Giving My First Shawl Pin Workshop

Tomorrow I start a new direction. I am teaching my first workshop in shawl pin making for people with no previous metal working experience. I have taught many times over the years in situations ranging from one on one in studio to small classes elsewhere. What is different is that I am in a more aggressive push to get me and my work out to a bigger world.

To my mind a teacher's goal is to stretch a student's knowledge while minimizing frustration . There is no creative direction that doesn't involve going down dead ends. How people deal with that is telling. My biggest "teaching" situation was with Beth Williams ( http://bethwilliams.com/ We met when she came to my studio to have a new wedding ring made for her husband. After a few meetings I was impressed with her own creative energy and her organized easy manner. I offered a choice: I could make her ring for money or I could teach her to make her own ring and she could teach me to be organized. And so began a seven year stint of sharing a studio and a friendship that continues to this day. I had always worked alone. I was amazed at what I learned watching her start from scratch.

One day she spent totally focused on one project doggedly inching her way on a complicated piece. My style is more like a spider spinning a web on LSD. I don't recommend it. Her project wasn't going so easily. I asked her what went through her mind as she worked. "Just getting this done," she answered. As I shut up and continued watching I became aware that I had a habit of running a constant negative chatter in my head. I also became aware of the cost of that habit. Awareness does not equal change overnight unless your name is Scrooge.

So as I start this stint of teaching I am reminded that the roles of "teacher" and "student"

do not have fixed boundries. What a gift that is!

Blog On,

Leslie

The Power of Fiber People

Maureen, here.

In my previous blog, I mentioned the Fun Fur hats for the kids at Children's Hospital. Today, Mini reports that she has heard from 300+ knitters. She also reported that I offered some button covers as a prize, so here they are.

They are made from Premo! polymer clay. I am going to offer six as a set; this photo shows three for clarity. The back of one is visible so that you can see the mechanism. There are a couple of cool things about making button covers with polymer as opposed to buttons. For one, the embellishment can be any shape or size without your worrying about it fitting through a button hole. For another, the polymer clay cannot be dry cleaned, so with button covers, you just pop them on and off.

Back to the Fun Fur hats. I crocheted one last night in a smaller child size, using two strands at a time (black and red). The best results seemed to be with a K size hook, although I may try one with an M hook (no L hook in my case yet). Leslie and I tried to get a picture of one of the cats or my dog wearing the hat, but the results were not usable. We had pictures of the hat sliding off a p-o'd cat or deflated on a sleeping bull terrier's head. But the button covers behaved well, didn't they?

Any questions about the button covers, just email me at maureenmo3 at aol dot com (you know what to do) and be sure to put button covers in the subject line.

The Other One

You may have noticed that the name of this blog is plural, implying more than one freak. Well, I am the other one - Maureen.

I crochet well, knit at a novice level, and do polymer clay at an intermediate level. When I'm working in any of the three, it's usually all about the color for me. Oddly enough, my most current project is a black scarf, knit of ribbon yarn with subtle metallic sparkles. It's a belated Christmas present for a friend. She, too, makes all her Christmas presents, so we agreed years ago to exchange presents when they got done, no matter how belated. That's a blessing to have that pressure off.

I'm dying to get to my next project, Fun Fur hats for kids at Children's Hospital in Boston. I found the info about this project on my friend Woolybun's blog but it originated at Minestrone Soup. I highly recommend both these blogs, and if you're a knitter or crocheter, join the project.

Before I go, I must say, Leslie just had me laughing so hard I almost snorted my hot chocolate. She realized that I could take a picture of her unshowered, hair sticking out, and post it, telling the world, "This is what I have to look at!" I told her I'd be afraid she'd sneak into my room at night and take a picture of me snoring, with drool down the side of my face. We would be at an impasse, so the world is safe from those images.

The images I would like to post are of projects, so I'll start that soon. Those should be much more attractive than me with bedhead.

Maureen

"new", I like the sound of that.

It takes a lot of energy to be open. It takes so little to shut down to a new idea, leave it unexamined and stand pat with the hand you hold- and I don't mean human. I am beginning to understand that it may take more energy to deal with the fallout from that attitude. At this age I can see that I have missed so much by not realizing sooner that I was responsible for so many of the blocks that I thought were put there by others. And people have missed knowing me. That takes a lot of "new attitude" to write. That I know I truly have something to offer and by allowing insecurity in any guise to keep me from letting my self out is a disservice to all concerned.
That written, it will be interesting to look back one year from now and see what changes this appreciation of "new" have manifested.
stand back, here I come.....
Thanks for reading,
Leslie

A Time of Excess

During this time of year I feel like a child who is overstimulated and can't focus on anything for too long. I like winter because it gives me permission to embrace my hermit side, but that doesn't happen until after the holiday season ends on January 2nd. Starting with Thanksgiving there is the season of excess: too much of everything except time. Every year it takes me by surprise and every year I promise myself to make the changes necessary to smooth the passage. And I do to some extent. But I can tell you honestly today that I have a long way to go before I sail through this time on calm waters. My two biggest lessons are staying in the moment and taking care of myself.
I am at a party and I am talking to someone and in my head runs a steady stream of things that have nothing to do with the real time conversation. Besides being unfair to the other person it is exhausting and prevents me from truly hearing what is being said. So, goal #1- be here now (the mind version). React from my present self.
Ok, I am at that same party. I am eating really good ________. It is so good that I want more and hey, it is the holiday season and who knows when food like this will come my way again so having even more seems like a smart idea. Why is it that my taste buds are better than the rest of me about being here now? Keep this up and there will be more of me to be here now. So, goal #2- not to deny myself completely but to be able to judge what is comfortably enough. Guess that makes it Be Here Now, the stomach version.
Well, I feel better.
Thanks for reading.

The Healing Perspective

High emotion distorts reality. I am the only one who is this busy or so it may seem. That I chose most of what is sitting on my plate is something for me to remember. There is great power in remembering that what is happening is the result of my past choices. May I remember next year that this is NOT the time for any extra appointments that may wait. I can certainly come up with a list, without even being coerced, about all the things that are getting in the way of my being peaceful, grateful and happy. And the point of that exercise?
Who was it who said to not sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff? How true!
Thanks for reading-
Leslie

Accentuate the Positive

Well we can't always eliminate the negative but I am learning that I do have more power to choose how I react. Maybe I am late to coming to this ability, but I am grateful to be at this place at all. And nothing tests our emotions like the heavy duty holidays. Whatever the emotional frequency, holidays turn up the volume.
Years ago (1972 to be exact) I took a course in Silva Mind Control. It was all about using your mind in positive ways with an emphasis on meditation and using affirmations. One of my favorites was "Positive thought give me benefits and advantages I desire." Pretty basic stuff, right? And yet years later I still struggle with my tendency to run dark thoughts. I can forget that I have a choice if I feel the need to stay mired in my pattern of feeling undeserving. And dark thoughts can be pretty draining.
One surprising thing that has happened as I am changing and things are definitely getting better, is my resistance to giving up the old and familiar. I guess it should come as no surprise that years of conditioning don't evaporate overnight. The best part of being older is the perspective that can be harnessed to motivate change. I have years of the old behavior to know what the outcome will be without a new emotional MO. Far worse than the fear of the unfamilar is the image of me in the future unchanged.
Thanks for reading
Leslie