Happy New Year!!

Yes I know, you may think it is a little late for new years greetings, but I have good reasons.
I have decided to start my year over, and I'm doing it now! Yay!

Last year in october I attended yet another art show/market that didn't really live up to my expectations. Or anybodys for that matter. When that happens it puts a considerable damper on my lampworking enthusiasm. I get full of fellings like 'why bother', 'what's the point' and 'what a waste of time and money'. Luckily for me, I am not alone with these feelings, it is called 'the Post-Show Blues'. You can google it, but here are two links to set you off: Robert Genn and Lisa Call.

For me it is not a matter of a week or two, but rather months on end, and I don't even realize it for a long time. I just feel tired, and that other things are more important. Not even the thought of the Copenhagen Art Fair that I attended this past weekend, which is fairly huge, could shake me up. I find that odd, as deadlines usually will get me going, but not this time.

I have yet to find a way of nipping it in the bud, but as time has passed I am again feeling the call of the flame. Not only have the lovely Karin Castens plantet seeds of growing ideas in my mind (for later in the year), but the Art Fair was a great and happy experience, making me think that maybe there is a point after all :)

So - I am starting my year over. I am setting up my workshop even though the room has not been finished, and I am considering signing up for another show, in just over two weeks! Exciting? Yes!

For now I would like to shout out a great big THANK YOU! to all the lovely people that came to my booth at the Art Fair. To those that looked, to those that complimentet my glass, and certainly not least to those that invested in my pieces. I hope they bring you much joy.

Lene

It's a nasty cold

Isn't it amazing how a tiny little thing like a virus can knock down a complete person for days on end?
I've been on the couch for 3 days. Now I'm back at work, but not feeling too spiffy.

Anyway - nothing fun or beadrelated has happened, so ...
see you next week.

Love and vitamins, Lene

Where, oh where ...

Where did I put that box with my torch?
And that other one with my tools?

In here?

In here?

Out here maybe?

Everything has been moved at least a couple of times, so nothing is where it was last time I saw it.

There is still a way to go for the basement of my dreams, but it is definately coming along nicely. I did find my boxes in the end. Now I just need my lamp, since no lamps are installed in the entire basement so far.

I have set up my torch and tools temporarily. I really need to get some torchtime in, and soon. My first show this year is in only six weeks (oh wow, six weeks?), and with the renovation as you see, I haven't made any glass for over a month.

After the show I can focus on renovating my workshop. I have a couple of new ideas for making it a wonderful place, but first the walls and ceiling must be covered and painted, and everything must be cleaned of the dust that is still everywhere.

I hope to have actual beads to show off for my next post :)
Lene

Merry Christmas!

My dayjob is closing down for the entire week between now and new years eve, so I will be spending some much needed time at home resting and relaxing and taking care of house stuff.

I hope you will have a lovely and relaxing time.



I shall take a little break from this blog too, so I'll see you next year. 2012. How about that :)

Best regards,

Lene

Still working on the basement ...

This is not my exact basement room, but it looks just like it. I have a window, a furnace and a radiator. But look at all that space! :)

Since then I have cleaned the floor and we have spent a full day moving stuff around, for two reasons. One is so the electrician can move through all rooms to set up sockets, and outtakes for lamps. The other is to clear the livingroom so we can celebrate christmas without getting stabbed on rods of coe 104 in ever corner. We are getting there :)
Now, I guess it is time to start thinking about getting presents for the family, yes?

So I'm off for yet another busy week with no torching in it. Oh well, I'll trade torching for christmas this week :)

Merry Christmas every one,
Lene

Tiny basement update

My workshop is now all packed up and laying around in boxes in the living room. Glass stash, tools, kiln - everything. The room is empty and being tiled, and as with each of the other rooms, it looks so large and even has an echo :)

I really have to make a plan for how I'd like to place everything. As I said, I want a permanently ready-to-go torch area with my oxy-con, glass and kiln within easy reach.

I'd also like a jewellers bench (I don't need a real one, just an area for working in metal), a permanent photo tent, like one of those cubes or something similar. I'd like an bit of officespace for papers and packaging stuff and also for storrage (my dear boyfriend would be so happy to not have beads and parts all over the livingroom).

A bit of shelves for a little glass library, a nice cabinet for my slowly growing bead and glass collection, a nice chair for sipping tea and reading/having a guest over - Yup, I've got plenty of dreams, so even with an echo sized room, I bet some of this will not be able to fit. A plan is definately in order here.

I do know it will be fantastic in the end though :) Yay! and it will not be long before I can move my stuff back in. This I know because christmas is closing in on us, and we are having my family over!

I wish for you a less solidly booked week than mine :)
Lene

Basement restoration update

The basement is coming along nicely. There are 4 rooms to get through though, and my workshop is getting to go last. It's a case of 'fix a bit of one area, move stuff over, fix a bit of next area' and so on, so actually only the floors are coming along nicely so far, but still - it's looking great! Used to be concrete, now we get tiles, lovely :)

After all the floors are done we have walls to plaster and wallpaper, a complete rewirering and setting up of adittional light and sockets (there is only one socket in the entire basement right now), the ceilings need a good once over and we are getting new windows too, since the old ones are really old and painted shut for good.

As you can tell, this is quite a bit of work and not something that will be done any time soon. I shall set up my workshop as there is space available, but first all of it must be cleaned thoroughly to remove all of the concrete dust that has enveloped every single thing in there.

We have spent the day moving and sorting 'stuff', even got a good load off to the recycling station. Now one more room is empty and ready for tiling, and other rooms are stacked. I don't know if you can see the dust, but here is a picture of my current workshop area. You can barely see where I'm supposed to go!

Well, I guess I'll just have to buckle up and get work. I have a show in february! to create for. It's just around the corner ...

I hope you have a nice week,
Lene