1. Don’t forget to come to the Open Studio Follow Your Heart Sale at the new digs this Saturday, 11-5.
2. Check out this new idea – Candle Shards – collaged clay face and artisan paper wraps on those great wax-coated battery candles that can be set on timers. I’m keeping this one (it has a little “home” milagro tied into it), but will have half a dozen at least in various sizes on Saturday. If they sell well, I’ll make more. They are so pretty!
It’s always fun to have someone win the Friday Freebie when I don’t recognize the email address – but here is the winner:
smsickmann@sbcglobal.net
So congrats on claiming the little silver face pendant shard. Send me your contact information and I will get it to you ASAP! I posted a quote from the Dalai Lama on Facebook today that reminded me of my friends – you guys are the best – thanks for your tolerance and honestly and compassion.
“We need to encourage an understanding that inner peace comes from relying on human values like love, compassion, tolerance and honesty, and that peace in the world relies on individuals finding inner peace.”
OK, happy weekend, everyone!
Amazing! It’s a real object! I was working on some shard faces, and this one was just a little too big for a Spirit Doll and a little too small for a Scent Shard. It’s a lovely moon-silver face with a stretchy gold cord. All of you loyal blog subscribers are in the pot, and I’ll get a friend to draw a name tonight and then send everyone an email about who won. Will ship if you’re out of San Antonio, of course.
And just FYI (speaking of Spirit Dolls) – there’s just one spot left in the March 3rd Spirit Doll Workshop. My friend Karen Martin has donated a huge box of fabric swatches for us to use. If you want to grab this spot, I have a new easier-to-find PayPal page on my website, or just email me.
Thanks, and TGIF!!
Once a year I get to grab my guitar and hit the road to Quihi, Texas, a small town on the outskirts of a slightly larger small town called Castroville. My buddies and I in the Medina Mud Band (loosely founded in 1979 and still going strong) throw an annual fund-raiser for Inner City Development, a non-profit community group that does great things for San Antonio’s West Side. There’s dancing, beer and tamales, a fantastic Silent Auction, and a chance to do the two-step at one of Texas’ oldest dance halls. Here’s a little homemade video from last year’s gig. So if you’re around this weekend, come out to Quihi and have a great time for a good cause. 
The first workshop was so much fun. I don’t know if it was the new space or the combination of personalities, but we had a blast. And this is just the first half! Yesterday we made the clay faces, and then Wednesday we’ll meet at Ann Pearce’s next door to do the beading and jewelry creations. I’ll take photos of those so you can see how the final pieces turned out. If you’re interested, there’s a repeat of this two-part workshop on February 17th. Thanks to Chris, Jill, LeAnn and Susan – I had a fantastic time with you guys.
Today’s the Studio semi-official opening – hope you can drop by. I was hoping my awning sign would be up, but, alas, it’s still not ready so you will just have to use your fine creative imagination. It’s a Zen banner, Grasshopper.
However, I did want to tell you about two new workshops in case you wanted to reserve a spot before I put out the sign-up sheets at the opening party today at 3:00. I’m excited about both of them – they will be new territory for me, although I’ve studied both subjects. Just email me if these sound like something you’d like to learn more about – Spirit Dolls (March 3rd), and Mala Meditation Bracelets and Prayer Flags (March 17th). Here’s the info – click on it for the printable version. Hope to see you today at the Studio! Come hungry. It’s a place of creative belonging – and noshing.
I still have a day job! Meeting the new Trinity students is always so much fun – we kind of test each other out to see how the semester might go. If you’re curious, you can see my class page at Trinity at this link (click below) and follow along throughout the semester – not sure why you’d want to, buy you never know!
Speaking of links, I’ve created a Facebook page for the studio where I’ll post events. It’s easy to remember. Just go to facebook.com/creativebelonging – hope to see you soon on FB.
I’ve just finished a small re-do of my website homepage with the new studio logo and a heading that says Lyn Belisle Studio: A Place of Creative Belonging. That’s pretty much expresses what I want people to feel in that space – a haven to create and learn with joy and without judgment.
Whether it’s a workshop, a poetry reading, a computer lesson – there needs to be a sense of serenity, anticipation and accomplishment. One of my favorite comments from a past workshop was “I amazed myself!” Oh, yeah! That’s perfect.
The poem that inspired the Studio slogan is House of Belonging by David White. If you would like to read it, go here to the Panhala site. I subscribe to this site and never fail to enjoy the daily poems – this one is particularly special.
Hope to see you Saturday at Lyn Belisle Studio: A Place of Creative Belonging! 🙂
Classes start at Trinity this week and I’ve been slowly returning to Geek Mode, thinking about computer projects for my students. It occurred to me that you might not know how easy it is to “design” in Microsoft Word. It has a ton of ready-made templates (some kinda cheesy, but . . ..), and if you’re in a hurry for a newsletter or in invitation, just go to MS Word>New>Templates and search around. They have everything from calendars to blank music sheets.
In any version of Word, go to File>New
Choose a design – you can just click to change or delete the words
As the sign in my printer friend’s office says, “Cheap – Fast- Good: Choose any Two.” This tip is cheap and fast, but it can save you when you need an instant flyer or announcement. When you’re done, you can also save as a PDF.
I survived this morning’s tooth pulling (hooray), and, almost like a reward, the article my friend Jasmina Wellinghoff wrote about my new work came out today in SA Woman Magazine. She did a fabulous job of organizing my randomness. And Janet Rogers took a photo that made me wish I looked like that 🙂 – I am very grateful to both of them. Click on the photo to read the article if you’re interested. Now back to the ice pack.
