March 25 2008

Sometimes I wonder just how many people have looked at this...One of these days, I will try to figure out how to send an email to those people interested in receiving automatic updates. We had a lont, 4 day weekend with Easter - two good days of torching...one bad day. I am still intrigued by the warring states beads. Maybe I just like the dots. One of the hardest decisions to make is which colors of glass to use - white goes with everything, but one gets tired of that after awhile. The blue and black color scheme I sort of stole from Corina Tettinger's latest beads. She did three awsome sets of blue and black beads - I thought the colors would do the warring states design justice also. It's always fun to see how the reactive glasses will work. These include opal yellow, copper green and rubino, I think. The orange shebert really say "spring", don't they. Too bad the weather isn't cooperating yet. Rumor has it we have 4 more weeks of winter! Stay tuned - my next set is going to be black and white (maybe not that boring). I think I am starting to ramble. Bruce was in bed this past weekend with a really bad cold - just hoping I'm not getting it.

Good Friday, March 21 2008

You know, I thought Spring was on it's way, but I was cleaning off my new set of beads today, looked outside, and there is a regular snowstorm starting up. What I saw was not a couple of flurries that was going to stop anytime soon. The bright spot of the day are my beads - it's part of my study in the reactions of opal yellow, copper green and edp purple. They are reactive glasses, and depending on where you use the colors, you will get either a spreading out of color, or a condensing of color. They are bright and pretty and make me smile. Now on ETSY.

Sunday, March 16 2008

It looks like Spring may be on it's way, here in South Western Ontario. We have been able to run outside once again. It takes awhile to adjust from running on a treatmill to running outside once again. The treadmil is a no brainer. You set the speed at which you want to go, and just make sure you stay in the same place. Running outside is different. You have to be able to judge your pace. If not, one most likely runs out of energy before the distance is covered, at least I do. I tend to run too fast in the beginning. Anyway, this is a beading blog, not a running blog.

It's been awhile since I've last added to this blog...but this weekend, I did get some awsome beads made. I still like dots, and have discovered Warring States Beads that date back to 400bc time in China. The black and white are my interpretation of these beads. I also worked on some raked beads - more dots only they are distorted. Another technique I like to use when making beads, especially focal beads, is to just play. I have no set ideas, just put alot of colored glass in front of me, and play...

Back from Florida

My daughter and I did well in the Sarasota half marathon. We had some knee and hip problems, but finished in about 2:20. I came home to warm weather, only to wake up to a real snow storm two days latter. This is March, but I am so wanting nice spring weather. My snow day consisted of making the following. Louise, if you see the black, pink and white, let me know what you think. I am also practising my dot placement with my version of a Warring States Bead.