OK so we are still here

Surprise the world did not come to an end today.
I was not holding my breath on that one.

But changes are coming.....................
Personally I am looking forward to 2013. The first six months will be hard work. Trying to run the studio, travel and teach, get some of my own work done and dealing with my cousin's estate.
June 12th 2013 should be the end of the waiting period - probate- and then I should be done with that.

Before my cousin passed I was already looking at a bit of a restructuring of the way I look at the studio as a business. Looking at the priorities of why I started my own studio and what I like and don't like about having a business.
I love being at the torch creating.
I love pushing myself and my students technically and creatively
I love teaching.
I love having a place where my students and friends can come and torch and learn.
So that stays
I do not like having a retail business
I do not enjoy sitting around at the studio just in case someone needs to buy something
I do not like having to be at the studio when I could be productive elsewhere.

DON"T worry I'm not closing the store. I look at the supplies as a necessary evil a convenience for  students and friends but the retail part of the store can not become the tail wagging the dog. It is not like
I sell bread or milk. Glass is not a necessity of life ( I know some of you will argue that) but it is something you can plan to get ahead.

So 2013 will mean six months of trips back and forth to Georgia and the store being closed more.
There will be classes,torch time, Fiery Fridays and National Instructors and glass, frit , tools and jewelry.
We will all have to plan a little more. I promise it will all be good.
Hang in there!
Sam

I'm Back

Yes the Blog has been silent for several months. Life got really busy.

Wesley Fleming came and taught in October. He is AWESOME!

There were lots of shows
ART 281, Uptown Art Stroll, St Thomas and the studio Open House
Teaching classes at the studio on the road and at Southwest School.

Then my cousin passed away and we found ourselves dealing with his estate.

This is going to take a great deal of time and energy. So hang in there.









Classes will resume in January. The exciting and marvelous Sharon Peters will be teaching at Dream Fire Glass in February.
I will be dividing my time between the studio and the work I have to do in Georgia.

Happy Holidays everyone!
Sam

Sundays Class- Vessels

I wish I had pictures of the finished product! But they were still in the kiln when I left WUB.

These are similar to what we were learning.

First we made latticino and reticello and made that into a stopper saving a little more for decorating out vessels.

Like this:














Erika's perfect hollow

 The next step is to practice building our hollows.

 Now making the cane and working on hollows was fun but we needed a little break to blow bubbles of a different kind before we got down to blowing vessels.

Everyone make a couple of vessels and we wrapped up the day with a demo of
"fancier" stoppers

More Classes at WUB

Saturday Morning we got to see the beads everyone made in the Fiesta bead class on Friday. All the beads were gorgeous. We soaked a few in Sparex to remove the fire scale from the turquoise. I use CLR at home but Wired Up Beads teaches metal classes and so there is a pot of "pickle" ready to go. I wish I had the after picture of Babette's bead(front right) it is beautiful turquoise now.




I think Myrt liked the class!

Saturdays class was all about the fish! Well we did throw in a few sea urchins and starfish too but it was all about the fish. There are no bad beads only potential fish and the best thing is you just can't mess up a fish. The things that "ruin" a bead only make a fish .............well fishier

WE had a real treat during lunch not only did we get yummy food but Patti gave us an impromptu lesson on using some of her Wubber tools. I am working on getting her to come and teach at Dream Fire to teach!

Then it was time to get back to "frying fish"

This one doesn't seem to mind his tail being on fire!

Here is the fish I left behind as a thank you to WUB








The day wasn't over yet. The Grapevine Bead Society meeting was at Wired Up beads that night and they ask me to demo. Fishy eye murrini or maybe they were monster eye murrini for next months GBS challenge.

Fiesta Beads at WUB

Friday was Fiesta Bead Class at Wired Up Beads. I had a great bunch of students and we made some awesome beads. Hopefully I'll have some pictures soon!
Ginny H even got to sit down at a torch and have some fun.
More later on the WUB trip.

Road Trip Day One

All I can say is the trip to Dallas was not fun! It was a perilous journey fraught with blinding rain, flooded roads, really scary lighting and engine trouble. The normal drive up 281 is beautiful and easy. It was until I got to Marble Falls. I was planning on getting gas there and as I topped the hill at Round Mountain the sky over Marble Falls was dark and you could see the wall of rain. Darn it pumping gas even in a covered gas station I got really wet from the rain was blowing in the bay. Then there was the lighting it made you wonder how smart it is to be pumping gas when lighting is striking all around you. I called my friend Denise and ask her to pull up the radar and see what I was driving into. A Big red cell on the radar!
About the north side of Burnett the rain was coming down so hard you couldn't see but a few car length in from of me  20 -40 MPH was as fast as you could go. There was no place to pull over and to add to the fun my check engine light came on- GREAT. So I crawled along with the flashers on from Burnett to Lampasas. At that point I was glad there was a Ford dealership in Lampasas because smoke was pouring out of the engine compartment. YEAH- Getting from the car to the dealership door I was soaked. After an hour and a half in the waiting room at the dealership the mechanic came in with a piece of metal and said" you are going to need this when you get the car fixed"
WHAT THE........ a bearing had gone out on a clip in the back of the engine  - clip that opens and closes the intake manifold but I still had one and they were confident I could drive around with one till I get home. The smoke was all the water from the road on the hot engine lovely.
Back on the road.............more really bad rain and storms.........then sunshine then storms.
Finally after passing a few spun out cars in Dallas I made it! Looking like a drowned rat but in one piece

Today is the Fiesta Bead Call as WUB.Wired UP Beads

First week of September

September seed pods

How does the time slip away so fast? For anyone with children the answer is easy. No matter where they are in their lives or how old they are they need you. This time of year is dedicated to getting those kiddo's to school. Most of them are settling into the first week of school and we are all trying to find a routine.
Right now I am actually longing for a routine. A day to day routine when things are planned and executed. What is that saying "man plans and the gods laugh"? Yep they think I am hysterical .

Fall is time to do "The Texas Teaching Tour" It is time to head both North and South Texas to visit some mighty fine studios. I will be in Dallas-Grapevine area /Southlake Texas this next weekend teaching at Wired Up Beads check out their web site to see the classes offered. I am hoping to have a little trunk show at a friends house in Dallas Monday and Tuesday before I head back to San Antonio.

I won't be home long because it will be time to turn the car South and to McAllen where I will be teaching at McAllen Stain Glass .

I will back long enough to teach agroup of Houston Hotties a Dichroic glass Class!

I need to get the camera out and take more pictures. Well that's it for today it is time to get ready for Fiery Friday at the studio.