Glass & Jewelry Challenge

(A Sunflower's Summer by Dawn Lucero)

Today is your last chance to submit your glass photos to the Glass & Jewelry Challenge sponsored by Mountain Glass Arts. The fabulous prize is a gift certificate to Mountain Glass Arts for $500! They will be come owners of the piece you photographed as well. Today is the final day to enter.

If you aren't submitting and still want to see the entries, it's worth a nice long peek. The gallery is full of delightful work.

Blogging...Easy As Pie

Are you thinking about blogging or have a hard time getting going with it? I found this website that has all kinds of hints, tips and tricks in one place. So today, I'm sharing it with you (RIGHT HERE) It's full of videos and posts to get you going or to increase the traffic to the blog you already have. It's as easy as pie. (and btw, if you haven't figure it out, that's a little glass cherry pie I baked up in my kiln.)

Garden Bunny at Southern Flames

Our Southern Flames lampworking group had the wrapped package/steal from your neighbor type exchange at our past meeting. I decided to embellish my little bunny angel that I had made this summer with flowers from my Dona Bellflower presses and some leaves that I had made as well. (and I wish I had arranged them more nicely before the quick photo too!)

The exchange items were great, and I was lucky to finally end up with Kelley Wenzel's lampwork eggs- 4 of them and so sweet.

Watch our Southern Flames website, http://www.Southernflames.org for photos from the event. Look for the scrapbook heading on the right side. If they aren't up yet, they will be shortly.

Friday Facebook Humor- Galileo vs The Church

I saw this on an Aussie website and it made me laugh. It's not meant to offend, but just to give you an amusing glimpse of what if fb were around when historical events happened. Fun juxtaposition.

See you Sunday!

Animoto and Piazzo San Marco - Fun Combination

I just tried out a video making site, called Animoto. It was a blast. You can make 30 second videos for free and for a small price, you can go more complex. Being a non technical type, it was great to be able to upload the photos easily, add some of their music (legally) and add a little text. I was using the "free" option, but I think there are a lot more things you can do, if you join.

So for my example are just a few of the photos I took when I visited Piazza San Marco in Venice Italy last spring. The architecture, the history and the size were jaw dropping. I might just head back there soon and try some of my collection of other photos from my trip or even my glass art.

And now it's your turn to create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Chinese Fad..Dogs as Pandas & Tigers

Just so you know, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I recently read about the fad in China of transforming your dog into a tiger or a panda. You know, people have been transforming their pets for years- remember the poodles who were dyed to match women's hair long ago? And I did blog about extreme poodles months ago, too. And you can find it here

So I have to say, I don't know if it is a cultural thing and would love for someone to explain if there is a reason other than thinking this is simply fun and cute. Which you might admit- that Panda dog is pretty adorable and far easier to feed than a real panda. (and easier to take places!)

I do admit that I am very tickled when I see someone's pet all dressed up. Those are the types of glass beads and ornaments I enjoy creating as well. Accessories are for everyone, as far as I'm concerned.

But I am wondering a bit about long term effects on their pets, if this is permanent dye. I don't know what product is being used, but somehow think that pet lovers are pet lovers where ever one lives and that they want to keep their pets safe too. Got my fingers crossed on that one. See you tomorrow.

Girl With A Pearl Earring...and Necklace

I love doing interpretations of famous paintings. You might remember that I've done Son of Man, Birth of Venus, The Kiss, and others. Well, I've added Girl With A Pearl Earring to the list. You might have noticed that there isn't a close up of it. Of course there's a reason. I need to make it again. It's close and gives the impression of the painting, but I want to do a better face on it.

I wore it the other night to our Southern Flames chapter meeting. And I was thrilled that folks knew what it was, without me explaining it. (always a good sign) So watch for another rendition at some point of the painting. And I have a long list of others to do as well. Nice break from sculpture and so much fun too.

If you have a favorite painting that you think might be interpreted, please post and let me know. I'd love to add to my list.

The Penland Book of Glass

If you haven't seen this wonderful book, pop over to Amazon, and check it out. When my teacher from last summer, Shane Fero showed it to our class, I knew I needed a copy. It features 10 fabulous artists and is eye candy for the fellow glass addict. You'll also find some used copies on Amazon, which make the deal even sweeter.

Molly the Barn Owl and Babies...Still Watching

I have to admit I am still addicted to watching owls on the internet. There is something so wondrous to me, to see the babies hatch and their Mama, Molly taking such good care of them. This is her second brood this year, which I hear is the limit for barn owls.

Recently, one of the babies passed away. It was hard thinking about it, but often, nature has its sadness along with its happiness. So I've got my fingers crossed that the remaining three thrive and are able to fledge.

So if you haven't had a chance to watch them grow, tune in to your internet Owl channel right here and watch a little. If they're snoozing, come back later. The babies look a little like fluffy pteradactyls right now, but they grow into downright gorgeous little barn owls. Whose coloring will eventually tell us if they are male or female.

And of course they have provided me with lots of Molly Owl bead inspiration. You can check out my Etsy shop here, and see if there are any currently in stock. They tend to go quickly.

Hope your day is full of wondrous inspiration too. We all have a lot to be thankful for.

They Ought To Know Better

Looking kind of crabby, if you ask me.

I'm just amazed the photographer caught two at the beach. I thought smoking was off limits there too. Luckily, he didn't catch their empty beer bottles in the shots too. That could be really embarrassing. See you tomorrow!

Autumn Leaves, Acorns & Pine Cones Class-Saturday at Flametree

Ah the joys of autumn. I honestly can't wait for the cooler temperatures and leaves changing. So when Maureen and Lance asked me to design a half day class for their FlameTree Glass Studio in Roswell, GA, I jumped at the chance.

I hadn't really made a lot of any fall items other than pumpkin and Halloween related beads, so this was a treat getting to play at my torch and decide what I thought would be fun.

And I think acorns ARE fun. Their shape reminds me of a spinning top and although they are normally rather sweetly muted in color, I thought they are the perfect bead to have a little fun with. So once the shape is learned, it will be great to see how the students can come up with their own ideas. I have all kinds of ideas in my sample box as well. (I just finished making two with glow glass rod and powder for our friend Joe of Glow Glass. That was a kick!)

So if you're in the area and have time, we're going from 12-4. The price is so reasonable too. Just $75. I think that is very fair and I promise, you'll learn a lot too. We'll even work on multiple styles of loops for the leaf beads and get a little glass cutting action with shears as well. Hope to see you...there are only a few spots left in the class, so hurry!

The Fire Breather

I saw this young artist, Sam Wolfe Connelly, on one of my favorite websites and wanted to bring his many talents to your attention. A graduate of my favorite local art college, SCAD, I think he is going somewhere. Sam's edgy illustrative style reflects both talent and a need to express himself through his art. I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes with it.

And if you're thinking what I'm thinking...I'd love for him to add this piece to his Tee shirt line. There are a lot of flameworkers who would enjoy it.

Clover and Hallie- Balancing Act

Meet Clover and Hallie. I know, it's an odd angle for a photo, but these girls have been doing this balancing act for a while and wanted a new perspective. Clover has been working out with her ear weights and now has great muscle tone to balance Hallie. If you read the story about them in my Etsy shop, you'll understand, that there's a lot more to the story.

But let's chat from a glass artist point of view now. Although it would be classified as whimsical sculpture, to me, this is a mini study in heat control. These two beads were made at once on the same mandrel with the hole going through both of them. I used a minor burner with a 10 lpm concentrator. When I teach classes, so much of what I teach is how to control your glass and have it do what you want. (ha ha, wishful thinking sometimes) but when it comes to sculpture. Know the temperature of each part of what you're doing is important. It's kind of like its own balancing act.

See you tomorrow. Gotta go balance my life, while I'm at it.

Kandice Seeber's Glass Tutorials

You know, I've been a fan of Kandice Seeber and her beadmaking for a long time. Her website with Kimberly Affleck, http://www.coloraddiction.com, contains their tutorials, and her personal website, http://www.lampwork.com has her own items. ( I really like her blog, too.

Recently, I saw that she has added tutorials to her Etsy website, air & earth designs, so I started cruising through and liked what I saw. "Decorating with Stringer", "Pearly Pink Floral Rounds", "Making Encased Floral Beads", "Making Simple Raised Flower Beads", "Glass Color Families: Pinks" and "Making Encased Stripe Beads" were the titles I found, and if the others are anything like the one I chose, (encased floral rounds), you're in for a great time.

I really like that the tutorial is complete. It has wonderfully clear photos that are large. With my middle age vision, I can still see it all. And the explanations and details have everything and more, that I thought would be included.

Kandice tells you what should happen, and the contingencies, if it doesn't. She explains fully what you should do, and how to do it and even what not to do. I like that. Leaves no room for guessing.

So my suggestion is that you check out her Etsy shop and the tutorials in it. She says that they are made for "Novices & Intermediates", but old hands like me, just might enjoy them too.

See you tomorrow...

Ribbons into Art

Japanese artist ‘BAKU’ Maeda has morphed snippets of ribbon and fabric into sweet little animals and creatures, which he calls, "Ribbonesia". What a delightful new twist into stylized small art pieces.

Three Views...Which Do You Prefer?

Here are three views of the same Cluster Necklace which can be found here. It's the Newport News website. I have never shopped here, but found that their items are well photographed and make great examples for future blogs.

I wanted to show you the difference of how the same item looks with the different backgrounds, as many of us have a product to sell and want to find out what catches the consumers' eyes, when quickly viewing them.

So now it's your turn. Which photo do you like best and why? I'm partial to the gray silk covered neck form, because it shows how the necklace falls and what it looks like- at least to me. In fact, I think I want to cover one of my neck forms in a similar fabric- love the slight texture and neutral shade (and it's classy too!)

Now it's your turn. Tell me what you like and why...

Pine Branches and Pine Cones

I know some of you have seen my pine cones already, but I wanted to show you one of the variations of Branch Bails that I have been making to coordinate with them, my acorns, owls and other Mother Nature items.

You might just call me the new "Branch Manager".

I have been working on ways to coordinate beads to be worn together. It just makes sense, doesn't it? I would think this would be pretty on a copper bead strand as well or many other choices- but I found some not too expensive natural beads that gives it a woodsy feel. (perhaps real "seed" beads?

I'll show you my other lampwork "bails" a little later. Different styles to go with different beads. Animal, nature, funky and fun ones all in various stages right now. They'll be debuting soon. I say, why not? All are made to be worn alone, or with some of your other lampwork treasures.

If you have any special requests, feel free to post or email me. I'm adding to my Etsy shop again after a lot of time off. It felt great with all the teaching I've been doing, but it's time to rock and roll again. I just have too many ideas that are percolating.

See you tomorrow for more blog chatter. And don't forget, I take Saturday off, but return on Sundays so my blog is 6 days a week.

Giant Toasted Ants....Yum?

Jonesing for some Giant Toasted (Leafcutter) Ants after your recent trip down the Amazon? Well, it's your lucky day. According to the website info, they taste like crispy fried bacon with an earthy twist. Or perhaps, even more importantly, they are believed to have youth giving and aphrodisiac qualities.

Let me know if you buy any of these delights. They are prepared by the Guane Indians along the Columbian Amazon and I read that they make the perfect party snack!

Glass Pinecones...Collaboration with Mother Nature

Pine cones have always intrigued me. Whether it's picking them up and just admiring their symmetry and form or the cinnamon scented giant ones scattered around the house during the holidays. (I have to admit, I do buy those and like them)

So it was no surprise to me, that I decided it was time to figure out how I wanted to make them. Maureen McRorie from FlameTree Glass asked that I teach a half day "Autumn" class and the subject matter was up to me and pine cones seemed like a natural fit. (By the way, the class still has a few spaces left- here's the info) And of course, I wanted to try my hand at coming up with some slightly different fall leaves. The final item, was up in the air...."pumpkins" seems like the typical choice, but they might be taught in a Halloween class, so I added acorns with a different twist as well. Their little chubby shape always delights me. (oh it is so hard refraining from making them into little faces with the caps as hats).

So here is a sample of my glass pine cone bead. I am now stocking them in my Etsy shop and they come in different sizes and with a slight variation in shapes, colors, etc. They have a 1/16th hole and different configurations for custom orders are always welcome.

Stay tuned for another post on the bails that look like tree branches that I designed for them. Versatile and fun, if I do say so myself!

Kristen Keiffer Porcelain

I noticed this artist, Kristen Keiffer, when I was looking at a local studio's advertisement for a new show that has just opened. And as gorgeous as it is in porcelain, my mind immediately imagined this in glass.

I love the shape of it to start with. As a sculpture fan, the layered levels including the indentation where the lid meets the base, intrigue me. I'd like to try something along that line in glass. Obviously not exactly the same, but bringing similar details to a focal bead.

The other thing I really enjoy about it, is the surface decoration. Simple, yet sinuous and elegant, it curves down the front in an understated way. Just the ivory with the main persimmon color form an element that makes one want to look twice.

So the final question is "when will I have time to experiment with the first two components?" I'm not sure about that, but I do know that when I do and if it's worthy, you'll get to see my "after". This "before" is delightful, and if I never get to it, I'll still be happy knowing that I showed you the original inspiration.

See you tomorrow.

Bird in Hand...

You probably already know how much I like making birds in glass, so when I see inspiration, I want to remember what it was. Having just arrived from the airport (note the brain dead expression), my husband I went to a Thai restaurant for dinner. (yum- spicy basil noodles!) Anyhow, while waiting to be seated, I spotted a small statue and not having paper, I quickly sketched it out on my hand. Which goes to show you, a bird in hand is worth two that this middle aged brain can't remember. My rendition in glass will be completed next week. Don't you love the huge beak and the angle of it? It's going to be fun!

See you tomorrow.

TGIF!

Happy Friday to you. I wanted to end this first week back, with a photo of a group of glass buddies who dined together in Rochester the first night I was there. I loved the early evening light, the fun outdoor art and the big smiles of anticipation of Dinosaur BBQ's delicious dinner.

Because I don't know if they mind about printing their full names, left to right- Beth, Jim, Mary, Maureen, Kristy, Robin, Fred, Martha & Stephanie. Awesome group!

Gathering Goodies

I wanted to show you most of my Gathering purchases this year. I've accumulated a lot of tools and fun toys over the years, so some of my choices were planned and others were whim.

From top to bottom and left to right, (kind of) - my new CIM glass from Frantz. There were some colors there that just sang to me. Soft, gentle whispers of glass that will be so pretty in my beads.

And you'll see some sleeves laying on top of the glass. I teach private lessons to younger students. And sometimes, they're a little afraid of the flame. I pop them into my leather apron, but wanted additional protection. The sleeves should help them feel more safe and secure when torching.

There's a little plier type tool with two facing sharp points. I have no idea what it's called and what exactly I will use it for, but it looks interesting. I also bought 2 large cone shaped mandrels. I will enjoy using these. Again- it probably won't be for traditional usage. I use smaller ones for bobbleheads and think these might be used in a similar manner.

And can you see the oval hollow tube? It looks like someone just flattened one end. it will make great oval interior beads that will slide onto flatter ribbons and watch bands, etc. but I want to experiment with it too. I've got ideas- just need time to experiment.

On the bottom left is a package of Gathering postcards. Each year I buy a package and felt quite honored that my postcard was chosen to be on top. How lucky was that!! But I have to say, there were a lot of gorgeous individual and group photos. Katherine Wadsworth's postcard beads are always a standout for me.

You'll also see a disk with The Flow magazine on it. I re-subscribed and bought some back issues. I am resolved to keep up with my subscription. I love the magazine want to do more with it.

And I wanted to point out a gift on the far right. At open torch, Jeb and Julie of Double Helix Glass gave away samples of their fabulous silver glass. What a generous and very appreciated gesture. They were so organized, they had also printed out labels, so we would be able to keep all straight. Very impressive and that kindness has made me want to do more with their glass.

And finally, not pictured, but much anticipated--- an additional concentrator that Ross from ABR Imagery will be shipping to me. I want to tie it together with my existing one and see if I can get enough power to fire up some of my bigger torches. When forming my last big project, I had a heck of a time working within my smaller flame. It will be nice having an option for more complex pieces.

September Class At Austin's Blue Moon Glassworks

I'll be in Austin, TX at Blue Moon Glassworks this September. Come join me for a lot of fun and lots of learning too! I love this studio- Jim & Rose Berry are fabulous hosts and the location is in a great neighborhood with restaurants, cute bed & breakfasts (or should I call them "bead & breakfasts"?) There are just a few open spots and I'd love to have some of my readers finish filling them up. You will learn a lot - from techniques & creativity to heat control and lots of tips too... I promise.

Playful Sculptural Beadmaking & More

with........Marcy Lamberson

Add creativity and whimsy to your beadmaking, while learning how to easily transform shapes you already know into playful sculptural beads. We'll first learn some sculptural techniques including simple faces (you'll make your own portrait bead) plus dogs, cupcakes with butterflies, and how to pull out glass to make arms and more. You’ll learn how to look at photos, drawings and 3-D items and interpret them as beads, while adding the inventive details which make them your own uniquely personal treasures.

2-day class, 10am-6pm
Lunch will be provided on both days.

Tuition: $395

September 11 & 12, 2010

Back from the Gathering In Rochester

I'm just back from the Gathering in Rochester, NY and can't seem to organize my thoughts enough for a good blog post about it. So while I'm doing that, I wanted to provide you with a totally awesome link to the Corning Museum of Glass's website, so you can spend lots of time poking around. I'll write more about my day long visit and tour there when I'm a little more caught up. But here's a hint, look at everything and better yet, visit! It was one of my highlights of the trip. Special thanks to the delightful (and talented) Marshall Hyde who organized it.

Dog Days of Summer

Is it dogs days of summer yet?