Saturday, June 29, 2013

Life Changes

       Ya know, it has been almost three years since I lasted wrote on this blog.  A lot has happened in those years. A divorce, and new marriage, and the loss of both my mother and my new mother-in law in just the last 9 months. A move back home and retiring from a job that I really loved is making me look more to my creative side and wondering how far it can take me.  I can not say that I have quit working, since I now have a farm to manage ( I love the old farm, it is so quiet and peaceful there).
I have moved my workshop to the farm and even have a new barn to house it in.
        I already have several projects in the fire so to speak.  The IEAG ( International Egg Art Guild)
has a project called the Masters Program.  this is where you make egg art to a specific specification and are graded on how well you do.  I have decided to work on several egg categories so that I become a better egger as well as egg teacher .  My first eggs will be for the novice grade.  I am doing a painted egg ( a scene done with acrylic paints) and beaded egg.( lots of beads usually in a design) and a decoupage egg.  The decoupage egg is the one giving me the most trouble.  I just don't feel good about the way it is turning out.  The design is good,  but getting the finish right is the problem.  Even tho I have put about 15 coats on,  it still feels like I am going to sand the design right off, and the egg feels sticky when i am sanding it.  If I ever get it right it will be beautiful.
   I am also teaching at the San Antonio Egg show in October.  I have designed a really beautiful egg jewelery box.  It is made from a rhea egg, and has a satin lining.  On the top of the egg I have beaded embroidery flowers surrounded by no-hole beads, the rest of the egg has size 11 beads on it.  The hinge is made from mesh hinge chain,  There is an art to using this chain and I am going to teach the class the proper way of putting it on the egg.  I think that it gives the egg a very polished finish and I really like using it.
       I am also going to be teaching a midnight madness class at that show.  I still have a lot of work to do to get the print ready to use,  but the design in my head will work out great, and I think that everyone will like it.
       When Mother died,  I inherited a lot of quilting material.  I have lots of designs that I could use the material for.  the problem being that it takes me so long to quilt.  I am looking at getting a Tin Lizzy long arm quilting machine.  That way I can not only get the top done,  but get the quilting done as well.  
      I mentioned a black swan egg that I was going to do.  Well,  she is finished and I am very pleased at the way she turned out.  I have several more eggs waiting to be done. and numerous paintings that I want to do.  I am getting better about being able to translate what I see in my head to the canvas.  I also have several beading ideas that I need to start working on.  But there never seems to be enough time in the day to get them all done or thought about.
      I will sign off for now but will be back with updates on my projects soon.  Keep being creative.

Becca

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