Florida in February (or "Flinfeb" as Donna Called It)

Florida in February was just wonderful!!!! Thank you so much Barbara VL for being such a perfect travel companion. I absolutely loved spending the weekend with you and exploring our creative passion together. You supported me when I struggled and cheered for me when I did good. You created beautiful things and inspired me with your creativity and you took such joy in creating and inspired me with your spirit.

You are a wonderful and special person and I am so honored to be able to call you my friend.

Only Two Working Days

This is going to be a good week. Monday was President's Day which is now a holiday for our office and Wednesday night I'm leaving for the Florida in February retreat which means I'm only working two days this week. Loving it!! And the weather in Florida is supposed to be in the high 70s. Loving it!!!

I Promised

I promised a picture of the polymer clay pendant I made recently. Unfortunately, the scan makes it look as though it has some dark areas on the front when it really doesn't. But you can still get a reasonable idea of how it looks. It was made using a Skinner blend going from turquoise to copper. I'm very happy with it but do need to refine my technique a little. Using the metal insert worked out very well. I'm going to take it to the retreat in Florida and show it off.

Netgear Mini Print Router

Exciting title on this post, right? I am just getting so high tech it's incredible. First I networked my home computers, now tonight I'll be installing a wireless print router so I can print from the comfort of my deck - if the weather in Atlanta ever warms up. Ah, the joys of being unconnected (in a good sort of way). I can now waste ink and paper from anyplace on the estate. (Does 1-1/4 acres in a old, old subsdivision constitute an estate? If my junky, messy craft area can be my studio, then my subdivision lot can be my estate, right?) Now I'll be able to walk down to the creek, sit in my swing, cruise the gallery at SBB and print. Uh, that's kind of a strange sequence isn't it. But I'll ABLE to do it if I want to.

Super Bowl Sunday

Congratulations, Peyton! You played great. (Like, yeah, Peyton Manning is going to read my blog, sure he is.) Gene and I enjoyed watching the Super Bowl last night, especially since the team we were pulling for won. Not truly a great game, but then the Super Bowl seldom is. We recorded the game for a friend whose daughter is overseas and didn't have access to seeing it. I sat back at my craft table playing with my polymer clay while Gene stretched out in his recliner.

I made a new pendant with the clay last night that I really, really like. Pictures later, it isn't totally finished. Now I have to decide how I want to hang it. I didn't make the back quite thick enough to drill into it so am going to have to devise some other way to hang it. I used a brass filigree insert in the front of the piece and I think I will glue another to the back and hang it that way. Gene will be attending a lecture tonight so I should have time to get it completely finished. I'm really pleased with how the pendant turned out and when I refine the technique a little I may make a few more to put in my spring Relay for Life jewelry sale - which isn't that far away!

Also started getting my "stuff" ready for the Florida in February Retreat which is coming up in a few weeks. (At least I HOPE the retreat will take place. The retreat location is right in the middle of the area where all the destruction from the tornadoes occurred a day or so ago. What a sad situation. My heart breaks for all of the people involved in that tragedy.) I've got polymer clay "stuff" spread out all over the floor and table trying to get it a little organized so that the packing will make some sense. I want to do a separate "kit" for each class this time to cut down on some of the confusion of transferring from one class to the other. Barb Verni-Lau from Asheville is going to be my roommate and we're taking the same set of classes so we should have a great time. I'm so glad I met her at the Asheville workshop. She is such a fun person.

Talk about a shock, I was named the featured scrapper at Scrapbook-Bytes last week! Totally unexpected. This is something new they are doing and I was the first one chosen. It felt really great to see my name in lights - ok, to see my name in type is more accurate. I do try to make a positive contribution at SBB and it was good to see that it was noticed. Thanks, Amy and gang, I really appreciate the honor.