Blogging the bleurgh out

 

This blog has been many things to me over the years, and probably been different things to each of you too. It has survived (just) a change of host, a change of url, a variety of creative pursuits, five jobs and two study periods; not to mention all the highs and lows of that any life contains. Kel's Space has gone from a time before Facebook (before Facebook, people) when blogs were far less common and people at work would have no idea what you were talking about if you mentioned your blog; to a time when, chances are, the company you work for has a blog.

So it's no surprise that I've lost my voice more than once over the years. A blog needs a voice, a purpose, a direction to survive; the roots that support the trunk and all the branches. I want to find this again, and with the help of Susannah Conway, I hope to. She's running a class, Blogging from the Heart, over the next 6 weeks (and again in the autumn if you're interested!) that sets out to help us with just that.

Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope to reward your loyalty in the weeks and months to come.

2012 is underway

We got back from our Nova Scotia trip yesterday. We had a wonderful visit and it ended up feeling longer than expected, in all the right ways. While I love Christmas, I tend to be more inspired by the new year. Today is First Saturday Scrapping, so when I get back later I should have all kinds of bits and pieces to show you from my December Daily album (Ali Edwards' project) and the beginnings of my work on Twelve (taught by Stacy Julian).

The end of an era

Perhaps only if you've been to Artfest you will understand why this image fills my heart with peace. Walking back to Officers' Housing after breakfast, catching deer grazing on the green, I am quietly filled with joy as I know that I am surrounded by so many beautiful, creative souls, each on their own pursuit of something virtually indescribable. About to dive into a day filled with art, with finding friends both new and those known only across the wires of cyberspace.

I was saddened today to read that Teesha Moore has decided that Artfest 2012 will be the last. She explains it so beautifully in the announcement on her blog, that I do believe she has made the right choice. I am grieving though. As for so many others, my first visit to Artfest changed my life (saved my life?). I have found friends and mentors and a whole community so very dear to me, so very necessary. I have found courage and direction and the tools I need to follow them, even when I'm not sure where they will lead me. So yes, I'm grieving, gently, and with curiousity and optimism about what the future will bring.

And I am so grateful to have been part of something so wonderful, and to have crossed paths with so many wonderful people, many of whom have been guiding lights to me, knowingly or not. Thank you, Teesha and Tracy.

Teesha Moore

Tracy Moore

Judy Wise

Carla Sonheim

Liz Lamoreux

LK Ludwig

Anahata Katkin

Susan Wooldridge

Anne Bagby

Theo Ellsworthy

Dawn DeVries Sokol

And there are so many more, but these have had an impact on my life in a way that I can put my finger on in a very specific way. If you were here I could show you. I may have to yet.

Further Adventures in Silver Clay

One of the nice things about Art Clay Silver is that you can set up at home with very little equipment. I only bought steel mesh for the gas burner, a metal bristled brush, fine sandpaper pads and some more clay. I had other bits and pieces at home already.

This was a quick one. I used an oval cutter i bought years ago for friendly plastic (turns out, I'm not so friendly with the plastic). Then I used a spriggy rubber stamp I have to put in the pattern. I used by regular letter stamps to press in my word of the year and fired it. I'm not 100% happy with it, but it was an experiment in using rubber stamps (I used vegetable oil to lubricate the stamps).

This one was made for a friend. It took 3 attempts to get it looking the way I wanted to, and there are still some flaws, but that is the joy of the learning process. I used a five petal cutter to begin the shape, but snipped out a piece from the ends and added detailing with a needle. I shaped it over my knuckle.

She can wear it with the bead over it if she doesn't want people asking her why her necklace says "try" all day.

This one was pure inspiration and play. I was thinking bubbles and pebbles and played around with techniques for shaping and joining them. 

I wonder what's next?

Adventures in Silver Clay

A couple of weeks ago I took the Silver Charm Bracelet and Pendant class at The Make Lounge in Islington. This has been a favourite haunt of mine since way back in 2007. I've lost track of all the classes I've done there, plus a party or two, and I can't recommend it enough. The classes are well levelled and organised for beginners to try out a craft, but they work well for somewhat experienced dabblers such as myself, too. This time they had the lovely Emma Mitchell in to teach Art Clay Silver. Do take a look at her website, her work is just up my street.

I managed to make 12 charms out of my silver clay, but on average you can expect to make around eight. I was surprised to find myself inspired, once again, by the sea. I am, at heart and by family, a Nova Scotian, although not raised there. Time and time again, the rocky shore creeps into my work when I am least looking. I ended up with a necklace with a silver pebble and a silver charm plus a bead (I've changed the chain from the one in class as I wanted more length). My charm bracelet has a silver shell, starfish and feather, spaced with silver pebbles and the pearl-like beads. There were casualities though, a broken feather and two slightly uglier pebbles, poor things.

I couldn't resist a little bit of autumn imagery either. I never can.