GIVEAWAY ON E-WORKSHOPS!

First of all, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who participated in the HUGE Bead Soup Exchange, and left a message!! Wow, what an amazing experience that was.  So cool I got to see so many new blogs and meet so many new artists.  Thanks again Lori!

There is a BIG GIVEAWAY I just posted on my new blog, e-workshops, so be sure to hop over there and sign up for all the goodies. 

 It's the "grand" launch of my new blog, and why not start it off with a fun giveaway and contest?? 

 Good luck!

And, I want to share my experience at the fantastic Art Is You Retreat, that took place last week in Petaluma, CA.  Now this was some fun...instructors like Thomas Mann, Thomas Ashman, Dee Foust, Stephanie Lee, Michael deMeng, Joanna Pierotti, Keith Lobue, on and on.

I took four amazing classes.  The first one was from Joanna Pierotti of Moss Hill Studio, and I attached her blog to the link. You have to go look at her work, wow! Just stunning. That was so much fun, I've never painted a face, or made any kind of a doll.  So this was so way out of my comfort zone, and way cool!

She gave us little faces she pre-made,and we painted them with the tiniest little paintbrushes.  Then we mounted them on tiny canvases, and decorated away.  I just love how she turned out!

I need to give her a name???

None of my classroom shots are very flattering to people, but it gives you a great idea of the action taking place. That is Joanna, third from the left, in the tan. Everyone is so busy.

Another class was with Michael deMeng. Check out his blog.  Another WOW!  I have never decorated a bottle before, and not painted one either. This was a blast, might be my fav of all the classes. I used burlap on the bottom, and painted it all over, then string on top, attaching a drawer handle.

I was able to get my eyeball in there (thanks Rochelle)! A sweet student gave that to me this summer, I was so excited to use it. This was a lot of fun. I used drawer hardware to bend and attach, giving the transparency a ghosty look.

Here's Michael in action outside the class. 

We're learning how to mix paints, and handle tools, too cool!

I took two Stephanie Lee classes!  I don't have my Pipe Dreams pendant done, I'll post when I do.  But in one class, Plaster Coffers, we made boxes from scratch cardboard, held them together with plaster and then painted them.  I know, pretty amazing. But it worked. For some reason, I made an owl, guess due to the fact I pulled out that hardware, and it talked to me, then I found the buttons, and voila, an owl box! Still some work to finish on him yet.

Sorry Steph, not the most flattering, but you still are a doll! Yep, that's Steph in the stripped apron, we all got so messy playing with paints and plaster. I felt like I was in grade school again, so freeing! I will have to make more of those for sure.

Thanks to all the amazing instructors, the organizers Ellen and Sal, and everyone who went.  It was probably the best retreat I've been to in ages, and loved every minute.  Hope you can go next year, it was quite a treat.

So be sure to sign up for the contest over at e-workshops.blogspot.com!

Riki

xox