2 years later………..

2 years later I decide to finally update my BLOG :)

So much has happened in the last two years.
  My business is growing day after day and I am keeping one foot in front of the other. The studio is UP, the studio goes DOWN. I have learned to take advantage of the UP times and make as much as I can to hopefully supplement the DOWN times.
 This summer has been particularly fraught with DOWN. We had some major Wild Fires leading to major damage and power outages. We at my home are counted among the lucky ones. Long story short after a total of 28 days of downtime I am up and running as of today!! It was really nice to see orders keep coming in during the down period. Good to know people are still thinking of you even tho your world is on pause. I'm also thankful to have patient and understanding customers.
  The business is growing and things are changing. After 6 years in this awesome rental, our landlord has decided to sell and we are looking for a new place to call home. Moving includes moving the studio. I have looked at some pretty neat prospects as far as new locations for the studio go. It is 3 years into my 5 year plan and by year 5 I am planning on upgrading the furnace to a larger more reliable one. I think that goes hand in hand with moving the studio…its just that I find I'm moving before upgrading. That is just fine :) Im really not picky, I'll take a cheap storefront, or a sturdy shed. I only have a few requirements….. 220V Electricity, a place to put a propane tank, concrete floors and if the studio is in a separate location away from our house, a bathroom with running water. Sounds simple doesn't it??

The search continues.

At this point I would like to say that I'm going to make a habit of blogging from now on:) I don't like to lie so I won't…….

Cheers!! Until next time and if you hear of a place that needs an awesome glass studio and artist in it, let me know.

Hooray!

Bruce the crucible furnace is back up and running. It ended up being down for 4 days while I let it cool, replace the elements and then heat it back up. All went well and I am back to producing like mad, stocking up for summer!!

Thanks for all of the encouragement and concern!

Bruce is down, I repeat, Bruce is down.....

Welp....It has happened.
 After 5 smooth months of up-and-running-ness, Bruce the crucible furnace is down.  Woke up, got my coffee, went out to the studio to make some tumblers and I saw it. The temperature on the furnace was about 20 degrees lees than it was supposed to be. "Hmmm" was my first thought. "Crap" was my second thought. Naturally the night before I had gotten a pre-paid order for a set of 4 tumblers. (Thanks JacQ!!) Not to mention I had just loaded Bruce to the rim with a new batch of glass. Good timing for sure, however the timing could definitely be worse. It is relatively slow right now and although it is my peak production season.... well it could be worse. So, I did the only thing I could do. I emptied all of the glass out of the crucible, in hopes it will not crack on the way down or back up....fingers crossed. Now I am trying to bring the temp down as slowly as possible. I was happy to see that the heating elements still have a bit of life in them yet! Lets hope they can get the temp down slowly enough so I don't have to order a new crucible.
Sigh.
One of the many joys of owning/operating ones own studio. Again, if this is the worst thing I have to complain about right now in my life....I consider myself the luckiest person on Earth.

Keep your fingers crossed for Bruce!

2012 Update

Photo By Steve Mitchell

What a winter it has been. I have been busy making tumblers, lots and lots of tumblers. I have been trying to keep a certain number of tumblers in stock and naturally the more I make the more I sell. Makes it difficult to make anything else besides tumblers. If that is all I have to complain about I consider myself the luckiest person on Earth!

Photo by Steve Mitchell

  I have also been busy planning my Summer. Thanks to the folks at Northwest Festival Guide I have had an easy job. the hardest part has been remembering that I am simply one person and can only produce so much. Never the less I have secured a booth at Seattle Pride 2012 the weekend of June 23rd (Hooray!) and have my eye on a few more festivals in the fall. I will also be participating in local farmers markets and looking in to attending some in Western Washington.

 Most recently I had the privilege to meet Missy LeDuc at the Mazama Store. She agreed to give my tumblers some space on the shelves. I think it will be a great outlet for my work and am grateful for the chance. Check out the Mazama store website at  The Mazama Store The baguettes are a favorite.

Enough blogging! I have to get back to work!!

 Today I was interviewed for the local paper! Who doesn't like being in the local paper? For me it brings about memories of my childhood....waiting to see my swim team picture, the annual American Legion " picture with Santa" and the occasional mention in the police blotter...kidding about that last one. Or am I??
 I was interviewed by Laurelle, who is not the only one writing for the Methow Valley News but is my favorite because I have had the opportunity to hang out with her before and feel most comfortable with her.
 It was neat to see someone new in the Studio. Formally I have a Private Studio so I do not get visitors. Sure Mom will pop by and of course April brings me Tea (Thanks :) ) but it was nice to see a new face in my space.
  We chatted about my beginnings as a glass artist, how long I had been doing blown glass...all of the basics. I did a demonstration, the usual. I have to say it was the most I had talked about myself ever! Of course I felt when it was time for Laurelle to leave, that I had covered all of the bases, everything that I wanted to say. Then about 20 min later while continuing my work day, the "should have's" started flooding in...... and it goes a little something like this:
  ooo I should have.....
- Told her that most of the tables were made by April and Me from the freight crates that the equipment came in.
 - That I have never been more comfortable doing anything else.
 - That the few times in my life that I had not been able to make glass, for one reason or another, had been some of the most heartbreaking and "Lost" times of my life and in order to not feel that heartbreak ever again  the only solution was to build my own studio. Something that only I had the power to make a success or a failure.
- That Blowing Glass is the one thing I have been truly in Love with and have felt no hesitation about. It is the thing that makes the saying "Love what you do" have meaning for me.
- checked my hair before she took pictures. :)

So , I'm sure I did say all I needed to say at the time. All of the other stuff about how much I love it, and such I think is better left for a blog anyway. After all, what else would I have to write about?

 Thank You, Laurelle for sharing the morning with me and helping to spread the gospel of glass to the masses. I look forward to seeing the end result!

 

The first opportunity to sell glass that I had produced out of my studio presented itself to me in the form of the annual MVCC Bazaar in Twisp, Wa. Besides the fact that I spelled "Bazaar" wrong on the live Facebook post, (and course) it was a successful event. Lots of vendors and a great crowd turn out. I met some very nice people, fellow vendors and customers alike. It was fantastic saying " Yes, I made the glass myself in my studio at home." What a joy!! I had the opportunity to trade some of my work for some really neat ceramic bowls that local potter Emily Post made. I also tried my very first homemade marshmellow made by Judy Brazina, delicious!

I am looking forward to the Dec. 3rd Bazaar in Twisp and also the Dec.10 bazaar in Winthrop at the Red Barn. I need to get to work!! Thanks to the Methow Community Center for hosting the Bazaar and the Community itself for supporting each other. What a great place to live!!

Up and running!!

Yes! I have been up and running for a week now and It is so amazing to wake up, pour a cup of java and fire up my studio!

 Educational and emotional, no doubt. I have been reminded in the last week just how long it has been since I have blown glass (almost 8 months) and have been thankful for muscle memory. Not to mention getting the flow of the new space down. I have been less focused on the actual quality of the glass ( stones, bubble, cords, other furnace parts) and more on getting the feel of making things back. Getting my "Glass Legs" back, so to speak.

  I still giggle frequently while I'm looking around simply because the space is my own. It is a bit surreal. So far I have made several tumblers (rocks glasses, see pic) and a few beads.

Today I made some wide mouth vases, pics to come. I have also been getting April up to speed on editing the website. I'm so thankful to have her in my life. She is so excited and I like that she hangs out in the studio with me while I work.

  It's good to have a cheering section especially because I can be hard on myself. Important to be reminded about the fact that I have only been up and running for a week. In my eyes I should have totes full of awesome glass pieces packed and ready to sell this coming summer! Patience, patience and persistence.
On goes my glass-adventure or "glassventure" if you will. Stay tuned for more ramblings to come!