I'm taking a class!!!!

Well, it's actually an e-Course and

I am so excited!!

Late last year I bought this

Then I asked for this

for Christmas.

Since then I have been trying to figure out where I am going to be able to play

with my new toys.

I live in a log cabin with somewhat low-ish ceilings, except in the living room

which is a cathedral style.  And since it is a log cabin with three different types of heat,

oil heat stove, propane heat stove and wood stove, we have a smoke alarm

on every floor and they are very, very sensitive.

Opening windows for any length of time in the winter is not a comfortable proposition.

So I had pretty much decided that I would have to wait for summer.

Then this e-Course came up and I just had to sign up.

Still don't have a place in the house where I can set up, so what to do?

I had an epiphany (gosh I've wanted to use that word for so long:).

At the shop we have a very large loft space that is used for storage

and I was sure I could 'eek' out enough space to set up a small table.

So I spent approximately 300 years

or maybe just 4 days, going through everything upstairs and disposing of crap.

Really.  Crap.

I was amazed at how much stuff was still there from the previous owners.

(I mean, seriously, a data processing typewriter from 1996???)

I am embarrassed to say this was the first time in almost 4 years that I have really dug in

and gone through EVERYthing up there and I am proud to say that about 90%

of the stuff up there is either gone or going.

(one can only fit so much into a dumpster and it's only emptied once a week).

So without further ado, I give you my new enameling workstation.

TA DA!

The only other issue that stood in my way of enjoying my new toys

was my fear. of .fire.☺

Yep. Really, REALLY uncomfortable being around a torch. lol!

(Which might possibly be why I was willing to wait until summer to

even think about setting up a work area☺)

I figured I should probably work on the fear part before the

e-Course, so I have taken about an hour a day to go upstairs and torch "something". 

 Really anything.

I read that you could enamel pennies if they are 1982 or older, (higher copper content) 

so I have been trying that.  Not great success.

I have tried copper tubing.  Not great success.

I've enamelled some of the beads that came with the kit

and they are awesome.

And, you know what?

I am happy to report that I am NOT afraid of the torch anymore and

I am ready for my class.

Yay!!