Soft Glass Invitational

A Retreat of a Different Kind

 

In the Hills of Hilliard, Pennsylvania at the Glass Blowing Center, Soft Glass Invitational holds an annual Retreat for glass artists and enthusiast to share their love of creating with soft glass.  Our hope is to create an atmosphere that will encourage the spirit of the artist, the building of friendships and reaching out into the communities with knowledge about glass art.  We hope you will join us. 

 

Dirty Looie

 

Date:    May 17 - 19, 2012

Place:   Glass Blowing Center, Hilliards, Pennsylvania
 

Soft Glass Invitational

P.O. Box 3243

Alburquerque, NM 87190

505-883-9295
Soft Flex Wire Company

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.  Dr. Seuss
Arthouse Coop is the most inspiring International organization that I have ever found.  This year I created a Journal with my handdrawn images and poetry - very funky but so much fun.  Click the link above and awaken your inner child.

KEEPING COSTS LOW:  Many of you are driving to Hilliards for the retreat so in an effort to keep costs low, here is a list of the States of our attendees.  If you want to carpool and share costs then hopefully this will let you know if anyone lives near you.  Pennsylvania, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, British Columbia [Ontario], Maryland, Massachuettes, and North Carolina.  If you want to see if anyone is interested post it over on Facebook SGI. 

SEEKING YOUR INSPIRATION

I want to talk about 'SHORTS'...nope not blowing fuses but all those little nubs of rods that get set aside with the promise that you will eventually connect them into longer rods or frit but sometimes they linger in some can or box gathering dust.  Forgotten shorts have a great advantage when you run out of your favorite color at a critical moment or when they discontinue that run of a color.  I used to pull stringers when they became too short but have found that I much prefer to pull stringers as I work rather then having jars of stringers that I tend to ignore almost as much as the tin of shorts.  I have good intentions but have found rummaging through them as needed is more my style then taking the time to turn them back into useable lengths.   If you have tons of shorts and don't want to take the time to make them back into rods, then consider bagging them up by CEO into 1/4, 1/2 and 1 pound amounts and selling them at SGI.   They can be assorted or one color or one palette but then you'll have money to buy more glass!

REMINDER:  Once you have put down your deposit you may pay the balance in small payments if it is easier on your budget.  We will always send you an Invoice by email/mail after any payment received.

 

Emlenton Motor Inn which is North of the Center has 23 rooms available.  We have set asked them to set aside 12 rooms [at the Emlenton] at $50 per night [plus tax].  When you make reservations the reserved rooms are in the name "Lewis Wilson/Soft Glass Invitational".  If you have problems or if the rooms are already reserved when you call, then call Lewis.  Get your rooms early.  ‎6318 Emlenton Clintonville Rd Emlenton, PA 16373   (724) 867-2314

 

The Emlenton is booked so we have found a $70 a night rate at the Comfort Inn which is about the same distance from the center.  Click to go to the reservation page. 

 

THE FLOW MAGAZINE - Winter 2011 Women in Glass issue is in my hands as we speak.  Fantastic eye candy!  I also loved the article on Doni Hatz.  A big thank you for the plug on Soft Glass Invitational - you guys rock!!

 

Good News - There is less than four months until the Retreat.  Make sure you secure your hotel room soon, go through the tools, books and things you want to bring to trade, and if you have not already put a deposit down on your Ticket - do it soon - we signed up five more artists in Tucson.

 

Facebook -  We now have a page on Facebook which will allow everyone to interact and keep up with the progress of the Retreat.  

 

Vendors - We are putting links to the vendors so if you want a link to your business email a small banner and link to Lewis.  We love the vendors!! 

THERE IS SOME CONFUSION ON COMING TO SOFT GLASS INVITATIONAL...WE ARE NOT INVITING PEOPLE [THAT'S THE CONFUSION]...THIS IS OPEN TO EVERYONE IN THE WORLD...FIRST COME IS OUR ONLY RULE!   THERE ARE 40 TORCH STATIONS OR "A TICKETS" AND THEY WILL BE FILLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU REGISTER.  WE HAVE NOT DETERMINED A LIMIT ON THE "B TICKETS" AND WILL HAVE A STANDBY LIST TO MOVE FROM A "B TICKET" TO AN "A TICKET" IF THERE IS AN OPENING BEFORE THE RETREAT.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR SGI 2012:

 

1.  Fill out the Application for 2012 which let's us know you are interested and submit it.

2.  Lewis will then send you the Registration Contract and Information on the Retreat.

 

When you decide you want to attend:

 

3.  Fill out the Registration Contract and either email, fax or mail it back with the deposit or payment in full. [We are working with those who want to pay in multiple small payments]

4.  We will email you a receipt of your Registration within a week of receiving it and it will include your Registration number 2012-xxx and the balance which will be due on or before April 16, 2012.

5.  We will delete all Registrations emailed to avoid having personal data on the internet and a printed copy will be put in the Registration book.

6.  You will get updated emails but not many and all updates will be on the website and on the Facebook page.
Wale Apparatus of Pennsylvania will be the Tool Vendor at SGI in 2012.  Click on their banner to visit their on-line store.

We are going where no other Soft Glass Retreat has gone before for this is about growing, learning, sharing and finding a moment that involves nothing but your love of using soft glass to fill that inner child we call the true artist.  You don't have to play an instrument to love music, you don't have to know how to rhyme to enjoy a poet and you don't have to know how to melt glass but you will go home with more then you ever thought you could learn in three days! 

Click to Replace

We are looking for Vendor's who want to be linked to SGI.  Email Lewis if you are interested!