hot stuff
I won Christmas this year!
That wasn’t my goal. My goal was to give gifts, make music, create a feast, limit expenses, and escape the dose of emotional trauma the season has brought on some years. All these things were fairly well achieved–and I couldn’t be more pleased–except for one.
T. doesn’t really play well with others sometimes. He blew off the limited expenses idea and presented me with a big scary thing dragged in from the garage after all the other packages were opened. Last year it was the torch and fuel-tank bombs I unwrapped that intimidated me; this year I couldn’t even lift the box: a kiln, for all my 1600-degree annealing, fusing, slumping, glassy needs. SO many things I need to do that I hadn’t even thought of before!
All he got was socks, almost. It’s hardly fair. I haven’t even made a bead yet that I wanted to save badly enough to anneal it. I really need to demand that he take this thing back where it came from.
But I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. Darn. I guess I’ll have to keep it.
fowl holiday
I know you’ve been quite worried about whether I’d be able to integrate themes. But never fear: a Christmas chicken has joined the Christmas moose on the mantelpiece.
I’m really more into fusion than integration. It’s just easier.
Texas does weather
Yesterday afternoon it was 81 degrees here. Sunny and very humid and pretty uncomfortable overall. At 10 p.m. it was 34 degrees and there was 1/2 inch of sleet on the deck. Thunder and lightning and great gusts of wind punctuated the evening.
I never get tired of it. The devil may be in the details, but God is out there in the weather.
decoupage the house (5): Envirotex and the scrabble tile
I swore I would not succumb, yet I did:
The scrabble tile pendant must be this season’s greatest craft sweep. And I can see why. They’re pretty, they’re fun, they’re easy to customize.
Envirotex makes a great finish for a scrabble tile pendant. If you’ve already done the cigar box, no sweat. It’s easier. You’d have to try hard to make the edges drip. And if you mess it up, big whoop; it’s 50 cents of materials. Start again.
Do a few for practice first, and you’re good to go. If you don’t want the fumes and the big mixing deal, try Diamond Glaze. It’s not quite as nice a finished project, but it’s not toxic either. You can do one at a time that way without fuss.
Me, I’m not able to do ONE technique. I have to test them all:
It’s Santa’s workshop in action.
