Views in my world

        Another view in  my world   :-)

new beads pulled and cleaned

yesterday from the studio kilns

 Many Thanks To Each And Every Person 

Who left a comment on Andrew's blog during
my Thursday giveaway.

Sharing time, sharing words, sharing the fun!
Your comments made my heart sing....

I'd say I was pleased beyond words
but if you know me, (or you've been reading here ) you know (lol) I'm seldom without words  :-)

So instead let me say "My thanks to each of you for all the kind thoughts you shared about my beads"!

I'm looking forward to visiting each of your blogs over the coming weeks, sharing in return and chatting to and fro. And I hope you'll stop by here again, from time to time!

PS Thanks too, to Andrew, for hosting the Thursday giveaway!

PSS Did you see Andrew's WONDERFUL news? (click here )

Faye

Random Inspiration Pictures

All winter long (or is that all long winter, lol) I've been taking pictures that inspire, evoke emotions, capture memories ~ random inspirations.

I though that you'd enjoy seeing a sprinkling of these images, so I'll be sharing them here thru the Spring and Summer.  I'd (of course!) love to know if/how any of the images whisper to you, and if so it'd be wonderful if you'd share what they say to you in the comments. Love to know what the image stirs in your mind/heart/creative soul..... Or what memory it lifts to mind?

**This picture is of a vintage beaded handbag that was my grandmom's, then my mum's. Mum passed it on to me ~ and now I'm sharing it with you  :-)  The detail is amazing. Even more surprising is the fact it survives in nearly perfect condition.  I love the colors and the combination of floral design within geometric pattern(s).  Such opposing design elements, merged beautifully in this piece. 

I think the combination of lines and florals for bead embellishment could be really interesting....  What do you think?  :-)

I wonder why.....

An interesting question..... curious indeed .....

I just rec'd an online catalog with these page link categories listed.

House and Home

Bathroom

Bed linnen

Blankets & Throws

Books

Pillows & Cushions

Food

Household

Kitchen

Nightwear

Rugs

Slippers & Sox

Tableware

Choosing and rambling thru the sections out of order I suddenly wondered

WHY I chose to poke about in each offering in the order I did?

 Never thought of it before...

Why did I pick_____ before______?

Why did I look at _____next and ______ last?

I Don't think it makes a tiny bit of diff - but on the alternate hand,
kind of interesting to consider what order one views the pages - dontchathink?

So here's a bit of mid-winter wool-gathering
(if you'd like to play along, lol)

If you leave a comment sharing what order you'd go thru the list above then at this time next week
I'll post a comment sharing what order I went thru the list  :-)

(kind of a silly little blog game to pass a bit of time in this dreary part of the winter)

And to sweeten the game, I'll make it a contest/adventure of sorts!

Leave your 'what order' comment and when I have 8 comments I'll pick one totally at random
and choose a lampwork bead from my studio (with or cord or ribbon) to send to

who (or is it whom?) ever left the randomly chosen comment!

Sound like fun?

Good!
Comment away!

New work (Peek or Buy)!

I'd mentioned I was working on some pieces for a trunk show of my work. This is one headed for the trunk show - unless of course one of you just can't live without it, lol. In that case first to email me glasschick at yahoo dot com will be it's new bead/jewelry mom :-) Just cut/paste/fix the yahoo email above to contact me.

Or

Claim it via comments here on this post. Whatever way the requests arrives lol, it goes to whoever claims it first!

I've placed it on a really neat dual adjustable necklace (included). The bead ties on the bottom as seen & the necklace has no clasp to fuss with - it has two slide knots @ the back which you pull together to lengthen to slip over your head. Best of all is it then adjusts (by sliding the knots at the back apart) to any length you like for wearing!

Another faboo aspect of this cord is the fact you can change beads (or add beads) to the bottom strings whenever you like ~ Fun! Just untie the knot and change to another bead. The bottom ties are aprox 2 inches long.

*** REMEMBER to re-expand it again before you remove the necklace (and pleassse DON'T ask me how that little gem of advice came to my attention, roflmao, spaz that I am :-)

If it calls to you, journal readers only price of 12.95 (NYS residents tax too :-( it's a must). US shipping ~ JUST A BUCK! ~ UK, CAN, $4.00 US FUNDS for regular first class shipping

Now, back to work for me !

HOPPY Thanksgiving!

A quick wish for a hoppy thanksgiving with the assistance of one of my lampwork frog beads, lol. As you see, he's happily settled into a bracelet - much as I'm happily settled amid my beads and bits, creating for an upcoming trunk show of my work....

Have a wonderful holiday everyone - and remember, one of the things that I'm very thankfully happy to have in my world is each of you!

BUSY (aka Buzzzzzzy)

Been ages hasn't it? Egads.

It's wonderfully easy to lose track of time in summer! Early morning strolls to the studio, endless light, color EVERYwhere, singing birds, buzzing bees, fireflies and frogs. Amazingly happy, this time of year....

Painted on this canvas of ease and inspriation is the hectic busy (buzzzzy lol) flow of activity of the studio in the summer season! Students, demos, and my personal torch sessions that can (and 'oft do) run from 5 am till dusk at 9pm. Bliss I say - pure bliss!

Lawns to mow, tomatoes to tend, laundry to be hung on the wind blown lines.
Simple inspiring days.

There are several new pieces and techniques I've been dabbling with - you'll see them here first of course :-) But for now, I must buzzzzz back to work!

COME HAVE A LOOK ~ POOR POOR BEAD

UPDATE: 'BEAD' has found a wonderful home!
As always thanks so much Heather & Sooz for your comments :-)
~~~

It's a strange thing that happens sometimes.....

I'll open the kiln to pull the work from the prior day and within the fire brick cave will be piece(s) that create giddy delight in my heart and soul! A piece/set/pieces that far exceed my anticipation when I gently place them in the nearly 1000 degress of heat for the long 'annealing nap' lol.

Here's an ideal example ~ I love the nearly jeweltone aspect of the colors! I love the sense of 'movement', the size! This piece sings to me.......



Here's another image with handmande aged brass beads and turq seaweed beads of mine that I used to complete the set ~



Are you wondering what the strange thing is? Or why the post title is poor poor bead?

Ah I'm wondering too - because this focal, this set that I adore hasn't garnered so much as a hint of interest at auction. Perplexes me to be sure, lol. And most certainly gives the bead a complex, lol

Perhaps it sings only to me? :-)

Perhaps too large? Too busy a design? Brass is bad?

Is the price, 11.95 for 3 lampwork, the brasses and the little turq acrylic beads) excessive? Are large focals difficult to design with? Hmmmmm.......

LOL these are the things that rattle around in my mind, as I wonder what it is I'm missing... Insights, suggestions, critiques, positive AND negative are very welcome -and appreciated!

And does this happen in your creaative world too? Do you ADORE a piece and find it seems to speak only to you? I'd love to hear! (confusion loves company! roflmao)

Poor poor bead - he's going to need rejection therapy, lol!

THE NICEST 'RAVE' EVER!

Sometimes something special is set upon your doorstep from the most unexpected source. It makes you smile, it makes you feel fuzzy, it's something you'll always remember.

A bit of background first :-)

In the many many decades (geeze I'm gettin' old!) I've been at the torch creating art glass object of one kind or another (beads, animals, pins, jewelry, cabinet knobs) I've loved every minute, every creation.

Not a day goes by that I'm not thrilled by and urged on to new levels within my art by wonderful compliments from my clients! I hope each of you know that when you share your excitment and happiness upon receiving your 'parcel' and write to tell me, it makes me happier than I have any right to be :-) Each and EVERY comment/compliment means the world to me!

Thank YOU ~ for the sharing of compliments, the images you send, the stories....

With this in mind, slip back with me a few months in time... One of my long long LONG LONNNGGG time bead-buyers emailed to say her young daughter loves the beads she's adopted from me, especially the sparkly ones! ;-) (ah the next generation of the bead-obsessed in the making, yea!)

Then a few days ago 'mom' sent me this email ...... this unexpected gift of a RAVE from her daughter about my work ~ perhaps LOL my favorite compliment EVER!

Today "N" demanded to see her beads... She said - I love the big bead best. All the shiny stuff looks like dolphin glitter pee.... LOL

As I said to her mom, roflmao - "do we forsee a DOLPHIN GLITTER PEE Series in my future"? :-)

Having my work published, having it shown in CORNING, being an artist in residence are all 'confirmations' of my art, my skill. But knowing something from my torch connected with the imagination of her young, open, naturally creative imagination - now THAT is unique and rare affermation of my work!

Not all that sparkles is gold - some is dolphin glitter pee ~ and some is the happiness that you find left on your doorstep from an unexpected source.....

(Thanks Mz. N!)

For Journal Readers

UPDATE: THIS PIECE IS CURRENTLY BEING SHOWN AND NOT AVAIL AT THIS MOMENT - BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED LET ME KNOW AND I'LL CONTACT YOU UPON ITS RETURN TO ME!

SURPRISE! I chose this boro pendant from my work this week in the studio to share/offer to my journal readers for 'PRIVATE SALE' :-)


MINE MINE MINE!


Email me by 'clicking' on the MINE! MINE! MINE! link, lol above the bead image if this boro pendant whispers to you :-)

This is a 'one of a kind' & will go to the first email arriving to request it & for journal buds - $12.95 (2.00 shipping) NYS res, tax also.

Domed face, flat back ~ filled with detail color which is magnified by the cyrstal clear boro dome.... A hand formed loop for stringing. 32.09 mm top of loop to base of pendant, 23.55 mm wide, 11.75 mm thick.