Workshop Alert!

Back on my beautiful island home! What a whirlwind trip I had and now it's back to business.

This coming Saturday, May 31st, I'll be at Island Blue for their Art Fair from 12-2. Come visit me if you can!

I'll be teaching a basic polymer clay caning course on the following Saturday June 8th, at the same location.

The next workshop will be at the Beeks Lane Studio in Godfrey, ON. Georgia Ferrell, one of my wonderful pc friends has an annual Polymer Clay Workshop and she invited me to be the guest artist this year! I'm looking forward to having a weekend to share my explorations in caning with others this coming September.

Another mention!

Thanks goes out to Cynthia Tinapple from Polymer Clay Daily, probably the most popular polymer clay blogs out there, for blogging my dragonfly and bug pins. I'm glad that I'm heading back to Victoria today so that I can make more of my creations soon. I'm very syked about getting back to claying after almost a month away from it.

Keep on the lookout for some 'new' things on the horizon!

National Post Update

Well, still never saw my pictures in the National Post...will have to wait till I get together with Gera. But since I now have fast enough internet, I can show you the pictures that I submitted to them.

Goodbye Newfoundland...I've found out what your beauty is....

Finally! I'm back in wireless internet world! Spending a couple of weeks of only having dial up access was like the stone ages for me. I can't believe this technology has grown so fast.

We left Deer Lake, NFLD yesterday and I miss it already. Though it only boasts a Tim Horton's as its only coffee place and a handful of places to eat out....it was one of the warmest places I've ever visited. It helps when people always call you 'M'Love' when you talk to them :)

I had 3 goals when I was there...see a moose(Newfie speedbump), icebergs, and having fresh lobsters(ate 5 1/2 of them)! I completed all of them and then some! I saw a cariboo! It truly is God's country and probably one of the world's best kept secrets. I sure found it suprising how different it is from one coast of Canada to the other. Our country is surely a place I want to explore more of.

Thanks to the National Post!

Thanks to Nathalie at the National Post....I'm in their 'Crawly Couture' spread with my bug and dragonfly brooches!

Too bad I haven't seen the photo spread yet. I spent 12 hours on airplanes and airports to get from Victoria to Deer Lake, Newfoundland yesterday. Yes, that's the shortest trip I could get from one end of Canada to the other! So, with slight jet lag, I just realized I forgot to pick up the paper!

Thanks to Gera, I will get a copy when I get back to Victoria.

For those who are interested in purchasing any of the bugs, I'll be back in the studio at the end of the month of May. For those who want to see me at a show, I'll be in the Filberg Festival in Comox Valley, BC next.

Catching up II: Devon's Birthday

I can't believe it, but my little boy turned 5 on April 7th. I still remember just bringing him home. It doesn't take long for them to grow up.

As if my life wasn't busy enough, I decided to make a birthday cake from scratch. My son had requested a dinosaur cake. Now, I could've made it easy for myself, make a flat cake....swipe a few of his dinosaurs....add a few trees...voila! A land of dinosaurs cake. But no! I decided to research and create a 3D dinosaur cake....guess I should get my head examined somedays. Six hours later...well, you see the results. Devon told me it's a dinosaur crocodile and a chocolate one at that!

My brother says I make cakes for a living....as if I don't have enough career options!

Catching up: Sojourn Retreat...

In February, I attended the premiere Sojourn Retreat in Nanaimo. I was proud to be involved with the organization of this retreat by our beloved VIPCG. With Gera as our fearless leader, the retreat went off without a hitch (not counting the fire alarm going off on the first night!). It was nice to spend a weekend with a group of wonderful and creative ladies from both our guild and the Vancouver PC Guild. To be honest, I spent more time socializing than claying. I really enjoyed my classes and seeing the diversity of how others 'clay'.

I had fun with the workshops I gave. I hope my 'students' came out of there with less fear of trying canework.

I'm so looking forward to the next retreat....do you hear me, VPCG?

A big and LONG project....

I've been so bogged down with my latest project, this blog has been terribly neglected. That project is the renovation of the livingroom/play area of our home. I never thought I would complete the drywall and mudding of it all! Mind you, if my polymer clay career doesn't pan out...I could become a drywall mudder!

We're at the last legs of the renos...and I'm so excited! Just in time for us to leave for 2 weeks to Newfoundland(my first trip) and a week in Winterpeg next Thursday. It will be nice to finally take our furniture out of the sea container in our driveway.

Some new pendant ideas

Well, I had brought some fun freshwater pearls last year because I think the combination of pearls and polymer clay makes a nice mix. I had a little brain spurt right before bed last week and these are the results!

They're a hollow pendant that is very different on both sides to give you versatility of wear. The pearl is suspended on sterling silver wire to give it an illusion of floating. The bails are handworked silver. The pendant is strung on a rubber cording with a magnetic clasp. I really love the end product.

2008 Froggy!

Well, I'm feeling I'm on a roll with making teapots lately. While I was working on the previous RetroLady teapot, a frog teapot was brewing and here's the end results! It was done on these brand new glass teapots I found at the last wholesale gift show I went to. They're very lightweight but withstands alot of heat. Unlike previous glass teapots, these come in a variety of styles that have inspired me. Like all the other teapots, most of the details are caned including the sculpted frogs.

You can see more views of the teapot on my Flickr.

I joined Etsy!

Well, I couldn't resist....I joined the world of Etsy.com! Just posted a few things...will be adding more soon, but it's start! Come check it out!

www.Wandashumdesign.etsy.com

Belated Happy 2008!

Yes, another year has gone by.....time's flying by so quickly now! I'm looking forward to seeing what this year brings.

So far, it's inspired me to do another Retrolady teapot. And I'm very happy with the results. The colour combinations have come out brighter than the ones I've created before. Perhaps the westcoast air has its influence on me already! Think there are more of these to be created in the near future.

Also, a big thank you to Gera Scott Chandler for the idea of putting 'Desi' on the b&w tv behind 'Lucy'. Love it!

New Face Cane!

Well, I had one of those creative polymer clay moments a few days ago and made a face cane. I'm in need of new ones for the next year's production. This one is inspired by 80's illustration icon Patrick Nagel's women. I've always liked how the eyes are done. Very pleased with the outcome....now I have to see what I'm going to do with it!

A Break from Clay...

I spent an hour photographing the blooming orchids last week and there's one, a brassia that has inspired me to paint again. I've only worked on a rought watercolour pencil sketch. Love the control of the pencil with the look of watercolour. A favorite medium of mine. I really haven't done alot of drawing or sketching lately, and I felt a bit rusty. It's really like biking or swimming....you don't really lose it. Am getting more comfortable with it and looking forward to reproducing this in oils.

I'm also going to post the other really cool pics of the orchids. I'm really enjoying these new charges of mine, both in care and as muses.