Expanding my horizons...

Well, that's another week that's been and gone with barely a pause for breath and it's been almost a week since I posted here - note to self...must do better! I've been working on completing commissions this week and generally running here and there trying to keep life in order.


One of the things I've been doing is trying to make some sense of my working space. When I started making jewellery I never thought of it as something that would need extra or dedicated space...Hmmm, seems I got that one wrong.Those of you who keep up with the 'Bead table Wednesday' group on Flick will have seen pictures of my little workroom come study...

Not a bad space although these were obviously taken after a major clear up - it rarely looks this tidy! I used to have my kiln and tumbler in here as well but clouds of oxidisation soot and the noise soon put pay to that and they were banished to the garage.


The problem now is that I'm itching to get into some new techniques that need a bit more space and there really isn't room. Enameling is top of my list - I have a course booked for next month to learn about kiln enameling but in the meantime, I'm about to try my hand at torch enameling with the aid of a tutorial from Beaducation. As you probably know there are some safety requirements for enameling which don't lend themselves to a messy cluttered working environment...yes I know it doesn't look messy here but believe me - it is!!!


So now, instead of just dumping the kiln in the garage, I've had a sort out and made myself a dedicated little area for hot working...

Neat huh? but probably not for very long! I still need to sort the cabling out and find some storage for the enameling tools which I'll be moving in later today but hey, I think it's quite a cosy little set up. I'm not sure how it's going work in the winter...I  may have to sit on the kiln to keep warm!


Unfortunately, the rest  of the garage still looks like this (my car has never seen the inside of it!)

But, I'm hoping a visit from the local reclamation charity might sort this lot out and then I will also be able to set up the rowing machine that's buried in here somewhere and get some much needed exercise between jewellery making sessions.


I wonder if I could generate my own Electricity...?!

Have a great weekend all.


Lesley