Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Yesterday my friend, Kim, and I met at Kuhle’s to explore the junk yard!   Neither of us had been there and neither of us had a camera to capture all the interesting shapes and textures and materials.   But we did find Darrell who led us to the locked up room where old sheet metal to be recycled is kept.   We found a treasure trove of copper and one sheet of brass as well as several gauges of wire.   It did not take long to amass 20 pounds of metal at $5.00 a pound.   Men are working! One of the first questions we were asked was, “Are you just looking or are you buying?”   Having grown up with two brothers and a father who was in demolition (along with many other businesses), I knew we better be buying.   I know not to waste a busy man’s time when it is close to lunch (or any other time either!).   So we were “buying”!   The sheet copper we bought had a natural patina, purple colors where I suppose someone tried etching, and there were a few thicknesses.   We quickly selecte

The road curved around a mountain just outside of Superior AZ and … SURPRISE!   Wildflowers all around us – up the hillside and down the hillside; under the saguaros and next to the highway.   Breathtaking.   In fact, Peter and I had to stop and park along the highway (which is another nice thing about taking the scenic route.)   We walked among the spring flowers and took lots of pictures.   Fortunately both of us had cameras because I lost all of mine in transferring them to my computer.   Frustrating!   But the memory of being surrounded by purples, yellows, oranges, and reds remains.   We went to Tucson to see doctors at the University Medical Center for Peter.   Getting a second opinion on a serious illness is so important.   This one gave us hope and yes there will be surgery.   Once we have a definitive answer, intelligent choices can be made.   The first medical opinion was way too scary without enough information.   So, please, get second opinions and ma

     This week I’ve been reorganizing my computer.   Peter rebuilt it and that meant I had to save everything and put it back when he had finished.   It occurred to me that I have been pretty sloppy about saving and organizing my many (and I do mean many) photographs.   So instead of just dumping them on the ‘new’ computer, I went through them and deleted, organized, deleted, organized and now they are back in folders where I can actually find them.   That also meant there was no time to play in clay or make jewelry!    “It takes less time to do a thing right , than it does to explain why you did it wrong.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  - and then do it again! The exercise reminded me, once again, to do it right the first time.   It saves time, money, eyesight, frustration and makes more room for joy!   So this small bundle of success has inspired me to take more time for the little things - the first time around.   Now that I have my work done, I'm going to play! 

If you’ve been following my blog posts, you know that I love to photograph birds!   When eight Tundra Swans decided to visit the Prescott Lakes, I was ready with my tripod and Nikon camera with the long lens (Tamron 200-500).   I had my binoculars, hiking shoes and Peter (my resident birder)!   Tundra Swans breed in the Arctic tundra and migrating south to warmer weather.   It is really unusual for them to be this far south. We went to Watson Lake and saw four of the swans near the far shore….too far for any picture.   Then we went to Willow Lake and saw none.   The next day we retraced our steps and found four at Watson Lake and four at Willow Lake.   The ones at Willow were near enough for photography.     I carefully walked toward the water close enough to ‘shoot’ but not to disturb them.    Took lots of pictures in different exposures and happily left.   When I got home and looked, I realized the feathers weren’t as defined as I wanted and were overexposed.  I needed to try again

I’m getting ready to participate in my first Holiday Sale!   Our homeowner’s association is having a one day holiday sale (September 17).   I will have a table to display my creations of jewelry, silk flowers and blank cards with my photos.   And I’m wondering how to present these items to the best advantage.   Displaying my products in a way that attracts buyers has me thinking about the art of presentation. How things look and are presented can mean success or not!   I remember my mother telling me that it was very important to set a pretty table.   If the presentation for the food was inviting, the food and the conversation would be better.   If it looked like dinner was planned, Dad would not mind waiting for it!   So now, even with pizza, I set the table with candlelight and napkins.   A Ladies Afternoon Tea Such fun to make this presentation and then eat it!! When I taught, I wanted my students to listen.   Junior high and high school students are a tough crowd and the prese

Photographs!   I have a computer full of photographs I’ve taken and I bet a lot you do too!   While I love to look at them and remember the events, emotions and friends, I want to do more with them.   Since I make jewelry, I’ve been experimenting with ideas.   That’s what I do- experiment with ideas and then turn them into wearable art – jewelry. So as I went through my photos one day, I saw that I had a lot of animals.   Especially animals from Africa (what a surprise since I only brought home hundreds of photos from Africa!) and I decided to make a silver bracelet with a cat family.   I had great photos of a cub, a lion and a lioness.   I experimented with photo sizes and charm sizes and eventually figured out I could use 3 charms on a bracelet and have room for tiny beads.   And then I realized that this bracelet had endless possibilities. It could have photos of birds for a birder.   It could be a friendship bracelet.   It might be a reminder of a trip.   Mothers and grandmothers m

I love going to the market and seeing all the colors and shapes of vegetables and flowers and people.  Usually I take my camera and capture whatever catches my eye.  But today I decided to just enjoy everything with my friend and buy some tomatoes and and flowers.  Of course I took a large bag and before my trip was over I had 3 bags full.  I knew that would happen didn't you?  As I turned a corner and went up another aisle, I was stopped by a cabbage with the largest ruffliest leaves I have ever seen.  I said, 'I want that!  I want to take a picture of it.'  Remember, I had no camera!  The lady in the stall offered to take off the big outer leaves so I would have a normal size cabbage.  I almost grabbed it out of her hands!  'No!! Those leaves are why I want it!"  So she carefully handed my the cabbage and I got it into a plastic bag.   We left soon after that with my bag full of tomatoes, squash, 6 large sunflowers and my ruffled cabbage!  On the way home I ima