Denim Fabric Necklaces

More fun stuff to share!

A big "first off", thank you to everyone for all of your love and support during this transition!  I am incredibly excited and nervous about my new and exciting career as a theatre arts teacher, as I have lots of love and experience to share with today's youth.  I'll be detailing my thoughts and processes on my music and theatre performance blog, The Pursuit.  Theatre touches everyone in many different ways, either as artist or appreciator, and everyone's input is appreciated and more than welcome.  Got ideas for kid's theatre games?  Favourite childhood memories from school plays?  I'll be talking about it all and sharing the joy!

Onward to that fun stuff to share - fabric necklaces!

My best friend, Graham, gave me a pair of his jeans many moons ago, thinking I was going to turn them into a skirt.  It never really got to that process, but I did have lots of fun creating multi-strand fabric necklaces with beads in all sorts of 'organic' materials.  He was a little disappointed, I think - he thought it would be really cool to see his own favourite pair turn into something else of a favourite - but he does give his stamp of approval on them.  He is my best friend, after all; his opinion matters to me! :)  I have loads more of that vintage fabric from those dresses than I know what to do with, and I'm coming up with more and more ideas on how to use it.  Check out what's what so far!

Change has happened!

I apologize for the "dropped-off-the-face-of-the-Earth" absence!  I've missed you all very much, and I'm looking forward to getting back to getting my hands dirty.  

You probably remember a somewhat 'cryptic' post I had put up a little while ago, talking about a "shit-or-get-off-the-pot" change in life.  Well, it's all happening!

I am happy to announce that I am embarking on a fantastic career in teaching youth the craft of theatre arts!  I will be working with Synergy Performing Arts Academy and am excited for the opportunity to help shape young minds in performance arts, something I feel very passionate about and has been a part of my life since I was three apples high myself. 

I'll be documenting this exciting journey on my music and theatre performance blog, The Pursuit, along with some pictures of our production of Shout! The Mod Musical that has just wrapped up.  From one opportunity to another, it's an experience to remember that has helped me push forward!  Thanks to everyone for your support!

New/Old Jewelry Ideas With Paper!

Well, they're new because it's the first time I'm talking about 'em.  They're old because I made them a little while ago!

I apologize for the absence!  Shout! The Mod Musical is in full swing for opening night on Friday, May 6th, and I've been up to my eyeballs in dance steps and Dusty Springfield to put on a fabulous show.  In the meantime, I've been meaning to show you some excellent experiments turned awesome in paper bead making!

I found a tattered vintage copy of Rudyard Kipling's short stories, pages hanging on by a whisper of the thread binding.  I ripped a few out from strategic places and made the book itself a 'book safe', whilst the pages rescued were made into paper beads.  I had also made coloured paper beads with traditional origami paper made from recycled materials - you can see chunks of fibres and print newspaper in the sheets!  The paper itself is delicate enough for fine rolls and manipulations, and is strong enough to take some abuse during the process.  I'll be posting my very first 'How-To' for my very simple - and potentially messy - paper-bead making process with some everyday household items hopefully very soon.  It's a fantastic personal touch to any design!

A Peek at the Workspace ...

I thought I'd give you a peek at my workspace/dining room!

I've taken over the dining room in our modest two-bedroom apartment.  My stuff is spread out everywhere, I hope to reign it in a little with a larger unit that will house everything.  The view that you see is if you were standing on my couch in the living room, looking over its back to the dining room.  The round table is something that's been in the family for years - I have pictures from my first birthday and beyond blowing out candles at this table!  Eventually, I will find a gorgeous storage unit that will fit just about everything and reclaim the dining room  into something that will become a pleasant eating atmosphere without a tower of beads or some other crafting project that's about to topple over you.  In the meantime, I've made good use out of lots of recycled, reclaimed and reused materials for unique storage solutions - with a little flair!