Donate to Beads of Courage & Win A Cricket Torch!

This is the Cricket Torch!

I am so excited!  It's time to for a little "pay it forward".  I was so lucky that my friends and family supported me in FlameTree Glass' Christmas contest and how fantastic-- I won a torch.  This one!  But on the other hand, I own one almost exactly like it.  (it's purple too!)

So I thought perhaps it's time to give back to all of you, my friends and it's your turn to win it.

I've started a blog with all the details right here.  http://www.GiveBeadsOfCourage.blogspot.com
It has all the details and fine print, but essentially here are the basics.

For every $25 or 25 bead donation to Beads of Courage, you receive a chance to win this GTT Cricket torch pictured above. This promotion is ONLY for the month of February starting on the 1st and ending on the 28th at midnight.  If you donate 200 beads, then you get 4 chances...easy peasy!

Please read the blog and check out the details.  There are some specific, (but easy) things you need to do to be sure you are entered for your donations.  Like send a photo of your donation to me, Marcy Lamberson, to post on that blog.  There are a few more minor points to be sure you can be contacted if you win!

Please join me in supporting kids with cancer and other life threatening illnesses.  Let's make their healing journey a little easier through our art and Beads of Courage.

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!

Woohoo... I WON- Thanks To You!

Hey everyone, guess what? Thanks to your voting, I won the FlameTree Glass Halloween Contest. And here's a photo of my prize, a GTT Phantom, which is a lot bigger than my other torches that I use.

So thank you. I am taking a boro sculpture class this week, and I look forward to being able to use my new skills when my torch arrives. But first, I need to do some serious packing and packaging of my Spooky Night Vignette.

I did want to chat a little bit about how I thought about my entry other than the glass part. Because I know that there are others here who submit to contests (and might have some wonderful thoughts to post too).

The first thing is to double check the rules and what the focus of the contest is. Halloween was pretty clear and that our entries needed to be out of glass and flamework, but could have minor parts that aren't glass.

So next I needed to get some ideas and decide on how I wanted to put it together. I knew that the photo would make the difference and I needed to keep the photo shot cohesive- like with a focal point. Can you see how I accomplished that. I tried to relate all the parts to each other.

I also tried to coordinate with colors. Again, they didn't need to match all the way, but go together and relate. That helps keep the focus to the vignette. I chose green, purple, orange and black and white as the main ones.

Please add your comments on ideas for putting together your entries for contests. I bet you have all kinds of tips and tricks that would help all of us. And again, thank you for your help. I'll be telling you about the new torch when it arrives and my new experiences with it.

See you tomorrow right here on my blog, http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com
~Marcy Lamberson

GTT's Scorpion Torch for Glass

I was lucky to have had a chance to try out Glass Torch Technologies' new "The Scorpion" torch at the International Society of Glass Beadmakers' Gathering in Miami last month. Unlike its name, I didn't see any sting connected with it.

In fact, it was a blast. I checked out the center fire, which is the same as their smaller torch, "The Cricket" and then cranked it up to a full blast using their jet outer fire. I understand that this surface mix design is to optimize a 10 LPM or two linked five LPM concentrators. Perfect. Just what I own.

The retail price of this baby will eventually be $780, but currently is $650 for GTT's roll out.

Now my biggest question is whether I "need" it. If you haven't read this blog at length, you might not be aware that I already own a few too many torches in my husband's opinion. I'm not using all of them as it is.

But...this one makes so much sense. It works with my current oxygen concentrator, provides more heat and more efficiency than my other larger torches. I must say it's very tempting.

But for now, I'm going to continue contemplating it. And if you have bought one, or have tried it and have comments, I'd love for you to speak up. Possibly you might be swaying me in one direction or another. I just know that I liked what I tried...very much.

Catch you tomorrow for more glassy thoughts.

My New Cricket Torch Arrived!

Woo Hoo... It's My CRICKET!

Here's my actual torch taken with my computer's camera.
Please do not notice either the dust or the messy bookshelves behind me.



I know I've been blog tagged, but that will wait until tomorrow, because I have a new torch to tell you about today.

My new GTT Cricket torch arrived and I'm excited. I haven't connected it yet, but wanted to show everyone what one looks like, if you haven't seen one. Mine is pink with lime green knobs. I know the price of this one sure caught my attention quickly. (Introductory sale base price $139 USD, plus color upgrades that I chose.)

I tried this out at the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers) Gathering this summer while it AND another Cricket were hooked up to a 10 LPM concentrator. It had a nice strong flame and could focus down to a small point pretty well too. My try out time was short, and it was late at night, but I sure liked the idea that I could hook two torches to my 10 LPM Regalia concentrator at home. It was designed specifically to maximize the abilities of low flow oxygen concentrators like a 5 LPM.

If any of you readers out there know whether there is a torch mounted marver that fits with it, please let me know. That's part of my delay of hooking it up. I use my marver so much, I'd like to have one before I switch over. My trusty Minor needs to go get a good cleaning. Once that happens, I'll try hooking both up and see how well that experiment goes and let you know.

Do you have a Cricket? Or a torch that you think is exceptional? Tell us about it. So often people ask for recommendations for torches, but I'm always reticent to suggest, unless I've used a certain model extensively.

Tomorrow will be tag day about me and I'm sure something about glass and beadmaking. Next week, I'll be announcing two 2-day classes that I'm teaching in February and how to sign up for the lottery to get into them.

Until then, happy torching!
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