Picture Worth a Thousand Words

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I bet you can tell where I was on Tuesday.

And here's a second chance, if there was some way you didn't catch the first.

I loved my day in New Orleans.  It started with beignets and cafe au lait and ended with a great late lunch with Deanna Chase.  I'll post more photos later of some of my finds in the French Quarter, but first, I wanted to say more about Deanna.  What a delightful and talented glass artist and writer.

Did you know that she has written a book, Haunted on Bourbon Street, which of course, is set right around the corner from where we had lunch.  And I found out her second book is getting close to being completed.  I'll let you know when it's out.  We chatted about the book business, which is fascinating to me.  I love learning about new topics and especially love hearing about specific industries.  This is cool.

And you can find Deanna's glass beads and her husband, Greg's marbles and fun murrini right here!

I'll write more about NOLA another time.  I have some more photos to download and then I'll show you what I found.

Studio Lighting- What do you have?

Messy, but well lit table top

"H" shaped track lighting
(If only I knew how to make these two photos go side by side...)

Recently, I was asked about studio lighting.  What did I have, and did I have any recommendations.  That's a pretty broad question, as my goal with lighting is to have "a lot!"

I don't see well enough without it.

So I have included two quick snapshots I took to show my friend as to what my studio has and to show her what it offers.

I have to admit, Home Depot is one of my main sources for just about everything.  It's only 5 minutes away from my house, so that's where I go.  My husband and nephew installed track lighting from there with a lot of the little spotlights, so I could have enough lighting to not only light up the room, but give me a lot of light directly onto my table.  The track is shaped like an "H".  The long lengths of the room have tracks, so it covers my tools and glass on each side and the center, shorter bar goes over the top of my table.  I can add more little plug in lights, if I need them, but this really seems to do the trick well.

But in my conversation with my friend, she mentioned that her ceiling isn't conducive to track lighting and would probably need either table clamp-ons or table top.  So I'm asking you- my readers, who I affectionately call my "Think Tank"...what do you use that you love?  Any tricks or comments for my friend who is looking for a way to light up a dark garage and have plenty of task lighting as well.

Honestly, I'm "of that age" where lighting makes a huge difference.   I bet there are some of you readers who have great ideas to share.  It seems like we are always re-inventing the wheel, when co-operative  sharing would be so much easier.

And while I'm asking for input, if you have questions that you would like this "think tank" to address, please let me know.  I don't want to ask people for trade secrets, but a little sharing makes us all benefit.

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

Finders Keepers

DeMoss Glass Art has a wonderful program that I recently read about in a thread on LampworkEtc. It's their "Finders Keepers" program.

They list on their website where they have left these organic pieces with their art embedded in it. The pieces have their website inscribed on it, to help the finder find them. What a delight that must be.

Josh Simpson has been hiding his gorgeous glass planets for quite a while too. In fact, my daughter was chosen to do one- at an archeological dig in Hell Gap, Wyoming.

And the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers) has been doing something similar too. Asking beadmakers to place their beads in a small bag with their card and info telling the finder to let them know that they received it.

So let me know. Do you leave your art in places for folks to become finders keepers? Tell me about it.

Delightful Glass Art On Sale Now

I belong to a great group of glass artisans who sell on Etsy. We are the Etsy Glass Artists, also known as the EGA.

You can find us by going to www.Etsy.com and typing in the term, egateam in the search and our listings will pop up.

One of the things I like most about this group, (besides the sharing of info), is that we are all different. Not only are there fellow lampworkers, but we have stained glass, fusing, enamels and other forms of glass being made. It's nice to learn a bit about all of the aspects and share ideas about tools, designs and general knowledge.

Here are the members who are participating in the current Fall Sale which ends on Monday, Oct. 26th. Please click and visit their shops to find great buys and lovely items. I know I'll be doing some of my shopping there too!

http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com (Marcy Lamberson- that's me!) -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.mycabincreations.etsy.com -- 20% off everything
http://www.Giapet.etsy.com -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.GlassCat.etsy.com -- Fused and Dichroic Jewelry 20% off
http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com -- 10 - 30
http://www.41Design.etsy.com -- 25% off everything
http://www.RWillisglassartist.etsy.com -- 20% off all fused glass items
http://www.LeahPellegrini.etsy.com -- 20%off everything
http://www.susansheehan.etsy.com -- 20% off all glass items

Stop By My Fabulous Fall Sale..Now - 10/26!

I'm having a Buy One Get One Half Off SALE (BOGO 1/2 Off) through Oct. 26 here in my Etsy shop. (http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com)

It's so simple...choose the beads and sculptures you'd like and check out as always. I will send you a Paypal refund for half off the lesser priced item. If you buy four items, the second and fourth ones will be half price! Nothing like a good bargain, when you need one, is there? As I'm in class for a few days, it will be a short delay before I send it, but within 24/hours, promise!

I will be blogging about the other Etsy Glass Artist Members who are also participating in this sale. Here are their links, if you can't wait to see what I say. Each shop has a different sale going on, but we're all having sales, and that's what counts!

http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com (Marcy Lamberson- that's me!) -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.mycabincreations.etsy.com -- 20% off everything
http://www.Giapet.etsy.com -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.GlassCat.etsy.com -- Fused and Dichroic Jewelry 20% off
http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com -- 10 - 30
http://www.41Design.etsy.com -- 25% off everything
http://www.RWillisglassartist.etsy.com -- 20% off all fused glass items
http://www.LeahPellegrini.etsy.com -- 20%off everything
http://www.susansheehan.etsy.com -- 20% off all glass items

Grape-licious Glass from Etsy Glass Artists

I belong to a group called Etsy Glass Artists. We're a diverse street team with members who work in various areas of glass. Fellow member, Rhonda Willis made this Etsy Treasury featuring some of our members.

It does make me think of those grape popsicles that I used to love in summer.

You can find our group in different places on the web.
Our main website is http://www.etsyglass.com which includes a blog, and there's also Etsy's profile.

Today is the last day of the Christmas in July sale. Check out the participating members here.

And of course, our group is tweeting too. Follow Etsy Glass on Twitter.

Whew, there's even more, but I'll save it for another day. Sometimes it's just fun to look at the pretty glass items and dream about all of the ones I'd love to own.

Etsy Treasuries...Inspiration, Creativity & Fun

If I am at looking for a new bead idea, sometimes I play my "Etsy Treasury Game". Have you played it?

First I go to the Home Page of the Etsy Treasuries. I pick a page and scroll for a treasury. Then, without reading the titles, I click on one.

I have to choose something from that specific treasury to inspire my next beads.

I can't make it just like what it is. That's too close to copying, but I can find a color, theme, style or an element and use the general idea of it.

Because each treasury only lasts a few days at the most, I have an ever changing source of inspiration.

Here is one that my friend Lis Kidder made. My little strawberry is in it. And do you know about the "secret" other treasury on Etsy? We have Treasury West. It's not advertised, because it is the Etsy test treasury, when they are working on changes and it can disappear. (Not magically). But here is the url for it in case you want to check it out.

When you're just peeking through them, please don't forget to click on the images and comment. It means a lot to all of us who have items in them.

Try making one yourself. It's lots of fun. You don't have to be a seller on Etsy to do it, but you do need to be registered. And of course, if you do make one, I'd be ever so thankful for you to include something from my Studio Marcy Etsy shop.

BIG SALE ~ Etsy Glass Artists & I'm One of Them!

The Etsy Glass Artists Street Team is having their own type of Economic Stimulus Package. It's called a BIG Sale. I'm participating in it and want you to come by my shop for a whole lot of savings.

Starting today, the Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "February Fling" Sale from February 1st through the 7th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their offerings! Please use the code "FEBFLINGS" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. A great deal and a great time to put a little sparkle into your day.

The reason why this is cool, is because you'll see sales in all kinds of glass art- stained glass, enamel, fused, lampwork and sometimes there are other mediums in their shops too. Some of it is jewelry, home decor, garden art, bobbleheads(of course!) and more!

Etsy Glass Artists "February Fling" Sale
February 1st - February 7th

Participating Members:

Woohoo, this is me>>>>http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off (Free Shipping on orders over $40 too)

And these are my friends.....
http://leahpellegrini.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://vickileigh.etsy.com/ 25% off everything
http://jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://creationsbykris.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://glasscat.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off on fused and dichroic jewelry
http://groovyglassgirl.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://mycabincreations.etsy.com/ 20% off
http://msotherdenartglass.etsy.com/ 10% off
http://susanlambert.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://rwillisglassartist.etsy.com/ 20% off Shop
http://westernartglass.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://paulasstressart.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://prizmatic.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off
http://popko.etsy.com/ Free Shipping
http://colorshoppestudio.etsy.com/ 20% off Stained Glass Jewelry
http://giapet.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off

*BOGO - Buy One Get One 1/2 off

I will be adding at least 3 new beads daily throughout the sale, and that's no croc....
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

Etsy Glass Artists- Different Strokes for All the Folks

Have you ever visited this blog?  It's the Etsy Glass Artists' blog and I'm a member of this Street Team.  One of the things I like about this group, is that it's a combination of different types of glass artists, so we can learn about each others' areas and ask questions.  It's nice to hear what products they use and get a handle on some tools that I might not have been aware of before.

Some of our EGA members have joined the One World, One Heart promotion, so we have a couple of pieces to giveaway.  You can click here to go to the blog and comment, which will put you in the running to win the gifts.

Here is my addition to the "loot".  It's Loki the elf mischief maker.  I thought with all the Valentines Hearts, he could stir things up a bit.

Hope you have a minute to stop by and comment.  Some great prizes to win and it's always lots of fun entering free contests.  Take a few minutes to poke around the blog too.  You might just find some new information that will help you in your own creative endeavors.

Craft Gossip- The Glass Art Writer and Her Many Websites

Do you ever notice someone and think, "This person really rocks. I need to keep an eye out and watch what she's doing." I've found that person, her name is Lori Greenberg.

You probably know her or have heard of her. She's a glass artist and a writer and recently started writing for the Craft Gossip Blog Network. She covers glass areas like casting, lampwork, stained glass, fusing, blowing, mosaic, sea glass, etc. You can find her almost daily posts by clicking here.

Lori featured my Free Ice Cream Tutorial

the other day, but the best part about it was the amount of exploring and information that I found on that website when I went over there to look. You want to know more about glass...or Indie Crafts, Quilting, Jewelry Making, etc., pop by, but plan on reading for awhile.

Lori told me that she feels like she has all this info and thoughts inside of her that need to burst out. "When I find something interesting or that works for me, I want to share it with the world", she explained.

Lori is also the mastermind behind the "Watch Me Create"blog. I'm lucky to be one of the bead artist writers there who write about their creative processes. If you haven't, check it out.

And of course as a bead artist, Lori has her online bead shop website called ...lorigreenberg.com, Where you can find her latest offerings.

But for me, I saved the one that I love the most for last. Her Bead Nerd site covers everything you want to know about the art business side- it is packed with technical information, (I really need this) selling skills, how to be more efficient, and so much more. If you read and practice her tips, I promise you'll come out ahead.

And now I'm off to read her article from a Wiki about "How To Dress Like An Artist". The title brings back a funny memory of when an out of state student came to my home studio for private lessons. I saw her physically surprised when she met me, which made me laugh to myself. Later, we chatted about it. I told her what I noticed and asked her whether she was expecting me to look differently? She said "yes, you're an artist. I expected you to look like one." I responded that when I had previously left a message, her answering machine had classical music on it. I didn't know how old she was or anything about her, so I dressed in some of my more conservative "Suburban middle-age Mom" clothes, which is partly who I am too. We shared quite a laugh, but it also taught me a lesson about mistaken assumptions. So I'm off to read Lori's post and find out which wardrobe adjustments I need to make.

BOGO 1/2 Off SALE...Starts Today!

I've been baking cakes, printing bumperstickers and doing just about everything possible to get the word out about the Etsy Glass Artists' BOGO 1/2 Off Sale which starts today.  Of course I'm one of the participants.

Here's the fabulous deal for my shop, 

Buy a bead and the second bead is half price and you're welcome to buy as many as you want.  Okay, actually, I'm encouraging it.  At checkout, you write "Blog BOGO" in the note to seller.  I'll send you a revised paypal invoice with your discount.  Don't forget, orders over $40 receive Free shipping from me as well.

Here are the other Etsy Glass Artists who are offering a BOGO 1/2 Off also.  Wonderfully diverse items are included- stained glass, lampwork beads, fused glass, enamels, jewelry and more. Check their individual shop announcements for their details.

popko, glasscat, willowglass, vickileigh

rwillisglassartist prizmatic, jewelrybynatsuke, nicholebeads, mycabincreations

I'll be adding more beads daily, so check back often.  You can shop as many times as you want.

Don't forget, this sale goes through next Saturday, December 6th.

Hope your week is wonderful.  I'll be showing some of my new style beads and tips for making them throughout this week here on the blog.

Stop by again for a lot of fun.  (and I'll also tell you how to make these fun photos too!)

Inspiration Monday Part Deux

You saw Monday's frog costume for inspiration, now here is the bead.

Meet baby Abby who is wearing it. She is currently living in my etsy shop and if you'd like more views of this little cutie, just click here.
Of course she would be perfectly happy to hop over to your house too.

I thought if I wrote about inspiration, perhaps it would be a good idea to show you my final translation too. And if you missed Monday's blog, just scroll down to see the original photo.

Catch you tomorrow!

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Pumpkin Cupcake ~ Bead on a Bead

Sometimes I make beads just because I want a challenge or the concept amuses me. This one encompasses both.

I was discussing pumpkin bread with someone and wondered if there are pumpkin flavored cupcakes. I thought it would be fun to make a Halloween cupcake that showed that.

For a long time, I've been messing around with stacking objects on top of each other in my beadmaking, so it was natural to add a pumpkin on top of the cupcake. I needed to watch my heat control to keep it nice and distinct between the two and yet make sure that it is totally fused on, so that it doesn't crack off. That sometimes happens if they aren't heated enough together. But I didn't want the pumpkin to look like it was melting into the frosting.

I solved this problem by melting a smaller first wrap into the frosting pretty well, before adding the rest of the pumpkin. This is just one of a couple of methods that I use when attaching a section that needs to look separate.

This delicious pumpkin cupcake is available in my Etsy shop - here. And I've also recently added some other food items to make sure my specialty food shop has plenty of delicacies.
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Artistry In Glass Contest & Fun Website

I've been told by family members that I don't toot my horn often enough, so today I'm practicing.

Hooray, I won first place in the Advanced Category of http://artistryinglass.on.ca/newsletter/contests.html's most recent contest. My little vampire was my entry.

Because he's rather dashing, I combined his photo with this fun website, www.magmypic.com, where you upload a photo of yourself or others, and they have some ready made "magazine covers" that go over your photo.
I made some with my own photo too, but those will have to wait for another time.

So beadmakers, check out http://artistryinglass.on.ca/newsletter/contests.html, for their next bead photo contest. I think it's an every other month type thing, with gift certificates from their online store as prizes.

And I'd like to mention that some of my friends also won prizes. I am so happy for you.
Deronda, Paula & Louise, you all sure deserved winning a prize. Hopefully more of my blog readers will enter and win next time too. (I'd love to hear from you about it.) See the winning beads here... http://artistryinglass.on.ca/newsletter/contestwinners.html

So, now that you're almost famous, stop by www.magmypic.com. It only takes a minute or two and sure makes you and your beads look almost famous.

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Meet Artisan Beaders Street Team on Etsy

People who sell on Etsy.com, often belong to groups who band together for similar reasons. These are called Street Teams. I belong to a few of them and thought that over the next few weeks, I'd mention each one, so you could see some of the lovely items that they offer.

My Artisan Beaders Street Team, also known as abst, is made up of 19 members. We all work with beads in some way, whether it is jewelry design, bead supplies sales, or as bead makers.

Some of our team members have put together a Holiday Gift Guide, http://abstgiftguide.blogspot.com/ so you can see a few items in each of our shops, read a little bit about us, as well as have direct links to each members' etsy store. If you'd like to search by type of item, look under the top banner, and you'll find jewelry and bead categories.

If you have more time, visit our Artisan Beaders' blog, http://artisanbeaders.blogspot.com/
which features informative "color of the week" articles and shows items from our shops.

And you can always search for the street team members by typing in "absteam" when visiting Etsy.com.

Stop by and visit my friends. Tell them Marcy tipped you off. See you tomorrow!

Cool Tools: Fingernails or Smiles

Yesterday I was asked which tool I used from Etsy, for my angel's smile.

I'd like to introduce you to AMCreatures of etsy. Alexander is a sculptor who has developed his own tools for his art, but I found these and use them for glass too.

(Note: they have a wood base, so be careful, please.)

I use these for mouths, but I'm sure you'll find more uses. Please send me photos of what you do with them. I'd love to post some of their other uses.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=12740211

Visit my blog tomorrow to see which of my beads I chose for my "pump up this bead" make over. And as always, please feel free to visit my shop, http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com

Random Act of Glass Kindness ~ Thank You Canyon Echoes

A few weeks ago, I saw some similar beads in Canyon Echoes' Etsy shop and I emailed her to let me know when she had more of them, as I'd like to buy them.

I love Canyon Echoes' beads. They are organic, have gorgeous layers and I love her use of silver with the glass.

The layers remind me of the layers of rocks that are visible throughout parts of Colorado- her home state, and my old one. You can almost imagine the the different periods of time that formed them. (Can you tell I'm an Archeologist's Mom?)

On Saturday, I received a package in the mail from Canyon Echoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. There were two perfectly matched beads in her beautiful style. I will be making a new pair of earrings on Monday and thinking of Johanna and her transcendent generosity whenever I wear them. You can find these beads and more of her styles at http://www.CanyonEchoes.etsy.com. Read her shop announcement to find out how to sign up for her monthly drawing.

Thank you Canyon Echoes. I appreciate you.

Getting Out the Vote by September 30th (Halloween Vote)

I belong to a wonderfully supportive Lampwork Etc. Street Team which is made up of Etsy lampwork sellers. (LEST)

We are having our monthly challenge and surprise, it's a Halloween theme. (October's challenge relates to a more important topic: Breast Cancer Awareness). So we're celebrating early. Come join us.

Participating members have added a photo of their Halloween beads, (<----that's my Vlad to the left ), and we'd like you to come vote for your favorite.
Just look through the photos and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to vote. There is no prize involved, but the fun part is that you can discover more glass beadmakers .

Here's the link: http://www.webjam.com/lest/halloween_challenge_coming_soon
Voting ends September 30th, so hopefully you'll have a chance to stop by before then. Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't say, "Please vote for me". (I'm working on learning how to ask for what I want.)

And while you're there, look at the red bar on the top of the page. It has a list of our members' etsy shops. I bet there are hours of fun just in visiting them.

See you on Monday. I'm taking the weekend off.

Tool Time Drawing For One of My Beads

And the winner is...... (drum roll please).... Melanie! Melanie, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, so thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. I really appreciate it and thanks to all the other people who commented. I will contact you for your address, so I can send you a bead.

What a fun combination of answers for my video blog's question about my new brass tool. From beadmaker prod, to belly button pusher, to a hat maker and petal pusher. Each one had their own merit.

The tool turned into quite a question mark to me. first I tried to see whether I could get an exterior bead shape from it. I used a light pastel opaque for its pliability, and it wouldn't hold that shape. The bead kept wanting to round up. so it ended up looking more like a modified egg shape. So the shaping aspect didn't work...yet. (You know me, I'm going to give it another try sometime.)

That leaves me with using the to indent this blue glass bead. First I tried a simple indentation and with the shape of the original bead, it reminded me of a sugared Easter egg that has the little flowers, bunnies and chicks in frosting on the inside. I tried a simple one with a sculptural blackbird on the inside and a tree on the outside. I'd like to take this concept a step further at another time and get more intricate. It would be fun to try it like a silhouette and do people faces and decorate the edges of the circle like a picture frame. And of course, I'll need to try an Easter theme at some point too. Lots of possibilities.

My second bead, I call "Singing Tommy", which is pictured above. I decided that tool would be able to make a large and wide open mouth. To make the depth more apparent, I first melted in a black dot and then pressed it in. I used a #420 Effetre coral for the tongue which was to accent the hole. If I had wanted to draw more attention to it, I'd maybe have tried a brighter or lighter pink that would show up even more against the black.

If you've read the comments, they were varied and lots of fun. I might try some of the other ideas in the future, but unless I get really frustrated, I might skip burning it.

Both of these beads are available in my etsy shop, http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com .
And please come back for more online coaching, tips, tricks and who knows what else!

Ask Studio Marcy ~ Online Coaching...Santa's Face with Mallory and Me

Mallory, of www.rosebud101.etsy.com has volunteered to be this week's online student for lampwork coaching. Thanks Mallory!

Here you'll see her very first Santa face, which she nicknamed, "the deranged Santa", because when she flattened his eyes, they went a little crazy. He is a hollow bead made with moretti's soft pink.

Here is an excerpt from my response...
"Here are a few hints...hope you don't mind me including them.
Make your base bead, Cool down your torch. keep your flame smallish, because when doing this much detailed work, it's easy to melt it all together. Your Santa's hair is nice and fluffy, so I think you might be doing this already.

Your comments about his eyes made me laugh. I can't tell you how many goofy eyed beads I've made. eye balls only need to be a tiny dot. (I use thin stringer) And as you put a dark glass on top of white, the white needs to be quite cool, because the stiff glass will pull it if it's warm. I then chill the eyeball by press down with my brass Stump Shaper. I always do pupils towards the end, because they have the ability to get warmed accidentally while I'm doing something else and then the eyes go all over the place as they kind of melt from the heat of the other details.

I always do my biggest details first and then add in the rest in descending order depending on what might melt in and be a mess versus what could get a touch too warm and still look okay.

If I were doing a Santa head, I'd probably do it in this order. (and after each addition, lots of bathing in heat to keep the entire bead warm.
Head, hat, but not the trim, white part of eyeballs, cheeks, bottom part of beard, white trim around hat, mustache, white ball at end of hat, pupils. And possibly I'd change up the order if the red hat came down low on his face. If that were the case, I might add his pupils in earlier, if I thought there might be a problem in reaching them when adding the white band trim around the hat."
So look at her second Santa head. Wow, what an improvement!
Mallory made a smaller head that wasn't a hollow this time. I like how his beard and white hat ornamentation are fluffy like cotton. His hat adds a lot to the face. Mallory told me that she was trying to make his nose "like a cherry", the way it is in the poem. Perhaps, I'd attempt a pink cherry instead and just try that out. This red might be a touch too much contrast. His eyes are much better and perhaps I would have added just a touch more black right on the center whether the one pupil is a bit smaller.

I've included two of my Santas to show you and to talk about a bit for additional ideas.

This first Santa I made for any of you who enjoy using presses. His face was made with a Zoozii tab press, but lentils, or other similar presses would work fine.

I added his cheeks, (CIM Gelly Pink for bright, cheery ones) as place markers so I would know where to spot his beard, mustache and the rest of his face. Then I basically followed the order that I gave Mallory and is written above. The benefit of a face bead made with a press, is that it lays really flat, which is nice when it's made up into jewelry.

This second Santa has a rounder head - more similar to Mallory's shape. I indented the space for his eyes with one of my whimzicalities sharp tools and then placed the black dots. It gives his eyes a little more shape and holds them in place better.

For his hair, (same as the other one), I clear encased white glass with clear to give it a bit of definition. Although I have to say, I think Mallory's fluffy beard is fabulous. I always make the beard first and then the mustache, so it sits on top of it and shows up well. This bead also has the CIM pink for the cheery cheeks. I like adding the pink, because it makes the white stand out a little more from the ivory face, adding a little more warmth to the bead.

Some of the places you might want to look for inspiration are holiday catalogues, newspaper ads, favorite tree ornaments and my favorite spot...google. I love having a selection of pictures at my disposal that I can print for inspiration.

To view more angles of my Santa beads, visit my etsy shop, http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com . They are both in my "sold" section. Mallory has listed her second Santa face "Peaches". Visit her shop, http://www.rosebud101.etsy.com.