Bead Girl - Art in the Library

Riley's bracelet and rings that she made

    Recently our library received a grant that would allow local seniors to teach local children art at our library at no cost to the children.  The art classes are very different ranging from jewelry making, to photography, oil painting, sketching, right down to rag quilt making and quite a few others.  What an amazing opportunity for our children, and most especially for the price... free.

    I painstakingly poured over the sign-up lists as soon as they made their appearance at the library.  My Riley is talented little artist for her age.  She also really loves art.  She has so much natural talent, just imagine what she could do with some help.  I signed her up for jewelry making, oil painting, mosaics and sketching.  She was delighted.  I signed Rowan up for oil painting, sketching, and mosaics.  Grace was limited because she is rehearsing for a big play, so we could only sign her up for the mosaics and sketching.

    Riley took her first jewelry making class last Wednesday.  I expected her to make macaroni necklaces or some little kid lame craft.  I settled her into her class and then had to run to pick up Grace in Stirling.  The woman teaching the class was lovely, and she assured me that if Riley needed any help, she would help her.  I felt really guilty leaving Riley, but the alternative was to pull her out of the class, and that seemed unfair also.  So off I raced to get Grace, leaving Riley to her macaroni necklace... or so I thought.

Riley and Cindy Crowson

    When I returned to the library, Riley was sporting beautiful rings.  These rings were as beautiful as anything that you might buy at a high end shop.  Her little face was beaming, as well it should have been.  She was so excited about her class.  "Mom, my teacher is sooooooooo nice.  Aren't my rings beautiful?"  Every finger was adorned with a ring, shades of Liberace.  She was so excited to show them to everyone.  Grace tried to beg one off of her, "Sorry Grace," she said with a self important half smile "I would, but I fitted them to my own fingers."  She then set about explaining how she had done that.

The rings that Riley made by herself.

    This week Riley made a safety pin bracelet.  Once again it rivals something that you could buy in a store.  She is so loving this class.  This afternoon she came bouncing out of the car "Mommy she has half day workshops, could I go, could I go?"  The selfish me thought, "but I want to make pretty things!!! (put in a foot stamp here)".  I then had an amazing idea, what if near the end of the summer she invited some of her friends, and Grace invited some friends, and their moms, and we had a mother / daughter jewelry making party?  I have to give myself a little pat on the back for that one.  It seems like a great bonding activity and a perfect way to send off the summer, now I just have to see if I can arrange it.

    The lovely lady who is teaching the class is Cindy Crowson.  She owns "Bead Girl" and is situated in Deseronto, Ontario.  She also sells her beads and accessories online at beadgirlonline.com
It may have been a bad thing that I visited her website, because now I would like to buy pretty much everything that she has for sale.  The other problem is Cindy's, philosophy, she tries to price her classes so that they are fun, but not expensive.  My big issue with this, is that I have an addictive personality, and know that once I try jewelry making I will become hooked, and if the prices are reasonable (and they really are) , then I will spend more time with Cindy than I will my husband.  I guess that's a chance I am willing to take.