Amber's Glass

Love Notes

2011-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gotten a note from a loved one? Stucksomewhere they know you will find it, and you do at just the right moment. It says exactly the right emotion to make youremember why life is worth the hardness. Have you ever found a note like that from yourself? How hard is it to love ourselves? How many other people will resent us for it?Can we love ourselves when others misunderstand?

So here is the challenge. Do you have love in your heart for someone you see every day? Or talk to regularly? Could you have thatsame kind of love for yourself? Can youtake care of yourself as well as you care for your loved ones? Can you take care of yourself as you expectthose you love to care for themselves so they will be healthy and available foryou? Can you care for yourself on yourbehalf?

Can you do both—love them as you have and incorporate lovingand caring for yourself equally as well? If so, what would happen? Wouldyou notice? Would they? What would change? How would that be?

A good place to start may be to write that sweet note, inyour best “I love You the most” handwriting and stick where you will find it,and at just the right moment get a true sense of unconditional love from yournearest admirer—YOU!

Kansas City Bound!

2011-06-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

The bus to Kansas City leaves this Sunday evening and I am so excited! My mother is meeting me there and we are spending the week together watching competitions, shopping and enjoying the conference & city. Then I get to go home and visit my family in Arkansas!

The Spinning SnowMill is a success! Sadly, welding class is over, but I am a certified welder! I have to admit, I am very proud of myself, graduating a welding course is not something I thought I would do in this lifetime! And I got certified and completed two sculptures with time to spare! Not to mention all the stuff built for the glass studio towards the beginning of the course.

The initial concept for the Spinning SnowMill started with my state welding art sculpture, which is also a snowflake. That project started with my idea to make the tips of the snowflake, or icicles with stainless steel ball bearings around a brass casing on a brass plate. A fellow welding student suggested I make it spin. While I appreciated the grandeur of the idea, as a person who had just been introduced to metalwork, I felt I was already under enough pressure to learn how to braze the casing to the ¾” thick brass plate as well as learning how to create a metal sculpture for the first time. It turned out beautiful! And it would be

neat if it could spin!

The windmills in my home state of West Virginia are another part of my inspiration . We have a line of them all the way across the horizon! They are now part of my view on my commute to welding class; it has been fascinating watching them be built!

Another inspiration was Spirograph, the children’s game/toy. When the patterns overlap, they create a new pattern. I had a purpose to install 3 layers of dendrites to create a more elaborate impression once spinning. Clearly in my mind I could see two sets spinning while the third stands still creating different effect. I also hope the movement will remind the viewer of snowfall.

I set out to learn how to make a metal snowflake that spins! In addition to my vocational instructors, I am blessed to have many resources available to instruct metal work. After inquiring more about the process & materials, the plan changed to use only steel. Eliminating brass from the second project also eliminated the possibly that the entire project would fail when I attempted brazing the casing to the steel base. It also made it much easier to find tubing sizes that fit together closely, as the brass piece I was able to find was a bit odd & small.

I love love love the plasma cutter! After studying photos of actual snowflakes, I had two possibilities intended for this project: much lacy & intricate detail on the icicles & each one to be hand cut, polished & unique. As I noticed on the magnified photos of actual snowflakes, they are everyone unique & so is each of the six icicles, or dendrites. So I cut the 18 dendrites individually, by hand, and intentionally created some differences. Then I ground off the slag, & improved cuts & holes with pneumatic tools, before adding facets & details with the intention of individuality. The finished project has symmetry, just as a natural snowflake, and has a distinctive handmade feel as I’d hoped it would.

The best match of tubing sizes was still off approximately 1/16" which would essentially flop rather than spin. Immediately upon arriving to welding class that day I started asking how to resolve that. The best solution was to cut open the rings with a grinder & once we closed them around base tubing I welded them shut. I am very pleased with this because they welded shut beautifully on outside & the inside of the ring retained a smooth surface for spinning.

I also used the plasma cutter to create a bevel on top of foundation to balance base tubing. Much grinding & polishing ensued at & outside of welding class.

Once the dendrites were cleaned up enough, I welded them onto rings using the Gas Metal Arc Welder. At this point I'm saving the detail work for after the heat of welding. A temporary assembly looks like it will come together as planned!

I used the Shielded Metal Arc Welder to weld together foundation & base parts. Everything fit together, but it still was not permanently assembled, it must be one piece when complete.

Details details details X 6. And much polishing. Overall it took much more time to make the dendrites than anything else, the assembly hardly took any time.

It is my very last welding class...every piece is clean polished detailed & loved. Now is the moment for the final assembly. I added another GMAW weld underneath the base tubing to push the back ring forward a tad. Then I added 3 somewhat symmetrical button welds around base tube to make sure it stays straight. Next the rings were added, in the correct order & fronts forward. The grand finale--four buttons welded around front edge of base tubing in the small space available without welding the ring to the tube!

At first it was bit disappointing. The back ring would hang on the new weld underneath & seize up, sometimes locking up all three rings. Upon closer examination I saw that two of the front buttons were oddly shaped & rubbing against front ring. It proved to be quite easy to grind them down & free up the entire set.

!!! Hooray !!! A Spinning SnowMill!

Falling Frog

2011-06-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

A true Story-

I worked for a boyfriend guiding rock climbing for a couple of years in Tennessee. A regular client was a retired physicist in Oak Ridge, TN. He had moved to America from UK and was a really interesting fellow. Very matter of fact & precise. The first time they went climbing my friend recanted that the physicist had calculated the number of seconds it would take to reach the ground from the top of the climb off the cuff. Obviously he had a very well exercised brain.

So one sunny day we are out at the Obed Wild & Scenic River on a guiding trip w/ him. The chosen climb was not working out so we decided we needed a new route & began hiking deeper into forest. This particular crag was very long & we had been hiking along it's base for maybe 1/2 mi. It was a lovely day, not too hot. There was still run off water trickling off the top of crag, making rainy spots here & there.

I will never forget the bizarre nature of what happened next. I was the last in line & paused to look up at the water b/c this particular trickle was heavier & it was neat to look up & see the individual water drops sparkling as they were coming down at me. Then I heard a sound. A sound like something falling out of the sky. Piiiiissssuuu...

A frog--falling down...

From the top

A rock... Right in front of me! A couple of miles in the middle of a forest!

Splat.

How bizarre indeed.

By this time the boyfriend has noticed & stopped, the physicist kept going a few paces.

I just stood there frozen. Was it dead?! Could it have survived? The physicist stops, turns back, looks down at splayed out frog & says, "Frogs. They don't look before they leap" turns & hikes away.

Still aghast, I checked, the frog was dead. So I hiked on wondering to this day at how fascinating it was to see such a spectacle, to be in exactly the right place at the right moment.

What does his story have to do with Amber's Glass?

I am going to look before I leap. I am going to anticipate as much as possible and take the plunge, which means perfecting the plan, meeting with investors & borrowing money to buy a permanent facility.

The last blog was a long long time ago. Life moves on. (seasons cycles) end & begin anew. The situation at the building has not changed much, but I have. Welding course is finished--I am a certified welder! And I graduated! And finished the new sculpture for the national competition in Kansas City on June 19.

I want to let you know all about everything & I will! Right now I am majorly focused on the details of Amber's Glass Business Strategy & final preparations for the competition.

Thank you for your continued support and hang in there! I am!

In it to win it!

Amber Carman

Hot Sculpted Artiste with a Vision

www.ambersglass.com

Why the Hot Shop is Cold...

2011-04-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Are sure u want to take this journey? ::sigh:: this is not a fun story.

Let us start at the beginning. One year ago I was gainfully employed at Ron Hinkle Glass, working hard, learning stuff. Happy happy joy joy. I didn't take it personally when Ron had to lay off me & another employee because I really want my own glass art business and really thought, think--thunk?? I have, had, will have?? The smarts to do it and succeed.

So I started looking for a place to set up a glass production shop. There is no garage or suitable out building where we live and it is a rental anyway.

WV is loaded w/ natural gas, by that I mean this is where they find it in the ground. I went looking for a property w/ gas included, to reduce the most obvious cost of doing business. I looked at a lot of properties, with real estate agents and alone. I asked every single person I have met sincewe moved here if they know about any property that would be suitable. With or without gas available for free use. I followed up on any & every possible

lead. No no no no no no no no.

Found an old farm house that has free gas available b/c the well is on the land, I fell in love w/ it a bit. Had my dad convinced to help me buy it, but in the end it just was not enough gas. Then we decided building to suit was a good idea so Istarted looking for vacant land w/ natural gas available. Getting free gas wasn't going to happen, just being on it was a challenge.

My dad came to visit last September to be involved in it all b/c it was his credit that would secure financing. Such a generous offer from him. He believes in me and my business and I am so grateful for that. So he was here and we were following up on some details about a property we were hoping to buy & build on. (Details the lousy real estate agent-total chavanest jerk-left out) Just like that it was a big no. No this was not going to be the property. At this point I had been making it my full time job to find a property and was already finding materials and contractors. So I had all this work built up and thought I was going to have a great building and a beautiful business and live happily ever after. But the rug got pulled out from under me and daddy went home to Arkansas and there was no plan. I was completely crushed. What now??

Well we had looked at a deteriorated old mill that was being demolished. It had gas already, was only 4 mi from where I live. It was not suitable for some reasons, but it turns out there was a building available at the mill next door. This building is perfect: concrete floors, aluminum walls, basically fireproof. It was built to be a wood drying kiln in the 80's, it is just a

big tall square w/ huge bay doors that open up the entire front. It has huge fans in the ceiling already, three phase electric & gas installed. The back has another small room that houses the old boiler. Really a neat perfect building. Big enough for all the production space I could need & room outside to add storage or gallery space.

So I called my dad & said why not that one? I met he landlord again & he was super cool. He wants to revive the buildings at his mill & turn it into an artists community. Just perfect. He wouldn't charge me rent til I got up & going and then a huge discount, b/c ultimately he wants to sell the building. That was September. The building had 2" gas line going to the boiler. Raise your hand if u would have had to see smell touch feel taste the gas before u moved your shit in. Wish I had my hand up. I made an assumption. They said there was gas. I believed them. So I moved in.

There is this other glass worker named Rob. We met working at Ron Hinkle Glass. Rob is talented. He knows a lot of glass from working in the old factories. He knows stuff I don't (didn't) know. I know some stuff he doesn't know. So we were gonna play together. Pretty exciting to have someone else to help make this jive. We had beautiful ideas of things to
make with glass.

Rob threw in some equipment & tools & 'know how' that I did not have and we got to work setting up a glass hot shop. I have a furnace that works & was ready to use so we got it installed. And I built a reheat furnace in welding class, it wasn't the best but it would do til the money started rolling in. We had to run a gas line from the back of building to equipment. Because there was no need for it before, install electrical outlets & lighting in the main room. Rob was busting his ass. He built another furnace, we were going to have it for clear & my existing pot furnace for the colored glass. Was gonna be so sweet. So we get close to having everything ready to fire up!

While all this was going on the landlord was involved in opening a laundry mat in a building at the front of the mill. Kinda a big production and he was always in a tizzy b/c he had some pretty serious & unnecessary delays himself. So I wasn't bothering him. Free rent. Well they broke the gas main doing their work and we were told. No big deal. They would fix it and they did, took a couple of months. Winter approaching. Ok. No bitching from me.

We got the call the line was repaired and the gas was on! Went to the shop turned it on...they said it would take a while to purge the line...you'd

think we would at least smell it...

by now...

there is no gas to this

building. Ok. Wait.

What???

Rob is real neat guy. He is so smart. And he is backwoods WV. No fuckin around. This guy is tough. He said he knew a lot of stuff. And he does. Turns out he didn't know really what I needed for my glass shop. But he Tried. Real hard. He put together that tank furnace at his house & we loaded it on a trailer and hauled it to the shop. There it was unloaded, but it was not a priority to the initial phase of the business, so it is a pile of brick in the corner. No combustion system yet, just a pile of brick. Not in order to put them back into a furnace, just a pile of brick. But according to Rob it is valued at $5,000 AND well worth me just up & dumping my boyfriend of 4 years to be in love w/ Rob instead. So on Christmas Eve Rob finished up the last of the 4 tasks I really needed his help w/ & left his key.

Christmas sucked. No money. No gas. No glass. Rob bailed. There was more but it is too personal for this writing.

I guess the guys working at the mill knew this all along, but WV get a kick out of this sort of thing so they never mentioned it. Apparently it slipped the landlord's mind, that the gas line to the building was cut a few years back when some electrical upgrades were made to another building. No one intended to ever use the boiler agian so they decided not to repair the gas line. Ok. He is a busy guy, a lot of business to attend to, he forgot, I get it.

My life is hanging on this, what now?

He says he will put in a temporary line since it is winter & snowy already (the ground was not
frozen yet, it would have been easy to do permanent line then, I even had access to digging equipment, but ok...). On December 10, he said he had a quick fix & would
get it done.

Finally on new year's I told the landlord since he had not yet installed a temp line like he said he would, I would be happy to do it if he would buy materials. So we did. And there was gas. It wasn't that cut and dry but

recounting it all is ridiculous.

So the gas was on. I got the furnace fired up, which takes days, especially the first time after storage. But it got hot and I started trying to make glass.

Now keep in mind it, at this point it is Jan. I have been laid off since the end of March the year before. Rob has come and gone. Moved into the building starting the end of Sept. Since then, the gov enrolled me in welding class at the votech to retrain me for the workforce b/c I'm a displaced glass worker. Welding class has been a blast! I have learned an immeasurable new sets of skills. I have had access to materials & tools to build equipment for the hot shop. And I got to participate in the VICA SkillsUSA competition.

So anyway, it was Jan, the gas was on, I was trying. So why wasn't it working? My timing was still good. The glass was good. Maybe it was the reheat furnace, it was pretty shoddy construction after all.

I knew going into business for myself I would have to learn a lot. One of the things I did not know I didn't know about was natural gas volume. The temporary line a cannot possibly get enough volume from any size line to run

the kind of BTU's I need b/c is has to travel so far all the way across the mill. Once I had this realization I approached the landlord and said I was trying not to inconvenience him, but that temp line was not going to work. He got mad. We made up. He talked to his people and learned why it wasn't working for himself. And he said he would put in the permanent line.

Relief. The fire was put out the beginning of February.

Soon he let me know the laundry mat and is using gas too. He doesn't need a meter, it is his gas line. We need to know my usage, so my building needs a meter & regulator. He said that just the meter was $1200 and hard to find locally. He also said he wouldn't pay that much. I made some calls & found a friend in Chattanooga TN who knows this stuff. He has the meter & regulator right for my usage for $900. Landlord said that was better & he

would pay it and order it and install it & the permanent line. Said he was calling my guy w/ his guy to make sure we all know what we are talking about. He said that on March 4. And again on March 9. I know the meter
still hasn't been ordered.

By now there have been so many set ups and let downs, many not enumerated here, that I am not reacting quite as irrationally to the let downs. I just focus on welding class and doing my best. I have taken this time to rebuild the reheat furnace--Her Holy Hottness!! And rebuild my bench, as well as any other small improvements I can make while the fire is out.

The landlord is a savvy business man and has been a successful banker for years. He wants to sell this building & knows it has to have a live gas line for me to buy it. I believe he will get this done in a somewhat timely fashion. It is up to him to act & use his resources. He sees now that it takes a lot to make a glass shop operate. And he wants to know how I think I can pull it off. I have answers, but we do not have an appointment to discuss them. I'm not trying to fuck him w/ a gas bill, I am trying to be gainfully self employed. He knows that. He called me the other day "I haven't seen u around the mill in a while." to do what? Finger myself & fantasize about blowing glass in my own shop SOMEDAY. No, I said "Hey U

wanted numbers, I have numbers." He is always talking to someone else while we are
on the phone & then he just stops listening or drops the phone or hangs up or something. He is very good at letting me know I am not a priority. I felt the conversation was unproductive, I don't know why he bothered to

call & we still do not have an appointment to meet. He has not called my guy in Chattanooga. He has been gracious about the rent & a month of gas that did not produce anything, but has not done anything at all lately. So u tell me--why does he ignore me and my business and why am I not allowed to

have a sense of urgency when I may not have any income at all starting tomorrow. Why is it ok for him to do me this way?

Today is April 10. I filed last week to renew my unemployment, they usually don't let it continue after a year. Strong emphasis on YEAR. Tomorrow I will find out if I still have any income. I am still enrolled in welding

class so I think I'll get an extension at least until it ends in June. If he would be serious about helping me fire up July first after the national welding competition that would be perfect. I wonder when I will get the chance to

ask him that.

Now u understand why I didn't start my blog with his lovely story.

Maybe I will be a welder when I grow up.

Amber Carman
www.ambersglass.com

Amber Carman is a hot sculpted glass artist, that's what my business card says anyway.

ART ART ART. I AM SERIOUS ABOUT SOME ROCK N ROLL TODAY!!

2011-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have much to tell about the glass shop, but am not in the mood today. What I am feelin’ is some Motley Cruuuuue! Must be my ongoing mid life crisis, but rock is the perfect match for metal work too!! It is so loud and harsh in the metal shop, auuuhhgg. I get kinda used to it then it seems to hit me hard again. To my credit I am sick right now, must have been a sign to slow down. Anywho….Motley Crue! I love ‘em! and GNR & AC/DC & Def Leppard & Poison and Cinderella they were so much fun!!! In the 80-90’s I was going to rock concerts anytime they came to town. Hell, I even saw Stryper. LOL (shit I never type LOL) that is funny!!

Motley Crue & Poison are touring this year, man I‘d love to see that!! Jared teaches me much about music, and he is finally breaking out some of my kinda rock. And I overlooked the White Stripes somehow, man they are great!! If you haven’t seen the DVD “Page, Edge, White” you are missing out. Jimmy Page, the Edge, & Jack White telling their stories about guitars and playing together, it is very cool!! U2 is my all time fav band, I can listen to them anytime. My respect goes out to Bono for his efforts to make the world a better place. When I lived in NJ I was lucky enough to see them in concert. Wow! So amazing! It was just after 911 & they had just been to ground zero, I cried my guts out~!

Alice Cooper is a new fav now, I didn’t give him cred back then, not sure why. Many bands got overlooked b/c I would think there were too harsh when I first heard them. So Coop is on the radio being the best DJ EVER! Big plus for his station—it comes in loud and clear at class & driving home, all the way over both mountains. He plays songs I’d never discover on my own. And he plays U2, most classic rock stations don’t & call me crazy, but it seems like the station’s daytime programming has improved under the influence. He has a celebrity podcast in iTunes that is free & it was super fun to learn all that stuff. Guns n Roses got a big hand up from Coop, and I have to say Appetite for Destruction is my fav hard rock album. Or is it heavy metal, what is the difference?

I miss television. Sex and beautiful people and luxury & worldly travel, TV!!!!! I get a LOT done and when I need to sit & veg, I want TV. We haven’t subscribed since we moved back to WV, 2 years ago L Renting a season at a time on DVD is better anyway. Mad Men is so elegant. I love to find the glass, there’s usually some in the background. Really got into True Blood, Eric. Most all the HBO & Showtime series are worthy. The Tudors about the life & wives of Henry VIII has gorgeous costumes & sets.

Really want to see American Idol this season, never had much interest before, but Steven Tyler is a judge! Love it! Wanna see it! Aerosmith tops the chart on number of times I have seen a band in concert. Those guys are rock n roll all the way! They love it! They want to be on stage entertaining you.

I’ll tell ya what I hate too, if ya care: Lynard Skynard, “Southern Rock,” iTunes, And people who keep their dogs tied in the yard all the time.

Today is April Fools and my friend Jason’s b-day. Joke’s on us—it is melting faster than it is snowing. Big beautiful white flakes falling on a green world and a few daffodils. And I got the koodies so I’m inside making our home livable again after being busy out & about. Wanting a puppy really bad. One of my welding buddies, wait 2, have free puppies. I have been manifesting a white fluffy puppy dog for about a year, and there is one white female! She is already 9 weeks old! I gotta get that puppy!

I have much gratitude for all that I have and who I am. And to you since you read this far!! I will do my best to keep it interesting and frequent-ish.

Amber Carman

Hot glass Artist w/ a cold shop.

That bright light shines from KS City, MO!

2011-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

I WON! Yes, I am opening with "I WON!" Because it was not easy and I hardly ever win. And only did by the skin of my teeth! There were 7 participants in Welding Art Sculpture, only 2 adults. It turns out our scores were tied!! The judge felt artistic merit was such an important element of distinction, that it added a separation between the two sculptures. Which ultimately made my sculpture the winner! :)

Finished approximate dimensions:

15" l X 13" h X 5" w

31 lbs.

The competition

It is very exciting!! My welding instructor, Fred Dumire, is the best! It really feels good to make him proud! His other two contestants, Dakota Tenney & Shawn Grubb won also, making at least 8 winners from Fred W. Eberle Technical Center. The first place winners go to Kansas City, MO in June to participate at the SkillsUSA 47th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. That includes me! And a new sculpture!!! (terrified face)

(confident face) Of course, I was already planning new projects before I even won, so I can come up with something. And with as much as I learned w/ the Snowflake, the next will happen much faster. I'm not grinding it unless I gotta until the very f'n end!

So I am gathering materials (diggin thru bins at scrap yard) & beggin for money for expenses. Maybe a grant, local sponsor or who knows, maybe that silly thing will bring a buck on etsy.

I'm gonna sign off now, cuz I waited too long to write this to relive the entire weekend for ya. Suffice it say, there was lots of love! and photos! And compliments!

Next week, maybe we'll find out just why that glass shop is not hot (sad face)

Oh wait! I GOT THE SKILLS ta PAY da BILLS!! (EXCITED FACE!!)

Amber Carman

ambersglass.com

Amber Carman is an artist living in Beverly, WV. Her glass hot shop is currently cold.

Stainless Steel Snowflake

2011-03-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know how long it takes to make a snowflake? Maybe less than 70 hours?

My welding instructor, Fred, suggested a state VICA Competition, Welding Art Sculpture. If I win, I'll go to the National Competition in St. Louis in July. If I don't, there will be lots of people to meet, job offerings and the hard earned knowledge of just how long it really takes to make a snowflake. I was excited (still am) & drew out the idea the same nite.

A stainless steel snowflake, 1/4" SS hex rod w/ ball bearings on the tips, hard to convey w/ only words. The idea was for each of the six 'icicles' to have
4 'stems' along the sides & each of their points to have small a ball bearing welded onto the tip. They look kinda like stick people.

Competition specifications for the sculpture: Max. 18' tall X 18" long X 12"
wide and can weigh up to 250 pounds! I wanted the center to be hollow. My intention was to blow glass into the center, if the contest rules would allow. A Steel ring brazed to something brass brazed to something copper which would be friends w/ glass & bond so that the glass would actually still be there after cooling & not just crack/shatter.

To me the whole concept seemed fairly simple. Of course I am just learning to weld, so what do I know? Fred asked how long I expected it to take once we had materials? Four maybe 5 classes was my response. Ha! 14 classes plus time at home, the project is pushing 80 hours!! Yes it is only 2 weeks total, still I had no idea.

Glass happens so fast. As a matter of fact, u r more likely to lose a piece due to running out of heat/time. Metal, the more u touch it w/ heat the more work u get. It doesn't get prettier & shinier when heat is applied (glass does). So there is grinding & polishing. And grinding then polishing. And just when u have 10 hours of solid grinding & polishing for one step, it gets fire again and gets undone. So this evening I will be grinding the defaced brass only to subject it to heat again for more brazing, then polishing.

I see well in the dark, when I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am always surprised at how long it takes to get there. Maybe the light is much bigger & brighter to be seen from such a distance.

We now know that glass will not be an accepted material, only ferrous &/or non-ferrous metals. Which I am glad for. That would have added another week.
Which I do not have. So we left out the copper too. What a relief! Less work! And the way the Snowflake was to be mounted has been redesigned, also lessening the workload.

Finished, it will measure 14" X 14" x 7" and weigh about 50 pounds. Short of assembling a glass hot shop, this may be the largest project I have ever completed. The competition is this (THIS) Saturday in Martinsburg, WV. There are 8 or 10 competitors and I cannot wait to see what they came up with, how simple or complex will their projects be? How long did it take them to complete?

Tune in next week for photos of the completed project, processes along the way and the highly anticipated results of the competition.
Maybe I will be a freakin' welder when I grow up!

Amber Carman is an artist living in Beverly, WV. Her glass hot shop is currently cold.