Friday, February 29, 2008

Laughing Leap Day


If this doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will! I am a little surprised that I am actually posting it. LOL. But hey, if you can't laugh at yourself... (does that line have an end to it? I can't remember.)

Last night, I had the overwhelming urge to make beads. Screw the cold weather! I cranked up two space heaters and went to work. You can see a hint of what I was working in fuzzed out in the background of this photo. BEAD BOX BEADS!! YOO HOOO!!! I am hoping to have enough for an update by next week. But before that, you need to know about this little dude.

After working on BB beads, I was working on a couple beads for myself. Hollows, again, for that new design I doodled yesterday. I was trying to work in opaques for these hollows rather then the usual transparents. THAT'S HARD!! (well, it's hard for me) Opaques are soupy when molten, unlike transparents that stay stiff. I was working on a big lime green hollow and all a sudden, it was TOO BIG! And it was lopsided... and it was outta round. I couldn't bring myself to just set it down though. That is what I do with beads that I am not happy with. They don't make it to the kiln, they just get set down to cool and crack and be cleaned up later. I don't know what came over me... I just started grabbing rods and started making a creature. It is my first ever "sculptural" piece, lol.

Now, I realize, my creature kinda sucks. He is cute to me, and I love him and he will be my new mascot on my desk, but I can't leave you with just this creature for the weekend...

Here are a few people that really know how to make some awesome creatures!

Aardvark Art Glass - LOVE Cathy's work!
Lori Greenberg's made a face or two.
AngelinaBeadalina - some of the most beautiful sculptures in glass you'll find!

Oh, and what do you know... they are all contributors on Watch Me Create!!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mixing It Up


A quick shot of the bordum that insued while waiting for Dad to get home from his presentation last night... yeah... can you guess what happened next? Let's just say it involved a frozen pack of french cut green beans.

How do you like the look of the blog? I spent HOURS on it yesterday!! I know it looks a little 'busy' this way, but I really wanted a new look. And apart from making the background completely black, lol... I was at a loss for what to do. Leave a comment if you totally hate it and if the concensis it to change it back... I will.

Hmmm... other then the blog change, the two necklace on Monday, and the writing I did Tuesday, it hasn't been a very productive week. Okay, I guess when I put it like that, I sounds productive. But I don't feel productive. I would be working on beads... but... (can you guess what is coming?... weather report)... if is FIVE degrees out and I have a foot of snow outside!! Nope, no snow day for the kids, crazy isn't it?

Oh, I know... I did doodle a new necklace design yesterday...

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Monumental

Today is a pretty special day.

For the past 4 years, Ron (my husband, for you blog visiting newbies) has been attending classes at RIT, Rochester Institute of Technology, in an effort to attain his Master's degree in Systems Engineering.

When Ron and I first met (1994), he was attending SUNY Brockport. He was on the 8 year plan to earn a Bachelors in Mathematics with a Computer Science minor. Let's just say, before me, he wasn't the best student. I think his highest grade to that date had been a C. Me, being the brainiac I am, got him a few Bs and As before he was done by forcing him to study! It isn't that Ron is a moron, just the opposite. He just wasn't the best student. (Yes, I really am a bit of a brainiac, I had a 3.725 gpa in college! And the fact that I remember that 10 years later just proves that point.)

In 2003, when Ron signed up for his first class at RIT, with the encouragement of his boss at Xerox, we felt like we were looking at such a long road ahead. But Ron felt he needed to do it... his Masters would be the only way to progress in his job.

I can't tell you how much heart Ron has been into these past four years!! He has almost straight As in his graduate courses. He has studied everything from Linear Programming to Fundamentals of Sustainable Design. One class a semester for the past four years, every Fall, Winter and Spring. All while working full time and being a super Dad/great husband.

All his work is culminating in the presentation of his Capstone tonight. A Capstone is very much like a Thesis that other degrees require. It has been a several month long research project that Ron has worked on with a small group. They've written a paper, created a slide show presentation and, this evening, the group is presenting their project and findings.

I think he is more nervous then he is letting on! He practiced his portion of the presentation with me (and Lauren) 4 times last night. I think he has it down.

I (and the kids too) couldn't be more proud of Ron!! And so, this blog post today is to let him know just how much we appreciate all he does for our family and all his hard work. I am sure he isn't thanked enough by us.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!
Good Luck Tonight!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Got it!

It took another 100 photos yesterday, but I did eventually get a picture I am happy with!! YOO HOO!! Now I can get this application in the mail and I'll have now worries about slides again until next February.

I am loving all the guesses coming in for this week's GUESS THE BEADS CONTEST!! Keep the guesses coming!!

It has kinda been a whirl wind of a day. Most of the morning has been a blur and there is the lovely scent of Orange Breeze Lysol 4 in 1 Disinfecting Cleaner in the air. LOL! You know what that means, Carrie has been here. I don't know how I held her off as long as I did. A week of the kids home from school... one of them with the flu... me on a slide creating deadline... the place was a pigsty. I am surprised she didn't rear her head sooner. (LOL, I love talking about myself in the 3rd person.)

But things are done now and I can get back to my usual business. Today is Tutorial Tuesday, so no more cleaning for me. It is time to make a mug of hot cocoa and working on writing.

One last thing, the new B & W version of the Pretending necklace. How freaking fun is that? It is shorter then the original design. But so fun to wear. I totally love it. And you know, I don't think I mentioned what had sparked my imagination for these extra long designs in the first place. I really should share! It was way back in August when Cindy, at http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/, shared a 3foot long wiring masterpiece! Go hit her blog now... she made another one too!!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Mission: Near Impossible

Grrrrr... why me? Why do I have to be such a perfectionist? Why won't my camera take the pictures I have in my head? Dang it!! LOL!!

Pay no mind to me. I am being a brat. I need to submit slides with an application to a jury show by Friday. I feel like I am forever in pursuit of the perfect (and elusive) set of slides. This show judges on a scale of 1-10... and I really really want to get a 10 out of 10!! I am sure that is impossible, lol... so I will settle for getting higher then I did last year.

So, my mission for today... get a slide worthy shot of this necklace. Seems like a simple enough task. Yet, so far I have taken 67 photos and I am not happy with a single one. It is just impossible!! I am going for a "cohesive" body of work. I need 4 slides. I have the first 3 narrowed down and I am very very happy with those. Sorry, I can't show you them, lol... at least not yet. One of the photos is a top secret design that I am not ready to share.

Anyway, this necklace.... I spent most of the weekend working on it. It is another rendition of my "Pretending" necklace from back in September. The first was made for The Gallery Store, and it was a huge hit, selling right away. I seem to remember it was a pain to photograph too. This design is about 30inches long and that is what makes is such a problem.

You know what... I think I need to quit my complaining and have a GIVEAWAY!!! LOL! These photos today might not be slide worthy, in my mind, but they are pretty crisp and clear. (click on them to enlarge) You can definitely see all the beads, right? Here is the contest... can you guess how many beads are in this necklace? Post a comment or send me an email with your guess. I will take guesses until FRIDAY. Who ever comes closest to the correct number of beads in the design will win a BOTTLE CAP PENDANT. (If there is more then one person to guess the right number then I will put all the right guess names in a hat and draw a winner.)

Sound like fun? Are you game?

Saturday, February 23, 2008

A Few Surprises

I just finished loading up some new jewelry designs on my website.
You'll find a few surprises that I haven't shared here. :)

Friday, February 22, 2008

More Etsy Love


Etsy has so many fun tools!! I used the POSTER tool to group a bunch of my favorites together for you to check out. Unfortunately, I am not talented enough to make the image link to each item. So you are just gonna have to click the links below!!

::Post Card:: ::Felt Choker:: ::Pillow Cases:: ::Cool Art::
::Mosaic Mirror:: ::Glass Greatness:: ::More Wicked Art:: ::Photography::
::Great Wire Work:: ::Goddess Bead:: ::Silk:: ::Painted Goodness::

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Unhinged

Before you scroll down to look at the other photos, can you guess what this is? I love this shot!! What you are looking at is my new "Unhinged" bangle!! I really don't know what has gotten in to me. Yesterday, I had that mini rant about how unball-like my day/week has been. But out of the blue, I found everyone behaving/playing nice and I was in my studio poppin' out all sorts of new things. These new bangles are just the tip of the jewelry iceberg that came through here!

So, where the idea come from for these bangles... I have mentioned several times that I am in love with Stephanie Sersich's glass work. Last week, I got my copy of her new book, Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads. I first heard about this book right from Stephanie when I was at the B&B Show last year. (I bought one of her awesome heart pendants!)

At first glance, I didn't really think the projects in the book were for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the book, especially the beads through the ages portion, but I think I lust after her beads more then I lust after her jewelry style. But then, there was this one project that I kept turning back to. Turns out it is a project featured in the latest issue of Stringing Magazine too (page 66). It is called "Double-Clasp Bracelet".


The timing of this inspiration is perfect... lemme explain. Recently over at Lampwork Etc, Linda Campbell of Black Bear Art Glass posted a link to THIS ARTICLE written by Dick Lehman for Ceramics Monthly Magazine. The article is fantastic! Period... you just have to read it. I have been hoping for an excuse to post a link to it. I couldn't more eloquently phrase how I feel about inspiration/borrowing/copying. I know you are probably thinking "what does making bowls have to do with making jewelry?" Well, not much but what I loved about it is the idea that you should "steal" others ideas, then take those ideas and change them so much that one wouldn't know where the ideas ever originiate. I think there is a lot of "borrowing" going on out there and not enough "stealing"... read the article, you'll know what I mean.

I think this new bangle is a great example of "stealing"! I stole Stephanie's idea to make a two part bracelet. Then I transferred it into my style... wire. Then I decided that interchangeable wasn't for me and I made a hinge in the middle instead. So see... I was inspired but the end result was so far removed from that inspiration that you couldn't tell one influenced the other!!

Another thing I liked about this article is the parts on sharing knowledge. I think the idea that all artists are standing on the artists of those that came before them is so true. And sharing ideas, techniques, methods... everything... is so important to the growth of an art form. It is why I write my tutorials and one of the reasons I am writing my book. I want to share how I do things and I want to see how others take the next step, make things better/different... essentially "steal" my ideas and take it to the point that you wouldn't know it was mine to begin with.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. But I would love to hear your thoughts on this!! Please leave me some comments. Tell me what you think of the bangles... tell me what you think of the article... tell me, tell me, tell me!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Having A Ball


There is a little sarcastic grin on my face at the moment... can you see it? LOL... I started to smerk yesterday while names were popping in and out of my head for this piece.

I'll explain...

The idea for this necklace started a few weeks ago after I finished "The Blimey Limey". You might remember that I said that piece had cons about it and that one of them was that it didn't like to bend up because of the roundness of the hollows next to each other. (It drapes great on your neck, but just doesn't like to be put in a jewelry box.) Anyway, Cindy said something like "could you just use less hollows and put some wire in between?" Of course that had me mulling things over for a while. I started playing with some spare hollows on my desk and out popped this long and lean bubble link.

I worked on the hollows I needed to make the finished piece over the weekend. I made about 15 hollows, some with dots (these) and some with stripes/lines (the ones still on my desk). I knew I would want to make this really long... and I knew some hand-made chain would be the way to go... I knew I wanted to do the blue colors... and I also knew I wanted to work in some of that colored wire. Things I didn't realize... that I didn't need 15 hollows for it to be really long... I was totally out of 18gauge wire (but it arrived in the mail Monday afternoon, thank heavens)... and that the stripes wouldn't work with the dots... and I didn't know Lauren was going to come down with the flu.

I am feeling all over the place with this story... chalk it up to lack of sleep... hopefully I am coming round to the point that started the story. Stick with me here.

I don't know about where you all are, but this week is February Break in NY. The kids are off school. My actual 'work time' is extremely limited. I am having no torch time... and just tiny bits of desk time where I can get it. These links aren't all that difficult to make, and as you can see there are only 7 of them... I made a few of them Monday after working on the collage. And I made a few before that birthday dinner outting while the boys were snowboarding in the backyard and Lauren was napping (yeah napping, first sign that sinkness was on the way.) Yesterday morning, while Lauren was sleeping (and I should have been) I got started on the figure '8' chain. It was all in the tumbler by 10am!!

Wanna know when I remembered to take it out of the tumbler, lol... around 1pm. THREE HOURS!! Ooops. But it is extra shiny.

Okay... now that you know that... the reason for the grin... the name that came to me, "Having A Ball". The past 48 hours have been anything but a ball. And making the piece wasn't a ball either... it took weeks to get the time to work on it, I made too many beads (but at least the extra can be used in other projects), and then hours of over tumbling. Plus toss in the torture that a four year old with the flu is (really, it is 'true flu', the doctor said so) and having two very very very active boys home from school for the week while Lauren is sick... yeah NOT having a ball, is what I am doing.

At least I can laugh at about it right. So all hope isn't lost.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Good, The Bad & The Gorgeous

The Good: There is a really cool new necklace currently tumbling in my tumbler.

The Bad: Lauren has been fighting a 102degree fever since 3pm yesterday. Which translates to Mom not having more then 2 hours of sleep.

The Gorgeous: Ron handled the fever for a little while last night and I was treated to dinner with my good friend Lindsey. I was given these incredibly beautiful hand knit socks!! I love 'em more then I can say!!


The Good: The boys are actually getting along at the moment and playing Chinese Checkers together.

The Bad: Library books are due today and I know I will forget to return them.

The Gorgeous: My new art piece hanging on my wall. :)


Monday, February 18, 2008

Growing Glass No.1

My stars... I am all a twitter at the moment and so so so excited to share these photos with you!! I have said for a while now (here.... in emails to friends..... chatting over dinner...) I want to (need to) start exploring art outside glass beads and jewelry. And it is not that I am not lovin' every minute I spend making beads and jewelry... it's just that I think I need to expand my horizons to spark my creativity. LOL, I am thinking of that line in Shrek where Shrek is telling Donkey that Ogres are like onions... they have layers. I got layers people.

I shared with you on Friday a link to Sally Jean Alexander's website. Her book "Pretty Little Things" was a birthday gift. I have spent every day since getting it pouring over the pages. I love it. Now, this isn't the first mixed media art book that I have ever looked at. Oh no, I actually have several of them. The thing I am drawn to most isn't the soldered trinket boxes, or the doll heads on dinosaur bodies, or vintage tape measure tassels... it's the collage.

In college, I had this one teacher that had us do train of thought/splash board/brainstorming stuff. It was my favorite way to try to get ideas for new projects. We would be given a topic (ex: summer picnic) and we would take a giant piece of paper and just start writing anything and everything that would pop into our heads (ex:crawling ants, checkered cloth, red, white, flags, soft breeze, band playing, music, golden tones, rock bands....) I could go on and on.

Anyway, in the new book I was gifted, Sally uses a technique for collaging that reminds me a lot of what we used to do in college. I love it. She has you write words on slips of paper, put them in a bowl and build the layers of the collage randomly from the words that are pulled from the jar. I think I have kinda held myself back from going-for-it with collaging because I didn't know where to start. This made it click for me.

I can't not tell you how much I loved working on this. I am calling it "Growing Glass No.1". I love the feel of paint under my nails, charcol on my finger pads, the smell of drying resin.... my stars it is heavenly. Almost like a coming home of sorts. I have told you before, I have an art background. I went to college on a scholarship for painting. I didn't realize how much I missed it!!



Alright, calm down, take it easy... don't worry you little heads about it... this is just a distraction I am indulging. I am not in anyway shape or form giving up on the jewelry thing!! What I am going to do it pop into a frame shop and get one of those shadow box thingies for this!!

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback... what do you think? Mixed media is an art form that I have only peaked around the corner at... so is this cool? Would you hang it in your house some where ( know I would)? I am hoping to do a series of these over the next several weeks and finally get something posted in the Beyond Jewelry section of my website.

And by the way... blogger still hasn't fixed the spell check, so sorry... I stink at spelling.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Tangled Up In Misty Blue

I am just popping in with a quick post after a day of running around. I am noticing more and more that I just can't get enough of misty turquoisey greenish blue. I think I am in love with it. I am actually feeling like I am neglecting my traditional favorite of purple. Don't worry purple, you are still my favorite... I am just testing blue's waters. LOL.

Up top there are the vintage pyrex goodies I was gifted for my birthday. Down below here is the start of my first ever pair of knitted socks!! And a fantastic new book called "Pretty Little Things" by Sally Jean Alexander (check out www.sallyjean.com ). I can pretty much guarantee that this kinda blue is gonna be a staple in the new Spring Line.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Lots of Love!

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes yesterday!

I added a photo to my post below so you an see that special thing my sister and I were up to. I am lovin' my new tattoo!! It is my own design, I drew it myself. And a tattoo artist friend of ours came to my house and did the work right in my dining room. How great is that?!

I was treated to a fantastic dinner of chili pineapple grilled shrimp and steak too. Mom and Dad came by. Mom gave me the most awesomest vintage Pyrex Cinderella nesting bowl set in the Colonial Mist pattern. They are a beautiful rich blue with white daisies on the sides. I have always wanted some vintage baking things (like we would see on Grandma's table at Thanksgiving dinner). Now I have a full set of bowls, and a candy dish, and a veggie thing with two sides. She also made me a set of pjs out of some vintage sheets, so soft and snuggley.

Now it is my turn to treat my family and show them I love 'em lots! I am putting on a big pan of sauce (cause it's red and their favorite). I am gonna sneak and put up streamers too while everyone is gone. I made them all silly valentines like "I think you're smart except of course when you fart" and " you're really cool, I am so glad you don't drool." It should be a fun afternoon/evening!!

And hopefully tomorrow, I can get back on that torch!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

30 ~ 30

Thirty things about me on my 30th! (in no particular order...)

30. I am tall (about 5'9'').
29. It is impossible to find pants that are long enough. So I am always ordering 'longs' from catalogs or websites.
28. I hate cars with blinkers on the review mirrors.
27. I also hate onions.
26. I never went to my junior prom or senior ball... my 'boyfriend' (now husband) said he was too old and we went to Toronto for the weekend instead.
25. I lived in Florida and Texas when I was little.
24. When I came to NY after TX, I said "awesazs" instead of "always". This led to horrible mocking by other kids... now it only slips out if I have been drinking.
23. Maragritas are my favorite.
22. Pineapple-chili grill shrimp are my favortie too.
21. I have never broken a bone, but I chipped my tailbone once rollerskating.
20. I have never had stitches (except the ones after kids were born, and they don't count.)
19. I have been to Europe twice and often think the I lived there in another life, but did something bad in that life so I am now stuck here in the US with a man who hates to travel.
18. Lilacs are my favorite flowers (or is that a bush?).
17. I think parmesan cheese smells like vomit and I won't eat it.
16. I once cut my hair super short and wore ties to school. When we had our school pictures taken, the man said "Thank You, Son" to me.
15. I have 3 tattoos and I am getting a 4th one today. (pictures to come)
14. I once wrote a paper on Great Expectations but never read the book. My grade was 100%.
13. I once wrote a paper on Caravagio for Humanities in High School, then handed it in as a paper I had to write in college.
12. I hit the curb when I parallel parked during my driver's test and still passed. My sister had to take the test 3 times.
11. I love snow/rain.
10. If I didn't live somewhere that it snowed, I would want to live by the ocean.
9. I don't think all babies are beautiful, but say they are cute anyway.
8. I couldn't careless if I never bowled again in my life.
7. I don't know much about terrariums, but my sister just gave me one, so I better learn.
6. I think coming up with 30 things about myself is really hard, I am running out of ideas.
5. I crack my toes, a lot.
4. I played the clarinet in elementary school.
3. My husband's face after he shaves (with the pink Dove soap) is my favorite smell.
2. I drink coke, never pepsi... I hate pepsi.
1. Today is my 30th birthday!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Who knew?


My STARS that was exhausting... LOL! I am now officially reminded why I don't do sleepovers very often. I am such a homebody, I was wishing for my own bed by 11pm. The floor was hard as a rock and the couch was the most narrow I have ever laid on in my life. But really, don't listen to me, I am just being cranky cause I didn't sleep much. Really, the girls had a BLAST!

We ordered up pizzas... made handprint sugar cookies (gum drops cut in half make sweet fingernails)... there was a group bath with four 4 year olds... too cute!... and after the bath was beauty parlor time with painted nails and this project below...

After about 40mins of blowing and ironing, my little curly-que headed girl had hair as straight as mine!! She is so excited, she can't stop touching it. You should see the back of her hair, it touches her fanny. Who knew? Need reminding just how curly her hair is? Look HERE.

Today is my last day of being in my 20s, tomorrow is my birthday... the big 3-0. My sister and I have something special planned during the day... hopefully if there aren't any cancellations, I will have pics of the special thing tomorrow!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Hot Afternoon Antics


Check it out... two 'hot' posts in a row! First it was Hot Fudge Sundae Cake and now... Hot Afternoon Antics.

It must be the -20degree wind chills that has me needing to warm up. HA! Every school in the county is closed today due to the extreme cold, except our district! I have the kids jackets warming in the dryer for when it is time to run out for the bus.

Anyway, back to the necklace. This piece is a custom order for a Playground done in warm tones. Lots of sizzling reds, outragous oranges... all balanced out with bright opal yellow and calming lavender. Just delicious. I can't tell you how close you all came to having a warm tones playground disc bead box update. I, by chance, sent an email with a photo of these rod colors I picked to my client. She wasn't sure about the purple and asked to switch it out for lime green (a fantastic choice if we had ended up going that way). I didn't get her email until after making these beads, cleaning them, and starting to string the piece. I thought, I will just go ahead and string it, send a quick pic and if I need to redo it with lime I will. But, turns out, she loved it! So, no beads for you, sorry. But don't worry, I have ideas working for the next batch of beads.

Lauren and I have some fun plans for tonight (as long as they aren't posponed due to the weather). A friend from school's dad is out of town for the whole week. The poor Momma of said friend is home with a new baby and an active 5 year old. So we are having a Momma and me sleep over party tonight. Everyone will be piled in the living room with sleeping bags! I can't remember the last sleepover I was at.... this is gonna be a blast! SEVEN girly girls and one little baby boy... can you say make overs?

Friday, February 08, 2008

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake


As requested...

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake! (My birthday cake request!!)

1 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tbl sp baking cocoa (the powder cocoa stuff
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbl sp veg oil
1 tsp vanilla

1cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa (the powder cocoa stuff)
1 3/4 cup boiling water

ice cream (optional, but please, who doesn't want ice cream!?!)

This is a layer cake and you make it all in one pan. This is a BIG recipe, Ron often does a half recipe and it works fine. We make it in a deep square white glass cassarole baking dish. Sometimes we even get fancy and cut the recipe into quarters and make it in ramakins. Then everyone gets their own dish and all their own fudgy goodness.

Preheat oven to 350degrees

Mix flour, white sugar, 2 tbl sp cocoa, baking powder, and salt in the UNGREASES baking dish. Just stir it all up with a fork. Then add in the milk, oil and vanilla. Keep mixing it with the fork until is makes a smooth paste. Spread it out even in the pan.

Sprinkle the packed brown sugar over the top of the cake paste and then sprinkle the 1/4cup of cocoa on top of that. Don't mix it in!! Just leave it on top!

Pour the 1 3/4 cup boiling water on top of everything. NO STIRING!!

Bake about 45-50mins or until the top is dry. Let cool about 5 mins and then scoop out, top with ice cream... don't forget to spoon out the extra hot fudge from the bottom of the dish over the top of the ice cream... oooy gooooy happiness!!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Iced Over


So how was your view this morning? As you can see, mine was a little icy. We had about a 1/4in layer of ice cover things last night. I took this picture this morning. I love that one side has a clear view and the other is icy. It would seem that the ice only likes screens. At least I know my house doesn't leak heat out the windows!! LOL... otherwise that ice would melt, right?

It has been an uneventful couple of days. Yesterday, besides making cookies, I was playing babysitter to a few of Lauren's friends. Those same friends got stranded in town with an over heated engine right before school today too. Lauren and I came to the rescue but lost a windshield wiper in the process. The boys and their before the school bus comes basketball playing. I know they were the ones to bend and bust it in the first place.

I did get to work on some beads though!! The kiln has some interesting beads soaking. I am working on a mystery piece that is going to be called "Icing on the Cake". That is all I am giving you though!! Don't even ask!! You'll just have to wait and see it (and hear what it is for) when it's ready. Okay, fine, one more hint... lots of beads... lots of wire... lots of color...

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Smell-a-blog


We are making cookies this afternoon... you should smell them... they are gonna be delicious!

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

The Blimey Limey


I am leading with how to wear it shot of this necklace because I just can't seem to get a good picture of it. I feel like I say that a lot lately. I think that means I should start researching cameras and consider upgrading!!

I never thought I could make hollows. I have tried before and they either collapse in on themselves or are horribly lopsided (though those could be cool) or the walls are so think you can't tell they are hollow. I had come to terms with that and understood that I just couldn't do it, so I didn't bother trying. I mean, there are so many other beads I could be making, why torment myself with hollows?

You might remember that back in November I did a trunk show at JOOLZ and while there I was sitting across from a necklace made out of hollow mesh beads. I couldn't resist... I had to make hollows. And I guess my skills had grown without me realizing it, because suddenly, I could do it!! Since, I have made a few hollows here and there, just waiting for inspiration to strike. Francie, at JOOLZ, and I had talked about it a bit, and we knew an all hollow piece would be stunning... I was just waiting for the colors to pop in my head and the design details to work themselves out.

For the past week or so, I have been making POPPIN' lime green hollows!! I love green, especially LIME green. I decided to just go for it... an all lime design. I also decided that I didn't want to do a 'tradition' hollow design that has the small beads in the back graduating to the larger front and center. I wanted it to move and play, so the sizes are mixed up randomly. I chose solid opaque simple discs as spacers. So, it would click on the pic to enlarge it, and count the beads... there are 29 hollows and 30 discs!!

This piece has pros and cons...

Pros: I love the color... I love the large chunky style, it makes a statement... the length really works the way I hoped... with the varing sizes of the beads, the color varies too, I like that...

Cons: the way the beads lay against each other, the necklace doesn't bend so I have no idea how I will ship it anywhere... green isn't really a color for anybody... it is a large, chunky style... when I wikipedia-ed "blimey" I found out it is a slang swear word, lol, but that's the name and I am sticking to it...

Okay, I am ready for it... lemme have the feedback! What do you think? I am also planning on making one with some surface decorations on the follows. Is it worth the time?




Oh, a little side not, blogger's spell check hasn't been working for me all week!! So please excuse any spelling errors. I am a beadmaker, not a spelling bee-er.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Hearts ~ Gone Wild


I was chatting with my sister, on the phone, just the other day. She was checking out last week's Bead Box Update whilest we talked when she says "eeeeeewwwww". At least I think it was an "ew". Not the bad "ew" like "eeeewwww gross". It was the good kind. The I-wasn't-expecting-to-see-that-and-I-like-it kind. It was the Tin Man's Heart that caught her by surprise. She told me that I had to do more of those.

The season being what it is, naturally... hearts are on my mind. You can't get through the day without seeing one. I like hearts. Being a near Valentine's baby, how could I not like 'em? I mean really, my birthday revolves around the holiday. I have had hearts in my life since birth! This weekend, I decided I needed to seize the heart oppertunity while it's at hand... before it is too late. I set aside my other works in progress and set to torching hearts for a few hours.

I am sooooo thrilled with the results!!

Next to my desk is a big tub of glass "shorts". When you make glass beads from rods, eventually you get to the point where the rod is too short to hold. Now you can do any number of things with the shorts.... you can use a special tool just for holding shorts... you can stick the short on the end of another rod in the same color to use it up... you can save them and join them together later... you can mash them up into frit (crushed glass)... see, lots of options. When I am working, I don't like to stop to add rods together, I just like to grap the next rod and go. So I tend to stock pile my shorts in said tub o' shorts.

Don't worry, I am not babbling... I am going somewhere with this shorts thing. The way I make my hearts... I need to cut two pieces of glass to about 2in long pieces. They make the "bumps" of the heart. I had an AH HA moment... SHORTS!!! I don't need to cut from a nice full rod, I can rummage through my shorts for just the right ones. Oh, Oh, Oh... and they don't have to be the same color... OH... and what if they aren't the same size either?

TA DA... HEARTS GONE WILD!!

I used twistie shorts too, and was very random with stringers that I had laying around. An all around use-what-you-have kinda heart. I spent the morning wiring them up and taking their perdy pictures. (I was so distracted the boys nearly missed the bus! LOL!) I decided they need to be pendants and I will get them posted on my website by the end of the day. Send a link to your significant other and tell 'em which one you want!! What better way to say I love you like no other then with a heart that is as unique as you?


If you order one before Friday, I'll upgrade you to Priority Mail so that you have it in time for Valentines!!

Happy Heart Hunting! They are posted HERE & HERE!!

Friday, February 01, 2008

Thrifting Highlights

A few of my favorite things from yesterday's thrifting. Seeing these things clustered together makes me wonder if my life is a little oxymoronic. LOL, is that a word? I know oxymoron is a word. So, oxymoronic must be too.

What I am getting at is trying to understand how inside me is the artist that creates insanely wild and colorful jewelry designs and yet at the same there is a person in me that finds things like this incredibly comforting. Polar opposite ends of my personalitly, don't you think?

So, what are you looking at? A thrifted button for a teddy bear's missing nose. (Andrew's teddy bear and Andrew's idea for a nose.) A vintage apron with a lovely yellow tulip pocket. I love aprons all a sudden. I am wearing them just about everyday while I cook. And down below there, that is a 1976 copy of Paddington Marches On. My cousin Audrey is expecting a little one in a few months, I think I'll make a little baby blanket and tuck this book in with it. I love old books like this with the thick binding and oddly colored cover images. *SIGH*

Since I was out and about all day yesterday, I didn't make beads. (Another reason for thrifting photos instead of bead ones.) But I have several new pieces in process on my desk and I think I might get to work on them over the weekend. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled jewelry photos next week :)