WooHoo! Big Class Announcement! 3 Fun Days of Clay!

Hi Everyone,

     I have had a lot of people asking when I am going to teach again....So...Ta -Daaa!  Here it is....

I am teaching a fun filled 3 day class at Carol Hamilton's studio in Lorton, Va.  I hope some of you will be able to join us!

     The Great Frame-up!      May 15th, 16th and 17th (Sat., Sun., and Mon.)   

                        $275 for the whole kit and kaboodle!  

   

     On the first morning, Carol Hamilton will be teaching how to use the bronze and copper clays. You will be making small pieces to use in the frames. Then, in the afternoon, while the bronze and copper clays are being fired, you will be learning how to make mokume gane slabs and tearaways and liquid polymer decals....the fun stuff.....

     On the second day, you will be learning how to make a silver frame for all your inserts. In the afternoon, you can continue to play with polymer clay while the silver frames are firing....

     Then on day three, you will be assembling everything in one nice neat little frame. If there is time, we will also cover resins. 

     If you have any special stones or little treasures that you would like to include, please bring them. We will have tea and coffee for everyone, along with directions for the local Starbucks, for those of you who need a fix, ( I know I am going to be finding out where the Dunkin Donuts and Burger King are). We will be ordering lunch for delivery or you may bring your own as there is a fridge and microwave. 

     I will send you a supply list when you sign up. There may be a small materials fee to cover some of the group supplies. I will be bringing a lot of fun things to be included if you want to use them. 

     If you have any questions about the class, please post them here or at my e-mail (KellyRussell@cablespeed.com) or give me a call, 410-609-0346. If you have any questions about the local hotels, restaurants or the bronze or copper clays, please contact Carol at CHamiltonDesigns@yahoo.com or call her at 703-585-5640. 

    I hope some of you will be able to join us....tell your family you would like it as a Mother's Day gift....or early birthday, or late.....See you soon, Kelly

   

    The photos show some of the techniques we will be covering.....mokume gane, brocade, resin and bronze with a stone is in the first one. The second one includes, tearways, both inlaid and plain, liquid polymer decals, molded polymer, carved flowers with stones in their centers. The third includes liquid polymer decals, resin, molded polymer, mokume gane and tearaways. 

    

Just a couple more....

    I just have to show you all a few more...some of the photos came out amazing! Kelly   I don't know what the first two are, but doesn't the first one kind of look like a tiny orchid? In real life, it is only the size of a quarter. The third flower is the center of a pink gerber daisy....K

Flowers everywhere!!!

Hi everyone,

     I thought I should drop everyone a line in between my going wither and yon for photos of flowers!  I didn't get any great ones last year when I got my new camera but this year, I am having too much fun to stop!  So, instead of being in the studio, I have been buzzing around town, camera in hand. I had to go to the store today to pick up some wine to make dinner with and it took me three hours!...of course, I wasn't planning on stopping at the old folks home, a local school, some ladies driveway, the local cemetery (the one I fell at last year) and Lowe's!  I got some beautiful photos of cherry blossoms, columbine, clematis, wisteria, fuchsias, tulips, lilacs, iris's, dandelions (the wishing stage), pink dogwood, and a lot that I didn't even know the names of!  I even found some wallflowers! and strawberries!  I love to use flowers in the collages that I do and I used to draw flowers all the time. I am now in the stage where the seed pods are the thing....some of them would make the coolest beads! And yes, today is more flower photos!  This weekend, I got some pretty shower curtains to hang out on the porch so Morgan and I can sit out there after 3:30 in the afternoon. The porch faces the setting sun, so something had to be done. My across the street neighbor thinks it is very Beverly Hillbillies....but it works very well and looks nice...I don't think he knows what he is talking about! 

    I have been working in a way....I am working on a bracelet step-by-step for MetalClay Artist Magazine. I posted a photo of the bracelet a few posts back.  And I got my new EZ Cube set-up to take better photos of the steps so I am excited! I have also submitted a couple of ring designs to Art Jewelry to get on their schedule for a article or three....

    And hopefully, next week I am going down to Va. again to play with the inmates....and all the cool stuff that Carol got from the Vegas show. One of the things that she got was glass clay! I can't wait! I have been wanting to try it since I heard about it at the last PMC Conference. And I am taking a glass casting class at Bead and Button, so you think Fate is trying to tell me something??  OK, I get the hint!  Well, I am going to sign off....need to go plug in my camera battery before I forget and since it is 1:30...I am going to try to get to bed early for a early start on those flowers!  Have fun in your studios....Kelly       So, for the photos...the iris is from a ladies front yard and the second is the clematis from Lowe's and the cherry blossoms are from the old folks home. I took about 150 photos so picking only 3 is harder than you would think! 

Hi everyone,

    Well, I haven't been as busy with my artwork as I would like but I did get the taxes done! Yeah! We actually made money this year! $40, but it is better than paying out the $5000 that we paid last year!  

    So, in between getting ready to do the taxes, I have been taking photos of all the different flowers in the neighborhood.  I wasn't able to take photos last year because all the flowers were gone by the time I had gotten my new camera. I am loving the lilacs and lentil roses and little bleeding hearts - thought they would be a cool charm for a bracelet or a pair of sweet earrings. The lentil roses have some of the most interesting seed pods and the petals are so cool....and since we haven't had to mow the lawn yet, all sorts of little johnny jump ups are sprouting up all over! How can you go wrong with a purple and green lawn? 

     Since the weather has been so nice and we got the great chairs from Pier 1 last Labor day, Morgan and I have been spending a lot of time out on our porch. It is 8x10 if we are lucky, but big enough....the only problem is when it is about 4:00, the sun starts shining in out eyes. So yesterday, I went and bought some water resistant shower curtains to use on the porch and I am going to make it into a outdoor living room....I even got a cute little "pot" for a plant....a ladies head with seashells. Have to pick up a cool plant to put in her head!  I even got a glass wind chime. My grandmother used to have a little glass pagoda wind chime when I was growing up and I like the sound better than the metal ones...  

     On a work note, I ordered my E-Z cube this week to be able to do better photos for my step-by-steps. Now I have to clear off a couple of big spaces to set everything up...I feel like I am moving forward....I have also been looking at all those photos of Art Nouveau on Flickr....just awe-inspiring!  Next week I am going back down to Va. to play with all the new products that Carol Hamilton got at the show out in Vegas...she even got some glass clay! How cool does that sound? I can't wait!  Well, enough chatting, as much as I enjoy it, time to go to "work" (really it is a combo of work and play!) ....have fun this week, Kelly

Spring has sprung!

Hi everyone,

   Well, it has been a stressful time since I was last here....a friend of mine passed away and he was only 63!  That is younger than my dad! And then I found out a couple of my friends from high school passed away and granted, I haven't talked to any of them since high school, but you know.  It is hard to believe that they have passed on and they were into sports and all that, big strong guys. Hard to believe! 

   But, spring has sprung and it is just beautiful once again!  I must say that I love my digital camera...this is the first spring that I can take photos in focus...which makes it easier for everyone to see! I hope you like them!

   I also want to tell you that my friend, Kim Otterbein (I hope I have the i and the e in the right place!), has written a book on polymer clay. Knowing Kim, it is an excellent book and will cover all the basics....I have already ordered one.  In the book department, Kate McKinnon wrote to ask for my info for a piece of mine that she got several years ago and she wants to put in a book that she is working on....I am still working on my step-by-steps and am excited about my new Master's Muses project, resin and silver, that's all I will say! 

   And last, but not least, speaking of the Masters Muse project takes us around to Whole Lotta Whimsy...Sharon, who is mother and partner to Tonya, is very ill and if you get a chance to send a note, I am sure they will appreciate it! I know it is a very difficult time for them all.  And for those in the lampworking arena, please send your condolences to Bev McCarthy of MacArts. Mike passed away two weeks ago. My love goes out to all of my friends in their time of need....it has been a hard time for a lot of my friends this year. I wish them all the best!

   On an more upbeat note, I got to have dinner with my good friend, Nikki Thornburg, she makes great lampworked frog beads and other assorted lovelies! She lives in NC but was finishing a show in Delaware so we met at the top of Baltimore for dinner! Great food and a lot of laughs!  I am looking forward to seeing her at Bead and Button for dinner once again!  Can't laugh too much, can you?? Well, time to go...I hope you all have a nice holiday weekend, Kelly

   the first photo is of the weeping cherry tree next door and the daffodil is also from there...the lovely magnolia is the tree down the street, there must be 1000 flowers on the tree! Incredible!