I have a bead in Soda Lime Times!!!

Woohoo! I have a picture in Soda Lime Times, the online lampwork magazine.
It's on page 3 of the Neutral Issue, June 2014, and it's my first published bead ever! Wee! I'm so excited :)

The issue is full of beads especially in black, white, grey and the lovely ivory. I am happy to see so many people loving ivory as it is a favourite of mine. It sculpts so well and I love the organic reactions to fine silver, even though I rarely use it myself.

This is the picture I sent in, my new black and white yin-yang bead, this time with shoulders.

Please click to see full version details

I am a new subscriber to Soda Lime Times, but I have to say I am very happy with it. It is full of inspirational pictures and tutorials and all kinds of lampwork goodness. If you make beads yourself, like to work with them or simply to wear them, this is a great resourse for you, and it's only $4.95 pr. month. You can even get a free sample issue if you want to look it over first.

If you don't know it, go here and have a look: http://www.sodalimetimes.com/

Snow Time!

Another challenge I have set up on the new forum (www.glasperleforum.dk ) is a monthly theme. It is not a competition, just a gentle nudge in case somebody need it, and a bit of fun to be had.

This very first month I have chosen Winter/snow as the theme. Here we are, in January, and we have barely had a single snowflake all of this season. So I thought we could make some snow beads instead, and here are the ones I have made so far.

Snowflake beads for january

Snowflake bead on lavender silk ribbon

The big one is 26x20mm and the little one fell on the tiled floor and chipped so I'll have to toss it :/

I was thinking of coring the big one, and I made it on a 5mm mandrel because of that. But now I think I will ream the hole properly instead and make it transparent, to let the colour of the ribbon show through the bead. .

I hope I find time to make more Winter/Snow beads, but until then - it seems the temperature is dropping. We may get snow after all :)

A Dotty Challenge, Part I + II

Some time ago I came across this challenge on lampwork forum Lampwork Etc. Then later I found it again, on Frit Happens. Both times I were intrigued and read through all pages of each thread, full of insights, tips and pictures.

The challenge was Heather Trimlett's 40 bead Challenge, and on jan.1'st I began my own set of 40 dotty beads. I am having so much fun! I haven't made any dot beads for years litterally, and now I am enjoying it muchly all over again.

If you don't know this challenge, here is the gist of the rules:

Make 40 beads, using just 2 (contrasting) colours.
Decorate with dots only, making all 40 beads a different pattern.
Use no tools (except for the mandrel), and get all beads to be the same size and shape.

Beautifully simple, isn't it, for an exercise in creativity, attention, precision, heatcontrol and much more?

You can find the full version here, on Heather Trimlett's page.

I have chosen coppergreen and black for my 2 colours, and here are pictures of my 2 first sessions, nine beads in all.

I need to work on keeping my size and shape, but I'm quite happy with my dots. And making 40 different patterns - time might prove me wrong, but I don't think that will be a problem. Dotting up patterns is the fun part :)

These will need a bit of a clean-up after the lot is done. A soak in coke over night, to clean off the reduction and get a more even colour.

I have set up this challenge in the brand new Danish lampwork forum www.glasperleforum.dk too, so if you are Danish/Nordic - come join the forum, and join in on this fun and challenging dot-o-rama.

If you would like some inspiration, here are the links directly to the threads in Lampwork Etc (you have to log in) and Frit Happens.

Have fun!

New Tools

So what tools did I get you ask? Well -
I have been having a lot of fun playing with the large hole mandrels I have. They are only 5mm mandrels, but that is large for me and my tiny beads :)
The whole point of making beads with larger holes is of course that I would love to core them, and eventually cap them too. I just love the look, not to mention the feel, of cored/capped beads. Glass in itself has a lovely weight, but the extra weight of the silver is a treat that screams 'Quality!' to me.
I now own a tubecutter from Ridgid, a beadliner from ArtintheRound, and a bit of tube from Ravstedhus. The only problem is that the tube has a slightly larger outer dimension than the inner dimension of the beads I had prepared. Now I double dip the mandrels, to see if that helps, but of course these new beads are waiting to be annealed. The double dipping seems to make the seperator crack when I heat it, even if I leave it to dry overnight (or several nights as it may be), so it can be a bit difficult to work with, but I am getting used to it.

Artsy thought of the week - I need to start earning some serious money, because I think I may have to start a ceramic collection too, as well as a glassobject collection.
I collect names/cards of artists I like, and have done so for years. One day I will be able to shop art again, it will happen, most definately, because it makes my soul sing.
Last saturday I saw the beautiful earthy works of Annette Valstrøm at the annual arts and crafts market at Vor Frue Plads in Copenhagen. She had brought this type of figures, a lot of them, a whole forrest. It was a beautiful sight (and I want one! or two ...) :)

P~

After the show ...

First off, a List of Participating Englebasser!

-~o~-
Anja Gram: Illustrator, brought Greeting Cards and a Childrens Book

Marianne Lundov: Felted Hats and Scarves

Diannas Hatte: Fancy Hats and Headbands

Mette Duch Olesen: Childrens fleece sweaters

Pia Pamperin: Ofelias Opal, High End Jewelry

Dorthe Walbum: Paintings

Inge-lise Kristensen: Paintings

Kathrine Smedegaard: Was sewing a fur stola, but on her site shows headbands

-~o~-
Do check them out :)

Now for the show ... I have to say, it was a bit of a dissapointment. It was really very slow, and we had expected many more people. I don't know where the arrangers got their numbers, but they were quite a bit off.

I did sell a few pieces. 6 to be exact, in 3 full days! Two of them to my fellow angels. How is that for slow? That does not cover my booth fee at all, or my supplies.
I did get tempted by other sellers to spend money on their stuff though. I was especially pleased to meet www.smykkestativer.dk (jewelry displays) from whom I got a neckdisplay off the bargain bin. I have been looking high and low for one of those, and this was a great price. I also got 10 earring displays (to use on my next show ...) at a quarter of the price I had had quoted from a different guy (in a jewelry shop) some time ago. Excellent! I should have gotten one of those acrylic pointy things, for photographing rings on, but they live in Copenhagen too, so it's not a problem.

I also got the custom inscriped cap from my last post, and a bodyscrub with salt from the dead sea for my mother.

I'd like to link you to Sine Strøm too. I can't pull off wearing her clothes, but I really love her style and secretly wish I could :)

I had to eat too of course (yay for the 2 chocolate stands, and the very nice popcorn and softice guy, who let us help empty the maschines in the evening, Yum!). Luckily I could get free water from the tap.
In all I've had a very expensive weekend, when I really were supposed/hoping to bring home a bit of cash.

We all had plenty of time to chat during the 3 days, and it was so nice to get to know and speak to all of the great ladies in our group, and the surrounding people too.
We also had time to think, and I have come to a few conclusions.

1) I need more than 3 weeks to prepare propperly for a show, it can make me very tense. I did have a lot of nice pieces ready though, and since it was a shared space and my table wasn't too big, it all worked out well this time.

2) I need to settle on a specific style, rather than be all over the place. This may be mainly to help myself focus.

3) I need to figure out my target audience, which will of course be related to the style I settle on. I gave out a lot of cards, but several seemed to take them only to be polite. Many did go to have a look though, which was nice. I had gotten myself placed in the center of our area, so I had to point my table out to people if they were to notice it. The lights helped a bit, I will always request lights. On the last day I got half a day on the outer rim which was much better. I will not volounteer for a center space again.

4) It dawned upon me that since I never have the time to do it when working up to a show (based on my 2 tries :), I should go ahead and make the folder I want now. Now is when I have time, and then it will be ready when I need it, and will not make me tense the next time. Clever, eh? I'd also like nice printed signs proclaiming 'Unique Handmade Beads and Jewelry' and 'Please Touch!'. Also - stamping my new boxes in advance would be a plus :)

5) I like to dress nicely. I should do that more ... It just doesn't have much purpose when going to work.

I'm sure I thought of more, but now I'm back at home/work and thinking of other things again. It's time to work some more on my website, which by the way was freshly up-loaded in a new version last thursday. Go have a look at Profusion Art Glass and rest assured I will update and add stuff over the next couple of weeks.
If you have suggestions of sections you'd like me to make, do let me know, yes?

P~