The Big 6 and the Small Fix

These days I find myself hammering a huge copper sheet next to a bin of dirty dishes as month 4 of our kitchen and bathroom renovation continues. Good thing I had a small sink installed in my studio a few years ago. Note: it is vitally important not to mix patina or metal cleaning chemicals with dishes, dirty or otherwise.

Too bad that’s not true of mixing dishes with hammers and Eastern repoussé tools.

The ages-in-progress kitchen with a fantastically fresh coat of paint by Chris and yours truly. A portion of those 2 white areas are the future sites of the equally in-progress copper panels I’m creating.

There is 3 times as much stuff that currently has no home in our house than stuff that does, and dishes, dishtowels, and groceries are in a constant state of transit between my studio, the dining room turned kitchenette (with our old fridge smack in the middle of it), and my husband’s pottery studio (which doubles as our temporary kitchen and second bathroom in what was once-upon-a-time our driveway).

Confused? Yes, well, us too. I’m constantly amazed when I know where something is. Last week our long awaited, but perhaps a bit early, antique, Art Deco display cabinets arrived. The one in the living room is in its permanent space, but all the ceramics, CDs, and books are still in boxes in various rooms. The cabinet for the dining room is covered with protective blankets as its permanent space is too close to construction. Twice last week, I walked toward it to get out some smoked salmon, only to realize it’s not the fridge.

I’m constantly reminded of something my illumination mentor and dear friend Heather Held always tells me when I’m lamenting how long a piece is taking me to finish: “The piece takes as long as it takes.”

During renovation, the same is true for making a sandwich.

Someday the plastic will be gone, and my dining room will magically appear through the archway.

As if that weren’t all enough, a huge portion of my website broke a couple of weeks ago, and after countless hours and many people troubleshooting it, I’m having to rebuild half the course pages.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that half of the courses are accessible again, AND to celebrate my birthday next week, my Big Beautiful Bezels course is on sale (and with a working webpage, no less)! My Rings course is also still on sale for a bit longer (with its own newly built webpage).

Rivers of Gold V, granulation, kum boo, and Side Weave Mesh choker Sterling, fine silver, 24k gold, Koroit opal, Peruvian opal ©2007, Victoria Lansford — Rivers of Gold V, choker, featuring one of the types of bezels I teach in my Big Beautiful Bezels course; other techniques include granulation, kuem boo, and a Side Weave Mesh chain
Sterling, fine silver, 24k gold, Koroit opal, Peruvian opal

Come the big six-zero (yes, really!), I’ll be slathered in SPF 50 sunscreen and staring at the blue-green Caribbean while Cabana Boy (my husband) brings me ornate cocktails with silly little umbrellas in them, and friends Kelley and John laugh at all my jokes.

Pics to follow…

Meanwhile, course registrations continue as usual (I’m optimistic about the tech!), and I’ll still be answering course questions every few days. Shipping on artwork and tool orders will resume June 22 when I’m back, hopefully refreshed, with nothing digital or tangible broken, and my dogs and adult kid still speaking to me for swanning off and leaving them in the renovation chaos.