Thursday, November 17, 2011

I have some expensive glass.....

I have some expensive glass just sitting there.. taunting me.   On one hand playing with this glass is bad because at 80.00 a pound..  you can't go wild.. but on the other hand  It time to pull this glass out and start using it!  Why not!  Life is short.. so time to live it up at the torch.

Problem is Silver glass has a way of doing its own thing.  I know there are tricks and "things " to make it do the pretty things its suppose to do.. So My plan for the next few months.. is to post my journey into the fancy glass  extravaganza!  What does it take?  still not sure..  But I'll share the good the bad and the ugly..  (actually will try to spare you the ugly) lol.

To do this I'll need to take notes and really pay attention to what I am doing.  How many times as lampworkers we make a really cool bead.. and afterward wonder HOW DID I DO THAT?  the order  the glass is added, the colors used... ect ect.. 

Below are a picture of two beads.. the top one was my very first attempt with sasha's Silver from sundance..  Oh How I love the multicolors it produces.  It did not take much, all thing considered.. 
All I did was heating it up till red hot then pressed them into copper molds... From what I've read we need a reducing flame. ( oxygen is cut back and mostly propane)  it didn't seem to do anything for me.....  So still working it..  



Monday, October 24, 2011

What to do with those round sort of big beads?


Hi, I've been rather busy these days..  getting all my health testing done.  Since I've been a very bad girl and have put off things for several years.  I am so happy I stepped it up and forced my self to go.   The big one was to colonoscopy, where they found 3 polyps and just 5 years ago I had none.  So I feel I have dodged a bullet for now.   So Please if you have been putting this life saving test off.  Do It. it is really really important.  
Ok now I can talk glass.. one of my favorite things..  I have been creating round beads with flowers.  Alone you look at them and think what can I do with that one floral bead?  HMMM?  yup it can be added to a bracelet as an accent piece... because it is not a set  it is just one bead.. or even into a necklace.. Most are not tiny beads.. more moderate in size..  So One day I sat down and created this totally fun pendant using a simple round bead!  As you can imagine it sold immediately and had many request on it.
At  the moment I have several round beads of varying sizes and just wanted to share this idea for  using this type of bead..  of course if your interested in me making one for you I would just add  10.00 on the bead price and could mail it to you  all wired up.  
Have a great day..  to check out my round floral beads just click on my ETsy account and contact me if you would like  a pendant wired up..  Diane :-)




Sunday, August 28, 2011

Its been way too long.

Hey there..  I've been missing in action, no excuses will do.  So I will just jump back in!

What is going on in the studio these days.  I've been creating pendants with my focal beads.   I feel sometimes people like my beads, but then feel like well now what do I do if I buy it?  Not everyone like creating jewelry, so I've decided to see what can I create with my beads.   It may actually give those who buy the beads, ideas what to do with them..  and for those who do not make jewelry they have a finished piece for themselves for a reasonable price.

What I have found out out how much I enjoy working with the little jewelry tools, the beads and the wire wrapping.. Oh boy something else for me to PLAY with..  love it .  I guess anything that comes from my creative brain and I can do with my own hands is always  a joy for me..  it balances out my life with my full time job which is a lot more serious.

so here are a bunch of pictures of  my pendants I just made.. a few are on ebay, easy and art fire..  Eventually all will get posted..  Just posted 4 for now..  more to come.. :-)  have a great day!

So what is happening today?  Hurricanne Irene.. is coming through.. shocking I still have power!   Basically where we are located just heavy rains and winds... but seems to be ok.  So far.