I was thinking about the first out of state bead making class I ever took. It was a wild ride….I mean like literally. Susan Lambert called and asked if I’d like to take a beadmaking class with Jim Smircich. Okay. Although at the time I wasn’t sure I had heard of him.

Susan and I had met but not “hung out” – we had mutual friends. I was game – then she told me we’d have to go to Kentucky. Uh, alright – that sounds like fun. Both she and I were working full time…she an art teacher and me, I worked with the kids who didn’t quite make it in school and had already been arrested. Actually, our jobs required high energy output. Cool, I thought – kindred spirit and I could use some really professional lessons. We left for Kentucky after work one day and drove off to Kentucky.

It was an over night trip and we talked all the way. Instant bonding and Susan and I are still kindred spirits – as are so many of us in this crazy fire+glass=beads club. She was even kind enough to nudge her new friend when I fell asleep during one of Jim’s demo’s. I was fine as long as I kept busy but when it came to a late day demo I was fading fast. That was when I realized how much stamina Susan has compared to me. I’m good – but she had the cat-nap thing down to a science.

I’m not sure why I was revisiting this first “big name” instructor in my mind. Maybe it was because I was wondering where the constant references disappeared about puckering the ends of your beads. Jim was huge on heat control and getting the base of the bead correct before you moved on to the decorating part. Hey, he was a very good teacher for a virtual newbie. I still pucker my bead ends. I Googled puckered bead ends and up came tons of explanations and instructions for them. Here’s the one I like the best:

"Lampworking is the art of making handmade glass objects, such as beads. An accomplished maker of glass beads has the ability to create miniature works of art using a torch and different kinds and colors of glass. The hallmark of a high-grade, professionally made glass bead is its smooth, puckered bead hole openings, also known as dimples."

Read more: How to Get Puckered Ends on Beads for Lampworking

I like that. Jim taught us to be professional about our work. To create a standard puckered dimple on the bead ends so it wasn’t sloppy or sharp. Whoo Hoo – my friend Susan sure can pick ‘em and I’m glad she asked me to join her on our first adventure.

Now go forth and pucker!!! That's good advice and just in time for Valentine's Day.

It's February!

Holy Snow Storm Batman! I was going to put a photo here of some guys digging a car out and the snow was over their heads - but, it's not my car/ or my fellah. LOL

What I'm putting here is a Nasa photo of where I live from space with the storms swirling overhead. I live in the Mitten - appropriate isn't it? Luckily, we didn't get the blast that others got. We added a lot of inches (I'm in the center of that mitten) but compared to the Detroit area/lower right of that mitten and Chicago way to the lower part of that long lake on the left of Michigan we were spared. I can't yet get out of my driveway - the snow plows blocked the end.

Good reason to curl up, stay warm, list beads, and make quilts.

If you'd like to look at a Nasa photo of your area just click here.

Photoshop Elements Nine

I lent my old Photoshop to my daughter-in-law who was editing some photos for our album. Then, my computer crashed. DIL left with the Old PS to North Carolina just before my baby (aka the Laptop) went to a friend for hard drive wipe. The old PS was Elements 3 and old enough I couldn't remember when I bought it. So, I thought – Oh what the hell, I’ll spring for a newer version and get Elements 9.

For a good two weeks I wondered what I’d gotten myself in to. I’d look for familiar clues and although many were similar there were plenty that had long since been changed to new words or eliminated in later versions. Oh just shoot me now, my mind rambled in-between frustration (I’ll have to get the old version back and restore it) to despair (I’m about two notches above the local village idiot), and all the way to guttural anger (I’m an artist not a computer whiz – why can’t I just MAKE THINGS!).

Hallelujah, it passed!

I called to sign up for a Photoshop 101 class – damn if it wasn’t full with students. That’s when the guttural rage hit me since DH and I were the ones who suggested the class be offered to the adults at the local center and talked to the teacher (who was teaching children) and the Department Head who schedules those things. And there I was – I couldn't even get in the class. Not even if I brought my own computer, my own program, paid the same price, and only used electricity. I asked – teacher was totally willing – we know her and she knows I’m the silent type. Head down, work hard, and full speed ahead when I want to learn something. It was the Department Head who said “No, please sign up for the ‘wait-list’! Hell, the last time he needed people interested in a class he was delighted to let me sign up as as overload – LOL, I have my tool box and don’t exactly need all of their equipment to fabricate metal either.

Okay, I don’t like being told “No”. But then, I’m pretty sure no one else does either. I absolutely detest computer issues. Computer issues make me insane. And although I tend toward procrastination and firmly do not want to be the one to pick out the restaurant in a group I am anything but wishy washy and don’t like when people in power (usually the ones above me!) are that way. Do not tell me yes once and then get feeble minded and tell me no the next time. It just burns my buns. It also fires up my juices…..and in ten minutes I had the first photo edited.

That’s all I needed – a good challenge – a temporary call to arms. I’ll still go and buy a Photoshop for dummies book – I still don’t “get” a great number of the new bells and whistles but we’re moving in the right direction.

Should I roll this to Metal Fabricating Class?

Okay, I'm a tool Wh_ _e. I'll admit it and I probably need a step program for it but that's not going to happen in this lifetime. To organize the tools I need a place to put them and an organizational system in which I can find them. I have doubles of some because I couldn't find them and bought a second one. If this doesn't take care of that I give up! It should.
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Resolutions

If I could I'd say that I had made these great resolutions to fill January's postings with lots of conversation I would. Thank goodness that wasn't one of my resolutions (to blog more) because I'd of blown it big time. I did resolve to get my buns moving on my Etsy for Valentine's Day since I love hearts so much. Check out the Etsy shop.....bingo. Actually I have lots of subtle hearts all over my house but you'd have to look for them. Okay, that's one resolution I've kept. Now I just have to keep it going.

Winter - UGH! But it sure is a great time to redo studio areas and I'm hot at cleaning mine. Sooner or later I'll get a new photo for you of my new tool case....it's on wheels! And, it's nearly as tall as me...closed. Open, it's taller. Sounds interesting, huh? You'll love it and I'll fill it.

Work load willing I'll be back tomorrow...................

(((Hugs))) - Sharon

New Etsy Listings

Sorry for the absence - just been chalked full of busy busy....too busy. Here is a little eye candy while I work at wiping this hard drive and getting rid of my glitches. Don't you just hate computer problems? I started on the Sock Monkey series a while back and then the colors just smacked me one. OMG - to quote the popular silliness. Those are my high school colors.

Red and Gray...and we were called the "Bathers". Okay, now tell me that is not the most unique name you have ever heard. We were named after the local spa hotels that thought the sulphur baths were a cure all. We apparently had a lot of sulphur springs. There were places in town that just STUNK. But, that's where we got the name.

So here are my ode to the Bather's beads....LOL

Beadfest

Beadfest Philadelphia

I've been holding back until Interweave announced the line-up but here it is....Susan Lambert and I will be co-facilitating classes at Beadfest this year. I love doing that show, and we've done this before, so I'm delighted we have decided to do it again. We're in excellent company as usual.

We are very excited and one of our submissions made the first on-line press release!

This is the "Stone-Faced" bracelet we'll be teaching and the other one is a great upcycled belt bracelet.

Great way to start 2011 !!!

Happy New Year

First, let me thank everyone for a wonderful 2010. My friends and customers have been an amazing source of inspiration, support, and a really warm woobie when I needed one. No one could ask for anything more. I’m a lucky gal. Just this week my buddy Mallory Hoffman mentioned me in her blog along with lampwork artists I adore. It is an honor.

While reading Mallory’s blog, Patty Lakinsmith's blog, and others I have noticed a – dare I say it – TREND – for the end of this wonderful year. Many artists have picked a word to aspire to for the coming year. Mallory chose the word “detail” (it’s a quality I have in obsessive abundance). Patty was far more loosely defined. She said if there were a word she could relate to it might be the word “release”. Those are very two great words and very diametrically opposed IMHO (in my humble opinion). I would frequently like to release my temptation to detail beads to death – but, the “devil is in the details” and often they can make a humble bead look pretty grand.

I’m not sure I have a resolution or a specific word to aspire to. At least I hadn’t thought it over much until I was perusing my favorite blogs. When I thought it over I could only come up with habits that ought to be ousted for 2011.

Uh, I know better than to frame my thoughts this way. You shouldn't dwell on what you don’t want to be doing. The best way to gain or replace a non-productive habit with a better one is to concentrate on framing it positively. For example there is the old stand-by: Replace I need to lose weight – with – I will get healthier this year. It is so boringly simple but the plain truth is everyone needs to surround themselves with positive thoughts to reach their goals, positive thoughts and positive/ supportive people.

I bet you are wondering what my positive phrase will be.

Mostly I think if I narrowed it down to one word – maybe it would be “focus”.

This year I should focus on finishing the project at hand. When I work on something it will often reach fruition in my head long before it reaches completion in my hand. That very inspirational “Ah Ha” is enough to stop me cold and I put the piece on a shelf for another day. I can only guess it’s like a scientist who finds his theoretical mathematical solution and has no need to see it’s application put into practical use. He knows the solution and THAT is enough. What an absolutely rotten habit to have – couple it with procrastination and sometimes I can be like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince to swoop in with a magical kiss. Yup, that’s me – laying there in total stagnating bliss with a smile on my face. Here prince, here prince. (Note: All my animals are female – prophetic, huh?).

So, for 2011 – Happy New Year!! – Sharon will be focusing on the finish line.

Poop

That poop thing is an acronym for: propane/oxygen/oxygen/propane. It's how we turn on and off a metal smiths torch. Today is the rest up day from the holiday. It's also the day I wanted to do a whole bunch of torching but one quick trip down to the studio rendered that useless. I'm out of propane....that makes it poop in more ways than one. Tomorrow I'm on a mission to fill up the darn thing. Nope, I don't switch them out. I have a 40 pound pristine propane tank so I take it to be filled. Sorry this won't be a long post. I'm trying out an I-Pad and it's got a learning curve to it. I think I'll stick with a regular keyboard.

Best Wishes and I hope your Holiday was a wonderful one!

May I borrow a cup of sugar?

The Pioneer Sugar Plant in Sebewaing, Michigan

One of the sugar beet conveyors to pile the beets (there were about 10 of these).

Maybe there were more than 10 - look at this number.

Sugar beet city block!

The plant being obscured by the mountain of beets in one of the "blocks"

I'm doing lots and lots of baking for the holiday...who doesn't. Doesn't matter what the holiday is - which religion - or mostly which one you're celebrating. They all go great with tons of goodies that a laden with SUGAR. Okay, so I don't bake as much when the the kids were little but every once and awhile the bug just bites and off I go...like now.

There's nothing like passing a HUGE reminder to purchase enough sugar for your baking either. I think I've mentioned before that on the way to our family physician we get to drive through a large farming section on the "thumb" of Michigan. In in this section they primarily grow corn, potatoes, and sugar beets.

Sugar beets aren't much to look at. It's not like sugar cane which has a great visual factor going for it. Beets are a root plant that look quite a bit like, uh, cow pads. They're huge, dense, and heavy. That part probably isn't like the cow pads - just the size.

On the way to the doctors we pass through Sebewaing, Michigan. It's an interesting little town with a major employer - Pioneer Sugar. I'm sure it's not their only plant but I find it fascinating to see. Mostly because I have never seen so many sugar beets all in one spot. Now think about this while you are baking this year. Around this plant there are these rows of sugar beets that are brought in by double long, open top, semi-loads. Now, imagine that load being about like 10 feet wide and 30 feet tall when it's dumped. When you look at these photos of the beet piles - they are about a block long and about 30+ feet tall. And, there are about 50 rows like that. It is like a city of sugar beets. I wish I knew how much sugar that makes but it has to be a lot.

Today when I make some sugar cookies I'll be thinking about little Sebewaing and their sugar plant. Now maybe you will too! Get baking...