SuzeBlogz

Ah, BeadFest

It's not a good thing to be overly obsessed with any one thing...where's the self control...Yes....I'm asking...?

Another bead show...yes...you heard me...another bead show.

Oaks, Pennsylvania...right outside of Valley Forge...BEADFEST.....great weather...perfect for the 90 minute car ride and a class with the brilliant Kim St. Jean

I can now say I've had classes with 3 magnificent teachers...Susan Lenart Kazmer, Linda Larsen and now Kim.  Such a change of pace for me who taught in the craft industry for a zillion years, to be taking classes from others.

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so, our goal was to make a pendant using copper and some new techniques, well new to me anyway.... like brazing... that I'd never seen before....and wire weaving.

The finished pendant...(this particular finished one shown below)....by Edie Malin from the class

Like FABULOUS, HUH !!!

and...here's the class....in action...

and, sitting on the end in the black T shirt my friend from Jersey  (and also a superb teacher hersef), Lena Pfeifer

we each got to choose a stone...I picked a malachite

and Kim carefully explained how we'd measure the metal and then saw it....which I did for the first time back in Linda Larsens class (April BEADFEST) and clearly remembered to NOT have a death grip on the saw!!!

 

Saw it, buff it, brush it, steel wool it, OY...it's like housekeeping...not that I know much about that...

pickle it, buff it, brush it, wipe it, anneal it....jeeeeez...you just got it clean now you make it black again...

then we're gonna make the fabulous little balls on the end of the copper wire...my FAV part I think

Kim explains how to figure where to place the holes for these little prongs and the rivets

and we progress

cause now we're gonna anneal again and BRAZE...

I'm freakin afraid !!!! But I did it

I loved it !!! 

I feel like I want to braze everything....

and now we have to buff, and polish and clean it AGAIN

BUT, LET ME TELL YOU...I HAD A SUPER GREAT TIME.

I didn't quite finish it, but I will at home...I just have to weave the thin wire & bend the prongs.

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and now....ta da....I want to show you some of KIM's beautiful work....she also has a BLOG

NOW, IF THAT DOESN'T INSPIRE YOU....NOTHING WILL !!!

except....her books

online tutorials at BEADUCATION and CLASSES

 

 

a days adventure

New Jersey is a very small state....you can probably navigate the whole thing...top to bottom, or side to side in a day...so...when you are going to visit a good friend...what's 2 hours of driving...NOTHING !!!

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so,..I live in Ocean County (see map...down at the bottom) .....Linda (c) lives in Hunterdon County and Colleen (r) is way up (& left) in Warren County

 

and today, we artsy girlfriends got together....NOT to make anything....surprise of surprises....but to schmooze, have lunch (Japanese, of course) , see Colleens house/studio and to gab.

IT WAS INCREDIBLE !!!

 

Colleen used to have a shop down at the shore (by me !!) called

THE ARTSY SOUL

Now, she's moved it into a part of her home where she'll be teaching again very soon. Who wouldn't want to work in this space??!!

 

 

 

These clay dolls are Colleens specialty. She makes the most beautiful fairies.

 

The rest of her home is equally wonderful...

 

and so are her hairless cats (she has 3) !!!

   

Linda, (an artist & archivist in her own right)...made each of us tiles using alcohol inks and seashells she collected while on vacation down at Long Beach Island, NJ 

The Mermaid.....a little piece of 'the store by the shore' now resides in Colleens front yard.... YAY !!

next artsy visit.....MY house !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2....The City !

Got up at 7 AM....an hour I rarely, if ever, see !!!

I am NOT a good morning person....with NO apologies !

We hopped another bus into Manhattan....and, began our adventure into SoHo, the Village & Chinatown.

Known for their "very good" knockoffs....we stop at a handbag place (one of many) !

Enough said on THAT subject!!

 

one real/fake knockoff purse later.... 

walking...walking....

you see people sitting on stoops...something I did when *I* was a kid growing up in Brooklyn.

and finally......we find

Laduree

OMG...a piece of Paris right in SoHo

we order a 'snack'....I can't even begin to describe the famous hot chocolate

 

we continue....

walking....walking....

wedding cakes in a window....oh my..

understated hooker shoes

we find an amazing vintage clothing shop

 

I find a fabulous jewelry shop and buy this bracelet...the hebrew taken from Kabbalah... letters mean "Dissolve Negativity"

Hop a Taxi and head midtown....

 

we go to see "KINKY BOOTS"

INCREDIBLE !! I'D SEE IT 10 MORE TIMES IF I COULD

a very wonderful day....

Hot, humid, walking......but...who's complaining...

it's Manhattan !!!

 

 

 

 

 

a little side trip into "The City"

A visit from an old friend (who remains anonymous !) prompted us to head into Manhattan for a 2 day excursion...

first up...lunch at Rockafeller Plaza

a little stroll around the area

and then....uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

 

they allow pictures...that in itself is unusual, and, they have the most wonderful & helpful staff and such incredible art.

 

 

 

 

I'm sure you'll recognize many of these famous paintings!

 

and of course that was just the tip of the iceberg...they had a beautiful Monet display and a very special Fashion display. 

so....after walking through the Egyptian exhibit....

you come into the amazing high fashions on special display for a limited time.

in a darkened room with just a few spotlights...

 

I am absolutely going back to this museum first chance I get...it was really spectacular. I'm so lucky I live so close.

 

you can also go to the roof and get a terrific view of Central Park & NYC

Not to put you into overkill...but..I can't resist sharing a few more artifacts...

when the day ended...we took a BUS back to Jersey...this artwork is at the Port Authority Bus Terminal...

Cool, huh?





 

How to Get Inspired

so, you're a bit bored you say to yourself....you need some inspiring...

where to go....what to do....

grab your girlfriends...

(the wives of The Lensters biker buddies who are alo MY buddies)

and you sign up for a Wine and Design experience up in Edison, NJ.

Ha ha ha ha ha

None of us can so much as draw a straight line....yup...that includes me too........seriously !!

No Problem....they give you the canvas already sketched out...you breathe a big sigh of relief !!

they give you a big plate of paint.....and an apron...and brushes...and water......& paper towels....

and they instruct you....green goes here, pink goes here....tra la !!

did you notice how nice and separate my companions kept their paints....look at their plates....

here's mine...I'm so NOT anal

you have 2 hours to complete your masterpiece, between laughing and kibbitzing

 

turning it sideways to draw in the fine lines....ha ha

No worries....I'm neither hanging it nor selling it !!

Thank you (l-r) Marcia, Jackie, Wendy and Stephanie for a fantastic fun night...and...The Lenster thought it looked "cool" (his words!)...whatever that REALLY meant !

 

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A little trip to Home Goods this week gave me some further inspiration. I didn't need anything...just went to look.

 

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and yesterday we stopped at the home of a master craftsman who is building a base for the Torah ark at our synagogue...

I could blog about that alone for days...his basement workshop was astonishing.

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But, my last post for the day is to direct you to my ETSY shop for the newest offering

and to the ARTFUL GIRLS CLUB also on etsy

for their amazing T-shirts and tops...like this one

and, That's my story for today!!