Summer dashed by . . . editing, editing, editing

Summer was gone in a flash! Not like a mosquito darting by my ear, or a jet ski zooming too close to my dock, but like a beautiful sunset that I was just too preoccupied to notice until the sun dipped below the skyline. The silver lining to summer's speedy retreat is that the cool crisp days of fall are have arrived. Besides cool breezes, there's brightly colored leaves to gather. Gather leaves, you say? 

Yes, indeed! For you see, there are a few projects in my forthcoming book, Ice Luminary Magic, that could benefit from a few brightly colored leaves. You also might want to track down a bundt pan or two — any size and shape will do. And if you see a "jumbo puffer ball" on sale, snap up a few, because these items and few more will be helpful when Winter starts to whip up her magic.

I hope I've peaked your interest . . . I know I'm excited to show you all these fun ideas!

And I'm really ok with the fact that a few sunsets were missed this summer because my nose was to the grindstone. There's nothing more satisfying that getting things done and I'm simply over the moon that the editing phase will be wrapping up soon. I must admit there is a little nervousness wrapped up in all this excitement. So much of my life is in this book. Scores of ideas that inspired crazy experimentation over too many years are in this book. Step-by-step illustrations that I painstakingly created for each tutorial and project are in this book. And finally, photos that I took, and thankfully photos that were taken by many talented photographers, are in this book! 

What I am trying to say, is the book is ALMOST done and it's loaded with fun, crazy, beautiful ice projects to make for yourself or others and I'm excited for you to see it! Oh, one thing: WHEN can I get one you ask? Well, things do take time, especially in the final stretch.. we're currently in editing and then we'll need to put ink on paper and then PAY for that!  So, although you'll be able to order a copy on our web store or find one "wherever fine books are sold", we'll be offering a Kickstarter campaign to presell some books soon so that the printer will be happy! You'll also get a deal and for that, we'll ask you to SHARE the opportunity with as many friends as you can!  So, stay tuned as we'll be announcing the Kickstarter in about a week.  As to actual timing, we're planning on being able to ship finished books in early December.. thus, plenty of time to use as the crisp air of autumn turns to the ice of winter.  It will also make a great gift for the art, science, craft, and soon-to-be winter lover in your life!  

In all this excitement, don't forget to collect and preserve some brightly colored leaves, because The Leaves in a Globe project is fabulous!

How to preserve fall leaves? Last year, I collected some leaves, but I wasn't sure how to keep them so that the colors stayed vibrant. I decided to wrap them loosely in newspaper and put them in my basement where it is cool and dry. It worked for some leaves and not for others. So this year, I might try a few other techniques such as glycerin baths and ironing with wax paper. I googled "How to preserve fall leaves" and a whole bunch of websites came up. This one looked good:

If you have ideas about preserving fall leaves, PLEASE leave a comment below.

Thanks so much and enjoy the glow!

-- Jennifer Shea Hedberg, The Ice Wrangler

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