New jewelry blanks at Hobby Lobby

New Bracelet blanks at Hobby Lobby

Yep; you read that right! Last week I found some awesome new jewelry blanks (or ‘bezels’) at Hobby Lobby and this week they’re on sale for 50% off (through Sat. 5/22 only!)!!!  YEY!  These ones are GREAT for mosaic jewelry cuz they have deeper bezels than just a flat plate.  I’ve included some pics here; they include pendant blanks, super cool bracelets, earring blanks (incl. clip ons), and, esp. some awesome new hair pins, barettes, and ponies w/ deep bezels!  The price range is only $ 1.47 – $2.99 and that’s BEFORE the 50% off sale this week!

This is GREAT news for those of you that can’t afford to make a big online order or don’t qualify for wholesale prices, or just need some jewelry blanks last minute.  So; head on down to your local Hobby Lobby; I looked it up and they have stores in 35 states (but, alas, no West Coast states; sorry my many wonderful friends there!)!  Grab some, get ur tube of E6000 (epoxy) glue if you don’t have it already, their ear wires & chains are also 50% off, and some millefiori, tile, glass, polymer clay, or paper designs & resin, and GO TO TOWN!

New Hair Jewelry Blanks at Hobby Lobby

I’m very happy to announce that my new Mosaic Jewelry class starts next week at CO Free U.!  Mosaic jewelry is a great way to wear your love of mosaics and have a piece of jewelry that’s totally customized to you and your style!  And, it only requires 3 hours of your time (one-session class) and a low class and materials fee!  You’ll get to choose from different jewelry bases, including pendants, rings, earrings, and bracelets! You’ll leave the class with one finished piece!

Make your own delicate mosaic jewelry and learn how to decorate  your original design with tiny mosaic tiles, beads, and glass (the mosaic ”tesserae”) in this hands-on workshop.   You’ll learn the basics of making mosaic jewelry and complete your jewelry piece during class. Choose to make a ‘groutless’ style mosaic or take home grout, sealer, and clear instructions to finish the piece off simply at home in about a 1/2 hour. A wide array of materials are provided with your materials fee or you can upgrade to more elaborate supplies.   I’ll also include information on great sources for mosiac and jewelry materials and supplies and next-level mosaic jewelry in this fun, stress-relieving course.  Absolutely NO prior mosaic, jewelry-making, or art experience is necessary to quickly and easily learn this fun craft!  Come take a break from the daily grind and lose yourself for a few hours in a creative, stress-free environment!

Price: $45 Member   (nominal annual membership fee gets member rates all year)

         $57 Non-Member

$15 Required materials fee due at class

         $2-10 Optional materials fee payable in class

Classes are held at Colorado Free U. Lowry Campus, Off Quebec and 2nd between 6th Ave. and Alameda at 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO

UPCOMING CLASSES & REGISTRATION LINKS:

Monday evening, May 3rd, 6-9 p.m.

Friday DAYtime, May 21st., 9 a.m.-noon

Monday evening, June 7th, 6-9 p.m.

Wednesday evening, July 21st, 6-9 p.m.

For more information, see  www.freeu.com  OR call 303-399-0093.

Wanted to share; went to a super cool wholesale bead show in Denver last week; Rings ‘n Things bead Spring “Road Show”; found some terrific Mexican Day of the Dead things to use in my mosaics & mosaic jewelry; SO glad I went! I’ve already used a bunch of their stuff on two mosaic pieces; a candleabra and a frame, and am working on a mirror! Also got some great ball chain and other chain and cord for my pendants.  Find their show sched. at http://www.rings-things.com/Show/show.php  Great prices, free catalogs, and coupons!  And, they are wonderful people out of Spokane, WA, one of my favorite corners of the country!

BTW:  Have you heard of “The Day of the Dead” (“El Dia de los Muertos” in Spanish)? Wondered what it was all about? Wondered why there are so many skulls and skeletons in the artwork associated with the holiday? There is a pretty good, comprehensive description of the holiday on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

I think we can learn a lot from this wonderful holiday and tradition; honoring our loved ones who have passed; remembering the good things about them, seeing death as a more natural part of life and something to not be so feared, etc.  I have been to Mexico many times and visited the wonderful cemetaries, which I feel have a completely different feel than in the U.S. (more positive) and I have seen several of the wonderful altars to the dead, which are incredibly touching monuments to their loved ones.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

Day of the Dead display in Ocotepec, a town outside of Cuernavaca (from Wikipedia)

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it…Less than two weeks now until the 2010 SAMA (Society of American Mosaic Artists) Conference in Chicago!  SAMA is an organization for mosaic artists and fans, from those just beginning to discover mosaics to those that are seasoned professionals.  Of course, I’m kind of the “just beginning” end, so, this is my first conference!  I’m looking forward to meeting lots of other mosaicists (yeah; it’s kinda a word!), learning lots of new things, ‘networking’, and checking out the VENDOR marketplace!  Thank God, I’m flying SW, where they don’t charge for bags, b/c I’m bringing a whole empty one for lots of new GOODIES!!!

The photo above (titled, “The Unknown”) is a piece I’ve submitted for the Art Salon/Auction at the show; we’ll see how it does!  I’ll also be volunteering on the ‘Mosaic Marathon’, where we all contribute to the making of a huge mosaic installation to donate to a local domestic violence shelter.  It will be so fun to actually be designing & breaking & gluing some sh*t down w/other mosaicists!  I think the conference will provide some great inspiration, skills, and information to both inspire my work and add to my class content for my students.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to go every year, but I’m at least glad to be able to go now, at this more ‘beginning’ time as a mosaicist!  For anyone out there who’s familiar w/ SAMA and wants information and/or reports on the conference and its activities, I’ll be doing some posting (hopefully during, but definitely after) and can answer any questions you might have.  If you’re not familiar w/ SAMA and you’re looking for some information on mosaics, supplies, classes, artists, designers, etc., see their website  for all kinds of resources!

For anyone interested in learning how to do mosaics, especially anyone interested in figuring out, “what the heck grout color should I use on this thing?!”, I found the COOLEST free online tool that can help you to choose grout colors for your mosaic piece; check it out..(Also; they hae all kinds of other helpful info. & links on this excellent site out of the U.K.)…

http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk/projects/pr2mirr.shtml