Technique Card Class

Hi Crafters

Finally the technique class you all have been waiting for. Saturday the 11th you will be learning 5 different techniques and making 7 cards. There is still room in this class let me know if you would like to join in on the fun.

Below are photos of the techniques you will be learning and some of the cards you will be making.

Faux Leather

This is a really cool technique and easy. It is done with masking tape, ink and clear embossing powder. Very simple and the photo doesn't do it justice.

Baby wipe

Another simple technique using a wipe, re-inkers and a silloutte stamp. Very messy and easy :0)

Wrinkle free distress

I made four tags from the ink I placed on the wax paper. It's amazing how the tags turned out so differently using the same 3 colors of ink. This is a really messy technique and very fun.

We will be making two tags and cards in class.

Burned Batik

Very cool technique that took some time to achieve. I did two different sheets of paper and the pairs turned out so different. In the above photo the top two I used a thinner stamp and only two colors of re-inkers and the bottom two I used a thicker stamp with three colors of re-inkers. We will be making two cards from one sheet of paper.

3 colors, wide stamps

2 colors, thin stamp

Spotlight

I really like this simple technique that spotlights an area on the card. Very simple to do yet it gives a really cool effect.

Great news I will be teaching card/craft classes starting in September at the Mesa Art Center. One workshop a month on different topics on a Saturday from 9 until noon and one class on a Thursday night. The brochure with all the workshops will be out in August.

I've had so many request for the CD album and paper bags class I will be teaching these classes along with a box workshop, technique class and holiday cards.

Have a fun and safe holiday...

Fusion Day What a Blast!!!

I survived Fusion Day!!!! :0)

Thanks to all who attended yesterday’s event. What an awesome day I had a blast. I enjoyed meeting everyone and seeing old & new friends I haven't seen in awhile. You all made this event very special and fun.

Huge thanks to Melissa for manning the booth while I taught my fusion skirt workshop; girl You Rock!!!

Elizabeth sorry for putting you on the spot to partner with me; you did a terrific job helping me demo in class; thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Sabrina what gorgeous henna you created; your artwork is fabulous. Thanks so much for coming and sharing your art.

Cari and Carrie thanks so much for sharing your talents everyone enjoyed your workshops!!!

Thanks to Paula and Dawn for helping me pack up everything when it was all over with!

To my hubby whom I can not thank enough, you rock my world I'm so lucky to have you in my life! You were terrific yesterday helping out!

Below are some photos from Fusion Day.

Sabrina hard at work

Fusion skirt class

More skirts flying

Cari from Anaya Tribal starting her class

Carrie Konyha teaching her 9/8 workshop

Some goodies from Shimmy Bliss

Thank you all again for traveling from all over the State to join in on the fun!

Next event is my fall swap meet on October 10th. I will have info on this event on my website next month. Hope to see everyone there...

Fusion Day it's Almost Here!!!!

I'm so excited Fusion Day is happening this Saturday, June 27th!!!

I'm working on getting everything ready for the event.

If you have registered for the workshops remember to bring the fullest skirt you have for my fusion skirt workshop and zills for Carrie Konyha's Tribal 9/8 technique workshop.

Bring lots of cash for all the shopping and to get a henna tattoo by Sabrina.

It's going to be a fun day and you still can join in on the fun. There is still some room left in all the workshops and you can reserve your spot by contacting me, yasmina@joyofbellydancing.com or registering on my website via PayPal. You can register at the door if there is room.

Hope to see you on Saturday doors open at 8 a.m.

Projects for Card/craft Class This Saturday

Hello fellow crafters are you ready for Saturday's workshop???

This month's topic is "mini". We will be making small cards, puff box, mini album and a small purse along with the request from last month the flower pot card.

Below are photos of this Saturday's projects.

Here are all the projects for Saturday

The mini album contains 6 small tag holders that you can decorate in any style or theme you like.

The mini purse holds a surprise a piece of candy! It is difficult to see the faux alligator affect from the photos. It's a messy technique but it has cool results.

We will be using a CD to create this cute little box that will hold any small gift.

These are mini tags great for gift bags or presents.

You asked for it and here it is the flower pot card!

See you all on Saturday...

Thank you Flagstaff!!!!!!!

On Sunday June 7th my husband, dog Rasto and I headed up to Flagstaff. It was a great trip up and back with no problems along the way; yeah!

We arrived in Flagstaff around 11:30 and found the dance studio I was going to be teaching a fan veil workshop at 1:00 that afternoon. We headed off to find some food and located a little restaurant up the road a bit.

After lunch we headed back to the dance studio where I met Pamela and unloaded the car to get ready for the workshop.

The ladies started to arrive that were taking the workshop and I enjoyed meeting all the new dancers and it was wonderful to see old friends that I haven't seen in years!

Every one picked out their fan veils and I started the workshop. Fan veils are a beautiful prop to dance with and can really add to ones dance with all the flowing silk. The hardest part about dancing with them is opening them and keeping them open! Once you master that it's smooth sailing :0)

The students did awesome! I put a lot in this hour and a half workshop. Technique, moves and a double fan veil choreography. Ladies here's the link to the routine I taught you.

I forgot so many things on this trip and one was my camera, sorry no pictures :-(

Pamela H. thanks so much for all your help in putting this event together, you rock!!!

I hope the Flagstaff dancers will have me back up North I'd love to teach another workshop next summer.

Super Busy

It's been way too long since my last post and I have so many things to post!!!

On Tuesday night May 26th several of my students and I went to Dooby's to take a free belly dance class with Mitra, perform and of course eat! :-)

What a fantastic evening; good friend's good food and belly dancing what could be better.


Mitra teaching with Dema following along


more of the class


another angle of the class

Jackie, looking good; you go girl!!


Kelley having a great time



Shveta; thanks for dancing!



I was having so much fun I didn't snap many photos; sorry. Thanks to all who came out to have some fun and perform; we need to do this more often!

On Saturday May 30th was Egyptian Cartouche's 3rd Annual Belly Dance Festival held at Plaza de Anaya. It was supposed to be held at the Women's Club of Mesa but some how it didn't get written down in the reservation book and Morgiana found out 2 days before the event she didn't have the Women's Club.


Huge, huge thank you to Kimberly and Tiffany of Plaza de Anaya for doing some switching of classes on Saturday and making room for Egyptian Cartouche to hold their festival both workshops and show at the Plaza!!!


I vended along with Rea & Ro, taught a workshop my tribal drum solo routine at the request of Morgiana and performed in the show that night. It was a wonderful day seeing lots of dancers I haven't seen in such a long time.


My workshop was full and several dancers told me I worked their, you know what off! :0) I love hearing that! I only had an hour & a half to teach this intermediate dance routine and we did it. Thanks to all who took my workshop I had a great time teaching it I hope you enjoyed it. How are those snaky feet coming along :-)

The evening show was awesome. It started at 6:30 and it was after 10:00 when we left. I couldn't see too much of the 1st half. There was no place to sit so Qianna and I hung out in the back looking through pillars and heads trying to watch the show.

After intermission there were some chairs open so Qianna and I grabbed some next to Debbie and Paula and was able to sit and watch the second half. Helena Vlahos little grand daughter performed at age 4 and even rolled a quarter on her belly! Her and Helena started the second half of the show. I was on 5th and missed a few dancers before me getting ready to go on. After performing it was back to the audience to enjoy the rest of the show.

I was so busy in the morning I didn't get many photos and none at the show. My hubby couldn't make it so no video of any of the performances.


My classes started on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and students I will be getting up the videos on YouTube before classes next week.

This weekend I'm teaching 2 dance workshops, one Saturday on shimmies and one on Sunday in Flagstaff, single and double fan veil. I can't wait to see everyone and enjoy the nice cool pines of Northern Arizona.

Still room to register for any or all the workshop at Fusion Day on Saturday June 27th! Workshops are $15 each until June 15th you still have time to get the discount price. Workshops will be $18 each after the 15th and at the door. Here's more info on Fusion Day, http://www.joyofbellydancing.com/Fusion%20Day.htm.

I've been asked to teach next session at Plaza de Anaya. The new session starts on July 6th and I'll be teaching zills on Thursday nights from 8:30 - 9:30. I'll be teaching zill patterns to some of the popular rhythms in Middle Eastern music and a zill dance to just the music of our zills. More info on the new session will be up next week. There will be some cool classes so check out the schedule when you have a chance, http://plazadeanaya.com/.


In August I'll be teaching a mini session at the Mesa Art Center. The session is only 4 weeks and if you have ever wanted to try belly dancing or a different style than you are use to taking this is a great introduction. The cost of this session is $26 for Mesa residents or $30 for non Mesa residents. Check out my website for more info, http://www.joyofbellydancing.com/classwrksp.htm.


I finally signed up for MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/joyofbellydancing. I don't have a lot up yet but I'm working on it. If you are on MySpace let me know.

Have a great weekend and hope it's filled with dance...

"It is What it is" MAC show on May 16, 2009

What a great day Saturday was! Very long and fun!!!

My intermediate belly dance classes were invited to perform four numbers in the show. Marlina Kessler director of the dance companies at the Mesa Art Center (MAC) invited us to be a part of her show.

My cabaret class performed a sword routine and a Lebanese Pop number and my tribal class performed a tribal drum solo and Voi routine.

Here are the links on YouTube to the performances from the night:
Tribal Fusion Drum Solo
Voi
Sword
Lebanese Pop

The day started out with dress rehearsal for the "it is what it is" show at the MAC. Of course nothing is ever on time and today was no exception :-) Dress rehearsal was supposed to start at 10:30 so we all got there at 9:30 and you guessed it full dress rehearsal started at noon!

I was hoping to make lots of mistakes through out our numbers because we all know a bad dress rehearsal makes for an awesome show :0) I didn't make any horrible mistakes but enough to know it was going to be a great show!

Dress rehearsal ended just after 2:00 so we all headed home to make adjustments to costumes, get something to eat and try to relax before heading back to the theater at 5:30.

The show started right on time and ran smoothly. Our first number was the tribal drum solo and there were 7 of us. It's difficult in the video to see faces due to the lights on the stage and my husband sitting in the balcony filming. Back row left to right Dena, Kay, Debbie, Michele and front row Me, Elizabeth and Dawn. Check out those crazy lights the tech group was giving us along with the patterns that they were putting on stage. I told them to do what ever they would like and they did :-)

Our next number was the Voi dance or poi veil. There was not a lot of room on stage for the 11 of us plus the Voi but we did it! If feel that the veils purpose in life is to mess up the dancer; sometimes veils can be so flowing and really add beauty to one's dance than the exact same veil can turn on you and make your life miserable! So was my veil the night of the show. It was going well until it wrapped around my arm and I needed to spin in the opposite direction from my fellow dancers. Than during the 8's it decided it no longer wanted to stay in my hand but I got it back right away. The rest of the dance it calmed down and started to behave and looked gorgeous spinning around :0) Everyone did great on this number what an array of color!!! Back row left to right Kay, Melissa, Debbie, Renee / middle row Michele, Lisa, Elizabeth and front row Jackie, Me, Nicole and Dawn.

The second half of the show we started with the sword dance. Although I taught this routine to my cabaret class it has the flavoring of tribal style; what can I say I'm a tribal girl :-) You go girls - no swords dropped!!!!! Back row left to right Margaret, Paula, Kay Beth / middle row Melissa, Lisa, Dawn, Kathy and front row Jackie, me and Dawn.

Our last number was the Lebanese Pop routine I learned from Jillina's new DVD series. I went into the second row next to the wings for this number to let my students shine they did a fantastic job on this routine and they didn't need me center stage. Back row Margaret, Paula, Kay, Beth / middle row me, Elizabeth, Nicole and front row Jackie, Kathy and Dawn.

I love performing with my students what a great group of women; they are such fun!!! Below are photos from the day and thanks Elizabeth for sending me the photos you took from the day.

back row left to right: Elizabeth, Renee, Melissa, Kay, Michele & Dawn - first row left to right: Jackie, Paula, Lisa, Beth and Nicole

back row left to right: Elizabeth, Kathy, Me, Kay, Margaret & Beth / front row left to right: Jackie, Nicole & Dawn

dressing room activity the night of the performance

Kay, Michele, Me and Renee

Nicole

Kay

Dena

Renee

Margaret

Paula & Beth

Michele & Debbie

Lisa

Elizabeth

Melissa

Beth

Until next show...Have fun!