River Poet Design

Are you coming out to Tucson next week for the amazing Gem Show experience?  I’ll be there teaching from February 2-8, 2010!

Want to take some fabulous new polymer clay classes?  Come on over to the To Bead True Blue and Tucson Bead Show at the Doubletree Reid Park Hotel to take classes, attend our Polymer Party, purchase some wearable art, or just come by and talk shop with me!  I hope to see you there!

Here’s the classes I will be teaching, please contact me via email to reserve your spot as soon as possible, as the class size is very limited!  Thanks!

Just wanted to post more pictures and the description of the Day of the Dead workshop that Tommie Howell and I are teaching at Darleen Bellan’s studio in Hollis, New Hampshire next month.  The class will be $195 per person and will include Friday night, and all day Saturday and Sunday.  Click the thumbnail for a description and more pics!

Lynne Ann

There’s NO excuse for how long it’s been since I have posted new info on my website…but here goes…a HUGE update and rundown of what’s going on!  This is just going to be a very quick rundown, to let you know what’s coming up!

• New classes added: Classes in CT, MA, NV, CA, TX, and more!  Look for updates on the classes page! 
• DAY OF THE DEAD classes at Darleen Bellan’s studio in Hollis, NH October 23-24-25, 2009 More info will be posted on Darleen’s website soon.  http://www.darbelladesigns.com/page/classes
• I am teaching at Clay Carnival in Las Vegas November 4-8, 2009 along with Donna Kato, Maureen Carlson and the Clay Carnival gang!  Visit: www.claycarnival.com
• This is my first year teaching at the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza, or BABE! for short. I am teaching 4 classes, 2 full day, 2 half day…this show is in Oakland, CA and takes place November 13-15, 2009 and you can find info about my classes at http://beadextravaganza.com/2009classes/by_instructor.htm
• I am also conducting a series of classes here in CT and also in MA almost every weekend in October…more info to come really soon!
• I finally recorded instructional DVDs this summer!  One is a 2 disc set and covers a 4 cane version of my 8 From 1 class, with most canes being different from the class canes.  The other is a single disc that covers how to use your flower canes to cover flat and curved surfaces and make the best use of the canes to get the best results.  DVDs will be available in the late fall, and I will be taking pre-orders soon.
• I am also scheduled to teach at the Adorn Me! Retreat put on by the Art Unraveled team, which will take place in March 2010 in Houston, TX… more info can be found here: http://artunraveled.com/AdornMe10/bios/Schwarzenberg.htm!

Make sure you add me on FACEBOOK…I update my Facebook page a whole lot more often than I do my website!
Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg | Create Your Badge

Lynne Ann will be heading, once again, to the West Coast for a series of classes in the Golden State.  May 16, and 17 will find her in Tehachapi at Karen Lewis’ The Spirited Bead.  Classes can be taken as a two day interlocking course or if it better fits your time allowance, each class is offered as a stand-alone.

May 16  Fabulous Foliage: 8+ from 1 Leaves.

Tired of the same old leaf canes?  Spice up your arrangements with at least eight different types of leaves all made from one simple cane.  An endless array of composite leaf canes can be made by reducing and recombining simple components.  We will learn Lynne Ann’s famous basic brush stroke leaf cane and at least seven more variations which you can mix and match in your floral designs.  Class will begin at 10am and finish at 6pm.  Cost for the one day class is $95.00.

May 17  PetalMania!

Born from the desire to use up extra petal cane bits from making my translucent flower canes, this new petal-only polymer work is one of my favorite things to do with clay!  It expands the versatility of the flower caning process exponentially.  You’ll never make another flower cane again without planning ahead to have plenty of petal canes left over for all kinds of cool things like these!  Class will begin at 10am and finish at 6pm.  Cost for the one day class is $95.00.

Enroll in BOTH classes for only $165.00 for an over all savings of $25.00!

To find out even more about these exciting classes or to sign up, please contact The Spirited Bead at 661-823-1930 or visit Klew’s Expressions on the web.

May 23 and 24, San Jose Classes.

Lynne Ann will also be teaching once again in San Jose!  The class has been set and will be a nice selection of Lynne Ann’s newer workshops.   Saturday, May 23 will be a survey of her award winning Faux Wood and the 8 from 1 Fabulous Foliage (as featured on Polymer Clay Daily).  Sunday, May 24 will feature the beautiful Tiger Lily Flower and Pod Class.  Lynne Ann had a wonderful experience the last time she taught there and is looking forward to another great time with the folks in San Jose.  There is more information currently at The South Bay Polymer Clay Guild site or call 203-305-1445 or 203 305-0767.

May 30 and 31 Milwaukee Polymer Clay Guild.

Lynne Ann will be conducting two days of classes in Milwaukee ahead of the Bead and Button Show.  These are classes that will not be offered during the show, they are exclusive to the Milwaukee Guild.  If you are able to come early for B&B, live in the area, or would just like to take a trip to Milwaukee for the weekend, don’t miss these two days of exciting classes.  The classes offered are The Fabulous Foliage and PetalMania! classes listed above.  If you would like more information on these classes or would like to go ahead and sign up, contact Beth Ackley for all the details.

Bead and Button Show Classes June 1, 2, and 3.

Lynne Ann will be teaching at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee for the first three days of June.  Be sure to reserve your spots in these classes.  Please note that the three classes being held at Bead and Button are different than the classes offered the previous weekend at the Milwaukee Polymer Clay Guild.

Tone on Tone Floral Tile Pendant  June 1

This is an intermediate level class.  Students should have a familiarity with polymer clay basics such as conditioning, gradient (Skinner) blends, etc.  To read more about this class, see an example, and sign up… please visit Tone on Tone Class.

Hooray for Polywood!  June 2

This class is open to all levels.  To read more about this class, see an example, and sign up… please visit Hooray for Polywood!

Awesome Blossoms!  June 3

This class is open to all levels  To read more about this class, see an example, and sign up… please visit Awesome Blossoms!

http://www.riverpoetdesign.com/tucson-class-list/

Click the link above to see the list of classes I am teaching this week and next while at To Bead True Blue and The Tucson Bead Show.

I know it has been a long time since I posted anything new.  I got very busy with production for the To Bead True Blue Show at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and was working 16 hour days for a couple of months.  It was a lot of work, but I had a great time and I plan on being there again next year.  As for news of things coming up, I have several classes and events over the next couple of months.

I’ve added PDF files of my class descriptions to the Workshops page…those are definitely worth checking out!

San Jose, CA – April 5-6, 2008: This is a hybrid class that will be taught for the first time ever.  Students will learn 3 flower canes, my faux wood grain, and how to construct a tile pendant.  There is still room in this class so if you live anywhere near the San Jose area please get in touch with me right away, or visit http://www.sbpcg.com/  Email riverpoet@comcast.net and I will get you signed up for this exciting class.

I’ll be cruising with the “Claydies” from April 19-24 with Lisa Pavelka, Desiree McCrorey and Christi Friesen…I am really looking forward to this trip, as I have never cruised before.  When I get back, I am only home for a week and then I am off to Albuquerque.

Albuquerque, NM classes: May 2-4, 2008: Friday is my 8 From 1:The Foliage Edition class, that you can read about and see pictures if you click the link.  We make a simple base cane and then cut, combine, twist, turn and create a whole host of different types of leaves from it.  It teaches a whole lot about component caning and it’s so much fun to create all these different leaf types from one blend.

The Saturday and Sunday workshop (May 3-4) is the Caning in Monochrome Class, which I am excited to be teaching again!  I taught this in Baltimore last year and it was a fabulous class.  I love monochromatic caning, but adding the color tints makes something really special.  Read all about this class here.

Finally, here’s a picture of a new necklace I created this month…I LOVE making dimensional flowers and leaves.  This piece will probably become the basis of a new class, since there’s a LOT more that goes into the leaves and flowers than meets the eye…they are armatured in a special way and are extremely strong and even flexible.  The pods I used on the closure are my favorite part, though, I think!  Watch for more new designs in my gallery section soon.

I am writing this hurried post to let everyone know that I am off to Israel for a 17 day teaching adventure!  I am so excited I can hardly contain it, I’ve never traveled to such a historically rich and wonderful place.  I return on the 24th, and soon thereafter I should post pictures from the event.  For now, you can take a look at Donna’s Israel trip pictures on her blog here.

I will be teaching my 8 from 1 Intensive Flower Cane Workshop at The Bead House in Bristol, Rhode Island.  The class will be held at the Bead House Annex on October 27 & 28, 2007 starting at 10am each day.  This workshop has gotten great reviews from people who are rank beginners all the way to people who have reached the pinnacle in the polymer clay world.

A little more about the class:

In this intensive caning workshop you’ll learn to make eight different flower canes from ONE skinner blend. You’ll make realistic-looking rose and daisy canes, tiny accent flowers, flowers with spots, variegation stripes, folded petals and several other designs.
This class teaches the fundamentals of caning and skinner blend manipulation. Learn to tint or shift the color of your blends, choose the best translucent clay for caulking the canes, fast and easy cane reduction with very little waste, and cutting thin slices.
At the end of class, students can swap pieces of their canes so they can leave with a whole bouquet of flowers.  (Note: we can take some time in this class to arrange the cane slices into tiles or beads, but the class is mainly focused on making the canes, rather than using them.  Not all 8 canes will be completely caulked and reduced in class…there is much repetition in the process, and in order to teach as many caning techniques as possible, the repetitive steps are left for after class time.)
To register or learn more about this class please visit www.thebeadhouse.com/Lynne.html

I received word from Diane Villano today about the National Polymer Clay Guild’s Progress and Possibilities Exhibit and I wanted to let everyone know the results.  I am sure it will be posted on the National site soon, but for now, here’s the info:

Personal embellishments – including jewelry, buttons, purses, and anything wearable

First place and Best of Show:  Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg
Second place:  Christi Friesen
Third place:  Judy Kuskin
Finalists:  Barbara Sperling and Christi Friesen

Figurative sculpture – including human, fantasy, animal figures, and masks
First place:  Doreen Gay-Kassel
Second place:  Doreen Gay-Kassel
Third place:  Doreen Gay-Kassel
Finalists:  Chris Rutter and Layl McDill

Non-figurative sculpture – including home decor, lamps, frames, etc.
First place:  Barbara Sperling
Second place:  Cathy Braulin
Third place:  Beth Wegener
Finalists:  Suzanne Ivester and Jana Roberts Benzon

Containers, vessels, boxes, vases, baskets, bottles, bowls – anything that might contain something else
First place:  Barbara Sperling
Second place:  Karin Noyes
Third place:  Lindly Haunani
Finalists:  Karin Noyes (2 pieces) 

Dolls – must be at least 1/8 polymer clay

First place:  Lucky Stradley
Second place:  Lorie Follett
Third place:  Lorie Follett
Finalists:  Lucky Stradley and Lorie Follett

Miniatures

First place:  Michele Raffaele
Second place:  Michele Raffaele
Third place:  Randi Taylor
Finalists:  Emily Blair (Junior Member) 

Beads and bead sets – any object or related setsthat are pierced by a hole, not finished jewelry

First place:  Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg
Second place:  Jana Roberts Benzon
Third place: Julie Picarello
Finalists:  Julie Picarello and Varda Levram-Ellisman

Alternative use – polymer clay used in place oftraditional materials, prints, paint, wood, ceramic, etc.

First place:  Suzanne Ivester
Second place:  Denise Graham
Third place:  Judy Dunn
Finalists:  Denise Graham and Suzanne Ivester

Mixed media – including journals, fabric arts andother work not falling into other categories

First place:  Heather Campbell
Second place:  Laurie Mika
Third place:  Laurie Mika
Finalists:  Carol Blackburn, Laurie Mika, and Dianne Quarles, (tie)
Congratulations to everyone!  I am so eager to see everyone else’s pieces!

I just returned from a wonderful class down in Leesburg, FL…it was great to see the OAPCG group again.  Crazy Nancy, Jeanne and Sandie always keep me smiling while I am there!  If you’d like to see pictures from the class, Nancy has posted a great album at the following site:

Lynne’s Class in Leesburg  (And contrary to what the picture shows, I was not really choking Nancy out…nor losing my patience!  She’s a doll, and this pic is my favorite one from any class I’ve taught so far!)

I have to really buckle down now and work on production so that I will have lots of things ready for a couple of major shows I have signed on for in late 2007 and early 2008.  I will be exhibiting at the To Bead True Blue show in Tucson, AZ in February and will be applying for a booth at Bead and Button next year as well.  I better get my nose to the clay tile…Here are some of the newest tiles that I’ve made…they are just waiting to be set into faux wood pendants.

 Click the photos in the post for a better view.