Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

August in Phoenix means that it is time for Art Unraveled!   Once again my good friend/artist Judi Dalton ( http://www.artplaylaugh.com/ ) and I attended 2 classes at Art Unraveled in Phoenix. For those of you who are not familiar with this conference please take a look at their website.   http://www.artunraveled.com/ARTU15/AUindex.htm   Judi and I have been going since it started and have taken an array of art classes.  There is also a Shopping Extravaganza that should not be missed!  Every August we sign up for some new class and time to spend catching up with each other’s news. This year I opted for the class ‘Dremel After Dinner’  http://www.artunraveled.com/ARTU15/Workshops/Dremel%20After%20Dinner.html   Thomas Ashman is a mixed media artist http://www.blacksheepartist.com/ and had lots of solid information to share.  I learned the difference between and how to use diamond drills and carving tools.  I have all my attachments for flexshaft and dremel in a plasti

My Rendition of Starry Night!  silver spiral, silver star that moves and star beside a moonstone.  Wire weaving on the edges.   I've been going to Art Unraveled ( http://www.artunraveled.com/ARTU14/AUindex.htm ) for many years and always learn something new.  This year my good friend Judi and I roomed together and attended the same classes. ‘Fun, Affordable and Classy: Composite Laminate Earrings’ taught by April Bower ( http://www.downthestreetartgallery.com/april.htm ) was the first class we took.  In the 3 hour evening class we learned to saw laminate resin – most of us call it Formica!  We were to design earrings using laminate and accenting with wire or beads or metal.  The trick was to cut 2 of each shape the same!  Not such an easy task.  So here are some of the examples and products from the class. My Formica (oops  Laminate Resin) Earrings The next morning after exercising and breakfast we went to ‘Silver Stitched Jewelry’ taught by Mary Hettmansperg

 Pin made from 'Bench Scraps'  Polymer clay, etched copper, cold and hot connections  For the past 10 years, my friend Judi and I have been going to Art Unraveled in Phoenix AZ.   It’s always in August and lately it’s been at the Embassy Suite in Scottsdale AZ.   Yes the weather is hot- 113 degrees a couple of days!   But it is in a nice cool hotel and we are so busy in our classes that we don’t notice the heat.   It's a great conference and I highly recommend it! Balance Beam Bracelet - etched copper, turquoise, warm connections This year Judi (from Tucson) and I (from Prescott) met at the hotel on Saturday afternoon.   There is always a Shopping Extravaganza Day with many vendors and raffle prizes.   It’s where we find out about new product and visit with old and new friends.   We planned to meet about 3 p.m. and spend an hour shopping.   The first order of business was to sign up for the raffle.   The grand prize was a $500 gift basket (in this case it was

First Exercise in the Class Craftcast with Alison Lee is a really great online source for classes mostly about jewelry making.   I find myself signing up for almost all of them because they are so well done.   When the class ‘Zen and the Art of the Jeweler’s Saw’ with Michael David Sturlin was offered, I waited to take it.   I thought, ‘ok, I have a jeweler’s saw and I’ve used it and so why take a class?’   http://www.craftcast.com/ I’m going to Art Unraveled in Phoenix in August and I’m taking three classes in metal jewelry techniques.   Every one of them lists the jeweler’s saw as a necessary tool.     I got my saw out and tried it. ‘Hmmmmm’   I thought, ‘guess it is time to take the class’. There are recordings of the classes you can buy if you miss the live class and boy am I glad I signed up! http://www.artunraveled.com/ First of all my workspace is too low for correct posture and for keeping the saw vertical.   As you can see in the photo, Peter solved my problem.   He m

A couple of weeks ago, I took Patrik Kusek’s Warm Connections Class with Craftcast   http://www.craftcast.com/classes .   I’ve been trying out some of his techniques for combining silver metal clay and polymer clay.  Several years ago I took Lisa Pavelka’s https://www.lisapavelka.com/Gallery.asp   classes at Art Unraveled http://www.artunraveled.com/   and learned just enough about polymer clay to think I could do anything!   I made a large mirror frame for a client out of copper polymer and incorporated beads and copper braid.   It turned out to be about 42” x 54”.   The frame was made with many (I mean many) pieces of 3” x 4” copper ruffles glued to a wood frame.   The client still has it and I still remember my friend Phyllis working with me to make more ruffles.    Polymer Clay Mirror Frame I still have some of that clay plus a lot of other colors.   It takes a lot of conditioning to make it pliable but it works!   It also took a couple of hours to clean the pasta m

Art Unraveled is a gift I give to my creative self.   Linda and Chuck started this art workshop in 2003.    A variety of classes are scheduled all day and evenings.   It lasts a week in August in Phoenix AZ.   Hot! But we are all inside the hotel playing and learning.     Deryn's Balanced Bangles  This year I met my good friend Judi from Tucson.   We roomed together for 2 nights and had catch up friend time.   We also took Deryn Mentock’s class “Balanced Bangles” on Friday and went shopping at the ‘Shopping Extravaganza on Saturday.   The attendance has grown to 400 people and I’m sure will continue to expand both in number of people and classes.   The website lists the classes and instructors and also has the information on ‘Adorn Me’.   www.artunraveled.com  Deryn's Work Table and Her Tools   My Stash for Charms  I took my tools, hammers, pliers, torch, wire, found objects, charms and more.     We drew beads on 14 gauge bronze wire, then hamm