Balance and WinterTide…

TGIF everyone! I mean seriously, this was a messed up week for me. Not in the studio mind you, just everywhere else. One of those weeks where, if something can go wrong it will and so you might as well just stay in bed and read, where you are less likely to cause trouble! Yes it was that bad.

In the studio though I was fine, there must be a magical barrier at the door which keeps the bad stuff out. I was in there every day, mostly working out a few new designs, lots of experimenting and trying to iron out details. I made alot of beads, mostly not showable, but gradually they evolved into what I was aiming for.

This is the one I am especially pleased with…

“Balance”

This is a BHB (or Big Holed Bead for those of you who are going, “Huh?? A What?” ) The hole is 22mm in diameter, thats roughly 7/8″.  Wheee! That’s big! Just think of the possibilities! I personally don’t wear alot of jewelry, but I use these BHBs as scarf rings. They look great “as is” hanging from a nice chain or leather cord. They make nifty slider beads as they can pass over other beads easily.

I’ve got several other design ideas for these so I hope you all like them!  I have mandrels now to make pretty much any size hole I want. This one is the biggest that I currently own, but I have a nice downward progression of sizes.

Another thing I am working hard on right now is a specific ring design. I really thought I’d beable to show it to you today, but it needs to be perfect and the one that came out of the kiln yesterday, while very close, wasn’t completely where I want it before I show it. I hope I can show you next week. In the  mean time I’m  building up quite a ring collection for myself…lol!! Too bad they are all the same design!

Ok,moving right along…

This next bead is something completely unexpected from me, I know. Mainly because it’s red. If you look through my gallery over the past 5 years, you can count the number of red beads I’ve made on one hand. It’s not because I don’t like red, it’s because every time I’ve made a red bead, I then spend HOURS, and I do mean HOURS… trying to get a decent photograph. This one was much the same, and as you can see, the pictures are just passably acceptable. One thing on my list of Things-To-Do, is to figure out what the big mystery is with photographing this color. I know it can be done, lots of people seem to do it successfully, or there would be no red beads in the world (or at least not on the internet!) what the heck and I doing wrong?!?!?

…but anyway…

This is a pretty nifty red bead, if I do say so myself, that I made the other day using some of the shards I made last week. I gotta say, I really like this bead (oops, yeah, I already said it) and I love working with shards. They open up a ton of possibilities which I thoroughly intend to explore.

“WinterTide”

Ok, I gotta show the back too because I especially love the back. Check out this awesome shard action will you?

“Awesome shard action on WinterTide”

Are you as impressed as I am? I hope so…lol.

By the way, both are up on ebay, along with “Shelf Life” from earlier this week.

Have a great weekend!

Just playing…

Well, even though it was expensive, in a way I’m kinda glad the kiln died. It gave me the chance to do some things in the studio that I almost never do. I always thought I hated doing stuff like making murrini and complex canes. Come to find out, I actually really enjoy it! Since last week, I’ve been just playing, learning to use my optic mold for murrini making. I’ve made latticino canes and several other types of complex cane. And I make shards! Wow, do I love this! It took awhile to get the hang of blowing the big glass bubbles without breaking them, but I finally figured it out. Here are a few that I was able to get pictures of before they broke.

Here’s my favorite one, I really hated breaking this one, it was so pretty!

Now that I have the new kiln and I’ve got it programed and ready to go, I am having a hard time focusing on the beads, I want to keep  playing! But I’m trying to find a middle ground. I did get some beads made today, using some of the stuff I’ve been making during the past week. I’ll have some to show you tomorrow. But for now, I do have this new bead from my Underworld series, I just listed it on Ebay.

” Shelf Life”

Ok, that’s it for today.  I should have more to show  you tomorrow!

Herrenhaus Gärten

Yesterday we took the train to Hannover and then rode the street car to Herrenhaus Gärten, which is a huge collection of parks and gardens near downtown Hannover. Yesterday we visited the Burg Garten which is a beautiful botanical garden. They have several big greenhouses, each containing trees and plants from different climates and regions of the world; one dedicated to cacti, succulents and other plants that thrive in an arid environment. One house dedicated to  mediterranean plants, one for tropical and rainforest plants and my favorite, an orchid house. The property surrounding the greenhouses has meandering pathways which wander through a collection of trees and wild flowers and plants from all around the world.

We spent 3-4 hours walking around there. We brought our camera and an extra pair of batteries but unfortuantely the batteries died ( and the replacement batteries were also dead) while I was taking pictures in the orchid house, so that’s the only house I can show you.

That’s Peer my husband

As you can imagine it was very warm and humid in this house. There were several varieties of finch flying around and peeping from the tree branches overhead.

There was plenty of purple everywhere I looked. This made me very happy! I also found a pair of idols peeking out from the vegetation.

These guys would make a cool bead, don’t you think?

If I had to pick an overall favorite plant, it would be this one, but the one shown at the very top of the post is a close second. Such a gorgeous shade of purple <sigh>. I wish I would have payed more attention to the names but I was too busy taking pictures. I think I took 50 or so in this house before my batteries died.

A close up of my favorite.

I was having a great time trying to capture the faces. I took lots of side views which I really like.

Of course there were orchids hanging everywhere, I bumped my head more than once, but it was worth it :O)

And  sadly, here is where my batteries died :O(

These pictures are so much more impressive in their full size. Click here to see them in slideshow presentation.

We had a really nice time!

It’s Pouring…

As in, when it rains it pours…

Why is it  that just when things seem to be running smoothly, something just has to happen? It never fails.

Ok, well it’s not really pouring here but we’re having a pretty good shower.

Here is my soon-to-be new kiln.

Don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great kiln and certainly better than the one I have now, it’s just that I wasn’t really ready to buy a new one just yet (as in I didn’t really have 1000 Euro in disposable cash). But my Chili Pepper decided to die yesterday and so, new kiln for me.

I have no idea when it is arriving, hopefully this coming week. Til then I guess I’ll focus on making murrinis and twisty canes, that’s something that I really need to do anyway.  I just usually find some excuse not to ;O)

But I did manage to get a few more beads made before the Chili Pepper died. I’ve got them up on Ebay now.

“Golden Glow”

“Tree Guardian”

I wanted to create the effect of a creature looking out through the branches, which is how I pictured these guardians from the beginning, I just needed to work up to it, because I gotta say, on a bead this size, adding all those branches and leaves is a definite challenge! I love how it looks though so it’s worth the extra stress ;O)

So anyway, today Peer and I are heading for Hannover to just walk around and see the sights. We’ll spend most of our time at the botanical gardens, it’s really  beautiful there.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Desert Queen, Ornery Cats and my Scarf…

Ok, first I’ll get the Ebay stuff out of the way…

Last night I listed this WaterBearer bead, it’s been awhile since I last made one! I really love these rich colors. They’re perfect for Fall, don’t cha think? ;O)

“Desert Queen”

Now on to other stuff…

I’m trying to wait patiently for several glass related orders that I’ve placed during the past few weeks. I’ve got a ton of shards coming, a few presses (I know, how strange is that!), and lots of glass. I can’t wait to play! Some of it should arrive today. My head is full of things I want to try when it arrives.

I’ve spent some time over the weekend with my watercolors and colored pencils, just doodling some of the ideas I mentioned. Sometimes you just have to get things out of your head before it explodes…at least that’s how it feels. For me, putting it down on paper helps to release some of that pressure and helps to bring the vision more firmly into focus.

In other news…

I finally finished my Noro Silk Garden scarf. I didn’t follow the intended design, I started to but the colors weren’t jiving, so instead I just knit straight from the ball of yarn. I love the results. This scarf is so colorful, without being gaudy. The colors are not quite as bright in person and the blending from one color to the next is so subtle. The photo sucks I know, but I find that getting good photos of knitted objects is actually harder than photographing beads. After about 200 photo attempts, in all kinds of light, this is the best I could do. I did try to get a bit artsy with the Gimp Blur Tool, it didn’t work so well…

Anyway, I love this scarf, the yarn is 45% silk 45% kid mohair and 10% lambs wool, so incredible <sigh>… I want snow and cold weather just so I can wear it. I wish I had more disposable income, I’d buy enough to make some matching mittens or Toasties, but this yarn is not cheap.

And here’s Moira… she’s growing like a weed!  She loves to lounge at the computer with me…I’ll admit, it does make typing a challenge at times. Esme, our older calico, still hates her, but as the weather gets colder, she is beginning to see the wisdom in taking a more tolerant stance. She’s discovering for example, that it’s much more enjoyable to curl up beside a nice toasty woodstove, as opposed to say, sleeping on a cold and frozen piece of carpeting in a cardboard box out on the front porch. ;O) I swear, I’ve never known a bitchier, more stubborn cat in my entire life…having worked as a vet tech for 12 years… I’ve met some REALLY bitchy cats, believe me.

Ok, I guess that’s about it for today!

Ambrosia Pillows

Here’s my last listing for this week. I actually used a press, oh my, it’s been awhile! I actually do have a few…maybe as many as 10! They spend 99% of the time on a shelf collecting dust. I have 2 that I’ve never even used and probably never will. I guess I should sell them. Anyway, back to the beads!

I used my Sleek Pillow press in the 20mm size and made a lovely set of ambrosia beads. I listed them last night, hope you like them!

“Ambrosia Pillows”

I’ve also got a new Willendorf style goddess up. Her colors remind me of the sea.

“Ocean Mother”

It looks like it will be a cold, windy, rainy and dark kinda weekend. We’re staying home and relaxing by the woodstove. I have knitting that I’ve been neglecting…lots of  knitting. Tomorrow I think I’ll make a big batch of pumpkin soup and a fresh loaf of pecan bread to last us through the weekend :O)

I really love the Fall. Have a great weekend everyone!