Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

My good friend’s husband passed away after 11 years of fighting lymphoma and leukemia.   This past year was terrible for both of them as they struggled to be positive and useful and loving.   I visited with her one afternoon and I listened as she told me how she will miss his presence, his humor, his wit and his nightly, “Good Night, Beautiful”.   She is, of course, glad he is no longer in pain and she has removed the reminders of that pain from the house.   We both know the reminders live within her and will fade with time as the good memories take over.   A doctor once told me that losing a loved one leaves a hole inside.   That hole can be likened to the hole in a doughnut.   The hole is there with healing around it.    I opened my memory box to share some of the pain and some of the humor I remember so well from my husband’s dying.    My friend was concerned about getting the ashes to another state.   I shared the st...

Lace transfer in center of ornament I did it!   I finally got the transfers to work!   Last Friday, I told you about the class I was taking on line (Heather Campbell and ‘Lady Luck Pendants’) and how I did not have the clay softener for the transfers.   If you missed that, please go back and read about how I decided to do Christmas Ornaments my way instead of making the ‘Lady Luck’ Pendants.   Also check out the other classes on this site: www.craftartedu.com    Lace Photos Transfered to Unbaked Polymer Clay   There doesn’t seem to be much sense in taking a class unless you try all the techniques.   This week I have all the ingredients and decided to follow the instructions for transfers!   Yes, putting the clay softener on the rolled out clay and placing the toner based lace designs face down on the clay with the softener between generally worked.   I had to really burnish the back of each design and as you can see from the p...

There are differences between the South Rim and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon   that go beyond direction.   The North Rim is lots less crowded, has higher elevation (8200 feet) with a spruce-fir forest, takes longer to get to and has fewer amenities.   It is well worth the trip!   There are lots of hiking trails and spectacular scenic views with a different perspective. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Lodge in a charming cabin.   Dinner was delicious at the lodge and the sunset spell binding.   Dawn found us dressed and ready to walk out to Bright Angel Point Trail.   The weather changed mid morning bringing dark clouds, thunder and rain.   Pretty dramatic! Today the forces of nature are at work slowly deepening and widening the Grand Canyon.   There is much information on the geology and history of this place at http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm And oh yes, it closes Oct. 15 due to the weather!  

I signed up to take Heather Campbell’s class, “Lady Luck Pendants” through http://www.craftartedu.com/ .   The ad for it looked so intriguing and I love the ornate look of her pendants.   It was worth the $25 cost of the class!   I selected left over clay in a variety of colors and gathered canes that blended with them.   I pulled out sequins, crystals and bead caps.   By now my desk is piling up.   Did I mention that it was late evening and I really wanted to try these techniques right then!   Patience?   None!! I read the tutorial again (I had watched the video earlier) and zeroed in on the transfer section.   The transfers needed to print on a toner printer.   We have that.   But I did not have images I wanted to transfer. Hmmm… I take photographs and I have an album of lace photos that are black and white.   After selecting 8 images, I printed them on the correct printer.   What? no clay softener ?   ...

Ok!   I’m back!   My blogs will get back on schedule. In case you forgot, Tuesdays are nature and things important to me.   Fridays are usually about jewelry techniques and what I’m doing. It is so nice to be home in Prescott AZ.   I’ve been to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and stopped to see the Condors.   Then we went to Mexico to Rancho Esmeralda for training in locating and surveying birds.   Next I went to Kansas City to see family and last to Tucson for the fall Reptile Show.   Each place I visited held special memories both past and present.   In Kansas City, I visited my brothers and their families.   Lots of memories revisited!   We reminisced about growing up and about our parents.   There are 5 ½ years between each of us three kids.   We talked about how each of us remembers and experienced our lives with the same parents.   And of course, our parents were in different stages of their life with each o...

Just back from traveling and here are a few of my recent favorite photos. Swallowtail Butterfly Dragonfly Dragonfly Not settled down enough to share my travels but here is some some inspiration.  Talk about natural color and fall color trends!