Preparing for Septemberfest in Midland, Texas

Art Festivals, Beads, Jewelry, Lampworking, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog, art 2 Responses »

Aug 252010

Having skin cancer slowed me down a bit, and I missed the last show I was supposed to attend in Austin. I was looking forward to it too. Well, life happens while you’re making other plans. My face is healing steadily and by the time the Midland show rolls around on September 10th I shouldn’t look too much like the Bride of Frankenstein. I’m back to work full swing, and so not only do I have all the beads and jewelry I didn’t sell in Austin, I have even more (!!!) new jewlery. I’ll ply you with photos later.

Not much else going on at all, except working to save all our plants during this Texas heat wave. We get up around 6:30 am and work in the two gardens until around 9 am, watering and weeding. Our “old” house, the wonderful octagonal nest we built when we first moved off the boat is surprisingly still for sale, so we go next door to take care of the flowers there first. I know the economy excuses and etc. etc, however, really we just can’t figure out why this sweet house has not sold. So, anyway, the plants at the “old” house are thriving in spite of the heat, and the new ones we’ve planted in our zeriscape garden at our new house are too, thanks to our early rising diligence. It’s been hovering in the day to close to or over 100 degrees for it must be weeks now!

We built our new place mostly to accomodate Jim’s need for extra wide doorways and hallways – and my need (?) for a new studio. And we thought the original house was too perfect to remodel. It’s octagonal shape allowed us to nestle it into a lovely stand of oak trees, and we didn’t have to remove any of them to place it perfectly. Want to move to beautiful Round Top? It’s not always this hot, promise. Check out the lisiting:http://www.trrn.com/detail.asp?PropID=62035

Oh, and here’s the Midland Septemberfest Poster.

Acquiring Patience

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Aug 092010

It’s been one week since my surgery, and I am thankful to say I am much improved. The swelling has gone down around my eyes. I can see again – yes! Enough to be able to read, watch t.v. and work a bit on the computer. Yesterday I even made jewelry at my bead board for a little while. The incision/stitches wander from my nose between my eyebrows, up to my hairline in the middle of my forehead. Not a lovely sight, and the problem presented now is one of glasses. I wear reading glasses to read, “regular” glasses to drive or watch t.v., and special prescription protective didymium glasses for lampworking. The swelling, pain, etc. in the area along the bridge of my nose is not dimished enough to wear the didymium glasses. So, no lampworking.

I’m learning a new brand of patience. Many times people say to me when they hear I am a lampworker, “Oh, I could never do that – it would take so much patience!” Well, perhaps. I can’t say, since for me lampworking is (mostly) pure joy in the process. I love what I do – love choosing the colors of the rods, love the zen trance like state I get into when I work, love the satisfaction of making what I consider a well executed bead, and especially love opening the kiln the next morning to see the goodies I have created.

As I talked with my sister about how anxious I am to get back to the torch, and making beads, she said. “Be patient. Remember what Daddy used to say to us,’We are acquiring patience.’ “ So I need to master the patience required to live through not being able to make beads. Seems I have already mastered the other kind, he he!

No new beads this week, only a photo of a necklace I made prior to my week of acquiring patience.

Life Happens! I will not attend the Austin Bead Bazaar

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Aug 042010

I went in Monday, August 2nd, for what my doctor and I thought would be a minor surgery to remove a small skin cancer on my forehead. Well, didn’t work out that way. I was there nine hours and a lot of pain later. The cancer cells were much more widespread than anticipated. The good news: All the cancerous cells are gone. The not as good news: My face is black and blue, one eye swollen closed, lots of pain, and about a two week recovery time before I can do anything such as a bead show.

So, I am sorry I won’t be in Austin at the Bead Bazaar this weekend. I was looking forward to selling – and doing some shopping of my own. Alas, it’s not to be.

This post is about the extent of what I can handle on the computer for now. Later, I am thinking maybe I can put all those beads I had ready to go up on ebay or etsy. I’ll let you know.

Austin Bead Society Bead and Jewelry Bazaar

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Aug 012010

Come on by this show if you are in the Austin area this coming weekend. I’ll be there with loose beads as well as jewelry. There will be a great selection of lampwork beads (not just mine), and gemstones, and findings, and finished jewelry, and beading supplies – a jewelry lovers and beaders dream. I’m looking forward to doing some shopping as well as selling. Hope to see you there.