Time of My Life...from Snohomish to Mexico

April 2011 - Last month I had the pleasure to teach my favorite new class, Time of My Life, at the Ranch Center for Arts & Craft. I was so lucky to have a group of amazingly talented folks! I walked away so inspired by how they personalized their pieces, and the stories they told with their work. Lets take a look...

Corinna Van Kleeck		Tawna Wilsey - Side 1
Nicola Leonard-Beeson		Nicola as a borg! ; )

Tawna Wilsey Side 2

Many people included pieces from their own personal collections. A dog's tooth, sand from a favorite river, a cherished button...treasured trinkets were locked in perpetuity. The topic of "collections" will be the inspiration for a new class I am excited to announce.

Join Robert Dancik, founder of Faux Bone, and I next year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at Hacienda Mosaico for "Collections: Adored and Adorned" from February 19 to 25, 2012. I'm thrilled to have a chance to teach with my mentor, Robert Dancik. As much as I look forward to teaching and sharing with my students, I know I will also walk away having learned much from this seasoned professional. Here is an excerpt from the class description:

"A piece of beach glass. A coin from an exotic locale. Rocks collected from a river’s edge and sand gathered from an ocean’s shore. An old photo, a good luck charm, a memento of a memory…these make a collection.

Our lives are filled with those things we collect, whether consciously or unconsciously. In this class we’ll explore ways to turn these adored collections into adornments. Using items you bring from home, those gathered on your trip to Mexico, or odds and ends provided from the instructors, you’ll concept and construct multiple pieces of jewelry that showcase those things that you hold dear.

We’ll work with metals, plastics, Faux Bone, polymer clay, concrete, epoxy, resins, hardware, paints, inks and other materials. We’ll cover the basics such as sawing, filing, sanding, riveting, texturing and piercing and the not-so-basics, such as inlays, hinges, basic fold-forming, metal and polymer clay. You’ll learn to let your collection guide the concept, letting them choose the materials and techniques that best represent their essence.

This class is appropriate for all levels. Price is $1,500 (excluding air) and includes lodging, breakfast, lunch, instruction and some supplies. A complete supply list will be sent prior to the class. Visit Hacienda Mosaico for registration information."

I hope you can join us! But until then, I have some classes coming up that I'd love to see you in. This month and next, join me at The Ranch Center for Arts and Craft to learn three different ways to work with Faux Bone(TM) strips. In these classes, students will learn a specific technique, but have the flexibility to create a project of their own, or the instructor's design. Wednesday evening (6-9pm) classes include "Rippled" (April 13), "Wrapped" (April 27) and "Tangled" (May 4). Classes are $50 when purchased in a series of 3. See the class flyer for more information.