Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

Deryn's button, that is!

I've got it here (clickable button is on the right) and hope to win a little pile of goodness from Deryn, but taking this class will make me a winner anyway!
 
I took the Towers and Turrets online class this last fall  from Deryn Mentock and Sharon Tomlinson.  Though life got in the way and I wasn't able to participate as much as I would have liked, every minute I was able to be there was time smashingly well spent.

Deryn has been working on a new online class of her own, and since it's unlikely she'll be teaching in my neck of the woods any time soon, I think I am going to go for it.  Dear man of mine asked what I wanted for Valentines Day, this is it, honey-pie.  Many of the techniques she'll be covering are things I am already familiar with, but one of the biggest and most humbling lessons I learned from the previous class experience is this....

I am largely self-taught when it comes to jewelry construction, and watching Deryn's lessons has helped me with technique immensely, more often than not correcting things that I would over look, re-affirming my quest to create professional quality pieces in my own style with absolutely the best construction I am capable of mastering.  Correcting self-taught bad habits has been worth every penny and minute of watching the dear lady in action.  One example was the Ice Resin module.  When I first learned about Ice Resin, I knew it would be a perfect enhancement and could think of many ways to incorporate it into my work, and so I read the instruction sheet and dove right in with perhaps too much enthusiasm.  I had the stuff in my hair, overflowing, setting objects that looked dopey and dull...and am still chipping chunks of it off the workbench.  Once I watched Deryn handling it, easy peasy.  Jeesh!  Creating bezels was another frustration, I had learned years ago and forgotten most all of it.  One simple lesson and voila!  Back in the saddle!   Don't misunderstand, I have much to learn and recognize this with great humility and when disposable income is less disposable in these times, weighing the advantages is a necessary part of the spend equation.  Besides being a modest investment in my craft, hanging out and making new cyber friends is beyond rewarding, it's simply something sublime.

There are many blocks she'll be teaching that I'm delightedly anticipating, and so I do hope to see some of you there.  Please do stop by and take a look at the class, it's going to be amazing and I can hardly wait!

4 comments:

  1. fantastic. i'm really jealous, but go YOU!

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  2. Awwww, c'mon Julie, git on over here sometime and let's make stuff. Your work and site inspires me consistently, spend a weekend and collaborate with me!!

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  3. Thanks for your potent mojo! Can hardly wait to see your new creations after you receive even more inspiring techniques! I love learning new methods of creating Art... like you I have mostly been self-taught and so most of the time I don't really know what I'm doing or quite how it's going to work out! *LOL*

    Dawn... The Bohemian

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  4. Oh, I want to!

    Am right with you on being self-taught, but there are always those guiding tips that the experts can give that make everything so much easier, and Deryn seems like she would be such a good teacher!

    I'll go take a peek...

    But I am going to miss snickering at you when you are grumbling about Ice Resin in your hair!

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