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!

PostCard Exchange on Wet Canvas

I have been needing a boost lately to get my creative juices going again. I had signed up for a Exchange on Wet canvas beginning of the summer.. as summers go you know the drill.... Kids are home, vacations.. yard work.. WELL.. almost thought I'd have to drop out, and luckly the due date was extended.. So happy for that.




So what was this about, well you pick out some postcards from your area and create beads from the post card.. either pull colors out, try to do a design , found in the cards..be it focal, or sets..

I'm from the north east, found one for boston.. but actually found some from my town. Doing something like this really helps in getting your mind to work. I find being creative is a process, thinking things through..

Post card from Boston...


Loons are very popular in the NE.


Apple trees blooming in the spring...

Fields of lupines... tall spike like flowers.

A covered bridge.....by the way that covered bridge is one of the landmarks of Pepperell, mass... unfortunately its being rebuilt by the state.. so it may look diffferent by next year.. sad to say.. but at least we have pictures of it before it was taken down.. this is a painting done by an artist in the area.. made into a postcard..

Once I get my "exchange " from my fellow beaders, I will post those as well.. Keep creating..:-) Diane

Designing cats in Lampworking...

This week in the studio, its raining cats.. signed up for an exchange on wet canvas... this is always a great way to try something new.. and who knows start off on a new vein of glass art.
I tried several different kinds of cats.. to the left here is the sculptural affect of having the cat shape.. I am still wanting to perfect that.. I want a slick smooth line. I think if I try to do these again.. I will stick to just one color and just work on the smooth lines of what a cat looks like.. the shape not so much the detail of the face and eyes.. so not very successful but still have the "vision" in my head i'm working towards..which is the essence of cat..





I call these maggie kitties.. lol.. She has perfected this type of sculptural cats.. and there are other lampwork artist who do amazing work.. Just thought I'd give it a try... they are fun and lets face it you can do so much design wise with these kitties... check out Yoda Kitties by Maggie...

The face only.. was fun to do! But I need to do more to add more detail.. I think I will post a link to a couple of lampwork artist who have this down pat! Like Paula at Island top Glass, check out some of her kitty's... so cute..she does great puppies too! check them all out..



Ok this next bunch.. I had a vision in my head.. of what I wanted.. these two where the first
attempts... not what I was thinking.. it was a start..














Each of these had a slightly different design to it... which involved how to add the head, how to create the feet, make that curved look underneat between the feet...
out of all 4 My favorite was the bottom one with the orange spots.. the face... the body tail placement ..














Alas... cute as he maybe he had issues.. see picture below.. when hung on a mandrel... he flips upside down... lol.. so putting such a big head on top, messes up the glass distribution. Its ok maybe I can use that as a design element... make the feet meet and the cat can be hanging on the chain...
The dark brown spots one well that one is a little crooked... the orange kitty upside down.. the blue... stays perfect.. so design wise... the blue one wins out..

The winner is ... blue kitty... Soooo..
next torch visit.. I will add the face /head to the body have
the hole coming out of the side of the head... and yup

the other hole.. :-00 the other end.. but I want to shape the bottom more to have more of a cresent shape... also separating the feet... like the orange kitty... I like that scuptural element.. Plenty of body space for design... colors and themes.. so this is a bit of the thinking process.. you go through in designing.. I'm sure the next litter will be more to my likeing. Well have a great day... Diane :-)

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.. :-)