Al Janelle's Class

Was a rockin' good time. Got to see some of my most favorite people - Leslie, Jan, Amy, Antoinette, the two Vick-ies (they spell them differently, darn it!)...I know I'm forgetting somebody...anyway, a great time. And lunch Saturday was from EZ's - their poblano chicken sandwich is absolutely to die for. Jim grilled for us on Sunday - sausage wraps for breakfast, hamburgers/hotdogs for lunch. I think I always gain 2 or 3 when I'm there for the weekend.

Al shared lots of secrets - he's really the guy who came up with a lot of these canes in the bead world. Before that, they were pretty much in the purview of the hot glass shops. I totally love making complex cane anyway, and I definitely learned some new tricks. My only problem is that I can sit and make these all day and be perfectly happy - but I wind up the day with no beads to sell! Life is a balance, right?

It's quiet in the bead world

It's just been quiet in my bead world. I have been on the torch only one day a week, which, trust me, is not much. It basically means that I have time to 1) play, OR 2) produce. And, as playing is much more fun....well you get the idea. Need to think about the fact that I have a bead show coming up in a couple of months, I guess.

It's my weekly drive-by!

Seems like all I can muster right now is once a week - it will improve again, promise. Just got to get a few things off my plate. (Yeah, right.) Getting this in quick before I go outside to pack away lawn chairs, hoses, etc. etc. Anything that can blow away. Of course what will happen is that I'll pack everything away and Ike won't come near. That would be good news, though, yes?

I received a lot of new glass a couple of weeks ago - used some of the new purples - yum! Will take photos this week and get them up. What you get today is a little scroll bead - Triton on Canyon de Chelle.

September is NUTS!

Yes, I know, lots of silence. September at UT is beyond crazy. I go home at night so tired I don't know which end is up.

But, I had to check in for a second because I'M TAKING A CLASS FROM AL JANELLE later this month! I can still hardly believe it! Al has been absent from the bead world for a while...I got to know him a bit the year I was publicity chair for the Austin Bead Society, and that's been - gee - I don't even remember how long! Anyway, thanks to Jim and Rose Berry's hospitable shop and attitude, Al's decided to teach again. It's an entire weekend of twisties (yes, I know that wouldn't excite everybody, but twisties are one of my favorite things in the whole world to make - I don't even always use them in beads!). Here's a pic:



And here's another goddess:



One of the things I love about this goddess is that the glass I used is called Heffalump (don't have a clue why) and that's one of the many nicknames we have for Daisy-dog.

Won't get to torch this weekend, have to work. A victim of my own success, my boss says....LOL So, TA training for UT Signature Courses.