Jenna's beads

Jenna demonstrated for 4 days at the Kutztown Folk Festival.  She has done this for me for around 6 years, and it is the only time she gets to work on a torch.  These are the beads she made on the last day.  They were still in the kiln at the end of the day when she left.  By the time I was packed, the kiln was cool enough to put in my car, and then this week I took them off the mandrels and mailed them to her.  Jenna has done some sculptural beads before, so this year I loaned her my book about Sharon Peters.  As you can see, she got lots of ideas!  The lizard is on a big hole bead, ring sized.  The lion and pig are amazing, and the ladybugs are probably destined to be earrings.  She certainly has the knack of working with hot glass!  I tell her I want credit when she is famous!

Spacer beads

It is June, and I am working overtime getting ready for the Kutztown Folk Festival.  This year it starts on July 2 and runs until the following Sunday, July 10.  Every day I make beads, and every evening I put those beads into jewelry.  My supply of simple spacer beads has been depleted so I decided I needed to make more, in many colors.  They are not very exciting to make, but it can be very meditative.  I worked my way through 8 colors, and after an hour or so I veered off and made some other beads.  But it occurred to me that I would rather make spacer beads all day than work at a "real" job!

Bench chair

Here is my workbench chair, where I should be spending a lot of time this month.  I need to make tons of beads so I can put jewelry together for the Kutztown Folk Festival, which runs July 2-11 this year.  Getting ready for a major show like this is a huge commitment, and is very stressful.  I call it my Kutztown panic mode.

Notice the mat under the chair.  The floors slants away from my bench and the chair tends to roll backwards- a real problem when making beads.  I solved that by putting a heavy mat under the chair.  Oh, the problems beadmakers must deal with (with which beadmakers must deal?)

Panic mode

Today I loafed.  It will probably be the last day I can loaf for 6 weeks or so.  Tomorrow I start working overtime to have enough beads and jewelry for the Kutztown Folk Festival.  The festival runs 9 days, this year starting July 3 and running until July 11.  This will be my 15th year exhibiting there- hard to believe. It is a tough show to do, sort of like running a marathon, but it is also a ton of fun. My neighbors at the show have become family- one of them started bringing their 3 grandchildren to the show years ago and I have seen them grow up. They still come by and say hello, and see if I need any help.  The photo is Johnny Claypoole, who painted hex signs.  He has passed away and his son Eric has  picked up the paint brushes to continue the family tradition at the festival.

The food is wonderful- the PA Dutch know how to cook, so I eat good all week.  My favorite is strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream!  Down the street from me is an ox roast, and the meat is so tender it melts in your mouth.  There are also sausage sandwiches, funnel cakes, soft pretzels, pork and sauerkraut- I could so on and on but you get the idea.

There is music everywhere with strolling bands and musicians, and clog dancing, and wonderful traditional crafts, and of course quilts!  Hundreds of quilts!  It is a great way to spend the day, or even several days.  I will try to take lots of photos this year!

So off to bed for me.  Tomorrow I work!