From Helen of the Mid-Mitten Crafters…

Join Instructor Lynn Hershberger for a 3 hour session on creating designer buttons and beads from polymer clay. You will be taught the basic techniques of preparing, forming and baking the clay to construct buttons and beads.

Class will be held from 9am-noon on Saturday, May 19th at the Bath Community Center at 5959 Park Lake Rd, Bath. The class registration fee is $15.00 plus the cost of materials. The cost of materials begins at $5.00 and will be paid to the instructor at class.

The class size is limited so pre-registration is encouraged. The registration form is available at the Bath Twp. Offices or at bathtownship.us (Departments – Parks & Recreation – Recreational Programs – Current Programs) – Polymer Clay Buttons & Beads.

or Call:

Becky Goodwin, Director
Bath Twp. Parks & Recreation
517.641.6728 x131

This is a great opportunity to learn how to make custom designed buttons and beads for your fiber projects at a very reduced rate as the class is being sponsored by Mid-Mitten Crafters and Bath Twp. Parks and Recreation.

I often offer this class for 4 hours at $40-45 per class, plus materials. Because of this sponsorship, you can get a great deal and a fun Saturday experience.

Would you like to join us?

You could not ask for better company. He’s comfortable to be with, someone to talk with for hours. We also eat very similarly and enjoy cooking for each other when the time is available.

On top of that, Rev is a fine performer. He’s an award-winning instrumentalist (harmonica), Folksinger of the year 2004 in Wisconsin, plays many instruments extremely well, is interested in musical and cultural history and is a fabulous storyteller.

Rev’s Blog

Rev writes a blog called Fountain of Uke. Very recently he wrote a post about my Brian; in particular, his interest in ragtime music. Last year, Rev interviewed Brian on video regarding ragtime music and how he approaches the arranging and playing of the songs he chooses.

Up Close and Personal: Interview

After that wonderful Mighty Uke Day this past Saturday, I think it’s a good time to point to that article and video. You can find them here:

Fountain of Uke: In Search of a Ragtime Uker (Brian Hefferan)

If you are interested in ragtime or ukulele music and haven’t heard this side of Brian’s musical personality, Visit the Heftone YouTube Channel. Have a listen… or a dozen.

Brian’s Music Box Rag CD

A few years back, Brian put out a CD of himself playing rags and marches on many types of banjo, from the tiny banjo ukulele to my Heftone bass “banjo.” He calls this project the “Heftone Banjo Orchestra.”

The CD cover for the project can be seen at right. He had me take photos of him in his tux holding different instruments, before and after a haircut, with and without glasses. He then used photo imaging software to make it look like an ensemble. (We get requests for this Orchestra to play at events from time to time.)

You can click the CD cover image to see the photo a bit more closely. If you would like to listen to the recordings, read the liner notes or download the tunes for yourself, Click Here for the Music Box Rag CD information page.

Aside to Knitters: Can you see that the middle person (Tonya) is carrying her ukulele in a purple felted uke case? It was made from the ukulele case pattern on Knitty.com. She received it as a gift.

You also can’t see her rainbow socks and rainbow shoes. We had a nice time chatting about the many joys of color. (Even her ukulele is purple with sparkly glitter on it. Really. I made a friend.)

Many Ukulele Joys

There were a few open mic events, some afternoon featured performers, several workshops, two showings of the movie “The Mighty Uke,” a collectible ukulele exhibit, an art gallery with a ukulele builder “in residence” and an evening concert.

I took maybe a few hundred photos. In the end, I don’t have time to edit and upload many.

A Photo Tour of the Evening Concert

I love backstage photos. Here are Brian Hefferan, Lil’ Rev and Steve Szilagyi rehearsing before the audience came in.

The audience spilled over into areas not expected to need seats. We ran out of chairs. People sat on benches and tall stools and at least 2 sat on the floor (in front of the first row, so they were good viewing seats anyway). Check out this crowd! This is the back of the room:

The front of the seating area (Ben Hassenger, the mastermind/ organizer/ promoter of the event, is on stage):

Lil’ Rev, our friend and master performer from Wisconsin, was the headliner of the evening concert. Here he is holding the audience in the palm of his hand:

He’s riveting. Not just an award-winning musician, but a powerful entertainer. It was a very fine show he put on.

Our friend Gerald Ross plays ukulele and also lap steel guitar. (He just released a new CD, Swing Ukulele.) Gerald played before Rev went on. Here he is:

We (The Fabulous Heftones, Brian and I) played before Gerald. Here we are:

Brian’s brother Mike took dozens of photos of us, for which we are grateful. Musicians move so much, and there is so much equipment on stage, that getting a non-blurry/ unobstructed photo is nearly impossible. You can tell what we look like here.

A Video of Our First Song

Ben Hassenger, the maestro of the event, took a video of us singing our first song, “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby!” It’s on YouTube. I’m linking the photo below. Click on that image. or the previous text link, to go to the YouTube page for it.

(NOTE: If you find it stops and starts as you try to listen, just let it finish in hiccups and then hit play again. It’s likely to play smoothly the second time, as long as you don’t leave that web page in between the plays.)

Come Hear Us Next Saturday?

Picture yourself at one of our shows? Are you near Lansing, Michigan? We’re playing at Altu’s in East Lansing this Saturday. The show starts at 6:30 and ends around 8:20 or so. It’s our home venue, we are looking forward to it. (Disclaimer: Altu, the owner, is my dearest friend… but we met at the restaurant. I kept going there because the food was so good.)

The food is magnificent… no junk. It’s all made by hand, nothing comes from a big foodservice gallon can at this restaurant. For example, each onion is  cut one by one, inspected before use (no pre-chopped food in plastic bags). They peel fresh garlic… no canned or powdered garlic here.

If you don’t want a full meal, they also have all-fruit (plus honey) smoothies. Frozen berries, banana, mango… no fillers, no corn syrup or ice.

Want dessert? Their ice cream comes from the highly-regarded MSU Dairy store. Even their iced tea is spiced in house, a real treat. Whether you like meat or veggie meals, mild or spicy, there is something for everyone here. Read about Ethiopian food here, if you are curious.

We’d be delighted to see you this weekend if you feel like a little night out on the town. If you like autographed CDs, we will bring some with us. However, there is no cover charge, and no expectation other than hopefully a smile on your face!

Thanks to Regina Fry for taking this final photo, at Altu’s, during a previous performance there. Love you, Regina!

Dance is not just the movement. It involves music, presentation, costuming, performance, interaction with the audience and more.

Dancing on a stage is very different from dancing next to diners at tables. I love the proximity to my audience which happens in the restaurant. I love the ability to interact with diners. I love the community environment.

…and I love how family friendly it is. Here Maryam dances with a young relative.

The little one was charming. At one point she twirled so hard that she fell. She didn’t mind at all.

The food was a work of art, too. What a glorious way to celebrate many artforms at once. What a good way to celebrate my city Lansing, and our community!

Here is my post from last year’s Mighty Uke Day Events.

This year has even more going on. There are events all over Old Town Lansing. There is a ukulele exhibit at Elderly Instruments, an art gallery show, an open mic at Sir Pizza, two showings of the movie, and an evening concert. There will also be some ukulele workshops. It’s a very full day. Click below to check out the

Mighty Uke Day Web Page

Many of the events are free of charge.
Workshops, movie and evening concert have admission fees.

To read an article about the day, from the Lansing City Pulse, Click Here.

There are five acts in the evening concert, including us.

The Headline Act is none other than Lil’Rev from Wisconsin!

Rev is an award-winning musician. He was Folksinger of the Year in Wisconsin, and won some Hohner Harmonica honors.

The first time I saw Rev perform, he was alone in the middle of a full-size stage, sitting in a chair stage center, surrounded by different instruments. He’s such a fine storyteller, music historian, multi-instrumentalist, and overall performer, that he held several hundred people in the palm of his hand. He’s a treasure.

It’s always a delight to see him in a smaller venue, where he tends to interact with the audience during the show. I highly recommend an evening with this fine artist.

Opening concert acts include:

The Fab­u­lous Heftones (Me and Brian) – Early 1900s Retro Love Songs and Fingerpicked Ukulele
Mag­dalen Fos­sum - A Gifted, Youthful Entertainer
Ger­ald Ross - Jazzy Instrumentals
The Ukulele Kings - Fun the Ukulele Way

Please consider joining the festivities. It is going to be a wonderful time!

Dancing at Wanderer’s Teahouse

If you are new to my blog, I am immersed in many artforms. Last Saturday I accompanied two dancers from the Habibi Dancers troupe (I’m a member) at the Wanderers Teahouse in East Lansing.

We are a nonprofit organization, and part of our purpose is education. Wanderers asked us to come out and do a lecture/ demonstration. I spoke a bit of the history of the dance, and also took my camera. Zurha and Najida performed. Here they are mid-dance.

My Performance this Coming Friday

This Friday (May 4) I’ll be dancing  as Eudora, with dancer Maryam. Maryam is a classically-trained dancer, just beautiful from the tips of her fingers.

The location will be New Aladdin’s Restaurant in Lansing’s Frandor shopping center. (It’s between Sparty’s and Apple Jade, not far from the video store.) This is a locally-owned restaurant, full of good people and good food. They offer many Lebanese/ Mideastern dishes as well as adventurous smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices.

Show Times/ Details

There will be shows starting at 6:30 and 7:30pm, lasting about a half an hour each. There is no cover, but tips are most welcome.

It’s a family-friendly spot, where children often get up and dance with us. A great night out.

Here I am dancing there on a previous Friday. The child was fascinated by my shiny costume. She was so much fun to dance for!

Oh, Yes! The Costumes!

For those interested in costuming as an artform, this costume is completely handmade. The troupe to which I belong, Habibi Dancers of Lansing, made it as a group project for my Christmas present this past December.

It was totally a surprise to me. That skirt is a full circle of flowy fabric, and the bra and belt were cust0m-made by troupe members to fit me exactly. The necklace and earrings were also part of the gift, as were many other pieces I did not wear that night. It was INCREDIBLE, and an out-of-the blue surprise.

Late next week I’ll be dancing at a school cultural-awareness event with the troupe. On that day, we will be wearing more “folkloric” clothing (rather than what we call “cabaret” which you see above).

I’ll have one of the other dancers take a few photos of that costume and show it to you. More incredibleness, I assure you. Also made by hand, for me, as a gift from other dancers. I’m humbled.

Lansing folks, I’d love to see you come out to the show. Join me?

Despite the impossibility of that statement being true for a knitter, I think she felt that color combining was something born inside us or not. She presented the subject as innate, not learnable.

She was interested in my Crystal Sock from Knitty.com. She joined in a conversation with others who are doing a knitalong with this design. I encouraged her with a shorter version of this post, and it helped her. Maybe it could help you, as well.

It’s Never too Late to Learn

Luckily for us, color combining is something that can indeed be learned. I’ve been practicing it since I was a child… this was my focus from a very early age. However, you can join me in the fun! Start easy and work outward.

Three Parts to Any Color

Colors have three different attributes. We learn two of them as we grow up (light green/ dark blue), but the third is not discussed much. That one often is the problem when something seems not quite right with a grouping of colors/yarns.

1. Hue: blue, green, orange…
2. Value: dark, medium, light
3. Saturation (also called intensity or chroma): hot, intense, soft, dusky
   (essentially, does it have any gray/black added or is it pure)

Debbie Bliss and Martha Stewart favor colors with a little softness… with gray in them, in medium to light values. Kaffe Fassett seems to use  warmer tones, rich and often toned down a bit. Lucy Neatby? Kristin Nicholas? Intense color, and lots of it. We seem to be color sisters. (Note that what we wear is not always what we design.)

My Personal Biases… with Reasons Behind Them

Me? Saturated most of the time, the brighter the better. My purples may go dark… yellow-green or silver may be light, but usually I stay to medium values. Turquoise? I love it from warm/light aqua to dark teal. Gray or no gray, dark or light… this color seems to make me look good no matter what “flavor” it is.

My personal preference is for cool colors that are totally intense, no gray or brown added… mediums, not too dark or light. That’s MY thing. I look best in this sort of color. If you look best in soft color or warm tones, you’ll have a different take.

Since nearly everything in my closet is magenta/hot pink, purple, turquoise, hot yellow-green… all my colors look great together though I never buy “outfits.” I’ve got intense blue-toned colors and they all work.

Scheme 1: Monochromatic Combinations
- Variations on One Color

I have so much of turquoise/blue-green in my closet and jewelry box that sometimes I end up wearing many versions of it all at once. I’ve found that once you get to the 3rd version of a color all together, they no longer look like they “don’t match.” They then morph into what artists call a “monochromatic” (one color) color scheme. At left, you see me in one version of turquoise monochrome.

We all know someone who wears all beige (a warm neutral, as opposed to gray which is a cool neutral). Top to toe, neutral. They look pulled together, right?

Think of it, though. Those beige sweaters are not the same color as the beige purse, beige belt, jacket, shoes. Often they are in the ballpark but not “matching.” (Don’t let me go on the “matching clothing is a marketing tool” road right now… I’m talking practical color combining today.)

This simple method of combining “colors” is a monochromatic color scheme. It’s simple, and effective.

You can do this with your own best color. Look great in loden green? Indigo blue? Charcoal? Red? Purple? Go for it.

Likely your most-chosen color makes you look and feel great. If you can free yourself from worrying about “matching” exactly, you can combine 3 or more versions of that color on the same day (and look Marvelous, Darling).

If you are doing knitting colorwork, however… be cautious. You will want to go dark/ medium/ light versions of the same color to pull off enough contrast.

The above neckwarmer shows a light icy robin’s-egg blue with a darkish teal. Both colors are in my favorite blue-green range but with enough value contrast to really show off the stripes. These colors would work for finer patterning in stranded (“fairisle”) colorwork as well.

Scheme 2: Analogous Colors
-Color Neighbors

An easy way to start combining colors if you’re new to the idea, is to group colors touching one another on the color wheel. Try a Sedona desert look with red/orange/salmon, or spring pond with purple/blue/turquoise/green (as seen on right).

Grouping things like this is called “analogous” color. Humans tend to like this sort of assortment (think batiks in indigo plus purple and green).

Here’s a lap blanket knit by my Sis-in-Love Diana (as a gift for me) from my Kristi Comfort Shawl /lap blanket pattern. The colors are analogous pink/purple/blue (what we call pink is a light purple-red/magenta on the color wheel)… all saturated, light to dark and all in between:

Next is an analogous combination of periwinkle (medium-light, muted blue-purple) and a lighter, also-muted blue-green. In this case, the contrast worked for stripes but might not work for more subtle colorwork.

Scheme 3: Contrast

I learned contrast first using polymer clay. The details in some clay work are so tiny, that colors near one another in the wheel (or sometimes in value) can blend together. This lack of contrast makes a failed project, and you can’t unravel a mistake in polymer clay. (Photo below, Polymer Gifts class projects by Brenda, Lori, Gwen and me.)

I took a few classes from Nanette Roche, author of The New Clay. This was the first book available on Polymer clay, and it still stands tall as an overall reference rather than a how-to-make-a-project book.

Nanette talked a lot about contrast in class. She was the first person I knew who talked about warm/cool as a type of contrast. Before her, I thought of it only as dark/light.

Since then, I’ve found that I can play with colors which are closer together in value (both medium) if one is warm and one is cool. For example, medium blue contrasts very well with medium red. This gave me a lot more flexibility, many more options. I continue to be grateful for this lesson.

Here are two examples of warm/cool contrast in knitting colorwork. Note that on the right hat, the “warm” is actually a yellow-green which might look cool next to a different set of colors. That hat benefits from value difference (a light versus a medium-to-dark multicolored yarn).

Below is a muted dark blue-green with a saturated light yellow-green (analogous colors with value and saturation contrast):

Here I show a Dark and Medium-light muted greenish-blue and a light cool neutral (silver-gray). Also I show a dark purple (barely muted and looking cool next to the other colors), with Medium bright saturated red, and light saturated warm yellow:

What if it Looks Wrong?

Of course, theory won’t do it all for you. I tend to go to the yarn shop or into my stash, grab a bunch of yarns I think might work together, and plunk them all down on a table. Then I add and remove yarns from the pile until I get what I think will work. See?

These are all a little grayed, and I used them all blended in the one project shown below. I feel it worked well.

Usually if I have a grouping of yarns and one looks way off, it’s an intensity/saturation problem. All saturated except for one soft/muted color? The muted one will look dirty or gray.  All subtle and muted except for one crayon-like color? Even if they are all the same value, the non-muted color will feel wrong and possibly garish.

I also look to see if my colors are warm versus cool. If I’m choosing six colors and one of them is warm but the rest are not (or vice-versa), that one may look wrong.

Generally, it’s a saturation issue about 90% of the time when something goes wrong. We tend to think blue goes with blue or pink goes with pink, but not always!

I taught this lesson in person a few years back at a library branch. One knitter who attended also is a quilter. She recently thanked me, and said she’s not having problems choosing fabrics as she did before my class. I’m thrilled.

In Summary (?)

Remember, colors look different depending on which other colors they are near. It really requires a look, not just a theory, to find what works well.

Did this information help you? I sure hope so.

I’d love a conversation about this. If you have any questions, input, further ponderings… I’d love to hear from you in the comments. You can post as a guest if you don’t want to sign up for a Disqus username/password.

I appreciate you deeply. May this information benefit you in some way. Hugs for now…

“A lot of creativity has to do with energy, confidence and focus. These are the elements for making creative things. It’s probably the same thing whether you’re making a movie, whether you’re an entrepreneur doing business, whether you’re an artist, or whether you’re a gardener or a cook. These are all the same qualities that it takes.”
– Dale Chihuly

I’m not so sure how much confidence is required. It seems some creativity requires action (sometimes with shaky hands or a nervous gut) more than absolute confidence. However, I do agree that artfulness/ creativity is inside many realms, not just “the arts.”
In which area(s) are you being creative/ artful these days? I’m costuming, knitting, and strengthening bonds with loved ones. How about you?

Easter Sunday, ripe green view of Lansing from my window:

Easter lunch (note hard-boiled egg on its prime day of the year):

Easter poem (well, a heartfelt poem about new beginnings and spring):

from the “book” of common prayer
wash my heart & call me clean
a hard time is over

yesterday I listened to the grass grow wild
green under the snow

& now I see the water fall
from your eyes

let it rain
let it rain down on me

forgiveness is mine/listen to your lover

the trees will buy new dresses
the birds will flower

I called it a hard time, lord
but it’s over

tea is on the table, honey in the pot
bread and butter
even the radio wants
to be my friend

that hard time, lord
it’s over

The poem is on page 75 of a wonderful, fabulous, incredible gem of a book. (Included here with permission.) Written by none other than my friend Lynne Ruelaine Stokes… poet, photographer, artist.

If you are content with what you have, you are wealthy.
Unknown

The violets are even more amazing after a week of summer-like weather. Actually today it rained but this I took the day before. Wowie.

Brian took a long bicycle ride one day this week. He said that although the back roads in the country were beautiful, it was pretty hard to beat what we have right here.

Yes, we are rich.