With Wings To Fly

2011-01-07T18:38:00.002-07:00

Trying new things, see I have to consolidate blogs. I have two right now, one is for all my creative endeavors, and then I have one for all of my band related stuff. I'm going to have to choose one (I'll still be adding glassy stuff!) but I'm going to be phasing out this blog and using my other blog exclusively. You can go here to find it!

I look forward to seeing you all over there! :D

Changes

2010-11-28T22:00:00.003-07:00

Not sure how I feel about the new banner. I think I like it better than what was up there (you can actually read it) but it's still cutting into the background. So not sure 100% yet. Any opinions?

So I've taken the dive back into glass working, I've gotten some really awesome colors out of Pandora glass... I'm still not sure why so many people say that they hate that glass.... hmmmm....

Been stalking this blog and this blog recently. Really enjoying the wonderful creations that people are coming up with!!! They make me want to make more myself. Too bad there aren't more hours in the day!!!

Decisions

2010-07-21T07:39:00.002-06:00

I've decided that it's time for a change for the blog. Mind you, not much of a change but I played around a bit with the background and colors of the blog itself. What do you all think?

As for me? The reason I've been so absent: I work the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Between that, school and performances with Pandora Celtica I've been crazy busy. Though I am hoping to soon have photos of a custom set of beads that I just finished for a dear friend and I'll make sure to post about them here!

Until then!!

New Creations

2010-03-15T13:32:00.007-06:00

The past few weeks I have been learning a lot of things about bead weaving. From peyote stitch to weaving crystal and bead types to thread types. I've started not only working with Nymo but also Fireline. I've left little gashes in my fingers from unintentional garrotes and I've pricked my fingers with long needles. It's all so incredibly worth it. Above you can see the crystal ball pendant that I made with 4mm Peridot Swarovski crystals. Megan at The Peacock Shop taught me the technique.

Well I had been contemplating making a collar for quite some time, with crystals and beads and shiny bits galore. Last night I finally got a start.

The center is a Vitrail Swarovski Rivoli, and the cabochon to the right is bloodstone. I got so much done on this piece last night, I'm really looking forward to where this project goes.

Updates ahoy!

2010-03-10T22:55:00.004-07:00

There are plenty of times that I sit here and think, "What could I possibly blog about? What could I say that anyone would want to read?" I find that this is a common question among bloggers, one that a person asks themselves at least once in their blogging "career". As for me? I think I've found the point where I'm just going to blog.

I have a lot of places that I write. A journal for my band musings, a journal for my life... and a journal for my creative endeavors. This journal has been neglected many, many times and I hope that said neglect does NOT continue.

Photo taken from Megan's shop listings

Today? Today I talk about the amazingness that is a dear friend of mine. Megan owns The Peacock Shop out here in Colorado and also is the owner of an amazing etsy shop.

Megan is down to earth, creative and has this wonderful and amazing fascination for shiny things. Swarovski crystals can be found in almost every single item she makes or sells. Her color choices have the ability to make customers drool. She is an incredibly helpful woman when it comes to teaching as well. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to her, asking for help and teaching. She always smiles and offers her help without batting an eyelash.

She makes some amazing bindis, for the bellydancer in all of us.

I suggest you check her out!

Her Jewelry on Etsy
Supplies on Etsy
The Peacock Shop (in Denver)

A Story

2010-01-05T01:41:00.004-07:00

...Once upon a time there was a girl. This girl really liked glass. She loved seeing what it could do, how others used it. So she started learning to work with glass, to manipulate it in flame and turn it into works of art. Months turned to years and before she knew it she was arriving at the two year anniversary of her start date at the torch.....

Yep. February 18 will be two years! I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday that Melissa was sitting me down at her torch to melt glass. My first beads weren't worth writing home about, but they were MINE!

Remember these?
Yep, those were in fact my first beads. Since then I have learned that glass can do amazing things. Two years later the explosion that comes from thrusting a rod of glass into the flame too quickly still scares the heck out of me!
Then came the first beads at my own torch at home in my very own studio. (I really should post new pics sometime. It has changed SO
MUCH!)

And from there came the point where I stopped being afraid to play with colors. Using colors that people called "fugly" I created some unique focal beads, learning that all colors can be gorgeous when used in different ways.

This year I'm looking forward to more Silvered Glass, I've fallen in love with shards. Here's to a 2010 full of discoveries, play time and gorgeous works of glass!

Holiday Sale!

2009-11-22T23:57:00.003-07:00

Holiday Sale!!!
Until January 1, 2010 everything in the shop is 10-15% off. Also any order over $75 will receive free shipping!

November

2009-11-02T12:41:00.003-07:00

November is the time that snow flies, the leaves have fallen. The time for hot cider and cocoa and curling up to watch movies with friends. It's also the time for NaNoWriMo, which I've decided to once again take part in. The goal? 50 thousand words in 30 days. That's roughly 1,667 words a day.

Yes, people tell me I'm crazy. No, I'm really not. I don't stress about it, don't freak out if I don't make my goal because really? It's just a goal, and if I write at all I've already succeeded.

Last night I tried an off mandrel leaf. I was so very worried that it was going to thermal crack on me. I'm not used to making off mandrel things, and so for some reason I was terrifyed it was going to crack. It didn't though! Yay! I plan on making a lot more of these. They're fun to play with.

Promised

2009-10-27T22:41:00.004-06:00

So I got way too excited about these pieces that I thought I'd post the promised photos just a bit early.
I've been playing a lot with silvered ivory. The photo above is definitely proof of that! Top right is Vetrofond dark ivory with silvered ivory shards and a string of goldstone through it. The top left is Vetro Dark ivory again, with dots of violet pastel. The bottom bead is Vetrofond dark ivory, silvered ivory shards and a bit of Double Helix Elextra glass.

Definitely in love with these glasses. Managed to get some CIM Plum and Thai Orchid to play with too. Looking forward to seeing what I can make!

Trying new things

2009-10-27T13:03:00.002-06:00

So over the days I've been looking at glass again, at tutorials and thinking up big dreams.

The first tutorial I bought? Amy Kinsch's Taking Reduction Glass by Storm Tutorial.

I've drooled over Amy's beads for as long as I can remember. Often looking through her etsy site and not being able to make up my mind which bead to buy. Now I can try to make them myself! Not only is the technique gorgeous, but the tutorial is easy to read and understand. I'm very excited to try more and more. I have done one bead, but it was wonky and lacked the proper "storm" as it were. Just takes practice!

Other than that? I think I've finally achieved the effect I want when using silvered ivory. Very exciting indeed. I'm half tempted to just play with dark ivory and silver... but I'm telling myself that it will get boring... I'll post photos tomorrow and see what you all think.

Alive!

2009-10-24T16:00:00.004-06:00

Yes, contrary to popular (not so popular?) belief- I'm alive!

Working full time plus some sucked my creativity dry. So! I'm back now, the fates decided that I was to be job-less for a while and guess what that means? Light up that torch!

Yesterday I made some simple green rounds to get back into the swing of things. I'm finding that I'm real fond of Effetre's Green Grass Pastel. That stuff is pretty awesome, and when used alone I got some nice color variation. It worked a lot like the old petroleum green for me. Yummy.

Today? Today I pulled out a thin rod of Precision 104 Van Gogh. Tossed it in with some ivory... We'll see what happens. When I put it into the kiln I didn't see much color variation, but I'm hoping that the kiln will bring out some color. I also tried Laguna Blue, another Effetre color. I've had it sitting around forever, but hadn't played with it any. I'm watching my kiln with excitement to see what comes out!

New!!

2009-03-28T11:07:00.006-06:00

I've started using my new camera and I'm slowly taking new photos of inventory to add to both the main site and artfire. These are just three of the new bottlecap pendants that I've added to the main site. I have a ton more to add, but I'm doing it in small groups as to not overwhelm myself.
I'm in love with my new Canon Rebel, but I know that I have a ton to learn. Right now I'm working without a macro lens, I'm hoping to remedy that very soon though. It's nice to have something other than a simple point and click in my hands, I used to use a 35mm Canon in my photography classes in school. It was my father's and was completely amazing. It opened up my eyes to the amazing world of SLR cameras....

Look for updates on Etsy, Artfire and the Main Site.

Snow!

2009-03-26T11:37:00.002-06:00

Well today in Colorado it's snowing. They say we're going to get anywhere from 4-18 inches depending on what news station you listen to. When I got up at 10am it was lightly snowing, in the past almost two hours the snow has intensified and I'm wondering if they're going to close the mall that I work at...
The good part to all of the snow? More time in the studio. Now, I can't say that I've melted glass or made jewelry in the past few weeks. My most recent task has been cleaning. I'm really trying to re-organize everything.
I did just get a new camera though. I finally got my Canon Rebel. The DSLR that I've been drooling over for years now. I'm hoping to start playing with it today, the set up is amazing and I'm so excited to finally have my camera!

Boys...

2009-03-11T11:03:00.002-06:00

Well, boys come and go. Luckily I still have my art to keep me balanced. Recently I've been doing a lot more sketching than glass melting. I want to get back into my costume making. Depending on the costume, I hope to incorporate glass into the jewelry designs.
I'm rather excited that I've been able to design costumes again!

On the glass front, I have a custom order that I'm working on figuring out. I'm excited about the beads, I just have to figure out the correct mix of glass in order to achieve a peacock effect.

New Glass Forum!

2009-01-28T10:37:00.004-07:00

Last night I stumbled upon a wonderful discovery with much help from a fellow lampworker and overall amazing woman, Sarah Hornik.
This is a forum for any and all that love glass and lampwork. Whether it's the beads themselves, jewelry with lampworked beads or any other form you can think of.
Come on over and join us. We're a friendly group that has a ton of fun!!!

New creations...

2009-01-25T12:05:00.004-07:00

So over the past few days I've been mulling around bead ideas in my brain, and trying to figure out how to make a perfect "round" bead. I would like to announce that I have, in fact made perfect matching spacer beads! The same day I made those, I was playing around with silver and frit and all sorts of wonderful things.

The bead to the left is just one view of one of the focals I made. I love this bead! I used frit from Val Cox, which I am just in love with. Under the frit was a bit of silver foil, which reacted as yellow on the white glass. Also I added some perriwinkle stringer, just because I could and was playing.

There is nothing like being able to sit down and torch for two hours straight. I loved being able to just sit and play, not caring about anything really. It's amazing that I pulled such wonderful things out of the kiln! ...Now to clean them.....

Color

2009-01-17T22:50:00.003-07:00

I've started using colors that I wouldn't normally touch. Mainly for an exchange that I'm doing over on Lampwork etc. The idea of the exchange is to make beads out of colors that others consider "ugly" or "fugly".

So far I've played with EDP, Strawberry Sweet, Coral, Opalino Grass Green, and Candy Corn. I think that I'm really fond of all of the beads that I've made so far. Really it's a step out of the box for me- working with colors that I wouldn't think to combine.

Sadly, one of the beads (with the Opalino green and Coral) Looks really Christmas-y. I was hoping the coral would have turned out more orange than red. Silly coral colors.

I'll admit that I burned the crap out of the EDP (Evil purple) and it's a bit hazy and... chalky almost? I need to learn more about the color before I play more with it. I don't like how chalky it turns.

My goodness!

2009-01-16T20:23:00.005-07:00

I hope that everyone's New Years was an absolute blast, whether you were sitting at home or out on the town! As for me, I was surprised by my amazing boyfriend who flew into town just to surprise me!!! We stayed home, but had lots of fun playing darts and random games with good friends. There were also marshmallows and s'mores thanks to the fire we had going! Nothing beats a fire and marshmallows.

On the bead front- I've been playing. It seems that I've lost the ability (once again) to make round beads. Ugh. They say that you're supposed to PPP (Practice, practice, practice) but heavens- those round beads are just eating me alive! I'll admit I'm also very frustrated at my camera and the fact that it has randomly decided to hate me and anything that I have the plan on photoing. Where is the summer sun when you need it? The sun is amazing for me when it comes to taking photos... But only 6 months of the year it seems!

I think I'm going to go make melty fire- and sing my heart out while trying to coax my glass Goddess into playing muse for the night. Hope that the days are treating you well!

A bit to share - 10 Reasons to Buy Quality Lampwork Beads

2008-12-14T10:44:00.002-07:00

This was posted on Lampwork Etc. and I wanted to share it with you all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ten Reasons to Buy Quality Lampwork Beads:

© copyright 2008, Helen Simon, helensharvest.com

1- It is original and unique art. No one else will own or wear it.

2- You can meet the artist in a cyber way thereby understanding your purchase. You can inquire about the inspiration. Most artists are delighted to talk about their work.

3- It will outlast quilts and even painted canvases, with proper care, perhaps for millennia. Ancient Roman beads are commonly available, even on Ebay.

4- Because of its longevity, it will enhance your portfolio, and provide inheritance for your heirs. What a lovely, thoughtful gift of art to your appreciative loved ones!

5- You can wear your art, expressing your daily mood, your ensemble often secondary to your Lampwork.

6- You can request custom work for a special occasion. Most artists are honored to help with special orders.

7- It is small, so easy to store with other precious treasures.

8- Your purchase will have inexpensive shipping because it is light.

9-Your unique Beads may inspire your original designs worthy of being published, winning contests and prizes.

10- It is FUN to buy, own, give, be inspired by, and wear.

Camera woes

2008-12-13T10:57:00.002-07:00

So I've been making a large amount of lampworked beads reciently and I seem to have hit a block in the road. You ask, "What could possibly block you?!"

....My camera. It's a wonderful camera, don't get me wrong. I just seem to have lost my touch. The white balance is off, the pictures aren't sharp enough and nothing I do in photoshop can fix any of that. *sigh* So today I'm going to go out, try and get some good photos in natural Colorado light and after that I get to play surgeon on my light box. There is no other choice.

I think I'm going to use this DiY tutorial on how to put together a light box. I'm very fond of it.

I'll let you know how it all works out! Hopefully I'll have photos soon that look similar to the one in this post!

Woooo!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-30T18:10:00.002-07:00

So as I type I have a kiln full of beads. It's nice to be back at the torch... and back in snowy Colorado.

"Wait a second? Didn't you just say you were moving?" Yeah, I did. We had a change of plans so I'm back in Colorado. You all don't mind, do you? I hope not, because you're stuck with me!

My studio is a mess, but I made beads today. In my mind that's all that matters right now.

I'm content.

Reasons..

2008-11-25T10:49:00.004-07:00

So I'm rather addicted to the internet, as many are. I spend so much time around the 'net itself that I often forget to post! So- I'm going to share some of my favorite places to visit.

There are going to be lots of links! :D

http://www.starvingjewelryartists.com/ - The forum of a lot of wonderful ladies and gents. This is a jewelry forum that often covers everything from lampwork to metal smithing and even "basic" stringing. I love all of the amazing people there!

http://www.lampworketc.com - Home of wonderful lampworkers and those that work with glass. There are many great and creative people here that I learn from. Definitely one of my favorite forums.

http://www.etsy.com - Of course this is one of my favorite places to visit! What better to do that shop through many many talented artists. I have so many favorites that it almost isn't funny!

http://www.lestbeads.com - The home of the Lampwork Etc Street Team for etsy.

There are a few of the places that have been keeping me from you, my dear readers.

Moving

2008-10-27T16:29:00.002-06:00

As you all know I'm moving.
So! To celebrate this I'm holding a sale at my website.
10-20% off EVERYTHING!

Go! Look! Tell your friends! :)

Changes

2008-10-15T16:37:00.004-06:00

In the next month or so I'll be gearing up to move. Yep. Away from the green and the mountains of Colorado, I'll be moving to the beauty of New Mexico. Yes, the boy finally talked me into it.

What will I be bringing? Not my glass sadly. Not yet at least. Jewelry and papercrafting stuff will be going though. I'll still be able to do art journaling and make jewelry- I just need to figure out a camera for the move. I've been stealing my father's for quite some time, much to his annoyance.

I haven't done many things that are creative. Unless you count writing. My time has been full of work, writing and playing World of Warcraft. It's an addiction that I partake in gladly. *laughs*

Days and Days

2008-08-25T11:40:00.002-06:00

The torching is coming along. I think I'm back in the hang of it. As for jewelry making, it can be hard to sit there and stare at so many things and know exactly what you're doing. I call this over exposure. Often times I have to hide things from my sight so I'm not overwhelmed. It isn't easy I have to admit.
In that same vein, I find so many things that I can no longer use. Jewelry supplies that just don't fit into my theme any longer. What do I do with those you ask? Why I add them to my etsy destash shop. I'll be adding more over the next few days, so if you're in the market for new beads and supplies keep your eyes peeled!

Not dead!

2008-08-13T14:06:00.005-06:00

I'm sorry that I've neglected the blog for so long! Until today it had been two months since I'd made any beads at the torch. The cute boy to the left is the reason... sort of.
In the past two months I have had him visit from New Mexico, go to the Renaissance Festive out here in Colorado and then about a month later I traveled down to stay with him for two weeks! Needless to say, life has been pretty busy.
I'm back in Colorado though, and today I lit up my torch and made beads! There are about 14 in the kiln right now. I tried some new color sets as well as a raku focal that I'm really hoping comes out right.
There isn't too much on the jewelry front, I have a new design or two that I desperately need to put up on etsy or my site.

My Mother, My Business

2008-05-12T22:36:00.003-06:00

"Mother’s Day has special meaning to all of us. In a moment of remembering Mom, share with us her impact on your business. " -Flaming Hot

My Mother is my everything when it comes to the roots of the business. She is my sounding board, my cheerleader, my sales rep and my rock of never ending support. Without her Silver Faerie Designs would not exist today. When I started making jewelry she became my buying support, always going to shows with me. She openly gives her opinion, good or bad. I welcome that opinion with open arms and a joyful heart- after all; She's Mom. :)

Diversify - Blog It!

2008-04-14T11:52:00.002-06:00

"What are the different ways you diversify your business? Most of us sell online, but what other ways do you contribute to your bottom line? Blog it!" -Flaming Hot.

This is an interesting question for me. I started in the jewelry side of things, making jewelry for over 4 years. I started using lampwork in my pieces and then eventually began making the glass beads instead of buying them. That is the beginning of my diversity.

When it comes to bead making, I'm still learning. I'm still trying to accomplish a perfectly formed bead each time. My focus is more on color and shape than design and so my beads aren't terribly unique.

My sales venues change yearly. My online venues are always the same. My website and Etsy. Every year I try to do at least 5 shows in person. From home shows to art and craft shows. I find that selling face to face is the easiest because buyers like to touch the piece and see the colors in person.

Announcing......

2008-04-01T00:49:00.003-06:00

LEST is having a sale starting on April 1st. Members will have items in their shops on sale for 10-20% through April 7th.

Shop the LEST sale now!

(Or just search for "lestsale" on Etsy.)

Photos... A Necessary Evil

2008-03-26T10:28:00.003-06:00

This question was posed by Flaming Hot.
"The necessary evil - pictures. Selling online requires glass pictures to be seen and felt. It’s hard work! Tell me about your pictures."

At this time I'm only getting into photographing my glass beads, but I have been photographing jewelry for quite some time. I'm hoping that the experience from that will transition into my glass.
Photos are difficult all the way around, they are a pain in the rear if you ask me. You have to avoid glare, washing out the piece and every little tiny make on your white background (if you use white).

LEST

2008-03-21T10:37:00.003-06:00

I'd like to announce the new Street Team that I'm a part of on Etsy. The Lampwork Etc. Street Team! It's full of lampworkers of all shapes and sizes that make beads, pendants and hot glass things of all shapes and sizes! We have a Flickr Group, and you can find us on Etsy by searching "Lest". Amazing work, go look for yourself.

The Price of Silver

2008-03-20T22:06:00.002-06:00

With things going the way they are in the United States, silver has been steadily increasing in price. When I first started making jewelry I remember that silver was only $14 an ounce- this month it hit $20.
The past two days have been a very welcome relief. Silver dropped $1.48 yesterday and $1.43 today. As of market close silver was sitting at 17.06 an ounce. Talk about a breath of fresh air!

I did it!

2008-03-13T20:45:00.004-06:00

Today, I made my first set of beads. They're not terribly intricate, but I made a cohesive set of five beads!!!
Light Sky blue with frit and others with some goldstone and clear stringer that I pulled all by myself! I also put together a few earring pairs that are really simple. I know that I need to start simple, it's much better for my less than perfect attention span.

I'm so glad that I decided to torch today, the past few days have been less than wonderful on the torch. :)

The set to the left is one that I made for my Mother, she's still waiting it it to be made into a necklace.

Things I've learned

2008-02-26T10:44:00.003-07:00

In just over a week I've learned quite a lot about hot glass. For one, it's hot. It reaches this molten state that scares the pants off me sometimes. I need to learn to slow down when I work. I do love it though. Its my "zen time", I crank my music so I can hear it over my ventilation and work on getting good shape for my beads. It's harder than it looks. I can tell you that!

Frit, beads and other things

2008-02-21T12:11:00.006-07:00

There are days that I want to just sing everything instead of talk it. I think that today is one of those days. Since Sunday I have tried to do two batches of beads a day. It's really paying off. My kiln fits 11 beads each annealing cycle because I make them and put them directly into the kiln. I don't want to mess around with batch annealing.

Anyway, so I make about 22 beads a day. I can seriously say that not all of them are good ideas. Some turn out amazing and others I have to blink at and wonder what I was thinking.
(Left) This was the first batch of beads that I did. The first two turned out really... wonky. I was getting used to the glass and melting it. These are beads 5-11. At this point I had only made 4 beads prior.

My second batch was much better, if I do say so myself. You can see them to the right. I'm still working on getting perfect shape, but for only having done some 40 beads at most I think that I'm getting there.

And Completion

2008-02-18T15:22:00.004-07:00

For about four months now I've been working on my brand new lampworking/beading studio. As of 2pm yesterday it was completed and my Nortel Minor torch was fired up for the first time!
What started out as an old hot tub room (see photo on the right). Is now painted, spiffed up and with fire, ventilation and everything else I need!
I am in love with my new space. My kiln is rather small, but I can get 10 or so beads in per annealing cycle. It works for now. I've also fallen in love with my oxygen/natural gas duo for my torch. Talk about EASY! Since set up I've made 20 beads, I have a long way to go but I'm enjoying every step of the way.

Safety

2008-02-15T09:53:00.003-07:00

Safety is a big thing for me. There are really a lot of small ways to be safe, whether you're making jewelry or lampworking.

For jewelry making, I always make sure that I "guard" my cuts, which means when I cut wire I try to cover the tail that I'm cutting off with my finger or hand (keeping it out of the nippers of course!) and I always wear my glasses. They're made for close work or reading, so they're a bit required for me. Another thing I try to do is pick up any fallen beads. Not so much for safety but comfort. It hurts like a bugger when you step on a bead that's sitting on a concrete floor. There's no give and so the bead kinda.... well it hurts a lot.
Now for lampworking it's a whole different animal, if you will. You have to have didymium glasses, no ifs whats or buts. If you work with borosilicate glass you need even stronger glasses than that. Not only are they there to protect your eyes from flying glass (you never know!) but also to protect your eyes from flame glare. After the glasses you have your rod rests and your tools- and always remembering that the bead is HOT.

Another Step

2008-02-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, and some of you don't; I'm slowly setting up a lampworking studio.
Until today I had almost everything I needed.
Today, we got our natural gas hook up. Now, I know that I could use propane, but NG is so much easier and burns cleaner.
These are the first and only beads that I've ever made. I have sooo much glass to work with, and bought my Minor torch just before Christmas. Earlier in January I got my oxygen concentrator.

Our next and last step: Ventilation.
I want my ventilation to be proper, to make sure that any fumes that are created by melting glass are quickly and easily swept away. We have the hood that we want to use, so all that's left is the fan and hooking it up with ducting and all that. (Can you tell that I'm not the one that will be installing that either?)

Plug board? What's that?

2008-02-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed the set of randomly flashing little icons on the left of the page (it's a bit down the line, but it's there!). You might be asking, "Well what, exactly is that?". It's a plug board. A really nifty idea that allows people to advertise freely. Free plugs. Artists like those.
Go take a look and browse through a couple of the sites, you never know what treasures you'll find! I know that personally I love browsing through the sites to see other artists' work. Sometimes the plugs will link to blogs, and sometimes sites. So you never know where you'll be going!

So what next?

2008-02-01T23:16:00.001-07:00

Often I'll create a piece or two, finish up everything and sit at my work bench wondering "What next?". For me it's not so much a problem of what to do, it's a problem of what to do next. I have so many creative things that I enjoy and so many that are rather time consuming.
I sit back and I relax, listen to the music on my computer and look around my studio. If I'm working on a jewelry piece I'll look through beads, findings and sometimes I'll even go for a walk. If it's sewing, or any other sort of crafting I stand up and walk around the studio a bit, humming or listening to music. It's a matter of what sparks my attention next.
For example; right now I have a pair of Faerie Wings in the works as well as a necklace and a number of bottle cap pendants. I make sure that each time I'm done with a step, if I have to wait for drying time etc that I move on to the next thing. Never taking the time to get too terribly distracted. For me, distraction is Public Enemy #1.

What do you do to stay on track or get inspiration for your next work?

Music

2008-01-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

So I've had a number of people ask me what I listen to while I'm working. The easiest answer would be, "Anything and everything." But I suppose that all of my readers out there want a bit more than that.
My tastes in music range from Country to Goth Rock and New Age. I often listen to mixes I've made via i-Tunes that correspond to my mood. Some of my favorites include: Voltaire (If you don't know who he is, you should look him up), Loreena McKennitt, and Anything Pirates of the Caribbean. Most of my music lacks words on some days, other days I sing along as I create. It's hard to say what my mood will be when I wake up, but it's always fin to figure out what to listen to.
I also found a site for music lovers. It's called Pandora Radio and best of all, it's free!

So there you have it. A bit about the music I love and listen to. What do you listen to when you create?

Bottle caps

2008-01-21T11:41:00.001-07:00

So I have a love hate relationship with bottle caps. I love them because I create so many designs with the ones I have. I hate them because, well you have to get them somehow!
When I first started my bottle cap line I had to drink everything in bottles; soda, root beer, anything with caps. Then I got a boyfriend, and said boyfriend likes beer. I have to admit, my sugar intake screamed in horror. I was ecstatic. From then on out, he helped with the collection.
As time passed, my local customers and friends started collecting bottle caps. It seems that they'd rather give them to me to recycle than throw them out. Which is perfectly fine with me! It means that I can create without having to put myself in a sugar coma! :)

Busy Days

2008-01-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

While I wait for my ventilation to be installed I've busied myself with making a few new pieces for the Website. Three so far. Two multi-strand necklaces and a simple bracelet. I haven't had the chance to photograph them yet, but they are stunning!

The piece pictured to the left is one that I reciently added to the website. It's one of my favorites. Artisan Lampwork beads with onyx, Bali silver and Snakeskin Jasper. The clasp is one of my favorites, each piece has a small daisy like flower on it. It's still for sale.

Wheeee!

2008-01-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

I think I have a new favorite person......
The UPS MAN! *glee* He brought me my oxycon (oxygen concentrator) today!
The two remaining steps for making beads:
Get natural Gas set up.
Ventilation.

We bought some of the bits for ventilation yesterday, so that should be getting done soon *crosses fingers*

Ongoing

2008-01-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I ordered my oxycon and the payment cleared, now I watch the mail happily. It's so hard to wait! I look at all of the pretty glass that I get and think of all of the things I want to do. I've never been good at waiting... I think I might be getting better, but oh it's HARD!

2008-01-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

With the beginning of the new year comes the resolutions... Unless you're me. I try not to do resolutions, I don't want to have to guilt trip myself to do something.
This year I've decided that I'm going to destash like crazy. I have a ton of beads and findings that still need new homes. You know what that means! Etsy! I've started adding even more stuff to my destash shop.
I encourage you all to go take a gander. :)

New Years 2008!

2008-01-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!! May all your wishes and dreams come true!

Studio- progress!

2007-12-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

In my last post I told the story of a room that was destined to become something other than a hot tub room. With this post, I'm going to provide photos!

Here is a photo of the room before. Don't mind the ceramics and boxes. There is a window that leads into another room in the basement, the door (where the photo is taken from) leads into my sewing/craft studio.
Here is the room, most of the hot tub has been removed at this point. It was built badly, we found out. Definitely not something that we wanted to use again!
No more hot tub! (From left to right) My father, a family friend and my boyfriend. There was a lot of unseen water damage, until we tore the hot tub down. I don't know how many times I heard, "Wow, it's a good thing that we're taking this out!"
We covered the tile walls with waynescoating and started to prime. Talk about a lot of painting!
Walls are painted! I also painted the window, door trims and baseboard that teal color, which I love.

Here are the final walls. The other two aren't painted anything fancy. To the left of the book shelf is where my lampworking bench will be.
The photo of the desk is where I will be doing jewelry design and the like.

Demolition

2007-12-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

I have a story for you all. Many, many years ago this house had a working hot tub in the basement. Yes, built into the basement. Now, looking back I see how insane that was to build such a thing indoors. All of the saltwater and humidity and yuck! But ten years ago it was just pure fun to me.
Today was the start of demolition in that room. No longer do we have a 'broken' hot tub. No longer do we have a room with no use. It has been cleared away and soon my studio will move in there. Tomorrow we put in the new walls and I get to prime them. I'm still trying to figure out what color I want. Teal keeps sticking in my mind, but I think I want something a bit quieter. Sage green perhaps? It's hard to say. There's always the idea of painting one wall one color and the other three another.
You see, this room will become not just a studio; but my hot glass studio. After the walls go up we'll be installing industrial strength "tile" on the floor, to withstand the heat. Next will be finding a desk for my jewelry portion of the business. Last but not least we get a plumber to pipe the natural gas in, and I get to help build my bench/ventilation. Only when all of the processes are complete, can I begin my trek into melting glass. It seems like so much, but really it is a process that should be complete very quickly. I believe our target date is in the first week of January. It would be sooner but we have Christmas coming up, and I for one am not willing to try and find a plumber to work so close to the Holidays. I feel that Christmas is a time for family, not needy lampworkers. :)

If I don't post again before Christmas, I wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season. May all of your wishes and dreams come true.

Snowflakes....

2007-12-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

I swear that I have not forgotten about you all!
I haven't created anything new these past few weeks. I did however, do a show in Byers, Colorado that went very well.
Yesterday, I also received my new torch. A gorgeous Nortel Minor. It's not put together in this photo- but there it is!Monday starts demolition on my soon to be "studio". I'm very excited about it but rather busy and absent minded. Forgive me? :)

Black Friday SALE!

2007-11-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

Enjoy FREE SHIPPING for the entire day of November 23rd.
Stop by and take a gander, there aren't many days left until Christmas!!!

Back in the... saddle?

2007-11-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

What I'm meaning to say is that I'm back in the swing of things. I officially have all of my current pieces photographed and re-sized (insert a giant YAY here!) and I'm working on the rest of the odds and ends today. The goal is to have the site fully updated for the 23rd. I can't wait!!!
On the creative front, I made a few pairs of earrings and a new cell phone charm the other day. Can I just tell you all, it felt so darn good! I missed all of that in my rut. I think that my muse took a trip to Venus or something. She just would not cooperate with me! Talk about stressful times!
I'm still destashing like crazy though. I have so many unloved beads that really need to find new homes! With the Holidays coming up I'm hoping that destashing and listing items in my site and etsy are going to be a really big help.

Speaking of Etsy, this Friday- the 23rd EtsyBEAD is having a Thanksgiving Sale! Over 50 shops are participating. Look here for a list of participants!

Been Busy

2007-11-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

I admit, I've been slacking. Fall is just not a very good time for me I guess. I apologize for "abandoning" you all, my readers.
I bring wonderful news though! For many months I have been dreaming of kilns and torches and many many lampwork beads. This weekend the first stage will be done. I am getting a kiln. I know that it should go studio, torch, kiln. I have to tell you all though, this is a deal and I just can not pass it up. Hopefully with a kiln of my own I will quickly get my torch within the month. Then I turn to studio space. The plan is the garage. That means we have to clean it out and re-do everything. I'm a bit worried about that- as I want to start right away. I suppose I should practice patience more often. It's terribly hard though!
I have been uploading more supplies on etsy, to try and finance my new addiction. I've also added two new pieces to my main etsy shop. After that, I start on my website again. I just uploaded these earrings into the mix:
I hope you are all having amazing days. Enjoy the fall!

It's really....

2007-10-10T13:44:00.000-06:00

It's really a wonderful thing when you realize what all of your photography woes have revolved around... Your light box wasn't white!
I could bash my head into the group for this simple mistake. To my eye foam core looks white, but upon closer inspection I have found that it isn't white at all, but a sickly, yellow off-white that drove me crazy when it came to photos. I have learned my lesson and I must say that my photography has gotten much easier to deal with, seeing as how I have figured out the root of my impending insanity.This photo needed small tweaking, only a resizing really. It has made like so much easier, to think- a white that's really WHITE! Hehehe. The focal of this piece is a leaf made by Melissa at Inner Realm Creations, I combined it with carnelian and Swarovski crystals then used Bali silver as the final touch.

So they said....

2007-10-05T13:05:00.001-06:00

We were supposed to get snow tomorrow, here in Colorado. I severely doubt that now. Today it's a nice 70-some degrees with an interesting breeze that makes me smile as it runs through the chimes on our deck. I haven't been down to the studio in some time, and I lack a camera so I feel rather useless.

I have a list of things that I need to get done, mostly revolving around photography or adding items to the site. I did manage a few pairs of earrings the other day, but only one or two simple pairs, nothing "amazing". It seems the jewelry muse went on vacation with my parents. She picked a terrible time too!

Here I am....

2007-10-01T00:07:00.000-06:00

Once again, in a rut. I promised myself that I would try to update this every few days and I feel like it's been forever! I think it's only been three days. Hmmm... Either way, today had the smell of fall- and Halloween. That smell that comes around every fall. I really can't explain it. I think that my boyfriend would say I'm smelling snow, but it's more than that. I really wish I could bottle the smell, I love it so much! I got to smell "fall" at 5am this morning, to take my parents to the airport for their annual trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. They go for their wedding anniversary every year. I then proceeded to return home to my warm bed. Sadly, I didn't bead at all today. I got to record a new song, and then I've been working in my art book all day.

Yes, I've been seduced by the awesomeness that is book altering. I promise I'll get back to beading soon! I don't think that I can go too long without it! I get an itch to bead and play with my shiny bits. Until then, I dabble in paint and markers and all things of book altering. The mind of an artist never rests.

Loving lampwork

2007-09-27T23:39:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-09-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-09-19T12:44:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-14T11:15:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-07T10:20:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-04T20:24:00.000-06:00

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!

Lost my mind

2007-08-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

If any of you have read my blog before, you know I have a shop on Etsy that I sell my surplus supplies on. I will admit, I lack patience. That and I'm tired of seeing all of these lonely beads! So I've started re-pricing them all for two dollars or under. Yes, you read right. I'm letting things go at a STEAL because I want to see someone else use them since I can't.
I have 78 different items or sets of items at $2, on Etsy!

On The Topic Of Accessories - For Your Phone

2007-08-21T16:28:00.000-06:00

One of the things that I will always take with me to shows is my large assortment of cell phone charms. These little dangles are absolutely wonderful for showing a bit of personality on your phone. Many phones have places to attach them, in fact I think all of the newer lines do now! I have a Motorola RAZR and my phone charm changes often. Currently I have a few Swarovski crystals hanging off of it. Just a bit of sparkle! These little buggers are easily personalized and altered to fit the owner, often I'll add charms, dangles or change the colors on one for the buyer. I think that they are just tons of fun!

Into the Great Unknown!

2007-08-18T18:54:00.000-06:00

About two days ago I started on a project to teach myself peyote stitch. Now, once I got started it was easier than I thought it would be! I'm almost done with my base, then I'll get to play with additions. I'm making a paperweight. Sounds funny, hmm? I found the idea in a old edition of Bead and Button that I had from years back. I'll have to get photos to post!
Peyote is a rather interesting stitch. I really want to learn to do free form, but I want to make sure I have the regular stitch down! I see so many beautiful things done with peyote...

Shocked

2007-08-17T11:32:00.000-06:00

You never realize how many things you collect as an artist and designer until you being to go through your "stash". I've been doing such reciently and let me tell you, it's scary! I've found so many beads that I'd forgotten about even. So I decided, I plan on working with newer materials soon, and I don't want these to go to waste as I'm sure they will if I don't use them right away. What that means? Why, de-stash them on etsy! So that's what I've started doing. Looking back, I should have started a shop only for de-stashing but I suppose that hindsight is always 20/20. Perhaps I'll do that after I sell everything that is currently in the shop. If you're interested, here is my etsy shop. Lots and lots of beads and findings for sale!

I've also banned myself from the studio until I get all of the photos I've taken edited and resized so I can update both etsy and my website. It's a pain, because my light box is home made and we reciently found out that it is not white, it's off white and has a yellow tint! It's very frustrating to me because we found this out after I took photos of all of my inventory. I do mean all. Oh well, photoshop takes care of the problem. It just takes a bit longer, a bit of color correction and the exposure tool. I sometimes wonder if I should swear by the exposure tool! It brightens the whole photo, so if you lack enough light it definitely helps create good photos.

(I edited the photo to the upper right with exposure in photoshop. Items pictured can be found on my website)

Rut

2007-08-15T18:12:00.000-06:00

I'm kind of in a rut today. I know that I *want* to bead. I sit here and look at my beads.... and I just stare. I continue to sit and nothing comes to mind. For any of you that have experienced this, you know how frustrating it is and can be.
I have my music going, all of my pretties are out and calling to me- am I still inspired even though I can't seem to do anything? That is always the question that plagues me. I should push through it, force myself to make something, anything. I never do.
So I decided to take a few photos of pieces that I've made, and I think that I'll try to force myself to edit them so I can put them on the site. Ah yes, the most boring part of making jewelry!

I leave you with some of my etsy favorites:

Etsy
Buy Handmade
silverfaeriedesigns

Enjoy!

On the road of updating

2007-08-13T23:19:00.000-06:00

I've taken a break from updating my site to bring you a few photos. These are pieces that I uploaded to the site tonight, I have so many more to do but I refuse to think about it. Bits at a time, I say.

The first piece is one of my favorites. I used heart shaped rose quartz beads as well as freshwater pearls and a stunning blister pearl pendant. You can't see it, but in between some of the pearls are tiny bright Bali daisy spacers.

It can be found here on my site

Let's see, what else? Here's a pair of earrings that I made a while ago, using candy jade, unikite and Bali silver. I'm very fond of these as well.

They can be found here

I got to play with more lampwork beads today. They are quickly becoming my favorite things to buy! I love all of the colors and designs though! I purchased a number of beads from Chloescreations on etsy and I have nothing but praise for the beauty and design of her work! If you're looking for lampwork, I definitely suggest looking at her etsy shop.

Speaking of Etsy. The EtsyBEAD theme of the week is: Keeping it Cool. I'm excited to see what everyone is working up! Make sure to go search etsy for 'ebtw' and see what they've cooked up!

A Day In The Life

2007-08-13T10:46:00.000-06:00

Rather the odd title for a blog entry, but I figure that it's fitting. I had a very late night last night and 9am came far too early for me. I was hoping to sleep in! I had my morning sit on our back deck and traveled down to the basement to sit amongst all of my shiny objects. I fill my studio with beads, baubles and anything that catches my attention. It's actually a wonderful thing and it keeps me inspired. At any given moment my table is littered with beads, half completed projects and bits to inspire. I have this stunning quartz crystal that sits to my left, near where I photograph my pieces. To my right is where I plan on hanging the brass door knocker that was my Grandfather's. It's a fox. I keep telling myself that I really should clean said area, I have so much stuff out that I have hardly any space to work! Ah- the mind of a artist. That's what I tell my friends. If it's put away, how can I possibly find it?
Last night I almost finished two more bracelets, with mahogany obsidian and smokey quartz. I tossed some Swarovski in too- Light Topaz to be exact. I've had approval comments on them so far. Yay! I'm not a big fan of brown, it doesn't look too good on my very fair complexion. So I need other opinions on my pieces that are brown, it's a nice ego boost on days that I'm feeling down!

First Post

2007-08-13T00:29:00.001-06:00

Here I am on Blogger. What a wonderful thing it is. I've busied myself tonight with creating a blog and three new pieces, never mind that I haven't updated the over 200 pieces that need to go onto my website. The newest pieces include amethyst, lampwork beads by the lovely SueBeads . I love the beads that I got from her to use and have used 5 tonight. I'm very tempted to keep the bracelet for myself, it has lampwork paired with Swarovski crystal and onyx beads. So scrumptious!
I'm also still in the middle of selling off my surplus of supplies and beads that I no longer have use for. You can find them over at my etsy shop. I hate to part with them, but I'd rather see them go to someone that will use them as opposed to hoarding them for my possible future use. Your gain! So if you're looking for some more beads, head on over there and take a look!