Archive for August, 2006

Loren rocks…he’s such a dude.

Thursday afternoon

Well helloooo, I’m back and feeling way more mellow than I should do. I’ve had a corker of a couple of days even if I’m a bit tired at the mo. We got home at 3:30 this morning after finishing up on Lorens course at 11:30 last night. Loren has a reputation for working into the night and when we had to stop at the poultry time of 7:30pm the first night some of us were somewhat disappointed (we should have stopped at 4:30), although we were feeling rather for sorry for our lovely hosts Richard and Barbara at Plowden and Thompson. I hope Barbara managed to get some sleep after we knocked off.

So, here it is, I’ve had 4 1/2 hours sleep, and I’m feeling a bit shakey, but I’m very happy and keep grinning everytime I think about the fun I had. If you’re lucky I’ll post some pics of the canes I made, but that’ll have to be next week.

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What’s the meaning, what’s the meaning of life?

Saturday night

What is it about the last 2 weeks just gone? They say bad news comes in 3’s but we’ve had about 5 lots so far. I’m feeling very drained and sad for my friends who are struggling with serious health problems. Also very sad for friends of ours who lost their 18 yr old son today in a tragic accident. It just looks so weird in print, what a rubbish fortnight.

This is all such sobering news and makes one sit back and think seriously about life, the universe and everything. We’re so used to longevity in this country, that we sometimes (well I do anyway) forget that we’re all getting older every day, from the youngest to the oldest of us. Sometimes it takes events like I’ve experienced the last fortnight to help put things into perspective and make steps to change priorities. Family, if you’re fortunate enough to have one, is definately the most important thing, and worth spending quality time with.

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Stump it up to experience.

Thursday Night

Ahh…that’s much better. My second lampwork session this week, I had to take a break because of the intense heat, and haven’t torched for one month…eeek. I’m now spending time in the evenings topping up my bead levels in anticipation of the GBUK bead fair next weekend (Bank Holiday). I’ve made some more variations on the Hydraengea theme, some penguins and a few more dotty fish. My days are spent helping my daughter with her art projects, trying to tidy the house (bit of a no hoper that one) and trying to find time to design and make some new pieces of jewellery.

I’m also now starting to get excited about my course next week with the Michaelangelo of the bead world, Loren Stump. You can see his work at his website. I’m doing his 2 day Murrini course, which is face cane, and I can’t wait, even though I’d rather be doing the Sculpture course. After my experience with Kate Fowle earlier this year, I’ve learnt that there’s so much more to taking a class with a guru than the main subject. It’s facinating to see the way other glass artists manipulate the hot glass, and watch their individual techniques. I’m sure I’ll be exhausted and full of ideas when it’s over.

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Return to sender (address unknown)

Tuesday afternoon

hiya peeps. I’m popping in to say hi, before I do a bit of work towards the GBUK bead fair, I’m not sure if anyone running their own business ever feels that they’ve done enough and can sit back for weeks on end with a big gig looming (or maybe it’s just me?). I have my GBUK bead challenge bead or set or jewellery to make on the theme Egypt. I’ve mulled over lots of symbols and Egyptian themes, but I’m not yet sure which direction I’ll be going in, time to play later I think.

What I did want to say was, what’s with the Post Office? I received a postcard with a huge sticker over the picture, telling MR Postie that the address was wrong, and then I got one the other day, well a card from the PO saying they had something for me that didn’t have enough postage paid on it. If I didn’t collect within 3 weeks it would be returned to sender, I asked the office about this when I went to collect, and they said that if it didn’t have a return addy it would be sent to Belfast to be opened and then returned to sender with an invoice. So maybe I’d never get my post. How fair is that? I suppose if they didn’t charge then people would cotton on and do it on purpose, but as it is, the recipient is the one who looses out, which would have been me this time as there was no return addy inside – I’m just relieved it wasn’t important.

All this reminds me of a wierd Australian film I watched earlier this year about people working in the underground warehouse where incorrectly addressed and ‘Lost’ letters went. It was an unusual film, but strangley haunting, I wish Icould remember the title. Needless to say they had stacks of letters and sometimes tried to find out who the real recipient was.

I’m still on limited computer time, and am working my way through your emails, so please be patient. Have a lovely week.

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