A New Year

Indeed it is -  a New Year.  Glad it's here and hoping for the best.

Making glass beads is still my #1 all time favorite thing to do.  The torch was and is my salvation from a frustrating year.  I can't help it.  I feel alive when melting glass.  Kinda how I use to feel when going to the ocean.   It's true that my designs have gotten "easier" as others might think.  I have no choice.  As I get older, my hands and arms have gotten shakier as it were which doesn't allow me to do much, if any, detail work perfectly.  I've accepted that fact and do what I can.  I have all the necessary tools to try to help "fix" that problem and some of it helps somewhat but it is what it is.  I will continue to enjoy playing with and melting glass in whatever methods I can muster.  I mean, what choice do I have ?  lol !  It's sorta in my blood.  :)  

That said, I haven't posted anything related to the actual making of beads in a long time.  I've been at the torch on and off quite a bit lately.  So many other things happening with the holidays and all sometimes there just wasn't any time.  Now, I intend to make up for that no matter how chilly it gets.  lol !  Today will most likely be the day I start.  It tends to get pretty cold in my "fun spot" as I call it, during the winter months even though it's not really very cold where we live.  Anyway, it requires I prewarm some of the glass so there's no shattering or at least less of it.  Sometimes that's a pain but for the most part it's not so bad.  I just don't like exploding glass rods.  Who does ???  

All that said, I've made a few things that are simple, pretty little beads.  Things I like to do.  I plan on trying a few new things as I've recently gotten 2 new molds.  Those always take a little time to work through.  In the meantime, here a few sets I've done over the last couple of months.

 

Thanks for coming by.  Come visit me on my Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads  for beads or at my Esty shop:  All My Beads Etsy shop  for silk cords/strings, kumihimo braids, jewelry and some Mykono's greek beads.

     

Summer Days

Ohhhh man is it HOT and humid out there !  I hibernate during these hot days of temps in the 100 degree range - with and without heat index !  Today's high - 105 with heat index.

Because of the heat, no torching.  It's just too hot to melt glass.  I'd melt right along with the glass !  lol !   With the torch going and the kiln parked at about 950 degrees the torching area is almost the same temp as it is outside plus the hot air coming in the house.  Nope, can't do it.  So the beads you will see are ones that were made before this Hades heat set in.  :)

Jewelry - well, it's just not there yet.   Such is life.

I do have a few bead pictures I can show so here goes.
This first set is more fun with that new press I have.  I love making beads with it !  This particular set is made with some new frit I have and includes a few donut shaped spacer beads with it.  Love the fun colors in the frit and I really have fun cutting !  lol !
This press is one reason I can't wait to get back to the torch when it cools down.
White base with fun colors in the frit. 

These round beads are fun to make too.  Round with sparklies added in then lightly encased in clear so the sparklies have some depth to them.  All transparent colors except the lilac which is almost transparent.  ;)  More of these will come about too later on.  

I finally bought some glass to add to my supply.  I haven't bought any glass to melt in a very long time so there was a bit of sticker shock involved.  Prices have increased dramatically compared to the last time I bought any which was probably a year or so ago give or take.  And honestly, there's just no reason prices need to be so high.  It's a total ripoff but nothing any of us can do about it - if we want to melt glass.  That whole scenario is for another day.  All I know is, my glass will last a bit longer since I don't torch during the dog days of summer.  Think SNOW !  LOL !

I can't remember who took this photograph but it was taken in the Smokies and posted on the Great Smokies National Forest Facebook page HERE.  It's so gorgeous and perfect to help one cool down on this nasty summer day.  Go to their page if you're on Facebook and check out all of the fabulous photograhers that post there work.  Amazing stuff.

Thanks much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon. 

They Really Got A Hold On Me - Beads that is !

Oh indeed, they do and pretty much have since 2004/5.  Yep, it's been that long.  Yes, I've delved into many other things like Kumihimo, which I LOVE almost as much as melting glass.  Hand dyeing silk cord, making jewelry, new to me making wire trees and also new to me silver clay which I've yet to start but it's melting glass I always come back to.  :) 

I say 2004/5 because my interest started with making beaded jewelry and that began in '04.  I thank Joan Rivers for that as it was the purchase of one of her beaded bracelets that started it ALL.  lol !   It was in 2005 I actually took a class in bead making or lampwork or melting glass.  Whatever one chooses to call it.  lol !  That's when it started.  Over the years since, I have been absent from this art/craft many times.  I never use to torch in the summer months.  In the south, it's just way too hot and humid, for me anyway.  So for about 5 months a year, every year, no torching.  One month of that is during heavy pollen season which I still adhere to.   That brings torching time down to 7 months.  On bad weather days no matter what time of year, no torching.  At one point, I was off the torch for about 2 1/2 years straight.  So that time frame of "10 years" , is a bit misleading.  As you can see, not the case.  lol ! 

After having long breaks I feel like I am starting all over again and sometimes that's exactly what I do.  I go back to basics.  Sometimes, that's exactly what's needed.  Like now.  I'm "sort of" going back to basics even though I'm playing with frits I've never used.   Still, I'm not feeling "pressured" kinda like before when I felt like I had to stock my Etsy shop.  Now, I'm just enjoying what I'm doing and if someone wants to buy something, fine.  The beads I'm making now are LARGE focal size and perfect for necklaces or maybe even bead embroidery pieces, jewelry or not.   It's fun time again !  lol ! 

So what you see below is the fun I had last week.  All the beads I made minus those that ended up in the water can   lol !   There are 2 that didn't turn out like I intended and 2 that were a surprise.  lol !  All good though.  :)  If you see any you'd like to have. just leave me a comment below. 

 
Time for me to get some work done today.  Thanks much for coming by and I hope you come back again soon !  Stay safe and cool.  It's already getting hot !  lol !

Making Glass Beads - Pure Joy !

 It would seem my muse has made a comeback - finally !  lol !  Not sure the creativity has returned (if I ever had it) but at least the joy of melting glass has returned. :)   It feels wonderful !  I have to say of EVERY craft I have dabbled in or attempted, making beads - melting glass - lampworking - flame working - whatever one chooses to call it, is my first love.  And I have dabbled alot over the years.  lol !

I was able to torch several times over the past week.  Since I am still "recovering" from that long absence of melting glass, I am taking things slow and steady.  Not jumping into sculpting or anything too detailed.  Returning to tried and true color combo's, easy twisties and using alot of frit - which I hadn't done in a long time prior to the absence.  The thing about frit - it's soooo easy to use and make gorgeous beads.  Just a matter of how you use it.

Let's talk about frit.  It is a conversation that has been discussed over and over and on many places on the net.  It's in every beadmakers stash whether they are just trying a bit or have hoards of it !  lol !  There is such a variety to choose from these days AND we can even make our own.  It's easy to do - find what colors of glass you like and either crush them up or melt the rods on the ends.   While still red hot, stick them in a container of water that has a coffee filter in the bottom to catch the glass and wha - la, you have frit.  The color combo's or even single color frit is limitless !

Using frit on a bead is about as easy as it gets.  Just heat up your shaped bead and roll it in the frit and melt in.  Put the frit on the entire bead or on just one section.  Easy. Another way to use frit, heat up a ball on the end of a glass rod and dip it into frit, melt and pull into stringer.  Use stringer on your bead.  Easy.   Another trick, put silver foil on your bead then put the frit on.  Gives your bead a pretty sparkle.  :)  These are just a few ways frit is used to make gorgeous glass beads.  There are plenty more tips and tricks out there but I don't have all day to type them here or the room.  lol !   Do a search on the internet and see what you come up with.  You'll be happy I'm betting.  :)

On to this weeks eye candy  - beads !  Yay !  Simple, basic beads but I enjoyed very minute of making them.  The first photo are all focal beads.  That's what I've been into these days plus some cones.  I got some new cone mandrels and am practicing with them.  As with anything it's a learning curve here.  Anyway, the beads are all frit beads and all have silver foil melted in as well.  My favorite - the upper left.  LOVE that frit and it's no longer being made.  sigh.  Oh well, it happens.  I still have a bit of a stash so that's good.  :)  

The next photo, below, is of 3 frit beads and one twistie bead.  The 3 frit beads are called faux boro because it LOOKS like boro glass but it's not.  It's soda lime glass or soft glass.  Boro is called hard glass.  Anyway, that's for another day.  There is another way to make faux boro but I found some frit long ago that did that in frit form so thought I'd try it.  It's pretty and shows all the blues and greens that come out which is what the description said it would do.  Those beads are also encased.  The twistie bead is a favorite combination of mine and many others.  That color combo has been around for a very long time.  First published in one of Corina's how to books.  Anyway, it certainly didn't start out that way but all beadmakers know, what isn't working can be made into something that does work !  No wasting glass if at all possible !  lol !
  

 Then of course we have more bell flower beads/headpins.  Still alot of fun to make and still need to make more.  I was trying a couple of colors I've never used before with the flowers and like the outcome.  I have so many now I need to start listing them.  Want any ? If you do, they are $3.00 each with a minimum of 3.  Just send me a message here or in my Etsy shop.

  
That's all for this week.  I have more beads in the kiln, a necklace waiting on findings, and another project in the works.
Thanks much for coming by !  Please come back again soon.

That Was the Week That Was

Last week was a week of no fun.  My hand (thumb area) is so painful that no matter what I tried to do crafty wise, it caused more pain.  So no pretties were put together, on the loom that is.  I did manage to take apart some older things but even that caused issues. 

No bead making either since it was too hot to do that.  BUT the mornings, at least, are getting cooler.  Down into the 60’s now so that means early torching sessions !  This is when I melt glass anyway.  I’m at my most “gung-ho” or should I say, constructive early in the mornings.  I try to start at the torch no later than 8:00 am and try to wrap it up no later than 11:00 am.  That’s a good long session for me and typically can get a lot done in that time frame.  Since I haven’t torched for any length for a very long time, it will probably take me a session or two to get back in the swing of things again.  lol !  Like riding a bike – almost.  lol !  I’m already thinking about what I want to make so that’s a very good sign it’s time to get to it !  

I got my seed bead order the other day too.  A whole bunch of new colors !  In all, about 45 !  I didn’t think it was that many !  Geesh !  lol !  It’ll be a lot of fun when I can get back to the loom. J  Not sure when that will be but it’ll come.  The project I began last week is still on the loom right where I left off.  I just couldn’t work it because of the thumb thing.  Hopefully soon.

Below are some pics of what I did finally finish up.  The beaded kumihimo bracelet sat on my desk for weeks unfinished so finally, I got it wrapped up.  Love the colors in this one.  Too small for me though so it will go in my Etsy shop.  The leaf beads were part of a necklace at one time that I never wore so it came apart and the beads will also be in my shop soon.  The leaf beads are made with a gorgeous silver glass.  So pretty.  The necklace I made a long time ago and THOUGHT I had listed it in my Etsy shop and never did !  lol !  So it will be going there over the weekend.  The decorated round beads turned out gorgeous.  A color that took me many years to finally get the true colors to come through !  lol !  

That’s it for this week.  It’s time to get my day started.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon !  

       

Mid September Already ! Fall Is In The Air ?

Not with 90 degree temps and 100% humidity !  Ick !  It'll come though but not soon enough !  lol !  

It's been an interesting week with a bum hand.  lol !  I actually know how to get along with a bum hand fairly well.  I've had 4 surgeries between both over the years.  lol !  Still it really isn't alot of fun.  Thankfully, no surgery involved here.  Feels like a sprain even though I don't recall hearing the telltale "pop" when you sprain something.  I can't get into ortho doc for another week so will have to wait til then to get "official" diagnosis.

With the painful hand, my crafting anything has, let's say, dwindled.  Still, I had to give something a try.  Got out the loom and got started.  I warped it with the new C-Lon size D colored thread I got.  Hmmmm, began warping and thought wow, the thread feels very weak to be doing that sort of beading but I continued and finished up the number I needed.  Started to bead and it just wasn't working out well at all.  Keep in mind, I'm using Dyna-Mites size 11 seed beads.  It was hard to manipulate these particular beads using this particular thread. I thought maybe it's just my bum hand getting in the way but I found later it was not.  The tension wasn't there either no matter what I did which I though quite odd.  Finally, after adding about 3 or 4 rows that took a VERY long time to work, I had enough.  Took it all apart and started over with the Silamide thread.  No problem at all.  So just maybe, the C-Lon size D thread just isn't going to work well FOR ME using the Dyna-Mites seed beads.  I know alot of people use it for looming but alot of people use other types of seed beads too.

As I was beading on the loom, my hand was starting to bother me so when the pain got too bad, I just quit which meant, not much got done in a week.  lol !  You can see in the photo below just how much DID get done in 5 days.  lol !  It's almost 3 inches and it felt like a foot !  lol !  I'll just do what I can when I can.   

Cool, fall weather is not too far off now and so the days for beading on a loom are becoming numbered !  I'll be back at my trusty torch very soon melting glass into beads and I am VERY VERY anxious to do just that.  :)   It seems like FOREVER that I've put in some good time creating with glass and I surely have missed it !  I'll still play on the loom or make a braid or piece of jewelry on days I can't torch.  I'll have to cause I just ordered a bunch more seed beads !  lol !  Making beads is my first love though soooooo...............

Time for me to start my day.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon !

        

Slow As It Goes

June 24, 2015 - UPDATE:  If you  are looking for the hummingbird and otter pendants, they sold LONG ago.  That part of this post has been edited out.  Thanks for coming by though.  :)

Below is the original post which was written September 2014.
It's been one of those weeks.  Sigh.  Nothing accomplished at all as far as any crafty or artsy projects.  :(
- Melting glass to make beads is still on hold due to heat and humidity.
- Working braids is on hold due to hand/thumb area injury and I have no idea how or what I did but the pain is severe.  Can't manipulate cords too well with a bum hand/thumb area.
- I haven't had a chance to work with the loom due to my hand and time.  It's been a week full of appointments, doctor and otherwise.

So what HAVE I done ?  Not much at all.  lol !  I'm ready to get moving again too !  I get bored so darned easily and feel like if I'm not doing a little something most of the time, I'm wasting time.  Kinda a dumb way to be I guess but when I get too lazy, that laziness is hard to get away from.  lol !  Does that make sense ?
So I have no tales to tell, no lessons I've learned or in process of learning.  No insights to share at all - that I can think of anyway.  lol !

I do know that I have some dye, white satin cording and instructions on how to hand dye my own satin cording and it just sits.  I COULD be doing that.  lol !  I've hand dyed my own SILK cording in the past and must say I really enjoyed it BUT, it is quite time consuming so I'm guessing the satin cord will be the same.  Plus not only dyeing is involved !  You gotta unwind the cord first then wind a specific way for dipping or painting then dye then once dried you gotta wind into a ball or whatever.  Now, I am talking about no small amount of cording !!  Each "ball" of cord is 144 yards long !   And that's probably why I'm procrastinating about it.  lol !  So it sits in my craft closet with all the other "stuff".  lol !   Hmmm, maybe I'll go for the loom again afterall..........................lol !

I've added a few oldies but goodies photo's below just to add some color to this post.  Hopefully next week I'll be able to show something I've done lately !

Thanks so much for coming by  !  I hope you come back again very soon !!  

                                 
                                    The next two photo's are of beads I made a VERY long time ago.  The first one is of a set I have always regretted selling !  lol !  I can't remember what I used either.  Oh well........ The doll beads were some of my very first.  The one on the far right IS my very first.  :)  The one to the right of the dime is the tiniest I've ever made.

  

I'm Baaaaaaack & Already Beading

Yessireeee, I'm finally feeling human again.  Took a long time and I still have a few residual affects but slowly working on those for a full come back.  Just takes time. I still have a hard time believing this all came about because of a legal perscription drug.
On to beading.............

Since it's still too hot to be at my beloved torch to melt glass, I revisited beaded kumihimo.  I got the braid done but the bracelet is still waiting to be finished.  Just couldn't get into it fully.  Figured why not bring out the new loom again, so I did.  :)  Found a lovely pattern to work and began two days ago.  My take on the loom has not changed.  Even though it was pointed out to me that my novice take on this loom was unimportant I stand by my original posting of the pro's and con's.  See post below "Sick" post.  I LOVE this loom, no question about it.  It works great for my needs but I'd still make the changes.  I still used it as I did before and it worked perfectly - FOR ME.  I did learn that with it propped up on the roll of shelf liner, as I got closer and closer to the top of loom, I actually found myself sitting up better.  It stretched my lower back.  I tend to slouch so this is another "pro" about me adjusting this loom to fit ME.  It might not work for anyone else.  I don't claim this is for everyone but it works FOR ME.  If any of my suggestions work for anyone else, then yay !  :)

One thing I see now.  The strand itself has ripples in it.  It lays flat but not perfectly flat.  I'm thinking that's because I probably pulled to hard on the weft thread as I weaved through the beads.  

As for the thread.  I used C-lon thread and for some reason, as I was going back thru the beads to hold them in place, the thread actually unraveled.  I've never seen this happen before.  I was totally surprised.  lol !  I had a heck of a time getting it straightened out and thru the the beads at last.  I re-threaded the needle afresh after that.  Geesh.  

I have no other bits of wisdom about this loom.  I feel like I'm sort of starting from scratch again after being away from it for a few weeks.  I had alot of fun putting together this "strand" I did make.  I didn't want to stop.  I could of made it longer but why ?  I really like this last pattern ALOT !  This is supposedly a Native American pattern and it does remind one of that and I LOVE IT.  I love the way the colors work so beautifully together.  The white outline accentuates the whole thing.  The black makes everything pop in my opinion.  The only thing I would change is the green.  In my opinion I should of used an emerald green I think.  I still like this mint green though.  And of course red just brings it all together.  Gorgeous !  I want to do more Native American designs and have been on the search.  Have found some beautiful patterns free and for sale.  

So what am I going to do with the strands I do make ?  I am still unsure.  Will have to wait and see I guess.  lol !  The pieces I have made could be made into bracelets but they would be loose on me that's for sure !  lol !  Oh well.........
                   
                                    

                               
That's all for now.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon ! 

It's Baaaaaaaaack !

My mojo, my muse or whatever you call it to get the creative juices flowing again !  lol !  Yay and Thank-Goodness !  :) 
 
Thank-You Heather Trimlett for the 40 Bead Challenge and Thanks to Haley http://envisionsf.blogspot.com/   for rallying the lampwork folks to join her in her efforts on LE !  There's a very long thread there with everyone that has participated and are still working on their 40 Bead Challenges !  It's a work in progress as it were.  :) 


So, now the question is:  What did I learn ?  Ok so here's the short list:

• Patience is required.
• Slow and Steady makes for a better outcome.
• Molten Glass has a mind of it's own.
• Dots are amazing creatures !
• Beads can and will Grow !   
• Black and White is an outstanding color combo !
• I remember why I usually use the EMS for starting all my beads.
• Using no tools has reminded me why I use tools - when needed of course.

Yeah, I know these are all fun facts or fun lessons BUT lessons learned and re-learned and REAL.  :)  Regardless of what I learned, which was ALOT, this exercise refreshed my "muse", brought me out of the funk I was in, woke-me-up and got my mojo working again THANK-GOODNESS !  I NEEDED this in a major way.  It did what I was hoping it would do.  It reminded me once again WHY I LOVE melting glass and THAT my friends is always a good thing.  :)

So, here are my 40 beads !  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the feel of all of them in my hand !  It's amazing to me.  Even more amazing - and I reiterate here - it's so amazing what a simple little dot can do that's it just stupid !  lol !   The proof is in the photo.  The lines you see on any of those beads is created by masking.  These beads have only dots on them.  That's it. 
The dots in these beads are all melted in.  Imagine what can be done with rasied dots or a combination of both ?  Limitless.  lol ! 

 

Thanks so much for stopping in !  I hope you come back again soon to see what's happening !  I have yet ANOTHER challenge I'm "working" on.  This time, I'm challenging myself !  :)