You know how there’s one chore that always just truly SUCKS?   Could be anything, it’s just one of those necessary things that have to be done but yet (if you’re like me) you hate to do it so much you delay and delay (and DELAY!) and don’t get to it until it absolutely cannot be left for one minute longer?  At home it’s cleaning the bathroom.  At work it’s filing.  I hate both of those chores with a passion and can find many, many other things to keep me busy before the grime (or the pile) forces me to face up to my responsibilities, chin up and just “git ‘er done”.

In the case of beadmaking, the chore i hate the most is cleaning out the bead poop (the bead release/clay left in the bead hole after i remove the mandrel).  There’s no just way around it though.  Compared to the speed and excitement of sculpting a molten glass design in a roaring flame, it’s gotta be one of the most creativity-killing, boringly tedious, soul-suckingly rotten chores that exists on this entire planet.  And no I’m NOT exaggerating. 

But whatev.  This morning I resigned myself to the inevitable, put on the news and set myself to cleaning the pile of pooped-up beads that has been steadily accumulating in my studio over the past few months. 

Only stabbed myself with the bit three times too – barely bled at all…

(If you look closely you can get a glimpse of some of the new designs i’m working on… not telling ya nothin’ yet though)