this week was a bust

I have a show on april 30th - havnt done much
made my Just Resin to launch but nil on glass beads or new fused

I was dumb and forgot to wear my timer during fusing on Sunday   and forgot about my kiln - something I never do
so now I have to buy a new base and ring for my favorite Aim kiln  - be a week before it comes but its not what I needed to spend money on but I have to replace right away so that when I'm ready to fuse in the next month its available...  Need to work on a few projects and sign up for Fusion Glass and Clay show in October should be different type of venue than my current shows - this one is more pottery and larger glass pieces not just jewelry

My patio door sits - as its been too cold and rainy to even feel slightly like working in the outdoors as yet so I have to crawl over it to get to my desk in the studio  and I'll wait till after my show to install and when it gets warmer


Once the show is over I'll take pics of everything and get them posted - my daughter is taking a photography course so maybe I'll get some good pics for my site

I have new websites to design and an online store  to get up and running in the next 30 days

so lots to do

enamel beads

So I think I am going back to day 1 of my crafting and lookng at things I used to do years and years ago - 10-15
I had just moved to Pennsylvania and wanted to look into crafting  - I used to draw, do copper enamelling, clay sculpture but wanted to work in glass and silver.
My first classes were PMC and I loved it - got certified through the Rio Grande certification with great teachers like Chris Darway and Celi Fago.  then I was beading and putting together jewelry but could never find the right pieces I wanted.  Found Jane Persico and started doing fused glass.  Wanted glass beads but could not set up so I visited Pinzart and started doing enamel beading using tube and other metals beads.    Once I moved to a location that I could set up Lampworking most other crafts got left behind.

Now I find I'm dragging out the mapp cannisters, holders, mandrels, metal beads and enamels and having a blast.  I forgot how easy it was - and slow ...... but old is new again I see on the web - making enamel beads using filigree base metal beads

I'll have to do a video this week showing how too and post to you tube

so waiting on delivery of my sliding door for the studio so I will know if its night or day and get into it easier than with a garage door  - cant wait - going to install this weekend

Love going home and doing the Zentangle - very relaxing

More Beads? More Crafts ?

You can never have enough beads
or crafts - picking back up with enamelling and enamelling beads
went to Panda Hall to buy the filigree - 200 at a time -  but hey are such a good price !
I cant wait to start again , found  lot of my other enamels , enamel pens, enamel crayons, lustres, liquids etc... and got them up to the studio.  the warmer weather is allowing me to stay up there - if a bit cool I have heaters but I cant wait for spring to really come.
Will be putting a french door into the garage door opening - having to lift the door all the time is a pain and it lets any heat out I have accumulated plus I dont have any windows or skylights so when I stay up at the studio I dont even know if its night or day and I miss out on the sunshine.

Hopefully I'llhave some pics of the studio and enamelling table (I have tables for everyting )

April 11 -2011

Well I have to start sometime and now is a good as ever.
Been working on packaging my new Resin line called JUST RESIN
you can find out details on my web site with some helpful hints.

I learned to Zentangle a week ago and cant stop.  If you have not tried go google it and you will find some pretty nifty images.   I found this to be perfect for my copper etching and cant wait to get some done
.
A very ZEN experience - you really get into it.  I thank Susan Stortini (certified  instructor for Zentangle) for introducing me to this new obsession.

She also introduced me to Milliande Art Community where I seem to end up when surfing lately.  I must be lonely.   I just need to get past a tooth extraction and put my nose to the grindstone and pump out some lampwork beads and some fused glass,  maybe a little etched copper as well for the Toronto Bead Society Show at the end of April - used to have 4 months to get some beads done, now I'm down to three weeks.
Must be the weather - I cant stand the cold and it depresses me - not that its warming up and I can venture to my arctic studio (I have a basement studio but its dismal) I am starting to feel the ambition to make things again.