Loving lampwork

For the longest time, all I used in my creations was silver and gemstones. Recently I've started using artisan glass, or lampwork as some call it. (I do too!) I have to say that not only am I in love with making beads I'm also in love with using them. I've found some amazing hot glass artisans that make me drool over their beads without trying, and I love using their work in my pieces.

The first I have to talk about is Melissa at Inner Realm Creations. Melissa is an amazing woman with an eye for design and color that makes me green with envy. You can find her designs on Ebay as well as Etsy. She's incredibly creative and uses a ton of color in her pieces. One of my most favorite one of her sets is to the left. She uses a lot of sterling mesh and wire too.


Secondly, Gail of Beadles.de. Gail really has an outlook on beads that I can only call "neat" because there isn't another word to describe it. Her designs are very different, she often uses the stars in the sky to inspire her. She can be found on her website as well as Ebay.



My third artist that I have to sing the praises of tonight is Steve Rhoades of Bokamo Designs. I had the pleasure of meeting Steve and his wife at the past Bead Renaissance show in Denver and he was amazing to talk with. Steve uses Boro (or Borosilicate) glass to create amazing beads. You can find his designs on the Bokamo Designs website.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

For some time I have heard of these things... They've been called "BPAL" and "IMPS" and I could never figure out what they were speaking of, until I found the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I'm in love. I never thought that going through a website of scents could be so addicting, especially when you can't actually smell any of them. Here I am, running through the many pages of the site, drooling over names, descriptions and imagining the scents that they list. I'm going to buy my very first Imp's Ears set, and I'm going through and picking out six that I think will suit my personality. With name sets like "Wanderlust", "Diabolus" and "A Picnic in Arkham" who can't love these vials of perfume?
I'm hoping that these will inspire me for a few mew designs in my jewelry. I'm ordering a lot of musky, earth type scents and look forward to wearing them while I work.

After the whirlwind of yesterday's "Talk like a pirate" day, I find myself sitting here staring out the window longingly. It's another gorgeous day here in Colorado. The trees are beginning to change and I'm drooling over all of the fall colors! I've made a few orange/fall colored pieces thanks to the changing leaves. One using a leaf from Melissa at Inner Realm Creations. I love Melissa's work and it was so much fun working with one of her beads. The other is one that I finally used my Autumn Jasper on. I've had the beads forever and they just haven't called to anything else on my bench. A couple of days ago I found some sunstone rounds that just glittered with the jasper. That made me a happy woman.

I also have a piece of beadwork that is waiting to be finished. I started it a while ago, sadly I had to take a hiatus from it due to the amount of other projects that I had going. At the Denver Renaissance Bead Show I found an amazing booth that had more green seed beads than I had ever seen before- Green was the color I needed. Needless to say, I now have the green I need to finish my newest piece.

This piece to the right is one of my first in a long time. It is now sitting in a shadowbox that my father made. I really enjoy this type of beadwork, it takes a bit of time but I think it's worth it!

Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Ahoy, me maties!
It be talk like a pirate day, and ye better be talkin' like a pirate! Savvy?
As fer yer Captain of the shiny, I be cooking up some terrible plans. Me crew is on shore leave, which allows me the quiet to plot. I suggest ye keep a weather eye on the horizon, as I've plundered much booty from ships that cross me path.

Arrrr.

(Brought to you by Talk Like A Pirate Day)

In The Process

I reciently started separating my jewelry from the beads and findings that I'm selling. The task is going to be a tedious one, but I'm up for the challenge. I've started shifting everything from my main account to my supply account. I'm still having my two dollar or less sale as well. In the next week I'll be adding more supplies to the shop, hopefully others can find inspiration in things that I had hoped to one day use!

I'd also like to announce that as well as being part of EtsyBEAD I'm now a part of EarthPath Artisans (or EAST). Summersea says it nicely, so I'll quote her: "We are a team of people who walk similar alternative spiritual paths, focusing our beliefs in the world of Nature. Our team membership encompasses different Goddess-based traditions, as well as Taoism, Buddhism and similar paths. Our shops are as diverse as our membership. We are not limited to selling only items representing our spiritual path, but also create to make your everyday world a better and more interesting place."

I look forward to creating unique items with the inspiration that I receive from both etsy street teams.

Colorado Mornings

It's the start of a beautiful day here in Colorado. I woke a bit later than normal, my mind was fuzzy from less than restful sleep.

The Pirate earrings arrived in Texas and I'm told that she hasn't hardly taken them off! talk about a compliment to my work. I plan on having a few new sets up soon, fall colors is a given set. The trees are already changing here!

Lately I've been listening to a radio station that I made on Pandora, it's a very neat site, you add in artists and it matches their genre, mood and overall feel to create a radio station. Right now I'm on a Loreena McKennitt and Sarah Brightman kick. The music really helps me get motivated to create. Check out the site if you get the chance, it's really amazing.

Speaking of motivation and creativity, I'm still in the process of photographing new pieces for the site. I'm slowly working my way through, I think I have something like 260 left. That's a large number, yes. But nothing compared to the 600+ that I started with! To the right is a close up of one of my bloodstone bracelets. I am in love with bloodstone, it's so unique. The random "splatters" of red along the dark green stone just make my day when I'm in the right mood.

The days never end

Since returning from California my life has gone back to busy. I have orders from etsy to ship, as well as this gorgeous pair of earrings.

These are my "Pirate Queen" earrings. They're made with Amethyst, Swarovski, Bali Silver and purple glass. They'll be winging their way to Texas this afternoon.

I love this style, for ladies with three ear piercings or more. I know that I love to have lots of earrings, but seven pair is a bit much for me- so what do I do? Wear a pair of these to fill my empty ears!

This pair features a small sterling pirate ship, in the future I hope to have skull and crossbones as well as leaves and possibly other things. I'm thinking scissors and sewing machines, for that seamstress in your life!
To the left is a close up of the lower right dangle with the charm. I had so much fun creating these, it allowed my more risky side to come out. Sadly they aren't miss-matched. I left that for the next pair!

In the future I might even consider adding a piercing for more than one extra hole, can you just see it? A pair of earrings that one "laces" all the way up the ear? I may just have to run down to my studio and create that. Hmmm... Ah, the striking of the Muse.

Of Trips and Lampworking

Today I returned to the lovely state of Colorado from Minifee, California. It was beautiful out there, dry and about 115 degrees daily. Talk about hot!
Before I left, I got to meet Melissa of Inner Realm Creations and she taught me a thing or two about lampwork. I was a nervous wreck, I admit it. Something about breaking hot glass. Well I learned, and had nothing to be nervous about. She's an amazing artist and wonderful person. I hope to work with her again very soon.
Here are the first beads that I've ever made, they were not meant to be pretty color-wise. I was using some glass she had excess of.


So there they are. Going counter clockwise from the top left corner in order of creation. They're uneven, I call them "basket shape" and I'm hoping that I'll get better with practice.

I am SO addicted!