Prepping for the Bead & Button Show

Four more days available to do everything needed before I leave for the Bead & Button Show. A little sense of panic begins to invade my space. Here's my reality: I sleep in my living room in a hospital bed because I can't get up the stairs. My usual studio space is up those stairs or down a couple of steps in the sunroom glass studio. I haven't made it up the seventeen steps to the second story yet, but I did get out to the glass studio today by the roundabout route.


I used the walker shown above (see the platform for my right forearm, since I can't put weight on the right hand yet?) to go out the front door over a couple of low steps down. It's safer than letting my husband try to get me out in there in my wheelchair. Then I transferred to the wheelchair and he pulled me backwards over the new decomposed granite path around back (large wheel first is easier over uneven ground). Then he brought the walker around as well, and I could move around the studio. Perched on a tall stool, I cut glass tiles and molds for my students, then ground edges on the molds. It felt so good! And it made me want to spin around and try out the torch.


Yesterday I spent the entire day making tear-aways, reworking my procedure since I was having some issues with poor transfer. So today I have a collection of materials to pack. Check those off the list. Well, I did finish the copper electroforming handouts as well, a time consuming task.

Today I was very productive. Besides the glass work, I made new metal clay pieces for a Garden Window pendant. I need samples at various stages, including fired but unassembled. They're in the kiln now. I edited my handout for that class. And I packed tools and supplies I need for the two classes I'm taking: a glass casting workshop with Susan Lenart Kazmer and concrete for jewelry with Robert Dancik. Two of my favorite teachers, so I should be filled with inspiration before I start teaching.

If you're coming to Bead & Button and have Wednesday free, there are still a couple of seats in my class available. Or just come say hello.