One Lovely Blog

I was just notified that Alice Stropple has given my blog a "One Lovely Blog" award. How sweet! Now it is my job to pass on the award on to 15 blogs that I enjoy. That will take me a bit of time to choose! Thank you so much Alice!

New work and New Pics

It's show season again and I have been very busy getting myself ready. I have new product lines and a revamped booth as well. Today I finally got around to taking some pictures and wonder of all wonders, I've even loaded them into my computer and onto my blog in the same day! (That is a big accomplishment for me!) So as they say, a picture says a thousand words.

Aghhhhhh!

For the first time ever I have killed a batch of beads. :( I was baking about 2 dozen beads that I had been working on for a few days. Meanwhile I started making lunch. I don't know where my brain went during the next few minutes but without thinking I turned on the broiler to roast some peppers! I know I should have a separate clay oven but I don't at this point. When I opened my oven there were my new black beads. It had only been maybe 3 mins or so but they were toasted and smoking. The beads went outside and all the windows were opened. In all the years that I have been working with clay this is the only time I've ever burnt something. I really should get myself a clay oven

One more thing...

Here is my first batch of summer beads. Yeah for colors!!!!! They are not sanded yet but I just had to take a picture of the pretty colors. :) They look like candy. These will become bracelets and earrings. After looking at them yesterday I realized I need about twice this many...back to the clay table!

More Diversity Conference

I've finally loaded some of my pictures from the diversity conference this past month.

Pens and bracelets with faces and flowers. I took these pictures towards the end of the day, had I been thinking (and on time in the morning) I would have taken pictures in the morning when I had my full stock. This is what I had left at the end of the day. I made a bunch of ring bowls with face canes and they went fast.

My little section of table. I had to really condense my display since I usually have at least 2 tables.

Retreat!

I am officially register for the IPCG retreat in Chicago! Hooray! The whole family will be going to Chicago to visit family and I'll take a few days to play clay! If you are planning on going you should sign up soon, I think they are capping attendance at 75 (my application number was 61, though I don't know if that actually is the number that have registered so far). Here is the link to the registration page.

Many Faces

This past Friday I had a table set up at our local community college's Diversity Conference. The theme for the conference was "Many Faces, One Vision". A perfect opportunity to use my face canes! I had the good intentions of making beads and bracelets and earrings and ring bowls and even some new bookmarks all with faces. However when reality hit me I settled for a few bracelets and lots of ring bowls. I did make beads but I didn't have time to sand them. It turned out that the ring bowls with the faces were very popular. I even had a couple sales that someone was just walking by and saw the bowls, stopped and bought one. I didn't even have to tell them what it was, how it is made, "No, there is no paint on the bowl." :) It was a pretty good day.
Now my next project is to prepare for my next two shows. I have about 2 months but one of the shows will by far be my biggest one yet and I need LOTS of inventory. This week will be dedicated to cane making. The first step.