Exploring the polymer clay!

New toys... been teaching myself with the help of YouTube and BlueBottleTree tutorials... here are a bunch of things in various stages of done-ness. These come out quick and in volume.  FUN!!!

Back to my metalwork roots - and a long way to go...

These are the two pieces I decided were good enough to start wearing following classes at this year's Bead and Button Show. The one on the left was from a class with Kieu Pham Gray and on the right is one made in class with Kay Raksha. I did my first metalwork about 35 years ago (37? 36?) with the mom of a fellow student. She hosted a class for middleschoolers at her home, where she taught us to solder, cut, form, and forge. I lost most of those skills but over the years have attempted to dip back in. Now that I have a home workshop, I can experiment more!

Sun Star Pendant

Pattern by Cindy Holsclaw. Very fun project - leather chord from a remnant packet picked up somewhere along the way, very satisfying to find it a home.

Tila Garden 2

Also using Cindy Holsclaw's design. Soren does not approve of the colorway (he thinks it would be better if it was reversed) but I like it just fine.

Tila Garden 1

Another Cindy Holsclaw design.

Gifts

My first posts in 2016 are in November, which says a lot about this year.

Hi, Friends,

I am posting most of my 2016 completed beading projects here in the 11th month. It has been a crazy week, and the election has me truly shaken. Making myself feel better by focusing on what I can do: love my family, be there for my friends, where a safety pin, double down on my social justice work, and blow off steam with my beautiful beads!

So, below is 2016, a review...

Love.

Jobi