Updates #2

The week following the Oskaloosa show I had the opportunity to teach polymer clay art to a group of students from the local high school. Ottumwa's community college has a program called Upward Bound to encourage would-be first generation college students. These students live at the college for 6 weeks and attend classes to get an idea of college life. If they participate the summer before their Sr year they can also receive some college credits. It was a really neat program and I was proud to get to be a part of it. I took pictures of some of the students work which I will add when I find my camera...

I taught the kids how to make some simple canes and showed them some different ways to use them. We made covered pens and stands, ring bowls, key chains and other fun stuff! I also showed them how to use their cane ends for swirled lentil beads.

These are the pens and holders the class made. I think they all did a great job!

Yoslin with my stack of clay books and magazines (wearing her new bracelet!)

One of the guys perfecting his swirl technique.

Updates #1

My life has been non stop crazy for the last several weeks. Is it already July???? I thought that Summer was suppose to be the time of year when we all slow down and enjoy the outdoors, BBQs and the good life? Well maybe we get a bit of that but everything else still seems to come at 100 mph. So I guess I should break this up into instalments

Mid June marked the first show of the season for me. It was held in the near by town of Oskaloosa, IA. This was my first time doing this show and I thought that it went very well. Even though the weather was quite cool and a bit damp they had a good crowd and I had decent sales and good feedback. As usual my ring bowls were my best seller. This was also my first opportunity to try out my new propanels and shelf displays! I only used 3 of my walls for 2 reasons; first I was concerned that if it got hot I would have no breeze with the walls all up, and second I found out that my tent is too low for the support poles on my walls. but by using just the tree I was able to secure them right to the tent and still have some air flow.

One Lovely Blog

I was just notified that Alice Stropple has given my blog a "One Lovely Blog" award. How sweet! Now it is my job to pass on the award on to 15 blogs that I enjoy. That will take me a bit of time to choose! Thank you so much Alice!

New work and New Pics

It's show season again and I have been very busy getting myself ready. I have new product lines and a revamped booth as well. Today I finally got around to taking some pictures and wonder of all wonders, I've even loaded them into my computer and onto my blog in the same day! (That is a big accomplishment for me!) So as they say, a picture says a thousand words.

Aghhhhhh!

For the first time ever I have killed a batch of beads. :( I was baking about 2 dozen beads that I had been working on for a few days. Meanwhile I started making lunch. I don't know where my brain went during the next few minutes but without thinking I turned on the broiler to roast some peppers! I know I should have a separate clay oven but I don't at this point. When I opened my oven there were my new black beads. It had only been maybe 3 mins or so but they were toasted and smoking. The beads went outside and all the windows were opened. In all the years that I have been working with clay this is the only time I've ever burnt something. I really should get myself a clay oven

One more thing...

Here is my first batch of summer beads. Yeah for colors!!!!! They are not sanded yet but I just had to take a picture of the pretty colors. :) They look like candy. These will become bracelets and earrings. After looking at them yesterday I realized I need about twice this many...back to the clay table!

More Diversity Conference

I've finally loaded some of my pictures from the diversity conference this past month.

Pens and bracelets with faces and flowers. I took these pictures towards the end of the day, had I been thinking (and on time in the morning) I would have taken pictures in the morning when I had my full stock. This is what I had left at the end of the day. I made a bunch of ring bowls with face canes and they went fast.

My little section of table. I had to really condense my display since I usually have at least 2 tables.