The Bird Is The Word

Little glass bird charms on vintage chains.

Getting ready for the More Fire Glass Holiday Open House on Friday!

CRAFTACULAR !!! 2014

Ready or not, here it comes.
The 2014 edition of CRAFTACULAR

It's a super small show with just nine people - one of every crafty thing.

Here are the posters I have made in year's past...

If you're in Rochester be sure and come by.

Kisses & Sweet Berries

'Night Berries' bracelet

lampwork glass beads, bronze, garnets, labradorite and freshwater pearls

The leaves are made with Riechenbach "Magic" glass.

The little berries are Hessian Garnets that came from Dakota Stones with bronze cornflake freshwater pearls as their caps. There are also a couple of labradorite berries in the mix.

I got a little kiss from Miss Kiki while I was photographing the bracelet which I am sharing with you.

White Velvet Cake

Quick like a bunny - a superfast snapshot of all the beads annealing in the kiln.

Out of the kiln and onto my desk.

I found a film strip!
Who else remembers these from grade school?
Wait, I've veered off track.

Off the mandrels and ready to be cleaned.

I am missing some action photos.
The cleaned beads went into my rock tumbler all shiny and came out looking like velvet.

'White Velvet' necklace
lampwork glass beads and sterling silver

Love the clasp on this one.

Beatrix Bracelet

'Beatrix' a new tin spangle charm bracelet.

I love this one!
The tin spangles were cut from an old Beatrix Potter cookie tin.
That Swanstrom disc cutter is my best friend.

I meant to photograph it before I cut it up but I got over-excited and just banged it to bits.
This is a picture of the same tin.
It's just someone else's snapshot that I found floating around the interwebs.
Sorry for ganking.

The links and clasp are sterling silver.

The lampwork glass beads are mine.

There are a couple of charms tucked into the mix.

I even made a little sterling nametag for it.
As you can see I am still the worst stamper in the world.

I'll just bet there's a Beatrix Potter lover out there who will get this as a holiday present.

Ok, just one more.

Purple Rocks

"Purple Rocks" - lampwork glass beads, amethyst crystals and sterling silver

For all you bead makers out there who would like the glass recipe.
The beads are made with Effetre light violet, dark violet and Double Helix psyche frit (reduced).

Tweedle dee Deedle de Tweet Tweet

A little glass bird on a vintage brass chain.

I made the hammered brass clasp with some special little beads.
No matter how time ineffective it is, from here on out, I am all done with commercial clasps.

Opening Day of Earring Season

Lampwork glass, strawberries cut from a vintage tin, bronze & sterling silver.

Lampwork glass, vintage tribal amber beads, bronze & sterling silver.

Lampwork glass headpins & copper

Lampwork glass (golden iridescent seeds) & sterling silver

'Fridas' Lampwork glass headpins, rhinestone rondelles, stone skulls and Czech blue glass flower beads.

Zoo Parade

Seneca Park Zoo necklace.

Vintage Seneca Park Zoo souvenir penny, cut mercury dime, freshwater baroque pearl, citrine point, faceted garnet, glass beads, vintage copper chain and sterling silver findings.

It's a squished penny from our local zoo. It's not much of a zoo but the grounds are amazing, I think of it as a beautiful park with some animals. The mercury dime is a Rochester thing - one of the city's most recognizable landmarks is an Art Deco building downtown with a statue of Mercury on top.

I could be the worst stamper in the world, still I like my little sterling silver name tag.

Fridas

Lunch at the studio with some new earrings.

The Necklace Production Line

I did a bead show last weekend and it was great - but now the fun can start.
All the leftover beads can now be made into jewelry for my upcoming holiday shows.
Who doesn't love a delicious mess of leftovers?

Some bits of vintage chain, my glass pendants, a little bit of heavy gauge wire for clasps and some more glass beads.
Snip, snap, wiggle, hammer, hammer, tumble.

Close-up of the clasps I fabricated. One brass, one bronze.

The view through my 'new' magnifier. Wow! Is it helpful. It's a nice old shop piece from an estate sale. A giant magnifying glass with a swivel ball joint attached to a goose neck mounted on a big fancy cast iron base. I love it so much I think I will marry it.