Photos of Prague, Czech Republic

Here are some photos of Prague, from times when I’ve gone there for Polymer Clay, from a short trip with Heinz for a concert, and from a longer trip with Kate Krause.

Polyclaykunst.de Weekend in Bad Homburg 2014

Friday afternoon, October 24, is when the fun began and it lasted until almost the evening of Sunday, October 26, at the Youth Center Hostel in Bad Homburg, which is just outside Frankfurt, Germany.  Two workshops, taught by our lovely French artists Sylvie Peraud and Céline Charuau, were enjoyed by polymer clayers from Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Sylvie sets up:

Here are some shots of the venue as everyone arrives and put the supplies in order:  (I learned a great deal about ways to set out one’s tools.)

A walk taken before the evening schedule revealed Bad Homburg to be a charming town with a castle, lovely churches, beautiful parks and a nice cultural city center. Saturday night was even a Culture Night, but I was too tired to partake of it.

It could be possible that I love trees a little too much. ?

Then came the workshops on Saturday, Group One with Sylie Peraud and Group Two (mine) with Céline Charuau.  Note that Ulrike Schaffrath is to be applauded for her dedicated work in supervising the ovens for Group Two and doing translations. The timing, placement of items, and opening-and-closing of the ovens can make or break the experience of the attendees and it’s a time-consuming job that she did perfectly.

The Polyclay artists at my table were Marada Genz, who also helped with the translating for Sylvie Peraud, and the most darling couple in Germany, Katrin Ferrang and Thomas Anslinger — I will think of them every time I hear the word “Schatz” for the rest of my life.  All three of them were inspirational and taught me a lot, just from observing them, and Marada gave me some excellent suggestions for improving my pieces. You can see her in the first photo, below, and the table where we worked. Then comes Kirsten (Chicco47) modelling one of her wonderful creations, and two other new friends whose necklaces I wanted photos of, too, then Klara with Sylvie during their workshop and then Thomas, followed by Katrin. The group is clustered around Céline to learn the technique using mokume gane in a pendant and earrings, and you can see Céline in the last photo in this group.

Next are some photos which show Klara Alba Bartlova “modeling” a necklace that she gave me (Yes! I included myself wearing it) and pieces by the students from Sylvie’s workshop. (Most of my photos of pieces from Céline’s workshop sadly did not turn out, as I had the camera on the movie setting.)

The pieces from Céline’s workshop that did turn out are shown next, and Katrin’s were particularly admired:

Saturday evening there was a drawing for the charms-swap and for the big bead necklace that had one of every bead that was contributed at this workshop. Bettina Welker and Martina Weller and Ulrike Schaffrath made it so much fun! And the best part is that the big bead necklace was won by a lovely gentleman who is liked very much by everyone, Jan Dienstbier. I’m sorry I didn’t get photos of the Charm Swap, but there are photos of the bead necklace and of all the past bead necklaces collected by Polyclaykunst.de. (A double set are done each time, and one goes to the winner, one to the organization.)  In the charm swap (I MUST photograph the charms I got!) I got TWO packages of Bettina Welker charms (my lucky night) and terrific charms also from my tablemate, Marada Genz, and from Susi Arremann and Irmi Knarr.

Before the workshops on Saturday, I took another walk in Bad Homburg. The other park (as opposed to the Schlosspark seen first, above) was simply lovely. The churches and city center also provided inspiration, and seemed to shout “look at these great patterns for using in polymer clay,” as you’ll see below:

On Sunday Group Two had the workshop with Sylvie. It was lovely outside and I managed to get some SkyCam shots as she instructed us on using our alcohol inks. There are also some photos of completed and almost-completed pendants.

And now, it would be entirely remiss of me not to show the better photos of our wonderful teachers from the poster on the Polyclaykunst.de website …

as well as photos of two of the shining stars of the organization (and I hope they don’t mind that I used their photos from a Flickr page and online store site, respectively (but I’ll remove them if I’ve caused offense) Bettina Welker and Martina Weller, whose online store is at http://www.polymerclay.de/shop_content.php?coID=82

So now I must promise to make photos of the charms I got and gave and of the lovely things that others gave me or that I bought. I will add these soon. And to finish, a copy of the group photo that I took from the organization’s FB page. Don’t look for me, because naturally I forgot to go when it was time!  It was such a wonderful weekend, and I met so many people who do such great work and some whom I’ve already admired for a while, I’ll never forget it. I can’t believe how many of my favorite people I’m missing photos of. Looking forward to more chances to get them later!

Vacay to USA Summer 2013

So, we had a month in the USA. Heinz and I started in Austin at Kate and Sharon’s new house, which is wonderful, as is the yard and the area where they live — TWO

Sally in a bag at Kate and Sharon’s.

neighborhood pools.  Ian is now taller than we are! Then we took two of the grandkids with us to Lake Charles (Antonio had to work) where they visited with GranMike and Grandma Connie while Heinz and I visited Carla and friends.  Timing: I had to help (read that “push”) Carla to get her longtime companion Clara the cat put down, but she was at the end and there was nothing else to do except let her suffer (no way) so I’m glad we were there for her. We had visits from friends and “clayed” some wineglasses for Carla’s daughter and her beau who live in NYC.

Our vacation begins with a special treat prepared for us by Zora. In the background are Ian and Antonio.

Then back to Austin and all of us (except Antonio again… NO FAIR) went up to Little Rock where we had a family reunion, missing only part of the family.  It was a blast, cooking, playing games, going to “The Joint” in N. Little Rock, swimming, talking.

Visiting with friends on Carla’s WONDERFUL back porch.

Then back to Austin to hang at the house and play some games and GET MY GRANDAUGHTER ZORA INTERESTED in some polymer clay crafting. You’ll see the photos below; she’s totally a natural and did it all herself.

Wine glasses for Caralie and Robby, finished in Lake Charles.

Carla’s in Lake Charles. Miss you already!

Zora with some visiting pups at Mike and Connie’s.

In Lake Charles, Zora and Heinz say goodbye to Grandma Connie and doggie.

The foyer at Kate and Sharon’s

Part of Kate and Sharon’s back yard in Austin. It’s huge!

In Austin, Zora gets blue hair — but Kathryn’s swimming pool made short work of it!

I think Zora and Sophie enjoyed the temp tattoos.

Another cat-in-the-bag, this time at Kathryn’s.

Kate and Mom watch masterchef David at work.

Hanging ’round Kathryn’s kitchen/breakfast area.

More Apples to Apples.

Good game of Apples to Apples.

Speaking of good cooks, look what Mia made!

Zora shows off her style.

Family portrait at Kathryn’s. See how tall Ian is next to his mother? And Garland and Sophie have grown so much, too!

Hanging ’round the kitchen area at Kathryn’s.

Kate and Kathryn at Kathryn’s in Little Rock. Wonder what they’re discussing?

Zora puts bunny ears on Saffy.

On to the west coast, where Heinz and I visited with Dad and Shirley and then with the Krauses. Dad and Shirley live in Casitas Springs, California, and the temps there were better than Texas, Louisiana or Arkansas, I can tell you, but not quite as nice as Whidbey Island, Washington. Connie entertained us for Dad’s pre-birthday and it was SO NICE. She can cook, that gal. Steve was there, too, and we laughed all evening. Did some walking, biking and thrift-store hunting with Dad and Shirley, and enjoyed delicious fruits and vegetables. What I wouldn’t give to have their nectarine tree, omigawd! We had fun seeing the new art and learning new things about computer programs.

Dad shows off one of those fabulous nectarines.

The Hummingbirds are big Elbert-and-Shirley fans.

Dad surrounded by art. I LUV their house.

Dad, Shirley and Heinz at their house in Casitas Springs. See Dad’s red bottle?

On to Washington, to Kate and Dave Krause’s house. They live on a large property with their own forest!! I’m so jealous. We took some wonderful walks, and ferry rides (as you’ll see from the photos), and did a wine tasting at Friday Harbor that resulted in my husband paying EIGHTEEN DOLLARS for a bottle of wine. Those of you who know my box-wine-drinking husband will recognize that for the earth-shattering event it was. We laughed ourselves pink every night and enjoyed their company and their house and their cats (Ira and Boots) and their food and their yard immensely. I guess that of everyone I know, theirs is the prettiest area to live in, followed by Dad and Shirley’s.

Incredible views on our walk with Kate and Dave on Whidbey Island.

Kate and Heinz as we wait for our lunch at Friday Harbor.

Kate and Dave on our walk.

Eagle up in a tree on our walk in Washington State.

Heinz by a fabulous tree. Washington has so many amazing trees!

Kate, me and Heinz at Friday Harbor in Washington.

The Krause’s fabulous kitchen

A bunny in Kate’s back yard in WA.

Boots gives us her back at Kate and Dave’s.

Ira on his chair at Kate and Dave’s.

Part of the Krause’s amazing back yard.

Zora works diligently on her dragon. See the big kitchen behind her (Kate and Sharon’s new house.)

 

Polymer clay creations featuring Zora’s dragon. Isn’t she terrific?

Mrs Brown (our cat) was SOOOO glad to see us get home. She stayed in Munich while we were gone with our dear friends Kukuly and Chaska (mom and daughter) and was very well taken care of, but she loves her apartment in Bischofswiesen, too. We learned a VERY valuable lesson from our trip: our mattress at home is NOT right for us. After sleeping on five different mattresses on the trip, with no back problems at all, we got home and woke up the next day to the “same old” back problems. Hmmmm, not hard to guess what the problem is. So we’ve changed our mattress for the memory-foam one and things have gotten better. Thanks, trip!

Now we await the arrival of mom and Kathryn in August, Andy and David at SOME point in the near future, and Carla in October. This has been a terrific year for travel and visits and it’s not even over with! Please enjoy the photos and come see us!!

Warning

Heh… or a promise. I won’t be posting as much for a little while until I get a new camera because I “talk” more in photos than in text. And I’ll probably get the camera in the USA so I don’t have to Jimmy with changing the language in it to English. And I’m going to find one that takes AA batteries… enough is enough… and has a really good optical zoom. There’s too much in nature that is beautiful at a distance here, and I want to see it and capture it. I won’t demand a viewfinder, too, if I can get those other things, though I do prefer viewfinders. 

Anyway, if I don’t post really regularly between now and March 28th, that’s why. But boy will I ever post a lot of photos when we get back from the USA.

Winter, hobbies, chat

So, today when the sun got high enough to hit the trees across the way from our house, the snow started falling in clumps from the trees. I tried to capture this in video, which I’ve posted on YouTube, but I haven’t even watched the video myself, so if it’s not so great, my apologies.

I’m also posting photos of recent days in the lovely German winter, which are especially nice when the sun is shining. We drove by Berchtesgaden yesterday and the cross-country skiers were out in force, parking lots full of them as they headed out. I’m glad the area is getting good tourist business from other parts of Germany. This is a gorgeous place for cross-country skiing.

I don’t like to sit and do nothing when Heinz and I are just watching tv or talking, but I can’t really do the polymer clay stuff in my living room chair; I need to be at the table in the workroom. So when I AM sitting, I try to do some beading so that I’m getting something done. I’m posting one of my latest, but the photo’s not that good — I need a lightbox!! Heinz is going to build me one… soon, soon. But this necklace has some lovely mother-of-pearl leaves at the bottom whose colors just don’t show up well at all. Nor do the colors of the Swarovski crystals or other beads. Ah well.

Had a great talk with Dad and Shirley (bless Skype) today and learned something wonderful and new about Picasa: combining photos and making collages. Who knew? Well, they did and I didn’t, but now I do, so watch out. I’m gonna be a collaging fool.

Oh, I watched part of the video, and I’m not sure how much falling snow you’ll get to see, as I kept trying to move to areas where it was falling MORE. I should have just held the camera steady in one spot. It was COLD on the balcony, too.

More later.

View looking Northeast from the balcony: frosted trees and snowy slopes.

Balcony view again; I just can’t get enough of this. Sorry you didn’t see it when you were here, Carla!

My New Polymer Clay Links

If you are paying really close attention, you may have noticed that I’ve added a great number of new links under the Polymer Clay category. (If you HAVE been paying that much attention, get a life… heh.) These are links I recommend NOT just to fellow artists but to anyone who wants to get lost in a world of beautiful creations. The links that have names are ones that go to those artists’ web pages, face book pages or photostreams. Other links are to pages of organizations that also have many links to other creative pages that are great to peruse.  WARNING: you may find yourself inspired to take up an all-consuming hobby.

Recent Travels

So, I met my friends Carla and Judy in Venice, then Carla and I came back to Bischofswiesen, then Carla and Heinz and I went to Vienna and now we’re home again. Here are some of the things we saw (in the photos with this post.) The lovely lady with the “Braid hat” is Fiona, our guide in Venice who keeps more facts and interesting information in her head than I’ve ever had in mine in the first place. She’s absolutely wonderful and I’ll be adding a separate post about her so that anyone ever going to Venice can call her up and schedule their own tours.

 

 

Recent Travels

So, I met my friends Carla and Judy in Venice, then Carla and I came back to Bischofswiesen, then Carla and Heinz and I went to Vienna and now we’re home again. Here are some of the things we saw (in the photos with this post.) The lovely lady with the “Braid hat” is Fiona, our guide in Venice who keeps more facts and interesting information in her head than I’ve ever had in mine in the first place. She’s absolutely wonderful and I’ll be adding a separate post about her so that anyone ever going to Venice can call her up and schedule their own tours. (I messed up my posting so now it looks like this was posted on an earlier date than it was, but this is actually being posted on Jan. 9)

Is it just me?

or does anyone else feel that “Anna Karenina” was not correctly named?  I don’t feel she was the principal character. I think Levin was the principal character, as the book began and ended and had its principal growth with him. Granted, Anna was a central character that linked all the others, but she was not a character who had more than a two-dimensional life, in my opinion.

Well, anyway, I’m halfway through Grisham’s “The Confession” now, and feel that it also sensationalizes a bit, but novelists do this, and it’s still a good novel. But I wish it would stick a bit closer to reality law-wise. It’s hard to be a lawyer reading a “legal” novel. Nothing, of course, can beat Sheldon’s “Rage of Angels” for a truly horrible, awful, “legal” novel. Gawd I wanted to break something when a young attorney started proffering physical evidence during an opening statement… sure, that’s doable!

Anyway, again, it’s New Year’s Eve, the 20th I’ve enjoyed with my love, my Heinz, and it fills me with joy and gratitude.  I hope everyone I know will have years in their lives as wonderful as any of the twenty I’ve had with him, and I also wish them family, friends, children and grandchildren as creative and awe-inspiring as mine have been in this time. I have a lot to live up to, and look forward to doing it.

Happy 2013, y’all.

Post or Die

Oh yes, Mrs Brown likes to sleep on Daddy.

Sunrise this morning; reward for getting up early on Sunday

Watzmann

Watzmann a few days ago as we drove to Berchtesgaden

Moon from balcony (way down at bottom left, you see a lit window in the neighborhood)

Ow, I pinched myself. Cuz I’d sworn I would never go over a week without posting, but now I’ve gone and (not) done it.  All I have to point out right now, though, is that we’ve had some absolutely gorgeous days in the past week and I’ve had my hubby at home with a hurt shoulder, so less incentive than usual to sit at the computer. We ran over to IKEA in Salzburg, too, to buy some special bulbs for Heinz to make me a light box for photographing jewelry and clay items.

But aside from that, as I’m going to need a new camera before long and don’t have one of those super tablet devices like everyone else, and because the ABSOLUTELY most important thing to me in that regard is the camera over the tablet, I’m looking at this thing:  http://www.samsung.com/in/promotions/galaxycamera/

If anyone has one and has any thoughts on it, I’d love to hear them.