Another rainy spring day here but it's sunshine in my bead world! A wonderful new customer and friend came to my studio Saturday and couldn't resist several of my sets listed on Etsy, as well as some of my focals! She will be a wonderful addition to the jewelry designer world, as she already makes some fantastic pieces. It really helps inspire and motivate me to have such wonderful customers and friends.

Easter Sunday was a beautiful sunny and wonderful day with shared with family.

Now that I'm inspired again, I am heading to the torch as my day will be cut short with another visit to the vet this afternoon with our youngest cocker spaniel, Tuxedo. She had knee surgery about 5 weeks ago, but seems to have had a setback, so wish us luck this afternoon! I think she was just feeling too confident and overdid it. The positive things about her recovery is that she lost an extra 8 pounds she was carrying and she doesn't push Oreo around!

So no new beads to show today, but check back tomorrow for an update on Tuxedo and new beads I'm working on.

Starting all over

I feel like I'm starting all over again with my new torch I got last week! Well, not quite but almost! I had a nice little Firebird torch from Wale Apparatus which started giving me problems. So I purchased a new Bobcat from GTT. Now I'm learning to melt glass all over again albeit faster and hotter! Hopefully by the end of the day today I'll get the hang of it, find the sweet spot and have that "aha" moment. Maybe I'll have pics of new work I did yesterday by the end of the day.


I also joined a great group of other lampworkers on Facebook, Fire Divas. Check out the blog with the link on the right. So I'm also trying to learn more about posting in Facebook, ArtFire, blogs, etc. So bear with me as I do more learning. Never too old, right?


Till later - have a great one, smiles - Debbi

All is Good...Now

What started out as my printer all of a sudden deciding not to print, became a 4-day challenge to make sure I could get everything working again without giving up. And what does this have to do with my lampwork art? If my mind is blocked with something else, I can't be creative, don't even want to step into the studio. Here's a brief (kind of) synopsis (maybe you can relate to parts) of what occurred:

Day One:
Printer quit working. Turned printer off. Turned printer on. Turned printer off, rebooted the main computer. Turned printer on. Printer doesn't work. Turned printer off. Turned printer on. Looked for software to reinstall printer drivers. Dropped box of software from top shelf of closet. Picked up all scattered software. Looked through box, 3 times, not just once. Can't find printer software. Looked in closet again. Pulled books out of shelves and cleared off floor of closet to find software. Didn't find software. Looked through CDs in desk for software. No printer software. Looked through CDs in desk for software again. No printer software. Have printer, no software, can't reload driver. Have to buy new printer. My time is worth more than cost of new printer. End of day one.

Day Two:
Go buy new printer. Store doesn't have one I want, has to call other stores to reserve one for me. Find printer in third store called. They're holding printer. Pick up printer from store about half hour from home. Will open box tomorrow and simply install new printer.

Day Three:
After 4 calls for tech support to install new Dish controller box for TV, get that working by noon. Open box with new printer. Nice printer. This will be easy. Get everything out of box. Open instruction book. All pictures and arrows, not too bad. Have to decide if I have a wireless LAN or wired LAN. One computer is wired to the router, one is wireless. Is that wired or wireless? Go through instructions. Put install CD in CD drive of main computer. CD drive in main computer doesn't work. Put CD in and take out 4 or 5 times. CD drive doesn't work. CD gets stuck. Have to pry the door open. Maybe I need to just check connections of CD drive. Take screws off of cover. Take cover off of computer. Wow, look at all the dust! Get vacuum out, vacuum and clean inside of computer. Check connections. Try CD again. CD drive doesn't work. Go downstairs to get old computer. Take CD drive out of there to put in Dell. Take screws off of cover of old computer. Take cover off of old computer. Check connections on main computer. Check connections on old computer. They look the same. Disconnect old computer CD drive. Unscrew and take out of old computer. This will be great. Just replace CD drive in main computer with old computer CD drive. It will fit, but can't get CD drive out of main computer. It's a Dell and they don't want you to! Decide I can just connect the CD drive on the outside of the computer until I get the software loaded. Where is the connection ribbon wire thingie? My puppy is chewing on it. Can't use that one! Have to use one in old computer. It's longer anyway. Connect ribbon wire thingie. This is going to work. Nope, computer doesn't recognize the CD drive. Put old computer back together. Put main computer back together. I'm tired and very, very frustrated. I have a new printer, I have software for new printer, but can't install new printer. Husband suggests just load printer on laptop. Will try that tomorrow. End of day three.

Day Four:
Have morning coffee. Walk the dogs. Check email on laptop. Go into office at 10:30 and stare at new printer and main computer. I'm not going to let them win. Load software into laptop. Follow instructions. Software is loading. After all loaded get message, needing network key. Network key? Where is the network key, or where is the last network key I have for my network? Find network key, about 64 characters long. Put in box. Doesn't fit in box. Try again. Ok, wrong network key. Try to install again. Still needs network key. I know I wrote it down somewhere, but it's not where it's supposed to be. Dog probably chewed it up, too! I'm in tears, but not giving up. Husband leaves for his blues band practice (http://www.knockkneedsally.com) . Good for him. Call ISP. Wait for agent. Can't understand agent. Ask her to slow down and speak in English. Spend 15 minutes with her. Go through processes she tells me to. She says not their problem and I need to call router manufacturer tech support. I call router manufacturer tech support. While on hold I decide to climb up in the closet and get the router box. Open router box. There's software for router with password and network key and passphrase on it. What is it doing in there? Stay on line because this may not work. Tech guy comes on line. Can't understand him. Ask him to slow down and speak plainly. Go through processes for finding network key for router. Makes changes as instructed. Now main computer locks up. Now laptop doesn't have connection. Reboot modem. Reboot router. Main computer still not working. Plug router directly into laptop. Still not working. After 20 minutes tech tells me he can't help me. I need to call ISP and get modem replaced. What?!? Call ISP. On hold for 10 minutes. Tech comes on line. Go through processes. Reboot router. Reset modem. Router is plugged into laptop. After 20 minutes get connection to laptop. Yeah. Tell tech not to hang up until I check main computer is able to connect. Plug router into main computer. Reboot main computer. Wait 5 minutes for computer to boot up. No connection on main computer. Tech sends me up to level 1 tech support. Spent 15 minutes with level 1 support. Still have no connection on main computer. He says can't help you, have a nice day. Remember, I still haven't gotten my new printer installed...anywhere. I take deep breath. Say I am in control and this will work. It's 3:00, husband is still at band practice. Start over and install new network. Match network on laptop and main computer. Back online on both computers. Read tech troubleshooting for printer. In tiny print on the 4th page I read it says this machine doesn't work with WPA networks, just WEP. What the heck is that? Check router setup page on computer. I set network to WEP. Remember router guy had me type in a new network key. I load printer software into laptop. Software is loading. Choose network for printer to work on. Type in new network key. Printer is communicating with laptop. It's 3:42 p.m. I laugh and cry. It's working! Print my first page. Yeah! Call my friend. Tell her my story. We laugh. 4:30 husband comes home from his blues band practice.(http://www.knockkneedsally.com) Husband asks if printer is hooked up? I say yes. He asks what I did to get it to work. I say you don't need do know, it's a good thing you were at band practice. DL Homola does not give up! All is good.

Before I forget, the bead I posted in my last post is only 1 1/2 inches long and about 3/4 inches wide. So, yes, those dots are tiny.

The rest of today I'm going to be in the studio, because I'd really rather be in the studio!

Affirmations

In the previous post I talked briefly about the online class with Alyson Stanfield which I am really enjoying and learning a lot about myself and my art business. The other day we were asked to write and design some affirmation cards to help us with our vision. Acknowledging that I need to spend more time in my studio being creative, here is one of mine that I'd like to share:

As those of you who know me as a glass bead artist know my talent doesn't lie in drawing, but I was able to draw a butterfly--yeah--scan it and print some out on cards so I could color them in. And no, I don't have any of the nice paints or pencils, so I used my stash of used crayons. I have to say, though, I did have fun and spent a good 2-3 hours writing and coloring them. It was real fun to play on purpose!

With that said, I need to get some space cleared out of my mind and my studio so I can open up and get the creative juices flowing again. As mentioned in my last post, I'm already drawing up some ideas that I can't wait to get into the studio and work on. I'm getting more anxious every day.

I have also gotten back on eBay and Etsy with a few things, trying to clear out some of my beads and things that are taking up space in my studio, including my first torch! I'm finally letting go of it, knowing that I don't really need 2 to get things done. Plus, it makes space for more glass, right? The other thing I need to do is update my web site, which needs to be done pronto!

I hope to be done with the clearing and organizing by the end of the week and back on the torch creating some new pieces by the end of the week.

Until next time...

Fear of what?

A year ago, almost to the day, I signed up for a blog and never even typed a word into it or posted anything. I was afraid. I was afraid to share my thoughts, my art, and that I would sound stupid. But wow, I have been doing a lot of reading and research in the last few weeks and realizing I was ignorant for not jumping in with both feet and exploring the "uncomfortable", or stepping outside my comfort zone. I was going to post for a few weeks before I published this, but I just need to jump. So here goes...

I started a wonderful online class by Alyson Stanfield to help me focus on my art business a few days ago, and boy have my eyes been opened up. They're not wide open yet, but I know they will be by the end of this journey. You see, one thing I have realized already is that I have been trying to force myself to have a passion for something I don't have a passion for. And that passion is jewelry. Yes, I started out making jewelry, but then discovered the art of making glass beads. I was passionate about making glass beads when I started 7 years ago, because I was able to truly create something from inside me where my fire was burning to create.

About 3 years ago I thought, "why don't I create jewelry with my beads like others are, and make more money and share my art with more people?". And I did ok, not fantastic. I started losing the desire to make beads out of my need to create and started making them as a need to make something else that more people would buy. I could make jewelry, and do more shows, and make more money. Well, yeah, I could do more shows, and I did. I got into a few juried shows, but I realized at the end of last year I fit somewhere between the craft shows and the juried art shows. I also finally realized that I really didn't enjoy making jewelry that much. It became more of a production for me and not creation. My bead designs started to jump all over the place with no real style of my own. My creativity was buried in the desire to make what other people were making and not in my desire to create something where my passion was (lie, laid, whatever the word should be).

I have a passion to create beads and work in the flame of my torch with hot molten glass. My vision is already becoming more clear on how I can and need to focus my artwork on my beads. I know what my strongest talents are in my bead designs; funny thing is, I don't even have many or any of those on my web site. I have a lot of work to do, but I will be more focused and enjoy it more because I will be "creating" and "playing" again and not working to create something I don't even like.

In the meantime, I also have to make some money, so I will be selling my beads online as in the past to the people who enjoy making jewelry with my beads. At the same time I will be working on artwork that focuses on my glass art beads. I've already been writing out some ideas.

Until next time...keep your fires burning!
Debbi