What Makes Jewelry "Modern"?

This is a necklace and bangle that  I recently ran across online.  Pretty modern looking, isn't it?

What struck me, is that it was created by Jean Fouquet in the 1930's.  It's made from ebony, chrome and gold. And yet, if I were looking at it, I could have been mistaken and thought it was recently designed.  Do you agree?

Which made me wonder, "what design elements makes something look modern"?  Tell me what you think?  Is it spare and clean lines?  Something more geometric than not?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Gorgeous 1926 Evening Bag

This 1926 Van Cleef & Arpels Odalisque Evening Bag makes my mouth water.  It includes diamonds, rubies, enamel, gold and the original embroidered fabric.

Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp

Huey is an electronic glowing chameleon lamp that changes colors with whatever he sits on.  Either he's extra smart, or perhaps it's the optical sensor that adjusts the LED's in his body to the correct color.

Huey is available on one of my favorite websites:  ThinkGeek.  Here is the link.  Pretty reasonably priced, isn't he?

Post Christmas Blues? Here's an Idea

I understand that sometimes people feel a little blue after the magic of Christmas is over.  I tend to feel a little sad beforehand, as I miss my daughter who is far away, but I understand that it can affect people in different ways.

So I think one of the ways to battle the blues is get out and create your own magic.

I have recently found a website that I really enjoy.  It's www.marcandangel.com.  Have you seen it?
One of their posts is "10 Ways to Create Your Own Luck".  I like that.  Our family always says, "the harder we work, the luckier we are."

So here are their 10 points to make your own luck...and to read what they say about each point and check out their website, (which I REALLY like), click here.

1. Constantly Try New Things
2. Think About How Lucky You Are Right Now
3. Notice Little Things and Solve Small Problems
4. Work on Things You're Passionate About
5. Establish Relationships with People Who Share Your Interests
6. Help Others Out When You're Able
7. Take Calculated Risks
8. Pay Close Attention to the Present
9. Identify The Lesson
10. Work Toward Your Goals Every Day Without Fail

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?  As we're making our New Year's Resolutions, perhaps some of these might be good to consider for a 2012 emphasis.

See you tomorrow...www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

Post Christmas Ideas

Oh sure.  I bet you received some great gifts and have already delved a bit into them.  But are you like me, that all the leftover debris from the wrapping feels a little wasteful?

If the paper is pristine, I re-use it and definitely the bows.  Some ends up rather shredded and gets recycled.  But sometimes there is some cool paper that is between both of those parameters

.

I saw these decoupaged wooden bangle bracelets on www.finecraftguild.com and thought it could be a fun activity...either with adults or with kids.  And if you don't have some old bangles, I wouldn't be surprised if your local resale shop might have some for just a little more than a song.

Here are the directions.  And if you have time, this is a fun website to check out.  Hope your day is great.

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas to all.  

And to my daughter in Antarctica, Sparky, I love you and miss you so much.  Christmas isn't the same without you, but I'm so happy you're doing what you love.  We'll have fun when you next visit.

(penguins, courtesy of Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas- this kind even knows how to skate!)

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney

A while ago, one of my customers asked me whether I could make christmas lights about 3/8" long including a hole for stringing.  She was making a special Christmas stocking for her daughter and didn't want to use the little plastic ones from the craft store.

At first I wondered how I could do it, but after a few attempts, it wasn't so hard.  You can see her gorgeous holiday stocking here and the tiny little glass lights used for embellishment.  I hope others making special items will think of me when they need little details to add to their art.

And here's the big picture.

Wishing you a perfect night before Christmas.  May you feel blessed whatever your beliefs. 

Funky Pet Houses

In my travels around the city last week, I ran into a couple of cool pet houses.  As the wire is not very strong, I'm guessing they're for birds or some docile pet.  

They're pretty cool, no matter what.  Kind of rustic and funky- I think they'd be fun if they were just filled with plants...and maybe some climbers on the outside.  What do you think?

Christmas Decorations in Murano and Venice

Dear Fellow Glass Peeps,
I'm subscribed to the newsletter from venetianbeadshop.com, and always enjoy their local photos of Venice and Murano.  After visiting and taking a class in Murano with Lucio Bubacco, the memories and wish to return are always present.

*flower shop in Venice, below   (I could get lost faster in Venice than any other city, I think!- but what a city!)

So I'm sharing just a few photos from the newsletter, but if you want to see more, please visit their website and learn a little bit about the local life through their eyes.

*restaurant in Murano, below  (Waking up and looking out to the boats and sunrise each morning on Murano was so touching to me.  It really grabbed my heart.  And being around so many other people who love glass too.)

All photos from VenetianBeadShop.com....

In Love with T.U.K. Shoes

At Southern Flames last week, my friend Sara Beach was wearing these adorable shoes.  I love them!  (Being rather ancient, I wasn't aware of the brand.)

T.U.K. makes a lot of really cool styles that you can see here.

I like this maryjane pump too...I know,  it's not my normal shoe style, but it's fun and would look great with black slacks.

You can find T.U.K. shoes in a variety of places, like zappo.com, endless.com and even one of my favorite shopping sites, Amazon.com.  And by the way, I did get shoes just like Sara's, but I promise not to wear them in any place that she will be.  I'll be wearing them to shows that I'm doing, teaching glass and of course around town.

Sunset

This is the sunset from my front door.  Feeling pretty lucky to have something so beautiful to see each day.  Wishing you peace and serenity in these busy days.

New Hair Studio That Is Nothing Like You've Seen Before.

A few weeks ago, my long time hair stylist, oil painting friend Adam opened up his own hair studio in Atlanta.  I've always loved his style- often taking vintage pieces and making them fresh with a bit of an edge, so I wasn't surprised that I fell in love immediately with the decor of his two chair salon within his furniture and art shop that he owns with his delightful partner, Chris.

So the first photo is of his waiting area.  The coffee table is due to be delivered any day now.

Here is one of the two chairs with vintage cowboy print for the hair dryers.  I have to say, it is comfy!  I sank back into it and he brought over a foot stool, because my feet didn't touch the floor.  ( I felt like that Lily Tomlin character!)

And of course I need to show you my new hair.  Adam added "cinnamon" color for the holidays.  I feel festive and never have had red like this in my hair.  Woot!  

I have a feeling this place will end up in some style magazine, so when that happens, you'll have seen it before everyone else.

How To Fuse Peppermint Plates

Oh glass folks will love this one.  It's a plate made out of peppermint candies.  Easy to make and our Southern Flames friend, Stephanie White was the creator of it.  Here's how she explained it.

1. Lay out your peppermint candies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper

2. PreHeat your oven to 350 degrees.  (she actually said "kiln" when telling us.

3. Pop your tray in for about 8 minutes.

Needless to say, it comes out flat.  Stephanie then slumped it over a bowl covered in parchment paper to add some movement to it.   Pretty cool, isn't it?

From Cookie Jar to Cookies..Captain Morgan Rum Cookies

Well, yesterday you saw the cookie jar that is perhaps meant to be a bead.  So today, you get the official Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Ginger Cookies that I made, (kind of) today.

Here's the "official recipe".
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Ginger Cookies
1 C. sweet butter softened                        2.5 C. flour              3Tbsp crystallized ginger, minced
1 C. confectioners sugar                           Pinch of salt             1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

Cream butter and sugar.  Add remaining ingredients.  Shape dough into cylinder 2" diameter and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate 2 hours or freeze 45 minutes.  Slice dough 1/4" thick.  Bake at 400 degrees 12 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Cool.  Makes 6 dozen.


 I had changed the recipe.  I used mostly Captain Morgan Rum, but instead of the full half cup, I put some Grand Marnier in too.  And I didn't have the crystallized ginger, so I used some cinnamon in place of it.  And I didn't roll the dough into a log...instead I scooped it with a spoon when cold, and then covered half of it with a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.  They're still not quite moist enough for my taste, but I can taste the rum and liqueur in them.  I'm not sure what I would do to change them.  I know some folks liked them for their shortbread type light flavor.

I was glad to try out this recipe and hope that if anyone actually follows it correctly, I'd love to hear how it turns out- or any other variation you choose!

Cookie Jar Inspiration

There's something about penguins that always makes me smile.  Perhaps it's my daughter's proximity to them, or maybe I think they're cute.  But either way, I just came across this darling cookie jar at Pier 1 Imports and have a feeling it would make a wonderful bead.  Here's the link.  You're welcome to download it directly from my blog too.  And tell you what, if you make it, please send me a photo and I'd love to include it in a blog.  Here's my email addy.

See you tomorrow!

Color Trends

I was looking at one of my favorite fashion trend sites and they showed this palette as one of the trends for 2012.  (I'll be blogging about the Pantone 2012 Color of the Year in a separate post)

But the first thing I noticed was how perfect some of the Creation is Messy colors are for it.  Wow.
The first photo, their color "Ginger" for the slacks and "Crocus" for her top.  The second photo, "Desert Pink" seemed to fit the bill.  The third photo looks like "Dirty Martini" to me.  Not an exact match, but it would go well with what is shown.  The final photo again would include "Desert Pink".

So if these are some of the color combinations, I think I'll be watching what's in the shops and probably shopping for CiM glass.  I'm a big fan of their colors anyhow, so this will be easy.

What Happens in Vegas...

I'm just back from a weekend in Vegas.  You know the saying.  But I can share a little.  My sis and I took our Mom to an Andrea Bocelli concert and it was great.  I'll be posting more about our trip tomorrow.  Meanwhile...just a little more sleep right now.

Da Bears

I popped by my friend's house to drop something off and was tickled to see this pair of bears in her front yard.  Yes, I know I live in the South and snow is unlikely, but even out of their habitat, they sure make me smile.

Convergence III Book Is Available and Guess What?

The International Society of Glass Beadmakers' Convergence III show's book is now available.  I was so excited to see my necklace in the center spot of the cover!

Convergence III is a juried traveling show of glass art jewelry that was designed with the theme of interpreting a piece of art.  If you have seen Magritte's "Son of Man" - you know, the man with the apple covering his face- and a cloudy serene background, you will recognize my inspiration.

But to be honest, I am just as in love with other artists' work in this book.  There is so much eye candy, they will gain 20 lbs just by looking at it.  (not really.... but you know...I'm trying to make a point!)

You can buy a copy of this and the Convergence II book (not on the cover, but I'm in it as well) by going here and here.  I'm ordering one of each today

Callahan's Colorful Typewriter

Artist Tyree Callahan converted a 1937 Standard Underwood typewriter into one that types chromatic colors.  It was his entry for the 2012 West Prize Competition.

I can only imagine how many artists would love to get their hands on this creative machine and play with it.

Southern Flames Demopalooza Set!

Southern Flames has set their dates for the 2012 Demopalooza Weekend,  Jan. 21 & 22nd.  One of the presenters is enamelist Ricky Frank whose work is internationally known.  

We'll have the line up on our website in the next couple of weeks- www.southernflames.org.  We have local and regional glass flameworkers presenting demos Saturday evening and all day Sunday.

D

Loren Stump Demo

Loren Stump did a fantastic demo last Friday evening at FlameTree Glass.  For 2.5 hours, he filled the standing room only audience with glass stories, feats of "magic" - okay, well it was glass magic and tons of fabulous information. He made a grinch like murrine and then applied it to a tiny grinch sculpture and placed it into a snow globe.  Thanks Loren.  It was great.

Twin Peaks Themed Restaurant

Saturday night I was delighted that we visited Atlanta's Bookhouse Restaurant which is a Twin Peaks inspired restaurant.  I love a place that has a little humor and quirk to it, and this place (along with its outdoor tiki bar) fits that bill. 

The Pacific Northwest stained glass windows are my favorite design aspect.  Perfect colors and pattern make me wish they were in my house instead.

If you were designing a stained glass window for your house, what type of design would you choose?

Robot Sculpture on Etsy

I have to say, I'm a sucker for cute robots and this one by Reclaim2Fame on Etsy (HERE) strikes a chord.  The rest of the shop is enticing as well.  Steampunk pups, and all kinds of cuties made out of recycled items that give the art pieces a lot of panache.  Stop by this shop for a lot of fun.

Wake 'n Bacon

Saw this prototype for an alarm clock that instead of buzzing, cooks bacon to wake you up.

I love the idea.  That was one of the ways I'd get my son out of bed on the weekends.  Almost like a secret weapon.  So I guess they were on the show Shark Tank (very cool show), but didn't get funded.

Here's the link to the full info on it.  I swear, I'd buy it!

Santa Wears Camo?

I was totally floored to see a Santa wearing camo at the Dollar General today.  I always thought he traveled in red and white  Hope Rudolph and buddies watch out.