Spinning class! Polymer clay spindle!?

I've signed up for a spinning class that is happening on July 10 and 17 over at Tempe Yarn and Fiber, 5-7pm both nights. Cost is $40 for the class, plus supplies, which will end up being about $4-$8 worth of fiber for the spinning. You can use the wheels at the shop or their spindles to learn the spinning without having to buy your own stuff first.

BUT. I'm so impatient. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas. Like, a tortured kid. A kid who knows what her present is, but isn't allowed to open it yet. I'm practically bouncing up and down, begging time to move faster, and somewhat unreasonably annoyed that it's not getting off of its pahtootey and doing so! I don't get to learn to spin until July 10! How annoying! UGH! How will I busy myself until then!?

Funny as it seems, being a craft polygamist with quite the harem over here, I can't seem to find anything I want to do. I'm trying to distract myself with other projects and I just can't. My mind keeps going back to the spinning. I'm stuck.

But today I got this vision in my head of a beautiful polymer clay spindle. Not the kind you usually see--a plain slab of marbled clay stuck on a plain dowel rod with a plain hook in one end--no, no, no... Not like that at all. Something glorious. A beautifully textured and crafted spindle that will be worthy of my genius. Rofl. Nah, but really. It won't be boring.

BUT now I don't know what makes a good spindle. Because I don't know how to freaking spin yet. So I'm feeling a bit hyper and a bit fussy, but in a mostly good natured way. I think I'll start the project anyway, and if it doesn't work, then at least it will have kept me busy until my class on July 10. JULY 10. 16 more days. URGH and a half.

Published again!!!!

Wewt, wewt! I'm tooting my own horn here, but I don't care! ^_~

My Zen Garden article got published in the August 2010 Polymer Cafe magazine! Check me out! It's so cute--teaches how to make cute little box AND a cute little rake for a cute little relaxing rock garden. I think we could all use a bit more Zen in our lives.

I'm so pleased for the opportunities. And I've got TWO more articles pending publication! So I'm kind of dancing around tonight. We went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate and the balloon man there made these totally awesome twisty balloons for each of the boys--two balloons twisting together, with little balloon balls inside! I can see how he made them and I can intellectually realize that it wasn't sorcery or anything, lol, but it was still pretty darned cool and magical. ^_^

Now I'm having an Oreo McFlurry with a shot of hot fudge (to make the icecream all swirly and fudge-y... you should TOTALLY try it). Celebration is over tonight, though. Back to whole grains and good foods tomorrow. ^_^

Totally easy earwires!

Oh, I've been so busy and I can't get into it. But, I'm thrilled to report that my second article is going to get published soon in Polymer Cafe. Don't know when exactly yet, but I'm sure I'll find out once they get my contract.

Also, just as a little tidbit, since I haven't been too instructional lately, I'll share my new favorite thing... Drumroll, please...


These earwires are so easy to make, you'll wonder if you're cheating. Take some half hard 20 gauge sterling silver round wire. Wrap it a few times around something slightly smaller than the desired finished size of your wires (the half hard wire springs). Using your flush cutters, and switching them around with each cut to keep the ends flat, cut rings from the coil. With your fingers, form the cut circles into rings. Take round nose pliers and make a loop on the inside of one of the rings. Tumble polish/file the cut end that remains to make sure it's not pokey. Make totally cool looking earrings!

Now how easy was that? I made myself a whole collection of little earrings this way today. I think these are officially my favorite earwires now.