Bettina Welker Workshop

I had an incredible time last weekend when I attended a polymer clay workshop by Bettina Welker.  When I heard Bettina was going to teach, I had to go and was so glad I did!  The class was on Vancouver Island and so the weekend started by driving out with my friend, Joanne.

The workshop was for two days and I found it quite exciting to create something different than what I would typically make.  We also worked with the Fimo Professional clay so was a good opportunity to see how I liked working with it.  I have found that it does have it's uses and I like the fact that it was softer yet not too sticky even though the room was quite warm.  

Bettina's style is unique and the class consisted of us constructing different beads using various techniques.  These were the beads that I had made.  They are pretty much in the similar colors as I wanted to maintain a theme and of course lime green and teals are my favorite.

Beads I made in Bettina's class

After we made all our beads, Bettina showed us how we can combine them to create a necklace.  I am playing around with them at the moment to see what combination I like best.

Testing out how to arrange the beads I made in Bettina's workshop

These are the beads Bettina demonstrated in the class and then created a necklace with them.

Necklace Bettina made in class

She then had us write our names on a piece of paper and my friend Joanne was the lucky duck to keep it!

Joanne (left) with Bettina (right)

It was a fun time and if you ever have the opportunity to take a class from Bettina, I highly recommend it.  If it isn't possible, Bettina has several classes on CraftArtEdu that you can take.

I am so glad that Bettina and her family chose to come to Canada for a vacation and I hope they enjoyed their travels as much as we enjoyed her class!  We really appreciated that they were willing to share her with us while they were here.

And of course a big thank-you to Barb Alexander and Irene Corman for all the work that they put into planning and preparing such a wonderful time!

Button Make and Take Class at A Twist of Yarn

We had a full class last Saturday morning that was held at A Twist of Yarn in Vernon. The ladies all had fun making textured buttons in the jewel tone colors using mica powders.  We have been using the Sculpey Souffle clay for these workshops as we have found it to be the best clay suited for this technique and is soft enough where you do not need a pasta machine and can roll it by hand.  We provide all the materials and supplies for these classes and the ladies just come and have fun.

A Twist of Yarn is located in a vintage Heritage home that has been beautifully restored inside and out.  They have several rooms upstairs for gatherings and classes which worked out really well.

The ladies enjoyed the class so much they asked us to do our beginner workshop so they can learn more.  Hopefully we have more potential members for our Okanagan Polymer Clay Guild as well.

We are taking a break from our classes for the next couple of months as the winter climate settles in but already booking for next year.  If you are in the area and interested in any of these classes, you can keep up to date by checking our Events page on our website or contact us so we can add your name to our list for sign-ups.

Jewel-tone Double-sided Textured Beads

We just finished off a bunch of double-sided texture beads and matching rondelle spacers in some jewel-tone colors for the Jewelry Party this Saturday at the Sewing Basket where everyone will make a memory wire bracelet.

Everyone will get to pick their own beads out in their favorite colors and textures to design their own bracelet.

I noticed that Pearl Ex has come out with some new colors that are suppose to be more bright and vibrant.  I am always looking for new colors and so these should be fun to play with.  You can read more about them here on Wendy's blog who now has them for sale at Shades of Clay.

We work with mica powder pigments quite a bit and in my tutorials, Double-sided Textured Beads, Textured Tubes and More and Make Your Own Rondelle Spacer Beads, I share some tips on working with them.

One thing I do differently now is I have actually mixed some of the colors to create new colors and save them in small jars with the recipe written on in case I need to make more.

Jewelry Party at The Sewing Basket

I am doing a different type of jewelry making class this time at The Sewing Basket in Salmon Arm.  It is a short one hour "make and take" Jewelry Party.  The class is free and you only pay for the materials.  The project is quite simple and not much in tools is required.  For parts that are needed, Dave and I will have enough tools available for use and we will be both on hand to assist with your project.

We will have a variety of our handcrafted art beads to make a stylish and fun to wear memory wire bracelet.  These bracelets are very comfortable and fit any wrist size.  There is no clasp so are easy to put on and take off as they just wrap around the wrist.

The class is in 2 weeks so there is still plenty of time to sign up.  It is a party so the more the merrier!