Here are some words that I published for the ISGB postcard project.  Wanted to put them here so I remember how last year felt.

This last year has been a year or amazing challenges and surprising victories. As President of the ISGB, I along with the ISGB board, had to make hard decisions about planned events and activities. We made decisions with the best interest of the organization and our membership and I believe we stayed true to that direction.

 With disruption often comes good change and the last year has caused the ISGB to take different directions in order to reach our members where they are, home. We have adopted a greater online presence and created online events quickly. It has been a crazy time, but we have gained much!

 In my personal life, I have worked from home for this year and feel closer to my family and more grounded in my home. I live now needing less and treasure my friends and family above anything. My 60th birthday was quieter then hoped but more fulfilling then I ever dreamed.

 Creatively I have taken many online classes from talented artists and have learned much. I have tried new things and learned to work with the freedom of letting things go that I don’t enjoy. 

 When my grandchildren ask me about this year I will tell them it was a year of tragic sadness and loss, great love, and learning to grow where you’re planted. Literally. - Susan

 Back from Italy Happy and Satiated!

It was a fabulous couple of weeks in Murano, Venice, and Florence.

My adventure was organized by Sara Legrand. I have been to Italy with her before and especially during these times on earth I knew she would provide us with a safe exciting adventure.

Italy was everything the US is not.  Safe and aware of the pandemic.  Covid vaccine is required to get on a train, a boat, or in a restaurant.  Everyone wears masks indoors.  I felt safe there.  Returning home was a shock at the number of people who are disregarding even the simplest of protections such as mask wearing.

We saw many fabulous glass people on our adventure and had great times with friends old and new.

I saw Florence for the first time and fell in love with that city as well.  Venice was nicely undercrowded and Murano was a quiet end to each day. Gelato was a treat each day around 5 and our dinners kept the conversation and spritzs rolling.

The apartment at Ca' Mazzega was a lovely home away from home and I would happily stay there again.

All and all it was the adventure of my life so far.  Not sure I will be back for glass but I will lovingly show these places to my family in the future.

Thank you Italy and Sara for an amazing 17 days.

Susan

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 Fall is in the air in Michigan and I am a tad shocked by its arrival.  This summer seems to have come and gone quickly and many things are left undone.

My thought about this is that disruption in my life tends to send me down different paths then planned.  

Some home remodeling has left me feeling disorganized and not able to progress in all the areas I needed to.

Finishing the Presidency for the ISGB is also a big change.  I am so grateful for the opportunity and encouraged by the direction that the ISGB is going.  

For the first time in many years I am not in a leadership position in a glass organization!  I think this is a good thing for my art and I am hoping to spend more time at the torch.  I have many ideas that I need to bring to fruition and I am looking forward to it.

Leaving for Italy in a few days to spend time with creatives and to enjoy some time away from the US.  Everyone I'm traveling with is vaccinated and the EU is strict about  requiring vaccinated only at restaurants and venues.  Masks required indoors for all.  I look forward to the sanity of science based decisions being implemented in more places but for now I will relish my time in Murano, Venice, and Florence.

So that's it for this chapter of Susan and her blog.

To anyone who reads this I hope you are happy and well and pursuing creative activities.

Susan

 Time Moves on

Well I certainly didn't expect that I wouldn't be back here for almost 2 years!  Time does move on in expected and unexpected ways.

I am a grandmother now with the birth of my grandson Cameron in July 2019 and this is a huge blessing in my life. 

2020 brought all the challenges that a global pandemic brings with travel cancelled and outings postponed.

 In some ways the disruption has had positive changes in how I take classes for my glass art.  I have taken many online classes and have found them to be a great way to learn new skills and connect with other artists. The ISGB held its annual conference at the last minute online and it was a great way to bring us together.  

Although I look forward to getting to see my friends in person again I think this break from normal life has caused me to appreciate things more.  I hope the lesson stays and I realize that life can be full without the things that I have always done or had.  

I hope we all emerge from this with new hope and new perspectives.

Until then Be well, stay safe, wear a mask, make art!

Susan

Time

The calendar indicates that spring should be here soon.  We still have a bit of snow but I have seen a robin so that is another sign but I still feel like hibernating.

The middle of March means that I am deeply involved in preparations for attending the ISGB Gathering.  The Gathering is the annual conference of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and I am currently the president of this wonderful organization.

We will be converging on Las Vegas at the beginning of April and it will be a wonderful time. 

I am busy melting glass to make all the things I am taking to the event.  It has been hard to get to the torch since Kevin died and I am not sure that I am entirely recovered from the loss but I am pushing forward to regain my creative spirit and I know he would want that of me.

It is amazing how all aspects of our life can affect our creativity.  I didn't even recognize my own lack of creative energy for months and then I didn't connect it to death but when I finally understood, it explained a great deal, 

I was in Italy in September 2018 when Kevin died.  Italy was the most wonderful adventure of my life so far and I was grateful that I had my artist friends with me when the news came.  I continued my trip since it was near the end and still had some great times.  It was strange as his loss did not hit me fully until months after his death.  I was more in shock when I first heard,  although it was inevitable that he would die from the colon cancer,  we thought we had more time.

We always think we have more time don't we?  More time to be with people we love,  more time to be creative, more time to make amends.  We don't .  I am living life differently now.  I think that is the best that came from his death.  I realized that we don't always have more time and that we can still love people who we can't be with. 

I will write more about my Italian adventures as my creative comes back.  Until then this is cheaper than therapy.

Keep the glass flowing.

Susan

Summer in the city

It is the early days of July and  I am scattered preparing for the next few months.  I have been out of town for a couple of weeks and have not tended to my garden or my studio.  I am hoping to do some of that this month. My daughter Allison is getting married in August and I am going to Italy in September for some glass adventures so the current days need to be productive. If only mother nature would help me by lowering the temperature and the humidity, but such is a Michigan summer.

 My position as President of the International Society of Glass Bead Makers (ISGB)  is a great honor and a great challenge.  We are busy trying to get things lined up for the 2019 Gathering in Las Vegas.  It is going to be another great conference and I am excited for the changes we are making.

 Lately I have written a bit for the glass publications and write monthly for the ISGB Bead Release. I wrote an article in May for Soda Lime Times discussing the changes in the ISGB and am currently writing a glass review for Glass Bead Evolution.

In the ISGB - Glass Bead Evolution this month we had an article by Pam Kellett that was written about the Southeast Michigan Glass Beadmakers Guild's 20 bead glass challenge.  It was a fun exercise and quite a surprise when I saw my beads in the issue!.   The beads were made from CIM Butter Pecan, Effetre Light Topaz, and DH Echo.

The SMGBG guild does a great job of getting us to the torch.

Guess that is it for now but keep the torches lit and the glass hot.


Susan

Hey where did the summer go?

The best of intentions sometimes have the worst of outcomes. The frequency of my blog posts has not improved!  lol

It is nearing the end of October and although Michigan is being blessed with some warm days the turning leaves are saying a different story.  Pumpkin Spice is everywhere and I just finished chairing the Bead Bonanza booth for SMGBG.  It must be fall!

My position as President for the ISGB is taking up some time and I am learning a great deal.  Just like any other large group being on the BOD is less artsy and more business but I am enjoying learning about the group and want to help it continue to grow and thrive.

The big Glass Act show 'Winter Wonders' is on November 4th and my beads will be there with my daughter Samantha running my table.  This is my favorite show of the year because it is about old friends and great art.  We have a steady stream of glass lovers at the show and in between the business we spend time with our friends.  It is a great time.

Lately my attempts at making great glass art had resulted in some less then beautiful pieces but I am determined to master some of the techniques I admire.  In September I took a class with Corina Tettinger  and I am inspired to work on some fundamentals. 

Hoping to sell a bit more next year as my daughter Allison is getting married and we have a wedding in August to pay for.  :)  These are happy times indeed.

Hope that if you stumbled upon this post that you are have a creative and happy fall!.

Susan