Craft-tea-party + new classes

C'mon over to Acorn Cottage on Sunday for the first Craft-Tea Party of 2009... noon to five PM... visiting, with or without projects will be the order of the afternoon. I'll have some supplies for freezer paper stencils, if anyone wants to try out the technique. It is fun, fast and easy, a way to make one of a kind designs on fabric. (works great for decorative pennants, T-shirts and smaller patches, best on smoother fabric) Tasty snacks and Smokey snuggles will be provided.

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Today I rambled over to Gossamer on W Burnside, and treated myself to a new needlefelting tool, the Clover Pen tool which I've been enamored of ever since I tried the one that Aelgyfu has. I'd been in that shop around Halloween, as they sell all different colors of wool roving, and felt, as well as my favorite Brown Sheep yarns. This time there were also amazingly beautiful, large felted wall "paintings" of Japanese imagery. I wish I'd brought my camera

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I'm a bit excited, my holiday/birthday gift from my Mom and Dad is going to be a serger. I've been wanting one for ages, and this will surely be a wonderful addition to my sewing room. It should arrive next week; I hope to clear out space in the back room and have a permanent sewing table set-up along one wall. with the fabric storage shelves above. There might be room at one end to have a small light box set up as well, for taking pictures to document my artwork. At least that is the current plan.

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Yesterday was an interesting day for several reasons:

1. My dear friend Rois came over with her sons, and brought me this wintertime cottage paper sculpture, it is just the right size to fit on my front windowsill.

2. After I baked up a batch of chocolate acorn cakelets, I headed out to go to Tuesday Family Potluck. Unfortunately my blue line Max train arrived in the transit center too late for the last bus up into the hills. Rather than turn around and go home, or call for a ride, I decided to walk there. Without a map, at night (but with streetlights). It was a bit like an old computer game, the being in a maze of identical streets with identical townhouses, and going up and down hills. I figured that if I got terribly lost I could always call someone, and I had a water bottle and a basket of little cakes... It took me about a half hour, (and I think it was somewhere between a mile and a mile and a half, as best I can figure out from my map at home) when I found my way past the land of identical townhouses, to the hilly suburban neighborhood where my friends live. All day today I've been feeling a bit pleased with myself, that was a bit more beyond my comfort zone in several ways, and I did it happily...

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New classes offered for the first quarter of the year :

Cloisonné Enameling -

Learn the entire process of creating cloisonné, with delicate lines of precious metal delineating patterns and images. Create a suitable design, bend and apply the cloisonné wires, apply multiple layers of enamel and fuse them in the kiln, and grind and flash-fire the finished enamel. You will be provided with materials, and complete at least one piece that can be worn as a pendant.

January 23^rd - 25^th or March 20^th - 22^nd ~ $175
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Fold Forming for Jewelry -

Fold forming is an exciting technique wherein sheet metal is folded and hammered to create textured, 3-dimensional, organic forms. This is a relatively quick process, so students will have the opportunity to create a variety of basic forms as well as explore some forms in more depth. Because we will be scaling these forms down to sizes useful for jewelry, the work will not require a great deal of heavy hammering. This workshop is appropriate for beginners, however experienced jewelry artists will find it very exciting as well.

February 20^th - 22^nd ~ $195
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Painted Enameling

Learn a straightforward way to add fine details to your enamels. The use of painting enamels began in medieval France, and is appropriate for contemporary and traditional designs. Painting enamels are mixed with lavender oil and applied to a previously enameled surface. You will be provided with two silver blanks, and you will complete at least one small piece that can be worn as a pendant. I will also have available heart shaped blanks, should you want to make a special Valentines day gift…

(Note: you must not be allergic to lavender)

February 6^th - 8^th ~ $175
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Stamped Champlevé -

Champlevé usually involves elaborate preparation to create a design to enamel. We will learn a simple and fun technique using stamps and punches to create designs in the metal that can be filled with enamel to create a multicolored surface with a unique and contemporary look. You will complete at least one piece that can be worn as a pendant. Materials included.

March 6^th - 8^th ~ $175
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Fun Without Flame :
Decorative Stamping and Cold Connections -

Learn a variety of techniques for joining parts securely, without the use of heat or solder, and explore the use of various kinds of stamps to decorate and texture metal. This workshop will cover a wide range of mechanical joints that can be achieved with simple tools. We will be working with simple headed rivets, roves, tube rivets, mini screws, and much more. We will work with brass and copper, (silver available at an additional cost), learning how to determine the appropriate sort of cold joint for the materials at hand. There will be practice samples, as well as the option for a finished piece of jewelry to take home.

April 3^rd - 5^th ~ $195