Last Time

I'd show you pictures of what I've made at the torch recently, but.....I can't. In my hurry to get the headpins annealed (it's a BIG fistful of headpins now -- I made even more!) so I could make something with them before the autumn was over, I shoved them all into the kiln, along with the cool ivory-black-olive dot beads and the teeny tiny hedgehog and fired them all up.

They're annealing as we speak.

My little Evenheat HotBox kiln is probably batch annealing in my garage for the very last time.

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WOOHOOO!!!!!!!

Why am I so excited about this?

Because on or before November 1st, The Glass Hive will be shipping me my new kiln!

I ordered a Wide Guy kiln way back in February of 2010. Yes, a year and a half ago. The Glass Hive has a fantastic layaway program, which I took advantage of, since putting together the entirety of the cash for the purchase was going to be difficult. With my last show, I finally was able to make the last payment, and now my kiln is being built!

No more babysitting the kiln. No more running out to the garage to check the temp and make minute adjustments with the infinite controller. No more being bound to the house while the kiln runs. No more waiting for a full bowl of beads to be made, and then trying to find a day when I don't have to go anywhere so I can run the annealing cycle.

No more making fabulous beads, and then not being able to use them right away.

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! Of course, I have to figure out the logistics of where to put the kiln and my torch stuff so I can work and put beads directly into the kiln, but that's minor. :)

Soon....soon....I can hardly imagine what it will be like to fire up the kiln, fire up the torch, make my beads, put them directly into the kiln, and let the kiln complete it's cycle with no intervention from me, and then stop all by itself. Beads will be ready the next day, no more waiting.

Can you tell I'm thrilled!?