In my 1/2/08 post "IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY", when I talked about purchasing my new Electric Mandrel Spinner (EMS) from Scott Bouwens of Bearfoot Art, talking about his "how to" videos, I said that "I was watching these clips just about to crap, realizing how helpful these tools would be for all of the large handled pieces I've been making. It takes me probably 15+ minutes, depending on the piece, just to get my base bead made before I can even start embellishing it... it's a ton of glass & it take lots of time to get the glass centered & shaped & all that jazz & you just watch how effortless it is for Scott to marver a big wad of glass into shape, etc."
Well...Scott posted all of his EMS videos to YouTube a week ago (on my suggestion??? I mentioned that he should do that when I ordered my EMS!) & I just have to post the one that sold me...
Here's where the rest of Scott's videos are posted on YouTube.
Anyway...it's a really slick tool. I've really enjoyed working w/ it. It definitely helps get things in order relatively quickly...if only the glass melted faster. :o)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
GOIN' ON A ROAD TRIP...
Yeah!! :o)
I just decided that I'm going to go to a super crazy/fun bead retreat in Missouri in May, again...
I went last year when I was still pretty much a newbie. It was a blast...40 or so other women (& a few guys, too!), a 4 unit condo building, a really long covered deck along the back of the building that basically hangs over the lake (you could fish off the deck!)...a bunch of torches, tons of food, alcohol, too (LOL), lots & lots of fun.
I drove down there w/ my friend, Deb, whom I met through both Lampwork Etc & the Star of the North Glassworkers group. Sweet lady. She had been the year before & was planning on going to a different retreat last year, but when I told her I was going to go & wanted to see if she'd come along, she changed her mind & decided to go, too! Her mom & friend, Mary, came along for the ride...crazy, fun roadtrip!! It was great.
The cool thing that went on was that several people did workshops for things that they knew how to do & were willing to teach others... like working w/ PMC (Precious Metal Clay), macrame' bracelets, soldering, Viking Knit, etc... it was AWESOME!! It was all "at cost", so we just paid for the supplies. Very cool, huh?
The whole deck was set up pretty much from end to end w/ tables set up w/ torches & people torched the entire time. It was awesome, especially as a newbie, to watch over shoulders & learn new techniques.................
Deb eMailed me a few nights ago to see if I was thinking about going this year, there were only 7 spots left, so I had to decide quick. It didn't take much to convince me. :o)
I just decided that I'm going to go to a super crazy/fun bead retreat in Missouri in May, again...
I went last year when I was still pretty much a newbie. It was a blast...40 or so other women (& a few guys, too!), a 4 unit condo building, a really long covered deck along the back of the building that basically hangs over the lake (you could fish off the deck!)...a bunch of torches, tons of food, alcohol, too (LOL), lots & lots of fun.
I drove down there w/ my friend, Deb, whom I met through both Lampwork Etc & the Star of the North Glassworkers group. Sweet lady. She had been the year before & was planning on going to a different retreat last year, but when I told her I was going to go & wanted to see if she'd come along, she changed her mind & decided to go, too! Her mom & friend, Mary, came along for the ride...crazy, fun roadtrip!! It was great.
The cool thing that went on was that several people did workshops for things that they knew how to do & were willing to teach others... like working w/ PMC (Precious Metal Clay), macrame' bracelets, soldering, Viking Knit, etc... it was AWESOME!! It was all "at cost", so we just paid for the supplies. Very cool, huh?
The whole deck was set up pretty much from end to end w/ tables set up w/ torches & people torched the entire time. It was awesome, especially as a newbie, to watch over shoulders & learn new techniques.................
Deb eMailed me a few nights ago to see if I was thinking about going this year, there were only 7 spots left, so I had to decide quick. It didn't take much to convince me. :o)
Monday, February 18, 2008
FREAKING OUT...
My beloved Opal Yellow glass really hard to find these days.
The newer batches are lighter rods, they look more ivory & it's hard for me to strike (takes too long, if even, I don't have time for it to do its thing). I ended up w/ 5 lbs of it from one of my favorite online suppliers in the fall & first of all, I thought it was the wrong stuff, didn't know there was such a thing as this light stuff, but went onto my trusty LE & searched for OY & sure enough, it was a current subject. Luckily, I was able to find someone who loved the stuff & was happy to take it off my hands & then I went to my one & only glass supplier in town & he had some of the good stuff in stock, so I bought 5 lbs of it. Wish I had bought 20 lbs, as I just went back down last week & he was completely out, said he didn't expect to get anymore because his vendor told him it was "different" & he wasn't going to order it. Yikes!
Talk about panic!! 99% of my beads right now have OY on them. From what I heard, it's going to be made by machine starting this year & it'll probably NOT be the kind I'm used to, so I'm in "hunting & hoarding mode" at the moment. I've found 2 places online so far who have the older stuff, so I'm buying what I can. I feel selfish, because I know there are others out there that love the stuff, too, but these colors & what I do w/ them are WHO I AM right now...
If anybody reads this & has a stash of the good stuff, or knows where I can find some, please contact me & make me a happy girl! :o) Thanks!!
The newer batches are lighter rods, they look more ivory & it's hard for me to strike (takes too long, if even, I don't have time for it to do its thing). I ended up w/ 5 lbs of it from one of my favorite online suppliers in the fall & first of all, I thought it was the wrong stuff, didn't know there was such a thing as this light stuff, but went onto my trusty LE & searched for OY & sure enough, it was a current subject. Luckily, I was able to find someone who loved the stuff & was happy to take it off my hands & then I went to my one & only glass supplier in town & he had some of the good stuff in stock, so I bought 5 lbs of it. Wish I had bought 20 lbs, as I just went back down last week & he was completely out, said he didn't expect to get anymore because his vendor told him it was "different" & he wasn't going to order it. Yikes!
Talk about panic!! 99% of my beads right now have OY on them. From what I heard, it's going to be made by machine starting this year & it'll probably NOT be the kind I'm used to, so I'm in "hunting & hoarding mode" at the moment. I've found 2 places online so far who have the older stuff, so I'm buying what I can. I feel selfish, because I know there are others out there that love the stuff, too, but these colors & what I do w/ them are WHO I AM right now...
If anybody reads this & has a stash of the good stuff, or knows where I can find some, please contact me & make me a happy girl! :o) Thanks!!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
BEADS OF COURAGE...
This afternoon my local ISGB chapter (Star of the North) got together to make purple heart beads for Beads of Courage. Check out the website if you haven't heard of them. Especially read the Stories of Courage page.
Here's Beads of Courage's description of the program..."Beads of Courage® is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen the protective resources in children coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path"
The purple heart beads are given to children who are celebrating the completion of chemotherapy. Children in treatment are given beads all along the way for each step they have to take...different beads for different treatments. Some children end up w/ tons of beads strung up on yards & yards of string. They're so proud of them... they provide something tangible they can use to tell about their experience. They remember what each & every one of them was for, too!
Here's a video on YouTube about Beads of Courage. The Beads of Courage program is branching out beyond cancer patients... Here's another video on another site for heart patients. Touching.
We had a great time making beads together @ Malcolm Potek's studio... we were really productive, too! When you've got one single mission, purple hearts, it's easy to crank them out... fun to decorate each of them a little bit differently. I guess I'm good @ making hearts, because I somehow became the heart tutor, LOL. I just have a really cool shaping technique, I guess, it was fun to share how I do it. Funny, since I'm the newbie of the group. :o)
It was a good day. Feels REALLY good to do these for the kids. I'm going to start making some on my own to donate, too.
I need to buy some purple glass. :o)
Here's Beads of Courage's description of the program..."Beads of Courage® is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen the protective resources in children coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path"
The purple heart beads are given to children who are celebrating the completion of chemotherapy. Children in treatment are given beads all along the way for each step they have to take...different beads for different treatments. Some children end up w/ tons of beads strung up on yards & yards of string. They're so proud of them... they provide something tangible they can use to tell about their experience. They remember what each & every one of them was for, too!
Here's a video on YouTube about Beads of Courage. The Beads of Courage program is branching out beyond cancer patients... Here's another video on another site for heart patients. Touching.
We had a great time making beads together @ Malcolm Potek's studio... we were really productive, too! When you've got one single mission, purple hearts, it's easy to crank them out... fun to decorate each of them a little bit differently. I guess I'm good @ making hearts, because I somehow became the heart tutor, LOL. I just have a really cool shaping technique, I guess, it was fun to share how I do it. Funny, since I'm the newbie of the group. :o)
It was a good day. Feels REALLY good to do these for the kids. I'm going to start making some on my own to donate, too.
I need to buy some purple glass. :o)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
ALIVE & KICKING...
...FINALLY!
I just spent the last 3 weeks on the sofa...first week w/ a massive head & chest cold, week 2 brought on a lovely sinus infection, week 3 a painful ear infection!! FUN, FUN, FUN!! I've never had either infection before, I didn't realize how severe they can be! I'm so thankful that my children never had to deal w/ ear infections like some children do, poor babies...they can't tell us how bad the pain really is. That's sad.
Anyway... sadly, I missed out on getting stuff listed for sale for Valentine's Day... I had some items photographed & ready to go in early January, but ended up nowhere near my computer the whole time I was sick, so I missed out. That stinks!!! I'll still list them, so go take a look in the next few days.
I also misssed being able to torch...that's no fun!! :o) Yesterday was my first day back...I made a few crosses that will become pendants, a few hearts & a bottle opener handle. I used my handy new EMS (electric mandrel spinner) for the handle... VERY SLICK!!!
I got my new Glass Hive Annealer, too, just haven't made space for it, yet. It's pretty long! (yeah!) Need to set it up over the next few days as my "old" kiln is heading to its new home next week.
Anyway...I'm happy to be back. Now I just need to update my website!! :o)
I just spent the last 3 weeks on the sofa...first week w/ a massive head & chest cold, week 2 brought on a lovely sinus infection, week 3 a painful ear infection!! FUN, FUN, FUN!! I've never had either infection before, I didn't realize how severe they can be! I'm so thankful that my children never had to deal w/ ear infections like some children do, poor babies...they can't tell us how bad the pain really is. That's sad.
Anyway... sadly, I missed out on getting stuff listed for sale for Valentine's Day... I had some items photographed & ready to go in early January, but ended up nowhere near my computer the whole time I was sick, so I missed out. That stinks!!! I'll still list them, so go take a look in the next few days.
I also misssed being able to torch...that's no fun!! :o) Yesterday was my first day back...I made a few crosses that will become pendants, a few hearts & a bottle opener handle. I used my handy new EMS (electric mandrel spinner) for the handle... VERY SLICK!!!
I got my new Glass Hive Annealer, too, just haven't made space for it, yet. It's pretty long! (yeah!) Need to set it up over the next few days as my "old" kiln is heading to its new home next week.
Anyway...I'm happy to be back. Now I just need to update my website!! :o)
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