Feb 16 2009

More dots - it was a dot week. well, not really dots, but flowers and distorted dots. I hope to work with some Boro tomorrow though. My first couple of attempts with this glass were nothing to brag about, but I think that I am starting to get the hang of it. Alot of the effect I want to achieve is by using a really oxidyzing flame or a reducing flame - something I need to practise. In the meantime, a picture of more "dots".

Winter is still with us, and I still haven't had a chance to run outside. There was one day when I thought I would - but the morning greeted us with 3 inches of new snow. Bruce found a road route today, though, that looks promising.

Feb 11 2009

Well, I did start writing a new blog, and the power kicked off for a moment....just enough to kill the computer......OK, where did I leave off...As you may well know, I like "dots", and this week, I have been making more of them, along with flowers. I've come up with a couple new complex designs that I'm happy with...pictures attached. I'm also working with different colors than I normally use. They may not be shown here, but look for them on either the etsy sight, or the artfire sight. I'm really happy with how the "berry" transparent is working for my flowers, and will always like "pea green" and "leaky pen" - a couple of my favorites. Check out the hearts. These were re-used from beads that I didn't like. I've re-heated them and formed them into hearts....If anyone tries this, PLEASE be careful. Even though these were re-heated on the top of my kiln, at my first attempt, I introduced them to the flame much too quickly, and I had big pieces of glass flying.....

Jan 22 2009

A good day today, Bruce and I drove to London to pick up my glass order - Lots of new colors, as well as some boro glass to try.....Now I have to manage my torch time, as boro takes a different annealing temperature than soft glass does....and I want to play with boro, but I also want to make more flower beads, as per Lydia Muell's tutorial.....a picture of some of the beads I am happy with.....

Jan 9 2009

Did I tell you that I am finished with the actual quilting of my brother's quilt? Now it's just to trim it off an put on a binding. Now that I haven't anything to do while watching TV, I started finishing a wig rose applique that was started at least two years ago. Watching TV while doing nothing else puts me to sleep! I need something to do to keep me awake. I'm looking for a sock pattern that I like, but in the meantime, will continue to work on this applique project. Pictures to follow.....dear niece of mine, if you happen to find this, could you keep the secret ???

Jan 6 2009

I have to brag - I WON - there is a bead contest that I enter every chance I get, and this time, my beads took first place! These beads were a challenge - based on Lydia Murell's tutorial (which is a very thorough tutorial on her technique of making hydrangea flowers).

Winter continues, although the sidewalks are clear, and we can run outside. We just have to watch for broken glass - Aila somehow cut her paw during one of our runs. She hasn't been able to come with us for a couple of days till her paw heals up.

Jan 3 2009

Red is a color that I find hard to work with - I can never be sure which shade of red is going to come out of the kiln. It must have something to do with my flame and the oxygen/propane ratio. These beads have a lovely deep shade of red...and of course, they are dots.

Please stop by and check out my ETSY shop. I'm having a sale. With every regular bead purchased, you can get a bead/bead set of equal or lesser value for 1/2 price.

Happy New Year

How time flies! Another year! I gave up making resolutions a long time ago...but this year, I think I should concentrate on spending more productive time on my beads, and the business of selling them. With the economy in the straights it's at present, we are all feeling unsettled, and my bead sales have shown this. I've got to think of some new ideas - in the mean time, a picture of what I've been working on.