Give Your Torch A Little Lift

I just received my ProJack Adjustable Torch Stand on Friday and am so excited about it.

I found them when I was in Austin and knew that this is the answer to my uncomfortable back when I bend over to torch, when standing up.

I had always sat down and when I was in Robert Mickelsen's wonderful sculptural boro class, I tried standing. I have so much more freedom of movement that way. I really enjoyed everything, but my sore back at the end of the day. This solves my problem of stooping over the table to work.

My understanding is that there are just 4 left and no more will be made. I wanted to let all of you know, before they are gone. Here is the link (click here) to go to them.

I can see using this small scissor jack for other things too. We can all use a little lift some times.

What a great present for yourself, don't you think? They are currently on sale right now too.

Turn Glass Into Wood

I love so much about nature. Plants, flowers, birds, cute little animals all intrigue me. (well, except for some weird bugs which give me the creeps).

Sometimes it's fun to give them a place to hang out. Often trees, stumps and vegetation fit into that concept, so what's an easy way to make glass look like wood?

I use some silver glass that is from Striking Color on Etsy. I use it over a transparent base and just encase that glass well, so I don't waste the more expensive glass.

Here is an example. It's my "Owl on a Branch" which is in my Etsy shop. (I know, real original title. I must not have been feeling verbally inspired when I wrote it.

Only two beads make up this piece. The owl and tree are one piece, (boy was that fun to make. Talk about heat control!) and that bead sits on top of a flat stand to counter balance it.

So play around with the glass in a different way and see what you come up with. I like this for wood, but next, I want to make some birch trees, and of course there's this one plant in my yard, and of course the Crape Myrtle bark.....the list goes on and on.

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

Mini Tutorial ~ Marcy's Quick & Easy Bead Stands

Are you a beadmaker or bead lover who could use a little stand to display your beads? By any chance, have you bent a mandrel and don't want to throw it out, because it seems wasteful, but don't know for the life of you, what to do with it?

Well folks, here you go...
Marcy's Quick & Easy Beadstand - modeled by Jack the bunny. (I couldn't get Vanna White to do the honors.)

Here's what you need:

1 glass rod (any color you like)
1 approximately 1/2" cut piece of bent mandrel that needs to feel useful.
1 pair of mashers to flatten your bead
1 marver
1 pair of pliers or other gripping tool

Directions To Make Marcy's Beadstand
1. Choose your color glass and roll a barrel shape onto your mandrel.

2. Marver it into shape.
(make it a little longer and wider than you think you need, so there's a large enough stable place for your bead to sit.)

3. Flatten it with your mashers

4. While keeping your stand warm, pick up the little piece of mandrel, and heat just the end in the flame. Spot heat the location where you want to place it on your bead.

5. Poke the steel piece into the glass being sure not to place it exactly in the middle where your mandrel is. It will go a little behind that, so it can go down deeply into the glass.

6. While keeping your stand warm all over, spot heat the area again where it went in, so the glass flows to the connection point.

7. With your pliers, make any minor adjustments to be sure your mandrel piece is standing up straight. Look at it from the front and the side and adjust it.

8. Anneal same as any other bead.

I use these for photography, selling at shows and home display. They're quick and easy. If you want to get fancy, how about making the bead on one of your bead presses, (make sure that it's flat on both sides) and it will look really professional too.

Hope you enjoy this mini tutorial. It's a great way to feel like you're doing your part to reduce, re-use and recycle, as well as have something great to show for it too.

If you don't feel like trying them, my etsy shop has these bead stands for sale starting today.