Oh No!  Just what everyone dreads, our main computer crashed.  Luckily enough my husband has a laptop I am able to use, for some basic things but we’re going to have to try and retrieve email addresses, and loads of other things off the wounded computer.  Haven’t even started to try and tackle what could be wrong.  So at this point we’re not sure just how critcal this is.      
If anyone needs to email me please go ahead and use the following address for now,…….    rubyt2u@sbcglobal.net      Thanks.

Whatever you are doing for Thanksgiving Shards and Light wishes you and your friends/family a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.  
My turkey just went into the oven, ’she’ (because the label said it was a hen) was 9.1 lbs.  There will be 4 of us for dinner with all the fixins’.  Of course we had to schedule around our meal time due to a Packers game on!  lol

Gees!  Looked again at the paperwork for the 8 County Exhibition, and much to my dismay!?!?  The date for the end of jurying our submissions is the 30th!!!  Not the 20th……………ohhhhh more waiting, not sure where or why I got it in my head that their end date was the 20th?  A friend of ours is also waiting so I broke the news to her as well.        She submitted 3 colored pencil drawings.  We’ve both been watching the mailman every day when he drops the mail into the box, guess we can give the guy a break for a few more days.   

Waiting for the 20th, will be watching the mailbox for the Art Centers letter to arrive.  Bet they’ll make me wait out the entire weekend!  ugh.  Sitting on pins and needles,….waiting patiently,…sort of…..lol   

The countdown continues for the notification to arrive from the Art Center in the mail about my entries for the 8 Counties Exhibition.  I had my CD containing photos, and my application form turned in since October 29th, (the deadline being the 30th).  They in turn have until November 20th to review everyones entries and return our CD’s and letters of acceptance or not.  I will be nervous once it arrives in the mailbox!  This is my first attempt at entering 2 (we could enter up to 3) of my pieces in something of this nature.  The thought of the level of skills, talent and amount of people I am up against!?!?  Makes me shake in my shoes!  LOL  But whatever happens, happens,….at least I gave it a go.
So……..another week to go.      :~}}}}}}

I spent last weekend at The Vinery in Madison, for the Intensive Stained Glass Class, spent both Saturday & Sunday all day from 9 in the morning in class.  Denny himself taught the class, which was great!  He has well over 30 years experience, and was so informative.   I’ve been wanting to buy a circle/strip cutter (for glass) but with the different choices on the market, and never using one, I didn’t know what to buy.  Denny brought out different ones, and I was able to ‘try them out’!  He explained them, and helped me make a desicion.  I also learned a few new tips and tricks to use back in the workshop.
Everyone worked diligently all day, so we could get our projects finished by the end of Sunday.
I had all my glass cut and fitted for the panel I was making, then  sat in my hotel room Saturday night copper foiling all of the pieces getting ready for solder work on Sunday back in class bright and early at 9a.m. again.
Everything went well, I put the frame on, then washed the panel, (to remove flux residue) and patina/wax in the end.  While I was waiting for the wax to dry before buffing it off, of course we all had time to do a bit of shopping out in front of the studio where the store part is.  We all had the store to ourselves because they are closed on Sundays, woo hoo!   
Here are a few pictures of what I made in class, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  It now hangs in our front window, and gets the afternoon sunlight.  Love those colors!!!!       

Showing some of the detail,…. this is one of my entries for the 8 Counties Exhibition, through the JMKA Center here in town.

We did 2 photo shoots of my panel, both outdoors and in the rec. room, trying to show the true color of the glass, which always proves to be difficult.  I went in to the Art Center in person and dropped off my packet with photo CD, and application.  I was a bit nervous handing it over!     ;D    Thinking ‘this is it!’
The Art Center will take the month of November for the jurying process, deadline was 4p.m. yesterday (the 30th of October).  I had to also submit a self-addressed stamped envelope for them to send back my CD which contained my photos, so when they are finished they return it, and also the letter telling me their decision, if my work got accepted or denied for the 2010 exhibition called 8 Counties.  Not sure how many entries they expect, but the competition I am sure will be steep, considering this covers a 8 county spread of people eligible to enter.
This is exciting just the fact that I entered some of my work for something so BIG!  This exhibition only comes around once every 3 years.
Fingers crossed!  now I wait…………….

Here is my BIG project now finished…..whew.  All my pictures, and application form have now been turned in to the Art Center

  This is what 6 3/4 hours of soldering looks like!  Yikes!  I managed to spend the day in the workshop, only taking a few brief breaks.  About 1 1/2 lbs. of solder stuck into this thus far. ( Keeping track of time spent soldering and amount of solder used out of curiosity) 
  At least this was the bulk of the work front and back finished now.  Working the area with the glass globs was the most time consuming, and that really ate up the solder there!
  I have glass cut for the top 2 corners that will be put into place above the brass rod, then the top section of the frame will be soldered into place.  That piece of zinc is all fitted and cut ready to go.  Then soldering in the fittings for hanging.
  After that the finishing touches, apply patina to all soldered areas to darken them, polish the zinc, and apply wax.  Buff everything until it has a beautiful shine,…………wallah!  THEN I will be done.  So plenty more work to do.
  Keep checking back on my progress……….