Comments on: Contact

By: Barb Fernald

Barb Fernald — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:22:21 +0000

Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the nice comments about my work. Our holidays were a lot of fun. I hope yours were too. Now I’m ready to settle back into the studio after taking a little time off from jewelry. I have not forgotten about your necklace. I think it’s great you’re starting to work with PMC. But wow! Can you believe the cost right now? It wasn’t that long ago that a 45 gram package of PMC+ was around $50. I haven’t even priced it again since before Christmas. I’m hoping the price of silver will start to come down so the price of silver clay can come down. I’ll be in touch about your necklace soon.
xoxo Barb

By: Sharon Broom

Sharon Broom — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:26:58 +0000

Hi, Barbara, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I’m looking forward to getting your design ideas and estimate for the necklace we talked about at the IAA craft show. I’ve been doing a little bit of PMC, just getting my feet wet, and now I’m more aware of how much the silver costs! We talked about $185 or so, but I’d love to see what you could do for $200.

Many thanks!
Sharon

P.S. I was just looking at your beads on your website. Gorgeous!

By: Barb Fernald

Barb Fernald — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:16:32 +0000

Hi Amy, I enjoyed chatting with you too at the fair. Thanks for your e-mail address, and for checking out my blog! Happy Holidays to you. xo Barb

By: amy b gillis

amy b gillis — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:30:58 +0000

Hi Barbara, It was so nice to chat with you at the craft show friday. I hope that I can go out to the Island this summer and check it out. Just wanted to make sure you had my email in case you decide to teach some day. Hope you have a nice Holiday season. Amy Gillis

By: Barb Fernald

Barb Fernald — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:37:20 +0000

Hi Tiffany! Thanks for the kind words. I just checked out your blog. We island women have interesting lives. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. All of my island mom stories are in the past. But you will have an endless source of things to say about Johnnie these next few years. Good luck!

By: islesfordmom

islesfordmom — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:57:38 +0000

Hi Barb, Im just getting started on here, I never blogged before. Your site is just fantastic! You are a very inspiring person in many ways! Just wanted to say hello!

By: fernald244

fernald244 — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:37:04 +0000

Hey Eileen,
I might have done some mis-reporting. Out of practice already! (I love what you’ve been writing in the column, by the way.) I got a little clarification on the mailboat today. I guess the Coast Guard was replacing the triangular pieces with new ones. Fresh paint. And that they removed the nest to put up the new spindle. I didn’t realize that when I wrote that blog entry. Still, you would think they could have just moved the nest temporarily and then put it back.
Do they ever discuss any of the buoy tending with the locals? Sorry if I caused you to be possessed by any misinformation I wrote yesterday!
xoxo Barb

By: Eileen Richards

Eileen Richards — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:59:30 +0000

Dear Barbara;
Susan White e-mailed me a copy of the Opsrey
blog. I am outraged that the Coast Guard has seen fit to destroy something so magnificient.
Was there any meeting or survey that discussed with the locals if indeed there was ,in their opinion, any navigational hazard? It’s poppycock! Too much time on their hands….leave the birds alone and try conducting a mission that would be helpful to the population. How about water safety classes for kids.. or adults for that matter…how to read a chart.. or send for help over a radio. I am a woman posessed.
Eileen

By: fernald244

fernald244 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:04:44 +0000

Hi Beth Ann,
I have a Rio Grande kiln, the programable PMC kiln with a bead door. I’ve never made glass beads, but I wanted to have that option for the future…
I just bought this kiln last year so I could start firing bronze and copper clay. (My old kiln was really old. There was no computerized option available, but it worked fine for PMC, using a thermocouple to keep track of the temperature.)
The Rio Grande kiln I have looks comparable to the SC2 digital kiln at Cool Tools. It looks like the Cool Tools version is about $100 cheaper and they offer free shipping, though, it would be good to check what the Rio Reward’s price is, to compare.

I find the kiln a little small. Especially for firing bronze and copper clay. I’ve made it work for me, but if I were to do it again I would consider something bigger, since those steel boxes of activated charcoal take up more room, when firing copper and bronze, and if I ever were to teach a workshop I would want more room to fire students’ work.
I have had no experience with top loads. But whenever I look at Hadar Jacobson’s blog about her work and her students’ work I am envious of her top loading kiln!
I’ll be interested to know which kiln you choose. Aside from the rewards discount, from being certified by Rio Grande, I also had put together a lot of silver scrap from years of doing pierced work with sterling silver sheet. Last winter I actually had enough to turn in to Rio to pay for my kiln!
Good luck!

By: Beth Ann

Beth Ann — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:37:11 +0000

I’m in the process of purchasing a kiln and wanted some input from someone who’s “been there, done that.” Having been certified by Rio Grande, I thought I might order their PMC kiln. Discovering Cool Tools shows me other options. My queries:
Would you have any specific recommendations?
Have you ever found yourself desiring the option of a bead door or the viewport?
Any experience with top loads?
I know that everyone has different experiences and needs, but just wanted some input. I am grateful for any comments you could make.
To answer your question above, I am in Caribou, Maine. I appreciate being added to your list of possible future workshops.
Thanks!