Getting Ready for Rochester

Wow, I can't believe that I'm leaving for Rochester, NY in 3 days. I also can't believe that time has slipped by so quickly... AGAIN ... You'd think that after all this experience with that time thing, I'd be used to it by now.

The International Society of Glass Beadmakers is having their annual conference, called "The Gathering", in Rochester this year, which is why I'll be on a plane at 6 a.m. Monday morning heading east.  We have a 1-day bead bazaar at the Gathering that's open to the public.  If you're in the Rochester area on July 31, please come by the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on Main St. and stop by my booth to say hi!

Here are a few items I'll have with me for sale.  A few beads in my "Mudcloth" series...

And a brooch that I made on a piece of my handmade felt - with a lovely bird by Heather Powers of Humblebeads.  I'm hoping to have a few more of these finished before I head to the airport.

I've been a member of the ISGB since 2000, and I've been to every Gathering since then except one.  I wasn't going to miss this one - but getting to Rochester from the San Francisco area isn't easy.  Not much choice when it comes to flights, and the cost was horrendous.  Ah well... next year it will be in Louisville, KY - a much easier destination!

So today I have to do my high tech work, tonight I'm teaching a class, but tomorrow I'm dedicating the entire day and evening to making as many items as I can before I pack up on Sunday.

That's the Friday scoop.  If all goes well, I'll have a few more pieces to show you before I take to the skies.  Now I'm off to high-tech land - and you folks go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Oh... and PLEASE don't forget to vote for Beads of Courage at the Pepsi Refresh site - we need your help to get into the top 10, and we're almost out of time.  Thank you so much!

Sending Out a Plea

Today, I'm asking all of you to please help the Beads Of Courage program.  This is a program that I've been supporting for several years - what it does to help out kids with serious illnesses is just wonderful!  You can read about Beads of Courage HERE.

Beads of Courage is in the running to receive $25,000 of funding from the PepsiCo corporation.  You know, that company that makes Pepsi Cola.  The top 10 "ideas" that have a positive impact will receive $25,000 to help fund their idea.  Currently, Beads of Courage is in 17th place.  Here's where you can help us.

In order to get into the top 10, we need votes - votes every day - lots and lots of votes!  All you have to do to vote is register with your name, email address, and birth date.  Then vote once a day - every day - through July 31.  PLEASE help our kids, THEY need your votes!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

An Adorable Giveaway!

Do you like giveaways?  I've been lucky a couple of times with blog giveaways, and I just found out today that bird on wire is having one!  From now through July 25 at 5:00 p.m., leave a comment on that giveaway thread, and you will be entered in a drawing for the cutest little needle-felted barn owl this side of paradise!

These days, I've been really taken with birds.  I have a vessel in my Etsy shop with a bird on it by Humble Beads.  And when I was at the Bead & Button show, I purchased two raku birds by odd designs.  Later today, I'll be making a vessel for one of those raku birds - I've already designed the piece in my head, and made a lampwork bead to go with it.  This one will be somewhat different from my other vessels.  When I saw her birds at the show, a picture popped into my head and now it's time to execute that design - yeah!  I just came back from the eye doctor and the good news is that he didn't dilate my eyes today.  So now I can spend some time in the wet lab and actually see what I'm doing.

Here's the bird from odd designs that will go on my next vessel.

Speaking of raku, I recently finished a vessel on which I used a raku bead from Lisa Peters Art.  Here's my little dottie vessel...

And now I'm off to Starbucks for a quick iced tea before I hit the lab.  Hope YOU folks have a happy and creative day!