Monday, December 3, 2012

Anticipation




Well the other day I had a great Cyber Monday sale. It was wonderful and a big thank you to all who participated. 

Because of that sale I got a message from an artist that I have been poking around on her Etsy site. Her name is Kristi Bowman and I am sure many of you already know her great designs. 

Well she had been visiting my Etsy site too. So we decided to trade!
 Here are a few of the wonderful things I will be getting.

I have made several beads that I hope will compliment her designs so keep posted to see what goodies I make! 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Cyber Monday Sale!

I am a member of Love My Art Jewelry and we are having a great Cyber Monday sale with tons of great  artists. 
Here is the link to the blog Love My Art Jewelry.
Make sure you look at all the artist participating because they all have very unique and different things. 

My Etsy site has 20% off. There are some great things to see and buy. Great deals!
 

Monday, October 8, 2012

And the Winner Is!

Ali McCarthy of Northwoods Creative Studios.

This has been such a great idea and I can't thank Lori enough for including me in not only the book but this Contributor's Hop.

I got to look at all the wonderful things that were offered and all I can say is WOW. 

I would love to see what everyone makes with their goodies so make sure you post and let us see.


Friday, October 5, 2012

Bead Soup Book Give Away!

Once upon a time a very talented artist named Lori Anderson asked me and 24 other wonderful artist to participate in a wonderful book called the Bead Soup Book.


That was at least a 1 1/2 years ago and finally its going to be released! So to celebrate Lori is organizing some wonderful give aways from the participating artists and today I am one of the artist! Soooo leave a comment and I will pick a winner from the comments and announce who won either Oct. 8th or 9th.

Here is a picture of the Bead that is similar to the one in the book. It is just waiting to be grabbed up and made into something wonderful! ALSO I plan on adding some other goodies to go with the bead but they are a surprise!



So want to have a sneak peek at the book! First I was matched up with Lori and got a wonderful soup! 

When I first received it I was blown away by the wonderful clasp and the colors. You will have to wait to see the step by step.

 But here is a peek!


 I got to send beads to the wonderful Cassie Donlen. Cassie lives in the same town as me and I have known her for several years.  I was super excited to find out that she would be creating with my soup. She is so creative and talented. 

Here is the soup I sent her but you will need to go to her blog to get a peek at what she made.
All in all let me just say the book is wonderful. It is brimming with ideas and will get your creative juices flowing. I think it will be the book that will set the bar!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Tomorrow Teaser

Make sure you stop by tomorrow!
There will be give aways and lot's of fun sneak peeks looks into the Bead Soup Book!


Just got back from the Dentist. Have I mentioned I don't like the Dentist.
After 2 hours in the chair I am back home and resting.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

It's getting close...the release of the Bead Soup book by my buddy Lori Anderson. I was so honored to be asked to participate in this creative endeavor and had such a wonderful time creating my soup. More details will be coming and I have promised to keep things under wraps until the books release. 

You will want this book. It is filled with inspiration  from wonderful and talented artists. You get to see into their creative process and see how they work. Then take that inspiration and add your own twist with using things from your own bead stash. I can't wait to see the book and am sitting on pins and needles waiting!

You can pre-order the book on Lori's blog Pretty Things
It's a great deal check it out.

It's a beautiful day here in my world. Cool, windy and we have friends coming over and spending every moment out on our new patio! 











Sunday, August 26, 2012

Took some time off, but I am back!

Whew that was a long time off. I needed it bad. My dad is getting older and needs more attention. It is strange to have to start caring for your parents. So many of my peers are going though this that I have a lot of support, but it is still hard.

But I did have a lot of fun the last couple of months. I went to Bellevue WA to attend the Glass Beadmakers Conference. Got to see a cool Dale Chihuly ceiling and lots of good friends.




I am in the process of getting my Etsy site back up and running so go take a look!

 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

More inspiration!

I am at it again. Finding new inspirations. I googled Moroccan Pottery and got tons of cool images and designs to work into my beads.
I am still working on colors, masking techniques, and patterns. Some have worked out and others, not so much.
I will post some pictures tomorrow. 
At least I hope so. It was 109 today in St. Louis. It's hard to open the blinds to get good light and then suffer the heat, so we will see.
 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Back at it!

It's been such a long time since I blogged last that I doubt anyone is even reading anymore! 
I hope so!

 My classes were wonderful with great students! Each and everyone of them were fantastic. I am so lucky to have such talented artists to teach.
I had a blast at the show and picked up some cool new stuff. 
I got to go out to dinner with good friends and generally had a blast.
So whats next? Well I am going right outside of Seattle for the ISGB Gathering in about a month. I am so excited because I am leaving a couple of days early to just hang out and go the Olympic State Park to do some hiking and then hanging out. Hope to see Pikes Market etc.

 I put my Etsy store on Vacation mode and just took it off and put some new goodies back.
Yep the loved Podlets and Dew Drops are back. I will be adding more so make sure if you are looking for something to let me know.
 So good to be back.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Making a list and checking it twice, plus cool beads!

It's been ages since I last posted! Work has been super busy which is good. On the horizon is Bead and Button and preparing for classes and Meet the Teachers night. Make sure you come and see if you are going to be there. 


But what would a post be without eye candy. Here are some of MY favorite beadmakers that everyone should know. 

First is Kate Fowle. One of our historic beadmakers who blazed the trail for all of us. She is also drawn to nature, and many of her beads are pod like, and she was a major influence in my interpretation of pods. 

Barbara Becker Simon has always pushed the envelope for me. She has something new at her booth each year I see her. Not only are her beads killer but her jewelry design is spot on.

Harold Williams Cooney or Happy Harold is a beadmaking stud. He puts out an amazing amount of work and each piece is baller.
Since I am a cold working fool and love me a belt sander his cold working is drool worthy. My sister collected his work and when she bought a special piece Harold would write a note to  thank her for supporting him in his passion to create.

 Jim Jones is my hero. Probably one of my favorite bead artist ever
(and I tell him that every year, plus his wife Lani is not to shabby either!). He is another one of our historic beadmakers, at it for over 23 years. I would love to say he influences my work but my work doesn't even come close. Lately he has been doing Steampunk beads. They are beyond!


I have tons of others and have left out several, but I will get to them, so stay tuned.













Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mothers Day Mom



 We (I) are at that age where many of us have said goodbye to our Mom's. I lost mine 10 years ago and miss her terribly. She instilled in me an passion to create. I am always thinking about the next project and plotting it out.

It doesn't have to be glass, she also gave me a love of cooking, gardening, and decorating. Her house was a thing of beauty. Each color and fabric carefully chosen. The furniture was well placed and the flow of the room carefully planned out.

And if her house was a thing of beauty her garden was spectacular.
That lady knew how to grow. Each plant was chosen with the knowledge of when it would bloom, how far it would creep, or how tall it would get. She taught me to add a touch of white so the garden could be seen at night. Growing up we always had cut flowers or roses in random vases around the house. 

Her herb garden was a cooks delight. We learned early on to go out and pick a sprig of this or a cut of that and add it to our dishes.  Vinegars where made with rosemary hints or lemon basil. I still to this day have my herb garden and every time I use it I think of her.


She was a pistol and sometime drove my sisters and I crazy, but I would give anything to have her here with me.

Happy Mothers Day Dottie.


Sunday, May 6, 2012

Busy, busy, busy....


Thought I would post some pictures of some new work.
I am having a blast with this new pod style. 
Still working hard on preparing for Bead and Button. 
I have spots left in all my classes so sign up!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Eye Candy!



Whew. I have shipped all my stuff to PISMO and am now getting ready for Bead & Button. 

I am going though all my beads and making a list of things that I want to bring, new display ideas, and BEADS. I have to also prepare class handouts, order glass, make more lists and generally prepare my butt off.  So here are some of the things I sent to PISMO.


And here are some beads.


 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Finally New Posting!

These are before I begin coldworking.
Sorry it's been such a long time since I posted last but we have been pretty busy lately. We got a new patio and need to start landscaping. I also am getting ready for Bead and Button and sending stuff to 
PISMO Fine Art Gallery for their 2012 Invitational. Pretty big honor for glass peeps.
Ohhh Ahhh my beautiful belt sander!
 I also have been working hard on more of my cold worked disks.
Coldworked disk
 So if I don't post for awhile you will know I am last minute getting things mailed out! 
Coldworked disk


Hopefully I will have one or two of these disk on my Etsy! 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

It's that time of year!

So it is that time of year. Getting ready for Bead and Button takes a long time. I need to prepare for my classes and for Meet the Teachers. I have two extra classes this year (still lots of openings!).

The weather has finally turned back to normal, which is much cooler and more early spring like. I detest summer. St. Louis is humid and hot, so I was very angry that this Monday is was 93! So not right.
So we had a cool front come in and the temps are back to normal for now.

I want to wear a sweater and feel a nice cool breeze. Not to much to ask.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yep I am one year older! Spending the day at home on the torch playing with glass, ahhhh. 
 

Saturday, March 31, 2012

I want a time machine.

Around this time of year I used to go to a place called Meadow Creek with a bunch of beady friends. This is the place where I learned most, if not all of my glass beadmaking knowledge. It was were Tom and Sage Holland lived and taught workshops.  


We would arrive on Wed. and classes ran Thurs though Monday. We would spend all day in the studio with breaks for walking in the woods or eating Sages beautiful food. At nights we would sit around a fire, or go back to the studio and work on the torch. At least one night during the class Tom would give us a slide show on the history of beads. This is were I learned to respect and admire those ancient beadmakers. 

Usually you only went to the workshops once or twice, but we formed such a strong family we went 5 and 6 times with just our group. The creative energy just flowed from one person to the next. 
It was beadmaking heaven. 
We still all talk and see each other. Some have had babies, others have moved on to other careers but we will always have Meadow Creek.
 
 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

So pleased and happy.

I am in a good place. I have new inspiration and bead I am so happy with. I showed you some a couple of weeks ago but they are changing and will continue to change as my head spins with ideas.

I love when I find something new and this is even more special because I am using our cold shop at work. It is such a joy to be finally using something that I took for granted before and I know other would kill to use. 

I will probably be posting about this technique for a while so I apologize  for it up front.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Glass is so fickle!

What you might not know is that the glass rods we use for making glass beads etc is actually hand made and then once the formula for the color is set they can be machine made, so the colors are pretty much set. However just like fabric dyes or wall paper when it is printed again their can be slight variations. This causes glass beadmakers to tear their ever loven hair out!!!!!

Whats worse is the much sought after "silver glass" is all hand mixed and it's hard to get the same color out of different batches, then there is even more hair pulling and temper tantrums. Not that I would do that.....
 So long story short, remember those cute little greeny, bluey melon beads? Well if you see them on my Etsy site grab them cause I don't think I can get that silver color again. 
I don't have any now, cause I am hording the glass but I will let you know when they are put up on my store. BIG sigh.
Glass can be an evil mistress.
 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Seriously?

Yesterday I went to our computer at work and there was a screen full of pictures of wall paper designs from William Morris. 
Look at this! My mind just spins. 
Google it!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

They are BACKKKKK.

I had to post these Melon beads that I have had numerous requests for since they sold. They are cute little buggers and so much fun to make.
You never know how they are going to turn out until you open up the kiln. 
The Step by Step Wire Jewelry April/May issue is out and features some of my beads. Might be a good idea to go get a copy....not you me. Still haven't seen it. Of course you can go get a copy too!

Head down and focus!

So many good things are happening. It's hard to believe that all the hard work is finally paying off. I am in another book, teaching at some great studios, in a magazine, and finally I have been invited to show at PISMO, which in the glass world is a huge honor.


I am not sure if it is because of my efforts or because I just kept my head down and kept working. At some point you have to go back to the art, to the passion and just create. You have to forget about others and focus on your work. Try new things that scare you, make stuff and throw it away, work with your head down. Oh and be honest with yourself. If you want something to happen you have to put yourself out there and be rejected or hopefully accepted at some point. 

You might remember these beauty's. They were on my Etsy site for a long time with tons of views but never sold. Then they did and now everyone is asking for them again, so here they are. On my Etsy site. Grab em quick or not....

Monday, March 12, 2012

Won't you join me?


I was so excited to be asked to become a member of Love My Art Jewelry blog.  It is such a welcoming and creative group of artist who promote handmade jewelry.
I will be posting on every other Tue of each month starting this Tue. 
My goal is to introduce and educate others about the world of Handmade Glass Beads and the world of glass in general. 
I hope you will join me there!

Friday, March 9, 2012

LOOK!!

A little birdie (thank you Cindy Wimmer!)  spotted my Pod bead on the cover of Step by Step Wire! See it up in the corner! I had sent some beads in hopes that they might  use them in a new artist spot...AND THEY DID. 
This is my first magazine evah, so to say I am a little excited is and understatement.
Got to jam pack my Etsy site!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Loading it up!

The Bead Soup blog hop was so much fun. I was super busy this weekend so I only got around to about 30. I am still working on it but also had to restock my Etsy store with some fun new stuff. 
How about some pictures! 
The ever popular Podlets are back in da house!















 A fun new pod with a twist!