Finally - a Torch Day!

I'm back from another biz trip down to Los Angeles, and wow - I sure was tired when I got home Friday night!  We spent 3 days doing "think tank" sessions on software requirements and design.  I'm starting to think that I'm getting too old for that stuff!

I hadn't been able to spend much time making stuff prior to my trip, and yesterday I decided that I desperately needed a torch day.  While I was in LA, my "boss" commissioned a bead from me to hang on her gorgeous new purse.  It was the perfect bead to make yesterday after 3 days of structure - this was a totally free-form, organic, let-your-mind-wander kind of bead.  I was enjoying myself so much that I made 3 of them.  And since I was in a free-form frame of mind (say THAT 6 times real fast...), I made another organic bead just for the fun of it.

Here's what came out of the kiln this morning...

I was hoping to come back to some nice mild spring weather.  What I got instead was another incoming storm.  Yesterday, Peanut was following the scarce sunshine around the house, and she almost put herself into the bookcase.

Today I was so cold today that I had to put on my fleece pullover.  This is just wrong!!  But all the stuff that's growing around my yard seems to like it - I have a few color explosions here and there.  Here are my Oste-ohmygosh-spermums, a.k.a. African Daisies, causing a riot.  I read somewhere that they have a "nice branching habit".  I'm not so sure about the "nice" part of that - these things take over everything!

On the back side of the yard, the trumpet vine is starting to call out to the humming birds.  Love those little creatures!  It looks like something's been chomping on the leaves - I'll have to get after that.

I really wanted to get out the clippers and trim back the overgrown front yard, but it's cold, windy, and raining today.  Too bad - these things are getting out of control!

Since it's a stormy day, I'm going to head out to the wet lab and listen to the rain on the roof while I create another vessel to embellish.  Time to make the proper home for that Lisa Peters star button of mine.  While it's  drying tonight I'll continue embellishing the tall vessel that was to be the original home for that star.  That vessel is coming along very nicely.

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!