Beads - That's it - Just Beads ! :)

It's been an interesting past week.  Lots happening (as usual), new and old.  Back at the torch a few days and LOVED it !  Want more.  Still waiting for the heavy pollen to stop.  Drove past the lake the other day and it (the pollen) was just floating around, like oil slicks, on top of the water !  ICK ! 

Torch time is limited for me right now so when I do get to "play" I try to make beads worth using.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.  Last torch session, on Monday, I made 3 decent beads.  When I was done cleaning them I sat them on a towel to dry them off and forgot they were there.  Sigh.  Yep, you guessed it, I picked up the towel and 2 of the beads went flying, hit the tile floor and broke !  UGH !  See that picture below.  that's what happened.  So yes people, drop a large size glass bead on the floor and it'll break.  I've seen smallish round beads drop and bounce on this same floor but bigger beads, especially large pressed beads, don't stand a chance on ceramic tile.  Sad.  Still, the colors were tried and true so I can make more.  :)  

 
This is the one that survived.  Not as big as the others but a good size to add to a bracelet.  This one was a surprise when I got it out of the kiln.  Do you see it ?  Yep, a mushroom !  Not planned at all.  lol !  This can happen alot when making this type of bead.  It's always fun to see what comes out of the kiln !  :) 

Then of course, bell flowers.  :)  Had a bunch of fun making all of these !  These were made over a couple days.  These are always fun to make, use or just admire !  lol !  I now have 3 sizes of the presses so LOTS more flowers are coming.  Look at the white flowers to get a good feel for the sizes.  They are all 6 "petal" flowers too.  My flowers are a bit thicker than some you may see online.  I do that because if the walls of the flowers are too thin, they're going to break very easily - especially when used in jewelry such as bracelets.  Also, I have always used German silver wire that cleans up beautifully.  Copper wire is fine to use as well but I've never used it.  This wire shines up beautifully just like sterling silver.   These are great to use as headpins too ! 

If you would like to purchase some of these flowers, just let me know via a convo from my Etsy shop.  Tell me the colors and sizes you want (just say size small, medium or large) and I'll make a special listing for you.  The flowers are $3.00 each.  If you buy 25 or more, I'll give you a great discount ! 

Time to run.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon. 

Beads, More Beads, More and More Beads...........

............will it ever end ?  NO !  NEVER !  lol !  Beads are global and have been for CENTURIES ~!  I'm happy about that.  They may have their ups and downs over time but never go away completely.  I think right now & the last couple of years, lampwork has been in a downward spiral but they are still here and will always be.  A weeding out process has taken place.  Those that got into it for the money - a quick buck - are gone.  Those that are coming into it for the money won't last.  So who's left ?  Artists, crafters and all those in-between who are in it for the LOVE of it.  ;)  Yeah, it's cool to make a buck or two (or lots, lol !)  but it's way cooler to have fun and enjoy yourself with something you love to do.   That's where I come in.  I'm not in it for the money (oh brother am I not ! lol ! ).  I do not consider myself an artist at all there fore, I am a crafter, always have been and that's just fine with me.  ;)  I LOVE what I do.  I have fun ALMOST every time I sit at my beloved torch.  If I can sell a bead, great.  If not, I don't fret.  Don't get me wrong, making a buck is good for me too.  I like making a dollar if I can.  I can then afford to continue on and enjoy what I'm doing. 

So will beading of any kind ever end for me - yes, of course it will. :)  It will for us all however until then, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of all those beads !  That is to say - All My Beads.  hehehe  :) 

What I made during the past week.  A little of this  - a little of that.  lol !  Ok first, I did torch one more day but those beads just aren't worth a showing at all !  lol !  So moving on, I managed a few braids - two satin braids and one beaded braid with pendant.   I hope you enjoy the eye candy.  :) 

This first braid is a pattern I hadn't done in a very long time.  Wanted to revisit it on my brand new Marudai and this is the result.    I really love the color combination and how it turned out.  I will make more.  :)

 This is a flat braid I made using a pattern I never tried before.  The pattern I found online and it was directions to use a square foam plate.  I made this one on my new Marudai.  I love the pattern but it's not as tight as the braids I typically make.  Still very pretty. 

  And of course, another one of my dragon necklaces.  This one is in reds and I do enjoy it very much !  The kumihimo beaded braid is done in dark red, black and gold seed beads.  Very goth I guess.  lol ! 

That's all for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon.  I have surprises coming in the weeks ahead !  lol ! 




      

Go Away Pollen ! I Want To Torch !

I had a post nearly all finished about doing business online but deleted the whole thing.  Why bother ?  My opinions about online selling and buying are not important to anyone but me so no point.  Gonna keep my posts related to what I'm doing and the fun I'm having.  Yes, I know, life isn't all fun and games.  Believe me, I know all to well that point but on my blog, it's how I choose to keep it.  So let the games begin.....:) 

Since the last post here, I have been very busy !  Like everyone else on this earth I keep myself going sometimes too much and pay the price.  lol !  Anyway, there is so much to chat about that I need to choose one thing and just go for it.  So this weeks  post will be about making beads and spending time at my torch. 

I am only warming up with my torch time these last couple of weeks.  Only stolen "moments" a day here and there when it rains.  That way, the icky yellow and other pollens stay out of my house !  :)  When that's over I'll be able to spend more time making beads.  :)  In the meantime I have made a few more since the last bead posting.  I'm still warming up since I can only torch here and there.  Makes it hard to be consistent.  lol !  Still,  I have fun.  It's my first love.  I'm not a great bead artist/crafter but that's ok.   Lately I'm into the huge beads so that's been fun - good and not so good  !  lol !  Yesterday was a "not so good" torch session.  lol !  It happens and that's ok.  It was I wanna try something different for me day.  So because of that I learned a few things.  lol !  I'll get into that later. 

For now, the picture below is from the session prior to yesterday.  The one on the right has a ton of silver in it.  I LOVE the frit used as it's soooo reactive !  It's white before the heat hits it but then it can turn a very pretty blue and a golden yellow as well as staying white.  The one on the left also has silver in it but not so much.  They both took a very long time to make because of my torch but I still enjoyed it.  :)  That's the last session I had before yesterday. 

  
More eye candy since I only have the one current bead photo.  This second photo is from back in 2007.  I was into making little doll beads back then and enjoyed it alot.  I still have the little Halloween and Christmas dolls.  The others are sold or given away to family.   Can't quite remember.  lol !
 

Also a favorite of mine - a hollow puffer fish.  Can't remember when I made this one but he's in my faux aquarium still.  I love how this one turned out.  Made from a tutorial that was printed in one of the magazines long ago.  :) I did mainly sculpting back then.  Not a set maker at all.  lol ! 

 That's all for this week.  I'll be better about keeping up here.  Thanks so much for coming by and please come back again !  :)