to make some really cool bangles! 

Then...

Time to Nest
 ...on Saturday, I'll teach another new class, using some fun components~mother of pearl buckles & buttons, a vintage watch case, recycled sari silk, a beautiful brass focal, and whatever other goodies you want to add to your piece.

 And, last but not least,
on Sunday....

The Gilded Heart
 One of my gilding with solder classes!  Oh, you won't want to miss this one...

Won't you join us in the desert next February? 
Barb says it is the most gorgeous time of the year to be in Arizona,
and the venue sure looks inviting...
with some really great perks! 

if i close my eyes tight enought i'm still there...

Coronado was way more than I expected.

I really had no idea how beautiful it actually would be...

 

The Glorietta Bay Inn was gorgeous.

The flowers vibrant.

If you add those factors along with a wonderful group of super enthusiastic students,

you know each class was a huge success!

 Marbi, =), Barb, Anne, Kim

There was so much to see, so much beauty everywhere I looked.

Not to mention some gorgeous jewelry made by some wonderful ladies...

Crystal Confetti Necklaces

Window to my Heart Cuffs

and

Heart Strings

Art Retreat by the Beach will again be in Coronado in 2013, 

but in May instead of June!

I hope you can join us....it truly is one of the BEST places in the world to take a class.

More details are coming soon....

4th Annual Where Bloggers Create

It is once again time to share our studio space in celebration of 

Karen Valentine's 

4th Annual 

Where Bloggers Create

Here's a short video of my space...

Hope you likey...

Don't forget to stop by some of the other bloggers to see their creative spaces.

The names of the many participants, 

are listed on Karen's sidebar, 

in alphabetical groupings!

p.s. you can super size the video by clicking on the little frame you see at the far right bottom margin of the video.

looking forward to Coronado

Time has really been flying faster than a speeding bullet for me...

as in just 4 short days I will have already landed in

Coronado, California,

getting ready to teach three days of some of my favorite classes.

I have already packed up and shipped two boxes of supplies,

sending them off with many prayers that they'll land there safely on Tuesday!

I have enjoyed much family time this past week, but have also been happily enjoying my 

first of two summer online classes which began on June 6th.  The one that's going on now, 

Heart Strings, is the one I'll be teaching on Sunday (in person),
at Art Retreat by the Beach.

This past week I designed a Heart Strings I'll be wearing this next weekend,

called "My Grandmothers".

Another thankful nod to two ladies that gave birth to my parents, 

and taught me more than they probably ever realized.

After sharing these beauties in my previous post, I knew I had to use at least one of the three beautiful rhinestone watch bezels, so indeed I did...

in my newest Heart Strings.

Oh, now this was some fun...using that wonderful picture of my grandparents as a very young couple which I shared with you, seems like eons ago.

I also decided to use a resin bezel I had of my other grandmother, Rosa,

thus giving me the name for my piece.

I used some other great vintage pieces in this necklace,

an old tiny diary key, a vintage rosary, another vintage crucifix & religious metal, a sprinkle of vintage rhinestone buttons, a heart taken from some retro earrings, some of my favorite rhinestone connectors, oxidized rhinestone crystal rondells, and some gorgeous faceted Peruvian Opals.

I really am in love with the box chain I used in this Heart Strings...wish I had more.

But, I'm sure you know how that goes.

And, of course, I added some wonderful vintage lace, trim, tulle and some of my 

current favorite colors of recycled sari silk.  Yum.

 

Oh yes, and one of my Tiny Etched Books,

which is currently shown in the latest issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry~

along with step-out photos!

These are all fun elements we will be working on in Coronado,

in just one short week, as this class in on Sunday.

And, just so you know, you still have until the 20th to enroll in Heart Strings online,
even as we speak, at Artful Gathering.

Some great pieces are beginning to show up in the AG photo gallery...

Like this Heart Strings made by one of my students, Mary Royals.
What a great job Mary!

Maybe I'll see you in Coronado...or perhaps online.

~diane

xo