Something Sublime

Art Retreat At The Prairie: Spring 2013

2013-05-22T09:49:12-05:00

Diane Cook and Deryn (photo by Diane)

Well, here we are! We had a wonderful time at The Prairie...and we really did miss you. If you've never been, you should consider it. What a terrific, intimate retreat experience. Pretty, too. Let me show you...

First off, the place is just gorgeous. It's owned and has been decorated by the incomparable queen of shabby chic, Rachel Ashwell.

It's spring and the property is covered with rose bushes and other gorgeousness. When we arrived, there were faded little bouquets, everywhere. So shabby and so pretty!

Diane and I shared one of the sweet cottages...this is the back porch. There wasn't a lot of time for we teachers to lounge about but doesn't this nook just invite a layabout and a nice glass of wine, in the evening?

Inside, our cottage is decorated in bright fluffy comfortableness.

And then there are the classrooms...

I love teaching here!

The students love it, too. It's such a relaxing and lovely place to hang out, for a weekend. This is a small part of the classroom.

And here is Diane. Isn't she cute? Her area is always so neat and organized. Mine looks more like a whirling dervish blew through.

The student work that was created was amazing. These are from my "Go Big" class.

These are from my "Sacred Heart Book Pendant" class. I'll be teaching this one at Art is You, in Stamford Connecticut, this Oct.

Oh yeah...and the food. The food was fabulous. Here we all are, at Royers...me, stuffing my face with pie.

Yeah.

If you missed out, this time, we're doing it all again in the fall. Registration will begin soon. Click here for more info.

awesome shabby chic name tag created by Frankie Brost

Pie was had. Fun was had. You can have it too. I hope you join us!

deryn xxoo

Tales Of A Treasure Hunter

2013-05-15T09:45:07-05:00

I've been on a bit of a treasure hunting tear, lately, so I thought I'd do a little show-and-tell. First, I visited the gem show...

...And I took my friend, Ronnie, to my local bead shop...

...AND we visited another Houston bead shop called Big Stone. Big Stone is a dangerous place, especially if you like pearls.

See those baroques, in the front? They're huge. They were a little costly but you do what you gotta do. I have no idea how I'll use them but they were a must-have.

Then, I found a bunch, big bunch, of these amazing little, tiny pocket knives, on etsy...vintage, made in Japan, sweet color of bluish-green. I'll be bringing some of these with me to Art Unraveled, to share on vendor day.

I just finished teaching at The Prairie, which Ronnie came to attend. On our way up, we felt compelled to stop at a few antique stores.

We had to do it.

One of my favorite finds is that teeny weeny bottle. The tag says it was a smelling salts bottle. Swoon.

Here I am with my girls at The Prairie: Lorraine George, yourstruly, Diane Cook and Ronnie Grundset. Sweet photo.

These are more from our antiquing adventures. I love the anchor crosses. And the rhinestone cross. And the big cross.

And...oh!:

The big one is a reliquary. An amazing reliquary! A reliquary is a small shrine that's used to hold holy or sacred relics. These relics can consist of many different kinds of materials and usually come from a saint, pope or other religious figure...or are from a special place or article such as dirt from the Holy Land, water from the River Jordan, etc. I don't know the history of this particular reliquary but it contains metal filigree with what look to be gemstones, and each relic is labeled. So beautiful.

And, what's more, Sue...at The Prairie...brought an amazing pile of goodies to sell. Bless her heart, she let us dig through her bins.

Just, bless her.

Look at that giant bird brooch. It's about the size of my palm.

Not to mention this giant bow brooch.

And these amazing, antique-y things.

And these things... The emerald cut bracelet was a fantastic find at about $12. I was thrilled. The trillion cut rhinestone pieces are a matching necklace and bracelet, in perfect condition.

The piece with the metal roses...so sweet! The rhinestone chain is a light yellow...you can just barely tell. The filigree hearts go all the way to the clasp. This piece is just so charming that I can't take it apart...or part with it. Just looking at it makes me feel like a princess. So, there you go.

Last, but absolutely positively not least...I got this lovely bit of goodies, in the mail. Thank you, Andrew Thornton, for making my day a little brighter. Opening this mysterious little package was such a treat.

In other news: I'm working on some really exciting things that I'm not quite ready to reveal but, I think you'll be pleased. One of them is a brand new online class I'm hoping to have ready for y'all in June or July. And so...back to work!

deryn xxoo

Look The Other Way, Mom

2013-05-09T10:30:45-05:00

Ok...this has nothing, whatsoever, to do with jewelry making, but I came across an interesting article on parenting, here. The title, "Have American Parents Got It All Backward?" was intriguing. Don't get me wrong, I am SO not an America-basher, and I don't agree with everything the author wrote but, it's an interesting article. I think that, somehow, our culture has promoted a helicopter style of parenting that doesn't benefit our kids, one bit.

As the mom of boys, I watched as they constantly did things I considered risky, silly, unwise and downright dangerous. The key being I considered them dangerous. No one else in my household...Wife Whisperer, Number 1 or Number 2...gave it a second thought.

Boys!

So...I had to look the other way. A lot. Wife Whisperer demanded it. The boys demanded it. I wasn't allowed to hover or fuss. Much. They shot potato guns, wrestled in the house, threw rocks at each other and participated in countless other activities that were not mom-approved. And guess what...it was ok. I'm pleased to say that both boys turned out to be independent, reliable, honest and hard working. No one cut off a finger or lost an eye. In fact I seem to be the only one who suffered any ill consequences from their antics...a few grey hairs and extra worry lines.

But that's part of being a mom...right?

2013-04-18T09:07:59-05:00

Spring is blooming all around but I've been deeply buried in a big project, as well as preparing for a week of blissful creative communing. I'll be teaching at The Prairie, in just about a week...April 25th. We're set for a lovely retreat weekend, there. If you've never been, believe me, it's a gorgeous place to take classes.

The Ranger Lounge

The Pearl Barn

Classes are held in The Ranger Lounge and The Pearl Barn...both are absolutely charming...

...but the accomodations are sweet, as well. This is the little cottage I stayed in, last visit.

This is another view that includes the big house. The shabby chic loveliness is to die for!

You see what I mean...right? So, it's not too late to register for classes. I'll be teaching two brand new ones, as well as a class I've not offered in a long time. My friend, Diane Cook, will be teaching, as well. You can check out the offerings, here. It's going to be a fabulous weekend of jewelry making.

Come with us, ya'll!

deryn xxoo

Raffle Winners!

2013-04-06T11:12:29-05:00

I have raffle winners! Before I name them, I'd like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, for participating in this. Thanks to you, I have a nice check to send off to Care Net. It means a lot to me...and it means a lot to the women who receive care from Care Net. Thank you!

Without further delay...the winner of my "Steampunk in Color" necklace is:

J Kussman

Winner of my "Musical Notes" earrings is:

Barb Solem

I have 5 winners of spots in my Build Zone class:

M. Butcher

Karin Slaton

Yvonne Ammerman

Trinka Seals

Christine Ruggiero

If you are already a student of this class and would like credit towards my next class (a brand new online resin class) please let me know!

There are 3 winners of my nest charm tutorial:

Lori Ackerman

Sharon Lyall

Jryen Designs

The 3 winners of my wrapped link tutorial are:

Sal McClelland

Micah Holden

Dawn Gold

And last, but not least, the winners of my new Double Loop Link tutorial. I had so much fun drawing names that I threw a few more of these tutorials in the pot:

Deborah Gemmell

RooRoo Designs

Lana Kinney

Norm and Nilene, Inc.

Sue Chesley

and

Deborah Foord

For you jewelry winners: I'll won't be able to send the jewelry prizes out for another week.

For you class winners: Please email me, asap, if you're already a member of The Build Zone or if you've already taken it. If not, I'll be sending out the class info, today.

For you tutorial winners: I know some of you may already have some of these tutorials; if that's the case, please email me asap.

Thank you, again, for participating. You guys are the best!

deryn <3<3<3

Ready To Raffle

2013-04-03T09:51:44-05:00

"Steampunk in Color"

Raffle day...she comes! April 8th was my original day to draw for my Big Raffle but a little kink in my plans has me moving the big day up to April 5...this Friday...in a couple of days.

I hope y'all will join me in supporting a fabulous cause, for women. Care Net Pregnancy Center of NW Houston is holding their annual fundraiser Walk for Life. As a privately funded organization, this is a really important event for Care Net. The services that they provide for women and babies is top notch: referrals for housing, food, baby supplies, adoption services, doctors, etc.; ultrasounds; cribs, clothing, counseling, classes and so much more. They're a fantastic group of people who care about women, babies, dads and families.

I'm going to raffle off some fab prizes and you can join in for only $10 per ticket.

Buy as many tickets as you like. All payments will be through Paypal.

ALL of the proceeds will go directly to Care Net NW. I'm doing this through my blog so I can keep track of the ticket holders, draw winners, and then I'll deliver a nice, fat (hopefully!) check to Care Net NW.

Here are the prizes you'll have a chance to win:

"Steampunk in Color" steampunk style necklace
"Musical Notes" earrings
5---yes! 5!---spots in my Build Zone online jewelry making class
3 Wire Wrapped Nest tutorials
3 Fabric Wrapped Link tutorials
3 Double Loop Link tutorials (this is a brand new tutorial, from me!)

All you have to do to purchase is click the "Buy Now" button. It will take you to Paypal where you can complete the transaction. Raffle is closed...thank you!

"Musical Notes" earrings

"Double Loop Link" tutorial

"Fabric Wrapped Link" tutorial

"Nest Charm" tutorial

I wanted to offer lots of prizes so you'd have lots of chances to win. There's some pretty good stuff here, including 5 spots in my current online class, The Build Zone.

I'll randomly draw winners Friday, April 5!

Best of luck to you and thank you for your support. You guys are the best!

deryn xxoo

The Empty Cross

2013-03-31T06:00:00-05:00

The cross is empty.

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

I've been noticing lots of commentary on my internet social sites, regarding Easter. Bunnies and eggs...goddesses and idols...pagan religions...sex and fertility. Lot's of hub bub. Lot's of negativity.

For Christians, Easter is the holiest of days. It seems to bring out the worst in some observers and all of the jabber can be quite confusing. It deflects attention away from what Easter really is...the day that Christians celebrate Jesus defeating death and rising from the grave.

A miracle.

A miracle with many eye witnesses.

A miracle meant to be remembered.

Ancient Babylonians don't matter. Gods and goddesses, pagan idols, spring festivals...don't matter. Eggs and chicks, bunnies, baskets and hats...don't matter. What does matter is what Easter means today. The focus remains on the sacrifice that Christ made to show us how to live, how much God cares for us...and that we too, will rise.

Blessed Easter to you, friends! We have cause to celebrate!

deryn xxoo

Black Saturday

2013-03-30T06:00:00-05:00

Good Friday is over and the day between, is here. Holy Saturday or, Black Saturday, is the Saturday just before Easter Sunday. It is the last day of Lent (the time leading up to Easter) and is also known as the Vigil of Easter. Good Friday is the time when Christ was crucified; Holy Saturday is the time when He lay in the tomb. It's a time of prayer, reflection and preparation for Easter.

Wishing you a peaceful Saturday,

deryn xxoo

It's Good Friday-Easter Eggs, Anyone?

2013-03-29T06:00:00-05:00

It's Good Friday, friends, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, God's Friday and Quiet Friday. Good Friday marks the day that Christ was crucified, on the cross. There's a terrific, short description of this day, found here. It's a day of solemnity, mourning and prayer.

So, why Easter eggs? Why, oh why do we celebrate with Easter egg hunts, Easter egg rolls and chocolate Easter eggs? If you search online, you'll find lots of different symbolisms and explanations for various Easter traditions, including the egg. Colored eggs have long been a part of Easter observances and, to tell you the truth, I'm not nearly as concerned with where the tradition came from, as I am with what they represent. Hard boiled eggs are a part of the Jewish Passover Seder meal. There are two reasons for this; one is that eggs represent fertility...which they surely do...the other is that eggs are a symbol of mourning, and the food of mourners; being the first food offered after a funeral. In the Seder meal, Jews mourn the destruction, by Babylonians, of their two temples.

I'd never heard of eggs as a symbol of mourning and I love this idea. Of course, on Good Friday, we Christians mourn the violent death of Jesus. But, eggs also represent new life. For us, the new life to come, through our faith in the resurrection of Jesus.

Have a blessed day!

deryn <3<3<3

ps: #wontyouconsiderhelpingwomenandtheirbabiesduringthiseasterseason

What The Heck Does Maundy Mean?

2013-03-28T09:59:13-05:00

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

It's Holy Week, ya'll and today is Maundy Thursday...also known as Holy Thursday.

If you're like me, you grew up celebrating Easter by going to church on Sunday, hunting for Easter eggs and kicking back with a big plate of ham and mashed potatoes. Who knew there was a Holy Week? It's confusing...bunnies and chicks, baskets, colored eggs, frilly dresses, hats and peeps (the marshmallow kind.) What in the world does all this have to do with the real reason that we celebrate Easter...Christ's death on the cross?

I don't pretend to know it all...in fact, I'm pretty confused by the falderal, as well. Every year, I have to do a little research to re-set my brain to the real meaning of all things Easter.

"Maundy"...what a weird word. But, not so strange, as it turns out.

Maundy=the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday.

Where was Jesus on Maundy Thursday? He was celebrating The Passover by dining with His disciples, on the night before He was crucified. Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, commemorates this Last Supper. (click here for the passover story) So, the foot washing word, "maundy," makes sense...He washed the feet of His disciples, at this meal.

Not so confusing, after all!

A blessed Holy Thursday to you, my friends...

deryn xxoo

ps: #imholdingabigraffleforaterrificcause