A short vacation

I've taken most of the last two weeks off to spend with my family. I appologize for the silence that this has generated in this space but didn't really know that two weeks worth of daily posts to the effect of "Wonderful day with Sprout. Didn't even go into the studio." would really have been much interest to anyone. I will probably be retrieving Sprout's portable swing from the friend I loaned it to sometime early this week. With the portable swing, it's somewhat easier to get work done.

I returned to my creative life yesterday by attending a laminated felting workshop in Troy. The workshop leader, Tammy L. Deck, was on HGTV's Crafters Coast to Coast. I have mixed feelings about the workshop but, overall, believe that it was worth the cost. I was able to get a lot of feedback which would have cost more than the workshop in materials had I been learning exclusively through trial and error.

I joined the discussion forum for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab while I was taking my break from the studio. This inspired me to explore, at least on paper, the process of blending fragrance using a classic glaze-making technique. If you're interested in reading about it, I uploaded my notes to my website to share them with the forum.

I had hoped to have some auctions up and running by the time that I got back into the studio. Unfortunately, EBAY is not cooperating. Rather than continue to beat my head against a sales venue that is less than ideal, I've instead uploaded the items which I am selling directly to my website. If it goes well, I will add more items as time permits.

I'm leaving on a real vacation in just under two weeks. I'm not sure how much time will be available for updates between now and then but I'll certainly make a point of checking in at least once before I leave.