drawing class

Drawing class was cancelled last week because of the blizzard, but tonight we had class and I would be lying if I told you it's easy.  I'm actually feeling super frustrated and I don't know if it's me or the instructor who has never taught before.  All the other students are frustrated too, so I'm just guessing it's a combination of instructor and the fact that drawing is hard!  Our instructor did ask us to check out Gustave Courbet who is a french painter.  I was not familiar with his work and google images rocks!  Thought this one was particularly interesting titled The Shaded Stream at the Puits-Noir, ca. 1860-65.

Yep, we've been dumped on!

Yep, it's true - all the snow that was predicted to come did indeed arrive.  We were still digging out from the storm from last Saturday and then we got 17 inches more yesterday.  Whew!  They are saying we have another storm on the way next week too.  All I can say is that this is more snow than we ever experienced in all the years we lived in Cleveland where you get lake effect snow! 

I feel really badly because the Buyers Market of American Craft show started today and I took this year off from the show and found out that only one artist made it to philly to set up the entire ISGB booth - poor Beth!  If my leg wasn't broken I would be down there helping her.  I'm hoping the other artists can fly in tomorrow, but if not I may still try to hobble down on the weekend to help her out.  It's  a grueling long show and I only hope that the buyers are not scared off by the storm, but my guess is that they will be:(  so sad! 

Broken leg and drawing class

Two years ago I started playing ice hockey with a local women's team. It was simply the most fun I had had in a very long time! Unfortunately, during our third practice this season I was skating and fell and broke my left fibula. It was devastating. Not only because it meant I would miss the entire season but because it had major ramifications to the other roles I play in life, such as mom, wife, and employee. I was unable to go grocery shopping, make dinner, take the train to work, or hold Mia's hand. Thankfully, I'm healing well and have been fortunate to have help from family.

I had been thinking of taking a drawing class and took the opportunity to sign up for one now that I had the time and needed time to heal. The first class was earlier this week and it was interesting. The instructor is from Hong Kong and working on an MFA at Temple University. While it's evident that he doesn't have much teaching experience, I think I'll learn a lot from the class. The other students were a joy to meet and make the class much more interesting. My homework is to do 6 sketches by the next class - I need to get busy!

Wholesale Crafts

I recieved this email today!

"Congratulations! Your application for Wholesalecrafts.com has been reviewed and accepted by the jury! Your work has ALSO been accepted into the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE), June 5-7, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center."

I don't have plans to do the ACRE show next June, but it sure is nice to be juried in! I'll be working this weekend to get some images up on the wholesalecrafts.com web site and hoping for orders to carry me through the fall!

Bead Fest

Bead Fest Philadelphia was held this past weekend and I went to setup the ISGB booth. Of course Mia woke up with a bad cold Friday morning so I couldn't stay, but there were volunteers set up to watch the booth. Saturday I went back and shopped for a little while and picked up a few things. I needed some need chain nose pliers since I had worn mine out. I also picked up a plastic mallet because I'm stamping words and designs into metal and needed the mallet to reshape the metal after stamping. I'm going to try to work with Resin so I picked up some ICE resin and can't wait to try it!

The show seemed really busy with lots of great vendors and buyers. I had signed up for a class, but it was cancelled so I'll hope to sign up for one next time.

Slowing getting back

It's hard to believe that my daughter is now 2.5 years old! It's been a struggle to balance my time and I've had to put my blog on hold, but now I'm back! I have submitted an application to sell on wholesalecrafts.com and have also started work on an etsy.com shop. Stay tuned as I hope to have some things for sale in September 2009.

BMAC

The Buyers Market of American Craft show was held earlier this month and I participated in the ISGB (Int'l Society of Glass Beadmakers) booth. This show is a wholesale only show and gallery owners from all over the country come to place orders for items they sell in their shops. It was a great experience and even Mia was able to attend (they made me get her a 'baby badge', which I thought was a joke - but I really did have to get a badge for her!!).

here is the ISGB booth and my sample board

Finally here is a picture of Mia on her 3 Month birthday!

ok - here you go!

I keep getting requests to post more pictures of Mia! We've just been so busy taking care of her that posting the pictures is low on the to do list! Anyway, here she is at 9 weeks - photo by Debra (sister in law).

Progress!

I know I've been saying this for a long time - but today I finally finished hooking everything up in the studio and made a few pendants! This is a major breakthrough for me, although it felt as if I had lost all my skills. I only had about an hour to work before I had to go back to take care of Mia, but it was enough for me to get back on the wagon - so to speak.

Christmas Comes Early

Hello everyone! I wanted to let you know that over the past 9 months Aaron and I have had a pretty important side project, which is why we haven't had a chance to do much to update the website and I haven't been able to do many shows. We're thrilled to announce that Mia Felicia Abbott was born on Nov. 26th at 5:51am. A whopping 7lbs 4oz and 19 1/2 inches long. We're all doing fine and loving every minute of this new experience.

Pinch Me!

I was still riding high after the ventilation was installed and much to my suprise the electrician called Tuesday night saying he could be out Wednesday to install heat and outlets! He should finish today and so the bulk of the studio will be finished! The last part is for me to run the propane hoses to the torches and I am just waiting on some parts to do that. I think by next week, the studio will be open for business! In the meantime, thought I would share a couple pictures of the kitties.

We have Ventilation!

I'm so excited to tell you about my weekend! My dear friends Doug and Aline Peterson came to visit from Cleveland to install ventilation in my studio for me. This is becomming a ritual. Everytime we move they come and save the day and make sure I can make beads safely. Ventilation is important to pull any fumes that are produced from the combustion of the torch or use of metals away from me and outside. Here was the process:

First, I ordered a bunch of supplies and learned a bunch about duct work!

Doug cut a hole in the ceiling where we wanted the ventiliation to be.

Then he went up into the tiny attic. This is where the blower motor was installed. It sucks from one opening and blows out another.




Hi Doug!



Doug had to drill a lot of holes....
And finally we turned it on and Aline tested the sucking capacity!!


Thank you Doug & Aline!!

Trip to NYC

Last weekend my brother and his girlfriend had an open studio sale so we ran up to Brooklyn to see the show (they are both photographers). It was part of a larger festival where there were many open studios and installation shows going on in the DUMBO Arts area. I took a picture of Aaron with this lady who said she was a 'walking museum' and she lit up all over and was pulling a car battery in her rolling suitcase for power. The other image is from one of the gallery installations.

I've lost the charger to my camera battery and am waiting on one to arrive that I found on ebay - so more pictures to come as soon as I can! We have a new roof on the garage/studio yeah! Plumbing leaks are fixed (sort of). I'll explain later!

Shopping Cart & Bead Fest

I wanted to give you an update that Aaron has been working tirelessly on the new shopping cart system, so hopefully very soon we will not have the troubles we've been having.

Bead Fest was this past weekend and my last show of the year! I had a fun time catching up with my bead friends and buying beads of course! I didn't sell many beads, but that means I have a lot of inventory to put up on the website.

Stay tuned for new products and an easy new shopping cart!!

Hot Time in the Mountains

I have been asked to give more frequent updates on my blog! I'm so sorry - it's just been a busy few weeks.....that turned into months....you all know how that goes!

Anyway, I was down in Asheville, NC over the weekend as a guest demonstrator for Hot Time in the Mountains, which is a glass bead retreat at A Touch of Glass. There were about 30 of us and we had a wonderful time! Here is a group shot.




This is Marcy Lamberson giving a demo on how to make a gorilla:).


This is a really cool wood sculpture that was on the wall of Mountain Glass Arts a company that sells lampworking supplies.

And here is an update on the kitchen - larger hole, still working with the plumber to finish up the repairs.....ugh!


This weekend I'll be an exhibitor at Bead Fest at the Reading Convention Center, please stop by and say hello - this is my last show of the year!!

Updates

Hello!

It seemed as if after we returned from VT we were slammed with things and I haven't had a chance to say hi. I spent Saturday at open torch with my PA guild friends. This is where we all come together and make beads. It's really nice since we mostly work in isolation so to be able to make beads and talk to friends is a treat! Sunday I went to the Jersey Fire Devils meeting in NJ and that was great too. I didn't have to drive (thank you Merle) and Jeri Warhaftig gave a demo using her new puffy mandrels and I realized that using these mandrels makes making the one eyed aliens super easy! I'm always struggling with popping the hole in the hollow bead and this mandrel lets me super heat one spot and blow a hole from the inside out! TOO COOL! I'll try to have Aaron take a picture next time I do it to show you.

Speaking of Aaron he is still working on painting the studio, but it is closer to being done. Hopefully, we can have the electrician come back in early October to install the baseboard heat and outlets.

The plumbing continues to be problematic, but an end is in sight. We have to have one last section replaced, which means a larger hole in the ceiling and more mess...ugh!

OK, that's all I can think of to update you on. Have a great week!

Our trip to VT

We headed up to Vermont last weekend to see my Cousin and had a great time. He is a carpenter and builds timber frame structures. Pictured below is his house and garage. It was really pretty there, the air was so fresh and clean. No trains blowing their whistle or fire engine sirens. My cousin and his wife are homesteaders, which means they grow or raise almost everything they eat and have solar power and well water. They have a cook stove where they use firewood to cook and bake with (no microwave for them!). It felt a little like camping to me...ha ha ha!!

Update

Well, the plumber finished putting in the new drain pipe on Friday and we spent the weekend cleaning up the kitchen. It was a mess! I don't think we're out of the woods yet, but hoping that the small leak that is happening now is an easy fix.

We're making progress on the studio too. I'll post some images soon of how it's looking. I'm still trying to get the contractor to show up to put the new roof on (we've been trying to get the roof done since February...)

We're headed up to the Pocono Mountains this weekend for another guild show. Please stop by and say hi if you can. Follow this link for directions and show times http://www.pacrafts.com/pacrafts/site/default.asp

What a Beauty!

Thank you to Kerry Vine, one of my customers, who sent in this picture of a necklace she created using a focal bead I made. Isn't it lovely!! You can see more of Kerry's work at www.dvinedzines.com

Never a dull, or dry moment

Well, our latest adventure has to do with our house. We had a stain start to develop in the kitchen ceiling and so we called the plumber. He started by just replacing the seal on the upstairs toilet, but the stain kept growing. Since we couldn't tell where the leak was coming from, we now have a wonderful 2 foot by 6 foot hole in our kitchen ceiling and plaster dust everywhere!! The leak is coming from the drain pipe that is as old as the house (80+ years). Everytime we flush the upstairs toilet the person in the kitchen gets a shower....ick!! Aaron put up a make shift bucket to catch the water. I think we'll be eating out until this is fixed!!