Fun Is On the Way.....

The kids are back in school and fall is on its way. Atlanta weather has turned completely bizarre. I’ve lost track of how many days we have had rain---there is no longer any sign of drought. Lake Lanier (Atlanta’s water supply) is on our route to CJS. We cross the dam where there is a digital sign that keeps track of the water level. It is at full pool and then some. The temperature is well below the normal August swelter. I guess we need to turn on all the ovens and make some polymer jewelry!

We have three classes scheduled for the end of the year. Lindly Haunani is here the first weekend of September, teaching her new take on translucents. There is only one spot left in her class so if you were planning on joining us, you need to call soon. Sandra McCaw is coming the first weekend of October. We need to know soon if you are interested, as we need to buy Sandra’s ticket soon and have to decide if the class will make. Jana Roberts Benzon is here the first weekend of December for three days of fun. There are only a couple of spots in her classes, so again, don’t procrastinate and miss out.

Check the ‘Upcoming Classes’ page for pictures and further descriptions. Lindly, Sandra and Jana are all outstanding teachers you don’t want to miss.

Grandmas R Us.....

It has been a crazy summer so far. Ellen went up to Arrowmont for what turned out to be an amazing class with Seth Savarick. They were delving into the many techniques for printing on polymer, and she came home with her head spinning with all sorts of new ideas to filter into her own style. It will be fun to see how that progresses. Meanwhile I was in Bowie, Maryland greeting my new grandbaby, and playing “Super-Grandma”. I’m sure, if you are on Facebook, you have seen ten gazillion pictures of Miles. Not that I am a proud grandma, but he may be the cutest baby ever---a smiler since day one!

 

Ellen Prophater and I are anxious for you to come for a visit. We’re all stocked up with Pardo clay (we replenish our stock frequently so we never run out) and other wonderful products from Viva Décor. We’ve added new pieces to our retrospective collection, ‘Polymer from the Beginning.’ Many of the artists who attended Synergy brought us wonderful pieces to add to the collection, which was already mind-boggling. It should be on every polymer enthusiast’s bucket list! The gallery is bursting with new work. We added several new artists in advance of Synergy, and you’ll love their new work.

We are working fiendishly to create our new online store, so stay tuned for the details. We will finally have our filigree online, which is a huge undertaking . . . pictures and descriptions and our amazingly reasonable pricing. I know you can hardly wait!

We are setting up new classes. We hope to have a number of wire weaving classes with Lisa Barth, as soon as we can coordinate dates and class details. Watch for further announcements.

 

Lindly Haunani is coming in September on the 7th and 8th, for a new class in the innovative use of translucent clays and bead design. This class will probably fill up fast, as Lindly is the premier teacher of color studies, so don’t hesitate and lose your spot. Call us with a credit card to hold your spot.

Soon after Lindly, we are excited to welcome Sandra McCaw for a rare chance here in the states to learn Sandra’s caning techniques and design ideas. She’ll be here on October 5th & 6th, and is extending her stay to do a one day class on a weekday as well.

 

 

Finally, in December, Jana Roberts Benzon will be back to teach her Organics class on the 7th and 8th, with another one day, weekday class called “Encrusted”, that got rave reviews in Israel. Be sure to look at the upcoming classes page for more information. You don’t want to miss any of these fun classes.

 

Always something new and exciting going on.....

We hope spring, such as it is, is finding you energized and ready to create some amazing new art! We have been busy since Synergy3(the International Polymer Clay Association symposium here in Atlanta) and the bus tour to the studio. The tour was an amazing day for us. It was a wonderful chance to introduce ourselves to the polymer community as a unique polymer centric gallery and supply store. We now have over sixty artists consigning their art to us, so I am convinced there is no other gallery in the world with as wide an array of one of a kind polymer art pieces. Add to that the opportunity to view our retrospective study collection of over five hundred pieces of polymer (which continues to grow thanks to generous artists’ donations) and I think you can see that we are an opportunity for immersion into polymer wonderment and inspiration. And that is before you ever get to our supply store, Filigree & More, where you will find all the products you have been searching for! Our goal is to sell unique, high quality products that work well with polymer and that are priced reasonably, and we do a lot of research before adding a product to our line up.

Today is the day! The UPS man will be groaning with all the boxes of goodies coming to our door. We have made a full commitment to Pardo and Viva Decor products and plan to be your source for Pardo translucent, primary colors and metallics! We are also loving the Inka Gold paints and the Precious Metal Color (if you came on the bus tour, you got a sample in your goodie bag!), and the opaque alcohol inks they make (Marmorier Tinte). We are happy to take an order over the phone and we can either take a card over the phone or send you a Paypal invoice. We only charge what the post office charges us to ship and don't add a handling fee, and for the moment at least, we don't charge sales tax if it is going out of state. We're here to discuss how to use the products we sell and help you choose what is right for your application.

I know it will come as a shock to many of you, but we are starting to create an online store. Ellen's son Randy is going to help (He already has proved his skills by creating a dynamite website for his vacuum and appliance store in Midtown (www.distinctivevacuumsonline.com).  We think at this point we have the volume of products to warrant the work. In the meantime you can check the website (www.filigreeandmore.com) to learn about the brands we carry, and then chat with me on the phone (404-314-5767) to learn about what you can't live without! If you have an iphone, we can even facetime so you can see what's here! You can always email us at filigreeandmore@ gmail.com to start the process.

 

After the fun....

Synergy3 has come and gone, and despite being exhausted, we are exhilarated and energized, with ideas and plans bouncing around our brains like the proverbial sugar plums. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Synergy, the IPCA's biennial conclave of polymer fanatics, it is a wonderful opportunity to hear talks and demonstrations about new ideas, techniques and products. There are keynote sessions, panel discussions, individual talks and many chats in the halls and at the bar over a drink (soft, of course....right!) You can view and buy wonderful new products in the vendor hall, and get that quintessential piece in the gallery hall or at one of the auctions. It is a fantastic time of polymer immersion.

For our part we hired a bus to provide a means for a bus tour of Historic Buford and Creative Journey Studios. About fifty like minded people boarded the bus for polymer nirvana. We had been busy placing additional work from current artists and integrating treasures from many new artists, like Kathleen Dustin,
Sarah Shriver, Laura Tabakman, Bonnie Bishoff, Kathryn Reid, Mary Filapek and Lou Ann Townsend, Hollie Mion, Ronna Weltman, Alison Gallant, Barb Alexander and Lisa Barth, bringing us to around sixty artists.....as if it wasn't overwhelming already.

Our retrospective collection..."Polymer - From the Beginning" grew in advance of the tour with the addition of three of Diane Villano's 'Big Beads' (WOW!), and new pieces from Libby Mills and Ponsawan Sila. The conference garnered wonderful additions from Maggie Maggio, Kathleen Dustin, Heather Campbell,
Melanie West, Seth Savarick, Laura Tabakman, Debbie Jackson, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz, Dani Torres, and right off the wrist and neck of an enthusiastic Nikolina Otrzan. Maybe we'll be buying more new cases!
A lot of the tour discovered Aqua Terra, our favorite neighborhood eatery and we served magical cheesecake truffles from the Alpine Bakery.

We had lots of surprises from our vendors.....Gilder's Paste from David Wareham of Baroque Art Gilders Paste; clay, tools and findings from Iris Weiss and Polyform; Lynda Gilcher of Lynda's Artistic Haven; Karen Woods; Becky Nunn of Nunn Design; Colleen Baxter of Viva Decor; Filigree & More; Polymer Clay Express; jewelry surprises from Lindly Haunani, Barb Alexander, Lisa Barth, Ellen Prophater, Leslie Blackford, Patricia DiBona, Dian Parker, Doreen Kassel, Christi Friesen; and books, magazines or DVDs from Betty Abdu of Abba Dabba Productions, Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes, Judy Belcher, Helen Breil, Christi Friesen, Bettina Welker, Donna Kato and Craft Art Edu, Cynthia Tinapple of Polymer Clay Daily and Studio Mojo .....and probably several more who will show up on an amended list!

Sorry if you missed the fun. I'm sure there will be lots of pictures on the web for vicarious viewing and maybe you'll be encouraged to join the IPCA and attend the next Synergy in Europe! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, keep your eye on this blog to learn about the upcoming fun at Creative Journey Studios.

Polymer 2013

The new year has begun quietly, and we are taking advantage of the lull to gear up for Synergy3 and all the other excitement planned for the rest of the year. We are lining up wonderful teachers. There will be a lot of new work in the gallery. Filigree and More, our in-house supply store, is expanding, yet again. We are adding new products all the time. We have opened some new accounts in our quest to find unique products and deliver them at reasonable prices. When we can find a bargain, we like to pass it on to you. (You’re welcome!)

A panoramic view - entering Creative Journey Studios

We are now carrying Pardo Professional Art Clay. We have the primaries so you can do some dynamite color mixing. We have the metallics, and most important, we have the translucent, which is the clearest translucent we have tried. We’ve been experimenting with it and really like the results. Viva Décor is also making opaque alcohol inks that have some interesting possibilities with the translucent clay. Stay tuned!

We are handling Foredom products, like bench lathes for polishing your beads, filter hoods to collect the polymer dust from the lathes, flex-shafts for drilling and hammering, and all sorts of other goodies. We continue to expand on Eurotool offerings. If we don’t have it in stock, perhaps we can order a good pair of pliers for you, or help you pick a fabulous new hammer. We all love tools!

We are carrying Christi Friesen tools and her new Swellegant line. I’m planning to play with some of our brass filigree with her coatings, patinas and dyes.

We are still carrying the pressed cotton balls from England, and are trying to get the 15mm ones to use with Bettina’s tutorial for her jellyfish earrings.

If you are hunting for an esoteric product or gadget, check with us. We are always anxious to find out about new, interesting products, and perhaps we can add it to our supply store. You can be sure the price will be fair and we will educate ourselves about anything we carry, so we will be a good resource. It’s easy to do business with us….we’re located just north of Atlanta, and we’re just a phone call or an email away.

Be sure to investigate some of the other pages in the blog. We have a page for upcoming classes, and one for “First Thursdays”, a series of mixed media classes with Ellen Prophater and Patricia DiBona.

Sit back with your morning cup of coffee and spend some time perusing our site. There is a lot of food for thought here. While you are at it, check out our Creative Journey Studios Facebook page, “like us” and leave us a comment.