Kim Fields

Got home late last night from a two-day Kim Fields class. Having Blue Moon Glassworks in Austin is a double-edged sword: I get to take from some of the very best bead artists, but I stay broke!

This class was on sculptural birds. We made a transparent beginning-of-the-class bird, an owl, a pudgie, and a bunting. Here's a photo of the owl steps - it's really nice when the beadmaker provides this kind of reference:



My owl came out pretty good, and my "gift" from the class was the owl that Kim demonstrated. I think I'll make it up for Tony because it's one of those few beads that can work as a "guy" bead. And, here's Kim working on it....



I'll try to get my ass in gear to get a couple of pictures of the ones I made, although the bunting is still at Blue Moon. Also, Jim is really good about posting pictures of the class beads, and you can see the ones everybody made, so if I don't get them up go check out Blue Moon for photos. Now, I need to get my butt up off this chair and go make beads!

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

but not with pictures of beads. At least not from my camera. The last few days have been completely nuts, so very few beads made Saturday, and absolutely no photos.

I'm off to Blue Moon in a bit to start a class with Kim Fields - my camera battery is charging right now, promise.

More later!

Bead pixs soon....

Good Saturday at the torch; pictures to follow.

Big honkin' beads

I’ve been reorganizing/rearranging the bead room a bit. It’s just so hard to find space for beads, books about beads, a table to use to photograph beads….and what’s really ironic is that beads – even the “honkers” – are really little ol’ things. Can you imagine if my hobby was cars?





Here are pictures of the two biggest (I think) beads I own. The purple one (a whopping 3.25 inches long) is by Jennifer Geldard (to the best of my memory…) and the red/purple one (over 2 inches long and more than an inch wide) is by Michelle Waldren, who STILL doesn’t have a website, but does have an Etsy shop.

What's funny is that 3" really doesn't seem that long - but when you see a 3" long bead...wow.

At last the weekend

The weekend again. I’ve really enjoyed working a modified flex time schedule over the summer. I was able to work 9-hour days, which “earned” me an afternoon off, and then work from home on Friday mornings. The upshot is that one blissful day a week I didn’t have to make the daily commute. I always get up early, so I could make coffee, feed the girls, and be on the computer by 6:30 or so. Which means that I could be through with work by 10:30 or 11 – and the rest of the day was mine. Alas, that’s not an option once the kids come back….It’s truly amazing how much longer three days feels than two….Anyway, gotta torch my butt off tomorrow. I have the Kim Fields class next week, and sometimes the first day on the torch isn’t particularly productive following a class….

Austin Bead Society Bazaar

I’m gearing up a bit for the Austin Bead Society Bazaar . The website says it’s the 18th ANNUAL – I’m not sure if they’re not counting last year or not…as they didn’t have one. Anyway, it will be at the Palmer Auditorium, which I think will be good. The first year they had it on Labor Day Weekend I thought they were nuts – but it was the best crowd ever. And, Saturday is also the first UT home game (yawn) so that usually ups the traffic. Maybe husbands stay home in front of the TV (YAWN) while the little ladies shop? Although as the husband-unit pointed out people will have to purchase parking – so maybe plan on carpooling if you can. I’ve made quite a few beads since the trunk show, and will of course have patterns for you to peruse….hope to see you there!

Just a blah blah update....

Almost finished with the special orders. Realized I had run out of one color of glass that I needed, so had to make that reorder. And of course that one color turned into $150 worth of glass! LOL I’m also working on one order that requires a special-sized mandrel, and rather than buy one (or two) more at a whopping $15 each, I’m just making one a weekend. Beth said she wasn’t in any hurry, so I’m taking my time (and taking her at her word).

So, Saturday was spent torching, Sunday was spent with my arms above my head, taping and floating the ceiling. To say I ran out of energy quickly would be an understatement. And it wasn’t even that hot. I think that what did me in was climbing up and down (and up and down and up and down) the ladder. I could only do a small area at a time without climbing down, moving the ladder, climbing back up, etc. Ugh. Too old for this shit. Oh well. The ceiling will look clean and pretty good, if not perfect. Although I will say that we hired a guy to do the dining room ceiling, and mine looks at good as his – and MUCH cheaper!

More home moanership woes

Got to work on the torch Saturday – special orders almost finished up. I had run out of a specific color of glass for one of them, so now I have to wait for that to come in. That’s okay – I LOVE getting packages in the mail.

Sunday was spent tearing down more sheetrock/putting up new sheetrock. Joy joy. I’m aiming for the end of August (hopefully) middle of September (conservatively) for me to have a living room to walk into where I don’t immediately shudder. The sheetrock probably won’t be taped/floated by that time, but it will be clean. Wish me luck!

Poblano mashed potatoes

I’ve been cooking a lot more lately, mostly because Tony has taken over most of the weekday cooking chores. Well, okay, I can see in re-reading that sentence that it doesn’t make a lot of sense. What I mean is that I’m cooking more real food when I DO cook. I actually make pork loin last weekend, with poblano mashed potatoes. Would you believe I had to go out and buy a roasting rack because I didn’t have one? See – told ya I didn’t cook much! And, yes, it was yummy.

Poblano Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 lb baking potatoes; peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 1/2 tb salt (for water)
1 c sour cream
1/2 c olive oil
4 poblano chiles, roasted and seeded, diced about 1/4"
Salt; to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a sauce pan, generously covered with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered until soft, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well and while potatoes are still warm mash with a potato masher or food mill. In another pot heat sour cream, olive oil and chiles; fold into potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Yields 4 to 6 servings.