Postcard Exchange came today.. so pretty!

What a treat it was to get my box today in the mail. My Postcard exchange showed up, and could not wait to open it... so exciting it is to see how people work with glass and thier creative energies. It makes me realize how far I have to go in my learning of this glass art. These ladies are just so talented.. Thank you to Trish and all the ladies who sent in beads.. Love em!!! Can't wait to make jewelry with them..

First picture is from new mexico.. by Tami


this beads Trish..

From canada.. Sueze..

santa cruz.. maggie... love your shells!

Last beadie.. from Gladys , north dakota...

Nice group shot of my new beads.. thank you all! they are so lovely!

Cat Exchange for Lampworkers Ect.

Here is my group shot of kitties being sent off to the Cat club Exchange On LE.. This was the best of my best.. Of course I wish they where better, and with time I will improve on them.

For now, I'm just having fun trying different thing, and working on the designing of them.. These guys pretty much hang the right way.. I also made a hollow faced kitty.. right hand corner and a oval body kitty opposite corner.

Here is a real experiment.. I'm actually happy with it.. but could not reproduce the efford during that torch session.. So gave up for the day.. after a few hours sometimes you just don't have it in you to do anything.. lol... but this little guy is a hollow kittie , and has been mashed a little bit.. and it hangs perfectly!!! No talking it into hanging its feet where they need to go! Next torch session, will give it another try.

Ok not a kitty.. just something I was happy with. Its on its way with the kitty's to the hostess of the kitty exchange as a little thankyou. She is going to be spending a lot of time sorting all the beads.. and mailing them all out within the next couple of week. Bless her heart. Alot of work for sure... not to mention torching too!

I promise I will post the beads I receive in this exchange as well as the wet canvas "raining cats and dogs"... So much fun! Such a treat to receive beads in return from other wonderful glass artist. Have a great weekend! Sincerely Diane :-)

My second batch of Cats...

Ok , armed with the information from my last batch of creating cat beads.. I jumped back on the torch.. I received some wonderful advice from friends on Lampwork Ect...

I liked the head being above the body not part of the body.. so had to distribute the glass a little differently.. and go at the making differently. When doing the detail work.. that had to wait till the very very end... Body shape was first and foremost.

All these cats have the glass distributed well enough that they do not just flip over feet up.. yeah! success!

BUT.. they are almost too perfectly distributed.. i'm finding..(when You test on a mandrel they turn evenly and do not have any heavy sides..) so they can flip over so they can end up upside down.. but will hang either way.. happily..

There is one in this bunch here that normally will hang feet down because it is heavy at the feet.. Purffecttt.... lol... now I just need to get that on my future kitties.. So when on a necklace.. they will ONLY hang the right way.. Then I'll be good to go, and hopefully can then concentrate on the designing...of the body and faces..

So for joy of just looking at glass beads.. here is a group shot of my last batch(litter)... I think the one that hangs good is one of the blue cats .

Same kitties... fronts and backs on mandrel...

Hope you enjoyed looking at my kitty cats.. and learning alittle bit of the process.. I think I will continue to work on these little guy's they measure about 40 mm x 20 mm tall... approx..

Backs of these kitties

Have a great weekend... Sincerely diane... :-)

What's Happening this week?

I want to share a few pictures of fun stuff this week.. I'm working on a cat and dog exchange.. I've made a bead for a special coworker who has worked hard for many years to get his PHD.. so proud of him! I made a little reminder of how special he is! I also have pictures of one of my bits of glass beads.. oh and that one is quite funky..looking..

Think I'd like to start with the "DR Jeff " Bead.. Mr.. jeff has gotten himself a cool teaching job, so he is starting a new job but will be working here and there to help us out. So he's not gone yet. I wanted to see if I could create a bead for him to maybe hang on his backpack or as a key chain... took me 3 times but finally got this one.. and it survived the kiln Its 42 mm long.. I had to stamp DR On one side and Jeff on the other side.. getting it all on one side was not an option.. it didn't work.. I love using those special scrapbooking letters made of metal . and this was a good chance to practice and try something with them! I hope jeff likes his bead.. I sure had fun making it!

My Little bits o glass bead..Its very sculptural.. this is just playing.. and trying different things.. not sure what to call this. its a bit odd but fun.

Ok stop laughing so loudly.. lol.. these are my "cat and dog" exchange. These are my first attempts, and i've figured out what works what doesn't sort of. I have visions of what I want them to be! But it doesn't always translate to what is pictured.. but this is how we learn and and improve. PPP... practice practice , practice.

I have a bunch of beads to post.. thanks for stopping by today was mostly to just show the "playing " aspect of torching...

what do you do to bump up your creativity?

Hi there. I think alot of artist sometimes have dry spells, where the creative jag just zigs.. so what to do to get it back on track? Well, For me that usually means trying something new. Thats why I like to sign up for challenges on Wet Canvas or lampwork ect. these are lampwork/artist exchanges or challenges to try something new.

Last year signed up for a hollow exchange and a Dead of winter.. these exchanges involve making a bead that has to do with a theme of sorts, or type of bead.. and you send them to the person who is hosting it... if you mail in 5 you get 5 back from 5 different artist.. its so neat to recieve them in the mail. Honestly its such a thrill to own a bead from some of these wonderful artist..

This picture to the left are the lovely beads I recieved from other artist for the "dead of winter exchange.

The other exchange signed up to do was to create hollow beads... Never ever done those.. woo woo.. It opened a whole new world of playing with glass.. darn can't wait to just go torch and make more hollows..

Here are a couple of pictures as an example of some of the hollows i've done since that exchange.. such a wonderful learning experience .

Lately I have been tinkering with my pile of bits and pieces of glass.. YOu know those left overs, and little bits of glass.. I am a pack rat with alot of things.. and glass is no exception.. lol.. so here was one of my first Bit O pieces focals.. its not great. but its something that helps gets my creative energy going again.. hey maybe doing a hollow and adding my bits and peices. to that..??? hmmm

this a shot from both sides.. kind of weird.. surely one of a kind... who knows what will come out of the playing... Hope you are having a nice memorial day weekend.. ours has been pretty low key.. kids are working hubby is working.. so I thinks I'll go visit friends.. Take care..
Sincerely Diane.. :-)