Catching my Breath

Life has been a whirlwind lately.

I taught two back to back classes in Calgary, at Tiffany House. 

Wow!  I cannot say enough nice things about Irina Laird, Tiffany House, her family, the hospitality and all my students.  Well, I could complain about the weather.  It was September 10th - really too early for snow don't you think?  Well, it had been snowing for about three days at that point, the poor trees still had all their leaves.  The snow had frozen and then more snow arrived.  There were leaves and branches all over the place.  I don't seem to have any pictures of the snow or damage but this is my friend Angie's back yard the morning I arrived. 

Angie and Irina managed to make it to the airport to pick me up.  The snow ended as I arrived that afternoon.

All of my students were amazing.  I had a great time teaching. 

I arrived home and began getting ready for my next adventure - this time Glass Stock East.

Now Glass Stock is unlike anything I have ever participated in, except maybe summer camp.  It really felt like a really short, grown up sort of summer camp.

We had a hat contest.

We had a pajama contest.
These home made Canadian jammies won me a first prize!  Whoo Hoo for me - I received a Flow magazine and about half a pound of silver glass (Tag and Double Helix).  I think I was pretty brave to put these on, then torch in them and  now to share this picture with the world! 







I loved Glass Stock - I taught three classes.  I took three classes.  I played all the games and even snuck off to the ocean!  The ocean! 

Jodie McDougall teaching at Glass Stock.

Horse with No Name came to Glass Stock East

Horseshoe crab on the beach

Deb Crowley making the most amazing dichro fishie!

 Glass Stock was a total blast.  I am already planning on attending next year.  I so enjoyed meeting all the folks at Carlisle Glass and all the attendees. 

I am home for just a couple of weeks then heading off to Ottawa for their annual glass bead show.  The adventures continue.

I have been so busy that there was not official September photo - perhaps this week I can get one taken of some of the month's birdies.  Not too many beads were created in September.  Birds - oh so many birds.  I am still rather obsessed but having fun with them. 

The Official August Photo

August has mostly been about birds.  But at the start of the month, I was plodding along mostly as I had done before.

I found this cool site Design Seeds

I printed out the image and chose glass colours that went with it.

I made a few beads. 
But there seems to have been a turning point this month.
I began to make birds.
At first I thought I would go back to my August colours, but then one day I grabbed them and made a bird.  This is one of those Uglies - she is really not so pretty.  But here she is posing with the rest of her family. 

I am heading to Calgary next week to teach at Tiffany House.  Really excited!  Two 2-day classes.  We will have tons of fun.