Sherri Haab's "Resin Jewelry"

I am so excited to work on resin this holiday season (is it too early to get excited about the holiday season?) Here is an excerpt from Sherri Haab's DVD craft workshop, "Resin Jewelry."

Sherri Haab

Sherri Haab, artist of many-genres extraordinaire, answered a question put to her by a blog carnival. The question was: If you suddenly became wealthy and didn't have to sell your jewelry anymore for income, would you still sell it? Would you still make it? and why?

So interesting!

Here's how Sherri answered:
If I was wealthy and didn't have to sell my jewelry I would still make and sell it because I do it for enjoyment. However, I would approach jewelry making from a different perspective....

(read more)

Sherri Haab's "Resin Jewelry"

After two absolutely beautiful days here in Oregon (including one day where Zach and I rode our bikes the 10 miles to and from work!) we are back into rain. On days with rain the answer is clear: resin!

Here's the trailer for Sherri Haab's "Resin Jewelry."

Well Hello There Anaheim (CHA Day 1)

It's only just past 8. I think I've been conscious for some 17 hours and it seems that at some point caffeine just stops being relevant and you need to succumb to sleep. We got to Southern California with all our bags and did some major trekking through the CHA compound attempting to find our spot in the newbies section. More doors here are locked than unlocked and it means you do a LOT of traveling. This would be awesome accept for the fact we're hauling boxes and suitcases full of merchandise.


But so far it's been a lot of fun. I think the people in the booths around us are really nice and the booth just across from us has some fun stamps that I will be eyeing for three days. Sherrill Kahn brought her husband Joel down to visit us and it was so great o meet him! We're yet to run into Claudine Hellmuth or Traci Bautista or Sherri Haab but hopefully I'll be able to track some of them down tomorrow...although I'm sure they are ALL incredibly busy with demonstrations.

The only really funny thing was how the cashier at Target seemed confused when we didn't want bags for every small thing. We were buying a plastic garbage can and I told her to just throw all our stuff in there. She looked at me like I was crazy. I wanted to put my hand on her arm and say, "I know. I'm from Oregon." That point would have been doubly clear 5 minutes later when Dad and I absolutely and completely lost our rental car in the parking lot. Ten points for wandering tourists!

Tomorrow we will probably be at our booth by 7:30 am so...To sleep!

PS- The second image down is a map of the entire layout of CHA. OK that's a lie because it excludes our section of New Members. (Glorious)

A Creative Catalyst Cat

We're working on Sherri Haab's resin DVD here at work (her first Creative Catalyst DVD workshop was about metal clay) and fellow editor Zach found this great picture of our studio cat Benjamin. He's been banished from the filming area (which makes us all really sad) but it's still funny finding him pop up in footage.

Art and Soul Recap

It's been a week now since we've gotten back from Art and Soul Retreat in Portland, OR. What a blast! I remember being impressed last year and this year was no different. It still blows my mind (in a great way) that there are places where people can come together from all over the country and just be creative together. Talk art together. Do art together. Meet people who share the same passions. Such talent and spirit in one place. I kept looking at all these women-both instructors and students- and being really inspired by them. Such incredible people.

We filmed three artists: Ann Baldwin, Anne Bagby and Robert Dancik. We filmed Ann Baldwin a few years ago in a live workshop. It was great to work with her in studio. She is a hilarious woman. I always learn so much from her both when I'm filming and then again when editing. She somehow makes Golden products a little less terrifying.

Anne Bagby does the type of art that I long to do. She stamps her own paper and then uses it in these spectacular collages. Both her and Ann Baldwin can wield Golden Fluid Acrylics like no other. Anne Bagby also employs Golden Glazes. I came home and ordered a few myself and am getting obsessive about checking my order's status.

We filmed Robert Dancik on our last day and what an amazing instructor! He works with a product that he helped create called Faux Bone. (Go to Robert's site to learn more.) Robert kept saying how easy Faux Bone was to work with and I kept thinking, "Yeah, yeah, sure." He proved my skepticism wrong. It *is* really easy to work with. It's sort of magical actually!

Spending the day with each of these artists was amazing. They all did a wonderful job on camera and their DVDs will be real assets to those of us wanting to learn how to become better artists.

Finally, we took part again this year in Vendor Night. Holy Moly! I LOVE vendor night. It is one of the few times I as an employee of CCP get to interact with the people who buy what I help make. It's so rewarding! I am very lucky in the fact that I'm really proud of what I do and the company I work for. I'm normally pretty shy when it comes to talking to new people. I freeze and mumble and will probably trip. But I love talking about what kind of art people are making. I love meeting the people who have CCP workshops and hear that it's really helped them. Plus, it's just seriously neat to be around that much creativity in one place!

Is it too early to countdown to Art and Soul 2008? Definitely not!

(Pictures from Vendor Night: our booth, Claudine Hellmuth, Lesley Riley, Traci Bautista. Not pictured are Sherri Haab whose booth I kept going back to for fantastic resin molds and Robert Dancik's booth.)

Sherri Haab's Fall Schedule

Sherri Haab just posted her fall schedule! Take a look and sign up! Also check out a preview of her DVD, "Precious Metal Clay Jewelry."

September 15, 2007 9am-4pm
PMC Resin Bracelet
Kit Kraft, Studio City, CA
Register at www.kitkraft.biz or call the store to sign up: 818-509-9739
September 21, 2007 9am-4pm
Orem, Utah
Textures and Molds for PMC
Register by contacting Sherri

September 22, 2007 9am-4pm
Orem, Utah
PMC Rings
Register by contacting Sherri
October 3-8th, 2007
Art and Soul Retreat
Portland, Oregon
PMC classes, Resin Casting
www.artandsoulretreat.com

November 3-8, 2007
La Mesa, California
PMC Rings Nov 3rd
PMC Holiday Charm Bracelet, Nov 4th
Macrame Bracelet-Pearls and Silk, Nov 6th
Macrame Rings, Nov 7th
Macrame-Mermaid Necklace, Nov 8th
Register at www.thebouncingbead.com

November 10-11, 2007
San Diego, California
PMC Resin Mixed Media Bracelet, Nov 10
Image Transfer Jewelry, Nov 11
Register at www.shepherdessbeads.com
November 15-18, 2007
Park City, Utah
The Art Nest Retreat
PMC Charms with Spakling Gems
Register www.theartnest.net
February 10-13, 2008
Craft and Hobby Association
Find Sherri at the Watson Guptill Booth or take a macrame class from Sherri through YLI corp.

Sherri Haab on Craftcast

Sherri Haab is both a talented artist and writer. She visited us last summer and did a whole lot of very very cool projects. Her first DVD came out this last spring on precious metal clay. Expect her resin DVD sometime next year.

The fine people over at Craftcast have an interview with Sherri. Check it out here: Craftcast!

Does PMC require a special oven?

I am interested in Sherri Haab's Precious Metal Clay DVD but need
to know how it is fired before I buy the DVD. Can I use my regular oven or
does it require special equipment?
-Sandra S.

Sandra,

Precious Metal Clay does require more than a regular oven, but you do have options (even an inexpensive one).

There are several types of metal clay: PMC, PMC+, and PMC3. All three can be kiln fired, but one of the clays, PMC3, can be fired with a butane torch like one used for creme brulee. Sherri demonstrates butane torch firing in her workshop. Just make sure that when you buy your clay, you get PMC3. The other varieties require much higher temperature to burn off the clay binder, and a butane torch just won't work.

You could also consider a small propane firing device like the SpeedFire Cone system, which would allow you to work with PMC+ or PMC3.

More CHA Chances

Find Claudine Hellmuth tomorrow at:
9am-12 Ranger Booth #4843 - demo

2 -3:30pm Lazar StudioWERX Booth #3772- meet the artist - stop by for a fun photo - become a life sized Poppet®!!

4pm-5pm F+W Publications Booth #1509 -- book signing and demo ONE FREE book to each person. LIMITED quantities!

Sherri Haab
10 am - 11 am Watson and Guptel booth, demo

Traci Bautista has events going on as well but I'm not sure when. Surely worth checking out though!!

Sherri Haab at WG Booth!

If your at CHA this week (and I hope you are...although why would you be checking email?) check out Sherri Haab at the Watson & Guptel booth on Monday 11-12 and Tues 10-11.

More on artists at CHA coming tomorrow!

And if you want to keep an eye on what fun projects Sherri has going on, check back here or at her blog.

Friday Goodies- CHA CHA CHA

(A card I designed this week)

If you randomly find a magic genie and he's offering you 3 wishes, use at least 2 on this.

The website doesn't do it justice but CHA stands for The Craft and Hobby Association. Their press release says "You’ll have the chance to explore 3200 booths featuring the newest offerings from 1100-plus companies –divided into six product sections for optimum buying convenience. "

I'm drooling....in Oregon...where I will be ALL of next week. But if YOU are in the Anaheim area, go check it out.

Also a few of the CCP artists will be there including Traci Bautista, Sherri Haab and Claudine Hellmuth. Check back on Sunday. I'll post the where and when they'll be along with the instructions for a project Sherri will be demoing. See what other fun stuff is going on here.

Have a great weekend!