Oh soooo long since I have been here.
I had great intentions of keeping this blog going but my new job even though it is part time has consumed me or should I say I am obsessed. I love my job, I know I am making a difference in lives riddled with challenges and it feels so good. I provide music classes for special needs classes in the local school district and private schools where music has been cut. It is very challenging as the disabilities vary and the abilities of the students put together in these classes are extremely diverse. It is such a joy to see them smile and move to music and play instruments with me. My favorite activity the last two months has been performing the Sesame Street favorite: "Manah Manam: with Kazoo and Boowhadkers. If you don't know what Boomwhackers are you have been deprived of great musical fun- google them. I want to do my best so my focus has been there since last April.
Well, it is coming up on a year there so I need to rebalance my life and find time for me too.
I have been slowly doing that
with the help of a couple new friends who enjoy doing polymer clay with me.
Here is one of my latest creations:
The base is a cigar box from a local wine store
that sells these dirt cheap after the cigars have all been sold.
I created the top with glass tiles,
(my husband is in the business, always brings home great scraps),
hand embossed and patina'd copper craft metal I created,
a couple copper vintage filigree pieces and
polymer clay flower petal and leaf cane slices.
A lot of dusting with Pearl Ex mica powders and
the focal bead is simply a floral glass bead.
If you look very closely you can see my reflection in it, holding the camera.
To complete the sides, front edges and back of the box I used Gesso,
texturized with a mini paint spatula.
Once that was dry I painted with metallic acrylic paints in copper, brass and gold
and antiqued it a bit with black and green for the copper verdigree effect.
I plan to do some quilted fabric pieces to line the inside
and then I will have a very unique and completed storage box.
I am looking forward to making more of these.
