Rod by rod, bead by bead

Okay, something slightly more philosophical today - are you ready? There are a lot of expressions that illustrate when something is done slowly, but steadily - bit by bit, peux à peux, little by little, etc. But they don't really express what it means, do they? Analogies and metaphors work better: you build a house 'brick by brick', you empty an ocean 'drop by drop', you walk a thousand miles 'step after step' - in these contexts, a seemingly impossible task is broken down into minute components, implying that, as long as you stick with it, you'll do it - however long it might take.

When I first discussed bead making full time with my OH, he was, of course, apprehensive - it's a great leap into the unknown. I am fortunate in having been given a long lead-in time, my job ends next summer, so I have a long time to make it work. We both joked that I would take over the world - bead by bead. That, of course, was a joke - I have no intention to take over the world (and aren't you glad to hear it). But, thanks to you all, who buy my beads and my jewellery, bead by bead, spacer by spacer, full-time bead making looks like a viable option. And for that, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

So tonight, when it is finally time to move all my glass across from cellar to studio (and there is a lot of glass!), I shall take it steady - rod by rod, if I have to, so that tomorrow, those visiting my open studio, can see the full gorgeousness of glass :o)

Philosophical moment over! Today's photo is of my glass rods, but taken by my talented sister Katrin (see her other photos on Flickr here).

I'm a success, lol!

Surely, otherwise, nobody would have written a success story about me, would they?

Here's what happened: About half a year ago, I found out that the university I studies at (and now happen to be working at, too) was giving out enterprise grants for start-up businesses. Cheeky as I am, I checked regulations, double-checked them, and found out that I was fully eligible (as a graduate within the last five years) - in fact, I was strongly encouraged to go for it. So I asked for the money for the stall at the UK Wedding Show. No way would I have contemplated attending such a high profile (although, now that I've done it once, I might well do it again). With this grant came, of course, responsibility - handing over receipts, writing a report, but, to be fair, nothing onerous, especially not when your day job includes writing reports. And, now that all this is done, and I'm still standing, I'm a 'success story', and was interviewed by the lovely Samantha Deakin about my trials and tribulations. Reading it this morning, I realised it should say 'the further you get from the *mandrel* the colder the glass gets', but other than that, I'm chuffed to be sounding even remotely coherent. Whether or not anybody is interested in reading it, I don't know...but if you are, click here.

An older photo today, while I'm working on new stuff :o)

And so......it begins!

The first torch moved into the studio under cover of darkness yesterday...and tonight, come hell or high water, I'll be making beads there - even if I have to carry a single rod of glass across.

Don't get me wrong - it's not 'finished'. Not in the 'everything's pretty, and clean, and dusted, and the fairy lights are up, and the potted plant is out'. In fact, anything but! I am two clamps short of setting up the full ventilation (and here was me, thinking I'd counted it out beautifully). I also have two 90 degree bends spare, since the design I had in mind just didn't work. So it's not as pretty as I'd hoped, but after setting fire to a random worktop offcut yesterday, I can confirm my ventilation works. I still need to sort out glass storage (OH had a very clever idea here - watch this space!!!!), and...well, carry everything across apart from one torch, one oxy, and one bottle of propane. My old hothead is set up on a splitter from the mega minor, so, I guess I carried two torches across. Still contemplating whether to mount it as an 'occasional third torch' and for demos, or whether to re-connect my Sievert silversmithing torch.

You know what I'm actually looking forward to? Not running out of propane...but simply switching torches. I have now owned the midrange plus for pretty much half a year, and since the new studio was always just 'round the corner', I've still never set it up, nor lit it. Criminal, really! I won't take any more pictures until I'm 'in' a bit more...and I guess I better go out and buy that potted plant!

Since there are no studio photos, have the newest dragonfly :o)

Things that make you go 'ugh'

.....like this pesky studio still not being done. *But* it's getting there :o) This is what it looked like this morning.

Playing with widgets

How tempting is it to waste lots of time with widgets??? I've now added my Facebook page - well, the Little Castle Designs one anyway. The geek in me wants to play with it until the perfect layout is achieved - the busy working-business-running Mum is reminding me that not even my banner is straight. A heads-up to trusty followers - the website should get updated tomorrow night, with new stuff on each and every bead-related page......and new options for made-to-order lace beads, including different shapes, such as these lovely mini-marquis ones!

Tantalisingly close...

I have a set of keys to the door in the picture. You will notice the foam spurting from any crevice, and what you can't see is the pile of junk that is still inside. Fingers crossed, the elves (in the shape of DH) will knuckle down properly on Saturday, while I'm doing the first Christmas fair of the year, at the Leopold Hotel in Sheffield - why not pop by and say 'hi', if you're around?

And I think I will go this lunchtime and get a spare key cut......in bright pink, with flowers on it. Then I shall make a big, chunky bead to go on the key ring - no mistaking which is the key to my studio! And just to carry on a discussion from elsewhere - if a studio in a shed is a shedio, is a studio in a garage a gudio? A goodio? A garudio? A studage? Answers on a postcard, please!

A blank canvas

Well, I was disappointed to find that the door still wasn't in when I came home from work yesterday. You must all get bored with the never-ending story of the studio conversion! However, apparently, the building inspector is booked for Thursday to sign off the final result, which gives me hope. And with hubby having Wednesday booked off work to start building the interior, we took to throwing bucket after bucket of masonry paint at the stones. I was all for keeping it natural, but trust you me, these stones were beyond rescue - we tried, wire brushing them and acid-etching them...there was no way around it. This way, the interior will look much brighter, too. The photo shows the first coat of paint, and the wall is painted up to the end of 'my bit'. :o)