Class up date

So are we all back from our winter wonderland of fudge, food, beverages and more food?  Yes!  And I for one am ready to loose some lbs and get back to eating healthy.  Now the panic comes after not being hooked into the day to day for a week as I see January is almost here and there is a ton to prepare for!!  I just got a phone call from Dede at Gilding the Lily and she wanted to know if we could set up another date for the charm bracelet because of some more interest and so Jan.30 will be the second date.  Call now if you want to get in since the lily can only accomodate 8 students max and she said 4 have already signed up!  714-757-0558.

Make sure to come by and meet over 45 teachers at Piecemakers in Costa Mesa Ca. on January 9 from 11-4 for their annual Meet the Teachers event.  There will be demos and samples for all the new classes as well as items for sale.  I will be teaching a very popular  Treasure Hunt Tassel class Jan.31.  See my class blog for pics.


I met up with Cooky from the Shepherdess in San Diego,Ca over the xmas break and will be teaching some  altered art bottles and soldered bottle classes some time in April for a full weekend.  I am so excited for 2010 and all it has to offer already!   Now if I could just clean my studio.........

Charlotte in a Bell Jar

I'm happy to say that the charm bracelet class posted below is filled for Jan.23 (Thanks Cindy!).   This bell jar class already has some sign ups and I just brought the samples in last Thursday!   Theyr'e not listed on the lily's site yet but the samples are in the store so call Dede if you are interested 714-757-0558.  If there are any cancelations for the charm class they'll let you know and we will probably set another date before May for another.  Please email me or leave a comment if you have questions and I'll get right back to you.  Here is a quick look at my Gilding the Lily classes for Spring 2010:

Jan. 23~Treasure Charm Bracelet

Jan. 30~Treasure Charm Bracelet

March 13~Charlotte in a Bell Jar-Soldered Keepsake

March 27~Soldering 101-Fives a Charm

Merry Christmas everyone!

Serendipity

New Treasured Charm Bracelet Class

I had a fantastic weekend.  My trunk show at Garden of Beaden went well above my expectations and to top it all off I had a lot of sign ups for my classes, enough for two full classes and more to come.  So now I have a new venue that won't compete with other venues (it's in Upland) and lots of fun magical people to add to the growing list of friends and students.  Irene owns Garden of Beaden and has a heart of gold.    She and her family (they all work there and are VERY talented) welcome all of their customers with a smile and a sincere interest for all their beading and jewelry needs..... and it shows.  From the time the store opened there was a steady stream of devoted customers that filled the store and they all adore Irene and her family.  To be in business for 11 years is saying something, especially at this point in time. 

How I met Irene ~  Serendipity ~ dictionary definition : an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.   A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful woman named Andrea.  She found my class schedual on a blog (maybe Gilding the lily?) and proceeded to  check out my blog (you know how we all do that).  Saw my class schedual there and came to one of my rubber stamp classes at Piecemakers, loved some jewelry I had brought in and bought a necklace from me.   Andrea picked up the latest copy of Belle Armoire Jewelry and saw from an article that there was a bead store (Garden of Beaden) right down the street from her.  Excited, she went to check it out and just happened to be wearing the necklace she bought from me.  She walked into the bead store and apparently Irene flipped over the necklace along with another gal.  Andrea told Irene that I would be teaching the necklace at Piecemakers and so she along with another great gal, Dana (who I also happened to meet serendipitously at Gliiterfest), drove out from Upland (over an hour drive) to take my class and we all hit it off.  One conversation led to another and the trunk show with a hope for interest in classes was put together quite quickly.  Irene told me she had really great customers and she was right.  So if you live in the area and need a creative fix and or beads or want to make a day of classes and really great company,  I highly recommend it.  In fact just recently she had a book signing with Ruth Rae and Kelly Snelling for their fantastic book,   A Charming Exchange.

One other thing (I commend you if you are still reading this) about bead stores.  I love bead stores!  At least some of them....well I am kinda picky actually.  When I walk into a bead store I want to see things and samples that wow me, that I can't find at Michaels or JoAnns (not that I don't like them)  and that  I can't live with out.   Right now at Garden of Beaden for a limited time there are some fantastic deals on have to have beads, pearls and semi precious stones and they're all laid out in the center of the store in colored themes.   They are consigned items that will be gone my mid January so check it out.  She also carries great charms, felting molds, some soldering equipment (the propane kind), African trade beads, silver findings, seed beads, hand made glass beads, resin casting materials, hand made jewelry, paper ephemera, wire....get the picture?  You will love her and her store.  Patronize our small businesses and give'em some love!  I want to take Dana's fusing class and Lucy's resin class!

Oh ANOTHER  thing......sheesh Robin shut up!   The pic above is a new class schedualed for Jan.23, 2010 at another fav establishment Gilding the Lily!  They don't have it on the schedual YET but you can still bug Dede Warren and reserve yer' seat at 714-757-0558.

Don't forget...

Robin Howes Designer
TRUNK SHOW!! See post below for info.  This weekend Dec. 12 I will be in Upland Ca. at the Garden of Beaden demonstrating and selling my wares.  Please join me if you're in the area and say hi.  


On Sunday Dec. 13 I will be teaching a fun class called Altered Art Bottles at Piecemakers in Costa Mesa.  Please see post below for info.  My class blog has more pictures:  robindudleyhowesclasses.blogspot.com

New pieces

HOpe to see you this weekend!  See post below for deets....

Open studio, trunk shows and demos....

Hola mi amores!  How's life after turkey day?  Here is an update before life becomes too hectic.  If you can squeeze in some play time before holiday "crunch" time and want to make or buy some unique gifts I invite you to visit me either for a trunk show, demo or a couple classes.  Here is the scoop:

Saturday Dec.5: Demo and trunk show Piecemakers 1720 Adams Ave,Costa Mesa.  Join me and hundreds of other teachers and vendors for a fun girls/boys day out.  Time:10a-3p

Sunday Dec.6:  OPEN STUDIO!!  CHEAP!!!!  If you have taken ANY of my classes and were not able to finish your project now you will have an opportunity to do so and it's only $20!!!!!  From 10-1p I will be available to answer your questions and assist you to completion.  This class is at Piecemakers, 1720 Adams Ave,Costa Mesa.  Call 714-641-3112

Saturday Dec.12: Garden of Beaden, 313 N.Second Ave, Upland Ca.  I am excited to introduce my classes and products at this new venue.  Please join us from 10a-2p for demos and trunk show.   909-949-7107

Sunday Dec.13:  Altered Art Bottle class, Piecemakers 1720 Adams Ave,Costa Mesa CA.  This is a fun half day class, 10-2:30p.  Turn a plain old bottle into a necklace, doll or vessel for keepsakes.  Learn how to apply wax, rusted wire, vintage and new pieces, a little solder, doll parts and more to make an avante garde conversation piece.  $45 includes some supplies.

See my class blog for pictures:
http://robindudleyhowesclasses.blogspot.com/

FYI~My jewelry and other gifty things are reasonably priced and I can take special orders.  If you can't make it to one of my classes or events email me and I will try to accomodate you.    I don't add new merchandise to my Etsy store much because very often I sell it at my classes and events.  So if you see something on my blog, chances are it's for sale!   I also have gift certificates!



Also~~  I am in the process of setting up a Ning site for online classes!!  This will allow all of you in the other parts of the US and farther to take some classes with me.    Yay!!  BUT I need as much help as I can get.  If any of you have taken an online class I would love to hear what you liked and didn't like about them.  AND what you would be interested in for classes!!   Soldering? Jewelry?  Tassels?  Altered art Bottles?   Pretty punched portfolio or Bohemian Chic?  The type of online classes I am thinking of doing are video style and would require a high speed connection.
Email me for questions robin@powerline6.com

Meet me at the faire.....

                                                  Little Egypt~Chicago World Faire 1893

For those of you who live in or near the South Bay (Torrance,CA) this is an open invitation to visit me this SUNDAY  NOVEMBER 22 at the Torrance Antique Street Faire.  If you want to share the space with me please email robin@powerline6.com.   It's 18x19 for $45.  We can split the cost in half or by a 1/3 if you don't have much.  I will be selling lots of old and new stuff, including my jewelry and frozen charlottes, merchandise and clothing from the store we closed down, computer equipment, printers, kitchen stuff, some furniture, bike, craft supplies, bags of old jewelry,  paper, ephemera, lots of other things.  Address:

1317 Sartori Ave
Torrance CA  9050
310-328-6107
Web link:  torranceantiquefaire.com
hours:  8a-3p rain or shine

I will be in the WELLS FARGO PARKING LOT ON MARCELINA AVE.   Set up 6am

Grateful

Today is Sunday.  I relaxed. I leisurely caught up on some email stuff and proposals, visited some blogs and left thoughtful posts, spent time just "being" here in my home with my family, not doing anything with a purpose.   I intended to clean up , and I did, but it wasn't as much as I'd like.  I guess the dust can wait.  As I was shooting pictures of some of my new treasure necklaces I was thinking about what I would write on this post.  I was also thinking about how diverse  blogs are in general.  Have you ever clicked  "next blog" on your dashboard?  It's located (usually) on the top of your blog.  Try it...you never know what or who you might run into.  And for the blogs where you leave a post but never hear a reply....what's up with that?  I understand that I can't always expect a reply from all blogs but after having left a couple comments over a few months and still nothing....It only takes two seconds to leave a comment and it means so much.  Hopefully I'm not the only one out there that has this happen.  But then there are the loyal bloggers who leave comments all the time and I love them for it!   There are blogs that read like a good novel and suck you in with their story telling, deep thoughts and profound vocabulary.  After I visit those blogs my blog seems so shallow but then I get over it.  I know I'm not shallow, just a little private about my thoughts.  And between me and you I very rarely read the whole post on those blogs.  Mostly because of lack of time.    I'm very public with visuals and that's more what I look for in other blogs and strive for in mine.  Letting you see what I have made makes me and all the other creative types who share their work vulnerable in other ways but I'm willing to take the risk.  I recently found a food blog and loved it!  Never thought I'd say that.  Check it out:thepioneerwoman.com

I am grateful and make it my intention to say so everyday.  One of the many things I am grateful for are the students that come to my classes and the establishments that let me teach.   I had a great class yesterday at Piecemakers.  Here are some fuzzy pictures of the students.  Let's see there was Dana, Irene (she owns the Garden of Beadin' store), Andrea all from the Upland area and on the left  Stephanie, her mom Janae, Carol and Liz (from San Diego area).  Great students and talented in their own right.  Thanks to you all!

These pictures of my new necklace creations were fun to make and the photos I took were experiments with lighting and effects.  One of them relates to the pile "o" pink post below.  I like the way it came out.  For those of you who make dolls you might relate to the next few sentences.  I generally start projects with a theme or color scheme in mind and usually it takes on a life of its own from there.  This is really true with the treasure necklaces and the altered art bottles.... a life of their own I mean.  That's why I bring up doll making.....and you doll makers  know what I'm talking about.....or should I say what "their" talking about.   That voice and personality  that takes over your project and channels life into it.  That's all I'm saying....zipping my mouth and throwing out the key now!       Check out my Etsy tonight or tomarrow.   They'll be for sale.