A Toast!

It's hard to be serious when you see a cat wearing a slice of bread.  Personally, I think it suits his coloring.  What attracted me to this photo, (as well as the humor in it), is that it is easy to see the shapes on the kitty's face.  This is a big bonus for making sculptural glass cats.  I like that it shows where his chin is in relationship to the muzzle and how the nose is rounded on top and the cute little indentation on the tip of his nose.  I may not get all those details in when making the from glass, but it's a good way to see how the details work together.

I can't picture my cat sitting still for it.  He doesn't like anything on him.  What about you?  Do you know any cooperative kitties?

May your weekend be as inconsequential, as this post, but as much fun.

Witches and a (Blue-ish) Black Cat

My friends on Facebook have already seen these, but I thought I'd share them with the rest of you. These are my first three witches of the year.  I was working on a small variety to decide which one I wanted to teach in an upcoming  2 hour "Wicked Witch" class at FlameTree Glass in Roswell, GA on October 4th.

And the next evening October 5th, I'm teaching a black cat class there too.   Although this one is actually blue.  I was playing with Czech glass and tested the design with it.  This one is actually available in my Studio Marcy Etsy shop.

If not for those, I also have a Santa and Elf Bobblehead making class at FlameTree on Nov. 5th for a full day.  Lots of workshops lined up close to my home.  Hope you can join me.

Halloween Beads

I've been making Halloween beads with my students and for my Etsy shop already.  It may feel a bit early to you, but jewelry artisans want them in time to make up their scary jewelry for the holiday.  Here are a few that are new to my repertoire.  The black cat is really a dark blue transparent that I was experimenting with.  You can see the shade in her tail and ears.  The little black crow on the stack of pumpkins is really black, however.

And here's a tip if you're a glass artist making a cob of corn...
I used the end of a small hollow mandrel to make the kernels.  I had cased the yellow with a transparent amber so when pressed down, there would be a little bit of color difference which creates depth.

You can find these in my Etsy shop, (StudioMarcy).  Needless to say, they'd all love to go to new homes.

Black Cats & Winged Hearts

I was playing around with surface design the other day and decided to try a little black cat on a bead.

Making a base bead was easy and I added a little color to what seemed rather bland standing alone. So aqua swirls joined the periwinkle base. I had considered using frit, but I preferred less contrast.

After the base bead was made and flattened, I started adding the black kitty. I wanted to mostly melt in the design, keeping part of it raised. The funny thing for me, is working with a black animal. I find I want to add either dimension, or details to bring out the features.
A bright orchid color collar helps in this instance. as well as the eyes and ears to help bring out her face.

I almost always make a small heart on the back side of my beads, if there's a place. On this one, I added some wings to not only add interest, but fill in a little space. I'm going to make more winged hearts on my beads. What is it about them, that makes them appealing?

In all, it makes a sweet little bead. Decorative and fun, it's sure to make someone smile. And that's what is important.