New Lessons!

I've been working away here finishing new lessons for on line classes and creating some fun stuff! Two current classes include Creative Beadmaking and Altered Fabric, both still available at Joggles.com and because I got behind when I was ill over the summer I have been putting finishing touches on the lessons lately. I want to share a few photos!

This necklace was created with heat distressed Kunin felt beads and a gem stone bound with a wire casing, all part of the bead class. Matter of fact, it's the final project!

Marbling is my favorite technique when altering fabric. It's very addicting and you never know what you'll end up with! I could have wrtten an entire class just on that!

This blue piece holds a combination of techniques including painting with bubble wrap. The base fabric was gorgeous on it's own, but I think this kind of stuff is spectacular! If you are interested in any of my classes check out my web site at http://www.skeelhaven.com/ . I'll be posting January workshops before too long but my classes are all still open.

New classes

I have scheduled several On Line Classes to start over the next two weeks. Each class has loads of step by step photos and the details for each are listed at the links above each photo. If you have never taken an on line workshop before, it's easy! The lessons are posted weekly, and each site has a system to either email or post messages back and forth so you work at your own pace and on your own time schedule. There is no official class time, but every student can see the other students comments, questions and posted photos and benefit as if they are in a classroom together. This is especially great because students from all over the world can (and often do!) participate in the same class. It's okay to sign up a little late, too, so go for it!If you are interested in any of these workshops the links and a quick peek for each is here. Follow the links for detailed information on each workshop, including number of lessons, price and additional photos.

Yesterday I started the Artistic Bead Creating, at Joggles. Create an assortment of original beads to match all your projects.October 30th I begin the Queen of Hearts at Cloth Doll Connection. She was created with absolutely no sewing machine . October 30th I begin The Harpy at DollStreet. Learn to adapt the techniques to create a Harpy as you imagine her; a beautiful goddess, angelic or an evil temptress.November 11th I begin Altered Fabric at Joggles. Begin with plain fabric, add dyes and paints and end up with fantastic pieces of original cloth for your own projects.

I hope you will join me for loads of fun in one or more classes soon! Till then, Happy Creating!

Paisley Praise

It's been a long summer but I am finally well enough to create again and have my first new piece since May! While in the hospital with pneumonia and in really bad shape because of my compromised immune system I felt the hands of angels caressing me when I closed my eyes, giving me comfort and peace. During my 2 week hospital stay and the months of recovery following I continued to feel angels praising God, thanking Him for my healing and keeping my spirits high. This ordeal inspired "Paisley Praise." Her name comes from the paisley fabric on her upper sleeves, which was intented for the Hoffman Challenge (http://hoffmanchallenge.com/2009challenge/winners09/dolls2009.html) but as I was ill I missed the challenge deadline. I am nearly recovered, just working on getting my stamina back and avoiding germs as best I can, and now I am thrilled to share photos of my new piece with you. I will ship her out today as I finished her just in time to go to the Celebration of the Doll Exhibit held next weekend at the Houston Quilt Festival and I am already scheduled to teach her in January, 2010. I hope you like Paisley Praise as much as I do!

Paisley is an all cloth doll with articulated hands and a needle scolpted face. Her wings were created with layers of fabric feathers embellished with free motion embroidery. She is kneeling in her Renaissance garments giving thanks.

Twilight Sculpt -Work in Progress

This past weekend I spent at the lovely home of Annie Hesse taking a class with Tasmainian artist Susie McMahon, who was wonderful. I've not done much sculpting in the past and never attempted a realistic figure in paper clay. It was soooo much easier on my hands than needle sculpting fabric. Below are photos of the actor Edward Pattinson who played Edward in the movie Twilight. I wanted to recereate his chiseled jaw line but seem to have done a decent job at capturing more than that. Not bad for my first attempt! I need to work on my painting skills, since I've not done much painting but I think I may have found a new love, and I don't just mean Edward! I'm looking forward to adding that wild hair and the manly eyebrows to complete his face to see just how similar they are.

So did I come home and start the body for this Edward doll? No! I started collecting photos for a new sculpt... Robert Downey Jr. will be my next sculpt attempt. There is a ton of character in his face and it changes drastically when he smiles so I expect it to be a much larger challenge... but where is the fun if there is no challenge?

Renovating the Yard

Our oldest son Brian is marrying a wonderful girl named Alisha this coming Labor Day weekend. For the rehersal dinner they requested a cook out here and in our party barn. We didn't think that was fancy enough (- that's our excuse and we are sticking to it!) so we are renovating the back yard. Craig hopes to never have to mow a huge yard again and thinks gardening will be easier. We'll see about that! So he bought a baby back hoe and a dump truck for the project. He built some raised areas using landscape timbers and we are giving the yard tiers. This is a diagonal view of the yard. Using 720 red brick pavers we created a 17' across patio around the new fire ring so we have a great place to roast marshmallows now. I laid all the brick except the ones Craig had to cut to fill odd spaces. So here is an in progress view of the fire ring in the rear with Craig, my mini-greenhouses in the center (with the covers off so the seedlings get sun because it was in the 80s today), the new stone walking path and closest is the stone raised bed with azaleas. The board walk, deck and porch were projects a few years ago. The wood wall is further out and extend across almost half the area side to side. It's wonderful being married to a man who can do anything but boy are we tired!

More Beads

I have had so much fun creating beads I had to share more. The leaves are finished here, and ready to string. Below are a few jewelry pieces created using my hand designed beads. This is going to be a wonderful class! I hope you like them too!

String 'Em Up!

I strung some of the beads I've been working on. This batch of greens are complimented by some gold toned beads from my stash. Flat spacer beads cover the large holes in the round beads and an occasional green glass bead adds a little sparkle. This is a lightweight necklace and comfortable to wear! The red set includes a bracelet for a nice matched set. Very classy looking and I have just the outfit to wear with it!

These pressed polymer beads were fun to make and just popped out of my oven. I'm waiting for them to cool to add accent colors, but I think they are pretty cool already!
Okay, my favorites of the day: Marbled leaves. I began with polymer clay and have a little more to do to these puppies to finish them with pizzazz before stringing them, but I love the curl to the leaves. The curl held beautifully while baking too! They will look awesome on a finished piece. Who knew writing this on line class would be this much fun?