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Sunday, December 21, 2008
I'm in a Treasury!
It was made by makemesmile and lies here
It will only last till tomorrow, so here is the screenshot, and a list of all the featured sellers and their products
YasminBochi, me :), byMarianneS
CatTingles, Brownbunnybyiris, Erdbeerfroeschchen
Blue Terracotta, Catherine Cooper, 5erg
Uloni, Newafresh, Subrosa123
P~
It will only last till tomorrow, so here is the screenshot, and a list of all the featured sellers and their products
YasminBochi, me :), byMarianneS
CatTingles, Brownbunnybyiris, Erdbeerfroeschchen
Blue Terracotta, Catherine Cooper, 5erg
Uloni, Newafresh, Subrosa123
P~
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A word for 2009
I've been reading several blogs saying that instead of making resolutions for the next year, you should pick a word to focus on and live by instead. Most recently I read it in Christine Kane's blog (thank you Vickie) and since she had a list of interesting words to choose from I actually found one that appealed to me. I have chosen 'Change'. Lots of little things in my life need a bit of adjustment, several bigger ones too, and I hope I may be able to do something about it in 2009.
As I am already thinking about changes, there is no reason I should not start right away to change little things whenever I can. When I were reading about peoples experiences with chosing a word, someone had suggested having a bracelet done with a little disc with your word on it, so that you may be reminded of it daily. This I like. I know there are several Etsy sellers making costum words on bangles and I considered treating myself to one of those.
Then I thought 'Hey! I am already wearing a skinny little bangle, so why not do it myself?'. This in itself is normally a bit of a challenge for me. I have been in several groups with people doing 'altered art', and I have always had a problem with this (not with other people doing it, just myself). I keep thinking that somebody worked hard at designing whatever object it may be (even match boxes), and who am I to undo that work, and so I freeze.
Anyway, back to the bangle. I don't have any stamping tools, so actual letters were out of the question. My solution was to write it in morse code, filing little notches all around the edge. I have just finished the filing and I am pretty pleased, and I didn't have a second of hesitation in me about altering it :) It has come out very nice. It has a little bit of scratchy edges, but those will wear down in a few days, or I may just sand it lightly if it is annoying.
So there you have it. I hope I can keep it up for a whole year. Who knows what might happen :)
P~
As I am already thinking about changes, there is no reason I should not start right away to change little things whenever I can. When I were reading about peoples experiences with chosing a word, someone had suggested having a bracelet done with a little disc with your word on it, so that you may be reminded of it daily. This I like. I know there are several Etsy sellers making costum words on bangles and I considered treating myself to one of those.
Then I thought 'Hey! I am already wearing a skinny little bangle, so why not do it myself?'. This in itself is normally a bit of a challenge for me. I have been in several groups with people doing 'altered art', and I have always had a problem with this (not with other people doing it, just myself). I keep thinking that somebody worked hard at designing whatever object it may be (even match boxes), and who am I to undo that work, and so I freeze.
Anyway, back to the bangle. I don't have any stamping tools, so actual letters were out of the question. My solution was to write it in morse code, filing little notches all around the edge. I have just finished the filing and I am pretty pleased, and I didn't have a second of hesitation in me about altering it :) It has come out very nice. It has a little bit of scratchy edges, but those will wear down in a few days, or I may just sand it lightly if it is annoying.
So there you have it. I hope I can keep it up for a whole year. Who knows what might happen :)
P~
Thursday, December 18, 2008
12
If you were to choose 12 techniques of beadmaking, one for each month, to practice through all of next year, what would it be?
I haven't quite come up with 12 things yet, but here is my list, in no particular order:
Stringer/heat control: dots (placement, size) and lines (keeping them straight, nice un-lumpy ends)
Fuming: Just got Andrea's tut, and am eager to go. Just need a bit af a boro stick to get started.
Sculpting: to evenly divide by 5 or other uneven numbers. 4 is easy, but 5 is much more appealing to me.
Sculpting: evolve on the organic shapes I love so much (and eventually fume them :)
Vessels: I do have a hollow mandrel to blow through. Only did it twice, though I loved the results
Off mandrel pieces: I made two little heartshaped clumps of glass this year. I have room for improvement. Might need some tools for that. My tweezers doesn't have a good grip.
Longer beads: barrels (they always break for me?) and bicones (never breaks, yay!)
Lentils: I have just bought my own christmas gift, a pair of lentil mashers, yay! I have wanted to try this shape for a long time, and soon I will. Simple ones first of course, then decorated and sculpted ones later.
I also want to study colours and how to combine them. I don't think I will ever be tired of the look of ivory, but a bit of colour would be nice too.
There is also the electroforming I really want to try at some point, and I know I will eventually.
What techniques would you most like to evolve in?
Doesn't have to be beadmaking :)
P~
I haven't quite come up with 12 things yet, but here is my list, in no particular order:
Stringer/heat control: dots (placement, size) and lines (keeping them straight, nice un-lumpy ends)
Fuming: Just got Andrea's tut, and am eager to go. Just need a bit af a boro stick to get started.
Sculpting: to evenly divide by 5 or other uneven numbers. 4 is easy, but 5 is much more appealing to me.
Sculpting: evolve on the organic shapes I love so much (and eventually fume them :)
Vessels: I do have a hollow mandrel to blow through. Only did it twice, though I loved the results
Off mandrel pieces: I made two little heartshaped clumps of glass this year. I have room for improvement. Might need some tools for that. My tweezers doesn't have a good grip.
Longer beads: barrels (they always break for me?) and bicones (never breaks, yay!)
Lentils: I have just bought my own christmas gift, a pair of lentil mashers, yay! I have wanted to try this shape for a long time, and soon I will. Simple ones first of course, then decorated and sculpted ones later.
I also want to study colours and how to combine them. I don't think I will ever be tired of the look of ivory, but a bit of colour would be nice too.
There is also the electroforming I really want to try at some point, and I know I will eventually.
What techniques would you most like to evolve in?
Doesn't have to be beadmaking :)
P~
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Phew!
Hooray, it's December!
And by December I mean a nice couple of days off, to lounge around at home, sleeping in and staying up late. Not all of them though, but from dec. 19'th I can be found in my bed until noon.
Or probably not, but I can dream, right??
November sure did pass me in a worn out daze. I have to say, even though I enjoyed my show quite a bit, it was also a very hard adventure.
Since it was my first, I am sure I have been overthinking everything at least a dozen times. I had nothing else on my mind for 15 weeks, and it might have been a bit much, for both me and my family (=boyfriend), and I have been taking a few weeks off to recuperate. I am sure I have learned a lot from it though, and I would like to try my hand at other venues, with a more crafty vibe to it. I did not make quite enough to cover the cost of the booth and the materials I have invested, not even with the sales that came after the show, at my workplace,
and I think I could do better if people were there to shop for crafts in the first place, rather than art.
In any case, our booth (is that even the rigth word?) looked beautiful. Many people said so, and we agreed :) My sister worked hard too, not only on her art, but also on sprucing up this old piece of furniture I had kept in the basement for way too long. It's a lovely thing (especially now), and it went well with the style and ambiance of her artwork.
Something I learned: I was/am very pleased with the little glass cabinet I got. It looks great, lifts things into view and can hold a lot, but ... people are vary of opening it to feel up the goods, and I know I would be so too. Generally when things are under glass you are not supposed to touch it unless the vendor is handing it to you. This is not what I wanted. I do want people to get at good feel of the glass as that is part of the attraction. I also secured my pendants with some rubbery goo stuff, to prevent them from rolling around and also to help them stand up. It looked great, but again, people did not like to pick them up. I wrote a little note saying 'please do touch', but nobody did without being told it was okay.
If you know of a nice way to display multiple pendants, hanging the way they would be worn, easy to remove and put back, do let me know. I looked far and wide before the show, but came up with nothing.
Also, next time I want neck displays. In my mind they are fairly crucial.
Now that a new year looms I look forward to making a new plan for the year, as the one for this year failed misserably. This time I shall include time for homelife into it, making it a 'life'-plan rather than a 'business'-plan. I may not be able to do everything I'd like to, but every little bit counts :)
P~
PS: Thank you Hanne Piasecki and Maria Sylow for the pictures :)
And by December I mean a nice couple of days off, to lounge around at home, sleeping in and staying up late. Not all of them though, but from dec. 19'th I can be found in my bed until noon.
Or probably not, but I can dream, right??
November sure did pass me in a worn out daze. I have to say, even though I enjoyed my show quite a bit, it was also a very hard adventure.
Since it was my first, I am sure I have been overthinking everything at least a dozen times. I had nothing else on my mind for 15 weeks, and it might have been a bit much, for both me and my family (=boyfriend), and I have been taking a few weeks off to recuperate. I am sure I have learned a lot from it though, and I would like to try my hand at other venues, with a more crafty vibe to it. I did not make quite enough to cover the cost of the booth and the materials I have invested, not even with the sales that came after the show, at my workplace,
and I think I could do better if people were there to shop for crafts in the first place, rather than art.
In any case, our booth (is that even the rigth word?) looked beautiful. Many people said so, and we agreed :) My sister worked hard too, not only on her art, but also on sprucing up this old piece of furniture I had kept in the basement for way too long. It's a lovely thing (especially now), and it went well with the style and ambiance of her artwork.
Something I learned: I was/am very pleased with the little glass cabinet I got. It looks great, lifts things into view and can hold a lot, but ... people are vary of opening it to feel up the goods, and I know I would be so too. Generally when things are under glass you are not supposed to touch it unless the vendor is handing it to you. This is not what I wanted. I do want people to get at good feel of the glass as that is part of the attraction. I also secured my pendants with some rubbery goo stuff, to prevent them from rolling around and also to help them stand up. It looked great, but again, people did not like to pick them up. I wrote a little note saying 'please do touch', but nobody did without being told it was okay.
If you know of a nice way to display multiple pendants, hanging the way they would be worn, easy to remove and put back, do let me know. I looked far and wide before the show, but came up with nothing.
Also, next time I want neck displays. In my mind they are fairly crucial.
Now that a new year looms I look forward to making a new plan for the year, as the one for this year failed misserably. This time I shall include time for homelife into it, making it a 'life'-plan rather than a 'business'-plan. I may not be able to do everything I'd like to, but every little bit counts :)
P~
PS: Thank you Hanne Piasecki and Maria Sylow for the pictures :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Countdown!
Actually, there is not much to count, as we will go tonight to set up our stuff, then do the finishing touches tomorrow before the show opens.
Of course as it turns out, I get to spend two days in bed this final week, and one more to recover, from eating some bad meat on monday. Go me! But as I always say, when things are not quite what I had hoped for: It is, as it is, and that is okay.
I have products to sell, though I had wanted more.
I have displays, some looking better than I had hoped, some I made myself, also looking great. I had wanted neckdisplays, but I can live without them.
I have businesscards (thank you a million times Lenette!), and boxes that came out just as I had envisioned.
Also a million times thank you to sister Hanne, for fixing up the furniture thingy that will be my display table.
Pictures will follow of the booth, the setup, the jewelry and foto-art, but here is one of my boxes that I think came out so well. It was all black, but I had a stamp made (by Babyjewels on Etsy), and now they are all personal and pretty.
P~
Of course as it turns out, I get to spend two days in bed this final week, and one more to recover, from eating some bad meat on monday. Go me! But as I always say, when things are not quite what I had hoped for: It is, as it is, and that is okay.
I have products to sell, though I had wanted more.
I have displays, some looking better than I had hoped, some I made myself, also looking great. I had wanted neckdisplays, but I can live without them.
I have businesscards (thank you a million times Lenette!), and boxes that came out just as I had envisioned.
Also a million times thank you to sister Hanne, for fixing up the furniture thingy that will be my display table.
Pictures will follow of the booth, the setup, the jewelry and foto-art, but here is one of my boxes that I think came out so well. It was all black, but I had a stamp made (by Babyjewels on Etsy), and now they are all personal and pretty.
P~
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
"I create, therefore I am"
I know. I haven't been around much lately. It's partly because of my show next week, the ArtFreak show, that keeps me busy all evening til I fall asleep. And partly because I have been lurking at Facebook a lot these past 2 weeks, and not so much here.
I have a lot of things to talk about and show you, but my mind is too occupied with offline stuff and I simply don't get it done.
As I said in my last post, I have joined up in a very exciting bead project. Sylvie Lansdowne blogged about it, since it is her project. I have made my first bead, and will make the second sometime during this week, and I will definately blog about it too, as soon as the show is over and I can relax and think straight again :)
In other news - The Creative Scandinavian Etsy Team is no more. It has been closed down as well as the blog we wrote in. I have saved a post I made on february 1'st this year, and I shall post it here below, so I don't loose it forever.
Thanks for reading,
P~
PS: the beadfair mentioned was cancelled this year, but I have new hopes for next year :)
---------------------------------- ~o0o~ ---------------------------------
'I create, therefore I am'
Such was the saying I once made up with a school friend. It was years and years ago, and still it holds true.
I have had periods of life where I did not create, like having a new baby or other major uprooting of daily routines, but the time always comes where I feel the urge and must act on it. If I do not, life is nothing but work, and that is no fun.
Last year I threw my love at glass. I have always loved glass, but being able to work it myself is something very new and glorious. To think that I would be able to finally work in this medium, that I have eyed and envied for a lifetime, yes, it is nothing short of glorious. And there is nothing better than the feeling of 'I did this!' when a bead comes out better than expected, which has happened regularly in this my first year in the field :)
The thing about glass is that it is generally a hard, frozen material, and to see it glow and drip and to handle the ultra hot mass, is an alchemical wonder to me. The fact that you can shape it pretty much any way you want, and it will end up as a solid and deliciously tactile piece is just fascinating. Then there is the colours. I had no idea there would be so many available. And that they range from transparent to opaque only gives ground for further investigation and playtime.
So, last year was for playing. This year is for playing too ;) but this time I have a plan.
First off, I have made an agreement with my boyfriend as to which weeknights he will watch the children, so I will have more free time and be able to create more than I did last year. 4 hours a week by the flame just doesn't do it for me. I also need off-flame time to bend wire and make knots and so forth.
In preparation for the new year, I have bought new and exciting glassrods. To try something new and also to add to my palette. And indeed they are fascinating :) They are not solid coloured rods, but have cores of other colours than the surface. This makes for swirly insides of beads, which is such a lovely sight.
I also plan to branch out into jewelry finally. I am aware that even though Etsy people are a creative bunch, ready-to-wear is something everybody can enjoy, and it will test my abilities as a craftsman on a whole different level. I have invested in nice vermeil findings, sterling chain and also some black leather cord, that I look forward to trying out.
I am determined to try new techniques this year. I have a tendency to get stuck when first I try something and it goes well. Then I never evolve any further, and I cannot let that happen to my glass adventure. I am not sure which 'new techniques' I shall work on first, but I have an ever growing list of things I want to try. Making vessels is high on it though :)
I am also determined to make an actual set this year. I need to learn to plan ahead, not just make one bead and then a different one and so on. So far I have only made 'sets' of 2, for earrings. This year I will make a full necklace.
And very excitingly, I am planning to get a booth at a beadfair in March.
With only a year under my belt, this is a daunting project, but at the same time a very exciting one. I went last year as a buyer, and I saw nothing looking like what I do. I am very hopefull that this will be the case this year too.
Not only is it the only fair I know of around here, but it is also a very nice size for a first timer. Not too big, and not too expensive to join.
Of course everyone there will be beadmakers, so the competition must be fierce, but then again - every customer is looking for beads or jewelry in the first place, which means they are already open to my goods. Time will tell which part will dominate the other :)
PS: Click any picture to get a pop-up for my shop, or the actual listing of the object.
I have a lot of things to talk about and show you, but my mind is too occupied with offline stuff and I simply don't get it done.
As I said in my last post, I have joined up in a very exciting bead project. Sylvie Lansdowne blogged about it, since it is her project. I have made my first bead, and will make the second sometime during this week, and I will definately blog about it too, as soon as the show is over and I can relax and think straight again :)
In other news - The Creative Scandinavian Etsy Team is no more. It has been closed down as well as the blog we wrote in. I have saved a post I made on february 1'st this year, and I shall post it here below, so I don't loose it forever.
Thanks for reading,
P~
PS: the beadfair mentioned was cancelled this year, but I have new hopes for next year :)
'I create, therefore I am'
Such was the saying I once made up with a school friend. It was years and years ago, and still it holds true.
I have had periods of life where I did not create, like having a new baby or other major uprooting of daily routines, but the time always comes where I feel the urge and must act on it. If I do not, life is nothing but work, and that is no fun.
Last year I threw my love at glass. I have always loved glass, but being able to work it myself is something very new and glorious. To think that I would be able to finally work in this medium, that I have eyed and envied for a lifetime, yes, it is nothing short of glorious. And there is nothing better than the feeling of 'I did this!' when a bead comes out better than expected, which has happened regularly in this my first year in the field :)The thing about glass is that it is generally a hard, frozen material, and to see it glow and drip and to handle the ultra hot mass, is an alchemical wonder to me. The fact that you can shape it pretty much any way you want, and it will end up as a solid and deliciously tactile piece is just fascinating. Then there is the colours. I had no idea there would be so many available. And that they range from transparent to opaque only gives ground for further investigation and playtime.
So, last year was for playing. This year is for playing too ;) but this time I have a plan.First off, I have made an agreement with my boyfriend as to which weeknights he will watch the children, so I will have more free time and be able to create more than I did last year. 4 hours a week by the flame just doesn't do it for me. I also need off-flame time to bend wire and make knots and so forth.
In preparation for the new year, I have bought new and exciting glassrods. To try something new and also to add to my palette. And indeed they are fascinating :) They are not solid coloured rods, but have cores of other colours than the surface. This makes for swirly insides of beads, which is such a lovely sight.
I also plan to branch out into jewelry finally. I am aware that even though Etsy people are a creative bunch, ready-to-wear is something everybody can enjoy, and it will test my abilities as a craftsman on a whole different level. I have invested in nice vermeil findings, sterling chain and also some black leather cord, that I look forward to trying out. I am determined to try new techniques this year. I have a tendency to get stuck when first I try something and it goes well. Then I never evolve any further, and I cannot let that happen to my glass adventure. I am not sure which 'new techniques' I shall work on first, but I have an ever growing list of things I want to try. Making vessels is high on it though :)I am also determined to make an actual set this year. I need to learn to plan ahead, not just make one bead and then a different one and so on. So far I have only made 'sets' of 2, for earrings. This year I will make a full necklace.
And very excitingly, I am planning to get a booth at a beadfair in March.With only a year under my belt, this is a daunting project, but at the same time a very exciting one. I went last year as a buyer, and I saw nothing looking like what I do. I am very hopefull that this will be the case this year too.
Not only is it the only fair I know of around here, but it is also a very nice size for a first timer. Not too big, and not too expensive to join.
Of course everyone there will be beadmakers, so the competition must be fierce, but then again - every customer is looking for beads or jewelry in the first place, which means they are already open to my goods. Time will tell which part will dominate the other :)
PS: Click any picture to get a pop-up for my shop, or the actual listing of the object.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Final Annealing
Monday this week I went for the final annealing I will have time to do before my show, which is in just 3 weeks (Arghh!!!). Unless I make something outstanding that I just have to bring, this is it. And I don't think I will as I have dedicated these last weeks to assembling, some promotion and thoughts of set-up and display. These are a few of the pieces I will be bringing: pendants, earings and fibulas.
Being inspired by Lone from the Webglas group, I have also made some ringbeads. I never did this before, and I find it very difficult to keep them properly warm as I work them. Consequently, two have visible cracks and I am just hoping the others will survive the annealing and trip through the mail. I am wondering if there is a tool for this, as my tweesers does not have the best grip of things.
I will not desert my workshop completely though. Tuesday last week I went for the demo of the Double Helix glass at Bifrost Studio Glass. This was a great idea on their part, since after seeing how to work the glass and the beads that came from it, everyone that came had to bring at least a few rods home. I did too, and have been playing with them all last week. My absolute favourite is Elektra, with Nyx and Triton as seconds. Elektra looks just beautiful with Ivory, it has a wonderful blue tone to begin with, and when reduced leaves a very shiny surface.
I don't like to reduce the Elektra completely, just a touch, so that I can still see through it and look in to the underlaying surface. The Ivory reacts with the silver and produces the wonderful crackled lines that is my favourite effect of Ivory. The Nyx and Triton both reacts with Ivory too, and get extremely shiny when reduced. I am not much into bling and sparkly stuff, but these are really nice and so fun to work with.
I have a picture of the beads I have made, but I left it at home, so I will have to post it later.
I also made a bunch of drops for pendants, which came out quite splendid, but most unfortunately - all but one cracked. They all broke in two, right at the widest part, at the very tip of the mandrel. This is unusual, since mostly other glasses crack at the tapered end from cooling too fast. Only one drop made it, and that one was a bit overcooked, but still pretty, just not as pretty as it could have been.
I have a picture of these too, at home ...
Still, it is a wonderful glass to work with, and ideas keep popping in my head, so I can't not work with it for the next 3 weeks :)
Also, I have joined up in a new and very exciting project that involves beadmaking, which I will write more about in a few days or perhaps even tomorrow if I can't contain myself :)
Oh wait! I almost forgot - here is the bead I mini-demoed the other day. It is one of those beads that just happens, and I am very pleased with it and seriously considering keeping it. Actually I think I will. It has such a lovely organic shape, like a flower ready to bloom :)
P~
Being inspired by Lone from the Webglas group, I have also made some ringbeads. I never did this before, and I find it very difficult to keep them properly warm as I work them. Consequently, two have visible cracks and I am just hoping the others will survive the annealing and trip through the mail. I am wondering if there is a tool for this, as my tweesers does not have the best grip of things.
I will not desert my workshop completely though. Tuesday last week I went for the demo of the Double Helix glass at Bifrost Studio Glass. This was a great idea on their part, since after seeing how to work the glass and the beads that came from it, everyone that came had to bring at least a few rods home. I did too, and have been playing with them all last week. My absolute favourite is Elektra, with Nyx and Triton as seconds. Elektra looks just beautiful with Ivory, it has a wonderful blue tone to begin with, and when reduced leaves a very shiny surface.
I don't like to reduce the Elektra completely, just a touch, so that I can still see through it and look in to the underlaying surface. The Ivory reacts with the silver and produces the wonderful crackled lines that is my favourite effect of Ivory. The Nyx and Triton both reacts with Ivory too, and get extremely shiny when reduced. I am not much into bling and sparkly stuff, but these are really nice and so fun to work with.
I have a picture of the beads I have made, but I left it at home, so I will have to post it later.
I also made a bunch of drops for pendants, which came out quite splendid, but most unfortunately - all but one cracked. They all broke in two, right at the widest part, at the very tip of the mandrel. This is unusual, since mostly other glasses crack at the tapered end from cooling too fast. Only one drop made it, and that one was a bit overcooked, but still pretty, just not as pretty as it could have been.
I have a picture of these too, at home ...
Still, it is a wonderful glass to work with, and ideas keep popping in my head, so I can't not work with it for the next 3 weeks :)
Also, I have joined up in a new and very exciting project that involves beadmaking, which I will write more about in a few days or perhaps even tomorrow if I can't contain myself :)
Oh wait! I almost forgot - here is the bead I mini-demoed the other day. It is one of those beads that just happens, and I am very pleased with it and seriously considering keeping it. Actually I think I will. It has such a lovely organic shape, like a flower ready to bloom :)
P~
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Mini sale!
It's my birthday and I am having a minisale at my Etsy shop.
10% off any item, for today only, untill midnight in my own timezone.
And I will be away for the night, going to a Double Helix demo at Bifrost, my local glass vendor. Yay!
P~
10% off any item, for today only, untill midnight in my own timezone.
And I will be away for the night, going to a Double Helix demo at Bifrost, my local glass vendor. Yay!
P~
Friday, September 26, 2008
I'm in a treasury :)
It was created by Flamekist whom I don't know, which makes it just a little bit better than a treasury made by a team member (though those are nice too:)
P~
P~
Monday, September 22, 2008
Roadtrip!
I had the best day saturday. All glass, all day :)
I drove around 670 kilometres in all, and enjoyed myself doing it. I were happy to have breaks on the half-way though, as this is the longest I have ever driven, and the hightway is not all relaxation after all.
Months ago I had seen advertized that Anlaglas were having an anniversary open house sale on saturday, and I had marked the calender hoping to get to go. Then the new danish glassgroup webglas were formed a few weeks ago, and people started talking about meeting up there, and it turned into a priority. So I went, and I visited Lenette on the half-way and picked her up so we could take the rest of the trip together.
I had never shopped at Anlaglas before, and didn't know what to expect. I don't know if they are more geared towards fusing or it is just because the sheets of glass and slumping forms take up so much more space than the rods we use for beads, but there were tons of sheets around, and they were so delicious one might be tempted to try fusing at some point :)
Anyway - we located the glass rods, and it was fun to see a whole bunch of people (all ladies) all wearing their own beads and shopping for rods. Except for Lenette and the sellers at Bifrost (my local rod-dealer) I find it very hard to meet beadmakers. We don't have the great shows here, that I read of in the US and UK. It's just me and my torch and the internet, so this was great fun.
Now I am not one to go around chatting up strangers, but luckily others are, and the founder of the Webglas group Lone were spreading the word of the group to anyone wearing their own unique beads, and so we met her.
One of our webglas group members were hired there to do demos of beads all day. It was the lovely Louisa of Moeslund Glas.
So we said hello to her, and while we were all chatting away at the demo table, another member introduced herself, Eva of Streva Beads. This is her and Lenette shopping for rods later on.
We were of course checking out each others beads, and Louisa asked how I made the pendant I was wearing (picture will follow shortly). I told her, and she asked if I would like to do a little demo of it - so I did :) Yay! And it was fun. I didn't even mind having (a few) people looking at me, because I knew what I were doing. I got a little bit nervous when it got a bit crooked to the one side, but in all I really liked it, and I don't think I would have a problem doing demos for real some time. That would be fun! :)
So you see, I am not a complete introvert after all :D
The loot -
I were looking for a larger graphite paddle. The one I have is fine, but I keep rolling over the edge when I make drops and other shapes which is a bit annoying, and I found a nice big one, roughly the size of a hand.
As for rods, they had Moretti, which I have enough of for now, and Bullseye, which I am not ready to branch into, since it is not compatible with what I have. So no rods, but they had some nifty dichro stringers that I had wanted to try so I shared a bunch of those with Lenette.
And in the bargain bin I found those inward pointing tweesers that make holes in off mandrel pieces, and also a small graphite paddle with indentations the shape of lentils and tabs. Yay! Both are things I have been considering buying for a while :)
And I also won the lottery. There was a draft of tools and supplies, with a lot of prizes, and so I got one too :) It's a sample box of sheetglass, frits and stringers. It's in COE 85 though, so I don't really know what to do with it quite yet.
And we got free pancakes :)
So in all it was simply a thoroughly great day, that I am still a wee bit high on, although I were sore all over and very tired all of sunday. A great big 'Thank you!' to all the lovely ladies I met, and I hope we can meet up some other time.
And finally, also a big thank you to my lovely driving companions, Meat Loaf and Queen, who had to put up with my very loud (and often incorrect) singing of their timeless hits.
P~
I drove around 670 kilometres in all, and enjoyed myself doing it. I were happy to have breaks on the half-way though, as this is the longest I have ever driven, and the hightway is not all relaxation after all.
Months ago I had seen advertized that Anlaglas were having an anniversary open house sale on saturday, and I had marked the calender hoping to get to go. Then the new danish glassgroup webglas were formed a few weeks ago, and people started talking about meeting up there, and it turned into a priority. So I went, and I visited Lenette on the half-way and picked her up so we could take the rest of the trip together.
I had never shopped at Anlaglas before, and didn't know what to expect. I don't know if they are more geared towards fusing or it is just because the sheets of glass and slumping forms take up so much more space than the rods we use for beads, but there were tons of sheets around, and they were so delicious one might be tempted to try fusing at some point :)
Anyway - we located the glass rods, and it was fun to see a whole bunch of people (all ladies) all wearing their own beads and shopping for rods. Except for Lenette and the sellers at Bifrost (my local rod-dealer) I find it very hard to meet beadmakers. We don't have the great shows here, that I read of in the US and UK. It's just me and my torch and the internet, so this was great fun.
Now I am not one to go around chatting up strangers, but luckily others are, and the founder of the Webglas group Lone were spreading the word of the group to anyone wearing their own unique beads, and so we met her.
One of our webglas group members were hired there to do demos of beads all day. It was the lovely Louisa of Moeslund Glas.
So we said hello to her, and while we were all chatting away at the demo table, another member introduced herself, Eva of Streva Beads. This is her and Lenette shopping for rods later on.
We were of course checking out each others beads, and Louisa asked how I made the pendant I was wearing (picture will follow shortly). I told her, and she asked if I would like to do a little demo of it - so I did :) Yay! And it was fun. I didn't even mind having (a few) people looking at me, because I knew what I were doing. I got a little bit nervous when it got a bit crooked to the one side, but in all I really liked it, and I don't think I would have a problem doing demos for real some time. That would be fun! :)
So you see, I am not a complete introvert after all :D
The loot -
I were looking for a larger graphite paddle. The one I have is fine, but I keep rolling over the edge when I make drops and other shapes which is a bit annoying, and I found a nice big one, roughly the size of a hand.
As for rods, they had Moretti, which I have enough of for now, and Bullseye, which I am not ready to branch into, since it is not compatible with what I have. So no rods, but they had some nifty dichro stringers that I had wanted to try so I shared a bunch of those with Lenette.
And in the bargain bin I found those inward pointing tweesers that make holes in off mandrel pieces, and also a small graphite paddle with indentations the shape of lentils and tabs. Yay! Both are things I have been considering buying for a while :)
And I also won the lottery. There was a draft of tools and supplies, with a lot of prizes, and so I got one too :) It's a sample box of sheetglass, frits and stringers. It's in COE 85 though, so I don't really know what to do with it quite yet.
And we got free pancakes :)
So in all it was simply a thoroughly great day, that I am still a wee bit high on, although I were sore all over and very tired all of sunday. A great big 'Thank you!' to all the lovely ladies I met, and I hope we can meet up some other time.
And finally, also a big thank you to my lovely driving companions, Meat Loaf and Queen, who had to put up with my very loud (and often incorrect) singing of their timeless hits.
P~
Monday, September 15, 2008
I made pendants
And I love them!
It is so great to see a finished product, even if fondeling loose beads is a joy in itself :)
I have to say, gluing in the sterling bails was not as easy as I had thought. Things were either too slippery or too set. I used two-part epoxy, that dries up in 5 minutes, and I had to remix several times to get these done. Any tricks to it that I should know of? (Angela?)
Anyway, they came out great in the end, and I managed to get a couple of pics of them too, in the last rays of sun for the day. Here we go:
These are all I have for now, as I had only bought 10 bails. I need to order more right now. They are brilliant!
Now the rubber cords I have been talking about - that is an entirely different story. I think I may need to order a lot of sterling chains instead :/
P~
It is so great to see a finished product, even if fondeling loose beads is a joy in itself :)
I have to say, gluing in the sterling bails was not as easy as I had thought. Things were either too slippery or too set. I used two-part epoxy, that dries up in 5 minutes, and I had to remix several times to get these done. Any tricks to it that I should know of? (Angela?)
Anyway, they came out great in the end, and I managed to get a couple of pics of them too, in the last rays of sun for the day. Here we go:
These are all I have for now, as I had only bought 10 bails. I need to order more right now. They are brilliant!
Now the rubber cords I have been talking about - that is an entirely different story. I think I may need to order a lot of sterling chains instead :/
P~
Friday, September 12, 2008
Update
You wouldn't know it from reading this blog, but I have infact been doing things for the last 2 weeks, and here is an update on that.
Firstly - I haven't been making too many beads, only a handfull during the last 2 weeks. It's a very odd thing that happens every time I get beads back from annealing. Even though I know my show is coming up, my mind says:' Whoa! Look at all those beads. You did good, now relax, take some time off', and I get very sleepy and complies. I have made some earrings, charms/mini-pendants and a few teeth-necklaces though. These I can make sitting on the sofa, while watching a movie, and of course I need to do those things too, but really - I need more beads!
One thing I have noticed, is that even though I really love to look at and fondle my lose beads and contemplate what to do with them, there is also great joy to be had from holding a piece of jewelry. It just seems so much more finished and useable, and just plain neat to hold a selfmade piece up and dangle it in the sunlight. Before there were nothing, and now there is this! I am really looking forward to having all the pieces laying side by side at the show, and be able to look at it all and say 'I did this'.
(Photos may appear during the weekend ;)
While I may not have made a lot of beads, 2 nights ago I did make a nice pile of very nice and good sized ones. The special thing about these is that it was the first time I hooked up my oxygen concentrator, rather than get it from a tank. And it worked wonderfully. I generally tend to drag my feet when changes are about to happen, and this time has been no exception. I had worried the pressure would be noticeable lower, and that the glass would take forever to melt, but apparently I have been holding back on the tank pressure, and the difference was minute. I am running out of gas too, and I suppose when I get a fresh one there will be no difference. Except in my glass funds, which will last much longer now, Yay!
Thank you a million times Lenette (who arranged for me to have one).
A very important thing to bring to a show is of course business cards/postcards so that people may remember you and be able to find you again. So far I have not had any cards, but now is the time to get some. I wanted to have my logo, the swirly P, on them of course, but I tried to print it once and it came out quite fuzzy. So now I have had a very nice Etsy seller do it up for me in vectors, so I will be able to print it to my hearts delight. I will also change my banners to include this new P of course, as soon as I get the time to fix it. Anyway, here it is:
Much better than the old one, and done by malien00 in no time at all :)
Now I am getting a stamp made from it too. I have gotten a lot of boxes to sell my goods in, but they are quite plain, and I wanted to make them mine, put my mark on them so to speak. So I am getting a stamp made from just the P, to stamp on the lid, and another one with my full webaddress to stamp the inside of the lid. It will be quite nifty I can tell you, and I am looking much forward to getting them. It feels very businessy :)
The last thing I have done, is buying a set of little glass cabinets to display in at the show. I think it will end up quite grand :)
That is all for now,
'later dudettes,
P~
Firstly - I haven't been making too many beads, only a handfull during the last 2 weeks. It's a very odd thing that happens every time I get beads back from annealing. Even though I know my show is coming up, my mind says:' Whoa! Look at all those beads. You did good, now relax, take some time off', and I get very sleepy and complies. I have made some earrings, charms/mini-pendants and a few teeth-necklaces though. These I can make sitting on the sofa, while watching a movie, and of course I need to do those things too, but really - I need more beads!
One thing I have noticed, is that even though I really love to look at and fondle my lose beads and contemplate what to do with them, there is also great joy to be had from holding a piece of jewelry. It just seems so much more finished and useable, and just plain neat to hold a selfmade piece up and dangle it in the sunlight. Before there were nothing, and now there is this! I am really looking forward to having all the pieces laying side by side at the show, and be able to look at it all and say 'I did this'.
(Photos may appear during the weekend ;)
While I may not have made a lot of beads, 2 nights ago I did make a nice pile of very nice and good sized ones. The special thing about these is that it was the first time I hooked up my oxygen concentrator, rather than get it from a tank. And it worked wonderfully. I generally tend to drag my feet when changes are about to happen, and this time has been no exception. I had worried the pressure would be noticeable lower, and that the glass would take forever to melt, but apparently I have been holding back on the tank pressure, and the difference was minute. I am running out of gas too, and I suppose when I get a fresh one there will be no difference. Except in my glass funds, which will last much longer now, Yay!
Thank you a million times Lenette (who arranged for me to have one).
A very important thing to bring to a show is of course business cards/postcards so that people may remember you and be able to find you again. So far I have not had any cards, but now is the time to get some. I wanted to have my logo, the swirly P, on them of course, but I tried to print it once and it came out quite fuzzy. So now I have had a very nice Etsy seller do it up for me in vectors, so I will be able to print it to my hearts delight. I will also change my banners to include this new P of course, as soon as I get the time to fix it. Anyway, here it is:
Much better than the old one, and done by malien00 in no time at all :) Now I am getting a stamp made from it too. I have gotten a lot of boxes to sell my goods in, but they are quite plain, and I wanted to make them mine, put my mark on them so to speak. So I am getting a stamp made from just the P, to stamp on the lid, and another one with my full webaddress to stamp the inside of the lid. It will be quite nifty I can tell you, and I am looking much forward to getting them. It feels very businessy :)
The last thing I have done, is buying a set of little glass cabinets to display in at the show. I think it will end up quite grand :)
That is all for now,
'later dudettes,
P~
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Facebook anyone?
Oh great! Yet another time-sucking vortex I can keep refreshing all day long :)
Well, I have made a profile on facebook. It's a glass related profile, and I am keeping my vampires on my personal (and in Danish) profile, so this one is nice and clean (so far), and a 'business' type thing.
This is it: profusion. I also made a 'page' for it which is here. So if anybody would like to friend me I would be happy to add you. And take a look at my events, even if you can't attend, just because I have them :)
P~
Well, I have made a profile on facebook. It's a glass related profile, and I am keeping my vampires on my personal (and in Danish) profile, so this one is nice and clean (so far), and a 'business' type thing.
This is it: profusion. I also made a 'page' for it which is here. So if anybody would like to friend me I would be happy to add you. And take a look at my events, even if you can't attend, just because I have them :)
P~
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
I feel used! :)
Yes, somebody has used a bead of mine in a piece of jewelry and it's looking great!
I don't usually go around checking up on my buyers, but Archaicdesign was my very first customer on Etsy, and therefore a special case. Once in a while I will swing by her shop and have a peak at her pieces, especially her wonderful bracelets. You can just look at them and know they will last you a lifetime. All that solid fat sterling wire - it's simply delicious :)
Thank you Susan, for the use of your picture.
P~
I don't usually go around checking up on my buyers, but Archaicdesign was my very first customer on Etsy, and therefore a special case. Once in a while I will swing by her shop and have a peak at her pieces, especially her wonderful bracelets. You can just look at them and know they will last you a lifetime. All that solid fat sterling wire - it's simply delicious :)
P~
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Angel in progress
I just made a little post in the 'Creative Scandinavians Blog', about this lovely lady:
Wings are new to me, but I like it :)
P~
Wings are new to me, but I like it :)
P~
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Bead Pictures!
Well, here we go :)
First, the shapes that will live after being cooled down in my new Japanese annealing bubbles, even when quite large. The ones on the right are the ones that look like Sue's ATC.
Next - dots.
Love those plunged bubbles.
My newly discovered love - drop beads. I will glue a bail into the hole and they will be quite nifty. Some are based on Ivory,
some on nice swirly odd lots from Vetrofond.
Some of them have been shaped further.
These ladies are all made with just a hole at the top. I look much forward to seeing one finished and on a chain. I have only silver bails, so I suppose I should get some sterling chains, though a black rubber cord would be lovely too.
The 3 ivories in the top row are the angel experiment I did, the 'baby-arm' godesses. I have already made a better one, but I don't think it would hold up to being a pendant, so I'll experiment further on making the wings more solid.
That's all for now.
P~
First, the shapes that will live after being cooled down in my new Japanese annealing bubbles, even when quite large. The ones on the right are the ones that look like Sue's ATC.
Next - dots.
Love those plunged bubbles.
My newly discovered love - drop beads. I will glue a bail into the hole and they will be quite nifty. Some are based on Ivory,
some on nice swirly odd lots from Vetrofond.
Some of them have been shaped further.
These ladies are all made with just a hole at the top. I look much forward to seeing one finished and on a chain. I have only silver bails, so I suppose I should get some sterling chains, though a black rubber cord would be lovely too.
The 3 ivories in the top row are the angel experiment I did, the 'baby-arm' godesses. I have already made a better one, but I don't think it would hold up to being a pendant, so I'll experiment further on making the wings more solid.
That's all for now.
P~
Friday, August 08, 2008
08.08.08
1.000 couples are getting married today in Denmark alone.
Personally I'd rather have 09.09.09 as the date. 8's doesn't do anything for me, but 9's are lovely.
P~
Personally I'd rather have 09.09.09 as the date. 8's doesn't do anything for me, but 9's are lovely.
P~
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Holiday Update
Well then, the holiday is over and has been for a while. Seems longer than 4 days though, as we are all ready to fall over from tiredness. It is very hard to change back to workschedule after 3 weeks of sleeping in as your system sees fit.
We had a nice holiday. We spent a week in a rented summer cottage by the sea. The weather was not hot enough for actual bathing, but we took daytrips around the area and visited with relatives, and the week was soon over. Then we had two weeks at home, which the adults enjoyed and the children were bored by.
The first thing I did upon our return, was to ask BF to install the vent I got just before we left. He set it up, and now I have all the vent power a girl could dream of. It is so powerfull I can feel a bit of a breeze from behind, even on the lowest setting. Yay! :)
And I have put it to good use too. I had thought that I would be too busy with family stuff during the holiday weeks to make any beads, but in fact it has been glorious. It is so much easier to get some work done when you know you can continue all night if you are up to it, and then sleep it off in the morning. Even if the kids don't sleep/calm down until 9-10 PM there is still plenty of time for melting glass.
So I have been in a furious workmode and it has been grand. I have made a lot of new beads, and discovered the wonder of the one-hole bead. Once I made a drop bead on the tip of my mandrel, but it broke as soon as I tried to get it off, and I thought maybe I should not do those until I had a kiln. But no, I can do drop beads, and I have a bunch ready for annealing (as soon as possible) in lovely swirly colours.
I have also been making goddesses in a new way. Usually I add whatever bumps needs adding on the body core, but I thought I would try to shape one of the drops into a goddess, and it went very well. I also made a couple with wings ... or at least they were intended to be wings, but people call them arms, baby arms or even ears. I do agree though that I need to work a bit on them as they are very small and could well resemble baby arms (though this suggestion came from my baby who also says 'give me the bunny' when she sees my ladies). In any case, Yay! for a small progress :)
But - now workdays have begun again, and I have been quite exhausted, as has the rest of the family, from getting up about 4 hours earlier than the last 3 weeks. And since I know from experience that lampworking and exhaustion does not mix well, I have only had one short session since sunday. This is bad, bad news as I need to work hard to get a good stock up before the end of october. I am especially low on earring pairs (according to my plan), and I am guessing mine might be the first jewelry booth ever selling neckwear only ;)
Oh well, the neckwear will be lovely :)
P~
PS: pics will follow as soon as I get some taken (ahem ...)
We had a nice holiday. We spent a week in a rented summer cottage by the sea. The weather was not hot enough for actual bathing, but we took daytrips around the area and visited with relatives, and the week was soon over. Then we had two weeks at home, which the adults enjoyed and the children were bored by.
The first thing I did upon our return, was to ask BF to install the vent I got just before we left. He set it up, and now I have all the vent power a girl could dream of. It is so powerfull I can feel a bit of a breeze from behind, even on the lowest setting. Yay! :)
And I have put it to good use too. I had thought that I would be too busy with family stuff during the holiday weeks to make any beads, but in fact it has been glorious. It is so much easier to get some work done when you know you can continue all night if you are up to it, and then sleep it off in the morning. Even if the kids don't sleep/calm down until 9-10 PM there is still plenty of time for melting glass.
So I have been in a furious workmode and it has been grand. I have made a lot of new beads, and discovered the wonder of the one-hole bead. Once I made a drop bead on the tip of my mandrel, but it broke as soon as I tried to get it off, and I thought maybe I should not do those until I had a kiln. But no, I can do drop beads, and I have a bunch ready for annealing (as soon as possible) in lovely swirly colours.
I have also been making goddesses in a new way. Usually I add whatever bumps needs adding on the body core, but I thought I would try to shape one of the drops into a goddess, and it went very well. I also made a couple with wings ... or at least they were intended to be wings, but people call them arms, baby arms or even ears. I do agree though that I need to work a bit on them as they are very small and could well resemble baby arms (though this suggestion came from my baby who also says 'give me the bunny' when she sees my ladies). In any case, Yay! for a small progress :)
But - now workdays have begun again, and I have been quite exhausted, as has the rest of the family, from getting up about 4 hours earlier than the last 3 weeks. And since I know from experience that lampworking and exhaustion does not mix well, I have only had one short session since sunday. This is bad, bad news as I need to work hard to get a good stock up before the end of october. I am especially low on earring pairs (according to my plan), and I am guessing mine might be the first jewelry booth ever selling neckwear only ;)
Oh well, the neckwear will be lovely :)
P~
PS: pics will follow as soon as I get some taken (ahem ...)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Ahem ...
I might have been a tad overenthusiastic about my new ventilations system.
Yesterday after a few hours at the torch I thought my lungs weren't feeling as perfect as I would like them to, and I had BF come down and smoke on the contraption.
It does infact have a bit of sucktion, but only within the vent hood. Everything that escapes around the hood is free to do it's damage. I do have the hood as close to the flame as I can, it is plastic after all, and I do expect the heat to bear the fumes up and into it, but apparently it is not good enough.
I could feel my lungs misbehaving a few weeks back too, but I thought it was an overdose of the pollen that was around at the time. Now I don't know ...
I think sitting in the basement is not the best idea, but it is the only place we have right now. I will be spending a lot of time down there over the next 3 months, so I need to have this fixed fast.
Tonight I will not be torching. The last two nights have been bad torching sessions with lots of cracked beads and weird reactions and colourcombos. I think I have been too tired and need a bit of rest. There is always tomorrow, and I have a lot of planning to do still that I can think of tonight.
P~
------------------------------
Hooray! I just got an extractor hood* from off the Copenhagen freecycle group. How perfect is that :)
Yay!
------------------------------
*Extractor hood, had to look it up in the dictionary. Never heard it before. One of those hoods that lead the steam outside when you cook. What do you call them?
Yesterday after a few hours at the torch I thought my lungs weren't feeling as perfect as I would like them to, and I had BF come down and smoke on the contraption.
It does infact have a bit of sucktion, but only within the vent hood. Everything that escapes around the hood is free to do it's damage. I do have the hood as close to the flame as I can, it is plastic after all, and I do expect the heat to bear the fumes up and into it, but apparently it is not good enough.
I could feel my lungs misbehaving a few weeks back too, but I thought it was an overdose of the pollen that was around at the time. Now I don't know ...
I think sitting in the basement is not the best idea, but it is the only place we have right now. I will be spending a lot of time down there over the next 3 months, so I need to have this fixed fast.
Tonight I will not be torching. The last two nights have been bad torching sessions with lots of cracked beads and weird reactions and colourcombos. I think I have been too tired and need a bit of rest. There is always tomorrow, and I have a lot of planning to do still that I can think of tonight.
P~
------------------------------
Hooray! I just got an extractor hood* from off the Copenhagen freecycle group. How perfect is that :)
Yay!
------------------------------
*Extractor hood, had to look it up in the dictionary. Never heard it before. One of those hoods that lead the steam outside when you cook. What do you call them?
Monday, July 07, 2008
Supplies, Argh!
Whoa! This show of mine had better be brilliant, because buying supplies is cleaning me out completely. I might have to borrow too ...
Maybe I am overdoing it, but how do I know? I try to picture how a certain amount of e.g. necklaces will look, and then shop according to that, but really I have no idea. It is kind of scary how much one can spend in a few minutes. Well a lot of minutes actually, because I think and consider and reconsider and almost bail out. But then I think 'I need this stuff, go to check-out woman!' and I wave goodbye to my meager funds, once not so meager, but now ... gone. Poof!
Scary, I tell you ...
P~
Maybe I am overdoing it, but how do I know? I try to picture how a certain amount of e.g. necklaces will look, and then shop according to that, but really I have no idea. It is kind of scary how much one can spend in a few minutes. Well a lot of minutes actually, because I think and consider and reconsider and almost bail out. But then I think 'I need this stuff, go to check-out woman!' and I wave goodbye to my meager funds, once not so meager, but now ... gone. Poof!
Scary, I tell you ...
P~
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Call me McGyver
I have hammered and tied and taped (oh yes) and even connected wires, et voilá, we have sucktion.
Yesterday I collected all the parts I needed and got going with a long overdue project. Today I have proper ventilation at my work bench :) It may look ... less than professional, but I made it myself and it works, so I am all kinds of happy.
My parents had taken all of the kids for the day, while BF were attending day 3 of the wonderful Roskilde Festival. When they brought them back in the evening I had been at the torch for 3½ hours, and they didn't smell a thing :) Yay!
I do believe I am ready to cook with the silver colours for real :)
P~
Yesterday I collected all the parts I needed and got going with a long overdue project. Today I have proper ventilation at my work bench :) It may look ... less than professional, but I made it myself and it works, so I am all kinds of happy.
My parents had taken all of the kids for the day, while BF were attending day 3 of the wonderful Roskilde Festival. When they brought them back in the evening I had been at the torch for 3½ hours, and they didn't smell a thing :) Yay!
I do believe I am ready to cook with the silver colours for real :)
P~
Monday, June 30, 2008
Etsy come back!
For 4 days now I and many others have not been able to access the Etsy site at all. It is just not there. Apparently it is not a problem at Etsy's end and also not a problem at our service providers end, so ... it must me some bad magic going on.
I want my Etsy back!
P~
I want my Etsy back!
P~
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A first step ...
So, for the big upcoming event, I have broken out my fattest mandrels. They are nothing spectacular at 1/8", but they are bigger than what I normally use, and for some reason I can make beads that are bigger than normal too which is very nice.
These beads will fit perfectly on the rubbercords I am planning, with nifty sliding locks for easy change of bead. I do hope people will not object to rubber, because the leather cords I bought and got very excited about last year turned out to leave a fairly pronounced shade of colour on ones neck and any clothing it might rub up against. Very sad, but now I have found a supplier of the nifty locks, and that is all I need :)
I am also working on a detailed plan of all the things I need to make/get/consider/think of or buy, which should be the backbone of this adventure if I do it right. There are soooo many details, and I get lost easily.
I have begun working on beads, and have been making a new shape that I like a lot. I sure hope other people will like it too, cause I will be making a bunch of them. They seem to hold up to my no-kiln situation nicely, even at a substantial size. They look quite a bit like these shapes, only shorter, fatter and in one colour only.
(Thanks for use of your pic Sue)
As for the kiln, I have (almost) decided to use my funds for supplies for now, and wait until next year to get a kiln. It's a very long time though, and it really would come in handy at this time, so I could be making beads up until the very last day before the show. I do need supplies though ... It's a bonafide dilemma, see?
Oh I almost forgot - it has been such a long time since I have gotten any bead books, so I had ordered 2 last week. One is Masters: Glass Beads and the other is 1000 Glass Beads. I didn't realize the books were from the same publisher and contains a number of the same or similar pictures. They are still delicious though, and I am so happy to have them right now as you can't avoid being inspired when paging through them :)
P~
These beads will fit perfectly on the rubbercords I am planning, with nifty sliding locks for easy change of bead. I do hope people will not object to rubber, because the leather cords I bought and got very excited about last year turned out to leave a fairly pronounced shade of colour on ones neck and any clothing it might rub up against. Very sad, but now I have found a supplier of the nifty locks, and that is all I need :)
I am also working on a detailed plan of all the things I need to make/get/consider/think of or buy, which should be the backbone of this adventure if I do it right. There are soooo many details, and I get lost easily.
I have begun working on beads, and have been making a new shape that I like a lot. I sure hope other people will like it too, cause I will be making a bunch of them. They seem to hold up to my no-kiln situation nicely, even at a substantial size. They look quite a bit like these shapes, only shorter, fatter and in one colour only.
(Thanks for use of your pic Sue)
As for the kiln, I have (almost) decided to use my funds for supplies for now, and wait until next year to get a kiln. It's a very long time though, and it really would come in handy at this time, so I could be making beads up until the very last day before the show. I do need supplies though ... It's a bonafide dilemma, see?
Oh I almost forgot - it has been such a long time since I have gotten any bead books, so I had ordered 2 last week. One is Masters: Glass Beads and the other is 1000 Glass Beads. I didn't realize the books were from the same publisher and contains a number of the same or similar pictures. They are still delicious though, and I am so happy to have them right now as you can't avoid being inspired when paging through them :)
P~
Friday, June 20, 2008
Upcoming Event!
Oh my! I have an upcoming event, how cool is that?!
I have booked booth space for an artshow and I am so excited!!!
I will share the space with my sister, she'll be showing her photography in different techniques and it will be so beautiful! She is very talented and I look forward to us being there together :)
It's a new show called Artfreak.dk and it is not so well known yet. It had it's first event just a few weeks ago, and apparently it went so well they want to do another one right away. We were there to see it, and it was mostly paintings, and a little bit of fused glas, so I might get to be the only lampworker there. There were a few other people selling jewelry though, but nothing like what I will do :)
The show is in 4 months, on oct. 31 - nov. 2, but one of those will be full of vacation, so basicly I have 3 months to get ready. From 0 to 100 in 3 months - is that even possible? o_0
I have made a list of things I need to do/make/get for this event, and even something as basic as business cards or packaging boxes is stuff I don't have. I am going to need so many new supplies too ...
The no kiln - no planning ability combo is dragging me down! But I'm too excited and will work as hard as I can to make this a success. Can you tell it's my first show? :)
Come on Brain, plan!
P~
I have booked booth space for an artshow and I am so excited!!!
I will share the space with my sister, she'll be showing her photography in different techniques and it will be so beautiful! She is very talented and I look forward to us being there together :)
It's a new show called Artfreak.dk and it is not so well known yet. It had it's first event just a few weeks ago, and apparently it went so well they want to do another one right away. We were there to see it, and it was mostly paintings, and a little bit of fused glas, so I might get to be the only lampworker there. There were a few other people selling jewelry though, but nothing like what I will do :)
The show is in 4 months, on oct. 31 - nov. 2, but one of those will be full of vacation, so basicly I have 3 months to get ready. From 0 to 100 in 3 months - is that even possible? o_0
I have made a list of things I need to do/make/get for this event, and even something as basic as business cards or packaging boxes is stuff I don't have. I am going to need so many new supplies too ...
The no kiln - no planning ability combo is dragging me down! But I'm too excited and will work as hard as I can to make this a success. Can you tell it's my first show? :)
Come on Brain, plan!
P~
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Highlights -
of the last couple of days:
Friday: Ooh friday. That was the day that Lydia Muell put up beads for sale. I had kept an eye out during the week after seeing her beads on LE, but I thought I would not be home at the time she would list them. As it happened I had put her in a wrong timezone and the actual listing time were 2 hours later than I had thought, and I were so ready!
I refreshed and refreshed and wondered how many others were doing that too and if her site would take it. I had almost convinced myself that it would be okay if I didn't get it, but as I refreshed once more the beads were up and I clicked and checked out and typed as fast as I could.
And Voilá, this is the latest addition to my bead/glass collection :)
Thank you Lydia for letting me use your picture
I am very excited about this one and have been sketching a bit regarding what I want to do with it. If I can pull it off it will be fit for a queen, but I shall keep it for myself :) Don't know when and with what I can possibly wear it though ... Go visit Lydias blog and website for stunning bead overload!
Also on friday, non bead related: My boyfriend has been looking at cars for a while. The one we have is an unsafe, noisy, smokey rustbucket, but it gets us where we want to go. We don't trust it for longer trips though, and with the holiday/vacation time coming up, he has made a serious effort, and on friday he picked up our new car! It is a whole new experince I tell you. It is silent, runs smooothly and there is more room on the backseat for the litle ones. I feel quite grown up when driving it, it feels like a 'real' car. Yay!
Weekend: There is a dot craze going on over at www.Lampworketc.com for all the wrong reasons, but none the less I have been inspired to do some too. I should probably not show off my own beads right after the glory of Lydias, but here we go anyway :)
The black and silver one was odd. I placed dots as 6-leafed flowers around the bead, melted them in and they were all well placed with a tiny line of black between them. When I reduced to get the silver out they grew right into each other and are just silvered areas now. Hard to see on the black, but very shiny.
The green one was odd too. There are actually 2 very different colours of green dots on that surface, they just look exactly the same. You can see the outlines of the top dots on the lower ones though.
The blue one has a very nice shape and weight. I have not cleaned it out of fear it might crack cause it's kind of big. But I'd like the blue dots closer together, the center dots are too big and not all shiny, and almost all of the tiny black dots are undercut.
Now the purple one came out nicely. The colours go well together (seashell base, some purple on top and iris blue mini dots), the purple dots came close together and the small metallic dots all went metallic and settled in well. It's a nice bead. But the thing is - everybody is doing it, and they all look just like it, so it doesn't feel like it's my creation. It does not make me happy.
These next ones may be simple, but they are all mine and that makes me happy :)
(Sorry about the fussyness that hurts my eyes. I shall replace asap)
Monday: Yesterday I went to have a bag full of beads annealed at my local glass supplier. I should have them back in a few days by mail. While I were there of course I had to get a couple of rods too :) I got black, white and both Ivories of Moretti as I were running out of those.
I also got a goldstone rod, one with the goldstone on the outside. I have tried the one that is incased in clear and find there are too much clear around it so now I will try the other kind. I don't use it much though, I'm not a glittery girl.
I also got 2 short rods of Double Helix glass that I look much forward to trying. I'll have to read up on how to work them first though, as I don't want to waste them. I got Terra and Chaos. This should be fun :)
And I had a good look at their kiln. They sell only that one, and the good thing about it is that apparently it doesn't use too many Amps when running, which is just what I need. It runs high enough for silver clay too, which I want to try later. I'll have too search around for a better price though, as danish prices are over the roof. It's the MF5 from Nabertherm in Germany. I'll go and look what else they have :)
P~
Friday: Ooh friday. That was the day that Lydia Muell put up beads for sale. I had kept an eye out during the week after seeing her beads on LE, but I thought I would not be home at the time she would list them. As it happened I had put her in a wrong timezone and the actual listing time were 2 hours later than I had thought, and I were so ready!
I refreshed and refreshed and wondered how many others were doing that too and if her site would take it. I had almost convinced myself that it would be okay if I didn't get it, but as I refreshed once more the beads were up and I clicked and checked out and typed as fast as I could.
And Voilá, this is the latest addition to my bead/glass collection :)
I am very excited about this one and have been sketching a bit regarding what I want to do with it. If I can pull it off it will be fit for a queen, but I shall keep it for myself :) Don't know when and with what I can possibly wear it though ... Go visit Lydias blog and website for stunning bead overload!
Also on friday, non bead related: My boyfriend has been looking at cars for a while. The one we have is an unsafe, noisy, smokey rustbucket, but it gets us where we want to go. We don't trust it for longer trips though, and with the holiday/vacation time coming up, he has made a serious effort, and on friday he picked up our new car! It is a whole new experince I tell you. It is silent, runs smooothly and there is more room on the backseat for the litle ones. I feel quite grown up when driving it, it feels like a 'real' car. Yay!
Weekend: There is a dot craze going on over at www.Lampworketc.com for all the wrong reasons, but none the less I have been inspired to do some too. I should probably not show off my own beads right after the glory of Lydias, but here we go anyway :)
The black and silver one was odd. I placed dots as 6-leafed flowers around the bead, melted them in and they were all well placed with a tiny line of black between them. When I reduced to get the silver out they grew right into each other and are just silvered areas now. Hard to see on the black, but very shiny. The green one was odd too. There are actually 2 very different colours of green dots on that surface, they just look exactly the same. You can see the outlines of the top dots on the lower ones though.
The blue one has a very nice shape and weight. I have not cleaned it out of fear it might crack cause it's kind of big. But I'd like the blue dots closer together, the center dots are too big and not all shiny, and almost all of the tiny black dots are undercut.
Now the purple one came out nicely. The colours go well together (seashell base, some purple on top and iris blue mini dots), the purple dots came close together and the small metallic dots all went metallic and settled in well. It's a nice bead. But the thing is - everybody is doing it, and they all look just like it, so it doesn't feel like it's my creation. It does not make me happy.
These next ones may be simple, but they are all mine and that makes me happy :)
(Sorry about the fussyness that hurts my eyes. I shall replace asap)Monday: Yesterday I went to have a bag full of beads annealed at my local glass supplier. I should have them back in a few days by mail. While I were there of course I had to get a couple of rods too :) I got black, white and both Ivories of Moretti as I were running out of those.
I also got a goldstone rod, one with the goldstone on the outside. I have tried the one that is incased in clear and find there are too much clear around it so now I will try the other kind. I don't use it much though, I'm not a glittery girl.
I also got 2 short rods of Double Helix glass that I look much forward to trying. I'll have to read up on how to work them first though, as I don't want to waste them. I got Terra and Chaos. This should be fun :)
And I had a good look at their kiln. They sell only that one, and the good thing about it is that apparently it doesn't use too many Amps when running, which is just what I need. It runs high enough for silver clay too, which I want to try later. I'll have too search around for a better price though, as danish prices are over the roof. It's the MF5 from Nabertherm in Germany. I'll go and look what else they have :)
P~
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Spam!
Well well, now I am being insulted by my spam.
Apparently I look stupid, but guess what - I am not stupid enough to play your 'video1.exe'. I can't even imagine how this could make anyone click anything.
I also need to 'improve my little friend', so that I may 'set my wife on fire'.
Do you think they want me to get a bigger torch? :)
P~
Apparently I look stupid, but guess what - I am not stupid enough to play your 'video1.exe'. I can't even imagine how this could make anyone click anything.
I also need to 'improve my little friend', so that I may 'set my wife on fire'.
Do you think they want me to get a bigger torch? :)
P~
Sunday, June 01, 2008
End of May!
Well, that was May.
It sure blew by fast for such a slow beadmaking month. I did get new glass though, and I am very excited about the silver glasses I ordered. I can see why people love them. The browns with Ivory looks possitively yummy, and the crackle reaction is great. I have made some dotted beads to test how they work and I am very pleased. I love these earthen tones and I am sure I will be making a lot of beads in these colours.
I have also finally tried the good old and very simple technique of closely placed dots with a twist in between. My stringers have always been as thin as a hair, but I have made an effort to make some 'fat' ones of about 1mm's thickness to use as a twisting tool. I have admired many beautiful beads with raised swirls, and now I am practicing the very thing myself. It's a lovely thing :)
Another new thing for me is that I made a reduction. I made a twistie (which is also a new thing) of hades and silver cinnamon and melted it in around a base bead. I turned down the oxygen and up the propane and it turned the silver cinnamon parts completely shiny with silverdeposits. I am not much into shiny, but this was fun and I will try to see if i can make it happen again.
And here they all are :)
P~
It sure blew by fast for such a slow beadmaking month. I did get new glass though, and I am very excited about the silver glasses I ordered. I can see why people love them. The browns with Ivory looks possitively yummy, and the crackle reaction is great. I have made some dotted beads to test how they work and I am very pleased. I love these earthen tones and I am sure I will be making a lot of beads in these colours.
I have also finally tried the good old and very simple technique of closely placed dots with a twist in between. My stringers have always been as thin as a hair, but I have made an effort to make some 'fat' ones of about 1mm's thickness to use as a twisting tool. I have admired many beautiful beads with raised swirls, and now I am practicing the very thing myself. It's a lovely thing :)
Another new thing for me is that I made a reduction. I made a twistie (which is also a new thing) of hades and silver cinnamon and melted it in around a base bead. I turned down the oxygen and up the propane and it turned the silver cinnamon parts completely shiny with silverdeposits. I am not much into shiny, but this was fun and I will try to see if i can make it happen again.
And here they all are :)
P~
Thursday, May 29, 2008
New Glass!
I never thought I were a shopaholic, but now I am beginning to think I could be one.
I don't shop for clothes or shoes, or decorative items for my home though, like females normally might do, but getting a delivery of new glassrods in the morning makes me delirious all day! Ooh the joy! I feel giddy to the point of getting comments.
I didn't have time to open the box that came this morning, it arrived just as we were leaving, so I have been ... distracted all day, and just waiting for the moment that I can turn off this PC and go home to fondle and sort my new treasures :)
And speaking of treasures - I mentioned Vickie Hallmark in my last post. For a week now I have been wearing this beauty:
Thank you Vickie, for trading with me, and for the use of your picture
I love her pods. The shape is so delicious, and the colours are wonderfull. It is nice and heavy in a way that makes me think of precious metals and stones :)
Vickie uses ribbons for her pods, and I definately need to think of something pretty too. I just threaded it onto a meter of sterling chain from my supplybox, because I had to wear it immediately when it arrived :) I suppose it could be okay if I oxidized it, but right now it is too shiny.
Well, only ½ an hour now, till I get to go home. Yay!
P~
I don't shop for clothes or shoes, or decorative items for my home though, like females normally might do, but getting a delivery of new glassrods in the morning makes me delirious all day! Ooh the joy! I feel giddy to the point of getting comments.
I didn't have time to open the box that came this morning, it arrived just as we were leaving, so I have been ... distracted all day, and just waiting for the moment that I can turn off this PC and go home to fondle and sort my new treasures :)
And speaking of treasures - I mentioned Vickie Hallmark in my last post. For a week now I have been wearing this beauty:
I love her pods. The shape is so delicious, and the colours are wonderfull. It is nice and heavy in a way that makes me think of precious metals and stones :)
Vickie uses ribbons for her pods, and I definately need to think of something pretty too. I just threaded it onto a meter of sterling chain from my supplybox, because I had to wear it immediately when it arrived :) I suppose it could be okay if I oxidized it, but right now it is too shiny.
Well, only ½ an hour now, till I get to go home. Yay!
P~
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
What's Cooking?
Well, after discovering this lovely Lady, Vickie Hallmark, and her fabulous pods, I have been all hopping with ideas of electroforming. Even if I don't see me getting the equipment in the near future (probably not this year), it is very exciting all the same, and I am writing and sketching so I will remember later.
I did get to the torch this weekend, and I made these somewhat podlike things:
Now the thing is - there were 2 more, but they broke on the mandrel. The black one broke right after taking this picture, and the green one is cracked in so many places it's not even funny. This means I have 3 measly beads to show after 2½ hours of torching, and I really don't see how that can ever turn into even a selfsustained hobby, much less a business with a profit.
I do realize that had I had a kiln they might not have broken, with practice I might have been faster, and with a plan before I sit down I might be faster too (I think I need a Colour Book). But still ....
And about the kiln, it seems any kiln I can find will be needing more amps than we have for the whole house at this time. Which means not only do I need to invest in a kiln, but I also need to get extra powerlines into the house to get it to fire in the first place. So I have been ignoring the whole kiln issue, after getting a good start a few weeks back.
I am up and down all at the same time o_O
I did get to the torch this weekend, and I made these somewhat podlike things:
Now the thing is - there were 2 more, but they broke on the mandrel. The black one broke right after taking this picture, and the green one is cracked in so many places it's not even funny. This means I have 3 measly beads to show after 2½ hours of torching, and I really don't see how that can ever turn into even a selfsustained hobby, much less a business with a profit.
I do realize that had I had a kiln they might not have broken, with practice I might have been faster, and with a plan before I sit down I might be faster too (I think I need a Colour Book). But still ....
And about the kiln, it seems any kiln I can find will be needing more amps than we have for the whole house at this time. Which means not only do I need to invest in a kiln, but I also need to get extra powerlines into the house to get it to fire in the first place. So I have been ignoring the whole kiln issue, after getting a good start a few weeks back.
I am up and down all at the same time o_O
Mostly up though, I am good at ignoring things. And I have made an order for more glass (this time from Holland again) which is a definate up'er :) The owner told me that postage was the same no matter the size of the order, so I got a lot! 20 colours = 2,5 kg (well it's a lot for me. I can't compete with the 30 pound orders I have heard of, don't want to either :) ) I also got the new Japanese annealing bubbles, so I am hoping for less cracks already. Now I am looking for a nice storage system, since having rods laying in layers on the table is bad, bad feng shui.
This week will be busy though so I may not get a lot of (any) things done. My baby's birthday is tomorrow, she'll be 2. The house is a disaster and needs to be cleaned up tonight before company arrives tomorrow for dinner. We have also yet to get her a present or two. It's amazing how these things sneak up on us time and again. Saturday we go on a boat trip with the workplace people, and the kids sleep over at my parents house. Then sunday we'll have them over for lunch is the plan so far ... it may not seem like a lot, but I'm tired allready.
P~
Thursday, May 01, 2008
I'm a front row girl!
Completely non-glass related :)
Today I did something I have never done before. I went to a concert, without having a ticket, hoping I could get one at the door. This concert was completely sold out and had been for a while, and I had not expected to be able to get in. But I know this venue, and since the merchandise stand is passed before you have to show your ticket, I thought I would go and at least get the new CD. Then I thought, why not try to find a ticket now that I will be there anyway. So I made a sign proclaiming that I needed a ticket and I stood by the door to be seen by everyone entering.
And it worked! I stood there for 15-20 min. when a guy came over and sold me a ticket! Yes, once again have I been fortunate enough to experience the wonder that is Einstürzende Neubauten. If you do not know these guys, now would be a good time to do a bit of research and aquaint yourself with something wonderful. You must like your music rythmic and loud though, and be up for a bit of powertools and steel percussion. And German language :) Lots of stuff on YouTube. A favourite of mine Haus der Lüge, Yum! They didn't play much of the good old stuff though, mostly from the recent years and from the new CD that I have not heard yet. But I liked the new songs and I look forward to getting to know them :)
I were talking a bit with the girl next to me, and it was her first Neubauten live concert. She liked it a lot! And I could only agree, they are awesome :)
P~
Today I did something I have never done before. I went to a concert, without having a ticket, hoping I could get one at the door. This concert was completely sold out and had been for a while, and I had not expected to be able to get in. But I know this venue, and since the merchandise stand is passed before you have to show your ticket, I thought I would go and at least get the new CD. Then I thought, why not try to find a ticket now that I will be there anyway. So I made a sign proclaiming that I needed a ticket and I stood by the door to be seen by everyone entering.
And it worked! I stood there for 15-20 min. when a guy came over and sold me a ticket! Yes, once again have I been fortunate enough to experience the wonder that is Einstürzende Neubauten. If you do not know these guys, now would be a good time to do a bit of research and aquaint yourself with something wonderful. You must like your music rythmic and loud though, and be up for a bit of powertools and steel percussion. And German language :) Lots of stuff on YouTube. A favourite of mine Haus der Lüge, Yum! They didn't play much of the good old stuff though, mostly from the recent years and from the new CD that I have not heard yet. But I liked the new songs and I look forward to getting to know them :)
I were talking a bit with the girl next to me, and it was her first Neubauten live concert. She liked it a lot! And I could only agree, they are awesome :)
P~
Monday, April 28, 2008
Something new!
I finally got into my workshop with my new glass this weekend, and the first thing I wanted to do was one of my 'things I'd like to try'. I used my beloved Effettre Ivory, a dollop of my new Vetrofond odd light amber and a bit of Vetrofond odd lot Cosmic Storm stringer, and I went ahead and tried my hands at my first off-mandrell piece.
Now this is something completely different from making beads on a mandrel. In stead of inventing the wheel all over again, I decided to try a heart. It is quite possible I should have made just a little bit of research, but instead I just jumped in with both feet. I heated a blob of ivory on the end of the rod, added globs of amber and twirled a bit of Cosmic Storm around it.
I squished the whole thing fairly flat, heated the appropriate area and made a cut diagonally across from the rod and halfway through the disc. This makes 2 pointy ends that when heated ends up as the 2 round top parts of a heart. The center and pointy end of my heart were a bit skinny, but it didn't occur to me to add more glass as I were ballancing the hot mass trying to avoid melting the rod too much and losing the whole thing.
I also tried to poke a hole through the upper center so the heart might be hung when finished, but when I poked from one side, the hole from the other side would close up and just show a little point where it had been. So I gave up on that, and now I have a small heart to decorate my home in some fashion.
Not a raging success, but definately fun, and definately something I will try again.
Front and back. Yup, it's tiny :)
I also made a few beads in black and white, much like this one, which I haven't done in a long time, and some more of the jupiter spacers. I think I have enough now for the necklace I am contemplating, my first planned project. Now I need to work on some teeth beads so I can have a bunch available for my shop, they always sell fast :)
P~
Now this is something completely different from making beads on a mandrel. In stead of inventing the wheel all over again, I decided to try a heart. It is quite possible I should have made just a little bit of research, but instead I just jumped in with both feet. I heated a blob of ivory on the end of the rod, added globs of amber and twirled a bit of Cosmic Storm around it.
I squished the whole thing fairly flat, heated the appropriate area and made a cut diagonally across from the rod and halfway through the disc. This makes 2 pointy ends that when heated ends up as the 2 round top parts of a heart. The center and pointy end of my heart were a bit skinny, but it didn't occur to me to add more glass as I were ballancing the hot mass trying to avoid melting the rod too much and losing the whole thing.
I also tried to poke a hole through the upper center so the heart might be hung when finished, but when I poked from one side, the hole from the other side would close up and just show a little point where it had been. So I gave up on that, and now I have a small heart to decorate my home in some fashion.
Not a raging success, but definately fun, and definately something I will try again.
I also made a few beads in black and white, much like this one, which I haven't done in a long time, and some more of the jupiter spacers. I think I have enough now for the necklace I am contemplating, my first planned project. Now I need to work on some teeth beads so I can have a bunch available for my shop, they always sell fast :)
P~
Friday, April 25, 2008
Glass Art! Can't live without it :)
Okay, so when I said I were completely off international shopping, that of course does not include Etsy. Etsy is my special friend and I have shopped again.
This time from the long time admired AngelinaBeadalina. Angela makes amazingly large pieces for a lampworker, and though not all of her work appeals to me, I am frequently blown away by her organic flowing shapes. I thought about it and found that the faces she make are too chunky for me, but the long slender women figures are so what I want to see. Then going through her gallery I realized I rather love some of her faces too, like this one, or this. So overall, a most definate thumbs up :)
Now the thing is, she is holding a ridiculous sale of $25 a piece for 25 items in 25 days. I don't know how long is left, it can't be much, but that is not a sale, it's a give-away! And I lucked out and checked her shop at just the right time. I am now the happy owner of 'Essence of a Woman'. I saw this piece posted online before, and imediately loved the strong, happy, free shape of this dancing goddess. How can you not? She is just glorious.
Thank you Angela, for the use of your beautiful picture
Apparently I can't hold on to money when I've got them. However if I don't have any to use for fun and frivolity, then I can. It all works out nicely, and I'd like to propose a toast: To unexpected Tax Returns, Hoopla! :)
I do hope the postal service will cooperate this time, because I can't wait to get my mail !!!
P~
(Glass Art Collector, Yay!)
This time from the long time admired AngelinaBeadalina. Angela makes amazingly large pieces for a lampworker, and though not all of her work appeals to me, I am frequently blown away by her organic flowing shapes. I thought about it and found that the faces she make are too chunky for me, but the long slender women figures are so what I want to see. Then going through her gallery I realized I rather love some of her faces too, like this one, or this. So overall, a most definate thumbs up :)
Now the thing is, she is holding a ridiculous sale of $25 a piece for 25 items in 25 days. I don't know how long is left, it can't be much, but that is not a sale, it's a give-away! And I lucked out and checked her shop at just the right time. I am now the happy owner of 'Essence of a Woman'. I saw this piece posted online before, and imediately loved the strong, happy, free shape of this dancing goddess. How can you not? She is just glorious.
Apparently I can't hold on to money when I've got them. However if I don't have any to use for fun and frivolity, then I can. It all works out nicely, and I'd like to propose a toast: To unexpected Tax Returns, Hoopla! :)
I do hope the postal service will cooperate this time, because I can't wait to get my mail !!!
P~
(Glass Art Collector, Yay!)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Postal Rant
Dear Danish Postal Service,
Thank you muchly for taking so good care of my package.
I can tell you love getting packages, as much as I do, by the length of time you like to keep them. I can also tell you like to hug them, and so do I, but please take care when it says 'GLASS' and 'FRAGILE' on the outside.
I also apreciate that you have not forgotten where I live. I may not get much besides bills and adds, and it may be just a small road, but the number of houses here are happy to recieve their mail all the same. And I want to thank you for getting your own 'notice of failed delivery' into my mailbox, to let me know I had had a delivery. Never mind that it took 12 day to get here, since your holding packages for 14 days, leaves me plenty of time for picking it up.
Please also extend my grattitude to your friends the customs office, whose services has now completely put me off international shopping.
All the Best,
P~
-------------------------------------------------
I did get my glass in the end, but I also got to pay the nice people at the customs. My $45 order ended up costing an additional $94 in total for shipping and customs, so I might as well have bought it local. It's a shame because there is so many tempting goods I'd love to shop for, but I'll have to consider if it is worth it a couple of times over from now on, and I'm thinking it is not. This definately includes the kiln I have on my list for the near future ...
P~
Thank you muchly for taking so good care of my package.
I can tell you love getting packages, as much as I do, by the length of time you like to keep them. I can also tell you like to hug them, and so do I, but please take care when it says 'GLASS' and 'FRAGILE' on the outside.
I also apreciate that you have not forgotten where I live. I may not get much besides bills and adds, and it may be just a small road, but the number of houses here are happy to recieve their mail all the same. And I want to thank you for getting your own 'notice of failed delivery' into my mailbox, to let me know I had had a delivery. Never mind that it took 12 day to get here, since your holding packages for 14 days, leaves me plenty of time for picking it up.
Please also extend my grattitude to your friends the customs office, whose services has now completely put me off international shopping.
All the Best,
P~
-------------------------------------------------
I did get my glass in the end, but I also got to pay the nice people at the customs. My $45 order ended up costing an additional $94 in total for shipping and customs, so I might as well have bought it local. It's a shame because there is so many tempting goods I'd love to shop for, but I'll have to consider if it is worth it a couple of times over from now on, and I'm thinking it is not. This definately includes the kiln I have on my list for the near future ...
P~
Monday, April 21, 2008
I've been shopping!
Not much new has happened regarding beads this last week, though much is on my mind.
Something I have thought a lot about is getting a kiln, but I shall make that a separate post :)
P~
I have a glass order laying around in the danish costums. It was sent on april 4'th, arrived at the border on april 9'th and I am still waiting. One might get a little impatient after 12 days!
It was an order I placed with Frantz Art Glass and I were lured into it by an offer of 40% off the Vetrofond Odds, Yay! Not that I need much luring in the first place, but it did make me forget about the customs fee that might be added and completely spoil the deal for me. Sometimes you can get lucky and they miss you goods completely, but with this prolonged wait I am afraid I have been fee'd. My sister holds the family record though, of waiting 21 days for her goods, so aparently I should not complain yet ;)
I also have another thing coming to me, which I imagine will be here much faster. Today I thought it was a long time since I had had a look at the glass items offered at Etsy, so I logged in and started clicking the pages away. This time I didn't choose lampwork beads only, but the whole glass section, which was fun to see. When I clicked page 31, OH! A Treasure! I had no need to look any further, this one was for me. I did try talking myself out of buying it for a while (which is dangerous as someone might buy it while you debate), but no, I had to have it, so I clicked the green button. This is the beauty that stopped me in my tracks:
It is made by Jennifer Geldard who kindly let me use her photo. I don't know what I will do with it yet, but that has never stopped me before :) There is already another one like it in her Etsy Shop, and her website has a gallery with a beautiful and diverse selection of her beads. A few are even electroformed, which is something I would love to try in the future.
Something I have thought a lot about is getting a kiln, but I shall make that a separate post :)
P~
Monday, April 14, 2008
Goddess Galore: the Artful Nude
One of the reasons I began lampworking in the first place, after initially having looked at about a million lampwork beads, was this: The awe-inspirering beads of the incredibly talented Teresa Laliberté of Lavendercreek
(Thank you Teresa , for letting me use your picture :)
When I first saw her work, my jaw dropped. I went through every picture of hers that I could find, particularly here
At first I thought these ladies were little statuettes, and I were amazed to find out all this detail were actually crammed into a much smaller space. They were beads, Ladies and Gentlemen, and so I were firmly bitten by the BeadBug!
Once I had my own setup, of course I had to try my newbie-hands at making goddesses. I did get the likeness of a woman out of it (sort of) and I were so thrilled. Now I see that they were not so hot, and that I have learnt a lot in the year I have been making beads. These are the stages I have gone through
Ah yes, much better now. I can't wait to see where I will be in another years time :)
Other goddess makers well worth a mentioning:
Rachelle, who also makes guys.
J C Herrell, goddesses with glitz
Ellyloo, who makes some real cute tiny ones with wings
Angelinabeadalina, who makes strange and intriguing female sculptures
and Becky Casady, from a recent search, who works in polymer clay, both beads and sculptures.
Go visit all of them, this is beautiful stuff. It is nice to see that there are so many ways to do a Goddess Bead, even if the basic idea is the same.
P~
When I first saw her work, my jaw dropped. I went through every picture of hers that I could find, particularly here
At first I thought these ladies were little statuettes, and I were amazed to find out all this detail were actually crammed into a much smaller space. They were beads, Ladies and Gentlemen, and so I were firmly bitten by the BeadBug!
Once I had my own setup, of course I had to try my newbie-hands at making goddesses. I did get the likeness of a woman out of it (sort of) and I were so thrilled. Now I see that they were not so hot, and that I have learnt a lot in the year I have been making beads. These are the stages I have gone through
Ah yes, much better now. I can't wait to see where I will be in another years time :)
Other goddess makers well worth a mentioning:
Rachelle, who also makes guys.
J C Herrell, goddesses with glitz
Ellyloo, who makes some real cute tiny ones with wings
Angelinabeadalina, who makes strange and intriguing female sculptures
and Becky Casady, from a recent search, who works in polymer clay, both beads and sculptures.
Go visit all of them, this is beautiful stuff. It is nice to see that there are so many ways to do a Goddess Bead, even if the basic idea is the same.
P~
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
About me:
As this is a blog about lampworking, I shall leave out most of my unrelated life (which sadly takes up most of my time). I'll just leave you with the facts that I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, with my family (BF and 3 small children), and make a living from being an engineers assistant on a full time basis.
I'd rather be torching though, as creating is one of the greatest joys in my life. I wrote a post about it on the blog of the Etsy Team I am a member of, the Creative Scandinavians. Go here to read it.
This is me, trying not to laugh at my sisters comments, while she tries to make me pose a bit less like a stone. She is by the way incredibly talented in whatever she puts her mind to, and has an Etsy shop here.
As for the lampworking - Glass beads first caught my interest in the summer of 2006. Somebody in the ATC group I used to frequent (the very best one for handpainted/drawn ATCs and friendly chatting: FineArtsATC ) posted a link to Wetcanvas.com I went to check it out, and noticed a glass section. Although I had never worked in glass personally, I have always loved the material and the proces of glass blowing. I took a look around, and was surprised to see it was all beads.
I spend days looking around, following peoples links, checking out ebay and generally enjoying this newfound wealth of treasures. It slowly dawned upon me that these artists were people like me, with families and jobs and other responsibilities, who were making these incredible and often intricate beauties in their own homes!
The thought that one could work in hot glass at home, and not need a million $ workshop + assistants and years and years of training, was a revelation to me. I looked and searched some more, and finally found a weekend course in lampworking, quite close to my home. I had to wait about 6 months, so my newborn baby would be old enough to eat proper food and not starve when I went away for 2 whole days. I think I were very patient, and the grin on my face as I made that first simple spacer bead was worth all the waiting in the world.
We were 8 on the course, and for two days we made beads. Round ones, square ones, dotted ones, they even taught us to make a tiger bead with our own twisties, which I thought was very advanced. In short - I had a blast :)
At the end of the course I ordered the starter kit of tools and equipment, and when it finally arrived, I set up a workbench in our basement. This was february 2007 and I have been torching ever since.
Life is good :)
P~
I'd rather be torching though, as creating is one of the greatest joys in my life. I wrote a post about it on the blog of the Etsy Team I am a member of, the Creative Scandinavians. Go here to read it.
This is me, trying not to laugh at my sisters comments, while she tries to make me pose a bit less like a stone. She is by the way incredibly talented in whatever she puts her mind to, and has an Etsy shop here.As for the lampworking - Glass beads first caught my interest in the summer of 2006. Somebody in the ATC group I used to frequent (the very best one for handpainted/drawn ATCs and friendly chatting: FineArtsATC ) posted a link to Wetcanvas.com I went to check it out, and noticed a glass section. Although I had never worked in glass personally, I have always loved the material and the proces of glass blowing. I took a look around, and was surprised to see it was all beads.
I spend days looking around, following peoples links, checking out ebay and generally enjoying this newfound wealth of treasures. It slowly dawned upon me that these artists were people like me, with families and jobs and other responsibilities, who were making these incredible and often intricate beauties in their own homes!
The thought that one could work in hot glass at home, and not need a million $ workshop + assistants and years and years of training, was a revelation to me. I looked and searched some more, and finally found a weekend course in lampworking, quite close to my home. I had to wait about 6 months, so my newborn baby would be old enough to eat proper food and not starve when I went away for 2 whole days. I think I were very patient, and the grin on my face as I made that first simple spacer bead was worth all the waiting in the world.
We were 8 on the course, and for two days we made beads. Round ones, square ones, dotted ones, they even taught us to make a tiger bead with our own twisties, which I thought was very advanced. In short - I had a blast :)
At the end of the course I ordered the starter kit of tools and equipment, and when it finally arrived, I set up a workbench in our basement. This was february 2007 and I have been torching ever since.
Life is good :)
P~
Saturday, April 05, 2008
My latest beads
So, just to get going here I thought I would post a picture of my latest beads. It is just a bunch of spacers, but the colours are beautiful! I am very pleased :)
As I am a new lampworker with only a few hours free for torching every week, I have yet to make a larger piece of jewelry. When I saw this necklace, I thought: 'I can do luxury too!'. Yes, even a sterling girl like me can change and I am growing to love golden and warm tones too. Now I just have to think of what to do as a focal, as I am strictly against being a copycat. I may also just make it a really long chainlink necklace of all spacers. That would be lovely too. Ooh, I love possibilities :)
P~
As I am a new lampworker with only a few hours free for torching every week, I have yet to make a larger piece of jewelry. When I saw this necklace, I thought: 'I can do luxury too!'. Yes, even a sterling girl like me can change and I am growing to love golden and warm tones too. Now I just have to think of what to do as a focal, as I am strictly against being a copycat. I may also just make it a really long chainlink necklace of all spacers. That would be lovely too. Ooh, I love possibilities :)
P~
Friday, April 04, 2008
Hooray!
I've got a blog!
This will be a lampwork bead blog no less, the continous tale of my adventures into the world of lampworking. I expect lots of pictures.
And now - I'm off to fidle with the settings :)
P~
LATER: Ooh I like it :)
I will be adding to links and lists and whatnot in the time to come of course, but for now I am pleased.
During the next week my job is to write an intro post to let you know a bit about me and my lampworking, and to find out what one can do here in terms of joining groups/rings/what-have-you and mingle with other bloggers. Oh, and work some more on my website of course :)
Bye for now
This will be a lampwork bead blog no less, the continous tale of my adventures into the world of lampworking. I expect lots of pictures.
And now - I'm off to fidle with the settings :)
P~
LATER: Ooh I like it :)
I will be adding to links and lists and whatnot in the time to come of course, but for now I am pleased.
During the next week my job is to write an intro post to let you know a bit about me and my lampworking, and to find out what one can do here in terms of joining groups/rings/what-have-you and mingle with other bloggers. Oh, and work some more on my website of course :)
Bye for now
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