Catching Up with Spirit Animal Totems

So I have been busy since I posted last time.

I added bison beads to my show list.  I kept them neutral with small bits of shimmery color.  I've done them in solid white as well.

And I was lucky enough to get some brilliant colors in my bears.  This is Lori Riley's dichroic glass. I love the color and consistently good product that I buy from her.

And I added a totem spirit bird too.  This one, I wanted to keep quite simple.  I just have the metallic glass on the wing, beak and eye.  I have some refining to do, but I love the large body with the smaller head.  

So I haven't been ignoring you, but had two back to back online sales on Facebook.  If you are interested and are on Facebook, please friend me and message me at the same time that you are doing so. (if I don't know you, sometimes I don't accept the friendship)  I'd love to have you join the private buying groups where I sell my beads twice a month.

So now, I'm working on my Beads of Courage donation beads for this years Iditarod Sled Race in Alaska.  I have two styles of bears right now and am debating whether I have time to get a third style for them too.  They just take awhile.  I'll show you those next time.

Until then, stay warm.  Enjoy life.  And of course, come back next week for another photo or two and to catch up.  

Making Over My Beaded Silk Dress

I found this gorgeous beaded silk dress at a thrift shop years ago and have been saving it for something, but I haven't been sure exactly what.

It's heavy- both with beads and with the lined silk fabric.  Just gorgeous.  The label says, "Victoria Royal Ltd" made in British Crown Colony, Hong Kong and the other label reads, "Wolf Brothers" Florida.

Here is a close up of the bead work

I am taking suggestions as to what to do with it.  It is missing a few beads and not in perfect condition, but gorgeous none the less.  Although it says size 12, I'd guess it's closer to a modern day 8-ish.  

I was wondering what it might be like turned into a handbag or something else.  Do you have ideas?  I would hate to waste all that intricate beading.  It's just so pretty.

Right Number of Spacer Beads in a Set?

The other day a customer asked me for some spacer beads and two simple earring beads to go with a seashell I had recently sold her.

Making almost entirely focal beads, I was not sure how many to make.  She asked for 12 with the earring beads and we chatted about size and shape.

So "bead set artists", I have a question.  What is the typical number, size and shape of your most requested bead sets?  What do jewelry makers really want in regards to a necklace or bracelet?  Share with us, what you think is the best combination.

See you tomorrow, right here, www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

Not Slacking...Busy Making Hearts for Beads of Courage

I'm not slacking, I swear!  i know, I should have posted my blog for today a few hours ago.   I'm sorry, but I've been working on purple hearts for Beads of Courage kids.  You know how when they receive their purple heart bead, it means they are done with their cancer treatment.  I thought it sounded like a time for celebrating with balloons.

I'll show you my other design later this week, but meanwhile, back to the torch to make a few more.  And later, I will be carefully cleaning these.  Don't look too closely- I haven't used my Dremel or soapy water yet.

Have a great Monday.  See you tomorrow- on time, I promise.

Spring-apalooza Bead Class in NC!

We're all waiting for Spring to hurry up and get here!  And that's the theme of my fun glass sculpting class at Marilyn Peraza's N.C.  studio- March 12-13th.  If you're an advanced beginner or higher, you'll have fun learning bunnies, off mandrel flowers that we'll make into rings, birds and of course gnomes- which helps you learn simple faces, a little body movement and.... hair!  There will also be one special project that you will design with my help.  woot!  Lots of smiles,  good times and personal attention.  Come join the fun!  Class is limited to 6 students.  Hope to see you there.

Beads in Space..Part Deux

Ready for another chance at getting your lampwork beads in outer space?  Mission Endeavour Contest is now announced.  Beads need to be at Beads of Courage headquarters by February 26.  Click here for all the details,'
ps...Like that little yellow alien?  That was one of my beads that went into space on a previous NASA mission. Replicas of the beads in space are available for sale through Beads of Courage.

Rainbow Colored Rubber Tubing- Fun for Funky Jewelry

There is something about this combination of joyful colors in a necklace that just makes me want to smile. The designer, Yvonne Irwin says it reminds her of a carnival and I had a similar reaction of thinking that it looks like a visual party.

Yvonne is the shop owner of MyElements on Etsy who sells these rubber tubes, colorful O rings and quite a variety of other jewelry making pieces.  I found her through some of my friends and have to admit, am a bit addicted to the tubing.

You see, it works perfectly in some instances for a quick ending to a memory wire style necklace that uses my lampwork.  It keeps it lighter weight and for me, a quick string.  Here is an example of one that I just recently made.  (It is available if you message me, but not up on my StudioMarcy etsy site.

I love this light periwinkle blue color of the tubing.  It goes with a lot of my spring colors.  I have used plenty of other colors.

The O rings work well for accents between some large hole beads strung on the memory wire + tubing made up choker style too.  I'll show that necklace another day.

So pop by and visit Yvonne's shop.  One of the other options with this tubing is to feed wire through it and bend it around.  You can make corkscrews, loops or whatever you like.  Lots of fun and funky options.

If you've made something already with it, please post a link.  We'd all love to see it.

See you tomorrow!

BIG SALE....20% Off EVERYTHING in StudioMarcy

So I said to myself, "Self? Why do you need to hang onto to every bead? Why not spring clean when folks can use these fun beads...before Christmas, instead of a post- holiday sale?"

So I responded to myself, "Self, you're right. Glad I listened to you."

(Well, I don't want to mention at least one of the folks in that conversation is a little off kilter, but with all the wassail hanging around the house and the chocolates, we'll let it go this time.)

But bottom line is that I am having a 20% off sale in my Studio Marcy Etsy shop through Saturday. Use the code "joy2010" at checkout to receive the discount automatically. I will be adding at least two new beads daily if not more. So also feel free to message me, if you have any requests. I might just have what you're looking for.

Wombats, Who Knew?

I imagine today you were expecting me to talk about "Black Friday" and shopping for hand crafted goods for the holiday this year.

No, I decided that Wombats would make a much better topic.

You see, I had never really seen one before my friend Jan started posting them on her facebook page.

Kind of cute little critters, aren't they? Actually they're Australian marsupials who dig burrows, (Check out their nails! No french manicures for them) And their marsupial pocket for their baby is backwards, so the dirt doesn't get in when they're digging. Growing to about 40" long, they are short, stout and herbivores.

So of course I've made my first Wombat lampwork glass bead, which I'll show you at another time. But first, wanted you to see these cute little creatures.

Oh, depending on what kind of wombat, they come in varying makes and models too. I like the name "hairy nosed wombat" personally.

What Robin Learned

Two of my out of state friends, Beth and Robin came by my studio a few weeks ago, so Beth could have some private lessons and Robin joined in to keep both of us company. Beth had the torch time, but observant Robin apparently got a lot out of it too. I'm so glad. That was part of the plan.

Some come visit Robin's blog and see what she picked up from watching. And I'm sure there are posts about the bead series she's recently been doing, which I just love. Kind of a retro/graphic type vibe that are delightful.

Shoes- Patterns, Textures...Mix It Up!

Daily, I receive an email from Endless.com, advertising their shoes du jour. Now, how I can survive this punishment and avoid going broke while perusing all the enticing shoes is beyond me.

But practicing meditation and maturity, I try to look at the ads through an artistic eye, instead of the "I wish/want" point of view. Which brings me to the focus of today's blog.

Did you happen to see how many stripe/line/color patterns and textures are on this particular model by Marc Jacobs? Wow!

And of course, I look at it as how does it relate to beads? (Can't help myself)

So all the colors, patterns, textures... just how do they relate to glass? I'm not sure exactly. But what I did notice, was that I like the smooth and woven texture together- which could be interpreted through stamps or even acid etched glass with some part of the smooth glass reserved. And the four different stripe patterns-did you notice how that caramel color unifies them? Have you made anything in glass (or another medium) that would be an interpretation of the multi patterns and textures? If so, post a link in the comments section. We'd all love to take a peek.

And I'll see you tomorrow, same time, same place...http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com

Dreaming of the Beach

What is it about this time of year that daydreams of warm sunny days seem to take over?

I've been thinking about the beach. Not just any beach, but kind of a mixture of where I grew up along the Connecticut coast and Florida which is closer to me now.

So if you see lots of ocean related beads coming from me, you'll understand why. I'll be listing more in my Studio Marcy etsy shop this week.

I have lots of shells, coral, sea urchins, mermaids (I'm not always reality based), starfish, sand dollars, fish and who knows what else. Let me know if you're looking for something in particular as well.

Wishing you a warm sunny day and perhaps a drink with a little umbrella in it and I'll see you here tomorrow. http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

Looks Kind of Like A Bead

In my sculptural glass beadmaking class, one of the things we make is a decorated cupcake.

I'm always on the look out for more ideas for beads, and I have a feeling that little sock monkey in the bottom photo is going to become a bead.

Watch for it. I'll be in my studio contemplating its future!

See you tomorrow here at StudioMarcy.blogspot.com and enjoy the cupcakes. Yummmm.

Not Mistletoe Already!

Every year I debate whether to bring out my Christmas beads before Halloween. It's a tough call, but some folks are early birds.

It's not that I'm out for the worms, but I do know that holiday craft shows are coming up and it's nice to have your inventory ready in advance. Or at least I prefer to operate that way.

So I'm slowly stocking my shop with holiday items. This year, once I rev up, there will be lots of new styles to choose from. I've got my drawings completed and now I just need enough time to execute them.

So if you are looking for the holiday sculptural beads, keep checking out my Etsy lampwork bead shop. I'll be adding at least a few each week as we gain momentum towards Christmas. And of course, please don't forget my BOGO 1/2 OFF SALE (buy one, get one half price sale) that continues until Oct. 26th. You can be both the early bird and get a great deal on worms, too!

See you on Sunday for more glass and creativity chat...http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com

Easter Beads - Spring Is In The Air

There's something about Easter ceramics that just makes me smile.

The bright colors and simple patterns tend to be whimsical and happy. Besides, I've always liked bunnies.

Now is a great time to be making Easter egg and bunny type beads, if you are selling online.

If you don't do sculpture, Zoozii's has a great Egg Press which would give you the right shape to start with.

It would be very cool for you to use your usual style, but make it on an egg. For example, if you do "organic", make an egg like that to sell for this season. If you do "layered dots", then show your magic on one. And if you do "surface decoration" that's got to be the easiest of all. I can just picture flowers and vines across a pastel egg. Very pretty and marketable.

These pictures are from Fitz and Floyd's Easter line. It's never good to copy exactly, but don't they look like they could inspire some fun beads?

Their use of multiple styles of patterns- polka dots, lines, zig zags and checkers, would make some very cool springtime lampwork using similar colors. I think buyers are getting pretty tired of Winter and ready for warming up a bit.

So have you changed your beadmaking habits for this season or next holiday? What have you done differently? Tell us about it.

Kiss My Curvy "S" or What Should I Name These?

Conundrum time. I have acquired a new brass bead press from Mallory. It's for a special project I'm working on, but I wanted to play with the press and try out different glasses in it and styles.

So I made a few and am going to offer them in my Studio Marcy Etsy Shop.

However, I'm just not sure what to call them. It's a "Wiggle" press, but I don't want to use their name.

I've been mulling over other ideas...wavy, curvy, swoosh - (nope, Nike has the corner on that market), worm, squiggle or undulation. I ended up listing this one as an "S" Curve with a little amusing joke written in the listing.

My husband looked at them and said the colored ones look like Gummy Worms to him.

This blue one I etched to look like sea glass. It's a light transparent blue that got a dunking in acid etch. I've got a few of these in other sea glass colors made too.

I'm open to ideas. Anyone have a name for these? If I choose your idea, I'll send you one that is a funkier version than these shown. I think you'll like it.

Thanks for your help. I'm taking suggestions through Thursday 10 am Eastern Time. Now get out there and put on your thinking cap. I need YOUR help!

Lampworker Shannon Hill Needs Our Help

If you've been on some of the lampwork forums, you might already be aware that fellow lampwork glass artist, Shannon Hill is quite sick. He was recently diagnosed with Lung Cancer, and according to reports, "it's bad". But worse, Shannon doesn't have medical insurance.

So needless to say, the lampwork community has banded together and found multiple ways that you can help, if you can.

1. Buy some raffle tickets that benefit Shannon here. Great selection and watch for additional items being added. Tickets are only $5 and it's paypal. You can also donate items for the raffles here too. I'm giving you fair notice, I'd really love to win that Poppy Vetrofond glass. But if you get it, I'll still be your friend.

2. Visit Shannon's website and order some of his gorgeous beads. He has some beauties. And as an old married woman I'm allowed to say this...enjoy his bio photo while you're there.

3. Not in the mood for beads or raffle tickets? What about his great instructional dvd or video?

4. You can donate directly to his paypal account by logging into paypal and using his paypal address (which is found at the bottom of this page) to send money. Just be sure to write a note and tell him who you are and what it is for, please.

I do not know Shannon personally, but have always heard such nice things about him. I am hoping that those who are able to, will try to help in some very small way. Send him healing thoughts, prayers and well wishes and know that this is one of the real spirits of the season.

See you tomorrow with some tips I recently picked up and don't forget, I just added a 25% or More SALE section to my etsy shop...
Marcy

Early Morning Musings- I'm In Bead Trends magazine

Early mornings are one of my favorite times. I'll lay in bed and think about what I'm doing that day and if there are issues to contemplate, that's a good time for it too. Then I hop out of bed and come down to my computer to write my daily blog.

I thought I'd show you my one page of fame for the month. I'm in Bead Trends Magazine - Dec. 2008 issue. Have you seen it? I thought perhaps not. It's a lovely magazine. The photos and how to's are very attractive and it's thick without too many advertisers. Next time you're in your local bead shop or book store, peek around and see if you see it. It's published by the group that does some of the paper and scrapbooking magazines too.

The magazine chose a lampwork glass flower ring that I make, sell and trade. The bright red Russian glass petals with the Italian glass turquoise blue center add a little international bling for your finger. Some of you may have similar ones from the Gathering. This has been my "trade" item for the last two years. (Don't worry, I'll come up with something new for this year in Miami.

And now you know my source for photos too. I have a photobooth on my Mac computer. It makes early morning photos quick and easy. (even if I didn't flip around the magazine photo) and you see me in my early morning attire- sweatshirt, unbrushed hair and no make up. But we're glass lovers and beadmakers, so I know you'll laugh with me at these early morning photos.

Hope your day is wonderful.

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!)

Glass Sculptural Interpretation of Magritte's Work and Combining Two Mandrels To Use As One

In an earlier blog, I showed you a chair that was influenced by artist Rene Magritte's "Son of Man" 1964 painting, pictured below.

Paul McCartney apparently is a big fan and a collector. I read that he named the record company "Apple" because of this painting. I do not know if that is true.

I love this painting also. It's a self portrait of Magritte. He wrote about it, and he speaks about what we see is really obscured by what we really are striving to see.

Something to think about.

This is a two piece sculptural soft glass bead. I wear it on a simple interchangeable pendant. Sometimes it's a pendant, but often it is worn as a stick pin instead. When it's a pin, then it can be worn firmly in place and anywhere I want.

The clothing bead was made on a 1/16th mandrel. You can't see his neck, but it's quite tiny and under the face bead. I have it so that if there is some vertical wiggle in the two beads, it still looks connected because the neck will show instead of a blank space.

The head was made off the end of a hollow mandrel. So it is wide at the bottom and then I put a dipped 1/16th mandrel through the hole of the mandrel. It sticks out a bit, so that the hole through his head is small and his head won't move around.

Actually I'm using two mandrels put together to get a wide bottom and and small hole at the top. I use other mandrels that are premade to do the same thing, but I needed a bottom hole a certain size and this fits the need.

Hope this gives you a little something to think about and puts you into the mad scientist frame of mind. There's nothing like finding ways to solve your design dilemmas and have them actually succeed. Have you done something a little bit differently that solved a problem for you?