Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Courage               like a muscle it must be used and respected. Strength              like a muscle it must be exercised. Patience              like a muscle it takes time to develop. Persistence         like a muscle it must not be forgotten. I think I'm going to post these thoughts where I can see them several times a day!   There are so many aspects of my life where their reminder will be useful. Happy New Year to you all!

Elegant jewel tones are one of this season's best trends!  Sapphire blues, deep rich purples, vibrant  reds and luxurious gold get everyone's attention.  But too much of these colors overpower most of us.  One easy way to stay in the holiday fall/winter trend is to add them in small amounts.  A pair of earrings that combine royal blue and gold with a gold necklace, a chunky colorful choker, a luxurious one of a kind pendant are all great options to create an unforgettable outfit.  Once we get comfortable with wearing these elegant colors in small amounts, it's just another step to a vivid fushia blouse or a dramatic emerald green scarf.  Lots of ways to add dazzling colors to our wardrobes! https://www.etsy.com/listing/561910957/colorful-pendant-purple-gold-and-green?ref=shop_home_active_17 https://www.etsy.com/listing/561931081/dark-blue-and-gold-drops-shiny-blue?ref=shop_home_active_20 https://www.etsy.com/listing/80437132/romantic-purple-necklace-etched

One evening while I was on Facebook, I came across a 2 part tutorial by  https://www.facebook.com/Amatistart62/   It shows making an Ikat pattern using old canes and I was hooked!  Following is a pictorial with some explanation of the process I used after watching her video.  It's a great video worth watching.  Many of us have old canes that we aren't sure what to do with but don't want to toss them or smash them up for scrap.  I found this to be a very interesting way to use them.  These are the two canes I decided to use.   I flattened the brown flower cane after conditioning by squeezing it Then I ran it through the pasta machine and the colors stretched into stripes. The colors are blended by folding the clay color to color and running it through the pasta machine You can see the subtle pattern.  Thin slices are cut and placed against each other on a black ground. It is important to use the end cuts next to each other and to shift the patt