Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Day Two in Tucson. And some MoZart Retreat previews...

Day two... and onto my FAVORITE stops.  First up... the Doubletree!
I sent a selfie to Todd, and he recognized that I had a sunroof that extended to the back of the car.  I had been driving that sucker for a day and hadn't even noticed it.  How bout that?!
So, once we got to the Doubletree, I went right into one of my favorite chick's booths.
She has the most unusual stuff.  It's all vintage  A lot of it is brass.  But I have no idea how to use it.  I asked her if I could take some pics.  And so.. here they are.
I LOVE how she uses something called Gilder's paste (might be one of our retreat projects, since I bought every color!!) to turn the metals different colors.
And she used rivets and nuts and bolts to adhere all the little pieces.  Doesn't that look fun?
All the little sparkles are all glued on afterwards.
YEah.  What's funny, is over the years I have bought tons of these little doodads, but have never used them, cause I get them home and can't, for the life of me, figure out what in the world to do with them.  Well... now... I have pics!!


And THESE!!!!  We are FOR SURE making these!!  And we are adding tassels!!  I made some on the way home from Dallas this weekend, and oh yes!!
Pics of others' pieces.  I love how he used the toggle in the front.  So... idea!
I am totally in LOVE with all this tassel jewelry.  If you like tassels, this will be the retreat for you!!! I think I bought around 100!  All sizes.  Earrings, bracelets and necklaces!
Oh. my. YUM!
Oh yeaaaaahhh... I forgot I bought these end cones too, so I could try to make a few of these pretties as well.  They'll be on the website soon.


And for those not as enamored with the tassel as I... I present to you, the pearl cluster dangle!
These are pretty much easy breezy!  They are stacked spacer beads on a headpin and hung at the end of a little piece of chain.  But I think I'd wear these suckers just about every day.
This company is called Saki Silver, and he handcrafts all these silver components.  He makes my favorite ear wires.
They're a pretty cool shape, don't you agree?!
At another of my favorite booths, they had this cute little bin of shrink dink, hand drawn pendants.  I had to take a picture and share with Ellie Sue, cause I can see quite the entrepreneur in her as well.
I can never get out of Tucson without getting some of these very unique pewter cast charms from... ohhh... I can't remember the name.  Jessi?  Do you?
Look how absolutely cool this is!
Closer view.
At work, a couple of the boys and I refer to our "club" as The Rhinos.  John Wesley is reading a book called Rhino, and it is about strong work ethic and a big drive.  When I found these pendants, I nearly passed out!!  And they were big and manly, so I could buy them for the members of my "club".   I think I might make them a keychain with them.
I have lots of these tulips, and I LOVE the cascading colors of beads on chains.  Oh yeah!  We could SO make this at the retreat.  Retreaters, I hope you are looking and taking mental notes.  Message me here or via email, your favorite things you are seeing on my posts.  Oh, and feel free to also just send me activities we have either done in the past that you LOVED or ones that you'd LIKE to see us do.  I am open.

Suzy and I spent a couple of hours today outlining the weekend, and I think we have a pretty good idea of the speaking topics.  We'll be touching on gratitude, individual strengths that make you YOU, and looking a little more deeply into your Word of the year.  At present, I am thinking bangle bracelets with sari ribbon, religious charms, and tassels.  Tassel earrings.  a mixed media journal.  A canvas with lettering on it.  wrapped crystal earrings (per your request, Amy K!), and hmmm... what am I forgetting, Suzy?!

There will be an actual agenda, and details of the event coming by week's end so you can start arranging travel and planning your trip.
Oh.  Wait.  Maybe we'll do this too!  haha.  I LOVE this leather and waxed linen.
I learned about this cool new technique for beads, to make them look all ceramicitized.  (?)
And although I loved it, I didn't need one more technique at this time.  Can you BELIEVE it?!
Now THIS could be accomplished fairly easily with the religious charms I bought specifically per your request, Tonia!!
As you may have noticed, I am digging ANYTHING wrapped in silk ribbon or twine.  So, naturally, this got my attention.  IN fact, we might make this too.  If you are interested in coming to the retreat, better let me know if you are wanting to do more painting, cause I am really on a jewelry kick since I just got back from this Tucson trip!
Oh.  I'm also really liking anything wire wrapped as well.
We could make resin bezels.  But if you were at the retreat when we tried that, you'll remember the dang things didn't dry!! I think I have that technique perfected now, but anyway.... oh.  we'll see.
I DID, once again, buy things that I think would be awesome for a beach retreat.  And I AM having a beach retreat this year.  Only about 6 chicks can come to this one.  But I collect great projects EVERY year, and then I just put them in the storage area at the studio and say, "Well, maybe next year".  Hmmph.  THIS IS NEXT YEAR!!  I'm thinking maybe the end of August, first of Septemeber.  I'm gonna get THAT one on the books too!
I really dig this stamping in clay type materials, in bezels.  I DO have this stuff, which I bought last year (remember, Jessi?!) and have never actually used.  I am the biggest SUCKER for new ideas/ techniques!!
At one of our art classes at the studio, we etched copper.  I LOVE the process and am surprised at how simple it is.  Perhaps we'll delve into that a bit.  (See below)
Keif, do you read my blog?  Can you make this for me for a display at a booth for MoJoy?!  Sidenote!
Ok... these are more of those, I buy the things but don't remember what to do with the things kind of things!

And with all this gorgeousness, I bid you nighty night.

Hey... I liked the way the "what are you learning right now" question turned out, so let's do this... another question.

If you could go anywhere in the world this year, where would you go?! And if the mood strikes, tell why!

I am itching to go to Bali.  I have seen pictures from there, and it seems like an extremely CHILL place.  They have lots of colorful textiles and funky jewelry, and I LOVE lush forests and being by the ocean.  From what I can tell, I'd be close to Heaven there.
Now you...

MO

9 comments:

nss said...

Can't wait!! I'm so wishy washy I have no word for 2015.... I am sure that is not a strength! Hope to see you in May!

SamC said...

If I could go anywhere this year? I am a home body so I don't really have anywhere I would like to go. Right now, with a low temp tonight of 8, I guess if I had to go somewhere, it would be where it is warm!

Love how excited you get about creating things. Keep inspiring me!

kimybeee said...

Jeff and I have a dream to win the lottery, buy a huge tour bus (and hire a driver) and travel the whole country. Alaska is definetly a destination on the map. We aren't particular to warm or cold or this and that. We just want to travel on our schedule wherever the road takes us. Oh and Nashville is a destination too! I am a huge country music fan and I am dorky enough to google my fave artists and know the particulars of where they come from lol.

jenny said...

Oh, I'd love to see Australia/New Zealand! Althought the Fiji Islands sound pretty cool too. :)

Unknown said...

I love anything stamped or etched. Really like the little birds, especially the necklace with the colored gems (I don't know jewelry terms lol).
If we wouldn't have "issues" overseas I'd go to Paris and London. Staying in the US, the Rocky Mountains in August-September, I haven't been as an adult.

Amy K said...

Yessss! I can't wait to hear the details and finalize travel plans!
You pinned something awhile back as a possible retreat project that I thought was pretty cool. I'll have to look back and see what it was.
It's -10° (-26° windchill) this morning, so anywhere warm would look pretty darn good right now. Australia and Fiji have always been on my bucket list. I also would love to see the Northeast in the fall.

Kathryn said...

First of all, I absolutely love those end cones that look like leaves, and wonder if you could make me a necklace with that end cone and some dangling wooden and ceramic beads? Email me when you have a second.

I would like to go anywhere warm right now. Bali looks so incredibly beautiful from what I have seen. I would love the slow pace, the beauty, the warmth of the people.

I would really love for our RV to be finished being restored so we could get going to places we want to see by RV, and Alaska is first on the list! Drive across the country, then ferry up to AK. That is our dream this-continent trip that will happen in a few years.

Shannon said...

Well since you said anywhere...I would go to heaven and visit my grandparents...I'm really missing them right now!

Mbeaty19 said...

I love love love the pewter charms. I'm so sad it's so hard to find much in Illinois. I really like the necklaces that have the multiple charm clips at the end.

This year if I couldtravel anywhere I'd probably go to England. I love researching my ancestry and many bloodlines are based out of Huntingshire area. Would love to be able to collect more physical info for my files. If not there I would pick Italy or Switzerland. Two beautiful areas that I would love to be able to document through a photography study.