Thursday, December 22, 2016

Gearing up for the Holidays and beyond!



We hope everyone is having a nice holiday season. We have been busy with shoppers looking for a unique gift. They have come to right spot! Whether it is a piece of jewelry, a sculptural piece or a bowl, a scarf or an ornament from one of our seventy-two artists, a wonderful woodfired piece of pottery (from my talented son, Rob Sutherland) or some new gadgets from Filigree & More, our supply store, we are here to help you choose. We could probably even do a gift certificate for a class for next year.

We have a dynamite lineup for 2017. Many of the classes have already almost filled, even before I have posted a description. Where we can, we will have a second class. I guess my point is: if you see something you want in on, don’t procrastinate on signing up. The classes are limited to ten people and they do fill up!

Watch the classes page, and as pictures and description become available, I will post the fun! What I post below is subject to minor changes when we get text and pictures from the instructors.

First up is Nikolina Otrzan, coming all the way from Croatia. She will be teaching from March 24th to the 26th (two spots left) and perhaps March 27th to the 29th, if there is demand. We first met Nik at the Atlanta Synergy and have watched her techniques develop. You can probably find her work on Facebook to see her tempting veneers and construction techniques.

Jeff Dever is coming from Maryland April 2nd to 4th. We are already reserving spots in a second class from April 5th to the 7th. We have some of Jeff’s work in the collection for you to admire and get a feel for what you will learn. Jeff is an amazing teacher and we are very excited to share this opportunity with you. This will not be a beginner class. You will need some skills to take advantage of all he has to share.

Sarah Shriver is coming back June 2nd to the 4th to teach “Hinged Pendants”. We have started a waiting list for this class, as her class is already full.

Doreen Kassel will be here July 14th to the 16th to teach Translucent Flowers and Pods. We have some of her work in the studio for you to see. It’s very appealing. Once you see it, you will want to try your hand at it.

Lindly Haunani will be back around the start of September (probably Sept. 8-10) for her annual color class. This is your knowledge fix for the year and it is always fun. It’s more than a project. It boosts your skill and makes all your work improve.

Laura Tabakman will be here Sept. 29th to October 1st to teach combining wire and translucent clay.

Leslie Blackford is coming “round the mountain” (from Kentucky!) in November (10-12) to show us how to use ‘vintage’ costume jewelry to enhance your polymer piece. We will be haunting all the antique shops between now and then to find discarded treasures from ‘auntie’s’ jewelry box that will be perfect with polymer.

As you can see, we have an exciting lineup for 2017. We hope you can join us or at least come in to visit. We have lots of new products(Moiko screens and Primary Elements) and a steady supply of Premo, Fimo and Pardo for your claying needs!