Giggleworks Bead Studio

Life is beautiful

2011-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to posted a message to once again say I'm still here and am actually still coming up with silly ideas. I'm not able to torch them out right now but I am keeping track of them and hope to be able to soon.

In the meantime I've been doing other creative things and continue to enjoy each day as it comes. My latest fun project was making some simple crocheted necklaces that I'm now wearing as bracelets. Our local bead store, Ornamentea, posts these really quick and fun tutorials on their facebook page. This necklace one was just what I needed to break out some Jablonex seed bead mixes and the CLon-400 Tex Bead Cord I love from Marion Jewels in Fiber.

I'm a HUGE fan of Jablonex seed beads after having stumbled on their mixes at a bead store that was going out of business. They come in beautiful colors, are wonderfully consistent in size and color and look absolutely perfect in any design. The C-Lon Tex 400 Bead cord is absolutely wonderful. It comes in a HUGE array of colors now, works up and wears like a dream and just makes me feel good even looking at the spools in their boxes.

I'm sorry to say I don't have a picture of the necklaces at the moment but I'll do my best to update this post with pictures as soon as I can. In the meantime, I hope you're creating beautiful things where you are.

~Wendy

Here are a couple of pictures of what I've been working on. Sorry it took so long to add them but life's been bumping merrily along. :)

Just so you know...

2011-06-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still here but have been unable to sit at the torch at all. I've been diagnosed with SI joint pain with an unknown cause and am going to physical therapy twice a week now. It seems to be working but slowly. I miss the torch and hope to be able to return to it at least in small doses soon.

I hope the world where you are is beautiful today.

~Wendy

It's wonderful to be noticed...

2011-03-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

I checked in on my Etsy store this morning and found out one of my sculptures had been featured in a treasury. It's such a wonderful feeling as an artist to have someone choose your work, not just to purchase but even when it's added as a favorite or in this case included in a treasury. Sarah Burzio of Hitchcock Creative, thanks for the nod this morning. It was a beautiful surprise. :)

I hope everyone's enjoying a slow, peaceful Sunday morning.

~Wendy

Spring is in the air!

2011-03-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hmm... so this is March, huh? The weather's been warming up here lately and the grass is starting to grow. That must mean spring's just around the corner! After what has seemed like a very long winter season, I'm ready for some sunshine! How about you?

What's that got to do with lampwork? Well, not much other than I've got some pretty good ideas (at least in my head) and I'm itching to be back at the torch. Though that might also be due to an opportunity that bloomed out of the blue recently.

A few weeks ago Marilyn Peraza called and asked if I'd like to come to her new studio and spend the day torching with her and Marcy Lamberson. Can you imagine the look on my face?!? It didn't take me long to say I'd absolutely love to and ask what time to show up.

I've been torching since August of 2007. In that time, I've taken a 4 hour beginner's class, a 4 hour intermediate class, and spent a few afternoons with Marilyn when her studio was in the outside shop. Everything else that I've learned has been through reading, videos, purchased tutorials and lots of trial and error. As Saturday approached I realized I had a horrible case of stage fright. For the first time in a very long time I was going to torch in front of other lampwork artists, and ones that I really admire! I almost chickened out! Instead I swallowed my pride, packed up my gear and drove across town to Marilyn's.

On this side of Saturday, I'm so glad I did. There were new (to me) techniques demonstrated, life and lampwork experiences exchanged and a beautiful afternoon slowly slipped away. It was time to leave for home way before I was ready. Since Saturday, I've ordered a new tool and have tons of ideas floating around in my mind that I can't wait to try out. My confidence in torching in front of others has been boosted significantly and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity. Marilyn and Marcy, I can't thank either of you enough.

Just so you know...

2010-12-05T18:24:00.001-08:00

...there's a Santa bead in my kiln. I'm hoping he's as adorable when he comes out as I thought he was when he went in.

We've put a heater in the garage this weekend so maybe there will be more beady updates. Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season!

~Wendy

Long time no talk, huh?

2010-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Things here have just been CRAZY! I've got so many things going on with life in general that I haven't really been spending any time at the torch. I know, I'm bummed too!

The good news is that as time goes by I'm finding a little more time for me. The bad news is that it will probably still be a while before I'm back at it on any kind of a regular basis. It will happen, just not right this minute.

I did commit to taking two classes this coming year, though. I've also joined a group of lampwork artists here in NC who are working on getting together for regular meetings which I'm hoping will also get me inspired to be back at the torch.

In the meantime, I hope you're all doing well. Take care of you and make sure you take time to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. ;)

~Wendy

Learning new things... and being patient

2010-10-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw a link to a tutorial that demonstrated how to do flames on beads. Now, I know it's probably obvious, but as a Harley girl and a lampwork artist, I LOVE flames! I hadn't ever tried them on a bead, though.

Here's the tutorial that I used to try the technique. Jim Anspach, thanks for taking the time to write it all down. I love it and have sooo many new things I want to try now!

Now let's talk about the beads. Whenever I try something new I always have to remind myself to be patient. New techniques take time and even with the best directions you're going to make some mistakes. So far, I've made several but have learned a lot along the way.

Here are the two beads I made the first night. I used light aqua and after they came out of the kiln realized I should have tried one with dark aqua instead. These were supposed to be bicones but as you can see in the photos, I haven't mastered that part yet.

Last night I gave it another try and this time used the dark aqua glass. While I was finishing up the bead I realized my bead release had broken off of the mandrel and was now spreading beautifully onto the bead. Ugh! I finished the bead anyway and even took photos of it.

It's not easy to see in the photos but it's across the entire top of the bead all the way around the bead hole. *sigh* Ah well, I'll be trying this again and hopefully next time it will come out a little better. :)

Hope your weekend's off to a beautiful start wherever you are!

~Wendy

Behold the beadmaker... or not

2010-09-17T02:59:00.000-07:00

First let me link you to the shirt that's responsible for the title today. Terry from Hale Fire Art Glass designed those and one of these days I'll break down and order one for myself.

This week's been one of those where every minute is spoken for by someone or something else and by the time I could actually light the torch, I'm too exhausted to even think about it. So instead I've been taking pictures, listing a few things for sale, clearing space on my work table and my torching station and just generally piddling around.

I've also been on a general purging of "piles" around the house. My sister-in-law was here a Monday ago and we watched that show Hoarders together. Have you seen it? If you haven't, don't. Once you do you will never look at your own home the same again. I've been eyeballing papers and clutter around the house as though they were suspects in a crime spree. Things are on their way out the door around here I tell ya! The shredder's been working overtime and my trash and donation bins have been filled and emptied several times now. The guys at our local Goodwill store are starting to look at me funny when I pull up to drop more stuff off. I think our teenage daughters are a little afraid every time they hear me coming up the stairs. I've laughed and told them several times that their rooms are next. I might be joking... or not.

That's the latest from here. I hope wherever you are your day is off to a great start!

~Wendy

Eek! It's a mouse!

2010-09-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

Well, technically, it's two mice. I've made some of these before and my sister in law promptly laid claim to them before they hit the etsy store.

After that batch of them I realized my soldering iron was kaput and somewhere along the way to getting a new one, I got sidetracked. If you know me at all, you know that's not unusual. Yesterday I went out to our local Home Depot and picked up another soldering iron and last night I finally sat down and made the two mice that have been patiently waiting, albeit in pieces, on my table.

Aren't they adorable?! The one on the left needs some time with the copper patina before she's ready to go. I got a little solder happy on her nose and the patina will make that right as rain. I've already named her Dusty and have a little story to go with her when I put her on etsy.

One of these days I'd like to figure out how to make some cheese for them to hold onto or maybe little signs or something. I'm not feeling overly inspired in that direction yet... someday the idea will gel and I'll work on it. For now I'm just enjoying their company.

Just like my critter beads, they're more fun in crowds. I hope you're having a beautiful day where you are.

~Wendy

I've got the beach on the brain...

2010-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, I love the beach! I don't get there very often but when I do I perk up the minute we get close enough to get that first whiff of the water. It's soothing to me and I always find peace and happiness there. I especially love it in the fall when the crowds have gone home and there's plenty of space to roam.

Last week I was reminded that I hadn't done any of my beach water focal beads in a long time and decided it was definitely time to do some more. They're made using a very simple technique and then they're dipped in an acid etching solution to give them the feeling that they've just washed up on the shore. You've just got to hold one in your hand to feel like you're there on the shore.

Here's a photo of all of the beads before they were etched. At this point they've been annealed and cleaned, they're just waiting for a dip in the acid bath and a cruise through the baking soda water to neutralize the acid.

Here's a closer view of a few of them:

Now here's a photo of those same beads after the acid bath:

Last night I met with the ladies from the Raleigh Jewelry Meetup and I took these beads along with me in small sets to offer them first dibs.

They've given so much to me in their demos, critiques, support and encouragement that I love taking my work there for them to see first. They're loads of fun and full of amazing talents and experience that they share with everyone. If you're in the area, you should definitely join them some evening.

Hope your week's off to a great start in your part of this world!

~Wendy

Examining your work closely...

2010-08-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was photographing a set of beads I'd made and saw a flaw in a bead when I loaded the photo into Photoshop. I hadn't seen it previously when I was cleaning the beads so I was a little surprised.

Here's the set of beads:

Can you spot the flaw? It's small but I promise you it's there and is enough of a flaw that the bead won't even go in my Bead Lab bowl. It will take up residence in a glass mug that sits on my dresser where no one will be tempted to take it home.

I'm letting this serve as a reminder to me that I need to always examine each bead carefully just to be sure that my customers are getting my absolute best.

Hope you're all having a great week where you are.

~Wendy

Seeing my work in a finished piece

2010-08-14T03:28:00.000-07:00

I was in awe a few weeks ago at our Raleigh Jewelry Meetup group when our founder Jen Hilton handed me a bracelet she'd made that included one of my lampwork beads. There was a little piece of me in this beautiful bracelet!

On her blog, Jen says she's been making jewelry since 1990 and selling online since 2000. In January 2010 she was published as a featured artist in Steampunk Style Jewelry. I've admired her work and have loved being a part of our meetup group.

So this morning when I opened my email and saw photos of that wonderful bracelet with a note from Jen saying she wanted to post it on my Giggleworks facebook page but it looked like I didn't have those permissions turned on, I rushed right over there, turned those settings on and published her photos with links to her website and blog! Now I'm sitting here excited like a little kid at Christmas and wanted to share with all of you!

Seeing a piece of my work included in such a beautiful bracelet feels absolutely amazing and I'm honored that Jen wanted them published on my facebook page. Please visit Jen's website where you can see all of her beautiful work.

Delivered... sort of

2010-08-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

I took the beads for Noah and his family to work today and gave them to my coworker. She'll take them to Noah's dad on Friday at his office and off they'll go to hopefully bring a little comfort to their family during this trying time.

Here are photos of the beads and what I did with them. The ones with the eyes on them are my Worri Wart beads that I started doing back in 2007 during a project for the kids at Graham Middle School here in North Carolina. My friend Tim wrote a cute story to go with them about how they came to our planet and what they're here for and I included that with Noah's beads.

The flower is for his mom and the single Worri Wart is for his dad to keep in his pocket as he goes through his day trying to work and continue to provide for his family.

I haven't heard yet if Noah's family is participating in it, but there's a cause called Beads of Courage that sends glass beads to participating hospitals for children receiving cancer treatment. It's a wonderful cause and they help lots of families during a very difficult time. Beads of Courage is trying to win the Pepsi Refresh Everything contest for a $25,000 reward this month. Please take a minute and vote for their cause as well as those of their voting partners!

It just happens that way...

2010-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at how things happen and people are put where they're needed or can be of some comfort. Today a woman in my office shared the story of a young man of 13 who's facing a battle with a type of bone cancer. His dad is her financial adviser and they're all understandably frightened and doing their best to navigate their way through the battle that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

As a mom, I'm not going to allow myself to think too long on what their life right now must be like. They have two other children and their boy is in the hospital as they work through the treatments. Instead, I asked if I could send them something from me just as a reminder that they're not alone. She said that would be okay and forwarded me dad's work address as a place to mail the pieces to and some ideas of what he might like as far as colors for the beads.

I came home and shared the story with my daughters and they helped me decide what I'd be making. I've finished the glass beads and they're ramping down in the kiln as I'm typing this. Tomorrow I'll have them put together and ready to be mailed.

Whenever I work on something like this (and I've only done it a few times) I say a prayer at the beginning and end of the torch session that what I'm about to create will be of some comfort to the recipient. Tonight I'm hoping that those of you reading this will say an extra prayer or send along comforting thoughts, white light and best wishes to this young family as they try and make their way through what must be a heart wrenching journey.

For this family, mine is praying for you and will continue to do so. Remember that you're never alone and to always lean on those that are sent to share these burdens with you.

Photos are up!

2010-08-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

I've posted the photos of my submission "Around the Bend" for the Glass Challenge on the Giggleworks Bead Studio Facebook page. The submission photo isn't on the Glass Challenge's page as of this post but I'm hoping it will be there in the next few days.

Thanks again to Mountain Glass Arts for sponsoring an Artist's Choice challenge and good luck to everyone that enters!

I've pushed the button...

2010-08-02T15:26:00.001-07:00

My submission and the accompanying details have been sent to the Glass Challenge for their consideration. Once it's posted on their website I'll publish a photo album showing the project's progression.

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement, advice and mostly just listening to me blather on the past couple of months. I do appreciate it!

~Wendy

Not quite ready...

2010-07-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

This evening I've got all but one piece assembled for my submission to the Glass Challenge. Once that last piece is on I have to find a way to photograph it and then submit it. I'm only a little nervous but I've promised myself I'm going to follow it through.

I haven't been at the torch much at all. It's been steamy here and somehow lighting that torch and firing up the kiln just hasn't felt all that appealing. The last couple of days it's cooled off and there's a chance that tomorrow will be just as nice. Maybe then I'll light the torch.

We'll have to see what tomorrow brings...

I promise I'm still at the torch...

2010-07-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

If you've been following along with me on my Giggleworks facebook page I'm sure you've noticed the lack of photos of beads lately and maybe you're wondering what's going on in my world. Well, it's a secret... sort of.

My favorite glass supplier, Mountain Glass Arts, is sponsoring a challenge with a prize of a $500 shopping spree. It's an Artist's Choice challenge which means whatever I want to do is just fine. The ideas are definitely clamoring for my attention and while I think what I've come up with is a great idea, I'm not ready for anyone to see it before I submit the photo for the contest.

The submission deadline is Noon on the 31st of August and I promise as soon as I've posted my entry, the Studio's facebook page will have LOTS of photos for you to see the progression of the project.

In the meantime, I hope you're all doing well and that you're enjoying each day as it comes.

~Wendy

Today's torch session brought to you by...

2010-07-04T11:10:00.001-07:00

I was working on a new kind of bead (for me) today and in doing so started to consider how many artist's influence was present in that tiny bead. It's based on a teapot I've loved and I'm hoping I've managed to capture it properly.

The bead is in the kiln but I'll list the artists here and thank each for their contributions. I've taken a total of 3 classes with 2 different artists locally. I work a full time job and have six children so my time at the torch is limited to say the least. The rest of what I've learned has been from pouring over forums and artist websites, tutorials and blogs. I've tried to remain a sponge and not close my eyes even once for fear that I'd miss something important.

In no particular order, my thanks today go to:

Samantha Alspaugh - your laughter and character will always make me smile each time I start to add eyes to one of my beads. Without your dvds it would have taken me so much longer to learn how to do sculptural critter beads.

Maria Grimes - I learned how to do the eyes today after literally years of watching yours and wondering how exactly you made it look so simple. Your beads make me believe that there is a world of wonder just over the next rise and if we listen close enough, we might be able to hear their whispers.

Maria (whimzicalities) - Maria, without your wonderful brass poker, I would never have figured out the way to make a little mouth that just makes me want to go awwww every time I see it.

Cynthia Tilker - I have your keeper tutorial and have read through it dozens of time yet never made a single one of them. I found a picture of a teapot with an adorable face on it and as I puzzled out how I'd do it in glass I realized your tutorial had already shown me how. You're another artist that I'm convinced has fairies that sit on your shoulder as you create and whisper to you the things that they dream of.

Corina Tettinger - Your magic wand has been ever at my side as I've torched and today was no different. It's the perfect tool to push and flatten the glass just where you need it.

Karen Leonardo - I had to wait a while to purchase your petal pullers but I want you to know I use them both all the time. I don't make a lot of flowers but they're perfect for making wings, small leaves, and even a chicken's comb. I love them and can't imagine what I'd use to replace them.

So many times when I sit at the torch and puzzle out how to do something, there are dozens of artists there behind me who've poured out their knowledge and experience either in a technical discussion, a tutorial or dvd and sometimes in the middle of a heated discussion. Each and every one of you helps me to continue to grow doing something I absolutely love. Thanks for that.

~Wendy

Created a facebook page for Giggleworks Bead Studio

2010-06-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to say that I've created a Giggleworks Bead Studio Facebook page. It's a good place to see what I'm working on these days. Work's been a little crazy and I haven't been listing on etsy as much but I am consistently taking photos of my beads.

Hope everyone's ready for a relaxing long weekend!

She's finally admitted it...

2010-06-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to explain the heartache and anger that's stirred through the glass community over the past year or more over a woman named Ullja Kuntze. She set out to ruin dozens of well known artists with a website claiming they weren't all following the rules of running a business.

Each and every time the targeted artist would reiterate either in their blog, on their website or on their etsy page that they were indeed following the letter of the law and assuring their customers they weren't in the wrong.

The artists that were being attacked joined together and filed a lawsuit seeking relief against Ullja Kuntze for defamation (libel and slander per se) and fraud. Yesterday, Kandice Seeber posted on her blog that Ullja finally admitted in legal documents that she was the owner and publisher of that blog and the artists have claimed their well deserved victory.

Please visit Kandice's blog and congratulate her and the other artists. They've earned the right to celebrate.

I met the big, bad wolf...

2010-04-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Before I start, I'll apologize to Chad for the title of this post but it makes me giggle. He isn't even close to a big, bad wolf.

A couple of weeks ago my husband asked if I'd like to go with him to Myrtle Beach for the weekend. He had to work at a seminar there and his boss had said he could bring me along if I was feeling up to it. I was definitely up to it and couldn't wait to go. After all, there's a bead store there that I'd been wanting to get to!

Chad and Heather Samson own Beach Beads in Myrtle Beach, SC and Chad's also the host of The Angry Mandrel website. I was finally going to get to meet them and see the new space they'd just moved into. I felt like I was going to meet rock stars!

I posted on TAM making sure the store would be open (it was Easter weekend, maybe they had plans) and hoped they'd say yes. Chad posted and said they were going to be open and encouraged me to stop by. I was stoked!

It didn't hit me until we were on our way to the beach that maybe they wouldn't like me. I got a little nervous and wondered aloud to my husband that very thought. He laughed and said "Who cares? They're glass peeps, it's going to be great. Stop worrying!" He was right, of course, I shouldn't have worried.

From the moment I walked in the store, I felt like I was meeting old friends. I spent hours talking my head off to Chad about everything under the sun. He gave me a tour of their new digs, showed me their torch stations set up next to each other, talked about future plans for the store and even showed me his case full of glass he's made as well as the pieces he's collected over the years.

Then he pointed to the pictures of his kids and I wish I'd captured the look on his face. He's a dad, first and foremost. It's there when he glances at their pictures on the wall and when he talks about what they're doing. Chad's so many things but after seeing that face, he's a father and a husband first.

We spent a lot of time talking about TAM, it's struggles, his struggles over the years and his goals and dreams for what he wants it to be. I like his vision and believe the site adds value. I've met 5 of the folks there in person (Chad and Heather included) and they all have at least one thing in common... they're all very passionate about glass. It's in everything they do and having spent time with several of them watching them work at the torch, that's not going to change any time soon.

Chad handed me off to Heather for the rest of the afternoon (he went to pick up their daughter) and I spent the rest of the day talking with Heather. I had the opportunity to fondle all of her jewelry in the store. I know, pretty awesome, huh? She tried her best to convince me that kumihimo isn't the devil's work and we laughed over our aversion to tiny seed bead work. I even got a live demo on how to finish off an end of the kumihimo! Heather also has a woman that does these really cute fringed beads to match her lampwork that I'm still in awe of and wondering if maybe I should try (haha... uh.. no). There's honestly so many different techniques displayed in the store that I'm still trying to figure out how they find the time.

Oh, and guess what? Chad and Heather encourage their customers to take photos of pieces they like in the store! Can you believe that? I don't think I've been to a bead store yet that lets you take photos of their display pieces, much less encourages you to bust out your camera so you can take it back with you when you're trying to remember what you saw. Absolutely the best and I'm sure it's that type of thing that keeps their customers coming back year after year. They're in a beach town after all so lots of their customers are only in town for a few days or weeks at a time.

So, if you're ever passing through Myrtle Beach, SC, stop in and say hello to Chad and Heather. I promise you won't regret it. Chad and Heather, if you're reading this, thanks for giving up your afternoon and letting me just hang out in your store with you. I'll be back... fair warning!

The post surgery update

2010-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

I had the surgery for my herniated disc on 28 December. I was fortunate to have been referred to the Chief of Neurosurgery at one of the major hospitals here in Raleigh and can not thank him enough for his thorough explanation of what I was experiencing as well as what he would be doing to alleviate my pain.

A week out from surgery I'm experiencing exactly the things he said I would. I have muscle pain across my lower back where they had to stretch the muscles out of the way during surgery. At times I have twinges of the old pain through my right hip and down the leg, but they're flashes and he told me to expect them for some time because the nerve needs time to heal.

My family and friends have been taking great care of me. Food has been brought to the house and they even decorated the yard for my 40th birthday and brought dinner and a cake. It's been wonderful for me to see them all coming by and checking on me and helping my family cope as I recover.

I'm taking the surgeon's advice and allowing myself the time to recover. I'm walking around the house every hour or so and resting as much as I can stand. I'm napping, reading, resting and recovering in the hopes that the pain will not return. Living with that level of pain was an experience I will do whatever is necessary to never have again. Even if that means sitting still. :)

I hope you are all doing well and that your new year is off to a good start. Remember to take care of you and thanks for all of the well wishes. :)

An update...

2009-12-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

While I'd love to be posting new beads to show you all, I haven't torched in a few weeks now. I've been diagnosed with a herniated disc at L5 S1 and will be having surgery to remove the herniation on 28 December. I'm comfortable with the decision to have surgery and the man that will be doing my surgery is the Chief of Neurosurgery at a wonderful hospital here in town.

I'll be spending a night at the hospital and recuperating at home for several weeks. I'm covered at work and will get paid 100% of my salary for up to 63 days so that worry has been lifted as well. I even called my health care company to ask them what my cost would be and it's $250. Not easy to come up with but definitely a blessing since I have friends who also NEED this surgery or the MRI and can't have it because of the cost.

In the meantime, I'm in a lot of pain the majority of the time. It's really hard to just sit around and rest while I'm waiting for the surgery and with Christmas coming there's lots I'd love to be taking care of. Instead, we're slowing down our commitments for the holidays and I'm trying not to drive everyone crazy. Notice I said TRYING! :)

I did manage to follow a bead cap tutorial the other day and made 2 beads that are cored and capped. One of them is a gift and the recipient might be reading this so I'm only going to post one of them. I learned a lot from this particular bead and while it's not anything I'd put up for sale I'm happy with it just the same.

Here's the link to the tutorial I bought: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147158. It gives a detailed list of the tools necessary and where to buy them from which saved me a lot of trial and error. Definitely a plus!

The mistakes I made with this one are:
1- Used a lopsided bead - You can see in the first image that it became very obvious in the finished piece that it was a "little off"

2- When I was punching the cap shown in the center picture, the bunch bounced several times and that shows in the finished piece... especially in the closeup photographs.

3- In the 3rd picture you can see that there's a "flat" side on the bead cap. That's caused by punching my next cap too close to an area where I've already punched another one. Not a huge deal but again, not great when you're asking someone to pay for it. :)

There is also a video that shows a bead being hand cored and capped that was extremely helpful in narrowing my learning curve and that can be found here: http://www.dawnandevan.com/silver_core.htm

This is definitely a skill I want to work on because it really does finish off the beads and makes them stand out.

So that's the scoop from my neck of the woods. Hopefully my recovery time will be short and the pain I'm experiencing now will become a faint memory in a very short time.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! See you next year! ~Wendy

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

2009-11-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

Sometime back in the '90s, my sister Lucie turned me onto the music of the Barenaked Ladies. I have so many great memories of my sister and this music that today the "If I had a million dollars" song was running through my head and I just knew my monkey bead needed to be made into a pendant.

Haven't you always wanted a monkey??

Hope you're all having a great holiday and enjoying some time off with your family and friends.

~Wendy

Laughter is the best medicine

2009-10-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

They're cute, right? This is one of my most favorite pictures that I've ever taken of my beads. Every time I see it I want to write a story about Penguins on the Lamb. LOL!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Where in the world is Wendy?

2009-10-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

In case you've noticed I've been.. well.. away lately, there's no cause for alarm and no reason to round up a search party. Apparently life has decided I'm having way too much fun over here and it's time for a few things to pile up all at once.

Somewhere in that pile one of our sons is angry with us and playing the blame game with us as the recipient of all that is wrong in his life. Being told to fuck off over facebook by one of my children ranks right up there in the list of unforgettable moments. Of course, we've previously received the letter from prison as well saying how horrible we are and reminding us it's all our fault so really we shouldn't have been surprised I suppose. Alas, such is life and it did happen and we all must continue on in one fashion or another. It's how life goes.

While there are choices along the way that may not have been the best or looking back on them maybe we'd have done something differently, those choices lead us to here and here is really pretty good 99% of the time so I can't say I'd change them really. If I did, which part of what is now would be gone? See? I'll pass and say once more I'm sorry you feel that way but your life is your own now and whatever situation you find yourself in, it's yours to find the path forward.

This past Friday Kev and I left on the Harleys and got to spend the weekend at Myrtle Beach for Fall Bike Week. We had a fabulous time and got some much needed face time with each other. Blessings come to us in so many ways, this past weekend was definitely a huge one.

I've torched some here and there but nothing noteworthy and am feeling pretty bummed about so many beads sitting here and no one wanting to give them a new home. Before you all rush in to pat me on the back and tell me this too shall pass, I know. If I put a little more effort into listing regularly and photographing more and well, so many other things, maybe the beads would be flying out the door. I'm just feeling a little bit rejected and am allowing myself some time to get past that and move on. I promise I won't wallow for long.

Thanks for playing along and I promise I'll be back soon with more beads and silly messages. :)

~Wendy

A Girl Can't Have Too Many Tools

2009-09-22T02:52:00.000-07:00

I was up early this morning wishing our youngest son well on the next part of his journey with the Marines. After he was on his way I checked in on Facebook and then went over to wander through The Angry Mandrel to see what some of my glass peeps were up to.

Turns out, Jim McConnell a.k.a Brassman and owner of Burning Brass announced today that he's finished making his new brass torch marvers to fit the Bethlehem line of torches. Guess who owns a Bethlehem Betta? Guess who's getting a new marver? That's right... ME!!! I'm so excited I can't stand it!

When Jim first debuted his brass marvers in June I was disappointed that they weren't available for the Betta. I made a plea on LE and on TAM for him to include my torch in the list and said a little prayer that other owners of the Bethlehem torches would chime in and ask for them. I didn't see a lot of replies so I wasn't sure it was going to make sense for him to include them in his line. Thankfully he has.

Jim, thanks so much for making them and I seriously can't wait to see the package in the mail. I've seen all of the reviews of Jim's tools and know without a doubt it's going to be fabulous.

In other news, I've posted a new pen on Etsy. It's a rainbow of raised daisy beads and I'm even happy with the pictures I took of it. It's always nice to make some progress. :)

Gifts in the mail... new beads posted... other tidbits

2009-09-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

My tumbler has arrived! I've been waiting to core more of the pandora style slider beads because I didn't have a way to polish them before they were listed for sale.

Lots of other glass peeps said they use a tumbler to get this job done and so I scoured the web for the best price I could find and waited for my gift to arrive in the mail. The folks at Jatayu were absolutely great to deal with and had the best price on my Lortone 3A Tumbler.

I unpacked it, ran it through the initial "wash" the company recommends and started it right back up to polish the beads I'd already cored. Thirty minutes in the tumbler and they were shined right up! Easy peasy! They've had their photo op and are listed in my etsy store now.

In other news, my friend Barbara has me hooked on kumihimo. She snuck in another little hobby on me and while I haven't made any jewelry with it I've been weaving braids like a crazy person. The folks at Primitive Originals in Georgia have a great kit (I ordered the big kit just to make sure I had enough to play with) and the directions are very simple. Now I've just got to work on some beads to go with it!

This past week and next week has our sons coming home. This past week it was my stepson bringing his wife home to meet us. They're stationed in North Dakota and were married last Halloween. The family absolutely adores her and we're very happy they've found each other. We could not have wished for a better daughter in law than the one we've now been blessed with.

As an added bonus, our two oldest children came for a visit on Saturday and they brought our two grandchildren with them as well as our daughter's boyfriend. Definitely a great day and we're so proud of all of them that it was hard not to tear up when they all headed out for the drive back to Hickory, NC.

Next week we're headed to Parris Island, South Carolina to watch our youngest son graduate from boot camp with the United States Marine Corps. With Kev and I being former Marines and having both been through Parris Island (lo these many years ago.. haha) it's going to be an emotional day for us all I'm sure. I can't wait to see our son's face and how proud he is of himself and all he's accomplished so far.

That's about it from this end of the lagoon. I'm enjoying the long weekend and hope to steal away for some time at the torch later today and tomorrow. Hope you're all enjoying your weekend as well!

~Wendy

It's almost Fall!

2009-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

I got to spend some time at the torch this weekend and had a wonderful time of it. I absolutely LOVE Halloween and making these pumpkins just made me absolutely happy. I grin every time I see them. :) See?!

This last Thursday one of the ladies at Classic Car Night held at the neighborhood Dairy Queen asked me to make a necklace with a hot fudge sundae bead I'd done.

I stopped by Panopolie last night and Molly spent some time with me showing me how to use chain to make a simple necklace that wouldn't overpower the bead itself. She talked to me about using Silver Black to oxidize the sterling headpin I was going to use in the pendant and was absolutely right that it added just the right touch to the piece. Doing that kept the focus on the bead itself which was my hope when I went in to ask for help. Thanks Molly!

I love how it turned out and hope the woman that asked me for it will be just as thrilled.

The lonely turtle

2009-08-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

There once was a glass turtle named Waffles. He sat in a plastic box among other glass beads. There were eyeballs, flowers that looked like they were trapped in water, beads with raised dots, beads with flat dots and even a penguin or three!

Poor Waffles was bored and on more than one occassion babbled at the weird lady that he'd really like to get outta this place. She always nodded pleasantly and made the approprate noises about him finding a new home when the right person came along. Eventually he got tired of waiting and started to harass the weird lady. He said some not so nice things to her and suggested maybe she ought to do something different with him to help him find his new home.

After she gave him that not so nice look back she must have taken pity on poor Waffles because she found some lovely beads to match his beautiful shell and made him into a bracelet! Waffles was so excited! He was really going to go places! Someone would surely want to take him along on some new adventure! Things were really starting to look up for little Waffles.

The weird lady took new pictures of him and his new lovely beads and said she posted them for all the world to see. Surely someone must want a new friend, right? Right?!?

Sometimes.. there are no words

2009-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Spent some time yesterday at the torch working on beads for friends of mine. While I didn't get their beads to come out right, something else did come out of that session that's rather... well... I'm not sure.

So for today, I give you the picture with "it seemed like a good idea at the time" as my explanation. He makes me laugh but I have no idea what anyone would do with him? Suggestions? :)

Hope you're all having a beautiful weekend!

My first trunk show...

2009-07-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

I did a trunk show with my friend Marilyn this weekend. We set up in a store here in Raleigh and hoped for a good crowd. I'd say about 15 people came by and we sold enough that it was worth the effort. While I would have loved to have had more people and more sales, it was a good experience.

I'm still new to selling my beads and more than a little self conscious about it. The two times now that I've put them in front of the public I've struggled with pricing them and wondered more than once what I was thinking turning this art I love out for sale. Having the opportunity to watch people as they look at your beads and hear the comments they make about what you've done is definitely good experience. It's not always easy to watch or hear but it's good experience.

I'll be putting the Etsy store back online this week after I've done the inventory and recorded the sales I made. Sunday morning I made some new beads that I'm really happy with and I'll be stopping off at Panopolie this afternoon to get some help with an idea I've got for a necklace and earring set.

There's an idea banging around in my head for a new type of display I'd like to use if I'm going to do more shows. I'm going to try and explain it to my father in law and see if he'd be interested in building it for me.

For now it's back to the day job. :)

Beads? What beads?

2009-06-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

No beads so far this week. What's up with that?

Well, I spent some time on Tuesday evening learning a new (to me) finger weaving technique. I've had Robin Atkins's Beaded Treasures book for over a year now and finally broke it out to see if I could do it. I decided to do something pretty simple for my first try and didn't use a ton of beads like she does. I didn't want to have to cut them all out if I hated it!

Here's how it turned out. I've worn it several times and love how it feels. It's surprisingly light and begs to be touched. Now I've just got to build up the bead stash to do more of them. Yeah, I know, what a horrible thought, huh?! Just what I needed... an excuse to buy more beads. :)

Hopefully I'll have some time on the torch this weekend. My sister-in-law sent a special request this past week. Apparently a friend of hers wanted to swipe the keychain I made for her and Linda's not willing to part with it. She wants it done in Univ. of Tennessee colors so that should be pretty easy. Speaking of UT colors, did you know they were adopted because of all the daisies that grew on The Hill on campus back in like 1891? How cool is that?

Anywho... time to get back to the day job and earn my keep. Happy Friday!

New Beads, New Listings... and more

2009-06-15T19:01:00.001-07:00

This past week and a half has been busy with everything from work to family to beads and mostly just life in general.

Our son left yesterday for boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. He's got a family of six Marines pulling for him and lots of family and friends just waiting to get his address so that he'll get plenty of letters and encouragement from back here at home. Thirteen weeks and we get to see the new man. I can't wait!

The kids are finished with school for the year and the girls are enjoying the lazy days of summer vacation. Today it was swimming at the neighborhood pool with dad for the afternoon. My husband's still looking for work so he's been spending some extra time with the girls and they've been loving it.

I've been at the torch more the last couple of weeks and have also been sifting through the bead box in an attempt to market more of what I've done already. I've read a lot lately about getting started marketing your work and lots of people say that it's always slow at first but that you need to stick with it and keep putting stuff out there. You can't go out there expecting to be well known and popular your first week. So I'm regrouping my thoughts and trying not to feel defeated when nothing sells from the Etsy store. Easier said than done but I'm working on it.

Now, here's the new stuff I've been doing and a little explanation with each.

This first one is a set of three fish. I made a mobile for my father in law with some fish on it and would like to do another to have in my own home. I'm still working on how I want them to look but I'm fairly happy with these.

I bought a dvd from SamanthaBeads on LE to see how she does the lips on her fish. Here's a link to her store where you can see her beads as well as her tutorial videos.

Here's the fish I made after I watched her video. He's hollow, rolled in frit and then given a huge set of smackeroos. I named him Hollis. I'm not sure I'm happy with this style but he's fun just the same.

This next one I made because my mom saw my other green heart and mentioned she liked the color of the bead. I've wound it on a bigger mandrel so it could hang on the brass ball chain I have and it will be in the mail this week. I'm hoping she'll love it.

I'm still working on the chickens. I'd like to come up with a shape that works and that is easy to reproduce time after time. I haven't done it yet but I'll keep trying. This latest chicken is much chubbier and his head looks a little squished. Still not quite there but he still makes me smile.

Last but not least for this week is a simple little blue bird. I saw this listing on Etsy for a crochet pattern and couldn't help but try to make a similar bead. It's not as cute but with a little work it could be so this will definitely be something I work on over the next few torch sessions as well.

Thanks for letting me ramble and I hope you'll all have a great week!

~Wendy

Presents from the kiln today

2009-06-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

I spent some time in the studio last night and made a whopping six beads. I'm learning to only make what I want to and to stop when I'm tired instead of pushing myself to do more. Simple enough but I still have to remind myself that the only one with expectations when I'm at the torch is me.

The first ones I did were three hearts. I'd made a heart two days before that I wasn't happy with but in looking at it realized the footprint for the bead had been too small. I increased the footprint last night and love the results.

The green one is the heart from two nights ago and the other three are last night's work. Better, right?

This next one is what some call a "big hole bead". It's made to fit on the European slider style bracelets. Some of the manufacturers of them are Pandora, Troll and Biagi. I used an ivory glass and layered on a glass stringer of ASK Silver Cinnamon. I didn't get a nice even wrap and so marvered the bead into a semi square shape. I'm a little too heavy handed with the marvering and the square's not really even. I'll continue working on this style of bead in an attempt to get just the right footprint.

My favorite beads are the ones with eyes. They always make me smile and that's where the name Giggleworks came from. I love to make beads that make people giggle!

The first was an "attempt" at making a canary. A certain friend of mine hinted ever so subtly that she'd like for me to make a canary and without taking a picture with me to the torch I made an attempt. Let's just say this ain't it but I did learn a few things while I was making it. I pulled the beak in the yellow glass before I added the black for the beak. Not a good plan because it made the beak just look messy. I like how the wings are on it and they weren't hard to do at all.

Last but not least is my chubby rooster. Another friend of mine has a brother who wants a chicken bead like the one in my Etsy store so I tried to make another one. This time I added tail feathers with just a pull of the glass and made his belly a little bigger. His head's a little lopsided which is disappointing but hey, it gives him character, right?! :)

So that's it for yesterday. Now it's time to get some chores done around here and maybe get some time at the torch this afternoon!

The Visitor

2009-06-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

We had some heavy rains last night and it seems they've brought us a visitor. I had to google it to try and figure out what kind it was. Looks like an Eastern Box Turtle. Now, how do you make that pattern in a bead? :)