Saturday Smiles

On Saturdays I post about a couple things that have made me smile over the last week.
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1) Polymer Clay and paint
I'm really having fun.  =)  I'm just jumping in and figuring it out as I go...  I've read a couple of good books, and looked in a couple of library books with different polymer clay jewelry.  Some of it I liked and some of it I just don't.  I'm hoping to grow and get better.
I think I like the painting as much as the clay.  I'm trying to remember to photograph my pieces before I sell them!

2) My girls like school this year!
It feels like a miracle to see them happily walking into school each morning... 
Abigail's kindergarten year was torture- every morning she would cry and refuse to go, and I'd end up having to carry her in crying.  First grade was better- good teacher, yucky social issues....  Have you ever noticed how mean little girls can be?
But finally, second grade has turned a corner for her.  She can read, and she can talk to people.  She likes playing with the other kids.  She likes her teacher.  She likes math, and stories, and music, and gym...  It's just amazing.
And Deborah has a fourth grade teacher who is emphasizing writing!!!  Truly, he is an answer to prayer.  She writes different bits (sometimes fiction, and sometimes non-fiction) every day and is doing so well.  Math is still a struggle for her, much like it was for me, but she is surviving.

3) Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters Series
This is my last week before I go back to work tutoring, so I am taking advantage of my last few days with the girls in school and me at home.  I'm cleaning and reading.
Currently, I am re-reading Lackey's Elemental Masters turn of the century fantasy novels, and enjoying them again.  I've read each of them about twice, but never straight through back to back. She has a new one, and I want to read them all again before I jump into the new one.
I enjoy the little cross-overs.  Each story is complete in and of itself, but they all tie together and have some repeated characters.
I don't always agree with some of the moralizing/philosophizing that Lackey includes, but I always enjoy reading a book that makes me think.  The series starts right about 1905, and then continue into the start of WWI.  I like Lackey's characters- she creates people who you would like to know and hate to see go when the book is over.  And I always love re-telling of fairy-tales.

The second book of the series, and honestly my favorite- The Serpent's Shadow is a re-telling of the Snow White story, with an Indian touch.

 

I'm currently reading Phoenix and Ashes, the fourth book in the series.  It is a re-telling of the Cinderella story.

One of my favorite quotes from Phoenix is a comment made by a local village witch/mid-wife and the fairy godmother in the re-telling of the story:

"Eleanor looked up and lifted an eyebrow.  'I think I see why you never married, Sarah,' she replied, with irony.
Sarah laughed.  'Well, and I reckoned if I wanted something that'd come and go as he pleased, take me for granted and ignore me when he chose, I'd get a cat.  And if I wanted something I'd always have to be picking up after, getting into trouble, but slavishly devoted, I'd get a dog.'"

Energy, Bead trays and Polymer Clay

For the Bead Soup Blog Party Post, go HERE.

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I feel like I'm coming out of a fog. It's been nine weeks since my surgery and I finally have energy.

Energy to play with the kids at recess.

Energy to plan fun things for Spring break next week.

Energy to care how the house looks.

Energy to care how I look.

Energy to be creative and spontaneous.

Energy to truly enjoy my girls.

Energy to create.

This is what's on my bead table right now- a collage- style green glass, ceramics and shell necklace. I'm still thinking about how it will go together- You are seeing just the preliminary lay-out. I tend to have an image or drawing in mind, then I lay out elements and play with them (moving them around, switching them, pulling out more stuff). Finally I put it all together.

My favorite thing right now is to combine different styles and methods (wire-work plus stringing, etc.) And making my own components really adds to the pleasure of creating.

This is what I'm working with on my component tray. Right now, I'm just working in polymer clay.

My surgery stole so much time and energy that I had to drop my metal-smithing class. I was terribly depressed at first, and then I chose to make it a good thing. I decided to focus on polymer clay for this semester to see if it's a medium I like. So far, so good. I haven't created anything yet with my components, but I'm going to soon.

Here you see a wing pendant and a butterfly pendant. They've been cooked and now they are waiting to be painted. The painting is my favorite part! I love adding individuality to each piece.