Things to work on

The new year is almost here so I think I'll start my New Years resolution list.

1. Learn to take better pictures of my pieces
2. Clean my studio (isn't this on everyone's list)
3. Post more consistantly
4. Add items to my etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/hauteglasser
5. Do another show in the middle of the year
6. Mark my calender to start holiday items towards the end of summer

Stay tuned for more.

Now that the New Year has arrived, I'm adding getting a resale license and committing to doing 1 show this year.

Lessons from my first show

This was my first show and the first time a friend did a holiday boutique.

I did better than expected but not as good as I hoped. But I was so happy I sold some items and I was glad for the learning experience. Now I have my feet wet!

I was so glad that my first customer was a friend who has been a recipiant of my glasswork as gifts. She's said before I should sell my stuff. Now I have and she was my first one! Thank you Hope.

Here are my random thoughts and reflections.
Since it was a "Moms" group, kid-focused items such as night lights might have done well

I needed more than one table which is good to know for the next show. I was surprised how quickly I ran out of space and couldn't display everything I brought.

I need to display the cuff links differently since they were getting lost - mixed up with other/ items

I should have had some displays with a white background

My key clips would have shown better clipped to a display

BRING MY BUSINESS CARDS NEXT TIME

Have prices displayed a little better

I had a suggestion to check out a local consignment shop so I'm going to do that shortly.

I didn't have time to make platforms to raise some of the stands but it would let the plates show up better. I need to get this done for the next time!

This was at night so a day show will have a different lighting affect. Maybe black tablecloths for a day show and white tablecloths for night shows....

Another Sacrafice to the Kiln Gods

No words needed

Results of custom program and more holiday pieces...

This was a pre-programmed full fuse setting in the Skutt kiln.

And here's the result of my "custom programming". This was supposed to be a slump at a fire polish setting.

The kiln was on for over 36 hours at 1350 deg. Apparently I didn't program it correctly and it overcooked. That was going to be a nice piece...key word is "was". This might be saved if I sand blast all the devit off of the surface and firepolish, but....

First fuse reults

This was a firing in the small kiln, but I didn't hold long enough at 1450 so it's more like a partial. Starting temp - 63 deg. Lo for 1:30 to 700 deg L2 for 1:30 to 1000 deg. L3 for 45 min to 1225 deg. AFAP to 1450. Hold 20 min. Lo for 20 min. while I try to figure out how to program the bigger kiln :) Off and cool to room temp in kiln (overnight).

Holiday Plates

Since I'm doing my FIRST show, I've been struggling to 1. get things produced, 2. come up with ideas to produce, 3. figure out how I want the table to look 4. figure out what might sell the best... So I put it out to the group and got the advise that jewelry will probably sell the best. This, unforunately, is my least favorite thing to make since I'm not really a jewelry person, so it's been tough for me to get motivated and most of my pieces aren't coming out how I had envisioned it in my mind. Now I have less than a week to go. But today I had an epiphany...why am I trying to produce things that don't interest me? Why not just make things I want to make. And that's when I came up with these 3 (actually 4 but I don't have a "before" picture of it.) I've been told I make great, fun eyes using Glassline paint and I have fun with it to, so my new outlook came up with these pieces (these are before firing)

TANGLED CAT

BUSTED!

TOO MUCH TINSEL (I'm going to add a string of lights to this piece since I can now see it needs more color) I figure I'm not going to get rich doing this, and this isn't going to be my major source of income, so if my first show is a flop, I'm ok with it. It will be a learning process and I'd rather have fun making things I want to make rather than struggle to make things that I "think" others would like to see. So along with the epiphany, I also programmed the kiln for the first time. I'll see tomorrow how the pieces turn out. I'm trying to slump and fire polish a few pieces. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed tonight and find out tomorrow morning if I was successful.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

I've been in scrambe mode lately since a friend is hosting a craft show in a few weeks at her place and I'm going to have a table there. This would be my first official show! Now I need ot make an inventory! Here's the first phase of this plate. It was fused as a full fuse, medium speed, using the preprogrammed setting. This will eventually be slumped into a tray.

1st Firing results

Here's the results for the first firing. It came out exactly how "Tack" should look. So I set the kiln to Fast and Full Fuse tonight. I'll see the results tomorrow. The pizza stone cracked so now I'll need to get a kiln shelf.

First Firing in Skutt Kiln

I bought this kiln over the summer from Craigslist and this is the first time I was able to fire it.

Here's the list of things I should have done before my first firing....but didn't do.... 1. Vacuum the kiln 2. Put same size pieces in the kiln, fire and record the differences of the glass reaction based on where it was placed in the kiln. 3. Get a proper kiln shelf. 4. Kiln wash the bottom of the kiln. (I got lazy since this was used before and I was hoping it was already done). Here are the things I did do before the first firing. 1. I pushed any loose pins holding the elements back in place. 2. l downloaded and read the manual. I'm using a pizza stone (new and received from a FreeCylcer) that I kiln washed. Hopefully this doesn't break and ruin my first firing in this kiln.

One of the pieces in the kiln is above: Marine Blue stringers, a few clear strings and Juniper Blue powder Also in the kiln are the frit/powder pieces and some small jewelry pieces. I'm using the pre-programmed setting: Tack fuse @ 1350 deg. Med. speed I tried to increase the temp to 1400 deg but I couldn't figure it out. well next time.

Small Kiln - Tack Fuse

IN KILN: Yin/Yang dragonfly. The yin/yang was previously fired at a full fuse. Two clear/irid pieces with PearlEx design stamped onto clear and placed down toward irid. Hair spray was used as the sticking medium. PearlEx was brushed on the stamp and the excess was tapped off to avoid excess PearlEx falling off. 2 frit/powder pieces.

Here are the pieces before the firing.

And after being fired. Two observations- the change in color of the dragonfly body started with Uroboros Marigold. Normally this color stays true after firing, but it shifted to a brown color when CMC was added to make glass clay. I'm happier with this shift in color since it softens the look. Also the head moved. Also the frit/powder pieces should be at a full fuse. Here's the firing schedule for a tack fuse: Starting Temp: 64 deg. Vented the kiln by keeping the peep hole open until 800 deg. reaches. (should have tried to keep it vented until it reached 1,000 deg, but I was pressed for time) Low for2 hours. Temp reached 800 at 2 hours (= Ramp @ 400 DPH) @ 2 hours - increased to Lev. 2. @+30 min. -temp. = 1090 deg. Increased to Lev. 3. (= Ramp @ 200 DPH) @+30 min. temp. = 1200 deg. Increased to Lev. 4 (=Ramp @ 200 DPH) @+30 min. temp = 1350 deg. Hold @ 1350 for 15 minutes. Turned off and let cool.