Birds Gone Wild Class

I broke out of my cage this weekend and took a bird-making class with Leighanna Light at a new art-teaching spot in my neighborhood called Art on Broadway, I took my best junque over there including my favorite old tins to cut up, rusty things I pick up on my walks, and some bells from my decades-in-the-making stash of bells... I even had a dream about what to make!

Click the picture to see a larger image.

The class is called Birds Gone Wild, and although you do have to be able to wield some tin snips and hole punchers, and bend a little wire, it's an easy, creative class with lots of possibilities and simple cold construction techniques. I opted to make door knockers with bells on the bottoms. Kind of a low-tech security system. ;-)

Leighanna is so relaxed, well prepared, and easy going -- she had extras of all the tools I forgot, plus small kits with a perfect, concise booklet, template, and little parts for everybody. Her demos were short and to the point, and fun!

I learned a cool new resist/patina technique which I didn't actually try in class because all my tins already had patterns on them. Finished one bird, with a few tweaks (or would that be tweets?) it will be flying off to the East Mountains to a friend's home. The other one (not pictured) will probably stay at Rancho Tafoya for awhile, seeing as it's coming on spring here...

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Lucy's Locket Pincushions

I love seeing what my Etsy customers create with the supplies they purchase from my shop. Lucy from Lucy's Locket makes imaginative, one-of-a-kind heirloom quality pincushions from lovely old vintage fabric. Recently, she's been including a few of my grungy old vintage corsage pins with some of them.

(Click the image for a full-sized view)

I just loved seeing how the amber pins coordinated with this felted baby thrush pincushion. The birdie was made from a felted wool sweater, and in addition to the layered pincushion it's perched on, its back holds a rescued Victorian bobble! Not surprising this item sold, but she has plenty more in her shop. Very creative! Inspiring work. And recycled!

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