bead release

finally, i got some sweet torch time in this afternoon. so, new bead pics soon. it should be a pretty nice batch, they sure felt good as they went into the kiln.

seven random bits of inside information

i’ve been tagged -
by steph of 'vlaD tHe BaTs aTTiC'
be sure to check out this blog - her jewelry is sublime.

my assignment is to share 7 random things about myself.
i am a fairly private person - so this task is making me a little bit squirmy.

#1. i married late and had only one child - our last name is storms and i gave her two middle names one of which is snow (snow storms, get it?) i knew the baby was going to be a girl, but that didn't stop me from telling people that if it was a boy i was going to give him the middle name of brain (brain storms, get it?)

#2. i grew up next door to my somewhat pennsylvania dutch grandparent's farm. i can milk a cow, churn butter, can food, etc. the fact that steph at vlad the bat has a fine pet chicken is what first drew me to her blog. i loved being around chickens as a child and am constantly threatening to start an urban flock in my backyard.

#3. i hate new stuff. i think there are too many material goods in the world. i try to only have things that wasteful (or dead) people have gotten rid of. i am practically evangelical about this - my friends are always marveling at my garage sale treasures. of course, there are notable exceptions - like underwear, sterling findings and chocolate - which must be purchased new. but there is nary a wine glass, book, clock, all-clad pot or le creuset pan, sofa, comfy chair, lamp, oriental carpet, coach handbag, garden hose, screwdriver, nail, light bulb or art supply in this house that was purchased in a store. i try to buy everything this way - potting soil, cleaning supplies, scotch tape, pot holders, bobby pins, cotton balls, yarn and clothing. it is my own brand of radical green culture. i own only the finest things that other people were done with. and yes, i even bought my car at an estate sale.

#4. i love fire - beadmaking is the perfect craft because it is all about fire.

#5. in 1982 i had waist length cotton candy pink hair.

#6. ocd - i have it, a mild case. i am a numerical sorter - these days it's well under control.

#7. i collect old cement lawn animals and display them inside my home.

simple jewelry

an everyday necklace.

made with a stone from taughannock falls, a bead and a piece of leather cord.

the bead is made with one of my favorite glasses - messy cirrus.
it's a foggy, milky white glass that is very mysterious, it needs some patient striking to develop the cloudiness, but nothing too picky. this hand shaped coin shaped bead has a bit of raku swirled around inside it.

if you're not using cim's (creation is messy) glass you are really missing out, they make some of the most sensational 104 colors out there.

fine crafts at the mag

we went on a rainy sunday outing today. it was the fine craft show at the memorial art gallery, that's my husband on the sidewalk in front of the museum.

inside the museum elizabeth and jen from morefire were exhibiting blown glass and nancy valle was selling her beautiful ceramic and glass jewelry.

and - kerry bogert was there!
i have been dying to meet her. i love her blog 'kab's creative concepts.' she was way too busy to have a real chat but it was fun to get a minute with her and see all her lovely jewelry up close. believe me - it's even more gorgeous in person - the sparkle and vibrancy of her colored glass is incredible. the best way to describe it is to say that it sings.

blackbird & branches

i did stay up and make a new necklace to wear today.

it has some of the glass branches that i made months ago but never used because i think they're probably too fragile. oh well, if i break them it's different.

the sticks are interspersed with some 'oil slick' black freshwater pearls and tiny, tiny hand faceted garnets.


this one is light silver plum glass - a favorite glass color.


this stick is dark special brown with fine raku frit.


the little blackbird is dark silver plum with raku frit and the breast is a large chunk of encased goldstone and he is perched on a freshwater black stick pearl.

tweet tweet thump thump

a winged heart with little birds and pearls.


one of these days i need to keep a necklace for myself -
this one is available at the museum shop of the memorial art gallery.

honestly, i need a necklace to wear to an event tomorrow so i am going to have to make one tonight. my little planishing hammer will be going plink, plink, plink well into the night.

blue kitty kitty

another artfully silly hand knit hat.

this hat, with little kitty ears knit on top, is made with big chunky blue and charcoal black wool yarns, it's very thick, soft and cozy.

yes, it's on etsy.
p/s - SOLD!

soldier boys hat

i finished the 'soldier boys' hat.

i started it way back in october - you can see its beginnings by clicking here.

the top of the hat has dozens of tiny plastic soldiers knit right in.

it needs a nice home so i put it up on etsy.

birdlettes

fall is winding down - you can smell the rotting leaves and the air has a real bite to it.

winter will start soon and i have an overwhelming urge to knit up some mittens.

the afternoon was spent reaming out a large flock of almost 30 new little bird beads and then making them into earrings.

a little pair made with clear glass and a swirled blend of homemade frits.


a wee tiny pair of robins.


and my favorite from the batch - a glowing blue bird, made with periwinkle glass rolled in blue luster frit.

oh yes, we did!

"this is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for out kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the american dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. and where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums of the spirit of a people; yes, we can."
-president elect, barak obama

the champagne flowed, a big roast turkey of thanksgiving was carved and we ate sweet american apple pie in celebration. we screamed and then cheered, some of us cried, and then lit sparklers on the front steps of my home - it was amazingly intense.

i woke up this morning and had a big bowl of hope for breakfast. i feel so full of happiness and restored faith in my countrymen that i almost cannot believe it actually happened.

hydrangea

i am considering using one of these images, of the hydrangeas along my driveway, for an oil pastel drawing.

i love the yellow leaves with the dark green and the fading pinks.

probably, i will choose this last one. i like the central burst of brown branches.

not much artsy going on here. all day we sorted boxes of stuff left over from my studio move and worked to clear the dining room in preparation for a big dinner party on election night. we will either be crying in our beer or the champagne will be flowing as we eat our apple pie.

i have listed a couple of my odd hats on etsy. i dare you.

happy halloween!

i adore halloween.
costumes, evil merriment, death and tiny chocolate bars.

odilion redon - the crying spider (1881 charcoal on paper)


one of the all time greatest estate sale finds - my clown shoes.

five years ago i nearly peed my pants when i unearthed them in the back of a dusty suburban closet at the home of a recently deceased clown. they are not some lame costume shop shoes, these are the real thing. hand constructed by a shoemaker around/over a pair of men's black leather dress shoes. they fit me perfectly - physically and sometimes mentally.

little wrens

happy (almost) halloween

odilion redon - the cyclops (1914)

a necklace

sterling silver hand hammered links with freshwater pearls,

flameworked bird beads,

and gemstones.