i saw red

I loved the food in Santa Fe. And the peppers were the reason. We both laughed at what seemed to be included inside most of the menus:

Not responsible for peppers being too hot!

The peppers in New Mexico are legendary, and are not to be taken lightly. Where else but New Mexico can you find a Chile Pepper Institute?

There are lots of shops in and around the famous market square.

We purposely arrived a couple of days early to take in all the flavors of Santa Fe before Bead Fest began. One of the most beautiful points of interest was the Loretto Chapel. It was there we saw the miraculous staircase. Legend says it was constructed or inspired by St. Joseph the Carpenter, and was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. It took at least six months to build, and has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support. Because of seating problems, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the beautiful circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.

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Day One

Miracle Metal PMC:Beads

Susan Lewis

Susan is a great teacher, and we received a package full of supplies. She shared alot of great tips on working with PMC. I also took a class, Image Transfers and Color on Metal Clay with Sherri Haab, on Saturday. I didn't take any pictures in that class, but the beads I made in Susan's class, and the pendant from Sherri's class are below.The beads are hollow. I loved learning this technique. Susan has years of knowledge to share.

The pendant was fun to make, but my transfer technique has yet to be refined.

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Day Two

Rings Relics and Riveting

Susan Lenart Kazmer

This is the second class I have taken from Susan (I took one in Hampton last year), and I must say she is the most giving and talented jewelry artist. There is no doubt as to why she has such a huge following, as her instructions are easy to understand, and her talents are endless. She takes time to help everyone individually, and shares her wealth of knowledge without hesitation. I actually finished these rings in class, but took home so much more than that.

Then, I had an evening class with Liz Jones. The class was Basic Fine Silver Fusing. I really like torch work, and want to do so much more with fine silver. Like Liz said, it is addicting. Her book, Silver Wire Fusing, is a great instruction book to get started.Oh my, Bead Fest Santa Fe was the best!