Back in the Land of the Living...almost.

I feel like I fell off the planet for awhile last week. It's been a very long time since I let illness knock me for a six like that. Basically my throat felt a bit tight on Monday night, and then it was all suddenly very downhill from there. I had the rest of the week off, and my impression of a vegetable continued throughout most of the weekend, although I did finally find some time to torch. I literally only left the house to go to the Dr's on Wednesday night, so heading out to work today felt quite weird. I was worried about the freezing cold I've heard about all week, so I rugged up, even dragging a scarf out for the first time this winter. And I sweltered all day - what the heck is it with Melbourne's weather? Not that I'm complaining, as at least I didn't freeze on yard duty at recess and lunchtime.

Hopefully I will have some new bead pics up later in the week. Now my kiln is back up and working, I'm trying to build up some new stock to have in my new online store (to be unveiled shortly!) when the magazine profile comes out.

Approaching normal...

Another show is under my belt now, and life is starting to return to normal. Jason is home (yay!) and I am looking forward to some relaxing evenings spent at home this week. Not yet though - tonight is open night at school, so we are talking about a 14 hour day or there-abouts. I am just having a dinner break before the hordes arrive. I am the official photographer this evening, so I get to flit about and see what everyone is up to. :)

Hopefully my kiln will be fixed tomorrow. I haven't had time to drive to Clayton to pick up the digital controller, but Jason is going to get it tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be up and running by wed. I really need to torch - it's been weeks and weeks. And the magazine release date is getting closer - I'd like to have some new stock ready by then. In my new online shop - yep, that's coming soon too, I'll post a link when it's done ( a big thanks to my DB for helping with the shop in a big way!).

I'm also looking forward to my tennis lesson this week. I have only had one group lesson since before the holidays, and the competition starts in July, so I really need some practice. I'd post a pic of me with my new racket, but I don't want to blind you. It's fleuro orange. I kid you not, I swear it glows in the dark. Maybe it will give me an unfair advantage, as my opponents are temporarily stunned by the intensity of my racket? Hmm, unlikely, but one can always hope....

As promised...

Here is a pic of my masquerade mask...

It was lots of fun playing with my facepaints and glitter again. I wish I had more excuses to use them. Actually, I really wish I had an excuse to buy the palette of pearl colours that Grimas has available. *swoon* They look like fun!! Actually they are cheaper than I remembered..maybe I will treat myself.

Anyway, life is still down to work and rehearsals at the moment. Hopefully next week Ill get some torching done and have some glassy goodness to share.

Carry on a conversation

Life has been hectic again lately. Maybe it's just as well - I'm too busy at the moment to lament the fact that I am home alone and my kiln is still not working. But, some good news on that front at least - my digital controller has been fixed, I just need to find time to pick it up, then get it reinstalled. I foolishly got the electrician to show Jase how to put it back together, instead of me. So now I have to wait a week. It's a moot point anyway - there is now way I will have time to torch this week.

Tonight I am off to a Masquerade party - Happy Birthday Nyree!, and instead of making my mask, as I had planned, I've decided to play with my lovely theatre face paints and paint it on. I'll post some pics next week. Maybe :) .

Then basically its rehearsals every day this week till we open on Thursday, and then all the performances of course. So, no free time for this little black duck. Poor Merlin wont know what has hit him this week, with no one home during the day, or at night.

On top of all that, I am trying to get back into both my blog writing and reading - especially in the education blogosphere. As a timely aid to that end, there is a 31 day commenting challenge on at the moment. It was started for edubloggers, but has sort of spilled out into the wider community, so feel free to participate if you are interested in becoming a better blogging citizen.

Twilight Zone moments...

Things have been quiet around here lately. Well, as far as having interesting things to talk about goes. In actuality its been crazy at my place for the last few weeks. Jason has been working almost everyday, which is unusual in itself (and has meant I've actually had to cook dinner every now and again! *gasp*), and I have been crazy busy with work and rehearsals. Only 2 weeks till we open, which after last nights rehearsal, is a very scary thought. Add in all Jason's SCA training, some tennis lesson (yes, I've taken up tennis), an overnight Professional Development training and the odd day of weekend work for Jason as well, and we have been the proverbial ships passing in the night. My kiln has also been broken for 3 weeks, so no new pretties to show off (and the timing sucks, as the magazine article comes out in a couple of weeks). By now you are probably wondering why the twilight zone was mentioned in the post title. I had the strangest couple of coincidences occur at the PD yesterday. Seriously weird.

There were about 74 teachers at this workshop, and in the afternoon, we were asked to pair and share something we had been working on. A young lady asks me if I'm working with anyone, and she explains that she was a student at the school I teach at. So, I check her name badge, to see where she teaches at, and lo and behold - she works at the school that I went to. Weird. So, we then wasted a good 10 minutes wandering down memory lane and seeing what teachers were still around.

At the end of the day, on the way home, I'm waiting in the car park to get my keys from the attendant. Another lady is waiting also - one that I had sat next to twice that day. She grabs her keys and walks off, I follow shortly after. "Your car is the last on the right" he says. As I walk through the car park, I see my car ahead, and realise its on the left, not the right. I think disparaging thoughts about the attendant and his ability to identify left and right, heading towards 'my' car. Only to see the door open, and the other lady hop in. *huh?* She points across the car park "Yours is over there". On the right. We had the same model and colour. And that is actually pretty unusual, as its not silver, or white or something, but an odd reddish tan colour, which I've only ever seen on that model car. As she drives out past me, I notice her car is also missing the rubber strip on the door, as is mine. Just weird.

Just to continue the theme of coincidences, I stopped in a fast food place on the way home to use the loo, and another car of the same make and model was parked behind me. Honestly, they are not that common...

Where to put the beads?

The Flaming Hot topic for this week is asking 'What does your website do for you?'. That's interesting timing, as I am in a quandary at the moment about my options regarding my best online selling venue.

My website has not worked particularly hard for me so far. I have received a few queries from it, particularly for my historical beads, but no sales from the jewellery available there.

Because I don't make beads full time, it's sometimes difficult to divide my work between the various venues, as I don't make enough to keep them all stocked. So, I chose a while ago not to sell loose beads on my website, as Just Beads was working better for me. Unfortunately, it has not been selling well at all this year, and I haven't had anything up there for awhile - I've been paying auction fees for nothing. So, do I put the sets I have up on my website, or in my Etsy store? Or do I make it into jewellery and sell it to friends and colleagues? That used to work well for me, but I have dropped the jewellery making way back, as I didn't have enough beads for both.

Next month I am going to be the featured artist in one of Australia's major beading magazines. I am hoping that will get a lot more local attention to my website (currently 99% of my customers are from the USA), so I am leaning towards putting the bead sets up there. Perhaps I should get a proper online store organised before then? Do you think people are more likely to buy if they can just click a button, rather than email you?

So, while my website might not have been earning it's keep so far, I'm hopeful that things can improve? What other suggestions do people have? Any feedback on my current site?

Solar Flare Creations

On a slightly different note, as I havent posted any eye candy in a while, here is a photo of a bracelet I made for a friends birthday last week.

Inspiring Entertainment

Last Friday night I went to see the latest show by new Melbourne theatre company PEP Productions. This is the third show of theirs that I have seen (well, actually, it's their third show :) ) and yet again they hit a home run, in my opinion. As someone who also performs in Musical Theatre, I can be a critical audience member. I notice the details like performers who pull your attention, people who don't hold a freeze, errors with lyrics or dance steps etc. I just cant help myself.

Having said that, I must go on to say that very little of that nature caught my attention. In fact, I would go as far as to say it was one of the best amateur shows I have ever seen. Overall, the cast performed in a very professional way, and while there will always be variances in the quality of individual performances, I was consistently impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and attention to detail of the entire cast. The sound quality was excellent - both in the vocal performances, and the technical quality.

While I personally enjoy performing in concert/cabaret style shows as much as full musicals, I know that it can often be difficult to fully express a character when a song is taken out of context. That is one of the areas that I found PEP performed extremely well. In every number, the cast was committed to the current character and performing with 100% of their energy.

Whilst there were some numbers that did not personally appeal to my taste, I was not disappointed in the performance quality of any of them.

Thanks to the cast of 'A PEP Perspective' for helping me spend a highly entertaining evening (and forgetting a very stressful day).

It's Nice to Be Noticed...

I've been in a bit of a creative slump lately, as I've mentioned. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. As Festival is only a month away, I will need to get started on some historical beads to sell on Market day, and a new project for the Arts & Sciences competition. So, hopefully that will get me started again at the torch. In the meantime, I wanted to reflect on my first publication... yep, I have some beads in print!

I was very excited to be included in the annual 'Women in Glass' edition of The Flow magazine, although I have to admit my enthusiasm waned slightly when I realised that all entries were accepted, if their photos were of good quality. I am still looking forward to seeing my work in print (hopefully my free copy is winging its way towards me as we speak) but obviously it means more to be individually selected. Which is the point of this post...

Last week one of my forum friends recognised the work of quite a few of my circle of friends in the new banner advertisement on Lampwork Etc for 'The Flow'. So even though I was one one of hundreds accepted for that edition of the magazine - from those hundreds they chose to use my beads for an advertisement. So, that gives me even more of a buzz than the magazine - Is that silly?

(Mine are the flame beads!)

My Funny Valentine's... Day

Thursday was an interesting day here. Actually, this whole week has been a little topsy turvy, especially at work. I've only had 2 normal days of school this week, due to interschool sports, industrial action and the school swimming carnival. So, Thursday was the Strike Day. I have recently rejoined the union, after returning to the classroom, so it's been a few years since I've been out on strike. And for some unfathomable reason, I've never been to the rally. I'm not sure why - it makes no sense to me now. Not much point losing a days pay if you don't get 'counted' per se - it's the media coverage of the rally that gets peoples attention.

Anyway, for whatever reason, it was my first strike rally (although not the first time I had marched on Parliament House - but that's another story). All I can say is Wow. The atmosphere at something like that is really amazing. The adrenalin must have given me energy - I was running all over Vodaphone arena catching up with colleagues from previous schools, and I didn't feel a thing (until the next day, when I could barely walk downstairs *gulp*). Anyway, 10,000 people together, with a common goal, is quite an amazing thing.

10,000 people - and another 600 in the foyer who couldn't fit in - amazing!

The rally ends on the steps of Parliament House...

After the rally, and some lunch, I took some time to wander around the city, as I havent been in town for years, and spent a frustrating hour in Allan's music choosing new audition material. *ugh*. Then it was time to head home on the train, via Museum station.

I just love this image of the shot tower under the glass roof....

That evening, Jason and I drove down to Mornington to watch the sunset on the beach, and have Fish & Chips for dinner. We used to do that years ago, when we were engaged. We weren't sure the weather was going to cooperate, but in the end it was lovely. My new 'go anywhere' digital camera (saves me lugging the SLR around everywhere) didn't cope terribly well with the darkness, so these are a little blurry, but the colours are lovely. What I wouldn't give to be able to get that gradient of colour on a bead...

Mmmm, fresh Fish and Chips on the beach.

The changing colours - a lovely end to a hectic day.

A Long Time Coming...

Today is an important day in Australian history - or I believe we will look back and see it as such. Today, in the first day of Parliament for the year, our government made an official apology to the 'Stolen Generations', Indigenous people who were taken from their families throughout the 20th Century. The broadcast can be viewed at the Live Broadcasting site and the report 'Bringing Them Home' is also available. Some personal Oral Histories of members of the Stolen Generation can be found at The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission site.

Hopefully, this day will mark a significant improvement in relations between Indigenous people and the rest of Australia, as long as it becomes more than just words, and that the statements and promises made today are fulfilled. The speeches were very moving, but will only be useful if they prove to me more than just words of political expediency.