Wow I can't believe that my last blog entry was June 26th!
Time is flying by with supersonic speed these days & I don't like it at all.
I don't like it especially when I realise that another annual increase in age event is about to happen. Hence my silence over the last week.
For me each birthday is a time of very mixed feelings. It has nothing & everything to do with the numbers.
In many ways I wish I could go back to it being as it was when I was a child, when it was simply a birthday & a time to celebrate.
That aside, the last week has been busy & exciting.
My first 'Introduction to Lampwork Bead Making" student was on Tuesday. In a cunningly designed bit of planning on my part it happened to be the day after my birthday, therefore allowing me the joy of being rather too preoccupied about it & whether I was fully prepared & had everything ready for it, to focus too much on the fact that Monday was actually another birthday.
Clever of me eh?
The day went well - exceptionally well in fact. I had the most amazingly wonderful student in Mandy.
We started with a coffee & some sticky bun in a relaxed atmosphere, while I went through through the basics about glass & the safety issues associated with lampwork.
Next it was out to the studio where I gave her her class kit, then demonstrated few things about glass before moving on to stringers. Attentive, eager & having already displayed a great understanding of the process Mandy was ready to have a turn at the torch. She quickly picked up the process of pulling stringers, so after that it was time to demo the process of making an actual bead.
Apart from a quick lunch break & a couple of further mini demo's from me, Mandy was still at the torch 5 hours later! She was a fabulous student & produced some outstanding beads.
I just sat at my torch & pulled stringers, that way Mandy didn't feel as if I was watching over her shoulder, yet I could still see & was there in a split second if needed.
After not having taught an adult for over 20 years I was apprehensive about doing so. Now, of course I want to do this all the time.
It is such a thrill watching the amazement displayed when they produce their first bead or those 'aha' moments on another's face.
It has taken me all week to come back down to earth. I would love to have at least two days set aside for classes each week.
Of course then I would have to upgrade everything. One can only take so many hours of listening to the roar of a hot head....
And just so there is something to look at here .....
Another set of beads using the one of the GafferGirls frit blends & some of that stringer I pulled.
Who'd have thought that I'd ever make 'sets'.
Time is flying by with supersonic speed these days & I don't like it at all.
I don't like it especially when I realise that another annual increase in age event is about to happen. Hence my silence over the last week.
For me each birthday is a time of very mixed feelings. It has nothing & everything to do with the numbers.
In many ways I wish I could go back to it being as it was when I was a child, when it was simply a birthday & a time to celebrate.
That aside, the last week has been busy & exciting.
My first 'Introduction to Lampwork Bead Making" student was on Tuesday. In a cunningly designed bit of planning on my part it happened to be the day after my birthday, therefore allowing me the joy of being rather too preoccupied about it & whether I was fully prepared & had everything ready for it, to focus too much on the fact that Monday was actually another birthday.
Clever of me eh?
The day went well - exceptionally well in fact. I had the most amazingly wonderful student in Mandy.
We started with a coffee & some sticky bun in a relaxed atmosphere, while I went through through the basics about glass & the safety issues associated with lampwork.
Next it was out to the studio where I gave her her class kit, then demonstrated few things about glass before moving on to stringers. Attentive, eager & having already displayed a great understanding of the process Mandy was ready to have a turn at the torch. She quickly picked up the process of pulling stringers, so after that it was time to demo the process of making an actual bead.
Apart from a quick lunch break & a couple of further mini demo's from me, Mandy was still at the torch 5 hours later! She was a fabulous student & produced some outstanding beads.
I just sat at my torch & pulled stringers, that way Mandy didn't feel as if I was watching over her shoulder, yet I could still see & was there in a split second if needed.
After not having taught an adult for over 20 years I was apprehensive about doing so. Now, of course I want to do this all the time.
It is such a thrill watching the amazement displayed when they produce their first bead or those 'aha' moments on another's face.
It has taken me all week to come back down to earth. I would love to have at least two days set aside for classes each week.
Of course then I would have to upgrade everything. One can only take so many hours of listening to the roar of a hot head....
And just so there is something to look at here .....
Another set of beads using the one of the GafferGirls frit blends & some of that stringer I pulled.
Who'd have thought that I'd ever make 'sets'.
Mandy is one lucky student. I really like the idea of you demo'ing some and then turning her loose at the torch-- well, not completely loose, since you were right there to step in if needed, but definitely free to explore. That's the best way to learn.
ReplyDeleteClever you, hope the birthday blues have passed by the wayside, even though it's winter. Wish I could trade you a few hours of summer heat for a few hours of winter cold right about now.