Showing posts with label glass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glass. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Writer's Block, Sore Wrist, Polymer Clay, Glass, and Beads....That's a lot to talk about, or not!

Yes, I'm stuck.  I've been stuck for a few days, and, so far, there's been no relief.  Writer's Block.  I'm really stuck!

My wrist is still sore.  I have another doctor's appointment next week.  I just want this to get better.  It still hurts.  Ouch!  Like I said, I'm stuck here, too. 

Polymer clay is sitting around waiting to be made into something.  Problem is, even if I carry the clay in my clothing to soften, and I am very gentle when I work the clay, my wrist hurts.  It's very sore now.  I wish it weren't, but some days, you just have to do something.  Today was that day, but I think I'll be sorry tomorrow.

Glass:: I only wish I could turn a mandrel with my wrist.  No chance.  I am so sorry for that.  I love glass!  I want to melt glass.  Looks like it's going to be a while yet.

Beads:: I want to make beads.  Yes, this is a whine, and I would like some cheese with it.  Ouch!  My wrist hurts even as I type.  Ouch! 

Whine over.  What's new with you?

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

I've Got Headpins!!

My latest headpins in my Etsy store.
If you would like a closer look at them, click
and you'll see all of my headpins.
I'm adding more.
I guess I didn't realize how low I was.  
See you tomorrow.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

New Work

Here's some new work.
Some of it is listed in my Etsy Store,
I hope to list it all soon.
 
  Critters!
Polymer Clay
Birds!

Monday, November 18, 2013

What I learned from My Hiatus from Melting Glass

It's been a long time since I have been able to go down to the studio and melt glass.  I stopped because I was empty and had no joy when making beads.  When I went down to melt glass yesterday, there was dust on my torch!  As you can see from the photo, my desk is a mess!  I didn't even stop to dust or clean up the mess.  I just started to melt glass!  It felt good!  So, here's what I learned from my first torch session in months!

1) I love to melt glass!
2) Glass flows and with it flows creativity.
3) Beads are an art form unto themselves.
4) Beads of Courage can always use beads, even if they are a bit wonky! 
5)  Melting glass feels great!
6) Glass is an obsession unto itself!
7) If I had more room, I'd buy more glass.
8) Even a lava light cannot make me feel as good as when I melt glass.
9) The Beads of Courage kids like beads!
10) I missed melting glass!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

So, What Would You Do?

I'm starting to list more polymer clay in my Etsy store.  If you checked out my store, you will see that I have an eclectic set of listings ranging from glass beads to my newest item, my little gardens.  Items that I have made from polymer clay are also listed and there are more to come.  So, my question becomes this,
with over 300 items listed in my Etsy store, should I reduce that number by opening a second store devoted to polymer clay?
I'm really torn on that one.  Polymer clay is a different medium, but the end result, beads, is the same.  I don't know.  What would you do?  What are the pluses and minuses that you see?  Help?

Monday, April 8, 2013

My Latest Polymer Clay and Glass Project - a Gift for a Friend

This is my latest polymer clay and glass project, 
and,
I'm very happy with it.
It's a gift for a friend.
I hope she likes it.

I made everything in here except for the statue of
Our Lady of Grace.
I call this one
"Our Lady's Garden."
There are over 80 glass flowers in this garden.
I'm very happy with this.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012


If you want to see some great glass!
Click

Here's a quick sample of what you will see!

It's one of Nikki's lizards!!!
Click here to see it!

Here's one of Amy's beautiful sets!
Click HERE to see it!

This is one of Gelly's Piggies!
Click HERE to see it!

There are a lot of other glass artists in this treasury!
See it here!

Oh, just a secret, they really do have gas!!
Ask me how I know!!

Oxygen and Propane.
We all need that to make beads!

 

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

For too long now,
I have seen the glass as half empty.
So, today,
I have made myself a promise to retrain my thinking so that I can begin to see this glass as
half full and more!
I began by choosing beads of many sizes, shapes and colors to represent the blessings I encounter each day.
Some blessings are very big and full of potential.
Some blessings, especially when compared to others, seem much smaller, but they are still blessings.
Then there is the mixture of blessings that come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.
We often don't realize that these are blessings, 
and this is what I need to do.
In my glass that is half full, I begin by adding a big blessing to my day.
Can you see?  The water rose above the line.
Now, the glass is more than half full.

I add some more beads or blessings to the glass.

 The water level rises, and there is more color in the glass--blessings.
  Again, I add more beads (blessings) to my glass.
There is even more color, and
the water level rises a bit more.
Do you see where this is going?
One last time, at the end of the day in my case, I add more beads (blessings) to my half empty glass.
The water has risen a bit more.
This glass cannot be called 
half empty any more.
This glass is truly more than half full.
Then when you look at what's inside the glass, you begin to see the colors, the shapes, and the sizes of the blessings in the 
half full glass. 
At one point, this idea of the half full glass was hard to see.
When you checked the mark on the glass and saw the water rise, you could see that there were blessings in the glass,
but, 
to really see these blessings,
you had to look inside the glass.
Look at how pretty they look--disorganized, on top of each other--but they still look pretty!
Looking outside the glass at the rising water levels, helps,
but,
looking inside helps us to visualize how truly blessed we are.
I need to do this everyday to change my thinking.
My glass is half full and not half empty.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Manuela Wutschke - An Amazing, Jaw Dropping Glass Artist on Etsy!

As I perused Manuela's Etsy store,
my jaw dropped and hit the floor!
It was so hard to choose just a few of her magnificent works of art to showcase in this blog!
I've picked some, but please check out her store.
There are so many amazing beads and works of wearable art there,
it REALLY was hard to choose!

Amazing, right?
This beautiful work of art is called Looking at the Sea Fish Lentil Bead.
I love it!
Do you see the fish?
His big, beautiful, golden eye looks down for food.
Wow!
This work is magnificent!

Oh, the beauty of coral for the summer months!
The beauty of this work from Manuela!
and it's one of a kind.
It is entirely handmade by Manuela!
Oh, my, goodness!
This piece takes my breath away!


I love Manuela's Whimsical beads, too.  Look at all the detail in this bead!
Each bead tells a short story to those who look closely!

Oh, my!  My jaw is still on the floor after seeing this neckpiece!
It is amazing!
It is one of a kind.  It is all handmade by Manuela!
There are 136 wave beads in this work of wearable art!
Like, WOW!
Oh, I almost forgot, this piece is called,
It really is!

Now, in this short tour of Manuela's Etsy Store,
I didn't do justice to her work,
I know that, 
but, if you follow her on Etsy, you will be able to see an amazing array of beads and jewelry!


Saturday, January 29, 2011

So, Besides Cucumbers, Do You Add Pickle To Your Glass?


Pickle is such an interesting concept when it comes to glass rods. When I used to think in a single dimension about glass, I used to think that a pickle is the result of what happens when you add vinegar and spices to a cleaned vegetable, usually a cucumber, allowed the mixture to process and ferment, then, after a time, a sealed jar was opened, and the result was a pickle.

Then I began to grow a bit. I learned that the term "Pickle" could also be applied to a mixture into which you placed your metal work to clean it. This pickle was always warm, and it took off fire scale.

Then, I began to grow again. I read a thread on Lampworketc in which the question was asked, "Has anyone tried pickling clear glass?" You can check that out here.
Pickle, I thought, hmmmmmm? I posed that same question to other people who melted glass.
Some people responded that they always cleaned their glass, but no one had tried to add pickle to their glass.

As it turned out, I received an order of glass that day. Before the glass went downstairs, it went into the dishwasher. Now, I haven't tried to pickle my glass yet, but I do clean it with a spray bottle of alcohol. I think I will, eventually, but I haven't done that yet. I will let you know what happens.

So, what do you do? Do you pickle? What are your results? Is it worth the effort or not? I'm interested in hearing.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

I Love it! I Hate it! Yesterday, I loved it!







I pulled out the Chalcedony glass again.
If you know me, you know I, both, love and hate this glass!
If I can make it strike, I LOVE IT!
If not, well, you know.
Yesterday, I absolutely, unconditionally loved this glass!
Isn't this tab beautiful?
(Before I forget, if you would like a chance to win this tab, go to
Facebook,
make sure you "Like" my page,
Then leave a comment.
On Halloween night,
I will choose one lucky winner for the Trick or Treat Giveaway.
Read more about it there.

More love here! There are some really pretty colors in this bead!
Nummy!
This photo does not show all the beautiful colors in this bead!
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, my!

Even though these flowers didn't strike, I LOVE THEM!
They have such a wooden texture to them.
The rings remind me of an ancient tree.
When I made these flowers, I knew there was a good chance that they wouldn't strike
because of the heat control and the flower shape.
Doesn't matter.
I really like them.

It was a very, good day!
I wubs Chalcedony today!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Huh? What's that?


Glass will never cease to amaze me with it's beauty and function. Now, this work of functional art is in London. Guess what? It's an artistic version of our port a potty. It's called Don't Miss a Sec, and it gives the, um, user a view of London while still protecting the privacy of the, um, user. I found the story and photo here. What do you think? Would you use this outdoor art toilet? I'm not sure. I'd have to have a good scout on the outside just to keep a lookout, I think. How do you feel?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I Can't Help It! This Is Another Great Store on Etsy!


Dorset Hill Beads
! Wow! and Double Wow!

I've "known" Eileen as an online friend for several years now. She's been an Etsy vendor and has an amazing blog.

She's made a switch now in the direction of her Etsy store. There are so many new and exciting items in her store, and two of these items are on their way to me! I am so excited!

This brooch is a new item in her Etsy store. You can actually wear it as a brooch or a pendant. It's all up to you! Don't you just love it? It's all handmade. Eileen is a multi talented woman!










These bottle cap necklaces are a new addition to Dorset Hill Beads. This is another one of my favorites! Remember the 60's? Well, if you don't, this is a good way to see what happened! Just kidding! I love this bottle cap jewelry, and there is more to see of this in the shop.












Now, we mustn't forget the glass. This is one of my favorite glass pieces in Eileen's shop. Isn't this button beautiful? There's more glass like this in Eileen's shop. Be prepared to spend some time looking.




This was only a quick preview, so take a good look and remember, Christmas is coming faster than you think. What a great way to get your shopping finished early and not have to fight the crowds at the mall. Eileen's store is the place to go.

Now, tomorrow, we are going to visit Dorset Hill's "brother" store: Dave's Homemade Serenity Candles. Stay Tuned!!!!!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Leslie Dana Designs on Etsy


If you love glass, you're going to find a wonderful store on Etsy called Leslie Dana Designs! Wow! There is some awesome glass there!


Take a look at this great cab. It's one of a kind fused dichroic glass. I love the peace sign in the corner. I love the colors here! Wow! It's my kind of glass.




And that's not all. Let's look to see what else is in her store.





















Need some beautiful hair jewelry for grown ups? How about this Desert Sunset Pony Tail Holder? This truly looks like a sunset. I see blue, purple, copper, and gold in this one of a kind piece of hair jewelry. Wow! It's amazing! If only my hair were long enough. Sigh!












This pendant is amazing! It is also fused glass and one of a kind! Look at the great colors in this pendant. The base glass is black with layers of color and some sparkling cz's! Wow! I love it! It reminds me of a painting where the colors flow from one part of the painting into the other.


There are a lot of other items in Leslie's store. I love the fused glass! Glass continues to fascinate me. Isn't Leslie's work amazing? Wow!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Some of my Favorite Things


These are a few of my favorite things.



Jenny or DD --------------------------------------------------------->










Nick or DS ------------------------------------------------------------->














Pixie Marie
---------------------------------->
She's a princess!








Melting Glass
Making Beads
Facebook
My Laptop
Beautiful Beads
The Bead and Button Show
The Gathering
Twitter
Dr. Phil
Oprah
Diet Coke
Candy
Etsy
Wet Canvas
Lampwork Etc.
Mexican Food
Torch Bugs
Email
Popcorn
Cell Phones
Fruit
Veggies
Stephanie Plum Novels
Biographies
And the list Goes on!

What are some of your favorite things?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Murrini and More


I've started to carry a new product in my Etsy store. For my non bead making friends, murrini is used for decoration on a bead.

Murrini can be made with many different designs. This ------------->
is a very simple cane. I used a silver glass called Elektra and intense black for the stripes. This murrini should blossom beautifully into flowers.












This murrini is made with intense black for stripes and Blue Chalcedony made by Gaffer.






















This murrini is made with chalcedony glass and intense black. Like Elektra and Blue Chalcedony, Chalcedony is a silver enriched glass.


















This murrini is called Crazy Quilt. It's a mixture of different murrinis that I made. Some are more complex than others, but they were fun to make!
















Anyway, if you are interested, check out my Etsy Store! I have a lot for you to see!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

How many Ways can you Make a Disc?


I love to make discs when I torch! Recently, I challenged myself to see if I could come up with new ways to make discs. Here are the results of some of my experiments. These aren't necessarily my best work, they are just experiments in discs.

For example:
Here----------------------------->
you have my traditional discs next to a flower disc. I need to work on those a bit.








Scroll down a bit and here's what you see:
--------------------------------->
Ruffles.

I like both efforts.

There are two slightly different techniques, but the results are fun!



















This------------------------------>
disc has a more primitive look to it, which goes to show you that you can change the shape of the disc and still have a disc.

















You can also make

Freeform discs!

-------------------------------->










They don't have to be perfect, and even in the chaos, there is control.








Last, but not least, you can change the shape of a disc and add appendages. This disc clearly needs more work, but I think it has a lot of potential.








So, tell me, what types of discs do you like. What should I work on next?