When to pursue a technique....

Yesterday I showed you the bead designs I'd like to renew and expand upon. Today, I'll show you those beads I rejected and in fact, won't even sell - not because they're poorly executed but they're too much like someone else's signature design.



I created these while playing at the torch - I wasn't trying to mimic anyone else's design. But after I made them, I did what I always do, I surfed around to see if anyone was making anything similiar. I can't possibly see every beadmaker's beads but I do my best to take a good thorough look around. If I find something similiar, I won't pursue that particular style - although I may use the technique itself. Like I did here with the a variation on the Goth Kid:



The ears have an Anime style/Goth look achieved by using the technique above. I'll continue to pursue using the "floppy raised dots" technique in different designs but not on a round bead with multiple floppy raised dots - too much like another beadmaker's design. I want to speak my own voice through my designs.

What techniques have you decided to pursue in your work lately?

Loving the Edge

I like edgey fashion and my Heartz n Skullz series reflect my love of all things edgey. But as a mom and living a middle class life, the stereotype says I'm not supposed to like it. But here's where I have everything in common with the edgey crowd - I don't like being stereotyped, I don't fit it. That's probably why some of The Teen's friends think I'm cool. If you look closely at me, you'll find a bit of edgey jewelry among the middle class mom, or you'll see me watching NCIS soley because of the bright, funny, Goth character, Abby. It's the most recent guilty pleasure for The Teen and I.

I'm always fascinated with her jewelry. Above, chains fastened with a lock or below, Goth with a soft side - delicate silver rings joined by a silver bead.

(Above photos from Pauley Perrette Fan Facebook)

Another source of the Goth - Millenium Punk style with the red, white and black color palette are the White Stripes in this photo from the MTV website


All of this percolates in my brain and inspires new pieces like the finished Gothic Lace.....


I'm attracted to alot of different styles and it's reflected in my work - maybe that's why I don't seem to have a "voice" but I've always been that way. I do tend to gravitate to the edgey. Do you love edgey jewelry?

Alternative Style: Japanese Goth

Of all the alternative styles I've been researching for this series, there are the most stereotypes related to Goth. I was a little reluctant to write about Goth because of those stereotypes and because I'm a protective parent. My son and his friends are the local "Otaku" - enthusiastic Japanese Animation Fans or Anime. The girls in the Otaku are heavily into Gothic Lolita which is part of the Lolita fashion.


Above is the Gothic Lolita look and below is the Lolita fashion. The Gothic Lolita has lots of black with a punch of red, plaid, white.


(Photos above from Wikipedia)

Japanese Lolita fashion has its roots in the U.S. Victorian styles - during the 1800's the Victorian Gothic novel full of ghosts, mystery and monsters such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was popular fiction.


(Photo Credit: From Wikipedia Boris Karloff as Frankenstein)

The look of silent films starts influence the look of Victorian Goth - below is a picture of early Hollywood star Theda Bara.



So the teenagers who practically live in my house (I think they only come because I'll feed them! :-) wear the creepy cute fashion. They are the inspiration for the Goth Kid series - like the real kids, they're sweet with big hearts - and an edge that not everyone understands.

What was the edgiest style you ever wore?

Goth Kid Series: Big Heart

Here's another in my Goth Kid Series...this one is called Big Heart after some of the real life kids I know who are big hearted.

I'm working on a newsletter to send out to my customers. Since there is no more Urban Glass Bead Expo, I won't be making a trip to NYC this year. Instead, I'll be sending out a newsletter and offering a special sale to my customers. So, keep an eye on your inboxes in early January 2008.

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?

Halloween approaches Goth Kid is ready!

Goth Kid looks scary to some but I know Kid's heart is soft.

Prototype Beads.....

This may not seem to be keeping with the seed bead theme but here's a bead-pendant in the Anime/Amigurumi style - I call her "Goth Kid." She's a prototype - I was trying to create the look and feel of a Beaded Art Doll but the glass wanted to be Goth Kid. The beadhole goes from "ear" to "ear." I like her, pretty color reactions in the body and the black is a good background for all of it.

I think I'll put her up on Etsy later on this week, it seems like the right audience for her. What do you think?