In other news ...

Greetings Loyal Fans and Followers,

Well as soon as one proclaims 'I'm Back!' things start to happen.
'Things' have subsided by now and I am indeed back, making lovely 5mm BHBs that I intend to core as soon as I get some of that sterling tube that is needed (European supplier links would be apreciated, thank you), and one of these beadliners which I haven't actually ordered yet, but will as soon as I know my inner dimension.

I have also not yet ordered a kiln, even though there are money in the bank for it. The problem is of course: 'What if I choose one that does not fit my needs in the future?' but in reallity I have my heart set on this little number from Uterm.
I like it because it opens up in the middle, I can drive there to get it (although it will take a full daytrip to do so) so in case of problems I don't need to cross continents to get it fixed, and finally - the swedish krone is deliciously low these days.
All I really need to do is 1) check if it runs hot enough for PMC, 2) Ask if the price listed is still valid, 3) Ask if I can get a Danish plug on it, 4) order the darned thing already!

And in other news - I have taken steps, serious steps, in honour of my chosen word for this year, 'change'.
For some reason I have recently been sucked into a couple of Danish self-development blogs/sites, and when one of them offered a 12-months course, and I realized I had a way of paying without hurting the family budget ... Well, I signed up right there.

It's a course mostly online (Phew!) by Sofia Manning, a very respected coach in Denmark, and her crew. She normally only teaches people to be coaches, she stopped taking personal people some time ago, but decided to do this tele-thing along with Mette Holbaek, also coaching, in more businessy topics. The course will teach us to use little daily fears as a springboard, rather than letting them stop us in having a great and accomplished life. Sounds great? I think so.

I already got the first assignment, to write down what I feel is stopping me at this point. Gosh, it's so depressing! No, I'm not actually depressed, it's just no fun sitting here thinking about all of my shortcomings at once (like decisionmaking, look above). I also get to write about the life I want to lead when the course is over, which is both fun and slightly depressing too, since I get to think once more about all the things I don't master today, that other people seem to be great at.

So in one years time, you may expect a new me :) Well, 'expect' might be a little much, but I have high hopes, since after all, something must rub off when contemplating things for a whole year, don't you think? Anyway - it is going to be fantastic and very interesting, as I have never done or even read about self-development before.

P~
(Go me! just for signing up)

Thank you, Dayjob!

My glass adventure have just had a financial infusion!
Once a year, when the book-keeping of my workplace is done, all employees get to share part of the profit. It is a wonderfull thing, and we (boyfriend and I) have decided that we get to keep the money, each for our various hobbies, in stead of plunging them into the bottomless abysses known as 'Fund for Restoring the House' and 'the Budget of Daily Housekeeping'.

This means that nothing more than my own head is stopping me from buying a kiln! Yay!

My head however, can be quite a challenge occationally, but I'm working on that. So thank you, Dayjob, and also thank you to BF who divided the loot equally between us, instead of counting pennies. *Smootchies* in your general direction ;)

P~

I'm Back!

After almost 2 months of being burnt out and very inactive on the bead front, much as described here: Robert Genn: Post-Show Blues I am back! and ready to melt some glass.

On the Webglas group, in April the challenge was to make hollows, and I have indeed made a few of those. I have only attempted hollows once before, and it didn't go too well, but ... it is a fun technique after all :)

My shaping of the hollows is not like the ones I am used to seeing (round or donutty), mine have a bit of a bicone shape going on, but I will work on that. There are amusing posibillities in the bicones, so I will have to explore that as well.

I am quite happy to be able to make such large beads, and I look forward to being able to decorate them at some point when I get more control of the process. My only decoration so far has been silverfuming which is a look I really love, both when I make it web and when I keep the lovely brown colour.

I should probably post a pic or two, but really they aren't that special. Well, they are 'special' all right, but I think I will wait untill I have something worth posting. You loose a good deal of your skill when not using them for an extended periode of time, and I can feel that. I'll be back in no time though, as soon as I get a few hours of torch time under my wings again :)

P~

Profusion Art Glass V2 Uploaded

I have just uploaded a new and improved version of my website.

I decided that having Danish and English words together didn't work for me, so I have split them up and made two seperate, but very similar sections.
I have even build my own shop in the Danish section (keeping my Etsy shop in the English section), using paypal buttons. I have never used these before, so please let me know if you find that something is wrong with them.

And now, off to the site: Profusion Art Glass

P~

PS: I have also launched a new blog. It will be used for announcing news, changes and updates, and anything else pertaining to the site. For each announcement there will be 2 posts, one in English and one in Danish.
It is not much of a visual treat so far, as I have tried to make it as much a part of the site as possible. Pictures will come though, as I soon as I upload new pictures to the site.

I'm featured!

I just noticed that I'm this weeks featured Englebasse, with my name on the frontpage here.
I don't know for how long, so hurry on over and have a look at the group :)

Apart from that, the whole family is home this week for easter vacation. You would think this would be a relaxing time, but then you'd be wrong :)
While I do get to sleep in, I make up for that by staying up even later than usual every night. And we have been cleaning house like madmen, partly because we needed to, but also because my girl Anna had her 6'th birthday yesterday, and we had my family over for dinner. It is much nicer here now :)
Here is Anna, cutting the beautiful cake made by my sweet sister



As for beady news, I haven't got any. I haven't made a bead for over a month now, and I don't know what is holding me back. I do miss torching and yet I do not simply go down and torch. It is very odd.
I think I may be planing, though it is all very airy so far, based mostly on my wish to improve in every way possible :) For tonight I shall work on my website (again). That is a good excuse, isn't it?

P~

After the show ...

First off, a List of Participating Englebasser!

-~o~-
Anja Gram: Illustrator, brought Greeting Cards and a Childrens Book

Marianne Lundov: Felted Hats and Scarves

Diannas Hatte: Fancy Hats and Headbands

Mette Duch Olesen: Childrens fleece sweaters

Pia Pamperin: Ofelias Opal, High End Jewelry

Dorthe Walbum: Paintings

Inge-lise Kristensen: Paintings

Kathrine Smedegaard: Was sewing a fur stola, but on her site shows headbands

-~o~-
Do check them out :)

Now for the show ... I have to say, it was a bit of a dissapointment. It was really very slow, and we had expected many more people. I don't know where the arrangers got their numbers, but they were quite a bit off.

I did sell a few pieces. 6 to be exact, in 3 full days! Two of them to my fellow angels. How is that for slow? That does not cover my booth fee at all, or my supplies.
I did get tempted by other sellers to spend money on their stuff though. I was especially pleased to meet www.smykkestativer.dk (jewelry displays) from whom I got a neckdisplay off the bargain bin. I have been looking high and low for one of those, and this was a great price. I also got 10 earring displays (to use on my next show ...) at a quarter of the price I had had quoted from a different guy (in a jewelry shop) some time ago. Excellent! I should have gotten one of those acrylic pointy things, for photographing rings on, but they live in Copenhagen too, so it's not a problem.

I also got the custom inscriped cap from my last post, and a bodyscrub with salt from the dead sea for my mother.

I'd like to link you to Sine Strøm too. I can't pull off wearing her clothes, but I really love her style and secretly wish I could :)

I had to eat too of course (yay for the 2 chocolate stands, and the very nice popcorn and softice guy, who let us help empty the maschines in the evening, Yum!). Luckily I could get free water from the tap.
In all I've had a very expensive weekend, when I really were supposed/hoping to bring home a bit of cash.

We all had plenty of time to chat during the 3 days, and it was so nice to get to know and speak to all of the great ladies in our group, and the surrounding people too.
We also had time to think, and I have come to a few conclusions.

1) I need more than 3 weeks to prepare propperly for a show, it can make me very tense. I did have a lot of nice pieces ready though, and since it was a shared space and my table wasn't too big, it all worked out well this time.

2) I need to settle on a specific style, rather than be all over the place. This may be mainly to help myself focus.

3) I need to figure out my target audience, which will of course be related to the style I settle on. I gave out a lot of cards, but several seemed to take them only to be polite. Many did go to have a look though, which was nice. I had gotten myself placed in the center of our area, so I had to point my table out to people if they were to notice it. The lights helped a bit, I will always request lights. On the last day I got half a day on the outer rim which was much better. I will not volounteer for a center space again.

4) It dawned upon me that since I never have the time to do it when working up to a show (based on my 2 tries :), I should go ahead and make the folder I want now. Now is when I have time, and then it will be ready when I need it, and will not make me tense the next time. Clever, eh? I'd also like nice printed signs proclaiming 'Unique Handmade Beads and Jewelry' and 'Please Touch!'. Also - stamping my new boxes in advance would be a plus :)

5) I like to dress nicely. I should do that more ... It just doesn't have much purpose when going to work.

I'm sure I thought of more, but now I'm back at home/work and thinking of other things again. It's time to work some more on my website, which by the way was freshly up-loaded in a new version last thursday. Go have a look at Profusion Art Glass and rest assured I will update and add stuff over the next couple of weeks.
If you have suggestions of sections you'd like me to make, do let me know, yes?

P~

LEG-messe

Tak til alle gæster der besøgte Englebassernes stand på messen, og tak til alle der tog imod mit kort. Jeg håber at I vil besøge mig her på nettet, og måske endda sige hej :)
Her er lidt billeder af min stand.

Here are a few pictures of my table.

Left side:


Right side (check out my new neck-display, yeah!):


And a close-up of my spiffy new hat with custom inscription :)


It makes me look like a truck driver, so I put it on the white lady. I'll use it when I'm torching though :)
P~