Pollination in Glass

When I started learning glass, I thought I'd be making floral beads.  Well,  I seemed to have taken a right turn over the years, but just recently found that I still want to make them, but sculpturally.

And I've been making a lot of flowers, which I'll show you in a later blog post, but first I wanted to show you this honey of one.  Bee-lieve me, it's a keeper.  (okay, got the jokes out of my system)

I'm in an exchange on LE in which all members post a picture of something that they like and the rest of us make beads that "go" with the photo. (the "Pick 6" in the Patio, if you're on LE)  You might remember that weeks ago, I showed you what I chose right here.  But this inspiration came from another member's photograph of a bee sitting on a flower which I knew I wanted to interpret sculpturally.  This is the one for the exchange.

So now I'm experimenting and refining my designs.  I want to do a lot more with this and include other sculptural pieces in my flowers...bugs (caterpillars & ladybugs), butterflies and perhaps a lightning bug with a glow in the dark tail for fun.  (I haven't grown up from loving to see them at night).

I might even do a small hummingbird gathering nectar some time. I have an idea of how I can do to make it sturdy enough.

So, my smart friends, here's the question of the day...what kinds of flowers do you think I should make, and what should the "extra element" be?  If you have other ideas than what was on my list, let me know.

I'll be selling them soon in my Etsy shop and at the Gathering.  Just want to make a few more to have some variety available.

See you tomorrow.

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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Bee Girl Sparkles

Corny bee jokes aside, this cute little bee girl has been hanging out with my other lampwork glass beads and creating a bit of a buzz.

I was experimenting a bit and she was my first one. I wanted to see what adding silver glass to my wings would do. And she was the result. I found out something...that I prefer silver glass to totally cover the wing area, instead of the tiny dab, that I attempted this first time.

It shows up as much more splotchy in the photo, and has a lovely lustre in person. But if it doesn't translate well in a photo, then it won't sell as easily anyhow. So she's mine. At least for now. Or until I have a show where someone can see her for who she truly is. A honey of a bead.