2 more AOI Cards and J1 ends

Inspiration continues - I just can't stop now! Here are two more cards and their original images:

Deborah Garcia Eat Cake & Original

Kelly Dunwoody 2 SK8 and Original

Finally, my Jewelry 1 class had their last session. Some folks brought back their projects to display, and I did finally remember to get a group shot before EVERYONE had left!

We did 5 projects this session and they are all pictured here:
Pierced Copper Cuff

Pierced Copper Cuff, Silver twisty ring, Textured and dapped earrings, Sterling silver jump ring bracelet, and...

A beautiful sterling silver pendant setting for a green agate cab.

Congrats to everyone who finished the class! There were many beautiful pieces of jewelry completed!

Autumn One-Image Swap

Finally, FINALLY I am nearing the end of my teaching frenzy (marathon)! The class scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to low enrollment (3rd time out of 4 for this location....think there is a message in this?) so....I had Sunday FREEEEEE to play! (catchup, that is). Anyway the Autumn one image swap cards have been patiently waiting for my attention, so I obliged! Actually this is WAYYYY out of my comfort range/experience, but in August I was blissfully free of commitments and signed up! I subsequently stamped a single image on 20 cards (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") and sent them off to Red Dog Scott for shuffling into 20 "decks" of cards THEN sent along to the 20 participants. I received my group and YIKES - it is a CHALLENGE! I have received 4 of my cards back with different treatments, all VERY ARTSY - thank you my very creative sister participants! (photos to come soon...) So with no further ado, I am posting the 4 cards I finished this weekend:

Louella DeMers (Run Spot) Michele Jackson (Latte')

Paulette (Omm) Roberta Wax (Got Carrots?)

I liked these so much I reeeeeeeally had a hard time putting them in the mail! I hope I am as inspired for the rest :-O!

Aye-Aye

What the HECK is that picture on your profile???? ok, it is an Aye-Aye! Some day I might be brave enough to post my own photo here, but the expression on this little guy's face is pretty much how I feel right now! I do LOVE animals - and have links on my desktop to many of the zoos with webcams - started with the Pandas, then elephants, giraffes - it is all just so facinating! When I need a moment to relax - I just click on one of the links and voila - a fabu animal to watch!
Along the way I found the Elephant Sanctuary. This is one truly worthy non-profit to donate to. Check out these incredible elephants being able to roam and be themselves in this wonderful Tennassee sanctuary. You will be addicted in no time! If you click on the picture, you will be linked to this great webcam/site!

This is Lun Lun and her cub, I think at the National Zoo... (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ ) how cute is that photo! Two other US zoos have panda cams, San Diego (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html ) and Atlanta, who has a new panda cub and will have their pandacam up 24/7 until December (http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_panda_cam.php4 ). Check out these links and you will be just as hooked as I am!

Carlisle School of Glass

Sooooo many things to post about and soooooo little time! I can't believe it has been over a month since I last blogged! Yikes!

This past weekend was the 3rd Annual Retreat for SGB-MA (Society of Glass Bead Makers - Mid-Atlantic Division) at the fun-fun-fun Carlisle School of Glass in Millville NJ.

It was my second time attending and I hope to continue to attend all the rest.

This pic I fondly call "annealers row" as we filled no less than 4 annealing ovens to the brim, over and over!

Last year's retreat was bitter-sweet for me because it marked the beginning of the downward spiral for my brother in his fight with cancer. He had called me on Sunday morning to say his legs were numb and from that point on, he never did get back on his feet. A very sad memory.

Below are pics of this year's group, I think there were 10 of us all together. We made lots of beads, gabbed, shared tools and materials, gabbed some more, had some great meals, and, did I say... Gabbed?

Did I mention that we had some great food? This was at "Fresh" for breakfast on Sunday, when we managed to stuff even more food in after our fabulous dinner at "Library IV" Sat nite. What were we thinking?!!
On the left (front to back), Gail, Joy, Jan and Nolly...On the right, Lisa, Pat, Debby, LJ and (Little) Lisa. Check out the Sunday French Toast Special - yes there really is French Toast under that HUGE mound of Fruit and Whipped Cream!



And finally, the fruits of my labor - nearly forty new beads, hot off the press! Thank you Lisa for the great murini lesson - I love it! (see the blue & white bead bottom left & ivory/black bead bottom center), Joy's baking soda bubbles (green bead upper left), a successful iris gold frit and silver leaf bead from "The Flow" magazine (big dot lavender bead top center), and an odd-shaped (like it tho) attempt at pushing colors inside the bead with a floral "frog" no less (thank you Barry & Lisa) bottom right. I am appalled that I only took pictures of MY beads - because everyone had SPECTACULAR stuff! Yeesh! Next year we will have to have our own little bead swap so I can take home real treasures from this retreat!