Mixed Media Maven

Cathy Johnston does mixed media so well! I love all of her fabulous little books. The photo shown above is what she'll be teaching at this year's Las Vegas Clay Carnival. In addition to Cathy, we'll have 7 other instructors there too. You can see a list of all the classes and more details on Cathy's website or at our new Carnival site.

In addition to her huge talent, Cathy's also extremely organized. I'm so envious of people who create beautiful and functional storage pieces for their tools. The bamboo handles she created on these are simply stunning!

I'm currently experiencing a bit of what my friend Leslie refers to as "pack stress". I'm leaving for Texas tomorrow and will be home for just a day before I fly to France for a workshop. I'm hoping to be able to post some photos while I'm there. The talent in Europe is absolutely incredible and I'm excited to have the opportunity to meet some of my wonderful online friends in person. This will be my first trip across the pond. I had to miss the one I'd planned for last year after my son developed kidney stones right before I was to leave. Keep your fingers crossed that no one makes any last minute trips to the ER this time!

Lone Star Retreat

I'm looking forward to spending a few days in Texas at the end of the month. The Houston Polymer Clay Guild is holding its annual Lone Star Retreat Sptember 27-29, 2009 at the South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center in League City. I'm honored to be one of their guest instructors. They're also hosting Dayle Doroshow (her work shown above) who will be teaching Shimmering Rattle Beads and Barbara McGuire (her work shown below) who's teaching Mokume Gane Collage Pendants.

This guild really knows how to do a retreat! I'm so excited about the things they've planned and looking forward to the opportunity to finally meet some of my Texas clay friends in person. You can learn more about the retreat and the workshops here.

I can't thank you enough for all your nice comments welcoming me back to Bloglandia (thanks Cynthia!). I really appreciate you all and I've missed "seeing" you. It's going to be lots of fun to catch up!

Slightly Red-Faced

Since I'm feeling a little embarrassed that I've been "on vacation" for so long, I thought this would be the best picture to mark the end of my five month long absence.

When I made my last blog entry on April 9th, I had no idea I'd be gone so long. My oldest son was getting ready to graduate from high school and there was a lot going on at the end of his senior year, then it was time to help him get ready for college and all the things that go along with that. It just seemed like the longer I stayed away, the harder it was to come back.

I can only imagine all the wonderful things I must have missed during the last few months. I know there are lots of new books out that I haven't seen and I'm sure I'll never catch up on all the new photos posted by my Flickr contacts. And, believe it or not, I've only visited Cynthia and Susan's blogs once or twice in all that time.

It feels a little strange to have been away from clay for so long. I just finished my first real project in more than 4 months and I'm still not sure what direction to take this blog in.

I just updated my teaching schedule (you can see it to the right of my post) for the rest of 2009 and I'm looking forward to getting back into the polymer clay groove. It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to reconnect with some of you during these upcoming events and I'm hoping I haven't been totally forgotten after so long.

Dreamy Dolls and Sweet Easter Wishes

I've become enamored with the work of Christine Alvarado. Her wonderful dolls have the most beautiful faces and incredible detail. "Paloma and Rabbit Mask" seemed like a perfect fit for this time of year.

Her series of "lady bird" ornaments are so clever and original. I adore their little crowns and pearl necklaces.

Each of her creations have such a distinct personality. "Seneca and Julep" is part of a whole series that includes delightful little dogs.

In addition to her blog, you can see much more of Christine's beautiful work on her Flickr site. Be prepared to stay awhile. It's impossible not to be drawn in to the magic she creates.

Wishing you a sweet and wonderful Easter!

Inspired by Lime!

Those of you who know me are probably aware of my favorite color. Yes, it's lime green. Specifically, what I like to call a "dirty chartreuse". I've seen a lot of gorgeous greens lately like this sea anemone ring from Psychotic Reactions. She isn't sharing her name anywhere. I've noticed that a lot of artists don't disclose that information online. Can anyone tell me what that's about? I'm perfectly fine with being called Kim CavendEr. After all, it's my name. Although the majority of people in the world would prefer I change it to Kim CavendAr. You can read more about that here if you'd like. And just a note, that really is me (Kim CavendEr) in the photo. Apparently my sarcasm was lost on a few people who told me they were amazed Kim CavendAr looked so much like me.



But, I digress in a major way. Psycho (please don't take offense, it was too good to pass up) has some absolutely gorgeous things listed on Etsy. The colors are marvelous and the designs are stunning. Well worth a visit!

Lisa Pakosh, the talented artist who created these yummy earrings and has to endure living in a tropical paradise like the Bahamas, has recently opened an Etsy shop with her equally talented mother Vickie Turner and her sister Sandra Mitchell called Three Cheeky Wenches. Besides being so artistically inclined, these three are crazy funny! Their shop is both beautiful and entertaining - the perfect combination.

Germany's Konstanze Filip, aka Madooli, is making some incredible new rings which she's just shared on Flickr. You can see what she has listed for sale here on Dawanda.

Have a dirty chartreuse kind of day!

Claying For a Cause

Not only is Kaaren Poole a talented artist, she has a mission to help animals in need. Our new recording secretary for the IPCA donates 100% of the proceeds from her beautiful artwork like this piece titled "Bugged" to animal charities.

Having seen it in person, I can tell you that Kaaren's work is even more breathtaking in person. She has an uncanny ability for realistic sculpture.

I have a passion for helping to feed homeless animals and I've added a wonderful link to my blog so all of you can help too. Simply click on the purple paws in the top right of the screen and it will take you to The Animal Rescue Site where you hit "click to donate". It costs you absolutely nothing but 3 seconds of your time. Please, please do this each time you visit my blog! You can also sign up for a daily reminder from this wonderful organization. One click a day from all of the members of the polymer clay community can help to feed a lot of homeless animals. It's a wonderful feeling to be a voice for those who don't have one.

Cross-Pollination

I'm SO MUCH happier writing about and showing other people's work. I don't mind posting photos of my work on Flickr but blogging about it makes me nauseous for some reason. Hopefully, it won't make you nauseous too. Queasiness aside, I'm going to write about myself today. When I first started this piece, I was thinking of the magnolia tree at my parent's old house. I was fascinated by their tree and it was the first time I'd ever been up close to a magnolia seed pod. But, at some point during the creative process, a lotus pod got involved and the cross-pollination resulted in something that would probably make a botanist cringe. It's growing on me though (no pun intended) and I think I'll explore this design a little further. I've listed it in my Etsy shop if you'd like to take a closer look.

Speaking of Etsy, those of you who sell your work there or on other online sites, know how difficult it is to drive traffic to your shops. There's a brand-new site called LuvHandmade that's meant to be a way for artists to promote their items. The have a blog, a forum, and an online community and it's totally free to sign up. I was chosen as their rise and shine seller this week and you can read my interview here. Hopefully, the site will continue to grow and bring exposure to many online sellers.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!