Boots and Bliss Workshop By ArtBLISS with Diane Cook and Deryn Mentock Making Metal Jewelry and a Great Time in DC

Hello again.....I wanted to share with you some of the magical fun that I had this weekend with some of the most talented artful people this weekend.

The metal bracelet I made in Deryn Mentocks' class this weekend up in Sterling Virginia the Eruption Cuff. Which was so much fun and just a wonderful relaxing weekend. We left Thursday morning early, which Cooper had been sick with a stomach virus and I was a little leery of  the whole trip, which Colten ended up with it on Tuesday night also. They weren't even eating....but I am soooo glad we made it and a great experience for all. The girls at ArtBLISS put on the event and of course did an outstanding job!!! With this surgery coming  up April 1 I have had a wee bit more anxiety than I expected....I have been really working hard and hard I do work always but I have been over the top working......its like your nesting for a baby to come kinda anxiety. I have to get this ready and that ready, I have to do this and that! All before the surgery.... the boys have their science project we are working on......which I think this year they have really cool ones and they are going to really enjoy the whole process....more on that later.....
My next event is with Donna Downey  which will be Mother's Day weekend!!  with Jane Davenport YEAH! If you have ever taking any of Jane's classes online you know she is from Australia and she is a pure treat with her great personality and sweet charm, she makes me laugh and really feel good about myself. I can't wait to see and meet her in person at Donna's. And to boot we are doing the Mermalicious class which I took her and Teesha Moore's online class, which btw was an amazing adventure!!!!   TODAY on HER BLOG (Donna's) there is a giveaway and free video......YES Donna has reached 40,000 FANS on Facebook.....now that is a celebration!!! So she is given away a free class video just for going to the blog today.
HERE is the link
SO go get your free class, NOW!
Ok back to the cuff....I LOVE IT!!!! I came home and did my usual metal steps and she shines and is just stunning!!! Thanks Deryn for all the knowledge you shared and all the friends I made at the event!

 

 

Here is the cuff on my arm out in the sun......LOVE!

Copper and Nickel Silver Cuff handmade.

 

Here you can see the cabochon in he cuff erupting from the metal

 

                                  Some of the classmates works of art, the eruption cuff.

                                         Someone in the class did a pendant instead of the cuff.

You can see how wonderful they all turned out.

They looked so good on everyone too

Fun fun!!!

The shindig was a lot of fun too, we got to shop and have pizza, cookies, and of course frolic among friends.

Deryn Mentock was there signing her new book

The Jewelry Maker's Design Book: An Alchemy of Objects

 

of course you know I had her sign my copy

Here Deryn is signing away...... I love when you get to meet the author of a book.

Book Signing by Deryn Mentock

 

Beautiful!!!! Thanks Deryn!!

 

It was truly a great weekend!!

 

Linda Sarubin came from New Park Pennsylvania to share her wares of antique buttons galore.

There were so many buttons, and oh sopoo beautiful from as early as the 1800's. Her shop located in New Park Pennsylvania specializes in antiques  in a Victorian Country Store called Gatchellville Store there located on 2497 New Park Road

More gorgeous buttons

Oh my buttons, buttons, buttons

                          Everyone was really enjoying shopping, but then again who doesn't!!
                                                                                 

 On Sunday the Prairie Pod class began, well I had the wrong type of pearls but was able to make my pendant anyway, having a wonderful time.  Cindy let me have two of her antique rondelles, thanks again Cindy they are beautiful!!!

                        The Prairie Pods turned out amazing, and I do plan on making more of these!

                                 Talk about stunning!!!! The pods are all beautiful!

                                                                   Love these pods

Some even finished, they were the rock stars!

            My pod is the blue pearl with the rondelles in the middle of the beads or the bling

                      Oh my they are just gorgeous!!!!! Thanks again Deryn for an amazing class!

 We all received a bag of antique buttons from Linda (see above for her store location) Thanks Linda they are beautiful!

 There were prizes too, and my ticket was drawn and I won these amazing beautiful beads that Deryn donated for the drawing.  Thanks again Deryn!That was generous.

 

 

Loving the earplugs!!

They worked great!

 

Cindy and Jeanette gave us the bandanas and the ruler upon registration.

 

Jeanette and Cindy always do an amazing job of providing us with yummy chocolate, and a complimentary gift.

 

Always a nice presentation upon arrival a very welcoming feeling and so beautiful.

 

Like this dress form at our registration table

As you can see the boys went to go get shoes while in DC, Bruce takes the boys shopping and museum viewing while I am in classes, they were NOT thrilled to take this picture...LOL!

 

We went down to DC on Friday and wow was it ever busy, we could never find a place to park but did do some sightseeing and Cody and I went to the Smithsonian Postal Museum which was for me really since we could not find a place to park Bruce dropped Cody and I off while he drove around. Once we rode the metro into DC and did all the tours, etc. we really enjoyed it. I told Bruce next time we are going to do that again.

Well I greatly enjoyed the Smithsonian Postal Museum being a huge mail swapper and a postcard and stamp collector I was sooooo enjoying myself......I just wish the boys could enjoy what I was seeing.

This lamp was just too cute mod podged in stamps. I think I wanna make one of these!!

Smithsonian Postal Museum

 

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum The Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center

we have been there every time we have been to DC, the boys go mostly on the days I am in class but this time I got to go too. The boys give me the tour and I enjoyed the stories, the engines, which when we talk about it they can tell me all about the engines....pretty impressive. Of course the bigger boys didn't want to get in the picture on the green screen. LOL!

We looked at so many planes and the stories are really awesome and very interesting

They even have a McDonalds' in the museum so we went there too.

 

The tower at Udvar Hazy Center

 

More PLANES

 

This was one of the astronaut suits they gave to a few select members at the time as a replica of the same suit. It looks just like a "life-size" doll I had at about the same time. So cute!

Then there was the Star Trek toys I actually wanted this when I was a kid along with the  Walton family house and characters, I never got them but hey one can wish right! LOL! I have always been a trekkie.  

The Buck Rodgers and the Space Cadet oh my memories!

Of course Transformers .....wow!! You know these are always a big hit!

 

The boys always ask for "the BIG pizza" from Wegman's oh I WISH there was one here or even close to here. We love going to Whole Foods which there is one now in Virginia Beach but its more than an hour away one way.

They also can't wait to get to the pool, that is a big deal "lets go to the pool" is all we hear while at "THE HOTELS"

 

We also go to Cheeburger Cheeburger when we are there which is great family fun. I get the veggie burger which is sooo yummy! Sweet potato fries and a diet Pepsi....ok now I really want that burger again! Until next time.....

This is one of the burgers...talk about huge!

 

The boys meals come in a car and the boys don't want to mess them up, here Colten is telling them don't take it out of the car.

Oh yeah see how "ginormous" the pizza is it is bigger than the paper plate.

 

We also walk to the O'Malley's Pub while we are there too which is good eating and close too.

Bruce bought me this beautiful necklace made by Diane Cook which is SOOO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!! This pic doesn't even to begin to show the amazing beauty of the necklace. I fell in love, she is offering an online class this June at Artful Gathering I will be there for sure.

 

It is gorgeous!!

Love the focal bead, stunning!  Thanks so much Diane!

Last but not least...at all....the boys also love Moe's Southwest Grill which you know Bruce loved it...kids eat free on Sunday! Bam......when I got out of class on Sunday he had in the car waiting on me the Close Talker with the tofu, I don't get the shell. YUM!

Well once again it was a WONDERFULWONDERFUL trip/vacation for us all! Nice and relaxing and right on time to take my mind off the upcoming surgery for Tuesday! Which it really helped but I felt I was a little on the so called negative side of things which I don't mean to be I just have all the scared what if in my head.....which in turn turns out to come out to be the "worst scenario" of things....but I realized this and quickly started thinking POSITIVE and not negative. This may be the last post before the surgery however I do have exciting news to share on April 1, so I want to post on that. If I don't post I will as soon as I can after the surgery. Today we plan on going to see the movie "Noah" again to take my mind off the surgery and to get some of the 65% off canvases at Michael's today. I have so many ideas for huge canvases, just need the huge canvas!

Have a GREAT weekend and be ARTFUL my friends!

 

 

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