A week in the life... or the frantic behind the scenes mayhem!

I am thrilled to be teaching at Bead Fest this Spring. In fact - as you read this I am there! I tend to think of myself as the "mixed media girl" as that's when I am happiest - putting materials together! Sure I love clay... but polymer allows me to tap into my painter/collage artist alter egos simultaneously...

Polymer. resin. color. image. text.

I'm teaching a mixed media class - mold making, polymer focal, paint finished, and collage with resin inside. If they look familiar, its because these "Word mojo" pieces debuted here as the COM in January 2014. I hope my students are as happy with them as the team made me...  Getting ready to teach a class is a bit different from prepping for a show. The show prep I do so often, I can go on autopilot. But to be prepared for any and all questions, to anticipate additional materials we might need... samples, hand outs... Last week it was all calm and civilized: email the students, make a few Xerox copies of images, and start the class samples.

Now its crunch time. This is the week OF class. I leave on Wednesday evening. If you are reading this, on Friday, we can assume all is well!

Monday:

• Drink the coffee. 
• Work on your taxes. &^!#%&^!@%#^&@!%
• Shop for miscellaneous materials. Baby Wipes, paper towels, toothbrushes... I forgot the wax paper! 
• Panic because you think you have to prep and teach a bookbinding class tomorrow. (Then you realize after you call the library, that you are teaching that class NEXT week. When you should. be. sane. again.) 
• Finish first stage of class samples. 
• Start to gather the class supplies. 
• Mistaken think its Tuesday already and freak out. 
• Drink more coffee. 

Class samples: cured and waiting.

The start of the supplies. I think we need a bigger boat... I mean chair.

An hour or so of messy creative therapy.

Class samples stage one complete.

Tuesday:

• Drink the coffee
• Finish the samples. 
• Make more piles of supplies. 
• Assemble the student kits for class. 
• Start writing the class handout. 
• Laundry. Because what am I wearing to teach?!
• Drink more coffee
• Get distracted by Facebook
• Run last minute errands to post office and hardware store. 
• Drink more coffee
• Check to see if resin is cured. Get sticky fingers; resist the urge to touch again. 

More piles of stuff.

Make the student kits. note ever present coffee.

Always have a mold - or 5 ready for excess resin.

Wednesday: 

• Drink the coffee
• Take dogs to daycare.
• Fondle cured resin. 
• Pack tools and last minute additional things you decide you should take. 
• Proof and print the handout. 
• Proof and publish this post! 
• Drink the coffee. 
• Drive to Bead Fest. Check in. Set up classroom. 
• Hotel. Collapse. (Hmm - maybe a side trip to Wegmans for dinner...

Thursday: 

• Up early. Mix of nervous and excited. 
• Drink the coffee. Hit the Starbucks. 
• TEACH CLASS
• HAVE FUN
• GET MESSY

Friday: 

• Drink the coffee. 
• Shop for the beads. 
• Shop for gems. 
• Chat with friends. 
• Drink the coffee. 
• Relax. 
• Buy more beads. And gems. 
• Drink more coffee. 
• Go home. Flying is optional but possible due to coffee consumption. 

If you are coming to Bead Fest Spring - I hope you have a marvelous time - I know I will. Its amazing how so many weeks, or action packed days of preparation go into preparing for an event... but the event flies by in a blink. Until later...