Making Beads - Reasons Not Excuses

I still enjoy it.  Love it.  Have fun with it.  Want to do it.  Need to do it. 
I guess it's always going to be in me or a part of me in some way, shape or form.  Even though I can't be at my torch every day because of weather or just plain ole life happening in other ways - it's there.  I tried to get away from it years ago.  Sold everything I had.  That lasted about 2 years.  Had to come back.  Been back now for a while - on and off.  Can't do a lot of things I used to be able to do.  I no longer have steady hands.  I can no longer sit at the torch for hours on end.  My body doesn't allow me to torch when it's 30 degrees outside even though my fun spot is inside.  Still have to open a window to bring in fresh air and that sure can't happen in winter or when it's 90 degrees outside !  lol !  So many factors that want to interrupt or disrupt my torching time.  So, I go with the flow as it were.  lol !  Lately, even though it's the middle of winter and suppose to be at least in the 40's where we live, it's actually been in the 70's !  So I've been at the torch as often as possible.   Yes, making beads - melting glass - lampwork - torching - flameworking -  whatever one chooses to call it - will be in my heart and probably my soul for a long time to come !

As for not being able to do what I used to be able to do at my torch:  So many issues but here goes.  Shakiness.  Yep.  This is my main culprit.  I was lucky for many years though.  I use to be very shaky as a kid and up thru my young adult ages.  Somewhere along it eased up for a while.  Was able to do those minute details in beads.  Then somewhere along the way it came back.  Not nerves just shakiness when doing anything that requires details.  I keep trying things and once in a while I get lucky but usually not so much.  So because of that I no longer make those beads that require tiny eyes or anything that is tiny detail wise.  Straight lines are the worse so far.  sigh. Oh well, I keep trying.  

Sitting at the torch endlessly.  Can't do it.  Haven't been able to do it for a long time.  My muscles become extremely tight and hard to move if I do sit endlessly.  I've actually gotten up from my chair bent over I sat too long !  Can't do that any more.  So my torch sessions are no more than a total of 2 hours at each session and I get up at least 2 or 3 times during each hour.  It gets painful !  lol !  Age does that I guess or at least maybe lack of exercise ?  Maybe both.  Even sitting at the computer or watching tv too long will hurt. 

Weather - Well, no control over that so what can one say ?  lol !  You REALLY have to go with the flow here.  lol ! 

Ok so now that that's all out - I have been at the torch lately.  One day I thought I had run out of oxygen but turned out I had enough to make 11 beads !  lol !  The photo below is that result:

 

These flowers were made prior to running out of oxygen.  I absolutely LOVE how they all turned out.  They are all headpins.

 

 

Just finished up the ones below 2 days ago.  I LOVE this mix of glass and silver.  Two layers of glass and 2 layers of fine silver ! 

 

 

Thanks so much for coming by.  Please come back again sometime.

 

 

 

 

     

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.

     

Thanksgiving and Beads

Ok, so there's really no connection between Thanksgiving and Beads in reality however, that said, I must say I am thankful that I found this wonderful craft/art of making glass beads.  sigh.  It was a long time coming and I just can't give it up. 

I am the first to admit, I am no artist.  There are folks out there that are so creative and artistic in this medium that I just cannot compare.  That's ok though.  I knew long ago when I started I was no artist.  Never tried to be.  I just enjoy being mesmerized by melting glass.  What a joy ! 


So what does constitute being an artist ?  Is it the ability to create new and unique objects/items ?  Here is the definition of an artist, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary: 
a person who creates art :
 a person who is skilled at drawing, painting, etc.
: a skilled performer

: a person who is very good at something

 

I am none of the above !  lol ! 

 

It says nothing about creating "new and unique".  I KNOW for a fact there are bead artists that will disagree quite loudly.  lol ! 

 

Definition of craft according to Merriam-Webster:

 an activity that involves making something in a skillful way by using your hands

: a job or activity that requires special skill

crafts : objects made by skillful use of the hands

 

That's where I'm at.  A crafter and I love it.  :) 

 

Since I have no artistic qualities (hehehe) I make simple, uncomplicated beads right now.  I did the complicated stuff in the past.  When I had more energy.  lol !  When I was more ambitious I guess.  I'm at that point in my life where, easy is more fun.  Oh don't get me wrong, I still have PASSION about this craft.  I can't get enough.  I LOVE the choice of colors, the different glasses, the frits, the tools, etc, etc.  lol !   I think about it often when I'm not at the torch & get excited.  I have dreams about it.  lol !  All that passion stuff, I still feel.  I just prefer taking the easy way whenever possible.  Why not ?  And those days when I feel extra rambunctious, I dig in to the tutorials and go for it.  lol !  I have LOTS of tuts I've never even tried due to the complicated steps.  They're fun to read and look at the pictures though.  :) 

 

Since my last post, which seems ages ago, I have FINALLY just gotten back on the torch in the last 2 days and it feels soooooooooooo good !  I've made simple fritted beads pictured below, more bellflowers which are still in the kiln and a few experimental beads which I won't show.  They aren't worth the time to photograph.  lol !  The second set below is a "re-do" of beads I made previously.  Too big of a set so downsized and made 2 sets.  This one with a focal. 

 

So enjoy the eye candy for this post and come back again soon.  Time for Thanksgiving dinner is drawing near.  Cracker Barrel has a really good turkey dinner !  lol !  Thanks for stopping in and I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving day !   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beads and Silk Cords

Beads - they're in my blood.  I can't get away from them.  I don't want to get away from them.   All kinds of beads make me happy.  Lampwork beads are my favorites of course but I enjoy all the rest too.  Seed beads, clay beads, wood beads, ceramic beads, metal beads and on and on.  They are addicting.  Maybe that all goes back to my "hippie" days.  Afterall, I am a child of the 60's.  I didn't make them back then but I did wear them and often.  Plus as a child we all played with plastic beads in some form and who didn't play with marbles ?  Marbles are beads - they just have no holes.  Beads have been around for so long I don't think there's too many people that haven't done something with some kind of bead in their life.   Beads - they are a part of our society and many others - like it or not.  They're all around us and have been for centuries.  They aren't going anywhere and I'm sooo very happy for that ! 

This week, I've had the pleasure of being able to be at my torch a couple of mornings before the heat sets in.  The thing about that is it means the mornings are becoming cool again, slowly but surely, which also means, fall is just around the corner.  Yay !  My absolute favorite time of year - next to winter !  lol !  Which also means, many more days at the torch and for longer periods of time.  Which also means more beads are coming.  As long as my back and hands hold up.  lol !  Anyway this week, I was able to make a couple of sets, managed a pumpkin for Halloween and pulled some special stringers for some special types of beads.  Those stringers, took TWO, yes TWO hours to pull !  That was my day at the torch yesterday.  See, sometimes these pretty beads you see, all pretty with special decorations added in, take ALOT of prep time before even making one bead.  And then with so many additions to the bead, it can take a very long time to make that one bead.  Anyway, I wasn't able to make one of those beads yet but they will come.  :)  The beads I did make are still waiting to be photographed and a set is still soaking in the water.  Will have to show those beads later. 

I also worked on some brand new colors for hand dyeing silk cords and that's exactly what I did last weekend.  There are more new colors coming very soon too.  Colors I've never dyed before so it's pretty exciting for me !  :)  Anyway, photo's below of the newer colors.   All will be in my Etsy shop soon but are also available on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads  All of the cords now available in my Etsy shop can also be purchased via my Facebook page.  Just message me over there.  :)

                                   Deep Blue.  So pretty.

                          Deep Red  This red is darker than it shows and really stunning.

                              Neon Green !  Yes it's NEON !  :)  LOVE this !  More neons coming.

                              This is more a strawberry red.  Pretty.

                              Two tone turquoise.  Nice.

 

That's it for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back very soon ! 

Information Please

Hello to one and all !  This weeks post is simply put, all about information about this and that.  Probably not going to be very long post but hopefully some fun and info about my little corner of the world.  :)

First of all, I am hosting a giveaway over on my Facebook page.  Click All My Beads Facebook  to go directly to my Beads page and LIKE my page.  Once I reach 100 LIKES on the PAGE (not on a post) then I will be hosting the giveaway and will post what the giveaway prize will be and the rules.  Don't worry, the rules won't be a hassle to deal with.  lol !  Some fun little game or something.  :)

My Etsy shop listings are finally dwindling down.  Slowly but surely.  Just an FYI - If you want anything over there, please shop now.  As all of the listings expire, I am not and will NOT be relisting any of it EXCEPT for the hand dyed silk cords and bellflower beads/headpins.  You can check out my Etsy shop HERE or click on any picture to the right in my Etsy shop.

With the heatwave still in full force with temps in the high 90's and with heat index temps of over 100 degrees, I'm still unable to sit at my beloved torch and make glass beads.  sigh.   Even very early in the morning it's still in the 70's with 100% humidity (we live near a huge lake).  Just can't justify opening that window to draw in back up air and heat up my work area anymore !  lol !  With a kiln set at garaging temp of 950 degrees to 960 degrees and the heat of the torch PLUS humid outside air, UGH !  Really not worth the impending heat stroke it will cause me !  lol !  So, I sit and wait for the cool.  sigh.  It'll come.  :)

Still no inclination what-so-ever to make, design, create jewelry.  Not one iota of creativity either.  What's up with that ???  lol !  Usually summertime, when I can't torch, is the high point of my jewelry making.  Not this summer.

Very soon I will be updating some posts I've made in the past.  One in particular, tips and tricks for using the bellflower press.   If there are any other posts you'd like to see updated or revised, please leave me a comment below.  :)  It won't show up immediately but it will be posted.  :)

Below are just a few of my favorite photo's saved from the web. 
I don't know the photographer or even remember where I got the first photo but isn't the color amazing ! 

Just for fun.  I LOVE Snoopy.  One of my all time favorite characters.

Think Snow !  :) 

Ok that's it for now.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again very 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 !

Time to Torch plus More Kumihimo

I'm overdue for this weeks post.  No excuse other than it's been another hectic week.  So much for slowing down and taking things a little easier !  lol !

I'll be off to the torch this morning !  Yay !  It's been so long. I hope my glass muse has made a comeback !  I have designs in mind to play with or possibly make some bell flowers.  The latest bell flower tool I bought is the Carlo Dona 12mm 6 point flower.  The other two I have are the Carlo Dona 14mm 6 point and the 20 mm 8 point.  My favorite is the largest one.  These tools are the best quality tools made by a family that's been doing it for decades in Italy.  Anyway, I can't wait to play.  Hopefully I'll have something decent to show.

What has kept me busy all week is Kumihimo of course.  I made several pieces and thankfully only one had to be torn apart.  sigh.  I hate it when that happens but it happens to all of us.  We find that one little mistake that just happens.  lol !  And it was a pattern that one has to use tiny beads with.  I hate that too.  So that will be put away for another day.  :)  I did have much success with that pattern that has enthralled me lately.  I love doing it and don't see an end in sight.  :)  Pictured below are 3 bracelets I made using that pattern.  I love love love how these turned out.

Left to right - pale pink and lime green with silver and creme soda seed beads.  A hummingbird clasp brings it all together.  Pretty spring colors for sure !  And the hummers will be back very soon !  Next up,  Peach and shades of green and gold matte beads with silver and gold seed beads.  A pretty gold clasp to end it.  Lastly a gun metal and icey blue gray magatama beads with silver and pearl gray seed beads.  The clasp has 3 hoops to size this bracelet up to a very large size.  The one on top right is sold but the other two are available for sale if interested.  Just send me a message here in the comment section below.   

Next up, another dragon necklace.  :)  This one is so cute !  Great for a young lady of any age. lol !  A turquoise blue and pink dragon adorns this Kumihimo beaded braid necklace.  The colors of the braid match her perfectly in pink, turquoise, silver and gold.  She guards her precious orb close to her body.  The silver plated chain will extend the 17 1/2" necklace up to 20" if one chooses.  :)  And yes, I am obsessed with these dragons !  lol !  Soooo cute !

Lastly, another bracelet using that favorite pattern !  lol !  Yep, I just had to do it.  :)  I had this color combo in my brain for a while.  Love how it turned out.  This is AB Amber, gold matte mag beads with gold and AB amber seed beads.  I love how this turned out.  Perfect for fall however it can be worn any time of year.  The antique gold color leaf clasp works great with it as well.  Also for sale.  If interested, post in the comments section below.  This one fits up to a 7 1/2" wrist very comfortably.  :)

 I guess that pretty much shows just how busy it's been.  lol !  What's not shown is the two braids I made on my Marudai as well.  lol !  Craziness.  A slow down seems nearly out of reach these days.  lol !  It is what it is.

Until next time.........thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon.

Where Oh Where Is My Glass Muse ??? And Thank-Goodness For Kumihimo !

Last week was another week of wondering where in the blazes my bead making muse has run off to !  I can't understand it.  It has been ages she has made her presence known and I'm beginning to worry.  :)  I WANT to make beads again. I WANT to be at my trusty torch and go for it.  I WANT to "feel" and see the glass in my hand and watch it melt in that glorious flame again.  So why can't I bring myself to just GO FOR IT ?  I have tons and tons of tutorials I could choose from.  I have all sorts of things running thru my head I could try out or just do nothing in particular.  Maybe just sit there and make spacers or bell flowers.  Two things that are pretty easy for me.  I think about it and even pass by my "fun area" where I make beads and just - nothing.  No inspiration, no urgency to get to the torch like I use to have, no dreaming of making beads like I use to.  Can't understand it.  So, in the meantime..........................

As I have mentioned frequently lately I am really into Kumihimo again.  Mostly beaded Kumi but making fiber braids as well.  I've followed some new tutorials lately that I have purchased and some that are in books I have.  The ONLY braid I worked on last week was from a tutorial I purchased over a month ago from Randi Sherman.  It's a beaded bracelet braid with just a bit of minor stitching you have to do.  No big deal at all.  If you can sew with needle and thread at all, you can do the stitching here.  Anyway, the bracelet I made is pictured below.  This bracelet calls for beads I've never used before in Kumihimo.  Size 11/0 seed beads, super duos and tiny 3mm drop type beads.  Ohhhh brother I thought when I got this tutorial.  Will my fingers let alone my EYES,  be able to handle all those tiny beads !  lol !  They did surprisingly.  So after the third try, it finally all came together.  The next problem I had was properly getting one piece of the clasp to stay glued on.  It was my own fault as I didn't leave the ends long enough and used a glue I probably shouldn't have.  lol !  Finally THAT all came together and the last faux pas on this cuff was the glue leaked all over the beads near the clasps.  Eye eye eye.  So yeah, even though I thought I wiped the excess glue off good enough, a little length of beads near the clasps are pretty stiff.  lol !  So the bracelet stays home with me.  No one else would want it anyway.  lol ! 

Yes, I will make more of these !  lol !  Even though I had "issues" with this one, I LOVE the look of it.  Plus now that I've made it once, the next ones will come a bit easier - I hope.  :)

I'm destashing some items that I just don't use of need.  If you're interested at all in these items, just follow the links I'm going to add below.

Yarns - On my All My Beads Facebook page All My Beads Facebook Page
Other Peoples Beads - On another Facebook page that is mine  DLA Facebook Page

Thanks so much for coming by.  Please come back again soon. 

All Kinds 'a Flowers

Yes, it's flowers week at my house and I'm enjoying it even though I can't breath.  Sigh.  Allergies are still really doing it's thing on my nose and head and something moving on down into my chest so I'll be calling doc - again.  Anyway........onto more fun stuff..............

Flowers have been the theme this week at the torch !  Yay !  I was able to get on my torch and melt some glass into some flowers of some sort.  lol !  The photo's below only show a few I made.  There are more that are waiting to be cleaned so will show those next time around.   I was a little shaky with the first one, which was the red rose but got right back into it.  lol !  The thing about making these types of flowers is there are extra steps while assembling them in the flame.  The petals are made first and kept warm on a portable burner.  Then comes the stamen or the part to attach the petals to which is made seperate on the mandrel.  While adding the petals one must remember to keep all parts warm or cracks make an appearance !  Not good.  :(   Once all together, pop into the kiln.  :)  Sometimes those cracks won't show up til after they come out of the kiln which is just a bummer.  lol !  It happens.  If all goes well though the flowers will be pretty cool in the bouquet that comes together.  Speaking of which, I am offering those bouquets once again in my Etsy shop.  You can see samples of some of the bouquets I've made in that listing.  Check it out.  :)

I was cleaning up my work space where I put jewelry together and discovered a little something I just never thought about before.  There are some that use the bell flowers for making jewelry with and they have wondered if there were any bead caps that were small enough to fit on the tops of the flowers.  Well, quite by accident, I found some that work perfectly.  They are pictured below.  Tiny, yes but they work beautifully.  The red bell flower is the 20mm size and the pink is the 14mm size.  I don't have the 12mm size but if the bead caps fit the bigger sizes they'll fit the smallest size.  :)  Yay !  These are not sterling silver but silver plated and come in 3 colors - silver, gold and copper in one bag and are available at Fire Mountain.  I bought them a long time ago and just forgot about them until the other day.  lol !  So if you need some bead caps for your bell flowers or whatever, check out Fire Mountain.

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

Please check out my Facebook page that has OPB's (other peoples beads) For Sale.  Just click this link  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005964946289  

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 !

        

'Tis the Season to be BUSY !

I know we already know that but I needed to repeat it.  lol !  It's been crazy and 3 weeks from today - Christmas is already over.  Well, at least officially it is.

The beadmaking muse has escaped me once again with all the hub-bub going on with the holidays.  I did manage to get in a couple of hours at the torch over the weekend but that was about it.  I made a pretty little set of beads using edp once again and although the purple didn't come out exactly as it's "suppose" to, I still think they are pretty.  The name of the glass - evil defritifying purple is absolutely the correct name for that glass.  lol !  Even though I supposedly KNOW how to control it, it obviously can still do it's own thing.  I still enjoy the beads though and I think this set will go in my Etsy shop soon.  Someone very dear to me suggested I sculpt a beloved cartoon character into a bead so that's what I'm going to do.  I only have one week to accomplish that so keep your fingers crossed !  At least it's a challenge.  Seems I need those to get motivated anymore.  Geesh.........  

 

Since I have been online doing some shopping, I decided it was only fair to do a bit of shopping for myself.  lol !  Hey, why not ??  Anyway, I have been watching a porcelain bead artist recently hoping to catch when she loads her Etsy shop. I was able to snag a few pieces of hers yesterday !  I am totally surprised I was able to get anything at all since there was a feeding frenzy - literally !  The shop was EMPTIED in less than 5 minutes except for 3 faces and those were gone in short time.  So I snagged these three cabs - A hummingbird, a sea otter and a barn owl.  I am so very anxious to see them up close and personal.  The question I am asking myself now - what to do with them once I get them ???  Will have to work on that one.  lol ! 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

   

Autumn Is Here At Last !

I LOVE this time of year !  I LOVE the cool, cold crisp mornings that lead into cool, cold crisp days.  I LOVE to open windows and let all that cold take over the house even for just a minute.  The house smells so fresh and new afterward.  :)  Soooo much nicer than the heat, humidity and just plain stale air of summer.  

The past week has been interesting (or not) depending the attitude taken.  lol !  Right now, the attitude is that of blah.  My "muse" seems to have fled the premises and it doesn't seem like it will return any time soon.  I have been drawing a blank and reverting back to basic easy beads.  Which isn't bad really cause basic and easy keep me in practice.  Still I need something to get the mojo going again and not real sure what that might be.  I am not one to just ho hum it and let it pass.  I NEED to be at the torch even if it's just for the sake of being at the torch and keeping in "shape" as it were.  That said, the past weeks beads were familiar ground for me and I did enjoy making them.   I managed to get in a few more beads for Beads of Courage as well but need to buckle down and get a bunch more made of those too so they can be sent in.  Pictured below are just a few of the beads I made this week.  Flowers and some focals with reactive glass.  I do enjoy playing with very reactive glass and those colors just love reacting with one another.  lol !   If you're interested, a couple sets of the flowers are listed in my Etsy shop now along with a couple new listings for focals.   

 

 

Hopefully this time next week, I'll have a brand new "attitude" and it will be because my mojo has come back !  lol !  Only time will tell.   New attitude means new beads.  (insert big smile). 

 

That's all for now.  Thanks so much for coming by and I hope you come back again very soon !  Have a great weekend !  And remember - Christmas is only.....wait, Halloween hasn't arrived yet !  Geesh.............:)   

 

 

 

Handmade Glass Artists, Glass Beadmakers, Lampwork Artist, Etc - Beads Of Courage Needs Your Help

Yep, they need our handmade glass beads !  :)  Seems they have plum run out of stock of these types of beads which are Act of Courage and Long term follow up beads.  Act of Courage beads are special beads the kids get to choose for special courageous act during treatment.  http://www.beadsofcourage.org/

A new e-book of tutorials is now available to anyone that wants one for a mere $20.00 and is chock full of 20 tutorials of beads to make for the kids.  Or just for anyone that wants to try something new or to just look at some fun stuff.  All proceeds go to BOC.  You can order your e-book here  http://www.sodalimetimes.com/bocbook.html which is also a link to Soda Lime Times monthly e-magazine for glass artists.  Which in itself is nothing short of FABULOUS !  :)  For only $5 bucks a month you can't beat it !  Not only do you get great art to look at and read about but also tutorials are included every single month for you to try.  Yes, I said tutorials - with an "s" !  Always more than one !  lol ! 

If I may offer a suggestion.  If you really can't do whole sessions of just beads for BOC, it's really not a biggie but if you could just make one or two or three simple beads each session and send them in when you gather a bunch then it would help TREMENDOUSLY !  Simple bead, hmmmmmm maybe a frit bead with eyes !  lol !  Or a frit bead with a smiley face on it.  Simple and fast.  :)  You know all those pretty and/or fun murrini you bought and have never used - perfect !  Add some frit to a bead and a few murrini and WHA - LA !  :)  The kids really do need beads.  

Ok so here are a few examples of some beads I made using some of the tutorials in that e-book I mentioned above.  I had a blast trying out a bunch of those tuts !  I usually do NOT torch during the summer but hey, I can handle a little heat and humidity which is nothing compared to what these children are dealing with.  

Have fun looking at the photo's and PLEASE - take a few moments of your torch time and make a bead or two for the kids.  Believe me, it's an incredible feeling to know how much the beads will be loved !  :)  

 

These are from two torch sessions of about 2 hours a piece.  I have more beadies cooling in the kiln now that will be added plus I'll be at the torch again today.  :)  Like I said, I'm having too much fun making these beads !  lol !  The only two beads here that are not in the e-book of tutorials is the little doll bead and the fishie bead.  The little doll bead I learned from Anne Ricketts and she has a tutorial available for that on her website here .

 

Thanks for coming by !  I hope you come back again very soon to see what's new !  :) 

   

Summer Heat & Humidity .............

................is just terrible !  I really do dislike summer !  It's a miserable time for me.  UGH.  So, that said, no more complaining.  That's not what this blog is all about even though it does affect my torch time.  Moving on now............

I did get a bit of torch time in this last week in the early morning hours for a few days.  I managed to make more bell flowers of course for that project I'm going to be getting into now.  Limited or no torch time means more time to do other projects.  I did start it a few days ago but it has sat for about 3 days without me doing a thing to it.  lol !  I'll get there.  Life tends to get in the way sometimes.  Some of the bell flowers are pictured just below.  I mixed up some red, yellow and orange colors and made these.  I love them. Love the brightness of them.  Will be adding them to the project.  ;) 

 

Problem is, when I get going making these flowers, I end up not making any actual beads !  lol !  The bottom of the kiln get filled with these flowers and leaves which means there is plenty of room to add beads on mandrels.  The mandrels sit on a mandrel rest inside the kiln.  Oh well.........I figure as long as I'm enjoying it, go for it !  lol !  I can make sets or a focal another day.  :) 

 

Speaking of beads - I have lots up for grabs in my Etsy shop !  Why not go on over for a visit and see what's available.  You might find something you like ! 

 

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

Badly Needed Beady Update

Wow, maybe this is what happens when the "muse" disappears or in reality there is no muse to begin with.  lol !  Fact is, I haven't been able to torch due to weather and health issues.  Jewelry making has just fallen off the "map" all together.  When you don't feel good to begin with, making jewelry is the last thing on your mind.  :( 

All that said I decided I still needed to at least update my blog with a little something.  I went looking through some old photo's and thought why not show some of my favorites. 

The first photo is of some of the very first doll beads I ever made.  The one on the very far right IS the very first doll bead I made following a tutorial by Anne Ricketts.  Then I decided I needed to see how tiny I could make one.  lol !  That one is to the right of the dime with brown hair.  lol !  She sure is tiny  !  I still have all these little dolls and should re-do the photo's.   

 

The brights set below was one of my all time favorite sets.  I love brightly colored etched beads anyway and of course I made many more of these types of beads.  Lots of them sold over the years but I did manage to keep some. 

 

 

 

I use to love to make hollow beads and made lots of them.  These were made long before I ever got into using a puffy mandrel.  These were wound on a regular mandrel.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color - an ice blue then etched. 

 

The set below was made using silver and frit only.  That's it and then swirled around.  Gorgeous set I think.  Wish I could remember what frit was used cause I'd make more.  lol !  I never took notes on these things.  Oh well......

 

 

I had to add my little mushroom bead !  :)  I love her !  She's still tucked away with some other favorites I need to get out and revisit, rephotograph and display ! 

 

  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite glass beads made between 2005 and 2007.  I'll do another update with beads made later until I can get back to the torch. :)

Thanks so much for coming by !  Please come back again sometime !

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving !

It's been a very busy week this past week with more coming !  lol !  I have no new beads or jewelry to show this posting.  It's a shame really since it's the perfect time of year for me but with the holidays coming there's so much more that has to be done first.  So, that said, I hope to get back to the torch after Thanksgiving and have some pretties to show then.  In the meantime I hope you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving ! 
   

 

Thanks for stopping by !  Come back again next week for an update. 

 

                                 

Leaves and Flowers - More Fallish fun

The few days I was able to torch this past week were pretty fun.  Only one day it was a bit frustrating.  More on that later.  I really didn't "learn" anything new.  Just kept playing with colors.  Some new to me but most colors I've known from the past.  I did play a bit more with some heavily laden silver color which is not the norm for me but I was enjoying it so much I just kept at it.  :)  It gave me no trouble at all either which is a good thing because when this particular color first came out, it gave LOTS of people fits, including me.  That glass/color being Double Helix Terra.  Not the original Terra but new batches that match the original. 

Now alot of people much prefer the multiple colors that you can get from Terra but hate the metallic sheen of it when that pops up.  I, on the other hand, like both the lovely colors AND the metallic sheen.  Both have their own place/use in a bead. I guess it just depends on what you are going for in that particular bead.  This past week, I have been going for whatever color shows up and I really like what's been showing up.  :)  In fact, I'm REALLY likin' what's showing up !  :)    

Check it out.  More leaves..............and both sides to show the variations of color and metallic sheen.  Granted, the colors probably have never been seen in "real" leaves but remember, this is glass and as with any art/craft, it is only limited to one's imagination.  :) 

 

I also made more leaves in other colors and more flowers.  My favorite leaves so far are these

 

 

In revisiting colors, I remembered about Opal Yellow and how much it reacts to MANY colors.  Or maybe it's how many colors react to it ?  Either way, the outcome is always wonderful !  I had forgotten just how much I LOVE THIS COLOR !~  And the older the rod, the better the colors that come out of it.  I happen to have just a few little rods of some old opal yellow and you can see it in the leaf to the far left.  There is some hints of pinkish tones in it and THAT'S the beauty of the older rods.  The rods were rich in this buttery yellow and those  wonderful pinkish undertones.  Yummy.  The new rods are lovely as well but nothing compares to the old stuff.  sigh......Still, all the leaves turned out lovely I think with the opal yellow base, encased in silver foil then dipped in a wonderful reactive frit I have.  I WILL be making more of these for sure.  :) 

 

And last but not least - the flowers.  To date, the ones below are what I've done so far. 

 

 

I've had so much fun making all of them that I will continue to make them in more colors.  Except for the red poinsettia looking one.  I'll be making more of those for a particular project.  The roses will all be made using various techniques and lots of colors and sizes.  :)  Eventually, I'll "delve" into making other types of flowers. 

 

Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again very soon.  :)  I love to read your comments so please feel free to get your 2 cents in.  :)