Poco Mountain Girl

Saturday at 1:30 pm, I finished up my artist’s residency. Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy! 🙂

This weekend I taught the last of my eleven jewelry classes at the Gilpin County library. Having a class each Saturday morning throughout the summer was really great–I love taking classes, and teaching was almost as much fun as learning. I’ll admit, at first I had some trepidation at the thought of teaching adults for the first time. In retrospect, though, it wasn’t as much “teaching” as it was just working with them, once I finished each demo–and that’s nothing to fear.

Cash and I spent the days before my final class making things. I made a batch of chocolate hearts, and he tested them out for me (they passed with flying colors).  I also made a big batch of moisturizer bars, wrapping and labeling them while Cash counted and stacked.  (He also got his own wrapped bar–“Lip Balm!” Lip balm is his very favorite thing. Going past the EOS lip balms at the Target checkout is always a battle.)

Making the little treats was a lot of fun for both of us. I set them out at my class and they were happily received–both by my students and the library staff.

(A little gift to me from the library. That’s a photo of the library sign, which is becoming rather famous with libraries around the world, I hear.)

Zia came with me to all but two of the classes. We stopped each morning at the gas station on our way to the library and she picked out snacks and a drink, then spent her time in the children’s section or on the library computer. When I had kids’ classes, she joined in. I was glad that she got to have a special time with me apart from Cash–we love that kid, but we never really do anything without him.

The twenty-five or so ladies that I worked with over the span of the classes were (for the most part) happy, excited, interested, creative, and–forgiving, if need be. Like the time I  took one lady’s carefully hammered brass pendant and, with one “helpful” blow, nearly cracked it in half. I didn’t realize it was paper-thin in one spot when she asked for help with it. Sheesh.

Jewelry making is not something I’ve done my whole life, unless you’re talking about stringing beads on a wire. In fact, each technique shown in the photos below was something I learned this spring, specifically for teaching–with the exception of hammering copper and making ear wires. I taught myself those a few weeks earlier–before applying for the residency.

Before you call me a scam artist trying to become an artist in residence, I have to say in my defense that I have always been an artist–mostly a painter–and last fall I began to find my niche making hand painted pendants and earrings. I decided it would be a fun challenge to expand my new art by teaching it (isn’t that what an artist’s residency is really about? taking your art somewhere new?) and wrote a proposal for teaching jewelry making. Before I was even awarded the residency, I realized that not everyone interested in making jewelry is a painter, and that I would have to do some serious stretching in order to teach 22+ hours of jewelry making sans painting.

And so was born my foray into the wild and wonderful world you will see below.

This is a quick photo journal of what I taught each week over the summer, June 6 through August 29. These photos are of my own work which I made for teaching examples–and to figure out how in the world to make them before showing others how. 😉

Week 1: Celtic Designs.  We made Celtic triquetras and triskeles in copper, silver, nickel silver, and brass. Celtic knots are challenging, and if I could do it over, I would save this class for last, instead of springing it on those poor ladies at the very beginning. Everyone stuck with it (despite a few tears and murmured curses–not kidding) and they also learned the very useful–and easy–skill of handmade ear wires.

Week 2: Leather Necklace and Earrings.  Each person designed her own pieces of jewelry using scraps of leather and metallic inks, cutting and layering different leather shapes together. We added some wire accents, as in my Rustic Southwest leather necklace on the right.  Everyone was relieved with the free form nature of this class, compared to last week’s Celtic knots. 😉

Week 3: Kids’ Create: Beaded Creature Necklaces.  (And a beaded flag, since it was just before Independence Day.) It was so much fun working with those kids, and David’s mom and niece even came, since it was during their visit. 🙂 Once the kids got the hang of the beading technique, they chose patterns from a stack of printouts I brought. Most of them made a couple of beaded creatures each.

Week 4: Copper, Rock, and River Glass Bohemian Necklace Set.  We made sets of staggered-length necklaces using copper wire and found materials combined with knotted cotton and leather cord. The rocks and glass are straight from our own Boulder Creek, collected by Cash and myself.

Week 5: Delicate Beaded Brass Link Necklace. (And bracelets, it turned out.)  We fashioned the links from brass, copper, and nickel silver, added beads, linked them together, and made two kinds of fasteners–hook-and-eye and toggle clasps.

Week 6: Tree of Life Pendant.  We used brass, copper, and nickel silver wires to fashion the trees, strung different types of beads (and little birds) on the branches, wrapped the edges, hung them on leather cords, and fastened them with handmade hook-and-eye clasps.

Week 7: Kids Create: Leather Pouch and Cuff Bracelet. I think this was our smallest class–only four or five girls. They made pouches and leather cuff bracelets using snaps, sparkly rivets (not shown), and letter/design stamps.

Week 8: Multi-Metal Spiral Charm Bracelet and Earrings. I’m not sure if anyone actually made a charm bracelet (it is a slightly cheesy idea, now that I think of it).  By this time our classes were loosening up beautifully and no one hesitated to dive in with their own ideas. Lots of swirly pendants and earrings were made using the technique I showed them for organic, geometric designs–and lots of dangles, as in my earring examples on the far left and far right.

Week 9: Hammered Copper Earrings and Copper Swirl Rings.  You have probably seen some hammered copper things in my shop–there is nothing quite like hammering your heart out at the end of a long day. I love it. It’s in my blood, I guess. I was a little concerned that my industrial copper wire and thick plate brass would be too tough for those sweet little ladies to flatten, but I underestimated them. I did provide some copper sheeting as well, but I was taken aback by the way the heavier metal yielded to them, and by the room full of determined faces and swinging blows. This was one happy (and loud) class session.

Week 10: Leather Wrap Bracelet.  We also made chokers, like my pearl choker with hammered brass pendant (center top). This was yet another session I felt tentative about. There is a learning curve to making these popular wrap bracelets, but even worse is the length of thread you have to work with. Like, 15 feet, at the beginning.  It tangles easily, and I did have to rescue a few students from their knots, but everyone got the hang of it and it was a very satisfying project–many said it was their favorite.

Week 11: Geometric Wire Charm Choker.  This, like the charm bracelet, was a project that was not entirely emulated. It must be the charm concept–folks who have lived through the eighties don’t really see charms as, well–charming, anymore. The heart of this lesson, though, was antiquing, and that was fun for everyone, although some were nearly overcome by the smell.  We used liver of sulfur, and it’s very rotten-egg-ish.  That copper piece on the right is a section from our refrigerator water hose (we obviously didn’t need it).  It hammered beautifully and I used it to demonstrate dipping and buffing for an antiqued finished.

Everyone was also interested in making the wire-wrapped beaded forms, and they used them for pendants and earrings (not charms).  Also, several people had missed the Celtic class, and asked for a demo.  I went over triquetras and triskeles, and it went much better than the first class. I am probably a better teacher now–but I think there is also something to be said about my students getting into the swing of working with tools and wire. We also went over hook-and-eye clasps one more time. It was quite a mish-mash of techniques, but I really wanted to help each person who was stuck on anything, and I think everyone finished this last class very satisfied and happy.

They all surprised me with a signed card!  It meant so much to me that they really enjoyed the classes. It has been such a great artist’s residency–a lot of fun, a good teaching experience, a stretching and growing of my creative self, and a chance to get out and do something on my own with Zia.  I am grateful to have had such an amazing opportunity!

Our goats. Both kids were missing all night Saturday, and from Pippa’s strangely silent behavior to a tackled deer decoy in the driveway, we thought they had been nabbed by a mountain lion. It was a rough night, but needless to say, there was great rejoicing when they turned up just fine in the morning. We still don’t know how they got out, sneaky things–but as they say, if a fence won’t hold water, it won’t hold goats.

Being home with my artist boy…and his rocks. He put some in the sink to give them a bathy, and I heard him crooning softly, “Oh…look how cute you are.”

See his little green caterpillar? I found it in my hair early one morning after a hike, and saved it till he woke up. It stayed in his plant all day under his watchful eye and later disappeared. 🙁

David brought me these sunglasses from the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival, which made me smile. I like a little irony in my life. 😉

A week or so ago, I took the kids  to the Gilpin County fair. It’s a very small-town deal (the county has a population of only 5,000) but it’s fun. We hung out for the bull riding, petting zoo, and pony rides.

And a few more things:

Slowly but surely we’re moving toward remodeling part of our kitchen–the counters, sink, and switching out the dishwasher (which we have never used) for an under-counter cabinet with a pan rack. I am especially excited about that big copper sink that was delivered a few weeks ago.

Going strong with the 30-day arm challenge–I can see the tiniest bit of definition emerging, which is very exciting, indeed. I’m surprised I can see a difference–Day 20 and it’s still ridiculously easy. (Don’t believe how my arms look in the above pics with sunglasses–pictures lie. They ARE getting big.)

We’re finishing up another great book by Pam Munoz Ryan–it’s the sixth one of hers we’ve read this summer, and we’ve loved them all. Even Cash begs to be read this fat chapter book, and quotes it now and then (putting his own spin on it): “Remember, Mama–you and me, we stick together.”

My artist’s residency is coming to an end–the jewelry classes have been so much fun to teach, and everyone has made some great pieces, mixed with lots of enthusiasm. I feel the love. 🙂

Sunday I heard a man speak about personality vs. persona.  Your personality, he said, is how you are defined (by yourself and others) based on the way you have been.  Your persona, though, is defined by God–it is the way He sees you, and it’s who you were born to be.  They are two very different things.

This man was saying that we should not continue to live in the rut of how we are defined by ourselves and others, but to change our mindset to see ourselves as God sees us in His kindness and patience, and to begin to make changes in our lives to become that person who we truly are.

Maybe you’re a mother who is trying to balance several things in your life; maybe you know you were made to be a dancer but you’re afraid to try; maybe you have an anger or self-control problem that makes you hate who you are.  You can begin to believe in who you were made to be, who God says you are, and move forward in His strength.  When you believe, He will make impossible things happen for you.

Creating a persona statement is like a statement of faith, writing down who you are as the Father sees you.  It makes it tangible, helps you change your mindset to say “This is me, this is who I really am.  I am moving forward into it.  Maybe it is not fact yet, but it is the truth about me.”  Instead of, “I could never change,” which means, of course, you probably won’t.  You can read your statement of faith each day, bringing it to Him for help in becoming who He already sees you to be.

Here is the persona statement I crafted for myself.  It is made up of a few things I have heard over the course of my life from listening to my heart and to Him.

I am an artist whose light source is the Great Creator.

I am a mother to many forgotten children,

A healer of the broken,

An intercessor,

A strong and wise woman,

One who dwells in the secret place.

I am one who does small things with great love.

Here’s a quick peek into our lives lately.  Glorious happenings in these parts include: Back to School night, a Montessori BBQ, parent-teacher conferences, buying school supplies, and the first days of school.  Just a little bit of that has to do with school.

With the big kids in school now, it’s just Cash and me together while David works.  He’s so very funny and keeps me laughing all the time.  Here is a spattering of recent Cash-isms:

“I’m three, AND I had my birthday, and you and Dadda STILL won’t let me drive!  And I seriously AM tall enough.”  (He says this, groaning in consternation, every time we get in the car.)

“Mama, you’re going 50 miles per hour, right?”

“Mama, I talked to Grammy on the phone, and she taught me everything she knows.” 

(Me:) “What things did she teach you about?”

“Gumballs.”

I’ve made a few more pieces for my my shop–including two new cord burning boxes, which–in my opinion–are the prettiest boxes David and I have made yet.  They are natural cedar, have hand-hewn edges, and are rubbed in tung oil. I liked the pine boxes, but I love the cedar ones.  Plus, they smell so yummy.

David has been working on his ’66 Mustang ever since liberating it from Grandpa’s garage in June, and we all took our first ride together Saturday afternoon.  The library was hosting an ice cream social to mark the end of the summer reading program, which Zia and Cash participated in.

There were several drawings, and Cash was one of the lucky winners.  When they called his name he swaggered to the front of the room, grinning from ear to ear, and without a moment’s hesitation, picked out a huge pink teddy bear.  He named the bear Bubble Gum Style. Haha.

Cash decided he wants his own bed now, and made it halfway through his first night “alone” last night.  Sometime before 1 a.m. I woke to find him back in bed with us, fast asleep.

Here’s a flyer I spotted at the library.  We didn’t enter, though–after looking around the room at the ice cream social, we decided we didn’t stand a chance.  “We” as in David, of course.

I’m a week into this challenge, hoping for the possibility of adding a little brawn to my scrawny arms (peals of laughter rock the house at the thought of me having brawny arms).  So far the “challenge” is extremely mild and gentle, which I like very much, but I have a feeling that will change in the next week or so.  This is my Before picture–if a week into the challenge is still “before.”  I think it is.  I’m hoping it is–this looks very Before to me.

Just listed another creation in my shop–a copper Tree of Life necklace, with agate gemstones for leaves and a little bird perched in the branches.  It hangs on a leather cord with a handmade copper clasp.

Early this morning a couple of owls called to each other outside our window for quite a long time. I hardly ever hear owls, and it took me a while to realize what the sound was.  Once I did, though, it was so very cool to listen to.

I might have a little bird thing going on–bird curtains, bird necklaces and now owls out the window. 🙂