Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Glup....


So much to do, so little time. I have two more days before I leave for the Gathering!
Really it is one of the highlights of my year. It's a mini vacation with like minded people, who all want to talk about glass and beads all the time. I have so many good friend that will be there that I can't wait to see them. Demonstrations, buying, talking, bar, and great dinners with great people. Ahhhh.

Oh and something cool is happening. Unexpected. I am beginning to feel part of a blog family. Those blogs who I follow I am feeling a kinship with. A glimpse into their art lives and how they think. It's fun. I feel I am getting to know them. I know it's hard to catch up with everyone's blog that I follow, but I am trying.

I leave you with my obsession...those fricken dang beads. You know I am going to have a butt load of them at the Gathering and sell zippo, nada, the big "0". Oh well more for me, HA.


Saturday, July 24, 2010

So flippin excited.


Well I decided to stop being a whiny bit#$ and get over it..although sometimes I still might be a big baby and whine and cry that nobody likes me...but for now I am pulling up my big girl panties and moving forward. Doing what makes me super happy.

So here is a glimpse into my head. Love the unexpected in glass. Taking simple techniques and turning them around so they become something new and different.
Ok so I complain about silver glass but I do love what happens to it, just want to incorporate it into something that pleases me.

So this technique is super old. Used thousands of years ago to decorate the surface of beads. Tom Holland showed me how to do this and also gave me the background of the history of the raked bead. Super simple technique, very elegant and used by tons of beadmakers. So I added a twist and did a really cool color shift on the base bead and used Psyche silver glass and racked it. Super simple but I LOVE how they turned out.

So now of course I am obsessed and will make tons of them for the Gathering and people will think "what the hell" BUT I am lovin it and that's all that counts.

Ahhh glass its so flippin cool.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Introspective blog


I have been battling self doubt lately (like so many artist do).
Should I post about it or not. Feelings of being the last kid picked for kickball. Posting pictures on forums and being passed over (not using a lot of silver glass can be a bitch).Trying to set up teaching gigs and getting no responses or even worse "we will keep you in mind" arrrggg, (I teach a bitchn class, dudes...really!) People just not being very nice, and letting them take advantage of me.

Even worse doubting my work and wondering if I should keep going or change paths (Starbucks is hiring...) But a tiny little thing happened.
A couple of posts by some nice people and some praise from unexpected places have given me a much needed boost.

I guess we all go though this, but this self doubt is a drag. It brings up shitty emotions like anger, and jealousy. So I am going to light the torch and make things I like. Things that feed my soul. Because their are people out there who I have touched with my art and those are the people who matter to me.

As my buddy Sage says "Peace, Love, Beads".




Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Seriously...really.


So I am trying to get beads made for the upcoming Gathering (beadmakers convention) coming up in a couple of weeks. I have a table at the Bead Bazaar and need my best stuff to sell.
So I am making some cool stuff yesterday and one of my off mandrel beads got to cool and BANG broke in half.
Ok that's alright I can make another one.
So today I made a kick ass pendant. Really it was baller, Well constructed, great colors, nice, nice, nice. I turn to my kiln to put it in and......the fricken kiln wasn't on. Yep busted right in half.
Some days are not bead days. ARRGGGGGG.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Ahhh youth,


My son and his girlfriend decided last minute to take some time and go to Colorado before they begin their graduate programs this fall. So they packed up the car, loaded all the gear and went camping at Rocky Mountain National Park. They are having a blast, camping, hiking, fishing and generally going "into the wild". WHICH if you saw the movie or read the book (you should do both!) I was worried my son would do. He is too connected to his family to do it, but I could see him checking out of society for a summer and hoofing it around the US. Hell I could see myself checking out and doing it too.

The Big Ass Sale went great. Some good friends stopped by and bought some pretty cool stuff. I still have lots left but will be selling it at a "bead" garage sale next weekend, so hopefully it will all go to a good home.

Oh and by the way the sound track to Into the Wild is baller. Eddie Vedder rocks my world.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Big Ass Sale!


I used to own a bead store. It was a great store but I sold it about 3 years ago.
So when I sold it I kept TONS of stuff...duh. Ok so I might have kept too much, and so I am going to have a BIG sale at my house to sell off some inventory.
So if are in the St. Louis area stop by. Drop me a email libbyleu@gmail.com and I will give you all the details.