Kalaya Steede

Did someone say pin swap? For this year's adventure I was talked into going to the Yuma Symposium in Yuma, AZ.  Was I disappointed? HELL NO! I think the only stress for me was designing these pins and catching my connection from Phoenix to Yuma.  Anyway, I wanted my pins to say New Orleans without using the Fleur De Lis.  So what else says New Orleans? Well, voodoo of course mon cher! I had the idea in my head since the end of 2015.  That was half the battle there. First night in Yuma... PIN SWAP!!! Pin Swap at Lute's Casino I got a chance to make new friends and then met my Instagram friend that I made a week prior to Yuma. The pin swap was a great way break the ice.  However, I was kind of worried at first.  I was thinking... what if no one wants my pin?  Maybe they'll think they are hideous and won't want to trade!  Talk about feeling like you are in high school all over again. Ugh! But it wasn't like that.  If you go just or

Bet you thought I died!  But I didn't.  I have just been on Cloud 9 since January.  There is so much I want to share. I'm just going to say it with pictures. Ready? First there was Mardi Gras preparations.  We had to decorate coconuts.  OOooooo...I wonder who got this beauty? Then mi amigo flew in and we did so much in two weeks it was ridiculous.  Here are the highlights I would like to share. We made shibuichi.  Which was hard as hell! I carved.  I like carving. Then cast... Then sawed a stump, ground a stump, ground an anvil, and made a dust collector. The dust collector was made using a powerful computer fan but evidently not powerful enough.  I should just buy one but they are so expensive!  The filter didn't stay put in the litter box there but I did have some suction.  :-/ Then the rolling mill broke!  Now that really sucked!!! We rearranged my studio.  Whaaat?!!!  Now I can't find anything. Did Mardi Gras! Th