Tucson - Wish I Was There

Every year the world gathers in Tucson for the largest Gem & Mineral Show in the world. The show itself takes over more than 40 different venues across the city and extends for most of a month in length. Many shows are 3-day or 5-day shows, others are multi-week shows. Most of the shows are "wholesale" shows, but their admission documentation varies and often that definition of "wholesale" is quite broadly painted. I love the excitement, the sights and smells, and the beauty of stones and materials that I can't find elsewhere. BUT, I'm not there this week. In fact, I haven't been in Tucson for the past several years. The last time I was in Tucson I purchased a lot of material for my work. And I'm still in really good shape with my raw materials. I simply didn't need enough new material to justify the trip expense and time. So....I'm here in the snowbelt when I would rather be fighting the crowds, the road construction and the parking mess. But, maybe I can go next year. There are some pieces of equipment I would love to see and try out (and maybe bring home to my own workshop), and maybe I'll have had an opportunity to use up more of my overstock so that I'll need new stones. A girl can dream.....

And on the enameling front, I have been getting project backup lately. The past two weeks I have not had the time to fire up the kiln, so I have necklace components for my Beading For A Cure 2010 project waiting for their first experimental firing. I also have decided on a six-panel sequence for my cigar box project and am working on the storyboard for it. I might bring my magnification projector to the shop with me today and start the storyboard work there so that I can see what things will look like at the proper size. That will help me determine the best way to get the imagery onto the copper. Some of the designs are quite complex and I will need to determine how to get that detail through in the glass. What a fun quandry :-)

Enjoy your Friday - create some beauty today.