New Work in a New Year

It sure is snowy outside, but I’m growing a fresh crop of flowers (metal), several new classes to put on the calendar, and a brand new membership at Tinkermill in Longmont. Also an educational nonprofit, Tinkermill.org is a creative maker space, filled with all sorts of interesting people with skills–and tools–and space to use them. My family joined, and are eagerly awaiting orientation so as to get to work on projects that are too big for the kitchen table, or require tools I’ve not yet acquired!

Something that really iced the cake for me is the classroom space that is available there. I will be offering classes in the upcoming months both in Gahanna, Ohio and in Longmont, Colorado in the upcoming weeks, so sign up for the newsletter if you’d like to be notified when they are on the schedule. Media will include digital, metal, polymer clay, and textiles.

Abounding Beads

The Longmont Bead Group meets on Thursdays…and sometimes on weekends…because we all love beads. Its also more fun to work on time-consuming projects with friends so that the hours fly by and the beads get strung, woven, embroidered, braided, knit and crochet, and more. One member gave another a cloth owl that was totally bare of embellishment, and what was to be a few hours of beading stretched WAY beyond–but looks fabulous.

We help each other learn new techniques and share our sources, sometimes buying in bulk together (sometimes just buying in bulk, period, because one just NEEDS that many!) I recently was guided through the intricacies of spiral and straight herringbone stitch, have learned right angle weave and peyote stitch, and how to knit and crochet with beads. Connecting with friends and learning new things is great for the mind, body and spirit; and it is easy to become isolated if you don’t make that effort. Hang out and be creative with a friend soon!

 

Summer Renewal

Creative Connections-signup.qr.2The long sunny days and warm weather makes it easy to get a lot of things to grow. Creative Connections is having a BIG growth-spurt–this year, we have blossomed into a Non Profit Corporation!

Having filed the paperwork in Colorado to become a 501(c)(3) educational non  profit corporation and trade marked the name, there is now much more to be done, and I’m gathering the people to help me do it. There are still more forms to be filed, meetings to be held, and money to raise, but now we can work together to make arts more accessible for everyone and develop funded programs. We’re currently seeking a low cost or grant-subsidized location for classes and a gallery gift shop where artists can sell their work.

I’ve given this website a total makeover, and it has gone from representing my own personal art to showcasing a much bigger collective effort. It’s just getting started, and has lots of room to grow.

Sign up for our newsletter and hear the latest on classes, events, and how it is all coming together! Scan the QR code shown here if you want to be fancy, or join through the sidebar signup form.

Growing Pains

bjd-2015-cover-webSome months there is just too much to do–too many projects and not enough time or energy to do them all. Still, that’s a far better problem than being bored, and I can thankfully say that I am never bored. During May of 2015, lots of projects moved along tremendously.

I worked on websites for clients using new templates and sliders, and branched out with a new website of my own that features my dolls and miniatures titled “Its the Little Things.”

I put a new cover on the Ball Joint Doll  print tutorial .pdf showing all three sizes of the bjd’s made so far. I am also editing the 11 part video tutorial of the same and will be finished with that next week.  I am promoting the Polymer Clay Adventure wherein these two tutorials are exclusively available, along with how-to projects from more than 20 other polymer clay artist instructors.

I’m also continuing to find the occasional odd hour or two (often on the bus) to do some knitting. I’ve learned to add beads to the yarn and to reduce and increase stitches. I’ve tried knitting with 4 needles, and made a scarf and hat for my doll Aurora Rose, along with a little beaded purse.. I’m working on a tunic for myself, with beads on the sleeves and front section, and it is about half done, and will likely be just in time for fall, if I keep at it!

beaded-bagsAlso coming along is the work to make Creative Connections a Non Profit Organization that will allow me to expand the reach of what I do, bringing classes and mentoring to emerging artists in schools, community groups, and organizations. Stay tuned for more about that this summer!

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Reconnecting

blue-kona-2014Its astounding that more than a year has gone by since I last posted here. It certainly wasn’t because I didn’t have anything going on! After 14 months of putting together all sorts of details that go into running a Main Street Gallery and hosting different art shows every month, organizing classes and websites for others, I found that I was doing a lot…but with more stress and less and less art. The owners and I had different goals, and came to a parting of the ways.

I learned a great deal, and will take it all with me to the next gallery or retail emporium in my future. I’m already checking into several different ways to integrate creative arts, instruction, and sales into a space in my community, and that’s where the focus will be: creative connections. I love having music, art, film, writing–all sorts of creative things going on, and I love sharing the buzz that you can get going with creativity. Creativity makes every day a little brighter. Perception and communication are my goals, and I promise to keep sharing them, here, there and everywhere.

I’ve moved my studio home just in time to take advantage of the upcoming warmer weather, and I’ve got outdoor classes in shibori, dyeing for textile artists, fabric painting, metal etching and polymer clay coming up. I’m also working on more dolls, and have a new PDF on creating ball joint dolls with polymer clay that is available EXCLUSIVELY through the Polymer Clay Adventure. I’m also back to work on the video for that, now that the studio is set back up at my house.

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