CREATE blog hop

I was tres busy yesterday pouring a bunch of new resin-filled bezels for the upcoming CREATE mixed-media art retreat in Irvine, California in a few short weeks. These little collages in ultra clear ICE Resin will soon be turned into earrings and necklaces and a few bracelets to show as samples at my Resin, Set, Go workshop and also on sale for vendor night. (Please excuse the bad photos. I took them right after I poured them on the white garbage bags. They look so much more lovely when the resin is cured and glass like).

While my resin class is just about full, there are still some spots left in my other classes. Whimsical Rings, where students will learn how to make their own adjustable ring bands from copper sheet metal and also cold-connection techniques of stacking up these colorful lampwork beads. I’m also really thrilled to be teaching my Mermaid Dreams necklace class for the first time. This workshop is chock full of techniques, from making your own molds from old hardware and replicating them in resin clay then adding all kinds of surface treatments and color. We’ll also be making our own textured clay beads and then wirewrapping it all together.

There are so many amazing instructors at this event that I wish I could attend CREATE with no other purpose than learning so many fabulous techniques. I am thrilled to say I did sneak in one day to myself on Saturday to take Alisa Burke’s Large Than Life Canvas class. I have a huge bare wall in my new studio and I think this workshop is going to fill the bill. I love her style and know her personally. What an incredibly talented lady.

Here’s a little something extra special. If you comment on this post, I’m doing a little giveaway. A signed copy of my book, Explore, Create, Resinate; Mixed Media Techniques Using ICE Resin along with a 1 oz ICE Resin syringe and 2 mixed metal bezels to play with. Since I’m so excited about this event, I will include one of my handmade charms as well.

This weekend is a great time to possibly learn more about some wonderful artists who are part of the CREATE California blog hop. Hopefully, you got here from Jenn Mason’s post about the event, but if you didn’t be sure to check it out first and then work your way down the list.

So go grab a cup of coffee or an iced tea and a snack and settle into your computer for the next hour. It’s going to be fun!

• Dawn Sokol: dblogala.com/
• Dea Fischer: thestarbook.ca
• Helen Shafer Garcia: agavelatte.blogspot.com
• Jacqueline Newbold: djnewbold.blogspot.com
• Jane LaFazio: janeville.blogspot.com
• Jeannie P. Moore: Jeanniemooresblog.blogspot.com
• Jen Cushman: http://jencushman.wordpress.com
• Joanne Sharpe: joannezsharpe.blogspot.com
• Jodi Ohl: sweetrepeats.blogspot.com
• Leighanna Light: Thingmakerstudio.blogspot.com
• Lisa Engelbrecht: lisaletters.blogspot.ca
• Orly Avineri: oneartistjournal.wordpress.com
• Pam Carriker: pamcarriker.com
• Robin Dudley-Howes: robindudleyhowes.blogspot.com
• Sandra Duran Wilson: sandraduranwilson.blogspot.com
• Sherrie Drummond: sherriejd.com
• Sue Pelletier: suepelletierlaughpaint.com
• Tiffany Teske: tiffanyteske.com

And Cloth Paper Scissors Editor Jenn Mason!

ECR in Handcrafted magazine

The annual special issue of Handcrafted Jewelry magazine is on newsstands now and, boy oh boy, it’s filled with lots of great mixed-media jewelry projects. The little collaged bird house necklaces on the cover are just too cute for words.

I had sent the editor a copy of my book Explore, Create, Resinate to review earlier in the year, so I was thrilled to see it mentioned as a must-buy along with some other wonderful new books that hit the craft market in 2011, including my friend Brenda Schweder’s fab Steel Wire Jewelry.

When you write a book, there is so much preparation work, along with the making of the art, writing the manuscript, meeting deadlines and following through with the production schedule that it seems like ages ago that I did Explore, Create, Resinate. I have to stop and remind myself that it just came out January 28th when we unveiled it at CHA.

I continue to get comments on it on a weekly basis from people who say they were always afraid to try ICE Resin but are now completely hooked on its incredible art making properties after reading my book. Yep, there are definitely other resin products on the market (and I’ve tried them all over the years, long before ever joining up with Susan), but there is nothing like ICE for quality and clarity. And, so far, there is nothing like ECR for teaching people in such clear and easy language and photos how to have guaranteed resin success.

So it was awesome to pick up a copy of Handcrafted Jewelry, which I look forward to buying every year, to see my book listed because it made me stop to take a look back to where I was this time last year. The reflection helped me to again be proud of my accomplishment of writing and self-publishing a book — with a whole lot of help from the original SLK Design Team because it was their incredible work that elevated the beauty of the book tenfold. It also helped me see where I was this time last year and how much I’m enjoying all the positive changes of the past 12 months.

Great Book Review

Hi everyone. Just a quick check in today to let you know that the talented artist Cindi Bisson did a wonderful review of my book Explore, Create, Resinate: Mixed Media Techniques Using ICE Resin over on When Creativity Knocks.

Cindi is a fellow CHA Designer member and a very creative person. I’ve seen some of her new work and I’m so enamoured with the way her artistic brain continues to ask the question “What if I do this????” and keeps coming up with interesting designs. She’s also the Product Review Manager and an Associate Producer for When Creativity Knocks, which is great Internet television for finding fun craft ideas.

If you have a minute to read Cindi’s review, please do so. Also be sure to surf around the channels of WCK where you’re guaranteed click your way through crafting paradise.