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 ! 

Having Fun Again !

Being at the torch the past week had been rather fun for me.  That's what having a "hobby" is all about isn't it ?  Yes, this is pretty much a hobby for me.  If I were trying to make a living at it, well, let's just say I would be a "starving artist" for sure !  lol !  Actually no artist at all.  lol !  Anyway, I made more bell flowers for a project I have in mind that I will need LOTS.  That's no problem because they are just a blast to make.  So much fun.  The only problem with making them is deciding what colors to use.  lol !  I'm trying to make all I need before the major heat and humidity set in and I can't torch anymore til fall.  :)  The photo below is what I made on Sunday.  Just one more "bouquet" waiting to be used in that project.  :) 
 

As I was playing with the bell flowers, I decided it was time to try my hand at sculpting again.  I've wanted to make a new little octopus for my faux fish tank for the longest time so that was my goal.  At least to attempt to make one.  Five octopi(?) later, I achieved that goal.  :)  They aren't the prettiest -  but I like them.  lol !  They were fun to make and at least one will go in the tank.  :)  The others will most likely go to Beads Of Courage.  Oh there will be more coming.  They were a lot of fun to make that's for sure.  Sculpting was always my first love in melting glass and I had gotten away from it this year.  It was nice to give it a go again.   I think my favorite is the light green one to the right in the first picture.  Those two are Simon and Schuester.  The second two are Burns and Allen and the last one is Ollie.  Ollie is pretty cool too.  He's made with a silver reactive glass called Ossa and some of that silvery shine came thru but mostly it's a purple color glass with white dots.  I thought it would look good as an Ollie Octopus.  :) 

Technically, these are beads as the base was wound on a mandrel. They could be worn as a VERY large and very heavy pendant but better use would be to let them stand on their own just to admire. 

 

That's all for now.  Thanks once again for coming by !  I hope you can come back again sometime for a visit. 

Coming Soon

Lots of new and fun things will be added to this page.  I decided it was NOT the right time to stop posting afterall.  It would seem I was feeling a bit overwhelmed there for a short time but that has passed and I am more than ready to start posting again. :)  Funny how only a day or two can change one's outlook on life - for the better.  Eliminating some people that were a burden to begin with sure helped a lot.  Ever feel that weight being lifted ??  :)  But enough of that.  This blog is not about burdens and other bad feelings but rather fun and joyous things and happy feelings.  So onward and upward as it were.

New and fun things eh ?  Well, these beads/headpins are not so new to create but they sure are a lot of fun to make !  The first & second photo - 20mm 8 pt bell flowers & the last photo is 14mm bell flowers in pinks and purples.  The first and third photo's of the bell flowers, those are all available in my Etsy shop as are a lot of other bell flowers.  If you go over to my Etsy shop, just look around and you'll find all the bell flowers that are available.   I just wanted to post this real quick as I need to get going and get some work done.  So enjoy the photo's below.  I'll be back again very soon with new "stuff", new insights and maybe a secret or two.  :) 

Thanks much for coming by and please come back again soon.  :) 

Etsy Shop

Check out my Etsy shop for some great deals on Destash Beads ! 


www.allmybeads.etsy.com

Also have some opb's on Ebay.  Search for:  allmybeads

Lampworking, Glass Bead Making, Making Beads, Flameworking, Torching, Etc, Etc......................

  So many names for one art form/craft.  Take your pick as to what you prefer.  Everybody that makes beads is partial to one or the other.  I guess it depends on your point of view as to which name you do prefer.  Technically, the proper and correct title is lampworking.  That term is from many hundreds of years ago.  In those days, when a bead was being made, it was made in the flame of an oil lamp.  Hence, lampworking.   As for the other terms, I couldn't say when they became popular.  That's a history lesson I need to find but these days, when I myself talk of making beads, I say torching or at the torch.  I'm sure that's very incorrect or improper but it's just easiest for me.   It also describes to those in the know what I'm doing.  For those that are not in the know, it does require definition.  Which is fine.  I'll explain but around my neighborhood, most folks don't care until I say," I melt glass".  That seems to spark a bit of an interest.  So maybe that little statement, " I melt glass" needs to be included as one of those titles ?  Probably because that pretty much gives a great description even though it says nothing to making beads.  Melting glass could take one in an entirely different direction.  Like to a hot shop where vases and such are made.  lol !  Then there's lampworking which conjures up all sorts of wild ideas, like I'm sitting at a table making lamps !  lol !

In the end, whatever we call it, it's what we are passionate about.  It's what makes us happy.  Whether we are doing it as a hobby or making a living at it - it's what we do.

With all that said, here's a few things I've been doing lately - SETS !  Sets were always my downfall.  I rarely made them.  For so long I was into sculpting and focals.  I have to admit this has been enjoyable.  I've been making beads using a few tutorials actually but one in particular.  Why I picked that certain one I'm unsure.  The original beads are gorgeous and something I've yet to achieve.  I don't have the same torch as the writer of the tut & I am missing one particular ingredient that the writer uses.  Still, I do like how these sets have turned out.  Only one set follows the tutorial perfectly.  In the photo below, that would be the first tiny set, up at the top of the photo. The other 3 sets, I've added an extra ingredient, removed an ingredient or changed up the order of the ingredients.  :)  Part of the fun of it all is doing your own thing, even with someone elses tutorial.  lol !  

 

So that's what I did most of last week.  Of course, there's more which I'll show another time but for now, this is good.  :) 

 

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

Please take a moment and check out my Fan Page on Facebook and come on by my Etsy shop and maybe shop a bit.  :) 

 

Until next time..............

 

          

Post and Run

Yes, it's one of those days where there's lots to get done so this is a hit and run sort of thing.  :) 

Had some terrific torch time this past week and looking forward to lots more !  Feels good to be playing again.  :)  I've been experimenting with a tutorial this past week and using one of my new presses.  It's for a very large lentil focal bead so I'm enjoying it since large beads are my "thing".  lol ! 

The experimenting has been a lot of fun.  Following the tutorial and doing my own thing with that tut.  The first two pictures below are of those experiments. 

The last photo is of a small set that turned out all wrong.  lol !  I was trying to duplicate a set I made many years ago and so far with no luck.  I still really like how they turned out anyway.  Cobalt blue is one of my favorite colors.  There is lots of silver in those beads too. 

 

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

A New Week - Even Though It's Friday

I don't know if that even makes sense but I guess in a way it does.  Depending on when your week "starts".  lol !  I figure mine starts today cause it's kinda been a rough week.  Anyway, enough of that and on to more fun things.

I finally figured out how to add my Etsy shop to the links over there to the right of this writing.  :)   Took me a while but finally got it right.  So no more posting my shop in my posts.  Just click on any of the photo's and it'll take you right over to my shop. 

Speaking of the shop, the Grand Re-opening Specials are still going on but only for a limited time now.  Check them out.  I've also run out of Destash BEADS  to list as far as those go, that's it. I still have lots of other goodies to get listed.  More jewelry, some kumihimo braids and Viking knit and more beady supplies possibly.  

Ok so onto the really fun stuff !  I've been back at the torch a bit for the last few days !  Yay !  It's kinda like riding a bike but then again it's not.  lol !  Just depends on what I'm trying to accomplish I guess.  I've been making those great little bell flowers, some organic stuff and then a lot of stuff is ending up in the water can !  lol !  I got some new presses to use and I'm just not use to those at all.  I rarely used them in the past.  In fact, for many years I only had one and that was it.  So now, I have 5 brand new ones plus one I got at Christmas.  So lots of PPP has to take place before I can get a handle on them.  Just trying them out the last few days has been lets say a tiny bit frustrating so back to relearning. It's just a matter of figuring out how much glass to add for the mold and then pressing.......and pressing..........and pressing.  lol !   

So here's one focal bead that is worthy of showing right now.  Using my favorite color blue then adding silver foil and my all time favorite frit over that.  Thing is, I put it in my Etsy shop one night and the next morning it was sold.  :)  I really didn't expect that but hey, I'm glad it did sell.  :)  I made it using one of those new molds and got very lucky with the shape.  :)  It is BIG coming in at 12x30mm and the second mold in that group of two is even bigger !  lol !  I'll make more of these for sure.  I love the look.  I need one for myself.  lol ! 

 

So it's time for me to get my week started.  lol !  Thanks so much for coming by.  Please come back again soon.  And if you get a chance, come by my Facebook page and like me or make a comment or just enjoy. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads