In The Studio

This week I’ve been doing prep work for 2 cool things happening tonight and tomorrow evening.

Tonight at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, PA there is an Open House spotlighting all the classes from the last semester. This is an hour long event giving demos of what was learned. In the past, the highlights have been people who are learning guitar, the clown class students and belly dancers in full costume who all perform. There was dog obedience training and a brief example of what each had learned, water color art displays from beginners and intermediate classes. There are instructors working on their crafts such as beadwork and caning chairs and of course, now, mosaics (that would be me). It was a lively event last year and one hour seemed to be just enough time to see all the interesting classes offered here and to once again be a part of this wonderful community. I love giving my mosaics classes here and hope to continue to do so for as long as they’ll have me. I will be there working on a custom ordered 10×10 inch frame which is used for the intermediate classes and my daughter, Tara who has assisted me in the intermediate class I recently gave here, will be working on 2 coasters for the beginners class. This gives the people who are interested a chance to see how both are made and ask questions about each class. If you live locally and have been thinking about taking a course next time they are offered (they start up again in February 2011) come join us from 8-9pm tonight in the cafeteria. Follow the laughter and you will find us! http://hhaes.org/

Thursday evening starts a new mosaics basics class at MALT in Mt Airy, PA. As of yesterday, the class had 15 students, which is the maximum I allow. This is very exciting news! This is the second time I’ve taught at the art center there and I loved it. I’ve been nipping glass and mirror for a few days to make up the kits I use to give to each student. Splitting the classes up into two sessions, the first kit has all the supplies needed to glue stained glass and mirror onto 2 four inch coasters in two hours. The second and final class has a kit too that includes grout, gloves and felt “feet” for the bottom of each coaster. I will be taking pictures and posting them on Friday. Tara will be assisting me again and I’m so lucky to have her there to help! This is the biggest class I’ve given to date and I think it will be a blessing to have her there. I will post an additional blog entry over the weekend sharing photos and info about how the class went. You all know we’ll have fun! I’ve been scheduled to give another basics class for MALT in March. I’ll keep you updated here. If you live in or near Mt Airy and want to have some fun come join us! http://mtairylearningtree.org/concrete/

On Sunday, November 21st through November 24th, there will be a Home Decor sale in my Etsy shop starting and ending promptly at 6 AM! Those of you interested in saving a little money on some great one-of-a-kind mosaic gifts, each item in that section is 25% off.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/earthmothermosaics

I am still taking custom orders for Christmas until November 30th. The biggest sellers in my shop so far are the stained glass candle holder/vases in the home decor section! I just sold the two I had listed recently (yay!) and hope to get at least one more made before the sale. If you’d like to purchase one and none are listed, let me know and I’ll make one for you. They are really very pretty next to a window during the day and lit with a candle at night.

Enjoy the rest of your week. Make it creative!

☼-EarthMotherMosaics

In the Studio

What a great last session we all had at the Intermediate mosaics class on Tuesday evening. 5 out of 6 were ready to grout their mosaics and do some finishing touches. I made a template using warm and cool colors of stained glass and white and black grout giving them a visual to help them decide what grout to use on their mosaics. The photos of the frames the students made can be seen next the blog post as well as on flickr under the folder “WORKSHOPS 2010”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaic_queen2008/sets/.

I’ve spent 5 weeks with most of them starting with the basics coasters class and then the intermediate class right after that and it’s been a wonderful experience. My daughter once again assisted me and saw them getting into the zone while working on their mosaics as I did. It is a fantastic experience to share the love of mosaics in this way! I’m very fortunate to be able to do this. Next month there will be an Open House at the school where the class was held and hopefully most if not all of them will bring their finished mosaics to it to show what can be accomplished in 3 weeks. The new semester is in February 2011. Both the basics coasters class and intermediate frame class will once again be offered. I can’t wait!!

in the zone

concentrating while grouting

 

template side A

template side B

The stained glass was flying in the studio over the weekend (metaphorically speaking of course) and I finished gluing Mr M the crescent moon, grouted Just Warming Up and a vase/candle holder and finally, glued some great shades of green stained glass on a glass plate that was once a plain glass candle holder.

Mr M - not yet grouted

Just Warming Up

vase/candle holder

glass-on-glass

All will be available soon for purchase through Etsy and ArtFire.

Monday’s Etsy Treasury will be based on the busy upcoming shopping frenzy entitled “Great Gifts $50 or Less”. As usual, 16 featured items will be shown and hopefully help those who may need an idea for a nice gift. The items I’ve found are of good quality and not a lot of money. You don’t have to spend a lot to get something nice for someone! And the added bonus that most are handmade is a wonderful gift to give.

☼-EarthMotherMosaics

In the Studio

Last night’s class was so much fun! The 6 ladies in my intermediate mosaics class learned to cut stained glass and mirror and started gluing down their glass onto their IKEA wooden framed mirrors. After their initial fear of the glass and keeping a healthy respect for it, they became pros at scoring and breaking the pieces they needed. Most had already used glass nippers from the previous class I gave; each were comfortable with using all the tools and picked their favorites as the night progressed. I’m proud of them for their willingness to learn. I’m also proud of their designs and will share them here, on my Facebook page and on flickr next week during as our last session together ends. It’s always such a blast to see the joy on their faces as they “build” their mosaics. My daughter assisted me again this week and the 8 of us mostly laughed throughout the 2 hour session. What a great group they are!!

This past week I’ve managed to work on a few things for the store fronts. There’s grouting to be done on what I’ve finished and one is just beginning to look like I saw it in my head. There’s a possibility that one (the crescent moon) will have a few incarnations before it’s completed. As I work on it, I see it changing and veering away from my original thoughts. Sometimes I like when that happens, other times … no so much.

"Just Warming Up" - pre-grout

Glass-on-glass - close up - pre-grout

Mr M - work-in-progress

Within the next day or two I’ll be heading to my favorite DIY store and getting grout for my things and for next weeks’ class. When I’ve gotten what I need, I will have a grout fest, which is always a lot of fun. I have a ritual: I put on my favorite music, grab the gloves, mask and tools and mix up the grout and start making a creative mess!

A note about the jewelry listed on Etsy and ArtFire: all pieces will be removed this Friday, October 15th. They will be replaced within the next month with new pieces and may be retired completely or brought back next year. If you’ve been considering purchasing belt buckles or pendants that are listed in my shops, now is the time to do it! The new things will go into the shops before the holidays. Also there will be one more sale between now and December for some of the items very soon. Getting something for those hard to buy for people in your life at Christmas time, might be just a click or two away!

Have a wonderfully creative week!

☼-EarthMotherMosaics

In the Studio

Last night started the first of three, 2-hour sessions of Intermediate Mosaics as part of the Adult Ed Program at Keith Valley Middle School. 6 ladies joined us on their way to discoverying designs and style for a 10×10″ framed mirror. Using paper templates and all the stained glass and embellishments we could carry from my home close to an hour away to the classroom in Horsham, they browsed through some books for inspiration, drew out a design, took notes, picked a palette and looked through the stained glass. My lovely assistant for the evening was my daughter, Tara, who provided the photos below.

Next week they will have the opportunity to score and nip their glass pieces choices and start gluing their design down on the wood. It was, once again, wonderful to watch them think through the process and by the end of the two hours have the ideas for their new mosaic.

Here in the studio, my 10×10″ wooden framed mirror donation piece for April 2011’s Doctors Without Borders’ online auction & exhibit coordinated entirely by Lin Schorr (http://linschorr.com/home.html), has been “glassed”. Once grouted I will share the final product before it heads out to Michigan where it will live until then.

There are a few leads in finding new places to give mosaics basics classes and as they develop I will definitely share them.

In case you missed last Friday’s announcement, GNAL (http://www.gnal.org/) has chosen me as their “Artist of the Month” for October. It’s quite humbling to have been asked and I thank them.

Monday’s blog will include the newest Etsy Treasury link. There’s some great choices in this one and it is perfect for this time of year!

Have a wonderfully creative week!

☼-EarthMotherMosaics

In the Studio

What a great week it’s been in the studio!

The masks are ready for grout and a few finishing touches and will head out tomorrow to their destination at the gallery in Muncie, IN to hopefully be a part of the October Show “Carnevale Galleria”. This is a huge show for the gallery as the opening will coincide with the Official Muncie Downtown ArtsWalk this year. I will share a photo or two of the finished masks next week.

The donation piece I made a while back is headed for it’s auction this weekend. Project Peace for “Hope’s Door” a shelter for battered women and children Gala Auction is to be held on September 25, 2010 at The House of Blues in Dallas, TX. 30+ very talented artists from all over the world contributed their peace symbol visions. The theme for the evening’s event: “All You Need Is Love”. What a great message. I’m honored to have been a part of this. Below see my entry entitled: “Peaceful Reflections”.

I made a sale on Etsy this week that was quite special for me. A gal in Canada bought a mosaic framed mirror Live, Laugh, Love for her best friend’s birthday. She asked me to send it to her friend because it would be late in arriving even more had it shipped to her. She explained her friend’s birthday is today, September 22. This made me smile – that’s my birthday too! How cool is that?!

So many people have sent me wonderful birthday wishes today … it’s amazing to see comments on Facebook from around the globe. Thank you all, each and every one!

Had a great time last night in Horsham, PA at the Keith Valley Middle School teaching a new group of 9 happy, smiling ladies the fun of creating a small mosaic using 2 four inch coasters and stained glass. Many signed up for the intermediate class I offer there next month before the first session was complete. Saaaa-weet! It is so much fun to watch them tilt there heads back and forth as they hold a piece of glass deciding exactly where they want it to go. Each smile I saw last night will stay with me forever! Thank you all ladies for helping make this birthday week one of the best I can remember!

I made a few things in the studio recently that I still can’t share just yet. Many of the Make 5+4 recipients have received my mosaic gift but some have not. Until they all have arrived safe and sound to their new homes, I will hold off on sharing pictures. Most of them are traveling further than I have ever been. That is so cool!!!

The contest winners received their prize gifts and I can share a photo of what each lady won:

Congratulations again to both of you!

Monday will be another great Etsy Treasury post! I love creating them. I believe that the last one I made called Metaphysically Speaking has helped sell a few items. That’s what I love about sharing the things I find every week. There are so many fun, interesting and truly OOAK pieces out there to find and to love and most importantly to share!

Have a wonderfully creative week!

☼-EarthMotherMosaics