Two More Classes for the Year

I have two more classes scheduled for the year!


The first one is a re-take of Barbara Lewis' Painting With Fire torch enameling class.  I've taken this class before, but true to form, I rushed a bit too much, trying to make ALL the beads she offered (and boy does she give us a LOT of beads to play with!).  This time, I plan to take my time and really pay attention to how the torch works with the enamel, and focus on getting good coats of enamel on each bead.


The class is this Saturday (yay!) in Annapolis, MD, and I'll get to meet some bloggers I've "met" online.  Doesn't get much better than that.

Beads by Barbara Lewis, available at her Etsy shop

My next class will be my first online course, this one with Stephanie Lee of "Semiprecious Salvage" fame.  My friend Cindy Wimmer took the last Homesteader's Metalsmithing course and thought I might like it, so I signed up for the second round.  It's an entirely new style of metalsmithing than I've taken previously, so I'm eager to see how I'll use what I learn.

And that will about do it for my learning for the year.  I'll be doing a nice long wrap-up of the year at the end of December to see how I've fared -- did I actually accomplish what I set out to do?  Did I learn anything new?  Did I learn something I didn't expect to learn?

Stay tuned for class photos!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for Lori Anderson Designs and also writes the blog Pretty Things.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.

Today Starts a New Adventure

Today starts a new adventure! I've decided to chronicle my New Year's Resolution of taking time off from my usual killer craft show schedule and spend this year exploring new jewelry techniques and new art forms. I'm still doing some shows, but I chose carefully and completely avoided the brutally hot and logistically nasty summer shows.

I'm pretty much a self-taught jewelry designer and have only taken a couple of classes in the past six years. This year, though, I've already signed up for four classes. Sure, I have a ton of books bought and ready to be read, but signing my name and pulling out the credit card commits me to the task in a way that a stack of books doesn't.


In April, I'm attending BeadFest in King of Prussia, PA, and I'll be taking two metalsmithing classes with Tracy Stanley. One is her "Riveted Pendant" class, where I'll learn to make this:


and her "Riveted Links and Rings" class, where I'll learn to make this:



I'm really excited, because while I know how to solder and cut things with a saw, I don't know much about cold connections or stamping, and there are so many applications I have in mind for these techniques. Check out www.beadfest.com for the other BeadFest shows and classes!


I've also decided that this is the year I'm REALLY going to jump out of my creative box and try an art form that I've always admired but have NO background in -- altered art. I got over my fears of inadequacy, bit the bullet, and signed up for two artistic journaling classes at the Art and Soul Retreat in Hampton, VA in May.

First, "Journal Spilling Watercolor" with Diana Trout....


And "Inspired Journaling: Every Single Day!" by Melanie Testa.


Both classes use watercolors, pen and ink, ephemera, gesso, and imagination to create journal pages that are works of expressive art. My hope is to find a voice within so I can create art on a smaller scale, drawing and painting little bitty pieces that can be soldered behind glass for pendants.


So that's the very beginning of my journey. I'm excited to see where this all leads me.

If you'd like to stretch your creative wings,
join my Bead Soup Blog Party at my other blog
by clicking here.