Story Debunked

I'm not sure who originally said, "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

According to Snopes, that is not true.

This mouse was stirring. He was making a batch of brownie batter...and stirring up a storm.

So there you have it. Another Christmas Myth and the real story behind it.

You can find this mouse in my Etsy Shop.

And by the way, his name is Blake.

Now I'm off to find out what else about holiday has been misrepresented....

See you tomorrow.

Please Help Us Make This the Best Christmas Ever for Glass Blower Justin Trott

Hey friends-
Aren't these cute kids? They're glass blower Justin Trott's kids and I'd love your help to make this a good Christmas for them.

Yesterday, I had this weird feeling that I needed to check in with sweetie pie extraordinaire, Jessica Boggs, (whose flamework mermaids are so gorgeous). I read the following note on her facebook page and then contacted her about it. She said, help her get some Christmas present to the kids. The daughter is 12 and the boys are like 5 & 6. The daughter likes craft things and the sons are typical little boys with superhero and truck type wishes. So read below what she wrote and please help a fellow glass artist if you can.

A little background information from Justin.

My name is justin trott i am 35 years old.. I am from Salem, Massachusetts.. I lived in upstate ny from 1995-2003 and I now live in upstate NY again, 2003 till 2009 I was in the colorado mnts I had a Glass Gift store in Gunnison, Colorado till i got sick.. In february I was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called , CHONDROSARCOMA. there is no known treatment for the tumors that this type of cancer causes, only removal. In june I had a tumor removed on my right pelvis and they had to remove much of the muscle and tendons on my right side , along with a large piece of my pelvis bone. It has left me with a hard time walking/ or standing for any length of time.. I am a single father. I have 3 children ., they are my life, other than art, of course.I have more surgeries to go, but I will push on thru and live life to it's fullest..I have been lampworking for 13 years. I work borosilicate the most> I am mostly self taught. although I spent many hrs in the library at Corning Museum , so I must thank them and all the artists that have videos there,,Had it not been for that I would not have even known how to accomplish 1/2 of the things I have.. I have never taken a class with any glass artists..but I have taught quit a few people what i have learned on my own..my best friend Richard Balanda was the first person that I taught, 12 yrs ago ,and we are working together again, now that I am back in NY..I have been working alone for 6 yrs and it is nice to back around another glass artists again... :-)

...The Jessica wrote:

Please help us raise money for for Justin for a lathe by sending donations through Paypal (empirebyfire@gmail.com.) This will enable him to work longer in glass.

Brent Graber is donating all sales of his DVD on BrentGraber.com

Andy Ray has a few "Handy Andy Tweezer" on Galaticglass.net

if you would like to send a glass piece instead for the raffle, please send it to
Gemstone and Bead
Jessica Boggs
1937 N. Military Trail.
Suite I
West Palm Beach, Fl. 33463

We are also trying to collect Presents for his three Children. Please send them to his direct address
Justin Trott
933 rt 11 apt N5
Kirkwood, NY. 13795

For any further questions
Please contact me
1-561-676-9346
Jessica Boggs
Thank you so much for all of your support.
******************
And from me, Marcy.... I know how busy and strapped we all are around the holidays. Even if you can't help in a financial or gift way, perhaps could you help spread the word through your blog, facebook page or online boards? Thanks so much. Kind of puts life into perspective, doesn't it? I see stories like this and feel so darn lucky and thankful.

See you tomorrow. I'm heading out to find a little something for the kids.

Pandora Puppies

Pandora bracelets with the big center holes have been around for quite awhile. I love their chunky yet delicate look and how the glass lampworking community has been able to tap this market.

Pandora, Biagi, Trollbeads and other large holed bracelets are perfect avenues for our industry's beadmakers. Whether your personal niche is encased flowers, boro, organic or silvered glass, there's a place for you.

So needless to say, I love making custom beads for pet owners. I'm showing you a little Bichon Frise that I recently made.

For me, the hardest part is is getting enough detail in the tiny bead. Even though they have a big hole, they still need to be quite small and sit properly on the wrist. Because of the head being relatively large, I try to balance it out with widespread feet and a bit of a tail, if appropriate.

I've found that some breeds don't translate as well for me. Skinny dogs with long slim legs- like greyhounds, just don't have enough room on the bead to fold up the legs and make them look like what they are. Too small a palette. Dogs with easy to spot features seem to always work well and I love the ones with lots of fur- perhaps because I really enough adding the texture in glass.

I've also made lots of beads that are theme beads for customers, whether it's college logos, pets, grandkids, babies, beads that represent favorite sports, hobbies and other pastimes, it's all been fun. Custom work is a favorite large part of my business, because each order is a new puzzle to figure out.

See you tomorrow, here on http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com

Naked Snowmen

I saw a naked snowman and couldn't resist putting it up on the internet.

Just for the record, this is not snowwoman porn, but a cute 32 page story that has great discussion points for kids and parents.

And of course I can't help but make a joke of Flakey trying to cover his snow balls.

Bada bing!

See you tomorrow.

International Society of Glass Beadmakers Needs Donations and Bidders!

If you're a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, (ISGB), you should have received an email asking for help.
Jeesh, we all know what the economy is doing and I'm really proud of my organization trying to find a way to continue on with their mission to educate about our industry. So now they're taking it to the street- or should I say, eBay, to fund the outreach programs. Very cool!

For me, the ISGB has done a lot. I've mad great friends through the Gathering- their annual international conference as well as had the wonderful opportunity to present and teach there for the membership. Each year, I sell at the bazaar as well. So in my mind, it's time to reciprocate.

They are asking for bead/ lampwork functional item or jewelry piece donations to be auctioned on eBay through the non profit missionfish arm of it. (we're a 501(c) 3 non profit and that keeps everything straight).

If you'd like to donate (or bid) and want more details, you can email the auction committee ... isgbebay@gmail.com

I'll update you with what I choose to donate and hopefully I'll be able to tell you when it will be posted. If you have a suggestion for what you'd like me to make for it, (go crazy, it's okay), please post in the comment section. And any other comments are always appreciated as well.

Galliano's Tribal Chic Heels

Fertility goddess heels on John Galliano's Tribal Chic designer shoes were noticed when French actress, Marion Cotillard wore them to a NY event.

I had been looking for goddess sculptures when I ran across these.

So what do you think, do you like them?

Winter Glass Fest 09

Join me and lots of other glass artists for Winter Glass Fest 09 at Matt Janke's Hot Glass Studio.

I'll demo flameworking from noon until 6 pm this Saturday. I'll also have lampwork beads and whimsical glass ornaments for sale. Click here for more information. (There will be a group of us doing all kinds of glass demos too.) Hope to see you there.