Heat Wave Continues

 Since it's been so hot, I can't bring myself to turn on the kiln or the torch.  That always adds alot more heat to the torching area plus with the vent system running, that brings in some outside air.  Yeah, I can't do that with the AC running full blast.  I don't know how other folks can stand it.  Besides, who wants to add to the already high electric bill ?

So with no torching comes no new beads.  Other than the few I made before the 100 degree mark was hit which are pictured below.  Those are the last of them til the temps drop a bit.  Again, I used my new mold/press and still love it !  :)  Still simple frit beads but with a little twist added in each one and I actually made a few spacers to go along with the set.  lol !  Will miracles never cease !  A few sets and now a few spacers.  lol !  I haven't made any spacers in AGES.  This press is just too much fun.  Also, more bell flowers.  Can't stop making these pretties.  :) 

So that's about all for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon.  :)  

If you see anything on my blog pages you'd like to purchase, just let me know here in the comment section, on my Facebook page or at my Etsy shop convo's.
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It's a Heat Wave In and Out !

Today's blog post will have several topics included.  So much to say, so much to do.  :)

To start, I was at the torch nearly every day this past week and had a blast even though it was hotter than hell !  lol !  Yes, I swore cause that's exactly what it felt like while melting the glass.  You have to understand, not only do we sit in front of a flame, we also have a kiln going and possibly a warming/hot plate going to keep little tidbits of needed additional pieces warm.  So all this heat adds about 20 plus degrees to your torching area if you are inside.  Which most beadmakers are.  Best times to torch are either very early in the morning (me) or late at night after the sun has been down a while and even then, it's blazing !

Second topic - New "toys".  lol !  A good name for new gadgets that are used for making beads.  For me, it is a new bead shaping mold/press.  Yep.  Got a brand new mold/press from Germany that I LOVE !   Typically, I hate molds/presses.  I've never been that good at it and really never had the patience to work with them.  I've got a few and only a few.  I don't typically make sets either but, I knew the minute I opened the box I HAD to play ( no matter how hot it was).   The thing most folks don't realize is that there is a learning curve with each and every mold/press that comes down the pike.  And it takes a little time to get it perfect.  The amount of glass needed, how many times one has to "press", keeping it warm, adding decorations (before pressing or after) and so on.  It takes more than one session to get it right, to get that perfection.  So we put some glass we think might be enough and press.  Hmm, not enough ?  Add more glass and press again, and so on and so on.  It's a process, a learning curve and it's necessary with each and every press, mold, roller, tool out there for making beads. 
 
The first photo - all of the beads I made using that new press.  Some were just test beads but there are two sets in there plus those two little creatures of some sort.  :)   The second photo shows the sets.  Yes they are simple frit beads but that's ok.  Frit beads are great for practice beside being pretty.  lol !  I have one more set soaking.

Third topic - Burn out - but because I need to get my day started, that will have to be for another day. 

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

Beads & DVD's

A strange combination I'm sure.  lol !   I've been torching some this week but it was limited and will be even more so now due to the heat and humidity.  Summer has arrived.  
First things first.  Got some leaf headpins/beads made at last and this time, made some that are the biggest I've ever made !  lol !  Just wanted to see how big I could go with no issues.  You see my results below.  :)  The bigger leaf is more like a focal.  The rest are good for whatever one can think of.  :)  All for sale.  Post below in the comments section if interested.  I like this technique I used for all of them really.  It's more "work" than using one color but worth the outcome.
I made lots of bellflowers as well however no need to show them here.  They're for a special project anyway.  lol ! 
The second photo is of the few beads I made.  The 4 similar shaped beads were more or less experiments that "sort of" turned out.  Was testing a bead shaper/marver I got a long time ago and never used.  Not sure I liked it.  It slid around alot while being used.  The other two were reactive colors that I really love using together.  That round bead is HUGE but turned out great.  I only wish I had used the darker cranberry color on top of the pink dots on the sides.  Next time. 

Onward as it were.  I feel the need to bring up another subject here.  The DVD's I've been watching.  Oh brother.  I never thought I'd sit and watch a CURRENT tv program on dvd but that's exactly what I've been doing.  I bought the first season dvd set of Game Of Thrones at Walmart about 2 weeks ago for CHEAP.  I had heard it was a fantastic tv series.  So figured why not try.  I wasn't that impressed after the first 2 "shows" on disc 1 but figured I paid for this set so I'll watch it.  Needless to say - I was HOOKED in such a major way I had to have the other seasons.  Only up to season 4 was available so I bought them all !  lol !  I've never binged watched ANYTHING before Game Of Thrones.  lol !  My husband even got into it and loves it !  He and I both binged watched it last weekend one day.  I just finished up watching the last of the 4 seasons.  Watching up to 3 shows each time I watched.  If you haven't seen it I won't go into details but I have to say - WATCH IT ANY WAY YOU CAN AND START FROM THE VERY BEGINNING !  You will NOT regret it one bit.  I have already pre-ordered season 5 dvd's.  I cannot wait for it to arrive.  The only complaint I have is there just aren't enough shows in the actual season but I can understand why.  It's one of the BIGGEST undertakings I've seen for a tv show.  Revolution was similar but I am quite sure that Game Of Thrones is even bigger.  Amazing show.  HBO finally got it right with this one.  :)   

Ok, time to get my day started.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon.  Have a great day and week.  :)

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 !