End of an era....goodbye Baubles & Beads!

The times they are a changing...as most of you know, Baubles & Beads in Berkeley is closing their brick and mortar store and heading for cyber space. Having a great resource in our backyard is going to be sorely missed. 

This weekend I taught my last classes at the store and got a bit weepy for the good old days. I had two great groups of students, they worked hard and learned a lot. I really hope to see them in a future class. 

I want to thank Jim and Lisa Kaufman for 14 wonderful years full of laughter, beads, great meals, fun, shopping, and more. Its been like family. Here's to the next big adventure!

My next big adventure starts next weekend teaching in South SF at Kate Richbourg's studio. There are still spots in both classes, hope you sign up!  My shop on etsy - emilybmiller shop on etsy

This weekend-

Saturday Jan 23 Torch Fire Copper Clay

Sunday Jan 24 The Craftsman Necklace

Saturday and Sunday Feb 27&28 Intro to PMC 

Saturday and Sunday March 12&13 PMC with Motion

Saturday and Sunday April 23 &24 Stone Setting after Firing

Classes at Kate's

Well, yes. Its been awhile. But enough of that. I'm back to it, here and elsewhere. A new year fast approaches and with it a new class venue. My good friend Kate Richbourg has offered me some dates to teach at her studio in South San Francisco. Classes are posted in my Etsy store, you can sign up any time.
While these are not brand new classes they are longer with more work and kiln time. Kate's studio is lovely and spacious with all the bells and whistles...you'll love it!
Hope to see you there!

We went to the county fair Ed and I, and it was as fun as I remember,  not the heart pounding fun of teenagers out for an evening without adults, but the immersive fun of sensory overload....

How do you store your bits?

  I had the great good luck to take Joe Silvera's Polishing with Power Tools on Monday night. I mentioned that I had a great storage system for my bits and Joe suggested I post about it here. If you are interested, let me know and I'll work up a little tutorial so you can make your own. I asked the better half to make this one for me, although I did a bit of customizing color once it was done.....
 

This is a recycled cigar box with a block of wood added. Drilled holes to hold bits upright and visible. Dyed the wood under the bits to make it pretty and left part of the box open for supplies. Pretty easy and stores nicely.

looking out - looking in

I think what I like the most about photography is the looking. Being out and looking in, being in and looking out. With the looking comes the seeing, the amazing in the ordinary, the beauty in the decay, the kindness in us. All kinds of philosophy up in here...

A production run.

Yes, its been a creative dry spell. I've knocked it back by trying my hand at a short production line of bronze clay Unbreakable hearts. Some pink, some golden all destined for sale via Jess Imports. These are just before a nice long tumble to shine up and harden the fine silver rings at the tops. These are 6 of the 12 I made in this run. The new fast fire bronze is silky to work with and a bit tricky to fire. Several pieces in the lower part of the firing box failed, not sintered. They will be missed.

is it a real photograph?

More new pics using the hipstamatic app. Is it still a photo if its taken with your phone? No time in the darkroom, no chemicals, no stains on my clothes...its cheating right? What to you think?

My take on a victorian eye painting. Love that PS.