Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Thanks for all the healing butterflies we received!   Keep them coming!   So many people have severe health issues.   Those of us who have a network of friends and family that offer both emotional and physical support are indeed the lucky ones.   It’s how we get through the bad times.   So I am taking this opportunity to once again thank our friends and family for their continued love.   The phone calls, emails and hugs mean so much.   Being reminded that each story is unique and not a repeat; being reminded that all I have to do is pick up the phone to hear a caring voice; and being reminded that there is always someone to listen have pulled me back from a previous story and grounded me in reality.   So we will go to Tucson and have more testing done on Peter.   We will see his doctor and build a game plan and go forward.   Whatever the results, they are treatable. We will continue to love, live and hang onto our ...

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 w...

Good Morning Everyone!   This week Peter and I are in Tucson AZ getting a 2 nd medical opinion for Peter’s recently discovered condition.   When I was deciding what to write or even whether to write a post today, I flipped through my photos and saw these butterflies.   They were in a store window in Coronado Ca when I was visiting.   I love butterflies and always thought it would be more than wonderful to have a room painted that almost sunshine yellow of the early morning.   Hundreds of butterflies would hang from the ceiling at different heights.   When I opened my eyes I could almost hear their wings pushing through the air and just maybe one would land on my  nose and in my heart!   I am imagining thousands of butterflies bringing healing thoughts, prayers, and warm energy to Tucson as we visit the doctors to find a way back to good health for Peter.  

When I used to design homes, I knew what they would look like in my mind.   And I always sighed gratefully and with relief when the homes were finished and they really did look like what I imagined.   It is the same with my jewelry.  Viking Knit with pearls  The beautiful crystal prism that I saved (who knows why) from some chandelier years ago would become my focal. When I added pearls to viking knit just to see what it looked like, I had no idea where I would use it (see post http://lindabrittdesign.blogspot.com/search?q=viking+knit+and+pearls). As I sat at my workbench with my pencil, paper and parts, this design took shape.   I realized I did not have enough pearls and knew the Tucson Gem Show was coming up.   I drew the design and put the parts (prism and viking knit with pearls) in a box.    I could get pearls the right color and size to finish my recycled prism necklace. Some major health issues popped up in our house and I had to cance...

 Acorn Woodpecker on my porch - Had to share this one!      Woodpeckers are all around my neighborhood.   Peter and I took a walk and saw four different species in just a few minutes.   They are so much fun to watch flying and pecking holes in the trees. The most common one I see is the Acorn Woodpecker.   He’s the one that looks a little like a clown and sounds like he is laughing.   The male has a brilliant red cap starting at the forehead while the females have a black area between the forehead and the cap.   Look for the white neck, throat, and forehead patches as field marks to identify these birds.   They rely on acorns as well as insects for food and they often peck holes in a tree to store acorns for winter.      Acorn Woodpecker     Williamson Sapsuckers are gorgeous woodpeckers.   The male has a bright yellow belly, a bright red patch under the chin and is black and white.   I ...

 Bead-It (Prescott AZ) and I are offering a class to make a viking knit bracelet in March.   I took the class example in to the bead store and in the process came home with two new (to me) tools to experiment with - a Knitting Spool and a Wyr Knittr. I wanted to know how the chain looked using these techniques compared to the Viking knit and how the processes differed.  Viking Knit Example  Check my post on viking knit to see that technique. http://lindabrittdesign.blogspot.com/2011/10/learning-as-we-go.html  I started with the Knitting Spool – a wooden spool about 3” tall and 1 ½” wide with a hole through the middle.   There are 5 cotter pins on the top and the wire is wound around the pins in one of 2 patterns.   A pick helps put the lower wire over the upper wire at each cotter pin for each row.   The knitted tube is funneled through the center hole and comes out the bottom.       Knitter Spool Example  I...

On my recent trip to Tucson’s Sonoran Desert Museum, I took time to walk paths and really enjoy the scenery.   I was drawn to a garden area with a spiral path.   The path was a labyrinth design and following it I became quietly thoughtful.   I was focused on the here and now as I looked at the rocks and plants beside me.     Quite the Zen experience! Later I read the signage about the path and was intrigued.   A labyrinth is a combination of a circle and a spiral that meanders into a meaningful experience.   There are two types of labyrinth patterns.   The archetypal design is classical – about 4000 years old.   It is a single pathway that loops back and forth to form 7 circuits around a single goal.   The one at the Desert Museum is a variation with 5 circuits.   The medieval labyrinth is the second pattern and is very symmetrical.   It was developed in the 10th and 11th centuries and has eleven concentric circles. ...

First, thank you to everyone who looked, read and especially a big thank you to those who responded to the survey.    #3 Best Liked Style  I compiled you answers and here are the results: 14 liked the idea 5 liked the shiny 7 liked the patina finish 7 liked #3 (the leaves) 3 liked #1 (the swirl engraved look)  #1 Best Liked Finish 4 liked all of the styles 3 liked a silver chain 4 liked a simple chain 7 either would use their own chain or had no opinion My conclusions: My basic idea was well received and has lots of possibilities. Variety is the spice of life. Chains are an add-on. There are lots more ideas, twists and turns, in my head.   Keep watching for them!  Check out my etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/lindabrittdesign