Back From LA!

If you're looking for my OWOH post, it's HERE.

I'm finally rested from my trip to LA.  I was supposed to return last Friday evening, but we were deep into the work session and neither of us wanted to stop.  So we worked until a bit after 9 pm, then again on Saturday.  I flew home late Saturday afternoon just in time to get off the plane, fetch my bag, and head straight to BAGI's Great Glass Auction.  Everyone was dressed to the nines and I was in my office "work duds".  Oh well, I had a great time anyhow.  I had donated one of my vessels to the auction - they put it into the silent auction - and I was really happy to hear that one of my students, Lisa, had the winning bid!  She and her husband sat at the same table as we did, and she caused a bit of excitement.  She got into a "bidding war" over a gorgeous piece made by the artist couple Melissa and Keith Bispo, who were also sitting at our table.  And she won it - Go Lisa!  To see the piece, you can check out the auction catalog HERE.  It's on page 8/20 when you use the arrows to page through the catalog (page 12 of the actual catalog on the left), item L-108.  And if you're curious about my vessel, use the arrows to page to 12/20 (page 20 of the actual catalog on the bottom left), item R-303.

I bid on several items in the silent auctions but was outbid big-time, so I wasn't able to take home any of those items.  However, Rich Small had made glass heart centerpieces for all the tables - yes, there was a banquet dinner during the live auction - and those were also available in their own silent auction.  I bid on two of them and came home with the heart that was on our table.  Yay for me!

After I got home from the auction, I went through my mail that had been delivered while I was in LA.  What a thing to be greeted by...

The last time I had jury duty I was picked for the jury, and the trial/deliberation went on for a month and a half.  Yikes - I just don't have the time for that right now!  But I guess I'll have to do my civic duty.  It was actually quite fascinating, being on a jury.  It was also very frustrating.  We spent a lot of time deliberating, and we came very close to having a hung jury.  But in the end we came to an agreement.  Given what I heard during the trial, I was sure that the defendant was guilty - but the prosecution didn't have enough evidence for us to return a guilty verdict for the greater of the two charges.  There were several times during the trial that the defendant sneered at us, and looked as if he was gloating.  I wanted to go rip that smirk right off his face...  ah well, that was awhile back and I need to just forget about it.  I did learn something very interesting, though.  We all wondered why the police report wasn't part of the evidence.  A few of the jurors assumed that it was because it would show something that the prosecution didn't want seen.  I told them that was crazy - if the prosecutor didn't want it seen, then the defendant's attorney would have put it into evidence.  It turns out that the police report isn't allowed into evidence because it is hearsay.  What WAS in evidence was the tape of the 911 call to the police.

Well, enough about trials and evidence and bad guys... today we were supposed to have a huge storm, with possible thunder showers (rare here in the San Francisco Bay Area).  When I went into the bedroom a bit earlier, I saw that Peanut was digging in - a great way to spend a rainy day, sleeping on dad's sweatshirt!

But now we have sunshine, so perhaps there won't be a storm after all.

"Did someone say sunshine?"

Now I'm going to head out to the glass lab to make some objects that will go into my next big felting project.  I have a deadline - the project must be done and photographed in the next three days.  I'm just about there, thank goodness!  Once it's photographed and submitted to the "proper authorities", I can give you a bit of a hint what it's all about.

So go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Monday, Monday

Wow, we started the "work week" on a very rainy note!  I was out in the wet lab this morning, and between the rain and the wind, it was very noisy in there.  I actually like those sounds - it brings back some nice memories of college camping trips in New Hampshire and vacation camping trips in Oregon.  When you're sitting in a small tent, the sound of the rain can be almost overwhelming!

Speaking of the wet lab, my January journal vessel is dry and waiting for its coat of beads.  I made a run to my local bead store yesterday to get the few colors I was missing, and stocked up on some bugle beads while I was there.  I've been patronizing this place for many years now - actually, since 1996 - and I always enjoy spending time there visiting with Joanie, the owner.  I mean, how could anyone NOT have a good time in a place called The Bead Asylum?

Here's my little January, just before I felted it.

And here, it's ready for some fancy clothes.

Last night I decided to make another small vessel.  This was not on my list of must-do projects, but I couldn't help myself.  I came across a small leaf bead that I made a few years ago that had gone into a jewelry project with 2 other matching leaves and a flower made by my buddy Nanette.  I had taken the finished piece to BAGI where I teach bead making classes.  One of the other instructors picked up the cord it was hanging on, thinking the clasp was closed, and the piece slid off the cord and onto the concrete floor.  The flower and one leaf broke, and I've had the other 2 leaves hanging around just waiting to be placed into another project.  I decided that one of those leaves had to go on a vessel, so now the vessel is drying.  I think this one will probably go into my Etsy shop.

The leaf...

And the vessel (bad lighting, bad picture - but will have a dynamite picture when it's finished)...

When I came in from the wet lab yesterday, Peanut was hanging out in my TV-watching chair.  She was probably attracted to the book I had on the arm of the chair - I sure don't blame her! "Masters: Beadweaving: Major Works by Leading Artists" is chock full of wonderful eye candy and inspiration!

Gosh, if only Peanut had thumbs...

And now I'm off to start beading my January vessel.  Have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Irons In the Fire

Since I'm taking a quick break from packing for my trip to Miami, I'm going to give you a sneak peek at some of the projects that I'll be starting when I return in a week. I'm not leaving until Wednesday but I have to teach a class tomorrow night, so I thought I'd get a jump start on trying to figure out how many suitcases I need to take.

I've made some purchases in the last few weeks with the intention of including them in my fiber pieces. I have a small collection of ceramic pieces by Lisa Peters, which I acquired when I was at the Bead & Button Show. I'll be using several of them on wearable pieces, perhaps with some of my glass beads as well. When I saw this pair of orange lips in her Etsy shop, I just had to jump on it! I'm probably going to incorporate it into a bag. I've got some rather wild ideas about what the bag will look like, and I just might make some glass eye beads to go with it.

On a more conservative note, I couldn't resist these crackle white raku donuts from MAKUstudio. I'm definitely going to put them on a vessel - I just haven't decided yet if I'm going to put both of them on the same vessel or if I'm going to make a separate vessel for each of them. I've already made a glass bead to go with one of the donuts, and the other will have some components that I haven't used on a vessel yet.

Here are some of the fibers I've chosen to work with - Merino wool, Harrisville fleece, hand-dyed (not by me) variegated silk, and a commercial ribbon yarn that I've had for a few years - along with my glass bead. I'm not going to show you the other components - it'll be a surprise. :-)

This is going to be an extremely earthy vessel... or two. I can't wait to get started on these new projects!

Before I resume stuffing my suitcase, I want to dedicate this post to my brave and determined fur kid Peanut. Last Friday while hubby was out walking the dogs, Peanut's left hind leg gave out on her and she collapsed. After they got home, her leg was shaking, she couldn't put any weight on it, and she ended up tossing her breakfast. That continued for awhile with additional vomiting, so I took her over to the animal hospital. They did xrays, gave her pain meds, put her on an IV to replenish her fluids, and kept her overnight. They determined that she was vomiting because of the sudden onslaught of severe pain. She has arthritis and bone spurs around her knee, with a possible torn ACL, so we scheduled knee surgery for her that's supposed to happen this Thursday. But she bounced back - as she always does - and to look at her now, you'd never know there was anything wrong with her. She's jumping around and very happy. Perhaps she decided that at 12 years old she didn't want to take a chance with the surgery. Whatever it was, I'm incredibly relieved!

We've almost lost her 3 times to pancreatitis, she has epilepsy, she had surgery on her other knee almost 4 years ago, she had an infection that required intramuscular injections three times a day for 2 weeks, and she's such a trooper. Hat's off to you, Peanut!

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative week! I'll be back from Miami on the 27th with undoubtedly lots of inspiration.