Monday Morning and the Weather is Cold and Windy

Happy Monday Morning!!!  As usual got up early this morning and pressed the start button on my coffee pot...walked away to let Dakota out and came back to get my coffee.  When I looked again (not being so sleepy this time), the coffee pot on light was lighted but there was no coffee brewing in the pot.  Like, the light was on but no one was home...  I thought OK Judy, don't panic.  So I pressed the button to turn off the pot and waited a few seconds then pressed the button again.  Doing the same thing twice sometimes works, doesn't it?  Waited a few minutes and still not coffee being produced in the carafe.  Went through the same actions again with the same results.  So next I unplugged the the pot and waited.  Plugged it in and started the process again.  Same results, no coffee dripping into the carafe.  Same process again with same results.  Oh no, no coffee this morning!!!  What do I do?  A thought started forming...instant coffee... While the water was heating up in the microwave, I suddenly remembered that we have a new coffee maker in the garage that we bought months ago because it was on sale.  Mixed my instant coffee and took a sip then started down to the garage to find the box.

After much searching, I located the box and brought it upstairs to the kitchen one step at a time.  Next began the process of cleaning everything so I could make coffee in this new Mr. Coffee.  After about an hour of trying with the old coffee maker, the instant coffee and cleaning the new Mr. Coffee I was ready for a fresh pot of coffee.  Next challenge was to install a new filter but I could not get the filter holder to close securely.  Finally success!!!  As I pushed the button to start the coffee brewing, Robert came into the kitchen...perfect timing!  Now we have a new coffee maker and a fresh pot of coffee.

How was your Monday morning?   

New Jewelry Experiences, Another Form of my Art

Spent the day on Friday creating some jewelry.  This is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time and finally have enough material and tools to create.  As with my painting and quilting, I purchased a book and just dove in learning as I go.  I really love the wire wrapped jewelry and started creating some of those.  I made 9 pair of earrings on Friday.  I had already created two bracelets and a few necklaces previously.  Creating jewelry is challenging, just like creating a painting from a blank canvas however, the finished piece is very rewarding.

I will be expanding my Etsy shop, Family Footprints, to display the jewelry.   Creating is just the first step.  Now I must update my inventory database with a description, determine a price and then take some creative photos. Sometimes the creative part is easy, it is the "backroom" administrative stuff that takes so much time and effort.
These things must be done though to promote any product.

Robert and I took my free standing "L" shaped display up to the Heritage Mill Antique Mall yesterday.  I hung some of my portraits, both pop art and oils on the lattice.  Hopefully this will help promote my paintings and portraits.  I still have to make a sign with information.
    

Updating the Syllabus for Classes

Had trouble sleeping this morning because my shoulder and arm were hurting so I thought that I would get up and check the work that I did yesterday to see if anything needed updating.  There are so many updates that I made yesterday that I felt a little overwhelmed and was not sure if everything was correct.  So checking each oil painting syllabus, I found that I had left out the odorless turpentine in the supplies. That is a "must have" for oil painting.  So I am updating each syllabus this morning.

Really need to get all this paperwork done so I can paint.  There are so many things that I want to paint.  However, for these classes at Michaels, I must choose paintings that can be completed in about 2 hours.  Often those are difficult to find or create.  Teaching at the YMCA is nice because we can continue a painting over several weeks if necessary.  I really have missed teaching that group as several people have become student/friends.  Hopefully, we can get that group going again by next week. 

Michaels Classes and Update

Yesterday I taught an acrylic classes at Michaels in Gastonia.  We now also have two acrylic classes scheduled in February,  the 8th and 22nd.  The schedule is on the page for Grumbacher Michaels Acrylic Classes.

As of January 31, I will begin teaching oil painting classes at Michaels.  The classes are scheduled for January 31 and February 15.  I have created a new page for those classes.

I have not yet resumed my classes at the YMCA.  Hopefully I will be able to get those going again next week.

Thank you to all my students for the support during my recovery from shoulder surgery.

Trying to keep all these class schedules up to date is a challenge.  Also having time to do the administrative things and be creative...need more time in the day.  Or maybe I should just be more organized.....Keith said that I had more time and kept things better when I was working full time.  That's a thought.  I had to be organized then.

Painting Hint!
Just a reminder that if you mix red and green together, you get a brown...in case you don't have brown next time you paint.  What color do you get when you mix red and blue?

Updating my Status and Blog

I spent a few minutes this morning updating my Blog.  Added a page for Micheal's classes and an About Me page.  Getting used to blogging is a challenge.  I need to schedule time to update the blog, plan and paint samples for classes, update my website, and everything else that happens in my life.  I have four sample paintings completed for my Michael's classes but all of them are seascapes or atleast water scenes.  I started a landscape yesterday to teach about depth and distance in a February class.  Need to finish that and get a photo so I can get the sample to Michael's.

Also, I am making a promotional display sheet for Michael's with photos of the paintings that we will be doing in January and February.  Hopefully, I can get that completed and to Michael's this afternoon.

This is going to be a quick post as I need to paint this morning.

Micheal's Acrylic Classes