Art, art, and more art!

This coming month is going to be jam-packed with art. I cannot wait! On Sunday, the Muse Council (aka Washington County Mixed Media Artists) is getting together. These ladies are most talented and a lot of fun to hang out with. We’re going to be working on soldering.

Art & Soul starts this week. I’m taking the following classes:

Thursday & Friday: Step Into the Story–Jewelry Technique Workshop with Nina Bagley
Sunday: Gridlocked with Lisa Kaus
Sunday PM: Face Cabochons–Tricks & Techniques with Jessica Acosta
Monday: Charm School with Lisa Call

Check out the links. I can’t wait to see my out of town art friends. Laurel, Dede, Leslie, Keli, Kecia, and Zhulia will all be there. And there will be some other locals attending too: Allegra, Melissa, and Michelle. On Saturday after shopping the Vendor event, Melissa, Diane, Dawn, (maybe) Sue, and I are going to get together for a drink. Too bad we didn’t plan ahead, it would have been fun to have a girls sleep over at the hotel that night.

The following week is my birthday. Not sure what’s going on for that but I’ll be 39 (again). 😉

Then the weekend of October 18 & 19, is Deryn‘s JouJou Workshop! That is going to be so much fun. There are still spots available so if you’re interested in attending, let me know! A juju is a charm or amulet with “magical” powers. The word “juju” is derived from the French word joujou meaning “toy” or “plaything.” In this class, we’ll spend a fun first day playing with charms. We’ll assemble all sorts of joujou charms and create a beautiful charm keeper pendant designed to hold them.

Deryn is a wonderfully talented artist; originally from Hillsboro, she now lives near Houston. Hurricane Ike devastated parts of Texas but Haiti has been particularly hard hit this season. Take a look at her blog to see the beautiful necklace she’s auctioning. She’ll match and donate the proceeds to charity: Double Harvest‘s Benevolent Housing Project to build housing in Haiti. Not only can you own a piece of original art to wear, you can help out people in need so bid, bid, bid!

Don’t miss this opportunity!

 

Joujou Charm Necklace

and Earrings

A magical workshop featuring Deryn Mentock

Saturday and Sunday, October 18 & 19, 2008 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Hillsboro, Oregon

Workshop fee: $250

To register, please contact Denise

You can find more about Deryn on her blog at http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

All images and designs copyright Deryn Mentock
Used with permission

Rewarding experience

Intel turned 40 this year. In commemoration, the CEO announced that instead of spending lots of money on parties or gifts for employees (how many t-shirts or coffee cups do you really need anyway?), they would target the money they would have spent in a different way. In the past Intel has granted a lot of money to education. This year, we were challenged with volunteering. For each hour we spend at a qualifying agency, the company will grant them $10. The company is trying to reach one million hours… that’s 10 million dollars!

On Thursday of last week, all of HR was offered an opportunity to participate in this effort. All over the world, there were organized teams of HR employees volunteering at different events (during work hours, I might add). I had the chance to work with a large group of my HR peers at the Oregon Food Bank. This agency is amazing, simply amazing!

Besides feeding hungry people in the state, they try to understand the root cause of hunger and are really making a difference. They believe that hunger is related to income (pretty obvious, huh?) but in order to make an impact on the people most vulnerable, they lobbied and helped pass laws which made it difficult for paycheck loan companies to operate here. The result is they are mostly gone from Oregon, which is a good thing.

Not all states have a food bank that operates like the one we do here. They support all the local food banks  in the state so there is no competition among the different agencies. They are defintely making a difference and I will volunteer again. I’m proud to work for Intel because of its sense of corporate responsibility that is so important. If your company needs a team building event, this was a very rewarding one in so many ways and I would highly recommend it!

Phone recommendation

It’s time to retire the old cell phone and get a new one. I really want an iphone. That means switching cell phone companies. I’ve been fairly happy with Verizon but roll-over minutes with AT&T is a great plus. Wonder how coverage is in the Portland metro area.  I’m open to recommendations so if you have any thoughts, please share them.

Latest book

Last Friday, this book by Kelly Rae Roberts, Taking Flight, was delivered to my doorstep. The cover alone is a beyond stunning, don’t you agree?

Flipping through the pages, I was in awe of the amazing work contained within the covers.  Kelly Rae’s interpretation of each contributing artist’s techniques are beautifully demonstrated. The photography enhances the splendor of each artistic work in the book. When I read the title of the first chapter: “Unearthing Buried Dreams,” I had to read more. Kelly Rae goes on, “Do you have an inner voice, a gentle whisper quietly nudging you to listen? What does it say? Does it tell you to begin that creative project you’ve been putting off? Or does it tell you to dream bigger–perhaps start your own business? Maybe it’s encouraging you to begin writing that book. Or to travel to exotic places. It may be just a whisper, a small voice tucked deep inside the pockets of your heart, but really, it’s your life calling you.”

That was her message in the first paragraph. My eyes welled up. “…it’s your life calling you.” I don’t know about you but I need to start listening. I thought I was the only one who had self-doubts and fears. I am working on some issues and this book couldn’t have come at a better time. Kelly Rae’s wisdom  and the exercises she created in the book are sure to make an impression on my awareness. Maybe someday soon, I will be confident enough to make some important decisions about what nourishes my soul and makes me sing. I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, check out Kelly Rae‘s blog and get a copy of her book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble… you’ll love it and it will enrich you.

Final product

Here’s a picture of my round robin charm with the final touches. I wanted a silver chain but it didn’t work out that way. It was supposed to go in the mail on the 31st but since that was Sunday and Monday was a holiday, we’re getting a late start. Sorry, Melissa! Luckily it only has to go across town.

I’ve actually accomplished something…

Here are some soldering projects I’ve been working on.

This piece is for a round robin charm swap. I love the look of the solder after putting the patina solution on it… looks so tarnished and old. I think I’ll add some words to the wrist (or maybe kanji character like I have on my wrist). I like the simplicity of this piece. I just am not sure about what type of chain to attach it to. I also need to find out where to get some more little hands.

Here are the charms I made for the black & white charm swap.

Here is a charm I’ve been planning on soldering together since May. It’s a little tin fish mold full of little shells and stuff. I also used the patina solution on the soldering so it wasn’t so bright. I love  it and can’t wait to wear it at Art & Soul (By the Sea) and ArtFest (Sea Monster) since both themes are related to the sea.

Since I can find some of the things I need in my art studio, it’s not so frustrating to work in there. It took a fraction of the time it normally would have because of my disorganization and distractions. I can’t wait to be completely done with my room makeover. I know I will be much more productive. And maybe someday I’ll be able to sell some of my work online!

Twitter

Do you know what twitter is? It’s new to me. I’m just a beginner-twitterer. But I think it’s cool. After I downloaded twhirl, the whole thing made more sense. The web is growing and changing and it’s pretty exciting. Working at Intel sometimes gives me a glimpse into the techie world of geekdom. Yesterday, I watched a presentation by Reuben Steiger about virtual worlds. It was interesting. I am by no means a geek but the social networking stuff really intrigues me. Of course, blogging is part of it. But there is more and it’s growing. Twitter is one network that is allowing people who would have otherwise never met to interact. You can learn about people in remote parts of the world or across the aisle from you at work. And that is very cool! Check it out and follow me.

I love my new scooter

I picked up my new scooter yesterday. The guys at Columbia Scooters are really great. I know I was asking every dumb question I could think up but Andy was so patient with me. If you’re in the market to buy one, check them out.

My scooter is so cool but I can’t ride it. Two reasons: I don’t have a motorcycle endorsement/permit and I don’t have insurance yet. I left work early on Tuesday and ran over to the DMV only to be told that they quit testing at 4 PM. Nice. I called my insurance agent’s office. Insurance on my scooter is pretty inexpensive but they will not cover me until I drop off the payment. I just figured they’d add it to my current policy but no. Before I get on the road, I think I better take the Team Oregon beginner course. If I pass the course, the DMV will accept that and I can get the endorsement on my license. Here are a couple pictures of my new scooter. Is it not the cutest thing?

Ignore the recycling – my garage is a bit crowded.

Not the best picture of the guy at the scooter shop wheeling my scooter to the truck.

I did ride it around the block yesterday and it was SO fun. I cannot wait to get on the road.

Okay, I know this is totally GIRLY… but I think my scooter needs a name. Any suggestions? If I come up with something clever enough, I’m going stick it on with vinyl lettering. The bonus about that is Steve won’t want to ride it. 🙂

I want a scooter

The price of gas is getting scary. When I filled up my car with plus three years ago, it was under $30… the day before yesterday it was over $50 for regular. Not that I drive a lot (my commute to work is about 7 miles) but I do a lot of running around town.

I saw someone riding a cream and navy scooter yesterday. It was about 75° and the sun was shining and she looked so cute! I was so envious.

Anyway, I’ve been pondering this for a while now and I decided I really want a scooter. Anyone out there have one? My scooter will have retro styling and will be green or blue one with a matching helmet.

What do you think of the Buddy Scooter? Or the Buddy International? Or for about twice the $$, a Vespa GTV?

It’s good timing, don’t you think?