The Keys 4 Art - Day 3, Part 2, and Day 4 and.....goodbye!

To be honest,  I'm a little fuzzy on the time line here.  Not sure what we did when, or even if some of what I think happened on the afternoon of day 3 actually happened on day 4, and vice versa.  Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with......

Whatcha think?

Anyway, at some point, Val taught us how to make those little wire nests with pearl eggs that everyone loves.  I'd made a few before, but mine were just the result of looking at one online and trying my best to duplicate it. Val had very good and clear step by step instructions, and I know my future nests will be that much better.  Working on the nests:

 And my little nest....the photo is fuzzy, the nest isn't!

We didn't even go out Friday night, just kept eating the delicious leftovers of all the wonderful food that had been brought in.....not to mention Nicole's fantastic baked ziti.

Val also showed us how to make tiles and embellishments from polymer clay.  We softened the clay and rolled it through a pasta machine, then either stamped images into it, or pushed it into molds.  I mostly made tiles, but did do that bird that is on the cover of my journal.  That was from a mold.  We brushed some mica powders on the pieces and then baked them in a low oven.  I think they are just beautiful:

I think I'm up to Day 4 now....a day of art and food and drink and a Key Largo sunset (sort of).

Elena has traveled all the way to Oregon to take a class with Teesha Moore, and she has also taken many online journal classes.  We all wanted to know how to make a hand bound book, and she assured us it was easy.  She taught us one way, and it wasn't difficult at all.  Since Elena had bought 4 rolls of the red rosin paper for my project, we decided to use that for our book.  I'll gesso them and fill them with something.  But not today, LOL.  Here is my hand sewn book (the beautiful cover paper is called Masa and I'll be getting some of that, for sure:

 At some point (today? yesterday?) Val showed us an embossing technique she calls inlaid embossing.  Very cool!  A chipboard shape is covered completely with embossing powder.  Once melted and cooled, an image is stamped over top, using clear ink, and then it is embossed with a very contrasting color of embossing powder.  I used this technique on the chipboard bird that is now in my journal:

It does very much have the look in inlaid enamel, and I love it!

Every Saturday, Bernie, Elena's husband, goes to Marlin (remember Marlin, home of the never ending stream of Cuban food and delicious Margaritas?) and does barbecued ribs for Manny, the owner.  We hopped on over there late in the afternoon to sample some.

Bernie's special sauce in the middle.....OMG!

That's me, Nicole and Marita showing we approve.

Now, mind you, Sue is about 90% vegetarian, and even she had a rib!

Notice, we're all in our Keys 4 Art t-shirts.  Colorful group, huh?

Bernie, Elena, and Manny.  Thanks for the great food all week!  And Bernie, your ribs rock!

We next drove to Marley's a waterfront restaurant/bar with live music and a fun atmosphere.  I think the pictures speak for themselves:

That's me, Jen, Val, Juliet, Marita and Sue enjoying this view:

We spent a nice hour or so there, where a new friend was made:

And everyone had a very nice, relaxing time.

We decided that nice as the view was, the mangroves would block the sunset, so we moved on to another, much more upscale place, The Big Chill, which was very crowded.  But, we managed to snag some great outdoor seating.

Way too many clouds for a proper sunset, and we did have a brief shower, but it was still beautiful.

We also enjoyed some conch fritters, nachos and dip, fried calamari, and wonder of wonders....Mango Mojitos!   We were joined there by Bernie, and Elena's cousin and aunt, both newly arrived from Cuba.  Bernie surprised the aunt with a very special gift......toilet paper imprinted with Fidel's picture.  Check out her reaction:

And not to be outdone by Gina and Jen at Marley's, Val met a pirate of her own:

Then.....sadly, home to pack.  Val and Juliet would be leaving first, then Gina, Marita, Sue and Jen would be taken to the airport in the late morning.  Lillian is staying on until Wednesday, and my flight is in the evening, so after the airport run, Lil and I went to lunch with Elena, then a brief visit with her daughter in Miami.  Stopped at a Michael's, then back to the airport, where I was really unhappy saying goodbye after such a wonderful 5 days.

How about a Keys 4 Art 2011??????