In addition to working with all sorts of art glass rods from Italy and elsewhere, we also do a bit with bottle glass. Some of the colors like this emerald green bottle glass are beautiful in a simple, non-fussy way and holds an appeal for its environmentally conscious aspect. But photographing glass can pose a variety of challenges. This piece (beautifully made by Bill from start to finish) was particularly vexing to photograph because the beads and the wire wanted to curl up. But Victor Wolansky to the rescue. He reached deep into his bag of tricks to make this necklace play nice.
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I want to post some pics from out trip to New Mexico in July before too much more time passes by. We combined attendance at the ISGB Gathering in Albuquerque with some R&R in Santa Fe. I love Santa Fe a lot, and Bill has never been. If you have never been, and are a creative soul of any sort, please go! So much inspiration, from art of every stripe to the magnificent scenery. We don't go to the Gathering every year, as some die-hards do. Costs add up and sometimes the city isn't our cup of tea, especially if its a hot, muggy place. This year we splurged and took a class with the magnificent Claudia Trimbur-Pagel from France. What a gifted and original beadmaker and a generous teacher. We loved her. I hope one day soon, if I ever make time to practice, to master the fine stringer works she specializes in. Any reasonably competent beadmaker can make flowers and birds, but detailed stringer designs, made with hair fine pieces of glass, indicates a master beadmaker (in my opinion). In the photo above, Bill is pulling a cane that will be cut up for eye murini, for the face beads that Claudia makes. Claudia is coaching him to get the most out of that pull. We learned a lot. Below is a side view of the eye encased in that long piece of hot glass. Below are some of the face beads that Claudia is known for. Next is another example of her amazing stringer designs. Not easy. And here is a glimpse of Santa Fe And if Santa Fe is too fancy for you, I have just the place.... Madrid, New Mexico It was a great trip. And the memories of the "Land of Enchantment" will stay with me a while...
Ask any jeweler and they will likely tell you they sell more earrings than anything else. Same for us. It's a lower price point and probably the easiest piece of jewelry to buy as a gift. One thing I do not enjoy however, is making ear wires, for whatever reason. So this season I have been soldering away on styles with posts. Below is a new style incorporating some enamel and silver applique. Fun!
In this business the new year means a new round of show applications and new designs. This year I am applying to some new venues and revisiting the ones that we know are a good fit for us and what we do. Because we do repeat some shows, I like to have a lot of new things for our return customers to see. This new ring is one of my favorite new designs in a while. I made my own fused glass cabochon and then this chunky silver ring. I can't help myself. Making dainty jewelry is a real effort, go big or go home seems to be my mantra. I'm going to make more versions in more colors.
Bill is not one to wear a lot of jewelry, he likes it, but is not used to wearing much other than a watch and a wedding ring. So I made him this bracelet for Christmas. The lapis is a meaningful family stone. Looking at it, you would think that was a slam-dunk to solder, but au contraire...the smaller section that wraps around the wrist would heat up faster than the wider section and start moving around. Oy. I learn something with every project. But the end result is nice, don't you think?
Our advance copy of Step by Step Wire arrived this week. One of Bill's rings is being featured. Should be on the newsstands by the end of next week. We submitted the photos and written tutorial this past summer, so you sort of forget about it, and when the magazine shows up it's rather a surprise!
I was excited to see the current issue of Glass Bead Evolution in my email this afternoon. This is the publication of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Free download for members, but non-members can buy them also. Each issue gets better all the time, with more information, artist profiles and useful tutorials. The magazines are now being developed around themes that complement bead making. The current issue includes fiber and felting. I had a great time interviewing Shirley Cook for her artist profile and learned a ton about the art of felting. Shirley makes the most unique felted vessels embellished with her lampwork glass beads. I'm very intrigued to try some felting this year. Flameworkers that use their own beads and sculptural pieces in their finished jewelry are always looking for new ways to use them. I'm a proficient metalsmith, but fiber opens up new and exciting possibilities. To purchase ISGB publications visit: http://www.isgb.org/isgb-publication.html. The link to the current issue was emailed to members today, but I don't see it on the ISGB web yet. It should be there shortly. But there are back issues available too, that are just as interesting. The summer issue below is full of projects and eye candy, such as the whimsical, wonderful, colorful work of Stephanie Sersich. If learning lampworking is on your list of goals for 2015, check out the ISGB and all it has to offer.
The other day I texted my sister a photo of the epic mess that my studio is at the moment. I don't think I'll put that here though. Instead, a nice picture of our Christmas tree! It's been a wet, cold and dreary week, but we are warm and toasty inside and thankful for our many blessings. Those blessings include all of you. Happy Holidays!
I can't believe its been months since my last blog entry, but oh my, what a busy season. We were in so many art festivals this year, I couldn't keep up with stocking the online store, but hope to get ahead of the curve in 2015. Bill and I are both so very thankful for all of you who support handmade.
Another obstacle when I'm so busy I can't think straight are the ever-changing templates from the web hosting service I use. I liked how easy it used to be to insert a smallish photo within a paragraph for blog posts. Can't quite see how to do that now... oh well.... This entire Thanksgiving weekend I'm cleaning up photos, adding watermarks, and creating some new listings. I've had photoshop for a while, but can't even figure out how to get the photo into the program to add my logo. Then I discovered the fabulous photo editing website PicMonkey. Simple editing is free, like adding overlays for your watermarks and more. Check it out if you are sometimes technically challenged like me. Stay tuned, I'm planning an online holiday sale very, very soon. Spring has finally arrived and with it, show season! I love doing them, and the first for us is tomorrow in sweet Old Town Williamsburg, VA. I've been burning the midnight oil, and still there are never enough hours in the day. My sister has been making beautiful glass things for art festivals for 16 years and says she has finally learned to just get over it. You can only do what you can do. I'm trying that line of thinking! Pictured is some new work. The glass cabochon is handmade on the torch and kiln-annealed for durability. Originally I envisioned a different sterling setting with a bail that would fit over Viking Knit chain, but it fought me all the way. The piece wanted to be a front toggle, and I like it! It's bound to find a good home soon. Come see us tomorrow if you are in the Southern Virginia area. It's going to be a gorgeous day! |
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