Glass, baby, heat and roommate search.

For the first time in a while the craft room was only half filled this week, what a nice change. The count last night was 12 compared to the 20-24 we have had over the last 2 months. I even got 2 loads into the kilns on Tuesday night and NO burns this week. Plus I had NEW glass to play with - that ended up breaking in ways that I was not happy with at first but when they break like that I always make the best designs. It helps to push me to think outside of the square on square quilts that I some times make. It was a nice warm day out and maybe people did not want to be inside. It was HOT in the room with the 4 kilns going-even with the windows open and the fan on. I think that I am happy with the stock that I have for now - All I really have to work on for the show should be gluing the earrings and cuff links -- which means I have to find glue that will stick and do a beadazzled run for the small earring backings and cufflinks. And a few small things like set up the tent once before I go. I did another set of trial glass ribbons last night with the help of the torch to get a nice gentle curve. The pink glass was to thin to try it with the torch so last nights test color was red. I will see how they turn out next week. Madeline is going to order some 2 mm pink and purple so that she can make them for a walk that she is doing with family members for breast cancer. She did ask if I cared if she made them too. The thing is with the torch they are all different and still one of a kind - they might look really neat tack fused, giving more of a 3-d effect. Really looking forward to the slower months to play around more.

In other Glass News - Carrie had her baby girl on Sunday, Feona Mae, was a month early coming into the world. Its a good thing we threw the shower last week. Kathleen, Alesha and I are heading back to Sperryville this weekend to pick up the glass we blew and going wine tasting along the way. Ashley is requesting a bowl - so she might be sponsoring the next trip to Sperryville. And the roommate search is on again. This is search # 7. I think that I have it down to a skill of what to ask and what to look out for. I have a few good leads and then I have had a lot of names come across that I can't pronounce. Its always an adventure and something that I always look forward to ending.

Open the doors and I will be there

I love when the studio is open on Thursday nights for new classes and I get an extra night to fuse. Plus its a much smaller crowd. I think its more that I am in a panic with this show right around the corner that I need to be up there churning things out. Plus the studio has been packed which has not helped and I have been fighting to get kiln time. And as always I wait till the end to make the dreaded earrings. Not that it helps that I have been having gluing issues for the last few months and decide not to even send any to the show next weekend. Madeline and I were in the studio till after 11:30 last night. I got 2 full loads in. I had to refire a few from the last load due to some slipping and the findings not being fully covered. But with a 500 degree burn on one hand and then trying to set up the kiln I was happy that any came out. The burn is looking good the small blister seems to have gone away. I have learned my lesson it is all about a LOT of ice and Aloe.

As for the green ribbon project - I am happy with the way it turned out and tried 2 other style last night - had another slip (even with glue) that covered the top curve of one - There are still a few other options in making the curve that I need to try in the coming weeks. I have not heard from the friend who requested the ribbon to see if she liked it or not. I really just hope that some of the leaches and copy cats dont take over my idea - I know that some there dont have there own design skills and try to copy everyone else-but it gets frustrating when you cant keep an original idea these days. But I have to remember that mine never end up looking like theirs. So far the list looks like this green: Liver, Pink: Breast Cancer, Gray: Brain Tumor, Red: AIDS, Yellow: soldiers. I found a site that lists all of the colors and causes that go together. There and endless possibilities if I start making ribbon glass. I have a feeling they will be like my little people (have a new one that is head less unless it is on a dark color) and other awareness symbols. However with the ribbons they will be more alike - I can change the background color for contrast and they would be an easy item for orders to be placed. I think the pink ones would be a huge hit.

3 more weekends till the big 3 day weekend....feeling good but I still have a lost of things to do before then. Like set up the tent at home once before the trip and I need to get candy to hand out and a few other things but over all I feel good about it.

Burns

Last night at glass I was waiting for a kiln to reach 500 so that I could put my glass in...ok so it was already 10 till 11:00 but Madeline was addressing rehearsal dinner invitations for her sons wedding, so she was like go ahead and fuse. So when the kiln reached 500 I took the shelf out with a gloved hand but it started to tip and I caught it with my uncovered left hand-- and now I have a nice at least 1st degree burn on my middle finger of my left hand - yes I feel like i am flipping off the world today since it hurts. However it looks better this morning than I thought it would. I had it ice for over 2 hours and then covered it will aloe before bed. The blister is small and the skin is thick so thats a good sign. It might have hurt less if it had been my own tile and not someone else's.

When I walked in last night we were also having a baby shower for Carrie and a HUGE glass order from Bulleyes had arrived. Bulleye raised their prices by 10% on April 1, so Madeline had placed close to a $2000 order. Can we say BEAUTIFUL glass - and the red chopstix and new herringbone was almost orgasmic. It was like Christmas in April.
I had a request yesterday to make a kelly green ribbon piece for a friends Mom who is a liver transplant survivor, who had seen me on HGTV. Kelly green is not a color that you can find in dichroic, but I tried with green stringers and glue to keep them in place from rolling. It will come out of the kiln on Thursday night and I will see how it came out. That could start a whole range of ribbon glass art: pink for breast cancer, Red for AIDS, Green for liver and who knows what other colors will come up from that.

Still having glue issues with my earring backings. So I decide not to send any to my High School Alum Art show that had to be mailed out this morning. Hopefully I can work these issues out before the big SMAF show Mother's Day weekend. It was a good day with new glass to fuse even if the night ended up with a burn.

Blowing

Sunday I got up and headed out of the house by 10:45 am to go pick up Kathleen so that we could head out to Sperryville, VA to blow glass. Had to stop by and get some Einstein bagels on the way and then we headed out towards Warrenton. Planned on stopping there to get the "cheap gas" ok so 2.15 beats the 2.32 in the city. Stopped for snacks and gas...reeses peanut butter lovers cup limited - now that is a treat...then back in the car for another 45 min in the cell free zone to a HOT afternoon. Passing to many vineyards that we did not have time to stop for -- but plan to when we go back to pick up our pieces. We arrived right at 1:00. We were greeted by Eric as we walked across the swinging red bridge over the creek. We walked around the gallery checking things out while coffee was brewing and then we headed out to the studio.

First Eric walked us around and did a demo and then I was first up to make a shot glass. Yes, we do plan on taking a shot in those glasses soon. My shot glass was great, clear glass: short with fat sides. But I was just glad to have something that I could show off at that point. Speedy Kathleen was next to stand by the HOT furnace. (her warning is be careful when wearing an underwire bra and standing that close to the heat) Her shot glass was taller than mine. Then on to the fun stuff - the accident - the former TV stars son (yes we meet Walker Jones - Cooters son from the Dukes of Hazzard) - the many stories and lessons of the afternoon... I wanted to make a bowl next - well it almost became a glass blob and sculpture when i tripped getting back into the seat and the glass feel off the honey and crashed onto the floor. The block had not been moved after I had stood on the bench to blow the bowl out. Eric says that his clumsiest students end up being the best ones - so if that is true than I am off to a good start. When the glass fell, they said my face did too, but somehow between Walker and Eric they saved it, got it back on the honey and we shaped it out - so it is very hand made and unique for sure. But what a great experience. Kathleen's bowl came out looking like a bowl - but we had been there since 1 and it was close to 6:30 we both knew we smelled bad and just wanted something to eat. So off we head back to Warrenton to find food - ate to much Mexican (good Mexican with chicklet gum) and then drove back to the city.

So now we have to head back out there next weekend and pick up the bowls and I would love to go wine tasting on the way out and back - I cant wait to try it again. So if you want to have a great drive out in VA head over to Old Way Glass and buy some art or blow so glass. http://www.oldway.net/

ALL that buzz about the show

Did you have a good laugh? Did you see the bikes in the kitchen and the martini glasses at the foot of the steps? Guess you did not see it on the big screen yet. I watched it at noon with friends at the office on the big screen in the Geneva conference room and noticed all of the small things. If you count the pictures on the side table all of my sisters and a few friends made it on the show too. I really dont think that I heard anything that I said in the first viewing. But what everyone has said to me is more along the lines of your "eyebrows" and "expressions" were great. OK I have to admit that I was just Happy to have a job that Friday when I was filmed. (we had BIG lay offs that Tuesday, I had mice in the house, an art opening that weekend plus some friends decided that was the week of my life that they needed to shake up a few things- Stress does funny things to people) And no I was not nervous cause there were only 4 people in the house I was not thinking of the 50,000 that would be watching it later...

On Tuesday I watched the show at noon, 5:00 and later that night with everyone up at glass. This past Tuesday was crazy up there, biggest crowd that I have seen since holidays of 2003. And I will watch it whenever the next person asks to see it. The biggest shock of the show would be the fan emails that I got with in 2 hours of the show airing. Most of them were asking the same questions -- what is the glass cutter that you used on the show? ( Score One) And what kind of kiln was that? (Hot box with a window) And I cant get to your website- (there was a double http call for the link) So I had to contact HGTV have them correct the link and update my email to the one that I wanted to get glass questions and then turn around and put up a new page to answer all of the product questions.

My dad made the Chattanooga garbage men watch with him at the BI-Lo, after he asked to change the channel. My Mom said she had not seen me with that much makeup on since the last wedding. Scottie said it was "The Coolest thing ever" and I know that the next time I see him I will get harassment for the way I said "bubbles." LB called laughing and then asked if I wanted to come down to Tampa and teach arts and crafts to the neighbors. Everyone that I watched with at noon said that I had the better music than the others on the show that day. (thanks Celia) Em asked, Did they just love your eyes? Katherine wanted my autograph and a few other did too but I told Katherine that she had something worth more than that since she has access to my teeth x-rays. A teacher from home saw me on and then called my third grade teacher to say that she has to turn the channel now. The winner might be the Delaneys (friends from way back) saw me while flipping channels and contacted me.

So with in 2 days I have had over 325 hits on my page, only 120 have made it to the page about the kilns and cutters. I have also been asked to come to DE to teach - not sure what is going to happen with that but it could be a wonderful offer and a great resume builder if I do want to teach down the road, plus its on the way to the beach.

Guess now it is time to add the link to the blog on to that page.

HGTV

Did you have a good laugh? Did you see the bikes in the kitchen and the martini glasses at the foot of the steps? Guess you did not see it on the big screen yet. I watched it at noon with friends at the office on the big screen in the Geneva conference room and noticed all of the small things. If you count the pictures on the side table all of my sisters and a few friends made it on the show too. I really dont think that I heard anything that I said in the first viewing. But what everyone has said to me is more along the lines of your "eyebrows" and "expressions" were great. OK I have to admit that I was just Happy to have a job that Friday when I was filmed. (we had BIG lay offs that Tuesday, I had mice in the house -not at all happy about that-, an art opening that weekend out in harpers ferry, plus some friends decided that was the week of my life that they needed to shake up a few things- Stress does funny things to people) And no I was not nervous cause there were only 4 people in the house I was not thinking of the 50,000 that would be watching it later...

On Tuesday I watched the show at noon, 5:00 and later that night with everyone up at glass. This past Tuesday was crazy up there, biggest crowd that I have seen since holidays of 2003, and they were not all there to watch just me. I will watch it whenever the next person asks to see it and send it around to others who missed it. The biggest shock of the show would be the fan emails that I got with in 2 hours of the show airing. Most of them were asking the same questions -- what is the glass cutter that you used on the show? ( Score One) And what kind of kiln was that? (Hot box with a window) And I cant get to your website to come up- (there was a double http call for the link) So I had to contact HGTV have them correct the link and update my email to the one that I wanted to get glass questions and then turn around and put up a new page to answer all of the product questions.

My dad made the Chattanooga garbage men watch with him at the BI-Lo, after he asked to change the channel. My Mom said she had not seen me with that much makeup on since the last wedding. Scottie said it was "The Coolest things ever" and I know that the next time I see him I will get harassment for the way I said "bubbles." Everyone that I watched with at noon said that I had the better music than the others on the show that day. (thanks Celia) One friend asked "Did they just love your eyes?" Katherine wanted my autograph and a few other did too but I told Katherine that she had something worth more than that since she has access to my teeth x-rays. A teacher from home saw me on too and then called my Third grade teacher to say that she has to turn the channel now. The winner might be the Delaneys (friends from way back) saw me while flipping channels and contacted me. So with in 2 days I have had over 325 hits on my page, only 120 have made it to the page about the kilns and cutters. Guess now it is time to add the link to the blog on to that page.

Breaking Glass & Shows

What a buzz that I have going on with glass these days. The Studio is packed, I am fighting for space in the kilns and thinking maybe it is time to buy my own. But what kind of fun would that be? I love going up to the studio on Tuesday nights to see my friends and create. I really don't think that I would enjoy it as much if I was working at home alone. Plus i like to walk around bare foot in the summer. You cant do that if you have been cutting glass at the kitchen table - glass in my food is not the crunch that i have been looking for. Its the interactions with others and the time commitment and the stories that we all tell when we are there that I look forward to each week. My glass friends are like an extended family and I know that if I needed anything from them that they would come to my aid.

Madeline has been such a great support through all of this. Loaning me kilns to take home to TN to teach, to letting me borrow everything to make a mock studio out of my dining room table so that HGTV could come and film. And now she is the one who is willing to take over the extra emails that I have been getting and start sending out kilns and Score Ones to anyone who wants one. This glass business is about to get out of hand in the part time job department.

Its April and there are 2 shows coming up with in the month and a glass blowing class this weekend. The GPS Alum show is April 23 but my glass is due next week, the glass has to be sent this weekend to make it there on time. Tonight I have to go up to the studio and pick up all of the earrings that I fired on Tuesday so that I can glue the posts on and get them out the door. The stress of the post office and have to send things - another reason I am not ready to set up an online store as of now. (a subject to be addressed again later)

To get ready for the SMAF show-
Over the weekend I did make it down to the outlets to get things for the big show in May. I got the last canopy that was on sale (not the red that I wanted but a good price - plus the bag has wheels - a nice touch for a 45 lbs tent). Then it was off to get the necklaces that I still cant find anywhere else, put a nice dent in that credit card, and luck would have it that they too were on sale. Then I stopped by Ikea for the new table cover...Colorful for sure. So the big things for the show are starting to settle down. Elizabeth is loaning me her 6 Ft folding table, another thing to mark off the list after I pick it up. And Nikki located some lanterns that I still need to go get at the Big Lots. Now I just need to piggy back into a Sams or costco for some candy to hand out over the long weekend. Its all going to be over sooner rather than later. But with some of the big things purchased I feel like a weight has been lifted. But there is always something else around the corner to add to the list of things that I need to get before the show.