Busy Little Bees

New Enameling Kiln

This was the weekend mom and I put the new enameling kiln to work, it was fabulous!  I am so happy with this new kiln, except for one thing.  Who in the world puts a metal handle on a kiln, exactly my question too.  You will not believe how many times I almost touched the handle, and it did get freaking hot, before I remembered to use the hot pad.  Seriously!!!!  Except for that one little thing I love, love, love our kiln!!!  There are a few more tools we need to order: more trivets, more screens, more enamels, and more sifters, but otherwise we are in business.

Mom pulling out our first piece

Bowls right out of the kiln

While I worked on enameling our bowls, mom worked on straightening out her garage, aka our studio.  One side of the studio will be for our lampworking and the other side of the studio will be for metals and enameling.  We bought this tall stand to put all our of metals and enamels on, so it is now out and we can see what we have or what we need to order.  Mom did an amazing job at orgainzing, now I just need to be good and keep it clean.  The other thing that was cool was that mom used shelves, that my great grandfathered made, to use to hold our enamels.  SWEET!

Images of the studio set-up:

Storage area of glass and work area

Moretti Glass Area

Boro glass area

Stained glass & Photo area

Enameling Area

Metals & Enameling Storage

Enamel storage area

Mom and I also went shopping on Sunday for some beads, because who can have enough beads???  We went to one of our favorite stores, Vons, located on Purdue.  They have beads hanging from the ceiling and it goes around the whole store.  I didn't have any beads in mind but they were having a sale on some beads so mom and I snagged some strands.  We also bought some chain, that I have some ideas on using but those ideas have to wait for the silk ribbon to arrive.  Here are photos of what we bought.

Jasper Beads

We think - cultured pearls

We think - cultured pearls

Rainbow beads - At least I think - will need to check the tag

After our shopping trip we came back to moms to work in the studio.  While I finished enameling mom worked on the commissioned pieces we need to complete and two pairs of earrings.  I finished enameling the last of 10 bowls and a lotus pendant.  Like I said we were busy little bees this weekend.  Of course it kept us from shopping, except for the small purchase we made at Vons. 

So enjoy the enameling and jewelry show.

Commissioned bracelet and earrings - mom made three sets of earrings for the customer to choose from.  Mom used beads that I made to create the bracelet and earrings.

Pink Bracelet

Transparent pink with pink frit

Two different pink earrings

White base w/ pink frit earrings

Earrings mom made from lampwork beads I made a while ago. 

Purple Air Pocket beads

Watermelon beads

Now onto the enameled lotus pendant and the 10 enameled bowls.

Transparent purple, transparent yellow lotus pendant

Transparent blues & transparent greens

Transparent grays & transparent yellows

White & transparent oranges

Three different pinks

Transparent purples & transparent grays

Rainbow Bowl

Red, White, Blue plate

Transparent blues & transparent grays

Small white & turquoise

Transparent greens & transparent oranges

Well, you made it to the end - Congratulations!

I do have to say working in the garage is like a sauna, and that is one way to lose weight!  I think it was 100 degrees in there while we were working - sweating not my idea of fun, but well worth it if I can enamel at home.  Of course winter will be here shortly and that should be interesting.

I hope you had as busy as a weekend as mom and I did.  I hope to have better photos of the bowls later, I was trying to get the photos done before mom called me in for dinner (yes mom made us dinner).

Peace out!