POSTSECRETS....

I know...I'm posting two PostSecrets posts in a row... can't help it! I promise to post some glass in the next post, okay?? :o) PostSecret Sunday Secrets is posted every Sunday on their blog, I'm still quite intrigued. I think I'm going to post a few of my favorites from today & then will post a few that I found while scouring the internet this past week...

...hover over this first PostSecret to see the front of the postcard

I think I'd feel guilt about this one as well....

I do too...

Great words of wisdom...I need to live this way...

Till next time...

~ Julie

POSTSECRETS....

I'm completely fascinated.

First of all... I don't know why I've never heard of PostSecrets... looks like it's been around for several years. I came across it in a blog the other day... I'm totally & completely intrigued.

They're posted every Sunday on their blog...PostSecret Sunday Secrets

I'm amazed at how these postcards can say so much w/ just a few words...

...they make you think.

...make you FEEL.

....make you want to let go of those little thoughts & feelings we keep to ourselves out of fear of SOMETHING.

"Free your secrets and become who you are"...

"We all have secrets: fears, regrets, hopes, beliefs, fantasies, betrayals, humiliations. We may not always recognize them but they are part of us--like dreams we can't always recall in the morning light. I believe each one of us has the ability to discover, share, and grow our own dark secrets into something meaningful and beautiful." Frank Warren...founder of PostSecrets.

PostSecrets does alot for Suicide prevention, too...

Do you have a secret to share?? (secret.....click on the postcard)

I think I'll share a few of these from time to time...

Till then...

~ Julie

ONE WORLD ONE HEART...UPDATE!! (not drawing post!)

Thanks to the dancing hamsters for getting your attention...

**please post your OWOH entry comment on the original OWOH post... commenting on this post won't enter you into my drawings! This is just an update about the giveaways.)

Because of the wonderful response to my OWOH giveaways...(& this only being the 4th day!) from so many fellow bloggers (THANK YOU!)... I've decided to add additional items to my giveaway!

As originally planned, one of the two heart pendants below will be drawn w/ an entry from the non-bloggers (I'm keeping track!) & the other heart pendant will go to an active blogger...

....but I've topped 200 active bloggers' entries already, so I've decided to add an additional item to the giveaway now & will add an additional giveaway for 300+ bloggers that enter & so on.

These additional giveaways will be revealed on the 15th when all winners are announced! Just know that they'll be handmade, glass & fabulous!!

Thank you for all of the wonderful entries & for playing along! I'm having a blast, aren't you??

See you on the 15th!!

~ Julie

ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2010 GIVEAWAY...

**CLICK HERE for the WINNERS ANNOUNCMENT!!

Today is the beginning of the 4th Annual ONE WORLD ONE HEART global blog event hosted by Lisa Swifka of A Whimsical Bohemian.

Grab your ticket & climb aboard...

....go to the ONE WORLD ONE HEART site to step onto the magic carpet & visit blogs from artists & bloggers from around the world. (but before you do that, read on & leave your entry!!)

This is my first time to participate & I'm really excited! Here's how it works...

I am offering up TWO magical items for TWO separate drawings... one for active bloggers & one for "anyone else".

**(1/28 UPDATE...I'm adding a THIRD item to the giveaway... a 2nd drawing for the active bloggers...see details @ the end of this post)

All that YOU need to do to enter my giveaway is to leave a comment on this blog post with either an active link back to your blog or an eMail address so I can reach you when I pick your name. ** Make sure that if you don't have a blog that I can link back to when you comment, that you leave your eMail address in your comment so I have a way to reach you. If there is no obvious way to contact you...I will need to delete your comment & you can try again.

The event ends on February 15th. I will accept entries (comments) up until 11:30am (USA central standard time) on the 15th. I will then draw a name from the active bloggers & "anyone else" & will announce the winners by 6pm (central) that evening. Again, please make sure that I am able to reach you via your comment.

One entry per person, please.

(click images for detailed view)

The first of my giveaways is a beautiful handmade art glass lampwork heart pendant.

My 2nd giveaway item is a beautiful organic-ish glass heart. It will be turned into a pendant like the first heart, I will update the pictures when I finish it.

You will not have a choice in which item you win if your name is drawn... these will be "drawn" along w/ the winners as well on the 15th.

Good luck & enjoy the event!!

& remember...

** Make sure that if you don't have a blog that I can link back to when you comment, that you leave your eMail address in your comment so I have a way to reach you. If there is no obvious way to contact you...I will need to delete your comment & you can try again.

~ Julie

ps...while you're here, feel free to roam around...read about me...check out what I do. More to see on my website

Thanks to the dancing hamsters for getting your attention...**(1/28 UPDATE...I've topped 200 bloggers' entries (THANK YOU!) so I've decided to add a THIRD item to the giveaway... a 2nd drawing for the active bloggers...AND if we top 300 blogger entries, I'll add a FOURTH item for the bloggers & so on. These items will be revealed on the 15th when all winners are announced! Just know that they'll be handmade, glass & fabulous!! One of the two hearts above will still to go non-bloggers, as originally planned.)

TEACHING & GUINEA PIGS...

(I broke this post up into 3 parts... it's a freakin' book, sorry... if you'd like to follow along, I've posted them in reverse order so you read them from the top down, like a book, because I'm posting them all @ once)

As me & my work continue to evolve & get more exposure, I have people asking me if I teach. Teach?? I'd LOVE to teach! I've been told that I have "this way" about me... nurturing, encouraging. I like to share & I love to see others "get it"!

BUT...I don't really know if I CAN teach. You know what I mean?
Some people are amazing @ what they do..... okay, let's just say that I'M amazing @ what I do, LOL, it doesn't mean that I have what it takes to teach people how to do it, does it? I'm a little ADD (yeah, just a little!!!) & words, descriptions or directions don't necessarily flow freely & easily from my mouth at times.... so I just don't know. You know?

So..the more people who ask, the more I want to know if I can & realize that the only way to know is just to do it, right??

I wrote a post a while ago about Robin Koza & Carol Watson, who I met @ The Bead & Button Show... we made a great trade & started a fun friendship. Well, Robin posted a beautiful etched copper cuff on Facebook as well as some etched copper sheets... they were FABULOUS & I couldn't stop myself from contacting her about wanting to buy some of the sheets or make some sort of trade again. I totally could see me incorporating these etched copper pieces into my work. Somewhere along the way I said something about some "Julie torch time", (Robin had told me after B&B that she wanted to take my first class, no matter where or when it happened!) ...turns out that's what we were going to trade!! :o) Carol contacted me a short time later to say "I want to come, too!"

Panic!!! I'm not set up to teach one person, let alone two, in my studio...plus it's a disaster... what to do? I'm thinking..."is there anywhere in between me (Minnesota) & them (Indiana) where we can meet & torch?" Seems while I was worrying about this, Robin & Carol were talking & came up w/ a fabulous plan!! Robin asked me if I was interested in having them flying me out to them? They had a local teaching studio where they could rent torch time & we could all torch together. FABULOUS! FABULOUS! FABULOUS!!! Definitely cheaper for them to fly me out, I could stay in Robin's guest suite (made for a Queen!) & we could spend the weekend learning from eachother. Needless to say, I didn't hesitate saying YES!!

So we made a list of what they want to learn from me. I'm checking out their websites & see that they've taken classes from MULTIPLE fabulous glass artists, way beyond anything I've ever done AND they both teach a variety of classes!! I'm thinking "what in the world could I possibly teach them that they don't already know? Am I really going to bring anything to the table?" They reassured me that I would be. :o)

On their list:

• Big Disc Beads
• Shaping tips & techniques
• Hints on working w/ silver glass
• My thoughts on Color Theory
• Making glass acorns & electroforming them
• Showing them how to put together an expanded electroforming setup
• Kaleidoscopes
• Copper display tree

My message back to them:
"I'm so glad that you're both excited about this... I am, too!! I'm just hoping that you aren't expecting more than I can bring to the table! :o) I'm not this brilliant lampworker, you know I've never taught before... I don't even know if I can or SHOULD teach, LOL... I probably have really bad habits that I shouldn't be passing on to others, :o) ...I don't know if I do or not, but you never know! I probably could teach you alot about covering up mistakes, LOL... I'm really good at that! :o)

I also use an electric mandrel spinner...it's my crutch... I don't know if I can turn a mandrel by hand anymore. :o) Actually, I know that I can, LOL...you just work much hotter w/ a spinner, so I'd have to adjust [when working manually]. Do either of you have an electric mandrel spinner... or are either of you interested in learning how to use one? I know Carol likes to make utensil handles... this is why I bought my spinner in the first place... it cuts down my base bead making time, probably by more than half... and it makes pretty much perfectly balanced (centered) beads w/out much effort. I've turned more than a few long distance friends onto them... but then I'm not there to help them figure it out, so I know it's been frustrating for at least one or two of them. That is one of the ideas I have for a class I'd like to teach...the ins & outs of a mandrel spinner... & then making large beads for functional pieces (using the spinner). I talked to Scott Bouwens (Bearfoot Art Glass) at B&B about setting me up w/ a classroom set of spinners & rolling marvers... we still need to work it out, I certainly won't be ready to buy them by December, though. So... if either of you have ever wanted one of these, now's the time so I can give you all of my tips & tricks. (Scott has a 6-8 week lead time on these right now. No, they're not cheap... but boy, mine paid for itself almost instantly. Make sure you pick up the small sized brass rolling marver, too... really essential to have w/ the spinner.

Gosh... your list of what you want to learn... I'm laughing, because I've been able to get really good at these things BECAUSE of the mandrel spinner. LOL. Shaping: mandrel spinner... large discs: mandrel spinner. :o) I only started making those large discs recently & they're pretty much a breeze w/ the spinner.... I'm sure I can do them w/out... but why? LOL.

Color theory, eh? That would mean I actually have to have deep thoughts on the subject, doesn't it? You forget, I'm ADD. :o) I know somewhat what I like... I play, if it works it works & I use it... over & over & over again, LOL, if it doesn't I move on. We can talk it through, though... discussion & feedback is a good thing.

Silver glass.... I have a bunch of silver glass that I can't get to do squat... I find ones that like me & I work w/ them. :o) This is a work in progress for me, hit & miss at times... I might be able to teach you guys some things, but I can't guarantee that you don't already know everything I do!

Did I change your mind? :o) I think as long as we all go into this as a great learning experience for all, we'll be good.

This is good for me, too... I like the idea of just a few "students" at first...how do you guys feel about being my guinea pigs? :o)"

So....that's what we did!! I'll tell you all about THAT in my next post... this is already a book. :o)