Making Beads!!

I've got some crazy new glass from Double Helix; so I'm heading down to play! Have a great Monday, everyone!!

I Am Humbled.

I've been so happy to see the response to the tutorial, and really...all I can say is that I'm honored to be a part of such a supportive community of talented artists.

I'm overwhelmed, actually.

Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased the tutorial; I can't wait to see what you create!

Thank you.

The Chaos Tutorial

Yes, it's coming soon, I promise! It is essentially finished, but it is being converted into an easier to edit format, and is being tidied up and made more attractive and user-friendly by a friend who very kindly offered to take it on.

Thanks to everyone for being so patient, it won't be long now!!

Tickets to see James Taylor!!

Needless to say, I'm thrilled!!

It's one of the perks of having a hubby who works in television; he occasionally get tickets to various acts who come to Vancouver. David came home last night with two tickets to see James Taylor, whose music I've loved for, lo, these many years. (I think he got them for me....he's never been a fan. What a sweetie!)

So July's looking pretty good. I'm taking a little vacation on the Island with my best buddy, then James Taylor on the 18th, then my Mom arrives on the 29th.

Now back to work on the tutorial that I'm writing, I'm having more fun writing it than I had expected, but I'm not used to spending so many hours staring at the monitor, I'm glad that I never put my computer programmer diploma to use!

Farewell, George Carlin

You will be missed by all of us who loved your irreverent views, and hilarious ways of stating them. Damn.

The Tutorial...it's Coming Along!

David and I did the final photography for the "Chaos" bead tutorial that I'm writing, I hope to have it available by next weekend, if all goes according to plan. I thought I'd post a few random thoughts about my classes in beadmaking, and how I teach.

1) I've never, ever, asked, told, or insinuated to a student that they should not use the techniques that I've taught them. That would be silly. I teach it....my students have purchased that bit of education, of course they should use it! Just ask any of my many former students. Suggestions to the contrary are erroneous.

2) I've never, ever, accused anyone of "copying" any of my beads, or any of my techniques. Never.
Suggestions to the contrary are erroneous.

3) I've never, ever, suggested that I was the "first" to use copper mesh in beads, marbles, or in any other form of glass art. Never. Suggestions to the contrary are erroneous.

4) I have developed a very specific technique that uses copper mesh in beads. I am delighted that so many people have been inspired to take this technique and "run with it" in so many creative ways. I will be selling a tutorial that will show the user how to avoid some of the (many) pitfalls inherent in the use of copper, and showing how I do what I do with it.

These things needed to be said, in the worst way, and I've decided that anyone who is interested in the facts can read them here.

(It will be a wordy, possibly annoying tutorial, (called "Making Chaos"), but it will be funny, too. It's how I write.....it's who I am, as a beadmaker, and an educator.

Peace. Please!!

Poor Buddy!!

He came home last night, as it turned out he didn't need 'major' surgery, but he did have to be anesthetized so his vet could take care of his problem.

He's still, as of this morning, very, very groggy and sort of "not Buddy" if that makes any sense.

I'm quite worried about him, but hopefully he'll perk up by later today.

Pretty Happy With This One!

Buddy McDoggerson is not well

Poor little guy, he's got to go to the vet yet again, to have a problem in his, er, 'nether regions' dealt with. (Just in case he reads this....I won't get too specific.)

He's kind of miserable, which makes me kind of miserable.

*looks around...he's out of the room..*.

Okay...it's his anal gland, one has burst, again. There were no symptoms, nothing to look out for, not that we really, you know, LOOK all that terribly closely. And because he's a wee bit, um, "headstrong", he has to be sedated for this sort of thing. As would I, methinks. Mehopes.

So David will do doggy delivery, (the hard part), and I'll do stoned-post-op-doggy pickup, (the easy part). Everything will work out "in the end". Yeah....just shoot me now.

MMMMM....Tangerine Bumbles....

These will be on eBay later today!

Just a quickie, so to speak.

Makin' beads, and having fun. That's all....carry on. Talk amongst yourselves....smoke 'em if you got 'em, etc. etc.

Nothing like a weekend of gardening to help one forget about work 'issues'. It's finally been 'almost' summer here, so we did some planting and yard cleanup.

This is what Buddy looks like after he's been strewn with Lobelia blossoms that I've trimmed from some overgrown plants. Tres macho, n'est pas??

Requiem for a Mouse & Earl Update

Gee, there's nothing scarier than when your mouse bites the dust when you're working in Photoshop! I thought my entire computer had croaked, (which would have necessitated my purchasing a skookum new computer!) but in fact it was just my poor " Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous" scroll mouse which is now pushing up daisies; and yes....I'm metaphorically challenged today. Sue me. I called my personal computer tech, and he suggested using another mouse, which, as you can see, is working.

I have for your delectation, an updated picture of Earl the Luffa. Earl has been languishing in my workshop, under a fluorescent light, due to the dearth of 'actual' sunlight in our part of the planet. He's doing okay, but as you can see, his roots have become a bit promiscuous, in fact they've moved over to the next little pot thingy. So it's into a grown-up pot for this guy. I hope he makes it, I really want to see what a full-grown Luffa looks like! Off to edit photos for eBay and Etsy. With apologies to Robert Burns, btw.

I've Got Nothing

This is day two of torchworking where I've simply had no inspiration. I don't even feel like doing 'production' work....just don't want to be melting glass today.

I've actually done some good work this morning, but my heart's not in it right now. I go through these phases from time to time, and I've learned that it's better to just "walk AWAY from the torch" and do something else. Also, the climate conditions continue to suck in the Pac NW, they suck beyond suckedness.

So I'm going to pack up Buddy McDoggerson, load him into my beater, and take him for some "goin' in the car", which he loves.; gas prices be damned. I'll take back the hideous monstrosity of a clock that I bought when I was evidently in a fugue state last week, and stock up on some low-carb groceries.

Then I'm going to come home and eat nine pounds of bacon. Just kidding.

Yep....there's no more boring subject matter for a blog than the weather. So I'll spare you.

Oh, for some reason, I'm growing mildew. No doubt it's the drought conditions that we're enduring.

In other news, CTV bought the stupid "Hockey Night in Canada" theme. So I'm basically sleeping with the enemy....my hubster being a CTV dude. He's crowing and gloating, but since CBC usually comes out on top, I'll let him have his little victory.

In other-other news, I've opened an Etsy shop. Feel free to check it out and let me know how it looks. Also feel free to buy my stuff! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5511934

Off to go wading in my yard.....

The Theme Song for Hockey Night in Canada, *Sob*. Not.

Much as I love CBC radio, it was getting a bit tedious yesterday listening to all of the angst regarding the end of the licensing agreement for the theme of "Hockey Night in Canada". I guess that as a Canadian, I should care about this....but I don't.

Maybe because I have better things to do with my time than watching a bunch of millionaires with sticks chasing a hunk of rubber around on frozen water, while occasionally taking a "time out" to beat the shit out of each other.

Grow up, Canada. It's a song, for God's sake. It's hardly a tragedy.

In other news, CBC in Vancouver has gotten CRTC approval to start broadcasting on FM, I think it's going to be 88.1. Finally.

Hmmm. Where are my Pictures??

Maybe I spoke too soon about loving Firefox, lots of pictures that I've posted on various sites have disappeared. No doubt it's a glitch, but I don't have time to fix it right now. Damn. And, all of the tools for choosing fonts and so forth for my blog have gone bye-bye as well. Double damn.

Okay, now everything's back to normal. Ghosts in the machine, no doubt.

Oooookay. Lot's going on right now, but I gotta tell ya....I'm pretty happy about my switch to Firefox! I can actually easily get into my blog now, with Netscape it was becoming increasingly annoying! Too cool!!

I had a fantastic week at Red Deer College, just a great bunch of students, a wonderful facility, it was an incredibly positive experience, and I would be delighted to teach there again. My only glitch was my trip home, my flight was cancelled so I had to spend about 8 hours in the Calgary airport. I got lots of reading done, so the day went pretty quickly.

Pictures of Earl the Luffa coming soon, he's basking in some nice artificial light, since the weather in Vancouver is simply vomomitous....rain, rain, and more rain. It's freakin' depressing, and I'm getting fed up.

Here are a few pictures for you....a paperweight that I made in the hotshop at Red Deer, and a Chaos marble. This marble escaped at one point, and went rolling across my workbench, leaving a nice little trail of scorchy goodness. If I'm going to be making marbles, I've gotta get me some tools.