I've googled "silver+class+Colorado" and the results have been rather dismal. There is one guy who teaches in Ft. Collins, and I think his classes would be beneficial, but he hasn't returned my email, and it's been over a week. I have issues with people who can't reply to an email, particularly when they're trying to run a business or sign people up for classes. The other one that came up was some old guy teaching soldering with a torch from Ace Hardware. Not that cheap tools are a bad thing, mind you. But on his website, he sells "classes" in CD format. They're more than just CDs because you can contact him at any time with questions. Uh huh. But hey, at least he returns emails.
So this guy is going to be teaching in Estes Park this month. His only class in Colorado. $300 for 2 class days. Eh, that's not horrible, I guess, but by the time you figure lodging and meals, I'm looking at $600 for 2 days. Now that's kind of ridiculous I'm thinking. I decided to try William Holland instead. They offer silver classes, room, and board for $310 a week. For a full week of class! Can't beat that! I figure with the drive to Georgia, I'd still be looking at around $1000 for a full 2 weeks of class. That sounds much better in my book! I applied to William Holland yesterday.
They get back to me today, with, of course, the classes that I want are completely full. Wouldn't you know it? I either have to forgo William Holland and do the expensive class in Estes, or take the chance that I might still have some $$ left in late August and early September (when I was thinking I'd have to be taking an assignment...) and try William Holland then. Decisions, decisions...
In the meantime, I've been asked to donate a couple of pieces to a charity auction here in NE Colorado. It's to benefit "Freedom to Cowboy Up Therapeutic Riding Center which is opening this Saturday. It is run by a horse riding instructor and 2 Occupational Therapy Assistants, one of whom has been a paraplegic for 19 years. I figured it would be a good cause, and possibly good exposure. I've decided to do some pendants on horseshoe nails. I kind of thought that would be fitting for the cause. =) It just hit me when I was jabbering to Donna on fb about skeleton key beads and puntying them instead of using a special mandrel to hold them. It was almost like turrets, I was posting and then all of a sudden "HORSESHOE NAILS!" Gotta love that!
So, I'm off to my studio to play with the newly modified bellflower presses and horseshoe nails, and to think about how badly I want to take a silver class and where I see myself in the next couple of months. Those are the thoughts from my studio today...silversmithing and horseshoe nails.
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