Friday, September 29, 2006

son of mexican refried voodoo

so, i made some more mexican voodoo pendants.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

enough already you say?
but, but, but, everyone loves these delicious little dirtbags.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

and besides, they are the perfect use for stray beads.
go here to see a rogue's gallery of skull pendants.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

new bracelets

getting ready for a show this weekend.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

'fallen leaves' flameworked beads, freshwater pearls, amber,

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

'fire garden' flameworked beads, dyed turquoise nuggets, coral & sterling silver findings

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

'sky stones & gray pearls' flameworked beads, mexican turquoise, freshwater pearls & sterling silver findings

making the jewelery is almost as enjoyable as torching the beads... almost.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

class with Sally Prasch

i took the most amazing class yesterday-
murrine making with Sally Prasch.
go to her website and prepare to be amazed by her work.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

a Sally Prasch bead

yes, there could be pictures by putting the murrine in the scanner,
but then you would see my pitiful first murrine.
i figure it's like the harmonica, no one needs to hear you the first time you play the harmonica.
no one needs to see my first murrine.

but just you wait 'til i get this all figured out...

Thursday, September 21, 2006

old rose stones

i got something new to play with...
big hole mandrels.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

after loving the 'fallen sky stone landscapes' to pieces, there had to be another batch using the same technique of hand shaping lots of organic facets onto tinted encasing over colorful core beads. this color combination is called 'old rose stones'

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

this set is made with that new messy glass rose quartz. also moretti special brown light for the cores. the cores were rolled in aventurine gold and aventurine green frit and then each bead was encased with rubino oro, transparent light topaz and transparent light pink.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

once all the glass is in place i gently heat up the beads, one side and angle at a time, and flatten it to build up random facet after facet.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

i was really into it and made a big set of them, enough for a big show of jewelry.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

best of all, i got two different, amazing, stainless steel big hole mandrels from moretti & more.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

just look how big the hole is in the larger one, i could wear that big juicy bead like a ring.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

the whole set of 19 'old rose stones' beads.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

pendants & earrings

mmm... pearls, coral, turquoise, rose quartz, sterling & glass.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

it's the end of summer. welcome to Rochester, bring your sweater.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

amigurumi II

'myspace
more of my take on amigurumi - as glass beads.
(amigurumi are tiny japanese crocheted dolls - a huge fad there)

my daughter, miss mango 16, squeals that these are her favorite beads.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

these are straight from my sketchbook... i know, i have shown this page before. but, it's cool to see. i keep it on the bench, to the right of me at the torch while i am working.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

for a hoard of fabulous classic amigurumi visit amigurumi kingdom.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

big at heart

i am getting ready for a show - my first with beads.

this pendant is made with a gianormous glass heart focal, mexican turquoise and freshwater pearls.

the bead is an 'end of the day' creation.

'end of the day glass' is a tradition in handmade glass production.
at the end of the day some whimsical piece was made (often by apprentices) with whatever random assortment of colored glass fragments were left on the marver.

i use whatever stray frit, stringers bits, shorty shorts and naughty shards (the bits that fly off when impatiently warming canes) to make my last bead. waste not, want not.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


yes, i will be selling small paintings at the show, the big ones are too much for an outdoor event.
to see paintings and drawings click here.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

mexican refried voodoo

making more of these nasty little 'mexican voodoo' weiners.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

i spent the afternoon at my studio stringing beads into jewelry.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

click to see all the of the wee weirdos and the stupid names i gave them at the beadartist website.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

warning: these pendants are not intended for supernatural use.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

sand & cinders

i made my first silvered ivory stringers last week.
is that ever fun.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

from them i made this set called "sand and cinders."
the beads were made with dark ivory (both moretti and vetrofond), 'sis' and raku frit.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

they remind me of the shore here on the lake ontario border with canada.

the lucky people who live on the lake have huge yearly bonfires and afterwards the wood cinders and ash mix with the sand.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

a twisted heart focal.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

2 sides of a matching bird bead
i borrowed another beadlady's leaf press to give it a try.
will i get my own? maybe yes, maybe no.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

will i make more beads with silvered ivory stringers?
"hellayeh," as my daughter, miss mango 16, would say.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

evil seed (pod)

another seed pod bead -
this one i call the evil seed, because it has a big splotch of evil purple.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

it's large, made with moretti dark ivory, silvered ivory stringer, dark silver plum and edp.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

this one i am keeping.
to see other pods & seeds - check out my 'odd pods' gallery page at beadartists.org

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

sky stone landscapes

the native americans, in many of their languages, called turquoise "fallen sky stone."

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

the plan was to make some beads to go with several outrageous strands of turquoise nuggets that big poppa just bought at the flea market.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

this set far exceeded my expectations. each bead is like a precious glass landscape, wonderful to the touch.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

these beads were made by first winding a core of opalino turquoise and copper green.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

then i assembled a frit mixture of dark ivory, gold aventurine, green aventurine, avacado and lots of tiny, tiny torn bits of silver leaf.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

after partially melting in the frit, i encased opposite ends of each bead with transparent light blue and transparent olive green.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

finally, i shaped the outside encasing, using a flat cheese knife, into facets. giving each bead a great organic nugget shape and lots of sparkle.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

the original idea page for these beads from one of my bead sketchbooks.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

the large focals in this set of sculpted beads are huge and heavy. i have no idea how to wear these, especially if i mix them with turquoise nuggets as i had planned...

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

but, i am sure i will somehow manage.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

klimt

there are lots of new beads to show, but this is my favorite.
it reminds me of a klimt painting.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

dark ivory (vetrofond and moretti), silver leaf, sage, copper green & raku frit.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

a floral painting by klimt.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting