Monday Morning Coffee Talk and Beady Links

Good Monday morning! Too much of a good thing gives me a migraine! I've had a wonderful time with the Bead Soup Blog Party but spent too much time on the computer trying to get to everyone's blog. Overuse with sign language interpreting and computer makes for a nasty migraine. So while I recover, take a few moments this morning to see what the bead bloggers are up to....

A Bead A Day
If you were wondering about the best method for adhering flatback swarovski crystals to a rubbery textured object, Lisa's discovered the answer! Superglue! Check out her newly crystallized slap-watch.

About.com Jewelrymaking
Tammy discusses and provides a tutorial about the dirty side of metal jewelry.

Beading Arts
Cyndi explains how to add a wonderful blue-green patina to copper beads.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles


Resin Crafts

Sneak peek into what Carmi has been up to with resin

 

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
I love B'Sue Boutiques and Brenda Sue is having a blog hop in October! Come read about it!

The Bead Dreamer
Charlene reviews a book that blends beading and jazz - Bead Riffs

Rolling Mill Coffee Talk: Secrets Shared

I had so many comments and questions yesterday about the rolling mill, I thought I'd pour a cup of coffee and share more about how I made those lovely disks.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, wanting a rolling mill started with the January 2011 issue of Art Jewelry where Lillian Jones wrote an article entitled "Adapt a Polymer Technique to Texture Metal Sheet." In that article, she describes a way to create your own texture pattern/sheet to use with the rolling mill. If you're a subscriber to Art Jewelry or even if you buy the single issue, you can download the copyright free images they have on their website to use in the project in the magazine.

When you use the rolling mill, you have to be sure that the metal is annealed or you buy it dead soft. I buy my metal mostly from Metalliferous in NYC or Contenti because I'm on the East coast and impatient when it comes to waiting for an order to arrive! You want dead soft or annealed metal so it can take an imprint. Aluminum and sterling/fine silver doesn't have to be annealed because they're soft enough without any additional annealing.

One of the things I didn't do that you should do when you use a rolling mill, is to bolt it down to your table or a piece of plywood or if you're flush, buy one of the stands available for some models.  My tables don't lend themselves to having things bolted or clamped to them. I thought, where is this heavy thing going?  But when you're turning the handle of a mill and compressing the metal, it will move believe me!  I'm on the look out for a clamp or a piece of plywood to bolt the rolling mill onto.

Follow this link to Etsy where you'll see examples of beautifully textured jewelry and a great seller, the Rolling Mill Resource who has lovely patterns to use in a rolling mill.

There you go - secrets shared! Happy rolling!

Coffee Talk: What's up with the MIA?

It's time to talk folks. I mean, what's up with the MIA, Cindy? You're pretty faithful to the blog and I can't imagine what would take you away.

You're right. What would take me away?

Another website.

That's right, another website. You all know that I have another life as a sign language interpreter. I've found it necessary to develop the business in that field and so it's taken away from the time I have to blog.

The website isn't quite ready to unveil yet. I'm putting all my free time into it. 

While away from blogging, I had to upgrade my iPhone and have discovered a whole range of photography apps. So here's quick snapshot of some of the beads I haven't quite finished. Enjoy your day and I promise I'll be back as soon as I can!

Monday Coffee Talk: What's going on with the beadmaking....

Good morning, Readers! Let's have a cup of coffee this morning and have a catch up session, shall we? I'll let you know what's going on here and then let me know what you're up to in the comments. How is everything going in your studios? What's new in your life? Here's what's going on in my part of the world...

As it does every year in January since I've been working as a freelance sign language interpreter, a ton of interpreting work has come my way. Since summers are lean in the interpreting department, I know to take as much work as I can to save for the summer. So I have less time in the studio making and even less time to spend on the computer telling you about it.

One of the things add insult to injury are the migraines I suffer from. After trying several different kinds of medicine, they started to come more frequently.

Not good.

The doctor suspected an inflamed neural nerve and a spinal misalignment was causing the problem. After visiting a chiropractor, a massage therapist and finally being convinced to have the neck injection, I'm happy to report I'm feeling 100% better than before!

YAY!

I honestly didn't believe I could feel this good. So although I'm not able to get to the computer to share with you as often, I'm re-energized and I'm able to work in the studio after I come home from a full day of interpreting.

I've learned an important lesson. You really do have to take care of yourself. If you don't, you'll run yourself into the ground and not be able to pursue those things you love. 

Are you taking care of yourself?

Coffee Talk: Order and Orders

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned cleaning and bathroom remodeling. After doubling the length of time we were told it was going to take, the remodelers finally finished the bathroom yesterday. Here's a quick shot:

It's a small bathroom but it functions well. Even better now that the ugly old tile and pink bathtub are gone (I'm talking ugly pink!) Everything is in order now.

Remember the adjustable ring project using the Double Dips in Step by Step Wire this month? It's the fourth time I've had a project published in the magazines yet the first time I've had a run on orders for my work.

Other beadmakers had told me to watch out when you published a project, you'd get a run on your beads you wouldn't be able to keep up with. Well, that didn't happen the first 3 times I published. So I was taken off guard the fourth time around.

Needless to say, I'm furiously working on the orders with the extra day I have off from the sign language interpreting but I'm very sore from over-use.

Let that be a lesson to me, fourth time is a charm! I've got order in my house and orders on the table - what more can a beadmaker ask for?

Talk it Up Tuesday

Are you wondering what's up with the alliteration in all my post titles? Me too. Maybe in another life I was a lyricist for cheesy turn of the century musicals! I'm pretty good at coming up with short and snappy titles.

But I've got something short and snitty to say today about the local Allentown Art Festival. Allentown is an historical neighborhood in Buffalo, NY, known for it's annual art festival among other things. It's a lovely neighborhood and one a visitor to the city should visit.

But the Allentown Art Festival feels old and stagnant. I visited the 53rd annual festival this past weekend after a lapse of about 5 years. There was white tent after white tent filled with mostly out of town, out of state artists with overpriced crafts.

In a rust belt city bleeding population struggling to create jobs and income, most festival goers weren't opening up their wallets to purchase anything. But it wasn't the same old tents and crafts that really made me never want to go again, it was the lack of activity. The street corners were vacant when they could have been filled with local talent, musicians, street performers, artists, anything but the void that was there when you turned a corner.

I love Allentown, I love Buffalo but what's good about Buffalo (stability) can also be what's bad about it (stale). Let's add some entertainment to those silent corners, let's update the crafts and encourage the artists to have a wide variety of price points.

Let's oil up this Rust Belt City and make her run again!

Coffee Talk and Erin's Question on Quality....

Pour a cup of joe and have a seat at my breakfast table. I wanted to respond to a comment Erin left on my blog yesterday:

"Are those double dips easy to bend? I would be afraid to break off the glass bubble on the end."

Erin's question brings up the issue of quality and kiln annealing.

Let me answer the first part of the question, "Are the double dips easy to bend?"



Yes. The wire is annealed (which means I've put the double dip in a kiln at a specified high temperature) which will soften the wire. The copper wire is then dead soft. I want it dead soft because the wire will become more hard as you work it into your jewelry designs.



Now on to the second part of Erin's question: "I would be afraid to break off the glass bubble on the end."

Double Dips are kiln annealed and not only does it soften the wire, but it strengthens the glass attached to the wire. I wrote a Wikibeadia entry for Art Bead Scene a few years ago on kiln annealed glass and why it's important to quality.

I also prototype my work. When I make new designs, I test to see if the metal and glass is in the right proportion to resist cracking and I wear it in designs to make sure it will hold up for you.

My attention to the quality and durability is a good reason to buy my handmade double dips, imported beads just don't have the same level of quality and durability.

I first tested glass headpins 6 years ago. I'm happy to report that none of the glass has broken or come off the end.


You can feel confident in the quality and durability of the Double Dips. Not only are they durable but they're a lovely handmade addition to any design.

It's been quiet.....

shhhh!!! I'm at work in the studio! Here's a peek into the kiln and a few of the beads ready to be taken off the mandrel and beadholes cleaned.

I'll clean them up and take pictures - keep your fingers crossed I can get them done by tomorrow and put them up!

On another note - I got this lovely blog award last week from A Touch of Glass Jewelry. I've been secretly wishing for it because I love the flower - it's just gorgeous!

But I've been so busy this week, I haven't been able to get around and award it to anyone yet. So if you've been secretly wishing for it, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to put you on the list of those to be awarded!

What's on my coffee table....errrr workbench

Just thought I'd take a quick snapshot of what's on my workbench. Actually, this is the coffee table in our family room. I take out a few things to do while I drink my coffee in the morning or watch a re-run of "Bones." I'm working on some copper blanks and how to pair them with the double dips (which have a new price). I bought the wooden dapping block from Ornamentea and the copper blanks from Metalliferous. I just got some Klimt beads from myABS pal, Heather - they pair with the copper perfectly. After I got the beads from Heather, I realized why I loved the color combo - it's the same as my living room! The deep browns, turquoise - just love it! I love the Garnet Kiss bead too!

I'm off to the studio today to make some glass links to pair with the whole she-bang!

Coffee Talk: Hallejuah! Headache Center

I'm feeling pretty good today while we sit over coffee and talk. Yesterday, I had an appointment with a neurologist to investigate my migraines further. When I arrived, the door announced "Headache Center" and under the title was the neurologist's name who I was seeing.

I was taken in right away and after the nurse took my blood pressure and took my MRI scan, I waited probably a minute before the doctor arrived.  He sat down and started to explain what a migraine was, where it started and what the progression was.

Everything he said described what I experienced right down to triggers and how women experience them more often than men because of hormonal changes.

Hallejuah!  Someone understands!

Migraines can't be cured (I knew that) but what was most important to me was I felt like after 2 years of seeking some kind of help for them, I'd finally found the right place, the right doctor.


What a relief!