Summer and Sun Hats

I love summer and sunhats! Here in humid Virginia "fuzzy" hair days happen a lot but pop on a sun bonnet and the most wonderful transformation occurs - right to movie star glamorous! The only problem is by dusk hat head happens and it does look odd when I keep that wide brimmed chapeau on at dinner in a restaurant!

Yeah, finally made it to TNK - Tuesday knit night after way too many weeks. Had a very relaxing time and got several rows done on my feather and fan.

In March my sister and I did a weekend show in Virginia Beach and on Mother's Day weekend Gerald and I did the Gosport Arts Festival in Portsmouth.....pictures below. I really love my new kiln because we can make larger pieces.

Gerald and I have also been taking a lampwork bead class from Brad Pearson who is the most amazing lampwork artist and a great teacher. I'm now saving up to go from my Hothead torch to a minor burner (it uses both oxygen and propane). The good thing about Gerald taking the class is he no longer warns me not to burn down the house! I'll get some pictures of our beads on another post.

                        Virginia Beach Spring Market

Great show people were lined up around the convention center before the show opened. Packup was so easy - only brought home 7 pieces!

       Gosport Art Festival - Old Towne Portsmouth:

Mother's Day weekend, the weather was perfect Saturday. Sunday early showers but cleared shortly after the show opened. The sponsors put on a amazing dinner for the artists, they treated us like royalty......then we had to return to reality on Monday.

 

See us at Gosport Art Festival in Portsmouth this weekend Booth H-121

Heading out with a carload of plates. Hope to see you there!
http://www.gosportartsfestival.com/

Here are a few of the new pieces. The one below is 8.25 x 8.25 - love that bigger kiln!

From the new kiln

The day my new kiln arrived  I was up at 6am waiting for the UPS man

I put it to work right away

and here it is hard at work late into the night

...and out came this



Next stop at the torch to twist glass rods to decorate this plate

blue and green followed

and red and black

then a stepping stone path

  I call this one Morning Fog

...and all of these

Waiting .....

....to go in a kiln. Hope those stepping stones still look good after firing. 

New kiln!!!!!!!!

My new kiln arrived this morning. I was so excited I was up extra early and gave a cheer when the UPS man arrived.Here it is just out of the box. The inside diameter is 15",  weighs in at 25 pounds, and is fast.

My old kiln did this last week:

Feather and Fan

I did not think it possible that I would ever knit lace but, with the help of my knitting friends at TNK, I ventured there and am making progress. Everyone told me this was a simple/basic pattern that would be easy to learn - I had my doubts but it is coming along and I've memorized the pattern.