Ready....Set.....GO!

Yesterday, I packed this:


....into a box....



....and sent it on its way...


My very first package to a publisher.

I can't really share the details yet, but I will, soon, I promise. My hope is that this first package signals the beginning of many, many more packages to publishers in the time to come.

Many thanks to Kerry and to Cindy for their encouragement and help.

Ideas

Maybe this post will be somewhat of a tease. I have SO MANY cool ideas right now....but I can't share them just yet.

Bracelets, earrings, necklaces...ideas from ancient Greece and Rome and old Celtic symbolism...all very cool stuff. I promise I'll share, as soon as I get to a point where I can do that.

For now, though, enjoy some of these:
Egg earrings...


Farmer's Market charms....in the Etsy shop (as soon as I finish posting this!)


And Tea With Honey and Lemon...


It's raining like crazy here today, so no photography. I should probably get a few more necklaces and things done today, and work on those top-secret ideas of mine.
Heehee...enjoy your day!

Every day I count wasted...

"Every day I count wasted in which there has been no dancing." -- Friederich Nietzche



I used to be a dancer. This video just strikes a chord in me...the performer, the entertainer, the dancer, the joy in moving.

I would LOVE to be part of a flashmob dance some day. So very cool!

New Stuff Day!

I've been working on some new things....bought a ring mandrel from Jeanette at Fundametals, and have been trying it out!
The third one from the left is my absolute favorite in this bunch. I did learn a few things doing these, though....one is, half-hard wire is NO FUN to try to work this small with. It really just does not want to spiral and bend easily. I have no dead soft, hence the trials with the half-hard. :(
I also learned that I need three hands for getting a ring started on the mandrel! I hope that improves with practice.

I'm keeping this one for myself.

Another thing I am working on is my birthday necklace. I'm turning 40 next month, and I am planning to make myself a necklace that is symbolic of my life thus far. I've already started working on the beads for it, but here is a quick shot of my sketchbook with some of my ideas.

I'll show more pix as I get more of the necklace done, and tell you the whole story about it in a few weeks. My birthday is April 22, the very first Earth Day, and even though I am rather bewildered by the fact that I am turning 40 (HOW did I get to be 40!?!), I'm actually starting to be okay with it. I think.

Happy Spring!!

Still working.....

The weather here in Virginia has been truly sublime the past few days. After a much harder, snowier, and colder winter than we have had in years, spring is welcome relief. I gathered all my metalworking tools, wire, beads and everything I thought I might need and went out on the deck in my bare feet to bask in the warm sunshine and do some creating.

I'd like to thank the glorious sunshine for these new creations:


In other news, the show I did yesterday wasn't so terrific. Boo! The saving grace was the beautiful weather, though, and some cool fellow vendors. I'm gearing up for the summer market season, which opens around here on May 1.

Until then, I will be listing at least one new item every other day or so in my Etsy shop. Go and check out the new things I am making! Everyone needs something new and colorful for spring!

Don't forget to become a fan of A Hot Piece of Glass on Facebook, too!

Working....

This is part of my workspace. In our house with five people in it, space is always limited. My glassworking stuff is in the laundry room, next to the washer and dryer. My kiln for batch annealing is in the garage, next to my husband's workbench, on which my metalworking tools and equipment now live. The office (really part of our garage converted into a room) is home to not only our home office, but also my sewing machines and other textile fun and games. And in the corner of the kitchen, next to the fridge and near my laptop on its stand, is my jewelry-making stuff. I call this corner of the room my Command Center, because I do spend a fair amount of time here, either on the computer, cooking in the kitchen, or making jewelry.

I can't really complain, though. I am lucky to have the space that I do. We won't discuss the ginormous sewing and craft room I had a few years ago in this house...it's now my eldest daughter's bedroom, because her room was given over to Wren, and Wren gave up her room for Noah. All the bedrooms are taken now, so I have spread out all over the house. I think the only thing that is slightly difficult is that I can't put hot beads right into the kiln as I work them, because my husband, as supportive and wonderful as he is, put his foot down about my running even my teeny kiln inside the house. :)

Anyway, I keep saying we need a 5 bedroom house, or at least one with a basement, but I do not want to move. Nope. I love this house, even as I peruse the real estate ads on Sunday mornings (it's a habit I think I acquired from my dad, who's always looking). Someday, maybe, we'll have a big house in the country on ten acres of land, but for now, I still make pretty things all over the place. And I'm fine with that.

Spring schedule is shaping up...

It looks like my first art/craft show of the season will be this Saturday! I'll be out at Saturday Stroll in a spot next to Quirk Gallery this Saturday from 11am to 4pm. It's the first time they are doing this show, so I hope it will be great! Either way, it's a nice opportunity to hang out downtown and the weather is forecast to be AWESOME (sunny and 70)! So, if you're local, come on out and say hi and support your local artisans!

After that, there is tentatively a show on April 18th that I might be doing. It's the Richmond Craft Mafia's spring show, and they haven't sent out acceptance letters yet, so I don't know if I am going to be there!

In May, my favorite farmer's market gets underway....The Market at St. Stephen's...and I will definitely be there from 8am to noon on May 1, 8, and 22. The market is going to be bigger and even better than last year, so come on out! I particularly love this market for its mission and for its wonderful community.

So, that's the spring schedule as I know it so far....I'll definitely keep everyone updated on the happenings as things get going!

I think I am going to be busy in 2010!

Savoring Saturday

Just a look at some of what is making me happy right now....

More Fire!

Yesterday I spent an extremely enjoyable day learning how to enamel on metal using a torch. Woo! More fire-intensive fun for me! I was lucky enough to get a spot in Barbara Lewis's Torch-Fired Enamel class, which was held yesterday in Reston, VA.

Aside from the fact that I dread driving around Northern VA these days, it was a terrific experience! I got to meet and chat with so many interesting and creative people, including Barbara herself. I also happily got to sit next to, Cindy Wimmer, of Sweet Bead Studio, one of my favorite jewelry designers and wireworkers. Lori Anderson was there, too, hooray! The one person I had SO hoped to meet, Kerry Bogert, wasn't able to make it due to family needs. I was sad, as I have been wanting to meet her ever since I discovered her work about a year and a half ago. I even had her new book with me, all ready for her to autograph! (I'm such a fangirl, I know) Good thing I'll be going to the ISGB conference in July; I'll get to meet her then, as I am from the same city she lives in, where the conference is being held -- Rochester, New York!

Anyway, the workshop....FANTASTIC! I learned so much, and I got to make quite a stash of enameled beads and charms. Here's a shot of the group of beads and things that I made:


Jeanette Blix (of Fundametals) and Cindy Wimmer were the organizers, and they really did a spectacular job. There was coffee and coffee cake, they arranged for a yummy lunch, the location was great, and there was plenty of room. It was really easy to relax and enjoy the class. I highly recommend any workshop these ladies put together. In fact, there is one listed on the Fundametals site right now that looks REALLY interesting, and has two open seats left. Check it out!

I did, of course, make myself something right away with some of the beads. I've been wanting a chunky, noisy charm bracelet for a while, and last week, I started putting one together. Some of the enameled beads I made were perfect for this bracelet:


I love it!

I can't wait to make more things using these really awesome beads....and make more beads!