Happy Thanksgiving - all Canadians -. I find it's not quite the holiday it is in the States, but Happy Thanksgiving none the less. We'll be doing some yard work in preparation for the coming winter, as well as having a traditional turkey with some of the trimmings. There are just the two of us, but that's no reason to not have a special dinner.
I've been following a couple of blogs, well, alot of blogs, and I have to say that I agree with those instructors out there who tell us one and all, if you are going to write a blog, keep it upbeat. Parden me, but for those people aren't happy where they are, either keep it to yourself, or change your life. We only have so much time on this earth, and we each have to make the best of it.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sept 28, 2010
Almost the end of September - can you believe it? And it looks like my warm, lovely summer weather is almost gone also. We've actually turned the furnace on today....well, just to get the dampness out of the air.
Along with September almost gone, I've lost that driving desire to make beads. I'm thinking maybe it's because September was such a slow month for sales. Yesterday I hauled out all my lampwork books and perused them hoping for inspiration. The flowers that Leah Fairbanks makes are oh so lovely - and Larry Scott's dot beads - his technique is so exacting...no spark yet.
So, what to do - maybe I need to continue making soap. Two weeks ago, I noticed that we were almost out and ordered my supplies. I've developed a recipe over the years that not only requires coconut oil, palm oil, and olive oil, but I also include castor oil, shea butter, canola oil, sweet almond oil and some good old vegetable oil - and I can't forget the goats milk and a bit of white clay. All of these oils together have resulted in a gentle, conditioning, moisturizing bar that we not only use on our bodies, but Bruce uses for shaving, and I use as a shampoo. So, if you've never tried hand made soap - the next time you feel like treating yourself, it's worth a try.
Along with September almost gone, I've lost that driving desire to make beads. I'm thinking maybe it's because September was such a slow month for sales. Yesterday I hauled out all my lampwork books and perused them hoping for inspiration. The flowers that Leah Fairbanks makes are oh so lovely - and Larry Scott's dot beads - his technique is so exacting...no spark yet.
So, what to do - maybe I need to continue making soap. Two weeks ago, I noticed that we were almost out and ordered my supplies. I've developed a recipe over the years that not only requires coconut oil, palm oil, and olive oil, but I also include castor oil, shea butter, canola oil, sweet almond oil and some good old vegetable oil - and I can't forget the goats milk and a bit of white clay. All of these oils together have resulted in a gentle, conditioning, moisturizing bar that we not only use on our bodies, but Bruce uses for shaving, and I use as a shampoo. So, if you've never tried hand made soap - the next time you feel like treating yourself, it's worth a try.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sept 15, 2010
Tomorrow I am having a drawing on my facebook site http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanniesbeads/125348505100 - it's a $35.00 coupon to be used on either my Etsy or Artfire site. All you have to do is click on the button to "like" the site - good luck. I'll draw the randon winner in the morning - Ontario time. Good luck!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sept 15, 2010
My kiln is back in working order! The relays that I ordered were here in record time. I changed them out one by one to determine which one is bad, so now I have a working kiln, and a spare relay!
Florida was fun - although I didn't like the fall I took while on a 27 mile bike ride. Luckily I was homeward bound, and only had to ride about 5-7 miles with a bruised hip and skinned knee and elbow.
Florida was fun - although I didn't like the fall I took while on a 27 mile bike ride. Luckily I was homeward bound, and only had to ride about 5-7 miles with a bruised hip and skinned knee and elbow.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sept 5, 2010
.....What to do when my kiln is on the fritz???? Some of my experiments worked having them sit in a fiber blanket - some of them just cracked .....
Monday, August 16, 2010
August 16, 2010
Photography - there's always room for improvement! I thought my first picture was "pretty" good - good enough for listing this set of beads - but as the day wore on and I thought about it, I decided it was a pretty "blah" picture
so decided to re-shoot it - this week, I'm trying something different - taking a picture on a mirror.
Definitely worth the extra time it took, I think.
so decided to re-shoot it - this week, I'm trying something different - taking a picture on a mirror.
Definitely worth the extra time it took, I think.
Friday, August 6, 2010
August 7, 2010
Two days worth of torching, and one small handful of little beauties! Take a look at these? Can you imagine that a couple of these tiny beads have as many as 36 dots! Most have around 18. Of course, this doesn't include the rejected ones - the god awful yellow ones that are just plain gaudy - the ones that came out just a bit too small, and a couple that came out too big. The interesting thing about lampwork is that in alot of cases, you just don't know what the finished bead is going to look like till you see it. Alot of the glass colors look different when they are hot (molten)....like red. Red turns black when it gets hot. Try and make a red bead with black dots - you're working blind.
I am pleased to have a commission to create another necklace like this picture - just tickled! It will probably take one more session at the torch to make sure I have a good selection of beads for this beauty -
I am pleased to have a commission to create another necklace like this picture - just tickled! It will probably take one more session at the torch to make sure I have a good selection of beads for this beauty -
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