Viking Ships

Yesterday I mentioned that I was working on a new idea - well here it is - Viking ships.  I have been trying on and off for a few years to blow my own glass shards.  It's not a difficult process in theory, but in practise it is quite tricky.  Well, I think I finally figured it out, and when I was playing around with the resulting shards, I realized that they looked like very rustic sails.  At first I thought of a Chinese Junk - but the name just wasn't working for me - lol.  Then I remembered the books I have been reading lately - The Ranger's Apprentice.  The books are meant for older children/teens, but I have been really enjoying them (thankyou Lori Anderson).  Anyway, there are some Viking-like people and their ships in the books, so that is where the idea for Viking ships came from.  Talk about a short story made long!

These are big beads - the bead in the middle picture is about 40mm long and 28mm wide.  They have dichroic glass (sparkly stuff) inside along with seeded glass (bubbly stuff) and various other bits and pieces.  Each one takes about an hour to make, but I figure that will get shorter with each session.  I have to work on the hull of the boat some more, but for now I am really pleased with the first draft.

Thanks for looking, and hope you all have a great weekend!



Going Dotty!!

I'm having lots of fun with dots.  These "dotty" beads can be found in my Etsy shop.  Have a great day!

Great way to start the day!

I had to go and mail some parcels this morning, although I am not sure if they will get anywhere with it being a Saturday.  The little post office I use is a franchise type, and they are open on Saturdays, while the actual government post office is not, so they will probably sit there until Tuesday (after the Easter weekend) when the main post office is open again.  Anyway, the only way to make a mundane trip a little brighter is to pick up a Tim Horton's coffee - which happens to be just a couple of doors away - yay!  Although I do not like coffee by itself, I love it mixed with hot chocolate, so I always have 1/2 coffee + 1/2 hot chocolate.  Yummy!

Sorry, no pictures of beads today.  I was able to get out to the studio yesterday, as I was finally feeling better, and I made some beads for a custom order and a few others.  When they are cleaned etc., I will photograph them and post them here.

I hope everyone has a very enjoyable Easter weekend, whatever your beliefs are.

Necklace from PIF winnings

A few weeks ago I won a very generous "pay it forward" draw from Staci Louise of http://stacilouise.blogspot.com/.  Since I have not been able to do any torching this last week I decided to see if I could make a neclace out of some of the items.  I find jewelry making quite difficult, and usually the beads that I take to the shows/markets are pendants on a chain or cord, or variations on that theme.

While I find that this necklace is OK, it just doesn't seem quite right to me somehow.  So please, please can all you jewelry makers out there give me some tips/ideas as to what I can do to fix it.  Originally I had a single round stone pendant hanging from the copper washer at the bottom, but when I put it on, I felt like I should be putting on some mayoralty robes too.  In fact I still think it looks like something a mayor would wear - maybe it is the two copper wirework links 2nd up from the washer - what do you think?  Please give me your honest answers.  Thanks!

LEAFY SCROLL

I finally managed to get these beads cleaned, strung and photographed.  They were the last beads I made before I injured my back last week, and they have been sitting beside my sink mocking me.  I am pleased with the colours of the leaves - I used an odd lot from Double Helix glass, and it has given me greens, blues, purples and browns.  When I use this glass on it's own in a bead, all I get is a very dark striated burgundy, but when it is thinly used as in the leaves above, then I get the myriad of colours.

This set can be found in my Etsy shop.

I hope to be back at the torch this weekend, or at least by Monday - here's hoping I haven't jinxed it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Disc Challenge

At the February meeting of our glass group "Island Fireflies", which was held here at my place, I challenged everyone in our group to make a set of 5 discs for the next meeting.  We have started doing these challenges in order to push ourselves a bit outside our comfort zones.  The host/hostess gets to pick the challenge.  There were a lot of groans when I told them what I had picked - lol.  Discs are something I have always had a lot of trouble with, and as you can see in the photo, I still have trouble with a lot of the softer colours.  For those of you not familiar with glass, some of the colours melt much quicker than others and those "soft" colours can be difficult to control.  Note the set of 3 orange very rustic discs in the middle - lol - I gave up after 3.

I was dissappointed to have to miss the last meeting on April 9th, as my back trouble made it impossible to go.  I am goint to try and convince them all to bring the discs to the next meeting.  Anyway, I think they are getting back at me for choosing discs, because this months challenge is encased florals - groan.  I haven't done encased florals for ages, probably because I always smear the floral.  Oh well, practise, practise, practise.  Hopefully my back will be better by next week and I will be able to get out to the studio to do some of that practising.

Have a great day!



SPRING CLEANING

I'm having a Spring Cleaning sale in my Etsy shop - after all it is officially Spring, even though it is absolutely pouring down rain outside, and not a bit of sunshine in sight.  All of my frit type beads are listed at 25% off - you don't need a coupon number or anything like that - the price has already been adjusted.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for looking!

No Torching Today!

I was all ready to tackle the day, then I sneezed  . . . . OMG . . . . .  I can't move!!!  My back hurts so much!
For the last 10 years or so I have suffered (definately suffered) with a bad back.  I think it is some sort of deteriorated/degenerative disc type problem, and when ever I make a wrong move my back lets me know about it.   Sometimes it is something as simple as turning around, getting out of a chair, stepping off a curb, lacing up my shoes, and yes, sneezing.  Anyway, I am feeling pretty sorry for myself right now.  I am supposed to go to our glass group meeting tomorrow, and I really want to go as it is so much fun - so I think I will just "drug" myself up and hope for the best.
Hope you are having a better day than me!

Mexican Obsession?

I think I may have developed an obsession with Mexico.  I seem to be picking up glass rods in colours of turquoise, orange and red a lot lately.  I have named these sets (from the top down) "Breakfast in Tijuana", "Forget The Siesta", and "Lunch in Mazatlan".  I love the combination of turquoise with hot reds and oranges.

These can be found in my Etsy shop.

Have a great day!

March's Etsy Discount Winner is . . . . . .

The winner of March's 30% Etsy discount  is Priscilla Webster (pweb5863).  Congratulations Priscilla!  I will contact you with the details.

I was asked by a customer to make a black and ivory heart, and this is the one she chose.  I am really pleased with this one - I love it's sleek and clean lines.

Have a great day!