April 3-5, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada

 80 and sunny.

We are in Las Vegas at the Glass and Bead Expo. I am taking glass classes. My first class today was wire wrapping lentil beads. These are some the instructor made. 

The instructor Libby doing a demo. This is the one I made in class. Libby made the bead, I wrapped it.

The second class I took was advanced glass combing. These are some examples of advanced glass combing. Meanwhile in the casino there is a Ladies International Poker series. LIPS going on. Here is Janine the instructor demoing combing hot glass. I am going to buy one of these drop out  bottom kilns while I am here. 

Janine teaching us glass combing. And a close up of combing.

After classes John and I walked around the pool a bit. It was a lovely day for it. Too bad I was in class all day. I took another wire wrapping class from Libby this morning. Top left is the pendant I wrapped. Top right is the demo one that Libby made the bottom 4 are the ones the 4 of us in class made. Libby made all the glass beads. Great class.

This afternoon I took an alcohol ink on glass class from Annie. These are the things I made in that class. My new favorite slot machine. The red queen has been generous to me. 

This evening I took a peyote beaded bezel class from Wendy. She made this example of what we were making. Mine is only partly done, but good class. The exhibit hall at the Glass and Bead Expo opened today. Everyone who makes anything glass has an exhibit here. Great place to see all the new products and learn about things. there was a line of about 200 people at the door before it opened. I had a class until 3, so didn't get into the exhibits until after that. 

I took a class called Over the Edge. Last year I took a class called on the edge where we learned how to work with strips of glass on edge. This years is the advanced one where we learned about working with curved edges. Here is the Alisha in the green shirt demonstrating some techniques. In the foreground are some finished project examples. Here is what I made before firing.

Here are some of what the other students made before firing. We can pick up fired projects tomorrow. At the exhibits this afternoon my friends Anita and Lois talked me into getting into the glass cutting contest. Anita and Lois are friends from the glass group in Denver I belong to.  Here we are with our cutters in the air.

Anita, Lois and I trying to get as many pieces as possible cut in the 4 minutes allotted. We were given a clear piece of glass and had to cut as many pieces as possible on the pattern below in 4 minutes.

Lois won first place. Her prize was a cool mold for slumping. Congratulations! I think I probably came in last. It has been windy, cloudy and cold. There were no colors at sunset.

In the evening was the meet and greet party. They had this photo booth. Sue, Lois and Anita enjoying the festivities.