Donations

Every year I donate to 3 shows and organizations, and to make it easier for me, I usually make the same piece for each donation.  This year it will be my amber eye pendant in a cone shape.  The color combination is one of my favorites, and I often shade the dots from light to dark.  The design is based on the historical eye bead- each dot represents an eye, which helps to protect the wearer.

The donations this year will go to the Earth Center for the Arts (Tyler Craft Center) for their auction on June 3,  BCTV Octoberfest for their televised fund raising auction on Oct 17-22, 2011, and the  Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Holiday Show on Oct 29-30, 2011 at the Kutztown University Fieldhouse. 

Kiln repair

Yesterday I was in my studio preparing to make beads, but unfortunately when I turned my kiln on, nothing happened!   I was not in the mood for dealing with it, so I turned on my back up kiln and spent the day making beads.  Today I decided to deal with it!  I seemed to remember ordering elements years ago and receiving more than one set, so off I went on the hunt.  In a dusty box, I found 2 sets of elements and the directions for changing them.  After locating screw drivers, wire cutters and needle nose pliers, I tackled removing the old elements, which was definitely in distress, and installing the new ones.  My kiln now works again, and I have the elements for one more repair.  I read some place that they are supposed to work for 10 years, and I haven't come close to that yet.  I am so happy to have my favorite kiln working again!