Wonderful Weekend

This year was the first time I had had the opportunity to teach a workshop at Fanshawe College in London Ontario. We bent, we twisted, we added beads and stones. The pieces that came out were fabulous! If you missed it, there is another opportunity for a great weekend like this, in Southampton at the Art School …. follow this link http://www.southamptonart.com/instructors/judy-feskun Id love to see you there!

Just a Couple More Days

There are just a couple more days in which to register for my workshop at Fanshawe College in London this weekend. It promises to be a lot of fun. Lots of projects planned. Just follow the link, download the pdf course guide and it is listed on page 14. If that date does not work for you, my weekends in Southampton at the Art School are coming up on July 6 and 7th and Aug 10 and 11th. Hope to see you there.

Fanshawe College.
http://www.fanshawec.ca/continuing-education/register

Southampton Art School
http://www.southamptonart.com/adult-classes/Jewellery

Summer Art Program at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario

Registration is now open for the Summer Art Program at Fanshawe College.  I will be teaching a weekend workshop on June 22 and 23rd 2013.  These weekends are so much  fun.  Techniques are taught, originallity is encouraged.  Follow this link to the PDF Program. http://www.fanshawec.ca/continuing_education   Download the London Campus Course Guide (Hint, hint,  My class is on page 14 LOL)  Hope to see you there.

1 Hour Classes

This coming Saturday November 10 2012 we will be offering a day of 1 hour classes at Robert Hall Originals in St. George, Ontario.  Two in the morning and two in the afternoon.  These classes were recently offered at the Ancaster Gem and Mineral Show and were very popular.  Here’s an opportunity to learn 1 – 4 techniques so you can blow them away with your Christmas gifts!! If you’d like to see the complete class line up for this fall you will find it at  www.stix-n-stones.ca  and we are working hard on bringing you a great spring 2013!

New Classes Added for 2012

I am pleased to tell you that there have been 3 new classes posted for the end of this season.  If you get a chance stop by  www.stix-n-stones.ca to check them out.  These will be the last new ones posted this year.  As usual the spring line up will be posted shortly before Christmas.

Summer Workshops 2012

It has been a whirlwind summer.  I have done some new things and met some wonderful new people.  The workshops at The Southampton Art School and at the Haliburton School of the Arts were a great success!!  All of the students seemed to enjoy themselves and even though the week long workshop was something new for me I loved it!!  It is a constant amazement to me to see the creativitiy and the variety of pieces that come out of the basic skill I have taught.

Upcoming Classes

If anyone is looking for a learning holiday in an ideal setting, here’s a couple for you.  I will be teaching two workshops this summer in a couple of the most beautiful towns in Ontario.

The first will be held at the Southampton Art School in Southampton Ontario.  Located on the shores of Lake Huron just south of the best beach in Ontario (Sauble Beach)  July 7 and 8th will be two days of relaxed creativity and learning.  You will learn a lot of basic techniques, taught a few structured projects and encouraged to use thos skills to design and create something all your own.

http://www.theartschool.org/program_results.php?General=&Category=%25&Instructor=177&Season=%25&submit=Search+Programs

The second is a week long workshop (July 23 to the 27th) in the beautiful town of Haliburton in the heart of cottage country.  This will be a more extensive course and will cover many techniques that will take you from beginner to intermediate wire artist.    All this while enjoying a week away in the north.  The Haliburton Art School website has a list of accommodations available for students.

http://flemingcollege.ca/continuing-education-courses/wire-jewellery/009183

Full colour, extensive tutorials will be handed out in each of these classes to insure your success in repeating these projects at a later time.  All tools required will be available for use during class.  The kit fee will include any wire, stones, and beads that you will require but feel free to bring any items you might like to incorperate into your projects.

Hope to see you there!!!

African Princesses to Goddesses of the Forest.

I have been working on a couple of Tree Goddesses the past few weeks that will be part of my display for the Ancaster Gem, Mineral, Bead and Jewellery Show this coming weekend (September 30, Oct 1 and 2011)  My local Homesense store had these two sculptures on clearance a while ago and I thought they would be perfect for this project.

A friend of my husband , with the right equipment, was kind enough to drill through the shoulders to allow me to insert a bundle of wires.

Next came a couple of layers of plaster cloth and paper clay

         

Then I coated them with a product called Powertex which made them really durable and I painted them to match our booth colours.  They have 10 fingers on each hand and I intend to hang pendants from their fingers with fishing line.  We have raised our table by 6″ and these Goddesses are close to 2′ tall so I think our pendants will be almost at eye level.  Heres hoping it encourages sales.

                

I “Heart” the Beach

                            

This is how I spent my summer vacation.  It took many wonderful hours walking the beach to find all these hearts and I enjoyed every one of them!!  All in all it was a very relaxing, peaceful week……358 days till next time

 

Southampton Classes

        

These are a couple of projects I will be teaching at the Southampton Art School.  The second piece is designed so that the bead can be taken out and replaced with a different stone for a completely different look.

 

My Happy Place

So I have finally finished with my new workroom and I thought I’d let you take a look around before I got it all messed up : )  Here goes.  First I organized all my beads into these neat little screw together containers.  I must have cleaned out 3 Dollarama stores! but they came in 3 different sizes and are perfect for the job (I think)  So now I can see all my beads.

Then came the trip to Ikea.  I bought 2 CD cases and 2 bookcases and, being Ikea, I was also able to get doors to fit on the bookcases to neaten things up a bit.  At the lumber yard I was able to get a shelf that fit the length of all 4 pieces and it will serve as a countertop.   It is a handy space to spread things out on.

      

My stones are organized into these tool cases that I have gotten over the years at the local Home Depot.  The little compartments are removeable and interchangeable.

   

The closet has been outfitted with shelves and houses the cases with the stones, a photography setup, the tumbler, more storage, etc.

There are two desks in the room, one on wheels that I can pull up to any chair.  There is a spot for my computer and I am saving for a new wiresless printer.  I installed a bulletin board and last but not least, hung my autographed picture of Pierce Brosnan : ) (A gift from my daughter).

    

  

So, no excuses now!! : )  There is a place for everything and everything is in its place.  Time to get to work.  I’ve got fall classes to organize!!  I doubt this room will ever be this neat again. LOL  Thanks for looking.

A Place to Create

Since my children have left home (long ago) and are not likely to be returning its time to turn one of the extra bedrooms into a workroom for myself. Don’t know what took me so long to get to it, but it sure will be good to have everything in one place for a change.  So closets have been emptied and painted, trips have been made to Ikea, the lumber yard, and Staples Business Depot and Costco.  Now I am in the middle of sorting things and putting everything in its place.  More pictures will follow. : ) as I get things organized.  I also found some great bead organizing containers at Dollarama.  I swear I cleaned out every Dollarama within 10 miles.

Tree Goddess Pendant Revised

I have been playing around with the Tree Goddess concept changing proportions and trying to add detail.  The reality is….they will all be different, with their own personalities and little quirks : ) but I think I finally am able to turn out a consistantly good looking one.  Thanks for looking….I hope you like her too.

The Dream

About a month ago my husband had a dream that he described in this way.  We were separated …. but not.  I had my own apartment, with 3 bedrooms, and he lived aparently somewhere else.

Well, last night, he arrived home from a sales meeting at which he broke his right ankle and injured his left knee…..so NO good legs : )  I set up a bed in our family room so that he will be able to stay on one level in our 5 level house.  As I climbed the stairs to go to sleep last night I thought…..There are 3 bedrooms on this level.  He can’t climb the stairs so , I pretty much have my own space on the top level….. we are separated….but not…..Hmmmmmmm

Even more curious….my right ankle ached all day Monday….the day he broke his.  I wonder if this is what happens when you have been married for 41 years???

Daytripper Ad

Cheryl, at Robert Hall Originals has done a wonderful job in putting together this ad for the local Daytripper.  If you look closely you can see my name in the black oval : ) and the featured necklace  is one of my beginner classes.