Tag Archive | Mermaid Dreams

There’s still time to join me to CREATE

May28

My classes are kitted up, my bags are packed and I spent some time making new ICE Resin jewelry to sell at the Artist’s Faire night next Friday at the CREATE mixed-media art retreat in Irvine, California. There are still spots open for some amazing classes. Check out the roster of instructors if you have a minute and then figure out how to join me next week.

My dear friend Carol La Valley helped me make some fun Mixed-Media Mad Bags for the faire. I took a lot of my paper and bits an bobs of things I have left over from my classes and projects that are taking up too much space in my studio and we made some fun creativity bags. There is some resin paper in there, some French paper, metal charms and trinkets, grungeboard and chipboard shapes, and a funny soft plastic baby party favor with movable hands.

making my mixedmedia mad bags

Punching some French paper for my mixed-media mad bags

If you are around Wednesday and Thursday, I still have some spots left in my classes. Mermaid Dreams necklace, which is all about mold making, resin clay and making your own beads is all day Wednesday. Wednesday evening is Whimsical Rings, where you will learn how to make an adjustable ring shank from copper or nickel, how to use a circle punch and dap and dome metal and then proper cold-join attachment for colorful lampwork beads. My ICE Resin class Thursday is almost sold out. Only a spot or two left. But students will collage 3 mixed-metal bezels and learn how to work with a jeweler’s grade resin.

goodies for the mixed media bags

Some of the goodies on my table that we put into the mixed-media mad bags

As always, I’ll do my best to blog from the road and update with some fun pics. That being said, I always have the best intentions of this but then get to the retreats with all my friends and such creative students and I just tend to soak up all the great energy and get lost in the camaraderie of creativity.

goodie bags

Finished bags. I think we made 17 or 18 of them.

CREATE blog hop

May11

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).

resin filled art bezel by Jen Cushman

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!

And Cloth Paper Scissors Editor Jenn Mason!

resin bezels filled with spices by Jen Cushman