Charm bracelet class this Sunday

Openings this Sunday , May 2 at Piecemakers in Costa Mesa Ca. to make one of the these charm bracelets.  All levels welcome, 10-4p $65 includes lunch and some supplies.  Call Piecemakers to reserve a seat:     714-641-3112

Trunk Show

This coming Saturday, May 1, Bead Gallery San Diego has invited me to have a trunk show at their lovely establishment.  I will also be teaching a 3 day workshop there June 11,12,13.    Come on by and say hi, sign up for some fun classes and check out my new pieces.  They have a HUGE selection of beads and supplies.  Here's the specs:

Bead Gallery
9823 Mira Mesa       
San Diego,Ca  92131
11-4ish
858-831-9190

 

before and after.......

The past few days have been wonderful and of course  a little stressful but ultimately gratifying.  The Saturday class was full and fantastic and the pendants that everyone made were so, so cool.  I didn't take pictures of everyones pieces but here are a few: Karen, Janet, Tara and Geraldine.  Thanks to all of you for coming!! 

  My 2 day workshop in Las Vegas went well above my expectations thanks to Kim at Bead Haven and Jan Ballagh who introduced me to Kim to teach the classes.  Kim manages Bead Haven and it really is a haven for beads!  Oh my gosh you could spend HOURS in there shopping and I heard the same from all the other students raving about the selection..... cash register ringing!  Kim and Milton (?) were very proactive and organized which makes teaching a lot easier.  Everything was set up and ready to go.   Gail, her sister, owns two bead stores with the original Bead Haven in Michigan.  She was in the class and asked if I would like to come teach in Michigan...sounds good to me!  Never been there but I'm always ready for a new adventure.  Thanks to all the students that flew out from Michigan and Ohio (Alice!) as well as the locals and even one from L.A.   A special thanks to Jan for being the liaison for it all, picking me up and dropping me off to the airport, feeding me, housing me and providing all around hospitality.   I actually took some pictures of the class (for a change). 

Thanks again to everyone!  Here are some pictures of the kits and contents.  One class day of kits fit into one carry on.  Everything else went in two other suitcases

Vegas Baby!

I'm going to see my family for 4 days and am a little stressed because I have to get ready for VEGAS!  Plus I'm teaching a class the day before I leave for Vegas so as much as I love seeing my family (they live about 3 hours away) I thought I would be a little farther along with all my prep, but it always works out in the end.  I am going to Vegas in about a week for a sold out 2 day workshop and have been organizing and putting about 40 kits together.  The thing about my kits is that I can't just go to my local craft store and buy the materials....they're vintage findings so it's a little stressful trying to find everything but at the same time it is fun and it's all about the hunt, rummaging  flea markets, tracking ebay, checking out thrift stores.   Plus I always do more than I need to so the students can finish their project by preping a lot of the jewelry pieces.

 The pic below is a class that will be held at Piecemakers, Costa Mesa Ca,April 10 from 10a-3 called the Petite Soldered Box Pendant.   Call 714-641-3112 to reserve your seat.

FREE resource

Hi everyone....this is my #1 resource for sterling silver wire and other wire and they are having a sale;
thunderbirdsupply.com .  It's only for 4 days so hurry!!  Get on the email list and they'll send sale updates!!

playing with dolls

When I was a little girl I LOVED dolls....I made my Barbie dolls clothes, pierced their ears, made pillows, sheets and pillow cases for them, accessories, shoes, painted their nails, fixed their hair and cut it.  I especially loved making paper dolls and designing clothes for them.   I meticulously cut out and colored every tiny detail and spent hours, even days on end conjuring new things to make.   My big dolls all had a place on my bed and if any one of them had been moved I knew it.....  To this day I still love dolls.....mostly altered and especially old ones, but some people think they're creepy.  I have never felt that way.   I have been working on lots of projects for the last couple months and things are finally starting to come together.  I started painting some very old doll heads and bodies to add to my jewelry and assemblages and am really excited to see what comes of that.   About a month ago I won a large lot of very, very old rosary centers.   I made a pair of earrings with some that I really like and will probably make more.  I will be a vendor at Glitterfest, May 22 and there is nothing like having to have some inventory for a show to put a fire under my patootie!  So here is a tiny preview of some of the parts....more to come.  Let me know what you think.

Soldering 101

This class was listed a little late so we still have openings.  Please join me this Saturday, March 27 from 11-3p, Gilding the Lily, Fullerton Ca. to make this elegant necklace.  It is geared toward beginners but even the seasoned solderer will be sure to learn something new.   Everything you need to make the 5 charms is included in the class fee.  Contact Dede Warren 714-757-0558.   The class is called:  Soldering 101-5's a charm.  Please bring your soldering equipment IF you have it.   You'll be able to finish your charms a lot faster if you do.  Other wise I have equipment you can use.

Mermaid Cuff

There are two seats left for class THIS Sunday, March 21 (first day of Spring?).  The class is from 10a-3p at Garden of Beading in Upland,Ca and it's only $45!!!!.  Here are pics of other students work (Riki, Chelsea ,KIm & another that I can't remember name)and a picture of my sample:

 
 These were from a class so some were not finished but you see how diverse you can be.  It's a fun class and you will go home with a finished piece!

tassels...

I originally made my first Treasure Hunt Tassel while at the very first Art Fiber Fest, (2004-5?) put on by Teesha Moore.  For those of you who have never gone to this retreat or any of the others she puts on, there is always a room designated for everyone to bring what they no longer want.   It's called the art asylum room and as the saying goes one mans trash is another mans treasure, and so it was .....and that is how I created and named my first tassel.   Diane Briegleb happened to be in a class with me at Fiber Fest and was giving away some of her fabulous faces that she sells online.   Whenever you go to a retreat part of the fun is trading, and that was her trade!  I was thrilled.   They are called "the Face"  and you have probably seen them in many bead creations.  The first tassel I made (the small green one) has one of her faces along with several "treasures" that I found in the art asylum room.   In fact the whole tassel was made from other peoples discards and trades.  I had the idea to send in a proposal to teach it, was accepted and the next year I taught my very first tassel class at Art Fiber Fest along with another tassel called the Ethnic Eclectic tassel.  They went over really well.

As a teacher you are constantly striving to out do your last project, to ensure more classes, but sometimes you're lucky enough to have a few be a constant source of ongoing classes, and that seems to be the case with this quirky tassel.  About 2 weeks ago in a class I taught, I had a request from some new students/friends of mine about the next tassel class.  I said I didn't have any scheduled since I had just taught it but that I am happy to come to someones house or studio and make a class.  Well Claire and Barbara really wanted to have this class and so Claire is opening her home in Irvine,Ca  to do just that!  Here are the Specifics:(address will be given upon registration)

Treasure Hunt Tassel Workshop & Trunk Show
Saturday, June 19
10-4p
$55 paid in advance
Irvine,CA (address TBA)
bring a sack lunch and Claire will provide beverages
Materials list will be given upon registration
no experienced needed, except an open mind and maybe some hand sewing

email me robin@powerline6.com for info.  We need at least 6 people to make a class, 12 max. Click on the images to get a better look.  These pictures really don't do them justice!

freebie..

If you want to get a little fancy with your photos go here http://www.picnik.com/ .  It's a free photo editing site.  I had fun manipulating these:

 

Debbie told me about it.  Thanks Debbie!   Oh, and I will be teaching this smaller version of my Treasure Necklace at Gilding the Lily Marh 27, 11-4.  I'm calling it SOLDERING 101-5'S A CHARM.  You will finish five charms and make it into a necklace.