What do you think?

I am torn between using the wonderful pieces of driftwood that were in my mothers things or just straight jewelry. I usually do not use props but seem to be drawn to pictures that use them. I have read many discussions online regarding this and both sides have some good points. I do think that using too many can be distracting. What do you think? This is a set of beads that I have had on my bench for awhile. I do not know why I did not think to combine it with copper before. I love the look of copper but struggle to find colors that I like with it that are not just fall colors. I am not sure if this set will be for me or for sale. I visualize it being worn with a denim shirt and khaki slacks and maybe a white shirt.


I also have finally got a pair of earring beads that I am going to list. I have been remiss in regards to my etsy account. I just have had local orders and family events that have taken all my time and the beads that I have been making. I made myself a pair of earrings similar to these (different shape) and I love them. I made a pair for a gift and she seems to love them. So I decided that maybe I should list a pair. I have a necklace started with some of them and I am going to have a hard time parting with it. I guess I just love this combination. Simple but goes with a lot of what I wear, black. They have a gold tone to the bubbles but go well with silver also. The bubbles are much prettier in person. That is the trouble with selling online.

New addition to Studio

A surprise find at IKEA was a sort of rack system for kitchens. Mag and I spotted it and thought it would work in my studio to store frit etc. near my torch but not on the crowded table. Danny installed it today and it works wonderful. Total cost a little over $10.00. They even have colored bins and had purple which matched Mag's old bulletin board that I have hanging there also. I am thrilled.


Today at the torch was just good old fashioned fun, no pressure and lots of experiments. Trying to formulate the next jewelry piece?????



Danny has gone to the hydroplane boat races with a friend from Key Electronics. Hope he has a good time. He doesn't get to do enough of that kind of stuff very often. Mag went to Brian's and I just torched away.


Karen sent me some very interesting beads from California. I have got lots of ideas how I can use them with my glass beads.




My son's fiancee' Samantha wanted me to make a turtle for a very good friend of theirs for her birthday and I did manage to make a decent one. Probably my last one though, not really my thing.

New Layout

Hopefully this new look is easier on your eyes. I am experimenting, so not sure if I will keep this one either. I found it a little frustrating. I tried to bring the banner from my Etsy site to it, but it didn't like that. I will keep trying different things until I get it the way I want. I visited many blogs and theirs all look great. I need to spend more time on it. It is amazing how much time all of this really takes.

I read an article on pricing jewelry by self employed artists. They said you should add all of this kind of time into the equation for your selling price. I am not sure the market could handle the cost of my learning curve. Maybe that is how that necklace out of really ordinary, but pretty lampwork beads was listed at $1,000.00.

Check out the neat Mini-Etsy that is now on the page. I saw this on another blog, so thought I would try it here. Please let me know what you think. Is it too commercial?

Yesterday's bead experiments were a bit disapointing. I did research on how to use several of the frits (glass chips) that were sent free with a book that I got for Christmas. I tried several of the ideas but was not really impressed with the results. I did get one bead that may have possibilities, it is a glass called opal yellow with a frit that looks blue and is called Kronos #2 by
Double Helix. The frit is a silvered glass that is supposed to have reactive qualities when introduced to a reducing flame, mostly propane and very little oxygen. The opposite of this is a oxidizing flame, which make other glasses change colors such as Raku. Sometimes it is quite confusing and then introduce the human factor, timing, different torches etc. and the results are never predictable. I guess that is what keeps glass artists so intrigued.

I was accepted by the Self Representing Artist organization that I discussed last time. Their response was remarkably quick. That logo now appears on this blog also.

Well guess what? Another snow day tomorrow! What is new? I think it will make 17 days we have missed since January 1, 2010. You only get 20 to a month, there goes June.