Frantz's Sale- Colors I'd Like To Try

L to R: Coral Martian, Sediment, Yellow Apricot Premium, Yellow Opal Premium, Dark Pink Premium Pastel
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I can't help but be tempted when I see sale advertisements for glass. It draws me in and even if I don't need it, I still want it. With my stash, I try to resist temptation, but can't always.

So I decided instead to blog about colors I'd love to try. Wish I could get a single rod and just test them out to see if I really, really wanted them as much as I think I do.

Here are the colors from the most recent Frantz Art Glass 50/50 flyer that recently came out.

I have to say that I'm not sure why I want that Coral Martian, but because I tend to horde many shades of good ol' # 420, it must be that same gene. I'm trying to think where I would use this striated rod, but I know I'd find a place. I know flower petals would rock with it and striated stringer on a turquoise base would stand out. And the Sediment looks like "fur in a rod". I think you've probably seen some of the dogs & fur babies that I make and it sure would come in handy. (Am I correct to guess there is a Vetrofond similar one that I own?)

The Yellow Apricot Premium is just flat out luscious to me. Rich and vibrant, I would find many uses for it, and I'm not an "orange" person. But this one is singing to me. And who can resist a good Opal Yellow? This one has "Premium" attached to its name. Hard to resist. I wonder how this batch is? Anyone try it yet?

And finally the Dark Pink Premium Pastel...I can never have enough shades of pink. I need it for cheeks, and cute little beads. It's always pretty cased with Ink Blue or other colors too. I guess I just like girly colors, simple as that.

So these are my current shades that I'm daydreaming about in the Effetre shades. I have a huge list of CIM colors and others too.

What have you been wishing for? Let us know. Add a link if you have one and let us all drool. If you have beads made with any of these, feel free to post a link to them too. Why not?

Devardi Glass

I've jumped off the bridge and have decided to give Devardi Glass (104 coe) a try. And yes, I've read the public forum threads about the pros and cons of this glass, but I'm afraid the $5.99/lb price is just a little too enticing.

So I know that I won't be using silver glass mixed in with the bead, but I might use it as a surface decoration. And I don't normally encase, if that is a problem, (although I can't remember whether it is or it isn't).

I just see some of the luscious yummy colors and they are beckoning. And, I can order by the pound, half pound or quarter pound. If they work out, I've got a great deal. If they don't, I haven't spent too much money.

I know to very slooooooowly introduce the thick rods into the flame. I'll be careful, promise.

I just think that they might work for sculptural glass. So often the colors aren't as mixed in with each other as with other styles of beads, so it might turn into a great experience. My fingers are crossed. I've read the comments from those who don't like the glass as well as those who do like it. I sure am hoping that I join the second group.

Hopefully the glass is enroute right now. I'll let you know how my experiments go. And if you download the chart from this site, I think you can see the color numbers a little better. I particularly like D103, D110, D114 and D124... which colors do you like?

See you tomorrow.

It's All In The Snip- Easy Mandrel Cutters

I was recently asked about what tool did I use to cut my mandrels for the bead stands that I make..

Using 1/16th mandrels, I do my share of cutting them. I'm always bending them when taking off my beads, because I use a really strong bead release.

So this particular cable cutting pair of snips works really easily for my 1/16ths as well as my 3/32's. I haven't tried them on anything larger. My husband found this pair at Home Depot, but here is an online source that I found that also describes and sells them. I like these, because the ends cut crisply, so you don't need to take off any rough edges afterward. They also have "hot drop-forged of molybdenum alloy steel unbreakable blades", ergonomic handles that aren't too big for my hands and thick soft grips that are easy on them. Wow, I've always wanted something out of hot drop forged molybdenum. ( I even know how to pronounce it! woohoo.)

Anyhow, just wanted to show you what I use. If you have a great pair of cutters, please feel free to share with us what you use. And how large of a mandrel it cuts. Even a website would be cool.

Artist Self Promotion in This Economy

Most of us artists are pretty happy hanging out by ourselves for a good part of the day and doing our artwork. I mean, that's what we enjoy the most, right?

Well, right. But we aren't going to sell anything unless we put ourselves forward, let the public see a little who we are and what we do. Our glass art doesn't just sell itself, even though we would dearly love it.

But face it, the economic cosmos are swirling and right now, we're getting just the debris. High end retailers like Neiman Marcus and Nordstroms reported double digit drops in December. I've read that shoppers are changing their buying style from high end looking good, to feeling good. In the retail world, less bling and more classic styles are moving along.

While I'm no economic marvel or even Ben Stein, I think this could bode well for our industry in the long run. If people are buying more classic clothes, then won't them want more original art jewelry at a reasonable price to make themselves stand out?

So how do they find us? It certainly won't be sitting behind our torches in our studios. We need to put ourselves out there and promote ourselves. Have you signed up for Twitter.com, Facebook or even Classmates.com? Do you have a solid online presence? What do people find when they google your name or your business name? Most importantly, can they find you...easily?

And how are you advertising your glass art beads? Are you on Flickr.com? Do you have a blog? Post on public forums and just as importantly, have a local presence? Are you advertising in places where people who would want to buy your work might be?

Tell us what you're doing to put yourself and your art "out there". You don't need to give away business secrets, but a few hints and tips would be nice. Let's hear them.

And by the way, this is my current Facebook profile photo. It makes me laugh and apparently it amuses others too. If you look closely, that's my black handbag on my head and I took the photo with my Mac computer's camera. Who knows, maybe I can start a trend with recycled handbag hats?

See you tomorrow. I've won the Marie Antoinette Blog Award from Sterling Sue and will blog about it. But first, I need to bake a cake so we can celebrate appropriately.