Zentangles and Beads... what do they have in common?

Hi There. Its been a little while since I've posted here. Fun things are going on in the studio. I am still working on getting comfortable with my new torch. I don't get as much sit and torch time as I use to. Due to my day job. When I do though, look out it is hours of playing!

So what are Zentangles? It is a company that is promoting the artistic endeavor of doodles to an art form... it is a great way to put designs on paper, to meditate , to experiment.. Some days the doodles are intricate, or very loose and large. Here are a couple I tried to do on my own to see what I could come up with. Its FUN... i personally like to do this while watching tv. It has the same quality as sitting an knitting or needlepointing.. very relaxing.
So what does this have to do with bead making? WEll... let me tell you scroll on down.
I mentioned it would be cool to do a doodle bead exchange, Tami so kindly offered to hosting this exchange on wet canvas.



A bunch of us have signed up and will do our own doodle beads(zentangles) on glass. :-) Once we come up with half decent beads, we send in our picks to tami who will divide up the beads and send out the same number of beads sent to all the participants.. so what I will recieve is 3-4 doodle beads from other bead artist.. This gives us an opertunity to work with design, stringer control.. which is a thin rod of glass... so drawing on the molten bead...
so below are my first try's at this fun exchange. Still working on that stringer control... I'd like to make the stringer even thinner and try to do more designs... we'll see... i've got till april 1st to perfect...

What to do with ALL those beads?

What do we do when our passion in creating takes over that proverbial edge? I remember seeing a picture on a forum from a lamp work artist.. of ALL her beads and thought wow.. She has made a lot.. Well I'm here to say, it happens to the best of us. As she was amazed at the number of beads she had accumulated, in her creative endeavor. I find myself in the same position today.. I've seen it coming.. the boxes and boxes of crazy saving.

Now mind you the beads I sell, are my "perfect' what I think the buyer wants out there. I look at my beads with a very stern look , will they be enough for the buyers out there.
I look at all aspects. So as you can imagine.. I have that perfectionist hat on.. unfortunately these are handmade, and sometimes the glass does what the glass does.. when it wants to, not when you want it to! :-)
Some times the design is just perfect except for that little something that is just not perfect.. or the pucker not that awesome.. like we like it.. but darn it. Its a beautiful bead. sigh. At times the color combinations may not be to my liking but sometimes someone else out there will love it..
So I've come to a decision.. I'll be going through my piles.. and putting them on eBay.. to try to send these beadies to new homes.. that can use them.
I probably will be donating a bunch to BOC (beads of courage)... and give away to friends.. Some I may even keep and actually create jewelry from them...
By the way that picture above and below are only from 1 small plastic box I had.. all focals and hearts.. and hollows... Does that give you an idea of the number of beads sitting here? I have several of those plastic divided boxes large ones..... and that was a small one I dove into.
These are all pretty big so not good for BOC . will be selling in batches on eBay, at a reduced rate.. usually each bead goes for 10-20 each.. but will be selling at 2.00-3.00 each..

Just Beads :-)