I hope you had a great Easter!  I've heard lots of good stories from others who had wonderful weekends with their family.  I love that.  I helped with an Easter event on Saturday, had dinner with friends, family all day Sunday.  I came home wound up from Easter, so I started cleaning my studio and painting.  It was great!  Dare I say a never ending weekend!  That never happens…ok, it does from time to time.

This is my Evolution necklace.  I actually made it back in college, but it looked much different than it does now.  Very shiny, two chains on either side and that's about it.  I re-did it last year because, well, I didn't like it anymore.  One of my favorite things about creating is seeing the change over the years…..our objects we create are a journal of sorts documenting what appeals to us at that particular time.  It's astonishing to me that even as adults, we can grow and change.  The dragonfly is actually cast in sterling from a real (but dead) dragonfly I found on the way to class one day.

Here's a detail of the chain.  It's a loop in loop chain.  I learned from this book (I'm 90% sure) and the process itself is really interesting.  If you like chain maille, I know you'll lovvvvvve this!

Ok, it's back down to the studio I go.  I'm knee deep in project creating for my new book.  Excited!! 

Hello there from my cabin (which is about to blow away) out here on the prarie.  It got cold this evening, so I built a fire to shoo away those last bits of winter.  I'm pretty sure it's going to work.  The above is a simple little pendant I created for this video.  The layers are held together with a tube rivet.  I love tube rivets more than apple pie with ice cream!  They are my absolute favorite rivet.  The rivet of all rivets.  There is a simple soldered bail on the back side that I also show in the video.

If you want to learn in person, I'm teaching a class on riveting here in Wabash.   Do you want to come?  It's going to be a good time!  I love showing you all my tricks for connecting things that cannot be soldered.  Check out the class HERE!  And feel free to email me with questions!

I'm off to have a cup of tea and enjoy the fire.  I hope all is cozy and well where you are.  Before long, we'll be sitting outside around the fire!

This time of year last year, I was visiting the Meijer Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI.  I always associate the feeling of the air with moments the year before.  It's spring break here, but not for me so I'm taking a little virtual vacay.  Come on, lets stroll…

Oh Claes and Coojse…

MIRO….  Woman and Bird!

Calder.

Genius.

Louise Bourgeois.  And all the while you get to walk and wind and spy these huge masterpieces…

Julia by Keith Haring.

And there is a boat pond for kids (and adults) to sail away on…

an atrium that, at the time, had butterflies flitting around.

And then more sculptures for you to see and wonder about.  This place gets two thumbs up from me.  Actually the entire city of Grand Rapids does.  It's a great place to visit in the Midwest.  I'm off to work.  It's chilly today and I can hear the lingering cracks and snaps from the fire I had going last night.  I think it's time for another cup of coffee.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that…put it all together and you get a sampler bracelet full of sweet little squares.  It reminds me of a cozy quilt.  This is a project I did for one of my new videos with Interweave.  It's called "ReMixed Media: Making Custom Beads and Pendants with Wood and Acrylic."

It's all about using your metalworking techniques when working with plastics and wood.  If you like to experiment and play…you'll love it!  I just did a workshop with the Indiana Bead Society where we worked with acrylic sheet and it was a blast.  The flower pendants like the red one above were in full bloom.

For a super hands-on, inspiring learning experience check out my upcoming workshops with the Honeywell Center.  There are three different classes from felting to metalworking to painting and anyone can sign up.  The last one is based around the ReMixed Media video.  It's a two day class with the first focusing on surface treatments like painting, collages and resin.  The second day will show you how to deconstruct and turn your pieces into jewelry.  Jump in and immerse your mind in some creativity and sooth your day to day stresses.  I cannot wait to show you some new ideas!  

**Please don't hesitate to email me with questions about classes and the video.