Time is flying again - Arizona - January 2015

Goodness my last post was early December of last year.  Where does the time go?

It is a very cold winter in the Toronto area so far.  But I escaped for 10 days to Arizona recently.

Had the great pleasure of teaching four classes at The Melting Point in beautiful Sedona, Arizona.  The weather was perfect, The studio set up is gorgeous.  Wonderful hosts, Erin and Mike McMillen.  Mike took me out really early one morning in his big red jeep to do some off roading in the beautiful red hills.  I think I was pretty brave about the whole thing - it really is beautiful out there in the hills. 

I also had the best students!  We playing with Tiny Beads, Trees and then two days of Raking and Masking. 

Then I headed south for a few days with family and friends and fossils at the Gem Shows in Tucson.
I LOVE those fossils.

I am already looking forward to teaching at The Melting Point again - I will be returning in May of 2016. 

Birds - more birds - really having too much fun here

I have been experimenting with the birdies.
I thought well, what if I try to make a fancy Ottoman bead and turn it into a birdie.
I tried and this is the result.

Ottoman Style Birdie

and here she is from above

You can see the patterning better from above.  She is a cute birdie, but it took forever to make the layered and raked portion for the plumage.  Then I lose and/or distort most of it leaving only a small portion showing.  In the end I really think this little gal may really truly be one of a kind, as I think I am unlikely to try this again.

I have also been thinking about different patterning for the plumage.  This time I made really plain plumage and decorated it with a layered flower.  I like how this little gal turned out.

I am certainly still having fun with the birdies, but I am missing my beads too.  Planning to work out getting two torches available in the studio - the big debate it a Y connection or quick connects.  I am sure either will suffice in the end.  Then I can have my Minor back and still use the Bobcat to make birdies.