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~