Back from house hunting

Happy New Year everyone!

We made it back home after spending Christmas with Aaron's family and then a few days looking for homes in Philadelphia. We're starting to get over the sticker shock. We are going to have to spend a lot more for less house in Philly.

We're also struggling with whether to live in Philadelphia or in the Suburbs. There is an attraction to living in the bustling city, but it also more difficult! We'll be heading back in about 10 days to look some more (after we start getting our house ready to sell!).

I looked into a studio space to rent instead of keeping my studio in the house and that remains a possibility. It just adds more overhead so I would have to sell more beads!!

OK, we're off to pack:)

Philadelphia here we come!

Over the past several weeks Aaron and I have been traveling the country for interviews and have finally accepted a position in Fort Washington, PA. I interviewed for three faculty positions and received two job offers (in SC, and CA). But, the job Aaron interviewed for was really the best option for us and since we've lived in that area before, I'm confident I'll be able to find a position. So, over the next couple of months we'll be packing and moving! I'll have to pack up my studio, but hope to have it up and running as soon as possible (the studio is the first thing I unpack of course:).

We'll miss all of our friends in Ohio, but hope that we will meet many new ones in PA.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I'm not ignoring you!!

Hi everyone,

I am sorry that I haven't posted more lately. Lots of things have been going on (all good), but nothing is finalized so I can't quite tell you the specifics. I'll just say that 2006 will bring a move for us out of Ohio. We're excited and overwhelmed at the same time!

We'll be traveling to visit family over the Holidays and looking for houses. I promise I'll post more details as soon as we know!

Happy Holidays!!

Welcome HGTV viewers and Happy Birthday!

Hi Everyone,

The segment on my work aired again on the HGTV show Crafters Coast to Coast and it also happens to be my birthday today! What a nice birthday present. There are lots of exciting things going on in our lives, but I haven't had a chance to update you. I hope to do that after this weekend, which will also be the last show of the year for me! It's in Cleveland at the I-X center I hope you'll come by to say hi!

Katy

Welcome HGTV viewers and Happy Birthday!

Hi Everyone,

The segment on my work aired again on the HGTV show Crafters Coast to Coast and it also happens to be my birthday today! What a nice birthday present. There are lots of exciting things going on in our lives, but I haven't had a chance to update you. I hope to do that after this weekend, which will also be the last show of the year for me! It's in Cleveland at the I-X center I hope you'll come by to say hi!

Katy

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Turkey day! We were a little overloaded trying to get out of town before the holiday and I just didn't have a chance to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

We headed to IN to visit my grandmother, parents, and sisters. Grammie fell on Monday and bonked her head really hard. She was still pretty shaky when we arrived on Tuesday evening. We ended up having a nice visit, although it was bittersweet because my grandparents would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this Thanksgiving. We had a toast in Grampie's memory.

On a lighter note, I have a show next weekend! I'll be heading to Youngstown, OH on Dec. 2-4 for a holiday show at the Butler Museum of Art. I hope those of you that live nearby can stop by and say hello!

OK, I'll have to write about the mouse poop cookies tomorrow:)

It's a mystery

I just received the letter that my ornament was not selected to be hung on the Governor's tree. That's two years in a row I've been rejected. It sure does sting a little. Oh well, what else can I do but keep plugging along???

12 pound turkey

So we received a flyer from the local chocolate factory and they are selling a 12 pound solid milk chocolate turkey for a mere $75.00!! HOLY COW! Now that's the kind of turkey I want to serve on Thanksgiving!!

SOFA pictures

I took some pictures using my camera phone while I was at the SOFA show in Chicago. The art work was amazing! The Corning Museum of Glass had their traveling hot glass shop set up and I was able to watch people blow glass too! Here are a few of the delights.

Back from Indiana

I forgot to give you warning that I was going to be heading to Indiana last week to see my Grandmother. I made it back home last night. Grammie is doing remarkably well. Her health has stabilized for now and while she would rather be in her own home, she has been making the best of her life in the nursing home.

Her roommate is very nice and they keep each other on their toes. I baked them some cookies and took some chocolate covered pretzels from Malleys (a famous Cleveland chocolate company). Grammie and I would take off for a few hours in the afternoon and either go back to her home or out to visit my mom. Grammie was just happy to 'be away from that place'.

So, this weekend I'm off to the SOFA (Sculptural Objects and Functional Art) show in Chicago. I'm helping out at the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers) resource table during the show and also going to see one of my college roommates! It should be fun (although, I would rather stay home:)).

2005 Ornament

I've created and submitted a new ornament for the Treasures for the Tree Project (TFTP). The purpose of the TFTP is to showcase the works of current Ohio artists and craftspeople by decorating the Governor's Residence official holiday tree. Fifty ornaments are selected (10 per region of the state). My ornaments were selected four years in a row and then last year my snowman ornament was not selected (bummer). Below is the new ornament titled 'Mistletoe' and has over 30 beads wire wrapped onto a metal chain.

Creating a Bra from Scratch....

One of the gallery owners I have worked with in Cleveland sent out a call for entries last month. She asked that artists decorate bras with things like puffy paint, watercolors, or fabric and bring them into her gallery. She would put them on display and auction them off to raise money for breast cancer research. I thought this was a wonderful idea! She had some bras that she was giving to artists the bigger the better he he :).

Below you will see three images of the bra I created.

I wanted to construct a bra out of metal and beads and found a variety of types of copper to use in forming the structure. Using copper tubing and mesh I formed the metal around a female form and literally stitched the mesh, using copper wire, around the tubing in some instances. Because I couldn't bend the copper tubing into a tight spiral to form the bra cups, I switched to glass beads strung on copper wire, which brought the piece together in the end. I didn't start out thinking I would create a bra from scratch, but pieces of it just evolved and using my own bras as patterns helped!

The gallery owner loved the bra! She is going to let me know how the auction goes and hopes that I win the 'viewers choice' award!

Mouse in the House!

The other night I was making beads and kept thinking one of the cats was walking down around my feet, which was odd because they just typically leave me alone. When I would pause and look down I wouldn't see anything so I thought I was just losing my mind. THEN, I saw the little critter! It stopped and stared at me and then ran by. It was a very cute tiny mouse. One would think with two cats in the house we wouldn't have any mice.

So, I brought Gypsy (AKA BK for Bunny Killer) down to the basement with me and shut the door so she couldn't leave hoping that she could rid my studio of the rodent. She climbed up to the top of the steps and cried until I let her out. I couldn't even believe it!

I guess I'll have to go find a live trap so I can catch the little bugger and stick it outside (just so it can find it's way in again according to my husband:).

I'm not ignoring you!

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I've been working on some brand new beads for a few juried shows that are coming up in 2006. One is a traveling show and the two others are publications. All of the deadlines are Oct. 1st so I've had to ignore some things, like this blog, in order to get those applications out. I'll post some images soon.

I'm going to be selling beads only at the upcoming Intergalactic Bead Show in Cleveland (Oct. 1 & 2nd at the Berea Co. Fairgrounds 10-5pm both days). Hope you'll come by and say hello. I don't have another show until December.

I am planning on going to see Grammie in October for a little bit. She has been living in an nursing home for several weeks now and has been getting stronger, but still dealing with lots of complications. We just can't seem to get ahead of the game. It's really frustrating for all of us.

My Brother's Photography

My brother just finished putting up a web site and I thought you might like to see some of his work. Steve has been a professional photographer in NYC since 1980 (with a few years spent living in Amsterdam). Follow this link
www.shphotography.com

Consider Donating to CERF

Like all of you we have been horrified by the devastation in the South. I would like to raise some awareness of a charity that is dedicated to helping artists called the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). You can go to http://www.craftemergency.org/ for more information.

When a dear artist friend of my passed away in 2004 I asked that people make donations in her memory to CERF and knew it was what she would have wanted.

Won't you join me in donating to CERF to help the artists in the area??

Thank you!

Beginner Classes Scheduled!!

I've been working on finding a location to teach a beginner beadmaking class and have finally found one!! We have set dates for three classes this fall and I'm really excited! My glass blowing friend, Sue Berry, is arranging for me to use her Superior Street Studio space in Cleveland (corner of Superior & 36th St).

Each class is a one day class that will run from 9:30-5pm. I'll provide all the equipment and supplies for a fee of $125.00. Please bring a sack lunch. The dates are listed below and we'll also get them up on the Learn section of the website. You can register and pay for the class through me. We need at least 4 students to have the class and we can have a maximum of eight students. Please contact me for more information!

Dates Scheduled:
Saturday September 10th
Saturday October 15th
Saturday November 5th

Hot Rods

I enjoyed hosting the Hot Rods meeting yesterday, even though we had torrential down pours at first. We had to hide out in our garage (no, our living room isn't that big). Aaron grilled burgers & dogs in the rain. Everything was yummy. Aaron and Doug also cut down a dead tree we had...boy that was something to watch!

We're also dog sitting for some friends of ours. Cookie is really sweet, but she has been using our floor as a toilet even though we take her for walks outside constantly!! Our cats are NOT happy with the new house guest. They will be very glad to see her go home tonight.

I just returned from Toledo where I picked up a used indoor booth display from an artist who has stopped doing shows. It's really nice and I'm looking forward to trying it out in December for the By-Hand show. It's funny that the display material for a show takes up more room than my actual inventory!!

Back from Philly!

I'm back from yet another trip. This time it was to Philadelphia, our old home! Here is a picture taken of me by the Liberty Bell (it was only about 105 degrees when I was there). I ate as much mango water ice as I could!! I love that stuff!



I was attending the American Sociological Association annual scientific conference. I was also talking with some potential employers about faculty positions. That always raises my anxiety level!

I'm hosting the Hot Rods monthly meeting on Saturday so I have to clean and do some grocery shopping. My article is out in the Sept/Oct Step By Step Beads magazine too, you'll have to check it out! I submitted images of how I make the alien bead.

ahh sleep!

Well, I think I've finally recovered from all the recent traveling just in time to hit the road again Friday for Philadelphia! I'm attending the American Sociological Association Meetings and will be interviewing for faculty positions that would begin next August.

Did you know we lived in Philly in 1996?? It was a lot of fun and quite stressful at the same time. I'm looking forward to going back for a few days.

Grammie is still in the hospital and is having trouble with her hemoglobin levels. When I talked to her the other day on the phone she said 'They're trying to kill me!" (they meaning the hospital staff). She's just tired of all the different procedures and each one leaves her progressively weaker.

My brother's 45th birthday is next week so I'm trying to find a cool present for him. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Thanks Lakewood!

We enjoyed ourselves during the Lakewood show yesterday! Even though the wind struck again and knocked over one of the pedestals and took out all the spinner mugs. The beads were fine, but all the ceramic mugs were broken to bits. It made the loudest noise! ugh. That is one of the down sides to doing shows.

Then we met our friends Doug & Aline for dinner and had a great time!

I'll try to post some pictures of the pieces I had accepted into the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft this week!

Katy

Whew!

I'm so relieved that it has finally cooled off a bit here in Cleveland just in time for my show in Lakewood tomorrow! I was starting to get worried that I would lose my trusty help (Aaron) if too many of the shows were in 100 degree heat!

Please come by and say hello! I'm off to make some aliens (I sold out during the Gathering bead show!!).

Pictures!

As promised here are some pictures of Lucio Bubacco creating a goblet with a sculpture as the stem. First he created the devil then attached the base and top goblet. He took a short break and came back and added the small angel. It was like watching a one person symphony!

Odds and ends

No pictures yet, I was so tired last night that I just fell asleep on the couch! I promise to get some up tonight. All I was able to take care of yesterday was paperwork..ugh. I paid the KY sales tax I owed, took care of mailing out eBay items (huge line at the post office). I'm starting to search the faculty positions that are coming out this month that will start Aug. 2006. It looks like there are a lot of nice opportunities!

Grammie had emergency surgery yesterday to remove a blood clot in her leg. We were told she had 'extensive' clotting. She had a good night in the critical care unit but we were all pretty nervous.

OK, more updates to come....

I'm Back!!

Hi Everyone! It's SO nice to be back home! I had a wonderful time taking the class with Lucio Bubacco and hope to post some pictures later today. I also attended the Gathering in Louisville (beadmaking conference) and sold a bunch of beads, and then promptly turned around and bought more glass and tools:).

I'm now working on getting ready for the Lakewood show coming up THIS Saturday, Aug. 6th. Let's just hope it's not another 99 degree day!!

More soon!

Hitting the Road Yet Again

Hello everyone! I wanted to let you all know that I'm leaving town tomorrow for the class with Lucio and then for board meetings and conference of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. I'll be back Aug. 1st and in the mean time Aaron will try to hold down the fort and ship out orders.

Grammie is holding her own, after the cancer scare last week (turns out it wasn't cancer) she is doing well in PT & OT and is going to try to go home next Wednesday with 24 hour care.

The next show is Lakewood on Sat. Aug 6th! Let's just hope it isn't 99 degrees out! I'll try to post while I'm gone and give you updates!

Thank You Willougby!

Well, I spent last week in Indiana with my grandmother who had to have a couple of procedures on her kidney performed. We were all pretty scared. She had a blockage in the tube that runs from her kidney to her bladder and almost went into renal failure if it weren't for some quick thinking on the part of my mom. Anyway, after a pretty emotionally draining week I high tailed it back to Cleveland for the Willoughby ArtsFest yesterday and was so pleasantly surprised! The weather was horrible, really hot and humid and then thunder and lightening in the afternoon. Despite the weather many repeat customers came by to say hi and I met several new ones! Thank all of you who supported me by buying my work!! It was a really nice end to a stressful week.

More to come soon I promise!

I'm taking a class!

I'm very excited because I will be taking a class with Lucio Bubacco in two weeks! I found out that there was a cancellation this past week and quickly grabbed the spot. Lucio is a well known Italian glass artist and you can see some of his work at www.luciobubacco.com. One of my dreams is to travel to Italy and go to the island of Murano, but for now a little piece of Murano will be in Indiana!

I have replenished almost all of my inventory just in time for the Willoughby show next Saturday. I'm hoping it won't be as hot as the previous shows have been. Aaron has been working on putting new items up on the web site too. We went to see the Fantastic 4 last night, it was fun. If you don't go with any expectations you'll probably enjoy it:).

Happy 4th of July!

The weather has been wonderful for this long weekend! We had a few friends over Saturday night for a little celebration. Yesterday we went to see Star Wars and yes, it was far better than the previous two. I think today we'll try to see War of the Worlds. I realized I hadn't seen a movie since the Fall of 2004. Eek! The dissertation really took over! So we're trying to make up for it now I guess:)

I've also been making a lot of beads and pocket vases to get ready for the Willoughby show that is July 16th.

Many of you have asked about Grammie and I haven't posted much about her because I am so sad about the fact that she is in a nursing home now. She was hospitalized about a week ago and the doctors were arguing about whether or not she had congestive heart failure. In the meantime, she had fluid on her lungs so they were dehydrating her in attempts of getting the fluid removed...ugh. I could go on and on but, essentially, she was transferred to a nursing home last week and I'm not optimistic that she'll recover enough to go back home.

Well, I don't want to leave you all on that sad note so on a lighter note I think we'll be using up the sparklers we bought last year at the karate and fireworks store in Erie, PA off of I-90. If you've never stopped there (on your way to NY) you really must. It's a hoot! We go for the entertainment value and leave with 50$ worth of fireworks...he he.

Have a great 4th everyone!

Hot Hot Hot!

Whew! We spent last weekend sitting in the extreme heat in Toledo. Thanks to all the wonderful people who braved the heat and came by to say hi and purchase my work. It has taken us a couple of days to recuperate but now I think we're back up to speed.

We also just saw a preview that the segment taped for the TV show Applause will air tomorrow night at 7:30. Those of you who missed the original airing in October will be able to see it!

I've been getting some pieces ready to send off to the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft. It is for a juried show called River of Glass! It's an honor to have been selected for the show!

That's all for now. More soon~

I'm Back!

Hi everyone! I'm back from Indiana. I have spent the entire day making beads and reacquainting myself with my husband:). Grammie is holding her own for now. We had some really rough days but my stay ended on a positive note.

I'm going to be in Toledo this coming weekend for a wonderful show at the botanical gardens. I also found out I have been accepted into a new show that will be in Solon in September (hopefully, it won't snow!!).

more updates coming soon!

On the Road Again

I'm heading to Indiana again tomorrow to stay with my Grandmother for a few days. It was great seeing everyone at the Legacy Village show this past weekend. Boy was it hot and sticky!! UGH! I'm going to have to come back from IN by this weekend to re-stock for the Toledo Botanical Garden show June 24-26. It's a beautiful setting for a show.

I'll keep you posted as often as I can on the progress in Indiana. Keep the emails coming, I just may not be able to reply quickly!

Busted

OK, so I've received several funny notes about the show. The one that stands out is from friends razzing me about wearing lipstick on the show. Those of you that know me were a little surprised to see me wearing it on the TV show since I never wear it in real life:). OK, so my vanity got the best of me:).

We just returned from setting up for the outdoor art show at Legacy Village. I'm right next to the Kettle Corn dude....do you know how difficult it is to smell kettle corn all day long?????????

What did you think??

I can't wait to hear what you all think! I'm not going to be able to see the show until 5pm EST today so you'll have to let me know if I should plan to put a bag over my head or just a beaming smile!!

Big Day Tomorrow!

The TV show should air tomorrow! I can't wait to see how they edited the show. They were at my house from 8am until 4pm!! It's really amazing that they'll edit it down to only 5-6 minutes.

Check HGTV for Crafters Coast to Coast to find the times and then email me or comment on the blog with your reactions!!

Staying until Monday

Well, my parents think I should stay put and get things ready for the show this weekend and then head back to IN on Monday to stay with Grammie. She said she was feeling better today. So I'm making aliens and wine stoppers today and I have only 2 more chapters to proof read on my dissertation...yea!! OK, have to get back to the torch.

Grammie

Well, I've been working as hard as I can on finishing my dissertation revisions so I can turn that puppy in. Today my father took my grandmother to the doctor because she was experiencing shortness of breath and her heart was racing. Turns out they are really worried she will have a stroke and the doctor that had provided care to my grandfather was seeing her, which of course made her cry. So I may be heading to IN again tomorrow. Not much time for beads right now!!

HI

Hi again everyone! I am back from a week with my grandmother. It was really difficult to leave, she's trying to live alone now. She had been very determined about this while I was there and then when I was getting ready to go I think the realization hit that she would be alone. So we were both in tears and I cried the whole first hour of the trip back. I sure do wish this could be easier.

I also taught a bead making class yesterday and had six wonderful people who were all very talented! Now, I'm finishing up the final touches on my dissertation to turn it in this week.

Don't forget the TV show airs this week! June 9th on HGTV (Crafters Coast to Coast). Here in Cleveland it airs at noon and 5pm. I'm a little apprehensive about seeing it, I hope I don't end up looking like a huge dork:). But, as Kim from my bead class said "who cares if you look like a dork, you're getting national exposure!"

Also, this coming weekend (June 11 & 12) is the Beachwood Art Festival in Legacy Village! New hours Saturday 10-7 and Sunday 10-6pm

Memorial Weekend

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! I'm heading to Indiana once again for a memorial for my grandfather and to stay with my grandmother for a week or two. We seem to be making some progress with the help of some grief counselors. I'm a bit worried that I am not able to make beads, but have accepted the fact that I need to be doing something else right now!

Hessler Turn Out

We had great weather for the Hessler Street Festival (until the very end when it rained)! Fun was had by all and while I wasn't able to get a henna tattoo, I did pick up a way cool patchwork belt!

Everyone loved my new designs and so I'm going to be busy making more before the next show at Legacy Village.

I also had a good week with my grandmother and will be heading back to see her over Memorial weekend.

Heading to Indiana

I'm hitting the road to go stay with my grandmother for a week. I'll be back for the Hessler Street Fair, hope you can stop by to say 'hi'. In the mean time, I don't think I'll be able to check email while I'm gone so don't take it personally if I don't reply in my usual 'timely' manner:).

Postcards are Mailed!

It's taken me most of the week, but I have labeled and mailed postcards to all 650 people on my mailing list! The postcard contains info about the TV show and the shows I'll be participating in this summer. If you don't receive a postcard and would like one, email me!

TV Show

I found out today that my segment on the HGTV show Crafters Coast to Coast will air on Thursday, June 9th at noon and again at 5pm! It is episode #253 and the producer said to check the HGTV website closer to the date to make sure it would still air on the 9th. Apparently, sometimes the network has to make a schedule change and the shows get bumped back.

I'm excited about seeing the show, but nervous too because they made me do some REALLY silly things.....

Gallery Opening

The gallery opening for several of the artists that will be featured on the HGTV show Crafters Coast to Coast was a big success! I'm going to call the producers today to find out when my air date will be. More soon.

Gallery Show Opens this Saturday

Have I mentioned that I'm going to be on TV again? There is a show called Crafters Coast to Coast that airs on HGTV and the producers came to Cleveland in February to follow about 20 artists. I'm not sure when my segment will air, but they said probably during the month of May. I'll post a note as soon as I find out!

Several of the artists that will be featured on the show are participating in a gallery show in Lakewood that opens this Saturday May 7th. I'm taking earrings, pendants, aliens, and mermaid necklaces to the gallery Friday and there will be an opening Saturday from 12-6pm (I'll be there for a couple of hours on Saturday too). The gallery info is below and the show will run the month of May. Hope to see you!

Local Girl Gallery
16106 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
Phone (216)-228-1802 www.localgirlgallery.com
Hours T-W-TH 12-5 pm & F-S 12-6 pm

Unexpected Visitors

Well, I had grand plans to get a lot of work done in the studio yesterday until I received a call from a cousin of mine that was coming through the Cleveland area and looking for a place to sleep. So we had to drop all our plans and frantically clean the house instead! We finished about 30 minutes before they arrived..whew! So, now that I don't have to clean for awhile, I'm off to make beads :)

getting out of the funk

Last night I attended a Hot Rods meeting (the local chapter of the International Society of Glass Bead Makers). There was a lot of torching going on and a lot of eating and laughter:). It helped me start to get out of my funk and I've been cleaning up my studio today. I haven't done any fusing in a LONG time and have been literally dusting off my equipment to get some things ready to fuse. I've had this wonderful large platter mold that I've never used! So this summer I'm going to try to make some fused serving platters....this could be interesting:)

Hi

Thanks for all your kind words about my grandfather's passing. He was an incredible person and will be greatly missed.

I've finished teaching the health, illness, and social behavior course for CWRU so now I'm going to wrap up a few revisions on my dissertation and turn that in ASAP! With both of those things off my plate I will turn to working on articles to submit from my dissertation and my glass work.

We've updated the show listings on my website and there may be a few more we'll add as I hear if I've been accepted. I'm looking forward to seeing you all this summer!

Sad News

My 93 year old grandfather passed away this weekend. It's just heartbreaking as I'm sure many of you know. I'll probably be out of commission for a few days. Talk to you soon.

Show Today

Today I participated in a small art show in the atrium of University Hospital. I received a wonderful response from customers regarding my new work! Believe it or not, I really do listen to you! The pendants on silk cords were popular as well as earrings and wine stoppers! I need to get to the studio and make more beads!!

What would you like to see?

I really enjoy questions from customers and fellow lampworkers about my work. Many times the questions are about specific techniques. I'm wondering if people would like to see me put some tutorials up on the web site. They could either be with still photos or an actual video you could download. What do you think?

We don't have a video camera, so we would probably have to charge a small fee for videos in order to pay off the video camera. Would that be a problem?

Thanks for your input!

Job Offer!

Well, believe it or not I actually received a job offer yesterday! It was for a visiting professor position at Miami University. Fear not, I ended up turning it down because it would mean moving this summer and then most likely moving again next summer and it's just too disruptive. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to turn it down!

Sun!

Hi Everyone,

I just have to say that the past few days have been so lovely in Cleveland! We've seen the sun most of the day and it's been really warm! Ahhhh...

I'm back from my quick trip to see my neices and parents in Columbus and am now working on the few additions to my dissertation that my committee asked for. I'm hoping to finish it up in a couple weeks and turn it in. I will officially graduate in August. YEAH!

I'm going to be in a small show at University Hospitals this Thursday, April 21st from 10-2pm. I am one of about 6 artists that will be selling in the atrium that day. Feel free to stop by if you are in the area! I'll be posting the dates and times of outdoor shows I'll be doing soon (I'm still waiting to hear from a few).

Hello from Columbus

Hi there,

I came down to Columbus, OH today to visit my nieces, Olivia & Chloe. I'm teaching Olivia (10 years old) how to post a blog:). She thought a blog was a new alien bead I had made...

I'll post a picture of them tomorrow.

Katy

Ahhhhh....

Hi Everyone,

Well, I think I've recovered a bit from yesterday and sure do feel a huge weight has been lifted!! I've mostly been cleaning the house, which has been neglected for a while. But, now I'm off to make beads! Can't wait to start working on all the things I've been thinking about and just haven't had the time to work on.

stay tuned:)

I passed!

Hi Everyone!

Well, it's all over and I passed the defense! My presentation lasted about 35 minutes and then there was about an hour of questions. After that, the committee asked everyone to leave and sat behind closed doors deciding my fate. After about 20 minutes they opened the door and said Congrats! You've passed! whew.

I don't think it's hit me yet....maybe I need to sleep for a few days:)

Hi

HI Everyone,

Thought I would post more pictures of beads. This set is really fun to make because I love twisting hot glass:).

This will be short today since I need to practice my presentation to defend my dissertation tomorrow!

Future

Good morning!

So since it looks like I'll be graduating in August, we have been assuming we would be leaving the Cleveland area. I have been interviewing for faculty positions but have not been selected for those positions thus far. It seems that the combination of not having already completed my Ph.D. along with the fact that I have only been applying to positions in states that we want to move to (e.g., NM, AZ, OR, WA, NY, CA, FL) has made the job search more difficult.

So it looks like we'll be staying in Cleveland for another year and I'll be back on the job market this August. At first it was really difficult for me to accept the fact that I'll have to survive another winter in Cleveland and I kept thinking that I've been working on a degree for 8 years just to be unemployed. But, the interesting part is that now I'm in a situation to actually see if my beads can support me. This is something I've never even allowed myself to consider.

I've been applying to any show I can find and hope to have enough shows lined up to bring in some funds to pay the bills.

I'll keep you posted on my journey :)

Update on the Ph.D.

I know many of you have been following my 8 year quest to finish my Ph.D. and believe it or not, it's almost complete! I will be defending my dissertation this Thursday April 14th at 10am. If all goes well, I'll graduate in August.

I'll keep you posted! Thank goodness for my beads because they help keep me sane and thanks to my customers for supporting my therapy:).

Hello Everyone!

Hello!

Welcome to my first journal entry. I thought this would be a nice way for me to share updates and information on a regular basis. Thanks to my DH (darling husband) for putting this together for me!

Well, the fist post I'm making is about these silvered ivory beads. I finally ordered a brass press to shape beads into this great lozenge shape. I quickly realized that the beads the press made were way too small for me. So I contacted Catt (Catt Walk Tools) and asked if she would consider a special request for the same shape only larger (7/8 inch). She wrote back and said she had that exact tool in front of her!! Imagine my elation!! I can't say enough about Catt and the tool, thanks so much!

I'll try to update this daily! My husband and I joke about how this will allow me to ramble on.....

Until Tomorrow...