The newest issue of Glass Bead Evolution is online, ready to download. The magazine is published by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, and one of the benefits of membership. At some point it is also available for purchase by anyone. I enjoyed talking with German lampwork artist Frank Miguletz for his artist spotlight feature. His English was excellent and his work is stunning. This issue, as most, is filled with amazing photographs of the work of some amazing flameworkers that I have long admired. Get your copy and settle in for some weekend reading. 

Sunday kicked off the art festival season for us. Our trusty EZup tent had served us well for 5 years but was in need of new sides. We had been contemplating for the past several years to upgrade to a Trimline dome tent because they are far more weather resistant. We have been in some EPIC wind and rainstorms. Heavily weighted, our EZup never took flight, but the rain collects in the roof and I always thought it was rude to our neighbors when we hit the roof with a broom handle to empty it out and sending huge cascades of water all around us. So we bit the bullet this year and got the Trimline. I love it. The dome interior makes it feel more spacious inside and the screened windows above allow for some cross ventilation. The quality is top notch. Thank goodness for my engineer husband who grasped easily the piles of metal tubing to put this together. No way as easy as opening an EZup. We will still use the EZup for a few one-day events we do that require quick set-up and break-down. We also got some foamy padded flooring. I recommend these. We got ours at Lowe's. They fit together in squares. It's comfortable to walk on. Preserves glass items from crashing to the pavement. And one of the best features is that when it rains, the rain mostly runs under the foamy flooring and protects your cases, hidden bins and whatever might be on your floor from getting wet. No matter your booth design, the grey is a neutral color and goes away. People will focus on all your great art and compliment you on how comfy your space is.