So much of what we are doing these last days is currently top secret. I wish I could show it here... All will of course be revealed in due time. Rest assured the projects in the design stage are pretty cool, most likely to be among the best we have ever done... exciting enough yet??

In the meantime we are also busy doing the last of the preparations for the Sculpture Magic Workshop that officially starts Thurday afternoon. The shop was cleaned and then set up to suit the next workshop. I was busy cutting boards and steel in readiness. Tomorrow the first of our guests arrive for two days of private lessons. Thursday the rest will arrive.

The name plaques got more details painted on, some subtle - some not. Dustin's got two more colors of glaze and we decided it looked so good (and suiting to his business) that we declared it done! But then again we'll give it one more careful look tomorrow and make our final call.

Kurt's name plaque got the final coats of silver and then some glazes to age it down properly. It is ready for action. When I see the plaque it makes me want to speak a little pirate - AAAARGH!!!

Becky surprised me as she laid the paint on Doug's (pronounced 'DOWUG' - heavy on the DOW - light on the UG) name plaque. The tops of the letters got some random orange, but carefully applied to look like the green paint had flaked off. This is very difficult to pull off and make believable... but it fooled me on my first and closer second look. Then she applied a dark glaze to age it down, but with a hint of iron paint mixed in. When whe applied the acid wash the rust gathered but just enough to make it look like it had been sitting out in the weather a long time - but not too long. This 'genuine' alien artifact looks like the real deal - just like my good friend Doug!

Gary's name plaue is also done and Chris' name plaue will get some verigated gold leaf tomorrow for that little extra bling. Stay tuned.

-grampa dan