Sherry Bellamy - Essential Art Glass

Making Pendants!

2010-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a feature lampwork demonstrator at Circle Craft in downtown Vancouver on Thursday, and I'm putting some work into the TAG (Totally Awesome Glass!) gallery, so I'm getting re-aquainted with wiring.....doing up some pendants with some of the new beads that I've made. The picture above is of one of the beads that I've made recently, I love this style so much!

Busy, happy, it's all good!!

Tempus Fugit, Huh?

2010-10-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's been a bit of a whirlwind. We decided to put our townhouse on the market early last summer, and it sold in less than a week.

We bought a house that isn't a strata (condo), but is a single home with a huge yard for Buddy. So essentially, we've spend the last 6 months packing, moving, unpacking, and doing some of the gazillion projects around here that needed doing. We also took a trip to Winnipeg to visit with family, and to meet our new granson Geddy! David is the ultimate handy guy, thank goodness, and as for me....well, I can paint stuff. Helluva painter, that's me.

Actually, most of the house has been painted, but I hired a pro for that, (Red Rose Painting, excellent!!). One job that I'm tackling myself is the backsplash in the kitchen, it was tiled in dull, black 2-inch ceramic. The kitchen gave you the impression that it was ringed with a rectangular abyss....very nasty. I've got one small isolated section done, it takes a total of 7 layers of primer, paint, and gloss finish. Today I started the main area, and I expect it to be done by Friday.

David and I have also built a custom workbench for my shop, (David built, I assisted) and I should be back to work by tomorrow! I can't wait, it's been far too long.

Before and after pictures of the kitchen should be ready by Friday or Saturday. Have a great week, everyone!

Practice with Layers

2010-02-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is multiple layers of thin acrylic washes that I've treated with isopropyl acohol to create the sort of shadowy circles.It reminds me a bit of an old tapestry, definitely has a 'textile' feel, I think.

Finished with Gloss varnish, 24 x 36, Gallery wrapped stretched canvas.

New Painting, Almost Done!

2010-02-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

A new acrylic painting, this one is 24 x 48 inches on stretched canvas. Although it appears distorted, that's because I haven't read up on how to avoid that effect when taking the photo...but I'll have to learn!

I think this needs a bit more work, but I'm happy with it so far! Have a good week, everyone!

Making Beads, Painting, Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

2010-02-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

That's about it for now, I'm getting back into the glass-melting groove, and working on two paintings. All is well. I'll be back with some pictures by late this week....have a good Tuesday, everyone!

Newest Painting!

2010-01-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

This is 24 x 30 inches, acrylic on canvas. "Headgames II" Hope you like it, I sure had fun painting it....

eBay....We'll See

2010-01-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

I've put a bead on eBay for the first time in months. The listing process was excruciatingly complicated, (they've changed a LOT of listing criteria). Once I moved over to IE it worked much better.

This is the bead, metal...glass....I'm a happy girl.

I'm Back Again, Sort Of...

2009-11-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hi, Mom! *waves* ("F-word alert. Read with caution!)

Just a fast update; I got home from Moscow, and then had a wee bout of bronchitis. After recovering, I headed off to LA for a few days, and then returned home, to find that my car was in trouble....I'd been driving it with no transmission fluid. (I did wonder WHY it was sort of staying in first gear...d'oh!)

In addition, I had a few frantic calls from my accountant, regarding my GST returns. Since my accountant has been doing those for years, I wasn't too concerned. *Ahem* It turns out that my accountant hasn't been doing those returns, and the feds are getting a teensy bit concerned. I called them and explained....and I had to ask why they would let this go for, like, three fucking years without, oh, I don't know...sending me a letter, or something?? First of all, the dude said that all letters had been returned. Hmmm. They had my address right. THEN he checked again and said that in the spirit of conservation, the government hadn't actually sent any letters, in an effort to save some trees....or whatever. So the letters that they never sent were returned, I guess. A neat trick.

It's not really a big deal, since I have all of my records, and I will no doubt be getting a hefty rebate, since few of my sales involve GST. That's the beauty of a global marketplace, dontcha know.

I'm making a gazillion shortbread cookies....I have to fill my gallery which is dead empty of my work....I have to do something for Molten Obsessions which I just found out about YESTERDAY, and I have to wade through three years of records to do my GST returns. Oh, and I think I'll be looking for a new accountant.

And my car? It was just a hose. My beloved old beater will live another day, thank goodness! (Although I was having some new car fantasies, sigh.)

Otherwise, it's all good!

Home From Fantastic Moscow, a Short Post

2009-11-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

I arrived home from Moscow last night, and I'm still a bit jet-lagged, so only one picture for now. This wonderful statue is one of 76 statues in the Moscow Metro station "Ploschad Revolutsii". The Metro is simply unbelievable. The stations are like museums; each has a theme, and some of them are simply filled with astonishingly lovely works of art.

This statue of a soldier and his dog is one of four similar statues in this station, you will notice that the dog's nose is shiny....because almost everyone gives it a gentle touch as they pass by; this is for good luck.

Moscow is an incredible city, and I was privileged to have a wonderful and thoughtful guide to show me so much in such a short time, (Thank you, Julia!!) I have lots of pictures that I'll be posting, but this is one of my favorites; a little Moscow doggy that everyone who passes by touches, and maybe loves a little bit.

My Second Day of Teaching in Moscow!

2009-11-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Today was my second day of teaching, (this is me with today's students), this has been such an incredible experience, with a very talented and patient group of students. For some reason, today I was a walking disaster...dropping hot beads on the floor, etc. Fortunately, no damage was done, and no one was hurt, at least not badly hurt, thank goodness.These wonderful people have a good sense of humor, and I'm grateful for that! One more day, and then I'll so some sightseeing and *ahem* shopping. Just a bit of shopping.

I'm in Moscow!!

2009-11-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

I arrived last night, safe and sound. It's very different here, and I'm a bit jet-lagged, but it's pretty incredible.

Just one picture for now; the view from my room.

More later!

A Really Great Weekend

2009-11-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Just had an incredible weekend of teaching. Seriously incredible. I'm beat, but man...I'm happy. Thanks to:

Bev, Melanie, Pam, Earlyn, Andrea, and Sue for being such a great (and fun, and friendly), group, you guys did difficult stuff, and you ROCKED it!! It doesn't get any better, seriously.

And Joanne, as always....you and your studio are a joy.

Now I'm going to have a beer and start packing for Russia. Have a great week, everyone!!

Teaching in Vancouver Tomorrow!

2009-10-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

As always, it's a joy to be teaching at Joanne Andrighetti's studio in Vancouver. It's the kickoff of a busy month for me, but since I adore teaching, I'm a pretty happy gal.

Next Wednesday I'm off to Moscow, home on the 11th, and then off to (Warm!!) and sunny California on the 20th.

Have a great weekend, everyone....I'm going to do my best to stay in touch.

To The Guy in The Escalade, in the Parking Lot, a Gentle Reminder

2009-10-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Dear tweaking teen driving your Dad's Cadillac abomination in the London Drugs parking lot. I have some hints for you.

If you want to take my parking spot, stopping directly behind me as I attempt to back out will make this a difficult task for you to accomplish. (Hint - It's a physics thing.)
Leaning on your horn will not allow me to magically levitate out of my parking spot so that you can have it.
Continually leaning on the horn, see point 2 above.
Laying some rubber, (a neat trick on wet pavement!) and then fishtailing away through the parking lot does not make you appear cool. It makes you look like just what you are, a young and wealthy meth-head. Wow. That sounds a bit judgemental, doesn't it? Sorry. My bad. You may have been using cocaine, not methamphetamine. You may have enjoyed a few cocktails. You may not be wealthy, you may just be an entrepreneurial automobile thief with a taste for gas guzzlers. (A true story; Mr. GW Bush once said that "The French don't have a word for entrepreneurial". You can't make this stuff up.)
Have a nice life. Given your propensity for levels of rage out of all proportion to the small events of life, I suspect that you'll enjoy a miocardial infarction sooner rather than later, so your life may be brief. (In all likelyhood, you'll have wrapped yourself around a telephone pole long before your health deteriorates anyhow, so don't worry about old age!)

Learning To Paint

2009-10-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to paint...always been attracted to the immediacy of acrylics. So I've been painting. Many of my paintings have been hideous failures, but the cool thing is...you can just paint right over them! It's a great way to learn; you know that you've had failures, they exist, but you can cover them up, and even turn the textures into cool features in the next painting.

This is my third finished painting, and since I have no expectations, being utterly untrained, I'm sort of tickled with it. Melting glass is my vocation, but this is going to be an ongoing process for me....I like to paint, I've discovered.

Heading For Russia (!!) Next Month!

2009-10-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm excited. Teaching in Moscow... ( with a spare day..or two, for shopping, WooHoo!!).

In other news: The recliner has arrived. I propose a metaphor regarding the recliner:

"A room filled with carefully selected, reasonably intelligent people (this would be my existing furniture...work with me here, okay??) has been invaded by a stranger.(The recliner.) He's big and burly, doesn't really fit in...yet he's handsome in a kind of Russell Crowe/unshaved yet, incredibly sexy fashion. (Like in "3:10 To Yuma". Swoon.). You think that you could love him, or at least 'pretend to love him', given time. A dirty job, but someone has to do it."

Needless to say, I'm going to have to change the carpets. I'm okay with that.

Gourmet Magazine is Closing

2009-10-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about this. I bought this magazine faithfully for at least 20 years, the writing was wonderful, the recipes dependable. Even when I lived in Frobisher Bay (as it was known when I lived there) on Baffin Island, I read Gourmet.

When Ruth Reichl took over as editor I was cautiously optimistic; I hoped that she'd update the magazine while keeping it's spirit intact. Instead she created a messy hodgepodge of a publication that I just couldn't warm up to, and I ceased regularly purchasing the magazine several years ago. (Except for the Christmas edition, always worth buying.)

I have dozens of copies of Gourmet from the 1940s to the 1960s, and I'll continue to treasure them.....but as for what Gourmet magazine has become, I can't say that I'll miss it. I feel for the staff, though; this must be dreadful for them.

Words I Never, Ever Thought I Would Write; or, I Bought a Recliner

2009-10-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

A bit of history; I have an abiding loathing for all things "recliner". I just think that they're horrid in general, and if they're made of leather, well then they're actual demonic abominations. No, seriously. Really not digging the recliner genre of furniture.

That's why I went out and purchased a leather recliner today, I guess. I'm a rebel against my own prejudices...a salmon swimming upstream straight to decorating hell. I'm a picky person when it comes to furniture, and I have a definite idea of what I want. (My style is eclectic; very personal and comfortable for both of us....our only ongoing issues have been my need to paint every single bit of visible wood a nice cream color...and my hatred of recliners. Other than that, we're cool.)

But here's the thing....my beloved has always wanted a recliner. He's pined for one; every year or so making a (plaintive, almost but not quite whiny) request. Somewhat bitchily, I've always denied him. Not that I don't adore him, but I didn't like the idea of having to projectile vomit every time that I viewed my living room. (Although from a weight-loss perspective....hmmm. Oh, well, too late.)

So in the past week or so, I've looked at at least a hundred recliners. God, some of them are awful. But I did find one that was actually....okay. It's bit contemporary for the room, but the colors are good, and I can make it work. Most important though, David loves it; it's really comfortable, and that's the most important thing, especially for a guy who works so hard, for such a horrible, incompetently run, soul-destroying corporation. (I'll say no more on that subject.)

The recliner that we ended up buying is the "Carlyle" from Lazy Boy. The picture above is the stock picture from the website....our chair will be buttercream leather, with very dark, almost black arms. It's ridiculously comfortable, and with a throw pillow or two, and/or a nice throw, it will look really good in the room, I think. So we're both happy, and I think that I've lessened my karmic load a bit, hopefully. (Doesn't really look like a recliner, huh?)

One More Thing to Check on Your Aircare Report!

2009-09-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

I had forgotten to mention this, but when you receive your report, DOUBLE CHECK the odometer reading!

When I looked at my results online, I was shocked to see the crazy variations on the odometer readings.....evidently they just plug in any number that tickles their fancy at the time. They rely on the driver to give them the odometer reading, and according to Aircare records, in 2003 my odometer read 699,000 kilometres. The next year, 2004, the reading was 175,000 kilometres. (I'm not perfect, but neither am I an idiot. I sure as hell NEVER told the "technician" that my odometer was at 699,000 kilometres!)

I'll have fun explaing THAT when I try to sell my car, huh? Yep....I spent that intervening year driving backwards for 525,000 kilometres....just to get back to the proper reading. (That's like circumnavigating the planet 13 times. In reverse. It was a hell of a year.)

Okay, so I'm being a bit facetious here....but it's another little lesson in the essential inaccuracy of Aircare records. Look (read from the bottom up) at the odometer readings carefully; and see what YOUR tax dollars are paying for in terms of Aircare accuracy. Not much. Give the "technicians" your odometer reading, and then confirm them when you get your report.

Oh, and for anyone tempted to use this information to point out that government-run programs are intrinsically faulty....Aircare is a private company. Our tax dollars pay for it, of course, but Aircare is not a government agency.

Okay, one final point. I'm sure that there are excellent Aircare employees out there. These rants aren't directed towards the employees in general....but this has been a "red flag" incident for me, and ALL OF US need to protect our interests in regards to these vital vehicle records. This kind of blatant, unapologetic falsification of vehicle records such as odometer readings is a big problem, even though it's probably just the result of carelessness. It needs to be dealt with swiftly, however.

More on the Aircare "Scam"

2009-09-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

(When you view this chart, pay attention to the dates on the left. Failed initial test, Sept 15th. My car was tested on the 16th at my garage, results were 9ppm. Retested at Aircare (with NO work done on the car, but at a different location) on the 17th. ppm=3.)

I had a conversation this morning with the head of "Customer Service" for Aircare. He had no explanation for the numbers on my tests (see above) except to reiterate that the testing equipment is utterly incapable of error, and that the fact that the technicians were horsing around during the test is irrelevant.

He flatly refused to refund my $23.00.

I informed him that I was unsatisfied with that response, and he said that the next step for them is to contact the garage that tested my car (and found it perfect). He grilled me as to the diagnostic equipment that the garage used. Well....yeah. I guess that MOST people have an intimate knowledge of the precise equipment that their auto mechanics use, huh? I don't. So they'll be contacting the garage, and then "informing me of their findings". He was stunned to hear that my garage charged me exactly NOTHING to test my car, and he questioned me on that point several times. Honest garages must be rare, but I've found one.

So I'm in a holding pattern, and at this point, my tentative conclusion and advice is this:

Unless you have a history of problems, or a known mechanical issue, Never believe or trust your Aircare results. Immediately go to another location for a retest. The results are NOT accurate. Innacurate results allow them to charge an additional $23.00 for retesting, and I have to wonder how many poor people take their cars to garages to have them checked....all for nothing. I highly doubt that there are many garages with the level of integrity of mine, so these people are no doubt paying for a useless diagnostic as well.

Any comments on my results are welcome, I've cropped only to remove my registration number, and the usual Aircare blather at the top of the page. I've circled the relevant "Fail" number.

More on My Aircare Story!

2009-09-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

I drive a beater of which I am very fond. And I live in British Columbia, in the Lower Mainland, where, if you own a car, you are forced to take it once a year to an "inspection station" to have the exhaust emissions, etc. tested. This is known as "Aircare", and I've never had an issue with it. Nor have I paid any particular attention to the results, since I've always easily passed. Note the past tense.

This year, I failed. It was a weird experience, because the "technicians" were rude the point of hostility, and while I was sequestered in the little room where they place you when they're testing I noticed that the guys were really having a hoot...laughing and horsing around. Totally unprofessional, and when I was brusquely handed my "Fail" result, I really examined the numbers for the first time. Things that make you go "hmmmmm". This wasn't just a fail....this was a spectacular fail! So like a good little environmentalist, I hied my fanny (and car) off to my friendly, much trusted local garage. Well blow me down and call me windy....they found my car to be just dandy, not a problem in sight. An easy pass. (These numbers were the "Idle Test" Hydrocarbons, results in ppm, or parts per million.)

The next morning, I went to the next town over to redo my test, since I didn't really feel like watching a troglodyte party for a second time in one week...and guess what! ANOTHER easy pass. With no work done on my car whatsoever. I promptly returned to the original Aircare location, and asked to speak to a manager. I spoke to an assistant manager, the only one on site. He was courteous, but utterly impotent in terms of explanation or help. He assured me that he "wasn't a mechanic" and thus couldn't explain the crazy numbers. He also assured me that the Aircare machines are perfect, and never, ever, ever make mistakes. That's never. I didn't know that any machine was so perfect, but apparently...Aircare machines are. Whoever makes these perfect machines should be fucking well building cars, not testing them! Because they're perfect!

So no doubt my car was temporarily demon-posessed....or something. 'Cause them thar Aircare machines...perfect. *Cough*. End of sarcasm.

Image, explanation of numbers, and more fascinating anomalies in the next post....(hint: Anyone in BC can now call up their test results online, going back many years! Everyone should do this!)

AirCare Scam? I'll Keep You Posted!

2009-09-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

This is ongoing, I'll post results, with images tomorrow. If you live in BC and have to have your car checked by AirCare....stay tuned.

Grrrrrrr.

Oh, For Crying Out Loud

2009-08-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be working. I AM working, but some things need to be done.

Holidays are Winding Down...

2009-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

But I'm anxious to get back into my "normal" routine. I'm working hard on my new tutorial, still trying to figure out how to get such a huge amount of information into a document that's not too unwieldy! I'm going to actually do a couple of mini-tutorials that will be attached to the larger one, we'll see how that goes. It's a labor of love, and I can't wait to have it done! (Target date: August 30th.)

I'm excited about seeing my brother and his family tomorrow, I'm planning a feast! I love cooking for people, and for me it's a treat to be cooking for seven instead of just two.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

2009-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Had a nice vacation at the cottage on Lac De Roches, but it's lovely to be home. Just a few pictures for you from around the cottage.....

Important Notice!

2009-08-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Just a fast note to let everyone know that I will be out of touch, off the grid, no email, no internet access etc. from

Friday August 7 - Monday August 17th

I may be back sooner, but I'm not sure. I'm going to suspend my listing on Etsy for the Chaos tutorial starting Friday morning, and I'll re-list as soon as I'm home.

Have a great August, everyone, see you in a few weeks!

Beads, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Taxes.

2009-04-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of a beady slump last week; in fact I spent most of the week on the couch reading Patrick O'Brian. I was a bit fluey, so that's my excuse. Anyway. This week I just felt like breaking loose and playing, so I made a crazily eccentric set of clear beads with touches of gold "Aurae" glass. We'll see how they do, they're headed for eBay later today.

I'm starting tomatoes and peppers from seed this year, and I've got a nice group of husky young plants, I think I'll put them out in the sun tomorrow for an hour or so.

I've finally got my taxes back from the accountant, and I dragged myself kicking and cursing to the bank to pay; today being the last day.....and I'm damned if I'll give Stephen Harper one penny of interest....grrrr. I'm in a suprisingly good mood, though, I've got a nice busy summer coming up, and then plenty of travel coming this fall and next year, woohoo!! I'm going to Moscow to teach, so that's pretty cool. Here's a few pictures for you....

What a Nice Day, Did my Taxes!!

2009-03-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

So can you sense the absolutely dripping sarcasm in my title? Seriously though, the anticipation of tax stuff is usually much worse than the actual job. David was working this weekend covering the Junos, so it seemed like a good time for me to get some long-delayed paperwork done.

Thus endeth the most boring blog post of anyone, at any time.

Back From California, and Back to Work!

2009-03-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic time at Scarab Glass Works in Fresno, and I was made to feel so at home with Susanne and Brad! (And Boris and Natasha, the lovely German Shepherds!). A delightful experience and a fantastic group of talented students!

Yesterday I had a great day on the torch, and I'm heading back today to try out some new ideas that have been percolating in my brain for a while now.

My back is improving, but I still have almost no feeling in my left foot....not good. I'm going to give it a week or so and see if it improves, it's not painful, but I can't walk normally.

Two Really Good Days

2009-02-18T20:51:00.000-08:00

I love it when melting glass is just fun, when I can just play. (Without third degree burns!) I'm putting some new work on eBay tomorrow, but I'm concentrating on gallery orders, and building some inventory.

Also....I'm getting REALLY excited about my trip to Scarab Glass in California next month!! I've never been to California....I can't wait. This will be fun!

I'm doing really cool stuff with metal in my beads; I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed with this, but it's what I have to do right now, so I'm following my muse...or spirit guide....or whatever critter is influencing me. My studio is so organized....so tidy, it's a good feeling to work in an orderly environment. Next project: My study.

Peace.

When you don't feel like making beads....

2009-02-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Clean your studio! Seriously, it was getting so bad, "stuff" was encroaching on my floor space slowly but surely; so I'm having what my Mom used to call a cleaning "blitz". I've bundled up all of the glass that I'm not using these days....POUNDS of Satake, at least a pound of boro, several pounds of reichenbach....geez.

It's actually fun, right now I'm going through my books and magazines....that's a tough one for me, because I'm loath to get rid of written material, but space is an issue. I think I'll have an evening of magazine clipping, and just keep the bits that I need.

So I'm having a productive day at least, and tomorrow I'll be back to bead making with a clean studio.

Peace, everyone!

Clear Glass. 104 COE. Nope, not happening.

2009-02-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

I posted a rant on a lampwork forum today, because I was really badly burned by a chunk of molten glass that attached itself to my 'upper' chest area. I mean really attached, in that I had to pluck the glass away from my flesh, and tear the skin.

I can't tell you how much this hurts....you sort of have to be there. The thing is; there is, at the present time, not ONE reliable clear glass in the 104 COE line. Not one.

Most soft glass artists get it....we've been fighting this battle for years. Just how hard is it to give us clear glass??? Suppliers give us endless "odd lot" garbage, (otherwise known as 'mistakes' that they suck artists into paying huge $$$ for), but they just can't seem to manage the one thing that we want, a dependable, compatible, non scummy/seeded with crap/bubbles clear glass.

Back on eBay, WooHoo!!

2009-01-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

I think that it's a good thing to take a break from the 'Bay once and a while, but it's a great feeling to be back!

I've had some of my wonderful customers emailing me just to see if all is well in Sherry-land and I can't tell you what a nice feeling it is to know that I've made so many friends in so many places. I'm pretty much back to 'normal' now, and looking forward to my upcoming trip to Edmonton to teach at Bedrock Supply. (Jan 22 - 27)

Email me for information about classes, and I'll send you a link to Kathy at Bedrock!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Finally, Back To The Torch!

2009-01-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Yep, yesterday was the first time that I've melted glass since November! Ack! And I gotta tell you, it felt fantastic! (Actually, it felt fantastic after the first ten minutes or so, when I had to sort of remember how it's done!)

I made focals only, and in fact I'm making focals today as well. I want to get at least a couple up on eBay, and I'll likely put one on Etsy as well. I'm continuing to play with metals, and I've got so many ideas to try out....metal in beads will be a continuing love affair for me for some time, I'm thinking.

Have a great, creative day, everyone!!

(Pictures on Thursday!)

Hmmm. Did I Sound a Wee Bit Self-Rightous?

2008-12-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

About returning the bracelet? Just so that you know that I do love me some nice stuff; I gotta tell you that while in Belgium I did buy myself a wicked handbag from this company in France:

http://www.jlfoures.fr/pages/jlfoures_en.html

It's one of the red ones *ahem* actually the biggest red one....and it was worth every penny. My friend Leo helped me pick it out, she said that it was right for me, and I trust her exquisite taste.

So there. Feet of clay....etc.

Off to Ikea!!

2008-12-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

So....we took the bracelet back to Tiffanys. It was so gorgeous, but I felt a bit weird about it. I guess it come down to this; I so appreciate the thought and love that David put into the purchase, but I'm not comfortable owning something so expensive, just because it's branded "Tiffany".

I'd rather we use the money for something that we can enjoy together, and I'd rather wear jewelry made by artists that I know and admire.

So having said all that....the Tiffany store....holy shit. It's just fabulous, filled with incredible items, and I'd highly recommend it as a place to window shop and drool. I saw a ring with a 5 carat (!!) diamond, the price tag was.....wait for it.....

$416,000.00

Maybe next year, LOL!!!

Definition of "Spoiled"

2008-12-25T21:28:00.000-08:00

Um...that would be me.

Badly, seriously spoiled this Christmas by my beloved David and family and friends. I won't go into details, so as not to sound greedy, but a Tiffany bracelet....the Bose Wave II that I've been craving, (with the iPod dock; OH MY GOD!! My poor eardrums may not survive!), cool stuff from my kid from her trip to Turkey, lots of books, including the ElBulli book and piles of other wonderful gifts; ....I am a blessed and lucky and good karma'd and just plain happy girl.

Thanks everyone, it's too much.

I'm Home!

2008-11-27T03:45:00.000-08:00

Flew in from Amsterdam yesterday at about 5 PM, after a fantastic teaching trip to Europe. I taught for four days in Leende, in Holland, and for four days near Bever, in Belgium. I've got tons of pictures which I'll put on my flickr in a few days, once they're edited.

I caught some sort of throat infection while I was away, (sorry to all of my students in Belgium for the nice hacking cough, sheesh!) and I saw my Dr. today who told me that my throat looked, and I quote: "horrific". My glands are so swollen that I look like a chubby chipmunk on bad steroids, and so here I sit....buzzed on cough syrup, antibiotics, and jet lag. It's almost 4 AM here, so I'm going to try to go back to sleep....wish me luck!

(Much more on my trip in due time, I need a few days to get feeling better.)

My Last Day in Europe,

2008-11-23T23:58:00.000-08:00

And I'm going shopping with my new friends from Germany and Russia.....Leo, and Irena....and Irena! We're going to Gent which is supposed to be a beautiful town, so I'll take lots of pictures.

I'm in Belgium Now....

2008-11-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

I've finished up four days in Holland, met some lovely people, and now I'm at Quinton and Griet's home in Belgium, having a great time!

I've not been uploading any pictures because, dork that I am, I forgot my camera cable. So I'll post pictures when I get home.

Be good, everyone!

Guess What I Found in Amsterdam??

2008-11-14T21:55:00.000-08:00

I found Mecca for lovers of my favorite shoes, Crocs.

I'm teaching my first class at Miriam's studio today, it's the Rolls Royce of teaching studios, that's for sure! I'll post some pics later today or tomorrow.

In The Netherlands!!

2008-11-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm here safe and sound and well rested, I had a great flight, and not much jet lag, thank goodness! I'm staying with Miriam who is hosting my classes, and I'm looking forward to teaching in her gorgeous new studio, and also to exploring this beautiful country.

As for pictures....I'm not sure if I brought the cable to transfer pictures from my camera! So I may not have any until I get back.

Still Packing.....

2008-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

I need to learn to travel light, evidently. My new best friend is my luggage scale! Ack!

Packing For Europe!

2008-11-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

I wonder how many people start their blog posts by saying stuff like: "Wow...it's been a long time since I wrote here, I PROMISE to keep up my blog...blah blah." I'd never say anything like that, nosiree bob.

Anyway. I'm off to The Netherlands and Belgium tomorrow, and I will try to post some pictures and so forth, can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this trip, and to meeting the friends that I've met online!

I took Buddy McDoggerson to his kennel this morning; as usual he got into the front seat and tried to hide....poor little dude! He know the gals pretty well though, so he was lured out with a treat and trotted off quite happily.

Good things:

1) - KLM has updated their fleet, and I'm flying on a brand new Airbus 330, which means that I'll have my own little TV screen, with a selection of more than 40 movies. Excellent!

2) - While ransacking my office in a fruitless search for my travel clock, David found a huge stash of Euros that I'd brought back from Italy! Excellent again! (Hmmm. I forgot to buy a travel clock. Tomorrow, however, is another day, and my flight's not until 6:30PM.)

3) I'm (more or less) packed, sort of.

4) I bought a new (Peter Robinson) novel for the plane; I had of course bought my book to read on the plane (Peter Robinson again; I'm hooked on Inspector Banks!) last Friday, but I read 'just one chapter' which turned into 'just ten chapters' etc....so naturally, I've almost finished it, thus requiring my additional purchase today. How's that for some convoluted English? Sheesh. I almost never read novels these days, but these are fun, they take place in the UK, and they don't feature annoying characters like those in Elizabeth George's novels. (I still read [and love] them, but Deborah St. James is starting to piss me off with her whining. Get OVER yourself, for God's sake. Too bad about Helen, though.)

5) Okay...that's it, except for one thing. Please remember to honor the sacrifice made by those who have lost their lives in war; tomorrow, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month; Remembrance Day.

Peace.

With Glowing Hearts

2008-09-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts With Glowing Hearts

Have at it, VANOC.

Sorry to be cryptic, I'll explain later. You can read about it here:

http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/4924

Grrrrrrrrrr.

Tempus Fugit, and all that.

2008-09-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Good grief, it's been a month. Had a great time in Oregon, and now I'm gearing up for Europe in November.....sheesh. For those whom I've been neglecting while in my 'hermit' stage, sorry...I will call you. Soon. A quick picture...do you guys remember "Earl" the luffa? He's huge, and I'm looking forward to harvesting my very own luffa sponge thingys as soon as he's 'ripe' or whatever. Here he is; I'll be back in a couple of days with some beady pix, I've been playing with a new idea, and it's almost good to go, woohoo!!!

(Okay....the Earl picture is sideways. Damn. I'll edit it and replace it later, right now I've got to get back to work!)

2008-08-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sneaking in one more picture, this bead's on eBay....I'm kind of in love with it.

A Drive-by Post, More Later!

2008-08-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd pop in, it's been a while! My Mom was here for a visit, and it's very lonely when she's gone. We had a great time, one of the highlights was a fantastic ride on "Chopper 9", the CTV helicopter. They gave us a great tour, it was a bit cloudy, so we didn't fly over the mountains, but we flew for more than an hour over the Fraser Valley, downtown Vancouver, and out to Horseshoe bay. It was amazing, thanks to my friend "Murman", our great pilot Derek, and of course my sweetie David who arranged it for us.

One picture as a teaser...more to follow once I get them edited. I'm torching today, it's finally cool enough to work without melting myself along with the glass!

Back Home After a Great Mini-Vacation!!

2008-07-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had a great time wandering around Vancouver Island with my best buddy; we met a friend who toured us around the glorious Comox/Courtenay area....I'd really like to live on the island. Then we headed to Victoria for a couple of days, and did a few farmer's markets, etc. It was fun to be a tourist for a change.

I'm still stunned with the response to the Chaos tutorial, I can't properly express my gratitude to everyone who has purchased it, and to the hundreds of people who have contacted me to let me know how much they've enjoyed it. All in all it has, and continues to be a wonderful experience.

I was back on the torch this week, and I've got a new set up on eBay, much more to come next week! Tonight we're heading to the James Taylor concert....I'm meeting David downtown, which means that I'm taking (gulp!) public transit! Not being snobby , by the way, it's just that because I work at home, I never really need to use the skytrain, so for me it's kind of exotic. I'll leave you with a few fantastic pictures taken from the rail of the ferry on our return trip on Sunday.

What happened was, I was hanging out at the rail on the top deck, enjoying the sun, and the captain announced some Killer Whales off the port side. I had to do my "boat think" for a few seconds.....("duh...., I think Starboard is right, so Port must be left um, where's the front, er, the bow?" etc. etc.....anyway, I seemed to be on the "left", so I stayed put). Anyway, there was a crush of people at the rail, and up ahead we could see some tails, but not really the whales. As we drew closer, my camera batteries died. Really. So a nice young guy with a kick-ass Nikon SLR took these pictures, and was kind enough to email them to me. (Thank you!!) So not my pictures.....but I was there! This was my first wild Orca sighting ever. One of the most amazing things that I've ever seen; it was utterly thrilling.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

I'm Out of Town,

2008-07-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

So if you're trying to reach me, it may take me a bit longer to reply. Tutorials will still be going out, no problem!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

My Internet connection was down!

2008-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've had a bit of a terrifying morning, trying to figure out why my internet was down, fortunately David managed to get me up and running again. If you've sent me an email, I will be replying shortly!

I've gotten caught up with tutorial deliveries, and have re-stocked my Etsy store. Sorry about that, folks!

Happy Canada Day!!

2008-07-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Making Beads!!

2008-06-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-06-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-06-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-06-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

Buddy McDoggerson is not well

2008-06-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-06-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

These will be on eBay later today!

Just a quickie, so to speak.

2008-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-06-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-06-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

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??

2008-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-06-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-05-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Man, did we get a lot done today. Went to Amsterdam Nurseries and got some Broom (ground cover) for the nightmarish hill in our backyard. Also got four really nice rhodos for the terraced area.

Cut the grass...blah blah. The yard is shaping up nicely though, so it should be pretty gorgeous by the time we're done.

Earl grew about half an inch today, the little dickens!

2008-05-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here is is, my baby luffa. (or Luffa aegyptiaca) for all you latin requiring plant-heads out there. Isn't he cute? (Actually, these plants are both "he" and "she", so I've got some pollinating in my future). I think I'll call him Earl.

2008-05-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling *quite* lazy today, did my shipping and shopping, and damn, it's hot out there. Not that I'm complaining.

So I started some fairly weird seeds a couple of weeks ago.....I really dig weird plants. (Get it??) But seriously, if I see a plant in a store that looks as though it came from Mars or something, I have to buy it. It drives David a bit crazy, so that's an added benefit.

Anyway. I started seeds for a Luffa. You know the luffas that you buy to use in the shower? Yep, it's a plant, a kind of gourd. It looks spectacularly hideous when mature, so it's basically right up my alley, plant-wise. I'll come back in a little bit with a picture of the baby plant. It's still in the cute stage. A scary thought.....when I'm away teaching, I'll have to leave it in David's care. Yikes.

2008-05-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lilacs are almost blooming!

2008-05-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

It's raining for the fifth day in a row, but it's supposed to be nice for the weekend...how very "un-Vancouverish"!

About my lilacs, when we moved to this house there was this scrubby shrub in the back yard that was not particularly lovely, in fact I almost yanked it out; but decided to wait until the following spring to see if it did anything interesting. So last spring, it gave me a lilac....one single lilac. Which bloomed while I was in Italy, so I missed it.

This year, it's got about 40 flower heads, and they're just starting to open, with that fantastic perfume that's my favorite flower smell........far better than roses, even. I'll take a picture within a day or two.

Lilacs always make me think of "Marjorie Morningstar", and the kiss she didn't get from Wally ...the poor sap. Have a good one, it's off to the beadatorium for moi!

2008-05-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Okay....it's been a long time since I've updated. Sorry 'bout that. So it's May in British Columbia....my lilacs are almost blooming...and I'm going to attempt to post every day. The operative word being "attempt".

I'm flying out on the 24th to teach a five day class at Red Deer College Summer School of the Arts, so I'm pretty pumped about that! I usually teach two-day classes, which are great, but sometimes I feel rushed, simply because I've added so many techniques to my original agenda that I now feel as though I have to drop some things. There is only so much time, you know? So five days is just heaven.

Cookies!!

2007-12-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

The other night I baked 440 shortbread cookies! Here's a picture of a few of them, I don't do fancy cookies, just nice basic shortbread. Everyone loves them though, even if they are a bit "rustic", possibly even a bit "tacky".

Sad News on the CBC, James Barber Has Left Us

2007-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

I just heard that James Barber passed away on Thursday. To me he was a Vancouver icon, a friendly and down to earth guy who loved to cook and to teach. He authored many delightful cookbooks, and had an honest approach to cooking, no frills or fuss for James!

He passed away while reading a cookbook....with a pot of soup simmering on his stove.

Goodbye James! I will miss you!

You can read a full story here: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/12/02/barber-tvchef-obit.html?ref=rss

Waiting for the Last Minute. Again.

2007-12-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

Why do I do this to myself?? Arrrggghhhh.

2007-12-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

SNOW!! ACK!!

2007-12-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yeah, I know that I grew up in Ottawa and in Winnipeg, and of course I lived in the Arctic (Baffin Island) for a while. But now I live in BC, the west coast of Canada, and damn it, it's supposed to be mild here. Snow should be an event...not a normal thing. So WTF???

Anyway. One member of the family who is loving the snow is Buddy McDoggerson the Wonder Dog. He hates the rain, when he has to go "pee-poo" (cute, huh?) he tippee-toes about on the lawn like some spastic Lippanzer stallion, trying desperately to not have his wee toes touch the wet, sodden grass. But snow....a different kettle of fish, so to speak. (not an apt analogy, but I'm doing my best. ) He loves the snow. So Buddy McDoggerson heads out onto the deck, and snarffles the snow with his nose...roles around in it, like a junkie who's found an Ikea ballroom filled with horse. He really just goes nuts, and it makes us happy, because he's basically a not very happy dog. He's tangled and challenging, but when the snow flies, he's just so into it, just a dog having fun.

I hope it snows every day.

We got the lights up today, btw, and they are awesome. Tomorrow the tree and the house stuff, and if it's still snowy and chilly, I think I'll have to bake bread.

This is Buddy McDoggerson, in the snow. This is as happy as he gets.

An Excellent Day!!

2007-11-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

A perfect Friday! I went to Fort Langley and met up with my buddy Cheri, aka "the other Cheri". We shopped a few of the galleries, and she took me out for one of the nicest lunches that I've had in years....a perfect little Ceasar Salad, a pasta dish, spaghettini with a creamy sauce full of seafood, and *ahem* a nice slice of a chocolate ganache torte, with whipped cream and a garnish of fresh strawberry salad.

I'm now in a carb coma, but I'm a happy gal! Off to bake cookies, and do a bit of rapping. Er, "wrapping", I should say. Perhaps I'll rap a bit too, we'll see.

Have a good night, everyone!

2007-11-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Below is one of my favorite pictures of Cypher with David. It was a mutual adoration society from the second they met.....Cypher simply adored David, and vice versa.

2007-11-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

Grocery Shopping. Hmmm.

2007-11-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ever go shopping intending to buy a few things, and end up spending almost 300 bucks? That was my day.

But I did get enough supplies to bake hundreds of shortbread cookies, so that's the plan for this evening, to get started with "cookie factory" 2007.

I remember my beloved first dog Cypher, It was 3 years ago that we adopted him. The second night that he was home with us was a cookie baking night, and I made the mistake of leaving cookies cooling on the counter. Sweet Cypher was an accomplished counter-surfer, as I learned in a dramatic fashion. He managed to hoover at least 40-50 cookies before I caught him. I panicked, because he had recently survived a severe case of bloat.

Anyway....he "got rid" of the cookies, poor guy, and he was fine. So making cookies always makes me think of my darling doggy who's gone to the bridge.

Wow. I've got learn to click "save".

2007-11-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

I had a nice long post, but it's gone. Damn.

Anyway, to sum up....good day...gallery took all my stuff....lunch with friend...no traffic...no dog pee when arrived home...happy happy good good.

Work tomorrow....shop again Friday.

Wish this blog wouldn't continually crash my browser...what up with that??? Ef-word spoken. Beer opened.

Night-night.

Okay, here goes. My very first blog-thingy post!

2007-11-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's a chilly Monday, and I'm trying to prioritize my time. Doing fairly poorly, since I'm writing here instead of making beads. I do have a couple in the kiln, though. I got to get in a few hours more of work, then shift gears and get some jewelry done to take to a gallery tomorrow.

I'm excited about my new website, which is more or less good to go, finally. David spent hours yesterday working on it, I can only marvel at his patience ....a quality that I lack.

This whole blogging thing is actually quite appealing. I hope that I can get into a nice routine with it, keep it up-to date, etc. We'll see.

Right now the guys are here cleaning the gutters, and Buddy McDoggerson is going batshit. He's very "high strung", and hearing people walking on the roof is not something he's used to, so all of his protective instincts have gone into high gear. Poor doggy, I'll take him for a walk later, although last week we saw a bear on our street, and that makes me a wee bit nervous. It was just a juvenile black bear, but I know that Buddy woudl become, shall we say, *interested* if he were to see said bear. I'm not sure what I'd do. One thing though, it'd make a hell of an interesting blog post.

Stay tuned.