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!