Worth It to be Cautious?

I'm a cautious person. I don't jump on a bandwagon easily. I tend to be leary of someone hawking the latest and greatest.

So, in the glassbeadmaking world, that translates to not buying the newest color glass which means it is only now that I've really run Effetre's handpulled Opal Yellow glass through its paces.



I tried out the color when it first came out and wasn't impressed with the brownish rods. I put it away for about 8 months and tried it again when they came out with a "baby chick yellow" opal yellow. I was hoping it would stay a pale yellow so I made some test beads. Wasn't quite sure what to do with the opal yellow because the longer it's in the flame, the colors vary between a pale yellow to blush pink. The variations in color within each bead was what stumped me.



Then it hit me one day, I could use the opal yellow and it's variation in color to represent pale, paste-y skin. Voila! Perfect for Goth Kid beads





I know, I know, I know! Most of the glassbeadmakers use the "reactiveness" of the different colors to create lovely and visually stunning beads. I chose to create pale paste-y skin! But only a glass color that will change color based on the amount of time it's heated will allow me to re-create that skin color in glass.

Most recently, I've combined the opal yellow with a blue iridescent glass for a stripe in the spirals. The opal yellow serves as a perfect contrast to the iridescent blue.




Having done all that with the opal yellow, I finally did get around to using the reactiveness in opal yellow - I finally gave in to the pressure of peer conforminity - I used Pink Gold (rubino) glass on the opal yellow to create orange and then again with Orchid (EDP) and copper green to create lines.

Opal yellow is really a fabulous color, was it worth it to be cautious?

Blog Work Out

Ok, I've been blogging for awhile now. It's time to change things up a bit, give the blog a work out so to speak. I set myself a couple of short goals - write short, and more interesting (hopefully) posts.

To help myself with my goals, I bought a book entitled No One Cares What You Had For Lunch by Margaret Mason of Mighty Goods. The book is full of idea starters - "fill the gaps," "ante up," "be a sage" - something to get you started and keep your blog worth bookmarking and reading everyday. Afterall, if all you ever do is write about lunch, then you're going to get flabby and you'll need that work out.

Lighting up and addiction to color

Ah! Now that I've finished the fall theater experience, I can't wait to light the torch! I have to resist running out there right now so I take a few minutes a browse my favorite inspiration sites.

Have you seen Color Addiction? I've "known" Kandice Seeber from the glass boards and remember when she was the newbie. Well, she's not a newbie anymore and is a master of layering colors to broaden the glass color palette. Kandice reviews glass colors and weighs in on each one - I do find myself wishing she would write more about layering colors to create a particular hue like she does with Effetre's transparent lavendar. But that's a minor point - Kandice gives good advice and reviews the colors fully. She's "grown up" to be an admired master of color.

She's here!

My midrange burner (torch)! She arrived on time and is in my studio just waiting to go! She really makes my minor look, well, minor! I'm glad I decided on the midrange first instead of the Red Max - which is bigger than the midrange. I would have been overwhelmed by the Red Max - the midrange is just right!

Is it just me?

Or are you having trouble finding curtains you like? I painted the living room in September and it has been curtain-less since then. Yesterday, so disgusted at having gone without for so long, I bought some chocolate brown lined taffeta curtains at $250.00 for 1 window! I have two in the living room. Yikes! I don't even like the curtains that much!

Have you done that - spent too much money on something for the house and not really liked it that much? Is it just me?

More fire!!

I finally did it! I bought more fire for the studio and here she is....a Nortel midrange with premix top. No, it's not sexy and in fashion, but she's mine and can't wait to meet her next week!

What does this mean for my customers? More beads, more sculpture, boro glass and all faster. YAY!