Recently I was approached by Stephanie Thorn, an equestrian friend of our daughter Nevada and therefore also a horse girl. She had to say goodbye to her sweet beautiful horse "Esprit", a sad event. In order not to forget Esprit, she asked me to make a ring in which the name and hair were processed.
 
Studio "Nevada's Dream" has designed a narrow basic ring for this request. Handmade and -formed from fine silver. The hair is washed and braided, is visible in the band of the ring and is protected by UV-Resin. The name can be chosen in any desired font.
 
Take a look and admire the example. Stephanie is very happy with it. This keeps the memory of her horse alive.
 
I have experienced satisfaction working on this assignment. Dear Stephanie, thank you for your trust, I hope you can wear this keepsake ornament for a long time!

Again Shirley de Jong - Wouters asked the Japanese from England to the Netherlands, this is a shorter distance compared to Japan.
Shirley is our contact at Craftlines, the distributor for Art Clay Silver in the Benelux.
 
And we Metal Clay addicts do not want to miss anything and like to learn as many techniques as possible. This is why Margit, Edith and I have decided to also register for this. Joyce also comes both days, An and Annemarie can both participate in one of the days, the work calls. Last year Inge and I traveled from England directly to the next location, Hotel Marickenland in Mijdrecht.
This year Edith van Leeuwen offered us to stay at her home. This makes a huge difference in the costs and thus the invitation is accepted by both Margit and myself.
 
Leo, Edith's husband, picks us up from Schiphol. At home in Hillegom he turns out to have cooked a true feast for us ladies. Delicious turkey breast, sprouts with gorgonzola and baked potatoes. What a treat! A little after dinner and then to bed, tomorrow fresh start.
 
During the first masterclass we make a "Double Deck Pendant". With this technique 2 silver plates with an open-worked part are riveted to each other. On the inside of the bottom plate gold foil is applied and the 2 parts are kept at a distance by silver fantasy beads.
This pendant is thus realized through the application of multiple techniques.

Today the "Colorful Slide Ring" is on the program. This project consists of a base ring of silver, 2 rings of brass wire and 2 rings of silver clay between them, in which bezels are processed. The first 3 rings are all soldered and the entire design is soldered in and to each other again, allowing the 2 inner rings to move freely.
A job of goldsmithing in combination with silver clay. Something I clearly have less mastered and what makes me decide to make it a Colorful Sliced Ring 😉. All parts are now attached to each other, turning? . . . Not!
​And yet I am very happy with it! 
 
It is over, we quit and go home. Margit and I are picked up by Michael, at least we think. He appears to leave too late, ends up in traffic jams and takes a wrong turn. All in all not that bad, you might think. Well if you set off with an empty mobile and a deceased tomtom. He has no idea where he is at any time and arrives at the hotel with a delay of more than 1.5 hours. Fortunately for him, Renske also waited with us for his arrival.
She always takes it for him. Where I get angry, she knows how to explain his performance.
Not only a dear friend of mine, but also for Michael and our kids.
 
Arrived in Harderwijk, Margit gets into her car and drives the last part to Dieverbrug alone.
​Finally back home, unpack and reminisce on a full week Metal Clay.
 
Again I need to say: Feel Blessed & more than Happy!

Jihoe, I managed to get a ticket, this year I also can participate in the YCMI event. This time I share a room with Margit Borst - Topper of Zilver en Zo from Dieverbrug.
We also fly together and have chosen the same flight times as last year. Edith van Leeuwen of “ArtiChic” from Hillegom also scored an event and flight ticket, all at the same time. 

Thursday, March 15 Margit comes early to Harderwijk. Michael is so kind to drive us to Schiphol. Once at the airport Edith joins and we start our Metal Clay Event. These days An Meel, Annemarie Klappe and Joyce van Roosmalen are also present again. This trio will travel the journey by car. An likes to drive and does not turn her hand around for such distances.
 
It'll be fun again, and yet I miss Renske Dussel, Shirley de Jong and Inge Verbruggen. I'd like to have them there. On the other hand, in Wareham I meet Reineke Muller. She comes from Moscow. Reineke has already visited my studio twice for a workshop and I am delighted that she is now also coming to England.
 
The flight is smooth, and familiar with the route, we take the train to Wareham from Southampton Airport. From the train station a taxi and so we arrive with an hour time difference around 11.00 in the Springfield Country Club Hotel.

Our rooms are ready. That's nice! Better organized than than last year, although the joint lunch was also very nice. We install our suitcases and immediately notice that Margit and I have been given a decent room. Not too far from the bar, always good 😉. Now we plan the afternoon a little different than last year and we decide first to swim in the indoor pool. I had this plan last year and yet it did not work out. We did not see the Spa that weekend. Yes in a glass perhaps, but nothing more.
 
This first day we sit down after dinner in the bar for coffee and a drink. Then in time to bed, we have busy days ahead.
 
And so again 3 intensive, pleasant days filled with masterclasses, hands-on sessions, demos and talks. I have treated myself to a reservation for the following classes:
 
-          Friday all day                  : Masterclass Hinged Earrings by Lis-el Crowley
-          Saturday morning        : On the road with An and Annemarie, exploring the neighborhood         
                                                              and having coffee with a friend of An. Followed by the demo/talk Threaded                                                                              Closures by Julia Rai
-          Saturday afternoon     : Hands-on session Spread Your Wings by Carol Douglas
-          Sunday morning             : Hands-on session Art Resin by Jin Matsushita
-          Sunday afternoon         : Connected to the Hands-on session Make Your Own Stamps from Grainne                                                                               Reynolds. Not to participate, but to listen and in the meantime refine my Wing                                                                       from the Saturday morning class.

And in the "free" hours we visit the Make It Market. I must confess that I was able to restrain me well again this year, by only buying the bare essentials.
 
Of course there was also a Charm Swap this year. For this I have made small silver bows. Symbol for a ribbon for friendship with many like-minded Metal Clay friends. I have been able to exchange my bows for 35 different beautiful, self-designed charms from fellow instructors and metal clay colleagues. Striking is the same number. . . I myself have made 45 of them, I also all handed them out and received only 35 back. Hmmm, I'm not doing something right, I think?
 
Furthermore, the Raffles and the Meet The Makers Round Table Sessions. Busy full days and everything is top organized. Even the promised snow has fallen, at least 10 cm.! 

Sunday at the end of the day we say goodbye, quite a few participants go home already. Some have already left just after lunch, because of the snowfall and the associated traffic situations. We, read Edith, Margit, Reineke and I stay an extra night and fly back to the Netherlands on Monday. Joyce, An, Annemarie, Margit, Edith and I will follow 2 masterclasses in Mijdrecht. An and Annemarie can not both days, the work obligation unfortunately calls. Luckily they can participate in one masterclass.

I look back on a fantastic conference, it was great! Dear all, thanks for the organization, the sharing of knowledge, the fun, the delicious food, in short everything! Margit, thank you for sharing the room and the pleasant conversations.
 
I think back to these days with a warm feeling. Next year I hope to be back with you. The list is shorter than last year, the lack of the huge laughter from last year to this debit, so YCMI 2018 belongs to me at:
 
 Friendship
Sociability
Good food and drinks
 Metal Clay
Charm Swap
YCMI 2019!