Spring Fever!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Going to go home after work and make some fun Irish food...Dublin Coddle with bacon, sausage, potatoes and cabbage; Irish Soda Bread, and some yummy "black and tans" made with Guinness Stout and Bass Ale!

I don't like keeping you posted only once a week, but sometimes that is the trend.  A lot has happened since I posted last week!

This,

this,

this,

this :)

B getting his Webelos markings :)

this,

my 1st attempts at etching...projects to come!

and wow, this!

Results from Sunday's Pipe Dreams workshop

I signed up for Stephanie Lee's Homesteading Metalsmithing class this past fall...watched all the videos and read the blog.  Never. made. anything.  Well, I did make a mess!  Flooded - oops, tried to flood one base piece and could not handle the truth!  Plus, it was close to the holidays and there was just too much going on with the fam..remember, I have a 9-year old honeyface to love/support/ raise!

Fast forward to 2011, Jeanette and Cindy at Artbliss announce Stephanie Lee and Metal Magic as their Spring Act!! Hello, my name is written all over it, but alas, the 4-day workshop just wasn't in my budget or schedule.  Thursday and Friday was the Handbook of Elements class which looked scrumptious, but I knew that wasn't in my cards.  Saturday and Sunday might be more doable with Pipe Dreams - a class Stephanie had never taught before.  Hmm, still a bit steep for a working girl!  Yay, Artbliss announces that there will be 2 weekend classes!  Junk Drawer Metalsmithing (similar to what was offered during Homesteading) and Pipe Dreams for 1 day on Sunday!  Hallelujah, a solution!  So, with my schedule already filled with my boy's Blue and Gold CubScouts Banquet on Saturday, I signed up for Pipe Dreams!  It was great!  I absolutely loved it!  Stephanie was a totally gracious teacher who made you feel like you had known each other forever!  Not only did I succeed in creating 3 cool soldered/embellished pieces, when I got home, I tried some of the Homesteading techniques that I had previously bombed at and was pleasantly surprised how much more I actually took home with me!


funky soldered-tip headpins, a length of chain, and my 1st soldered bezel

As a bonus, I got to put faces to some new blogging friends Erin and Sandi and see old friends Jeanette, Cindy and Lori.  I was totally into my art and didn't take a single photo of anything or anybody, but please go to these folks blogs that I have linked and take a look!


the beginnings of a necklace!