Back from the Fair

Well, I had an exhilarating week "visiting" my old glass world. I finished several pieces I had started forever ago--mostly small, painted elements that I incorporated and fused into larger glass pieces. I didn't finish some of the larger pieces that have been in process for months because I didn't want to rush them--but I now know I DO want to continue working on them, especially when the weather cools off some and I can work comfortably again in my "shop" (which used to be the garage until I took it over). I have two air conditioning units--one a window unit that would require cutting a hole in the garage wall to install; the other a compressor and air handler that would heat and cool the garage really well, but that requires running ductwork and all. We're holding off making any decisions about that since I'm hoping to be able to build a small shop in the back yard at some point. It has to be big enough for my two kilns, glass storage, and my lampworking torch.

I briefly considered giving up glass altogether and selling everything, but after the past week I'm certain I don't want to do that. At the same time, I want to continue to explore other mediums, and maybe even combine them with my glass work. I've already done that with some suncatchers I made. I painted watercolor sunflowers, scanned them into the computer, printed them on vellum, then sandwiched them between glass and copper-foiled them (which simply means I wrapped them with copper foil and soldered the edges). They really are beautiful with the light passing through them.

And of course, I'm anxious to continue learning to quilt.

Our booth was at Austin's Pride Festival. This is one of the few places we continue to have a booth so that we can support Equality Texas while we hang out with our friends. Fortunately, we had a big beautiful shade tree right in front of the booth, so lots of people set up their chairs in the shade and hung out with us. It was fun but MISERABLY hot. The temperature was in the mid 90s, and while Austin is typically pretty humid, the humidity this weekend was off the charts. I think I'm waterlogged from taking so many cold baths and showers this weekend.

We've gotten lazy with our booth since we don't really do shows any more. I didn't even bring most of the glass stands or acrylic boxes that I use to display the pieces. By the end of the day, everything was covered with a thick layer of brown dirt. We didn't sell as many pieces as last year, but we made some money (to buy more "stuff," of course!).

Now that the festival is over, I'm making my way back to the land of quilting. It's not as familiar and perhaps not as comfortable as the world of glass, but I do love a challenge. And quilting is something I can do inside, in the air conditioning. Don't ever underestimate the importance of that to a Texan in the summertime!