Something New, Rivets!

These Rivets are something new I have been working on. For now I just made a collection of sizes and colors as I wanted to play with them in some jewelry. In my head I can see all kinds of ways to use them. They have no hole so they are going to have wire, cord or maybe fabric wrapped around them.

Winterfest

I thought since I have not had very many pictures lately that I would show you what my booth looked like for the show this last weekend. I thought it looked very nice although I may change my curtains some I do not like how they pull in at the bottom so I will have to make something like a curtain rod at the bottom as well as in the tops. Making them hang straight.

Headed out to Winterfest!

Well this evening we are headed to Aberdeen, SD for Winterfest. The show is at the Aberdeen Recreation and Civic Center in down town Aberdeen. It is both Saturday and Sunday so if you are anywhere in the area come out and see me. The really nice thing about this show is that it is inside so the 13 degree weather with windchill to -1 that we are having will be easy to avoid.

I Made Beads!

I made beads today! I know that from a bead maker that is a strange thing to get all excited about but it has been almost two months since I sat in front of the torch and made beads. We were gone for almost a month and then getting back and deciding to move the studio just did not let me make any beads. But today I did about 75 little spacers. I had to practice since it had been so long so I made spacers with all my little short rods. I can not even take a picture of them for you as they are still in the kiln. Maybe tomorrow.

Ventilation.

Well a couple of people have asked me about my ventilation system which is not there in the pictures. Just because it has not been done yet. Neither had the curtains when I took these last pictures but both are in the works. Hood will sit right over the work table and will go out the window to the right of my kiln.

Finally all moved in.

Well I am finally all moved in or almost at least. There are still some things in the cupboards in the barn but I do not need those things to really get busy and work. We did have to change the floor plan after we started moving in the tables things seem much bigger when you get them in a small space. This is the view from the door.
The view from the back corner. I moved my old kiln inside too so I can work on bottle pendants in the evenings. I still will have to do the bottle cutting out in the barn because it makes way to much mess for in the house but I left that all set up and can go out and run the furnace for that short of a time.
This is my little cart that hubby and son rescued from a dumpster. Had not used it outside but it fits perfectly in this corner and rolls around so I can see all the little shelves. Great for my presses and frits.
And this is the glass cabinet. It was really the culprit of having to rearrange as it was deeper than I thought. All that glass took a really long time to pack and unpack. And if you notice up on top there are a few new colors I have no place to put.

Paint Paint Paint

The new studio is coming along. Had a delay today though as the floor was not really dry yet so I could not do the second coat. I really wanted to get that coat on but it will have to wait until tomorrow. We did open the closet door and put a fan in there to help get it dry. Part of the problem is the yucky gray cold wet weather we have been having and part of the problem is that we have to keep the doors closed to keep the cat from walking all over the wet paint.

Look at that row of electric outlets. A 30 amp circuit just for me. And I really like the creamy color on the walls and the rust on the floor can not wait to get my work benches in place and get back to work. We did have to cut one of my tables down a little but got that done Tuesday and will be bringing things into the basement at least on Saturday if they have to leave it in the other room till the floor dries.

My studio is moving.

Well I finally decided the other day to move the studio from the barn back into the house. I got so tired of traipsing out there in the snow and ice and running the furnace and air conditioner to heat and cool a building I was only in a few hours of the day. Besides I hated going out there at night. (Yes I am afraid of the dark.) And it was lonely. So since this room in our basement was empty and sits right beside my sewing room I decided finally to use it.
It is way smaller than the room in the barn but it will be way more cozy. It is about 10 x 14 and narrows to about 8 foot wide. I did just find a problem in the plan today when I realized one of my tables will not fit as it is almost 9 feet across. No big deal we will either cut it down or use something else.
Jeff started this morning patching the cracks in the concrete and they have been working all afternoon to run a new electrical line so I will be on my own circuit and have plenty of juice. The cracks will have to dry but I think when I paint the floor it will look kind of like large patio rock if not no biggie. I am going to paint the walls too I just could not handle that day glow blue.

New Jewel's

Yesterday I spent the day making a couple of new pieces of jewelry. Both pieces are already spoken for and I have taken way too long getting them done. The red spiky piece is a version of the amber spikes I made last year and is going to Sioux Falls.
This bracelet is for my cousin in Michigan who kept us a good deal of the time we were there. She picked the beads from my stash when she and her daughter were having their own trunk show in the living room.

Beads from my trip.

One last set of pictures from our trip although there are so many more. I really thought that you all might want to see the beads that I got while I was gone. The Delica's were a gift from my aunt in Michigan. She gave me a whole sack of them it ended up filling up a tackle box. I can not wait to stitch something up to use them.
These hanks came from the bead store in Frankenmouth, MI and from the bead show in Grand Rapids. Needless to say this was not all the beads I bought but it was a good share of them. Lots of fun new colors to play with.

While we were in New York

While we were in Michigan and New York the trees were just the most beautiful colors. It has been a long time since we have seen trees like that. Besides that fact that here in South Dakota there are not that many trees we also do not get the colors as we do not have many of the Maples and Oaks that really make the fall seem like fall to me.
We did get to go to the city one day and got to see lots of things. I had wanted to go to the American Folk Art Museum and we did that first thing then we went to Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza.
Then we went to Central Park to a huge playground where Griffin could play for a while. He was so good the entire time we stayed with my sister and her husband. Even this day got through all the boring stuff for a four year old and then played his little heart out when we got to the playground.

It was sure a great trip I have been trying to figure out how we could go back again. There are a bunch more museums I would like to go to.

Impromptu Class

We had a little impromptu class at a local bead store in Grand Haven MI while I was there.

My cousin and her daughter had a couple of things they wanted to make from my beads while I was staying at their house so we went to the local bead store where we could use tools and get supplies. Jonelle made her own flower ring while Diane looked on.
The ring went together very well and I think she will be able to make another one when she wants to.

We've been gone oh so long!

Well we have been gone for nearly a month but are home now. I thought I would show you some of the things we did while we were away since I have not gotten any beads made in a while.

While we were in Michigan we got to go on a boat ride out to Lake Michigan. When we got to the marina the boat was not in the water yet and we had to wait a bit. They call this in and out service and all the boats are stored out of the water. We only waited a few minutes and into the water she went.

You did know boats shrunk when they got wet didn't you.

It was pretty cold out there and kind of gray and rainy but we had a good time and before we headed in for the day it had gotten nice.
This is the old salt driving. Everyone lately has asked if he is ready for Christmas since his beard is all fluffy and white.