Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a wonderfully scary Halloween full of tricks and TREATS!

Bon Jovi Wants You

Jon Bon Jovi....one of the best parts of the old Ally McBeal series... okay, enough daydreaming and back to blogging...

Bon Jovi- the band- is having a contest. "It's My Life" and they're teaming up with animoto to offer the winner either a signed gold record or tickets to a concert. Pretty sweet deal. It takes some photos, a little time and your talent to show how "your life rocks".

I know with all the artists who read this blog that there's plenty of ability and good photos out there. It's a great way to get a shot of your product tucked in there too. Aw come one.. Show us what you've got. And let me know if you enter. I sure hope so.

Click here to find out the details.

ps I've played with animoto before to make a mini video and it was a lot of fun

Show Chicken- Quirky and Fun

Nick Sheehy's art really caught my eye. I love the colors, the textures and how I wanted to look closer to explore the fine detail in it. More can be found on www.ShowChicken.com

And check out the "Shop" section. I'm extremely partial to the piece called "The Journey".

I saw the bio featured below on his website that made me smile. Especially the part about the hamsters.....lol.

ABOUT

Nick Sheehy lives in Leigh on Sea (UK) with girlfriend: Catherine, and 2 hamsters: Charles and Eddie Pam and Miriam. He enjoys drawing various weird things for himself, exhibitions, publications and occasionally the odd client.

Learning About Cybertronian Bumblebees

For those of you who know my advanced age, you quickly understand that Transformer toys are not normally part of my vernacular. My kids are grown and no grandkids are on the horizon.

So when Beads of Courage requested a "transformer bumblebee", my imagination went to a totally different place. I was thinking about a cute little bee whose wings and head swivel in different directions. Wrong!!

Pictured above is my new Cybertronian Bumblebee. He does lots of different stuff, but I'm not sure what. Heck, I have a hard time working the tv remote.

But he will be the model for beads which I promised two little sick guys. Met both of them at the party at the hospital and will not let them down.

I figure if they can be courageous fighting their cancer, I sure can be gutsy enough to attempt these beads.

Because the kids are young, I can't make them as sculptures. They would be too fragile.
So I'll be building them on a background bead for support.

I want to make the kids happy with easily recognizable interpretations. Please wish me luck. I really NEED it.

See you tomorrow!

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1.02.28

Foodscapes into Landscapes

This is something you want to study up close. Photographer Carl Warner has created photos using food in wonderful ways. I love the garlic clove and squash hot air balloons. And how often does a Mom call the broccoli "little trees" when serving them to her children? Well, the little trees look a bit bigger now.

So savor this tasty foodscape photo and many more on Carl's website found here. They're well done and worth a quick click.

See you tomorrow! http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com

Slow to Keep Up on Your Blog?

I've heard from friends that they are slow to keep up their blog, because they are uncomfortable writing.

I've got one answer. Just write the way you speak. You can't be more authentic than that. Your readers will get to know you better, because you are being your true self. You will enjoy it more, because you aren't feeling the stress of not being yourself. And you know what, I bet it's more interesting.

If you'd like more encouragement and a few more hints, click to read "7 Tips for an Authentic and Productie Writing Process".

ps don't you love this snail photo? I sure do-

Eerie Origami

I've always enjoyed origami, but it's fun to find a book with book with an edge. Eerie Origami teaches you how to make some of the traditional Halloween icons and more. I bet there are lots of places where you can find it, but I saw it first on the What on Earth website.

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1.02.28

Don't Forget - Flametree Glass's Halloween Contest!

Don't forget FlameTree Glass Has a Halloween Contest going on. Click here for the details--you could win a TORCH! (like I have in the past!)

This was one of my entries a few years ago. The three little trick or treaters are all bobbleheads and the dog is stationary. I enjoyed making it and thinking of how often a slightly older big sister would stand just behind the younger ones, making sure that they got their candy and said thank you.

And hey- while you're checking out FlameTree's contest, they have a 35% off sale going on. Check it out on their homepage- http://www.flametreeglass.com . They ship superfast and are so nice. Tell Maureen and Lance "hi" from me, if you call them to order too.

Crackers and Mini Me

I wasn't sure whether I had shown you one of my custom orders with the real deal. Meet Crackers and the little glass Crackers that I made. Sure love these orders and making their owners happy. My beads make great holiday ornaments, statues and of course, jewelry pendants. Contact me, if you'd like a special someone interpreted in glass too.

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1.02.28

Transparent Butterflies

Gorgeous, isn't it? I can't wait to try this in glass.

My high school buddy Steve sent this transparent butterfly photo. At first, I wondered if it had been photoshopped, but Snopes said it's real. And here is a link of more photos. These beauties are found in Central America...from Mexico to Panama.

Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Ithomiinae
Common name: The Glasswing

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1.02.28

Beads of Courage Party-

I'm one of those people who tend to avoid most medical situations if possible. Whether I know the person or not, I feel a strong empathy and continue to worry long after meeting someone. Especially when it comes to children.

So attending Bead of Courage's First Annual Party was a bit of a concern. Would I be able to hold it together in front of the kids and their families. Heck yes! These kids are the

ones giving everyone else courage. How amazing! Dr. Jean Baruch the BoC founder and leader is pictured above left with Nancy Campbell, our local contact. Together and with the rest of the team, they've formed a brilliant network and program to support these kids.

Pictured below is Aidan- a little toddler who signs to communicate. He loves to keep moving in his special walker which is connected to all kinds of equipment. Aidan has been through a lot already as his 4 lbs of beads signify. (they're the crown on the AFL
AC stuffed duck). His delightful Mom told me about his upcoming trip to Disney with Make a Wish prior to his big, very serious surgery in November.

Aidan loves his beads so much, that they are used in his occupational therapy. Apparently he enjoys the tactile quality of them and practices stringing them after running his hands through them.

I'll post another time about the Dream Bead program. But I just wanted to say how lucky I am to be associated with this non-profit. We beadmakers are a small, but important and very appreciated cog in the big picture. Anyone can get involved. Please click here.

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1.02.28

Rock Star Owl

Mick the Owl is decked out in his best clothes. I started to design a very different owl and this one just kept getting crazier and crazier. Almost like my hands and head were not connected. Perhaps my hands were ready to make a bird of a different feather?

Mick revels in showmanship. He loves to stand out and be noticed. I think in his owl life, he is the front man of a successful rock band. He does look like one who enjoys strutting his stuff.

Mick has a 1/16th vertical hole and is a little over an inch tall. His base color is a muted purple which shows up more on his back side.

Hope you enjoy my fine feathered friend. Although a little full of himself, he's really a great guy deep down.

A Field Guide to Typestaches

I know many of you have been waiting breathlessly to find out which fonts make the best mustaches...well, it's your lucky day.

I found this delightful poster by Tor Weeks which gives personality to different fonts. As a fan of the "stache", it sure makes me smile.

It is also suitable for framing. Available here and perfect for that mustache lover on your Christmas list.

Preview of Spring 2011 Shoes

Here are just a few of Dior's Spring 2011 shoe collection. You can find more on this website.

All I can say is that I'd love to design jewelry to go with them. They make me dream of all kinds of fun ideas.

Meet Charlie...My Beach Friend

Meet Charlie, my beach buddy from last weekend. I found him upside down in the shallow water. Not a good sign, so I picked him up and his legs moved.

I'm well acquainted with Horseshoe Crabs. We could find them among the rocks when I was a kid in Connecticut. I remember trying to race them too, once we got over that we were a little scared of them.

Well, there's kind of a sad ending to this story. Upon checking out Charlie a little more thoroughly, he had already gone on to Horseshoe Crab Heaven. Big bummer...mostly for Charlie though. I placed his shell back in the shallow water, hopefully to be taken out with the tide. Perhaps his shell will provide some protection or a habitat for another sea creature.

And scroll down this page to see what artist Takeshi Yamada does with the old shells. Pretty cool.

Haunting Beads

To the best of my knowledge, I'm still a glass artisan, so perhaps it's prudent to post a few of my available goodies once in a while. This is a spooky bead (Simon the Goblin) - available in my etsy shop, http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com . (read the story I wrote about him- kind of cute)

And a shout out to Jo who was so kind to post him in her Halloween bead section found here on lampworkart.com

I've posted some other new beads this week and hope you have fun poking around and finding some that will make you smile.

See you tomorrow!

Back From The Beach!

I had a delightful weekend at the beach. Our friends invited us to stay with them on Sea Island, which is a very pretty resort, with lots of "everything" available. Having grown up on the coast of Connecticut, it takes something pretty big to keep me away from that kind of invitation.

The ocean is like a magnet to me...drawing me and keeping me mesmerized. I think it's not just the ocean itself, but the beach sounds that go with it. The waves, the children shouting, if I'm lucky, a little noise from the Hobie sailboats beached nearby, the birds calling and snippets of adult conversation...although I try not to listen too carefully to those.

This was the beach at sunrise on our last day there. A group of us went down with coffee cup in hand to enjoy our last morning there. I took a lot of photos and will sprinkle just a few in some of my blogs for your enjoyment.

Wishing you a Happy Columbus Day and to my fellow beach loving sis, Happy Birthday too!

Call to Glass Artists

CALL TO ARTISTS: Museum of Glass Accepting Submissions for 2011 Application Visiting Artist Residency Program

(Note: this is a verbatim re-post from the original...click to view.- Marcy)

Posted by SNewsom on October 6, 2010

Tacoma, Wash. (October 6, 2010)— The Museum of Glass announces its posting of the 2011 Application Visiting Artist Residency Program guidelines. Each year the Museum reserves a limited number of five-day residencies in its Visiting Artist schedule for experienced artists interested in the opportunity to work in the Museum’s Hot Shop. Applications will be accepted through December 15, 2010.

The program is open to artists who have at least five years experience working in the medium of glass. Selected artists will work in the Museum’s state-of-the-art Hot Shop with the assistance of the three-person Hot Shop Team for five days (Wednesday through Sunday) in front of a live audience. The residency also includes two days of cold working services, and artists have the opportunity to deliver a public lecture on Sunday afternoon. The value of the week-long residency is $25,000.

To apply, artists must submit a completed questionnaire along with a current résumé, artist statement, images of their work, and a full description of the work they plan to create during the residency. Application instructions are available on the Museum’s website: http://www.museumofglass.org/live-glassmaking/visiting-artists/residency-application/.

Tactile-licious Nesting

Doesn't one look at these knitted stools make you want to touch them and see what they feel like to sit upon?

Claire-Anne O'Brien not only knows that knitting is "in", but that these would be a great hit. With Fall here and Winter on its way, I know their appeal will be huge. Check out her other knitted furniture as well.

Gothic + Mermaid = Fabulous

Well, here I am at the beach- day one of my very short vacation and of course the ocean is on my mind. I wanted to show you this gorgeous photo by Annie Bertram who was featured in Gothic Beauty Magazine. To me, her work is spell-binding...the colors, contrast and the way my eye travels and wants to see more. Pop by her work and see more.

And I'll take some good photos while here and post them later.

On & Off

Traveling gal Kim Miles is back home again- well almost. And yesterday when picking up a pair of earrings in her shop, I noticed these two darling buttons. Oh those two short words can refer to soooooo many things.

Two Views of the Skyline

Yesterday, Leah posted that she'd like to see more of my photos from my trip. Here are two that were taken the same night. The moon was full and glowing, so you can see the skyline on the right. But even more fun, was driving and taking photos. (okay, I wasn't driving, but back seat photographing), and this is what my little Sony Camera did when I snapped the skyline.

I call it Austin Skyline on Crack. (joking, of course).

Love the juxtaposition of the two views and each presents a very different mood. Do you have a preference? Which do you like better?

Artists and Cameras

Have you ever noticed an artist's perspective when taking photos? On my last trip to Texas, there were shots of the obligatory gorgeous landscapes and clouds and the beads and glass. But what interests me, are the quick snaps of the things that caught my eye.

Seed pods, oversize walrus heads, coffee shops with rude names and even a miniature lime with a leaf that looked like an exclamation mark all were recorded. Quirky little details which spoke to me.
marcy
But what I want to know, is what speaks to you, when using your camera?

Beads In Space...Now Available

Beads of Courage is happy to have started selling replicas of the beads that went into outer space on the NASA Atlantis Space Shuttle on May 14th.

Presale has started already, but shipping begins on October 1st. You can support Beads of Courage and have a little token from that space mission as well. Click here for more info!

New Wheels- or Wings?

I have always loved the Jetson cartoons, and as a kid, thought traveling that way, would be fantastic. Well what a surprise, when I saw this conveyance for sale on Etsy. Billed as a "killer kinetic lime green space ship Jetson mobile bubble car", it had me hooked. Although, it also says there is no steering or pedals, just wheels. Darn. I thought pedaling that to the new Whole Foods store, sure would have been fun. But flying there with Rosie the Robot would be even better. Hope you find equally fun stuff on Etsy.com. (and of course you can always visit my shop too!)

FlameTree Glass Halloween Contest

Don't miss this one!
FlameTree Glass and GTT are teaming up again to bring you a fabulous Halloween Glass Art Contest!! 1st Prize: GTT Scorpion Torch, 2nd prize: Linx Torch, 3rd prize: Bobcat Torch and 4th Prize: Cricket Torch.

Contest Rules: "Make the best Flameworked Halloween themed glass art. Can be hard or soft glass, but make sure it is entirely flameworked.

Email the following to Contest@FlameTreeGlass.com....
-2 photo views- jpg. format, no larger than 7 x 10" 72 dpi.
-Description of the entry piece
-Short bio with your contact information

Only one entry per person. No "Adult" content
DEADLINE for emailed entries is October 24, 2010
Online voting at www.Flametreeglass.com open October 26-30th

Winners will be announced on Oct. 31st at www.flametreeglass.com

Shipping for prizes not included. Torch prizes may not be exchanged for cash or credit. Winners must send actual entry piece to GTT to redeem for torch prizes. Will be disqualified if entry piece is not what was represented in the contest. Winning pieces become property of GTT to be put on display in their gallery.
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Okay, now you have the scoop, get out there and start creating. Often folks think they don't have a good enough chance, but you do. Once you submit, rally your friends and family to vote for you. Where else do you get a chance like this to win a new torch? Yikes, I'd love a new Scorpion. I'm not participating this year, but I really hope one of my blog readers wins. Now one more hint...make sure your photography is great. Voters only see what you show them, so give them your best shot...literally.

And the Vampire pictured above was my entry the first year FlameTree had this contest...I think 4 or 5 years ago. He took second place and won a Bobcat Torch for me.

Now I want to see what you can do!