Royal Wedding or Space Shuttle Lift Off?

Why BOTH of course!  It's a big day!

I just couldn't ignore anyone who knit the royal wedding.  Check this out here.

And of course, Space Shuttle  with so many of my friends' beads and one of mine too...

Mine is on the top row, fourth from the left. It's dark green with some red-ish/orange dots.

Isn't this cool?  This is the actual way the beads will go into space.  I found this on Jamie Newton's FB page, (thanks Jamie!), along with the caption and tags.

STS-134 "Space" Beads of Courage being packed properly before being stowed with other middeck hardware upon Space Shuttle Endeavour. Mission: "Flight to the ISS on 04/19/11 to encourage children battling life threatening diseases."

In this photo: JC Herrell (photos), Jean Gribbon Baruch (photos), Cathy Lybarger, Chris Mode(photos), Lori Dixon Greenberg (photos), Laura Bowker (photos), Robert Simmons (photos), Marcy Lamberson (photos · remove tag), Ginny Sycurro, Emiko Sawamoto, Dawn Ceccacci (photos), Diana Rast (photos), Kris Schaible (photos), Judy Mathai Carlson, Kristina Floyd, Genesee Glassworks(photos), Kristin HIggenbotham, Nick Shook, Terri Brant Fout

What a busy Friday for really important stuff!  Okay, perhaps not the top, but still a day of celebratons.  Wishing you the best too!

Join Me & My Friends At Pismo Contemporary Art Glass This Sunday

Yep, I'm really excited.  This is my first year for the Denver 2011 Bead Invitational at Pismo Contemporary Art Glass on Sunday, May 1st, from 12-5 pm.  Some of my favorite Bobblehead celebrities will be there too- Salvador Dali, Elvis, Einstein, Napoleon Bonaparte and more.


If I already know you, come say hi, and if I don't, I'd love to meet you.  I'll be the middle aged blonde woman with the huge grin.  Hope to see you then.

Rub a Dub Dub, Let's Scrub

This handmade natural stone sink on Etsy appeals so much to me.  Stonemason is the shop's name and you can find it HERE.

Inspiration Photos for Others

Choosing something that will inspire you, can be daunting.  For me, it's pretty easy, because I tend to view life a little like that.  But recently, I joined a bead exchange on LampworkEtc. and we needed to pick a picture for others in the exchange to make a bead for us.

For me, that was hard.  How do choose?  Colors, form, subject matter and other factors all came to mind.  I thought I'd show you the three that were my final and very diverse contenders.

I love this one, Navaro Rapids.  The movement, the colors, the subject matter and the style of it all speak to me.  I could picture beads with swirls, a little dark ivory with reactions, perhaps even a touch of coral for an accent.

And this one by Kandinsky also is a favorite.  It is playful looking, has some great sculptural essence to it and I think it could be fun for other beadmakers too.  It looks like a happy bead that could be different from what they are used to and would give them a little stretch.

And my other contender is this Maxfield Parish piece, Dusk.  It's the one I chose.  As much as I love the other two, this one somehow touches at my heart in a big way.  It's a place I would want to visit.  The colors are ones I love the most from my favorite aqua/turquoises, greens to the very warm brown of the little house.  I'd love to be inside of it, peeking out the windows at one my favorite times of day.  

Yes, once I put all three wonderful choices together, the decision was easier.  I chose the one that ignored my checklist and instead spoke to my soul.  I'm hoping that the other beadmakers enjoy working with it too.  (and I have to say, I wouldn't be surprised if just a touch of some silver glass makes its way into someone's work.  The colors reminded me a bit of that too!)

Resemblance Coincidence?

VS.

Resemblance coincidence?

I think not.

Who knew that cats could have accessorizing similarities to humans?   (I think our cheeks are shaped similarly too!)

Happy Monday!

Easter Bunny Donates Body

Happy Easter!
Emily Stoneking's The Crafty Hedgehog shop on Etsy is always a delight.  But this Bunny Who Donated His Body to Science really makes me laugh.

Wishing you a day of peace, love and jelly beans...

Ultimate Accessory for Your Car...Big Smile!

Buy a set of these and watch the double takes.  I am seriously considering buying a pair.  What a laugh. Visit http://www.carlashes.com to check out the different styles. (yes, you can find blingy ones there too!).

Looks like a future bead to me!

Pussy Willow Earrings to Gold Lined Quail Egg Necklaces

Jewelry artist, Stephanie Simek incorporates real nature into her jewelry.  And I love it!  Here are some earrings incorporating real pussy willow fuzzy ends and below is a gold lined quail egg necklace from Japan.  I like the rest of her work too.  It's different and lovely.  Check out Stephanie's website and enjoy.

Give Me A Head with Hair

All I can say is someone has a great sense of humor.  And in the same breath, I'm glad he's not my child.

There's a humorous blog out there, that will get you smiling.  It's the hair hall of fame blog.  If you have a few minutes, it's worth reading for a few laughs.  I like it as much as the People of WalMart.  And read down the page.   It can be a little rude, but worth the wicked grin.

And if you want your own personal laugh, go to http://www.yearbookyourself.com.  You take your face and fit it into their hairstyles from different years.  This is me with a 1966 hairstyle.  You should have seen the others!!

See you tomorrow.

Washington, DC Visit

I've been in Washington DC for the last few days.  And we unfortunately just missed their Cherry Blossom Festival.  There were good things and not so good things about our visit.

Not so good- it was sad laying my mother-in-law to rest at Arlington, next to her husband.  But a really great thing was seeing my daughter Sparky.  It's been 11 months and there is a lot to catch up on.  I love having my entire family together.  My son, Grant, came out too.  And my husband's family was here as well- and they, quite honestly, can be a barrel of fun. 

So I'll tell you more in a future post. As usual, we had a few adventures.  But just wanted to fill you in on where I've been.  I'll post photos when I get home later today and can download them.  

See you tomorrow bright and early...

Jewelry Inspired From Famous Art

I was really happy that my necklace, "Head in the Clouds" was chosen for the International Society of Glass Beadmakers' Convergence III show.  The juried show features jewelry inspired by art, and I have loved this painting, The Son of Man by Rene Magritte for a long time.  So obviously, this is what I chose.

I guess the painting received a new audience in the movie, The Thomas Crown Affair.  I didn't see the movie, but I'm glad more people know about it.  According to Wiki, this is a self portrait of the artist.

 Perhaps some day I might do a parody self portrait with a piece of fruit in front of my head.   A pineapple or something larger than an apple would better hide my face.  Do you have an idea of a better fruit?

Hope you like the necklace.  I'm not sure of where it will tour, but I do know that it will be for sale at the show.  Oh, and I made matching earrings for it...two pairs.  One is of the green apples, and the other is of the hat.  Which do you think I should include?

7000 Bracelets for Hope

I love the look of sea glass.  It reminds me of walking on the beach and the peace that it brings.  It seemed appropriate for this special project of Lori Anderson's to bring awareness for rare diseases, because this bracelet will be going to a family member with a child  who has a rare disease.

The Global Genes Project is an advocacy group who launched "7,000 Bracelets for Hope".  You can click and read more about it.

There are quite a few more folks who are participating in this bracelet hop.  You can find their clickable links here on Lori's page.  Please stop and visit them.  You'll see a large variety of lovely bracelets and can get all kinds of inspiration from it.

Ticked Off Birds vs. Pigs

So, uh, there's a game out there called Angry Birds, heard of it?

I'm kidding.  i think most people have.  And if you're like me, you know someone who adores it.  My dear friend lives in Austin and she puts up with me for looooooong visits.  So I decided to make her a lampwork glass jewelry gift of one of her favorite pastimes...killing funny looking green pigs by catapulting birds.

i had already gifted her with a pendant and earring set of the red  birds, so it was another bird's turn.  Seeing that it's spring, and the king has turquoise in his crown, I went for the blue bird.  I thought it was a good "seasonal" choice along with the green for matching outfits.  Perhaps the yellow bird will be perfect for autumn?

If you are a fan of this game, I hope you get a good chuckle.  And there will be a special edition of the blog tomorrow regarding the bracelet blog hop.  Don't miss it!

All Things Considered, It Comes Down to Shape

I was looking at Restoration Hardware's website the other day and noticed this photo for their vintage look French chairs.  Having grown up with this type of furniture, it caught my eye.  I have always enjoyed the rounded look and the curvy cabriole legs.

The simplicity of this shot is lovely.  It's a joy to see all of the pieces in the same fabric; giving one's eyes a chance to focus on the shapes.

I was wondering what it would be like for me to make a series of beads in the same neutral colors- at least 10 and see how it affects my view of the actual beads, whether the shapes matter more, the subject matter or what it would do?  Have you ever tried something similar?  I'd love to hear what you noticed about it.  Did you change anything you did in the future because of it?

And of course, I can't leave this post without asking you which chair is your favorite and why?  You know how interesting it is to hear everyone's opinions.  See you tomorrow.  Have a fun post planned.

Facebook Easter Bunny Posting...Caution: Not Totally PC

 This is one of "Smosh.com"'s fantasy creature facebook postings...yes, they are not totally PC, but they are meant as humor and not serious.  I hope you get a smile from this.  And visit their website for more entertainment.  http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/photos/fantasy-creature-facebook-updates

One Million Tweeps - Come Join Me

Have you seen this One Million Tweeps book that is being put together.  The challenge is to get one million twitter accounts in there.  If you just want a single tiny picture, it's free.  And you can choose your spot.  I'm on page fifteen.  Come join me- let's see how many friends we can get together on one page!  Here's the url:  http://www.onemilliontweeps.com .  Let me know if you did it and tell your  relatives, friends, Etsy groups, LE friends and everyone else too.  It can be a twitter peep tweep-a-thon.   Let's see if we can fill the page.

And by the way, if you are not following me on Twitter, please tweet with me-  I'm StudioMarcy - of course!

Need Your Advice: Future Trip to NYC...Woot!

Well, it's confirmed.  Hubby and I are headed to New York City in a few months and I'd love your advice.

You see, it's been many years since I've spent time there and I know it's not the same as my youth.  When I was a kid, my Dad lived there, and we'd commute in from Connecticut and do the kid activities. I've seen the Rockettes, the Natural History Museum and lots of things like that.

But I'm a heckuva lot older now and I know there's a lot more than my old haunts.  So I'm asking you for your advice.  What do we need to see and do with just a two and a half day visit?  And where do we stay that is "reasonably priced".  (ha ha, I know)  My preference are boutique hotels- but modest ones are great too.

I'm counting on your wisdom and sage advice- think artsy, fun and bit off kilter and give me some ideas and any advice you've got.  I'm looking forward to your help.  Thanks so much!

Custom Gourmet Jerky?

Now I know not everyone is a beef jerky fan, but when I saw this story about where you can design your own beef jerky, I knew that it would appeal to folks... like my kids who enjoy it.  SlantShack Jerky allows you to choose your marinade, rub and/or glaze, which sounds to me like a potential holiday gift which says, nothing but the best jerky for you, my friend.

I saw this article on their blog.  You can click on the title to take you to the blog, which has a yummy looking recipes for shrimp and other fun posts.

More on the Myriad Uses for Beef Jerky

Posted on March 9, 2011 by slantshackjerky

Not long ago, we conducted a highly unscientific survey on the Facebook to enhance our understanding of the ways people use beef jerky in their day to day lives. Our findings are listed below, in no particular order. Please add your own in the comments section.

1 ) Discreet subway snacking
2 ) Sustenance for roommate locked in bathroom (thin enough to slip under door)
3 ) Warding off vegetarians
4 ) Edible placemat (assuming you have extra-large piece of jerky or small plate)
5 ) Bloody Mary garnish
6 ) Bait for capturing and domesticating most carnivores (especially Tigers and other big cats) and certain large fish like marlins and killer whales
7 ) Nursing a black-eye on the go
8 ) Delicious-Meat-Scented air freshener
9 ) Telling your future (combination between reading tea leaves and palm-reading)
10 ) Metaphors
11 ) Putting cows in their place
12 ) MEATing your daily protein requirement
13 ) Edible wallet.http://www.slantshackjerky.com/blog/

Charming Bicycle Planter

Ah Pottery Barn, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...

There's something about an old, somewhat crusty looking bicycle,  paired with the juxtaposition of sweet graceful flowers.

Just in case it's on your list too, you can remind your family that Mothers Day will be here in a little over a month.  Find it here.

Roses- Fresh Off the Mandrel

If any of you know me well, I have the brownest thumb on this side of the Mississippi.  If it can't grow by itself, it's not going to survive.

So when my sister asked me to make her a rose pendant, I was venturing into new territory.
You see, I had just been at my friend Marilyn Peraza's studio a few weeks earlier, and she makes such gorgeous roses. It's her "thing".  But I am kind of funny about techniques,  unless someone invites me to watch, I feel funny soaking up someone else's work.  I think it's the old copying thing that we're all so afraid of.  So I missed learning from one of the best.  (although she has two wonderful tutorials on sculptured roses and rose murrini here.

You can see my first attempts.  I'm not crazy about the colors though.  I need a shade of yellow that is right in the middle. I can't remember which Vetrofond special color I used on the lighter and the brighter yellow is an old Russian 104 glass that I have.  The butterscotch-ish one is an opalino and the pink one is a CIM. I tried dipping each pink petal's base into frit first, to give it some variegation, but I think that specific frit wasn't the best for that particular experiment.

I'm not done yet.  My sis still needs a yellow rose pendant for one of her friends and I'll complete one that I am more satisfied with.  I've got ideas to try still.  Because for me, part of the fun is the journey.  Trying different techniques, tools and then trying it some more until I'm happy with the end result.

If any of you have expertise you'd like to share, I'm more than happy to listen and soak it up.  Meanwhile, I'm off to my studio to try a few more ideas that are floating around in my head.

Oh, one more thing...Marilyn has some teachers come to her studio.  Look around on her site and check them out.  It might be a class you'd enjoy taking.  Tell her I sent you!

Etsy's Art of ReUse Contest

Green is Universal has partnered with Etsy.com to have artists create either a video or photos which show how they reuse, recycle or upcycle.  There are different categories for entries.  Check here for the full rules (and there are plenty).

Even if you do not enter, you can still vote- and also get some great ideas.  Check it out.

Gnome Arrangement

I was so happy to see my friend Ann Bremer when we were both visiting Asheville a few weeks ago and meet her delightful husband,  Fred.  Last year at the Gathering, Ann bought one of my gnomes for him.  And I could tell he must have a great sense of humor, when she chose the one holding a skunk.

Of course there's a story behind that- when I was a kid, my Dad had a skunk for a pet.  His name was Hercules (the skunk, not my dad).  Herc was a fun little fella who had been "de-scented" for the most part and acted kind of like a cross between a cat and a dog for a long time.  We would pick him up and carry him around and take him for walks.  So it's a good skunk that this gnome is holding.

Anyhow, Fred was so kind to send me this picture of his gnome, which I think is great.  According to Ann, the gnome must be of the traveling gnome clan, because this one doesn't sit still and has his photo taken in a variety of places.

If you need a traveling gnome of your own, please contact me.  I'd be happy to make you one- even without a skunk.  (Usually they are holding a bird, a magic ball or even a dog.)  And I think there might be one in my StudioMarcy Etsy shop right now too.

After 12 Years...I've Pulled Them Out Again

I brushed off my dusty watercolors and started painting again.  I knew when I started working in glass that this would go by the wayside and it has for about 12 years.

Painting has a similarity to riding bikes too.  I didn't forget.  Perhaps a bit rusty though.  I noticed I had a different fine motor skill than before after working in glass. I wanted to use more of both hands at the same time, instead of just being left-handed.

And I still loved mixing my colors to find the exact shade that I wanted.  That is one of the things I love most about this art form and some of the others I've dabbled in.  Working with colors makes me happy.

I'm including some old pictures that we in my unframed stash.  Not my best, but you can get an idea of where I've been with them.  And I'm undecided how often I will come back to painting now.  Perhaps I'll be doing some beads and coordinating watercolor sketches or backgrounds for them.  I'm not sure.  It would be fun to combine the two.

I'd love to hear what other art forms you did, before the one you are currently enjoying.  I've found over the years that many of us have quite a list.  And are you working any combinations of them together?  I'd think that people who sew and button making would be a perfect union.  Tell us about it.

The Good Kind of Crack

So isn't it nice to see "crack" in a good way?

Artist OaKoAk finds small uneven places to make a difference.  Doesn't it make you smile?

 Does it lead you to want to find a crack and decorate it?  It does me.  I love how atypical art around us can inspire us to add to our world.   It reminds me a little of the ISGB's release a bead program.  Where beadmakers leave handmade artisan beads in unexpected places to be found.  I like that!

Watch out neighborhood- I might just have a few sharpies in my pocket on my next walk.  And if you have a minute, please comment and tell me about some unexpected art that either you have created or have found.

I'm Not Fooling!

Dear Glass Craft & Bead Expo,

I wish I was in Las Vegas seeing you.  I have never attended and keep hearing about how much I am missing.  A lot of my friends and acquaintances are there and I know I would enjoy seeing all the wonderful booths and perhaps attending a class.  Maybe next year.  Wishing you and all my buddies tons of success and great winnings if they are so inclined.

Your future friend,

Marcy