OH MY GOD...

I have a lady in my local ISGB chapter, Julia Lund, who has talked up this cool weekend in Oregon called Glass Stock, hosted by Mike & Deb Crowley, owners of The Glass Hive in South Beach, Oregon. Mike is also the builder of my new Glass Hive Annealer!

Julia went to the very first Glass Stock & has participated/taught there every year since (I think!).

4 day weekend of intense GLASS... all aspects of glass... glass blowing, lampworking, fusing, etc....... 6 classes (of many to choose from)...3 torching classes & the other 3 will be from a choice of glass blowing, fusing, PMC, coldworking (faceting, etc) electroforming & enameling.

Anyway... this will be year #6 of Glass Stock & it's gotten so popular that they now have to do a lottery drawing. I have been wanting to go to this since Julia talked about it last summer, but figured I would probably wait another year before REALLY considering going... but my friend Deb mentioned that she had put her name in the hat, figuring that she'd go for getting picked first & then figure out if there was a possibility of her being able to afford to go later... she could always give up her spot. :o) I thought "what the heck"... why not? So I signed up for the lottery & holy crap, I got selected!!! LOL!! I had decided even before I was picked that I had to figure out how to go.... I REALLY need more time w/ people who know what they're doing, LOL! I'm absolutely thrilled that I'm going to get the chance now!!

Why freaking out?? Because... I'm the new kid still. Makes me nervous to be amongst a big group of talent like this... of course I know I won't be the only new kid & I know I have my own bit of talent to prop myself up w/, (right?), but it still makes me nervous. :o) Luckily there are a few people I know & others I've met, so it's not like I'm on my own.

Even more nerve-racking is the fact that EVERYONE has to do a demo of some kind the first day!!! Yikes! What in the heck can I bring to the table??? Holy crap. Oh well... I've got lots of time to think about it.

We've decided to turn it into a family road trip... will probably spend a few weeks getting there... running around Washington & Oregon... & then Brad & the boys will camp down the street @ the state park while I will room w/ other lampworkers & have a fabulous time w/out my family!!! :o) I certainly didn't want to have to leave the party each night & climb into a tent!! LOL. I really had to twist Brad's arm to take this trip w/ me, NOT... the GREAT NORTHWEST... home to a gazillion micro breweries & brewpubs!! LOL! Right around the corner from Glass Stock is the Rogue Ale Brewery... we spent 4 extra days in Seattle just so we could drive down to visit Rogue a few years ago!

Anyway... so exciting!!! :o)