YMCA Sip and Paint Class

 This was a fun event Saturday night the 26th that was advertised as sip Mock Tails (mock cotails) and paint. Due to some changes it ended up being Hot Chocolate night and painting, but that was A-Okay. 

We were painting with water colors. Water colors are NOT my favorite medium, they never have been. But there were two young women that were very good at them that were helping the rest of us. 

I think with practice and the hints I was given, I will get better at water colors. 

It was a fun night and something I don't do all the time, and would do it again.

YMCA Candle Making Class

This was a simple class held Monday, November 21, on melting parafin, adding color and scent and then pouring the candle. 

It was a learning experience because candle wicks can sink into the hot wax, or break or get off kilter and when it burns, only burns half the candle. 

My candle had a crooked wick and didn't come out the color I was trying for but it was fun and a nice get together with co-workers. 

YMCA Soap Making Class

 The YMCA of the Rockies, where I work, do staff related activities. I signed up for a Soap Making Class on Monday, 11/14/2022. It was nice. 

It was very basic, but very fun.

It started with a melting pot and melting bars of glycerin

Then we put the melted glycerin in these blue rubber pots and added coloring, scents, and fills (lavender leaves or rose leaves). 

Then poured them into molds. 

The molds sat for 24 hours and I picked up my completed soap bars on Tuesday during lunch. It was fun and I am excited to try this on my own sometime. 

Making Laser Engraved Wax Seals

 

Today was a day of stepping out of my comfort zone. It started on November 7 with going to a Get Published class with Deborah Bouziden. 

Besides the Universal Class that the library has, and I have done several classes already, the Estes Valley Library has a Maker Space - this has computers, 3-D printers and so much more. I have signed up for a ton of classes. 

Today was making a Laser Engraved Wax Seal. 

First of all a design was needed. I used my Elk Star Ranch logo. 

I then had to take the pink color out and rotate the image to face backwards. It was then loaded and fixed into Adobe Illustrator. Once that was done, it was sent to the laser printer at the Library. 

It was very cool to see it and to see the outcome. 

Then I superglued it onto the handle. 

I did a test print and it looks alright. 

This was a cool experience and I am excited to use my Wax Seal. I am also very excited to try this again with some other things to use for stamps. I have somet other classes coming up in December and I am very excited for those. I plan on doing some blogs on those. 

Check out your local libraries to see if they have fun classes like these! It just takes a library card. 

Treasure Tables 2022 Art Sale

I walked through this event last year as my friend Deb had a booth. I took the plung this year and decided that I would attend as a vendor. 

Then I changed jobs and was struggling all summer with making things for the event as well as find coverage for me to go to the event AFTER I had already paid for it. What ended up happening is I left that job and took a job that I worked Sun-Thurs 8-5 and that helped a TON! I was able to complete a lot more things working those hours. 

I have to say I was also very shocked to see several of my items used in advertising. I sent some photos over, but they were all used! 

 I am so excited to see if I sell things from this - that is awesome! 

The night before I set up and then Saturday morning I redid my table a little bit. Throughout the day, I had several lookers but only 5 takers :( Several of the other vendors said it was slow for them. Only a few really had really good sales. 

It was a fun experience and I might try it next year. 

Model Horse and Action Figure Monthly Art Challenge - October 2022

I love Hallowe'en and had so many ideas. I really wasn't sure what I was going to go with for this challenge. And I finally completed a challenge in the month it was due! It was awesome. The concept just floated to me. I had a pumpkin and a broken cat and they just came together. It was perfectly imperfect! 

Eerie Equine Live 2022

 

This live show is in support of the Denver Community Farm. I judged the Youth Large OF Plastic and showed in OF Mini, Custom and AR - all scales. I was going to try performance, but with judging I didn't feel I could do that after being so stressed at Ace of Spades Live. Also, the performance classes had odd names, and I honestly didn't think I could get things together in time to show correctly, the way I wanted too and in a creative manner that seemed to be required for the classlist. 

I drove up Friday afternoon and got into my motel. I enjoyed a nice relaxing evening and then up early Saturday morning and to the show hall. I was there early to help get things in and set up. 

It was a nice paced show. The hall was a little crowded, but it was good overall. I am judged the Youth Large OF Plastic Division and there were some great showers and involved parents! My grand of show is pictured below - photo courtsey of her mom. 

Also some pictures of me judging.

I did well for the limited show string I took and I was happy with the results! 

I was a good show and I am so glad to have attended it and had the chance to judge such great youth showers.