Lost weekend!

On Thursday, I was looking forward to a three day weekend at the torch. By 7 pm Thursday night, I was sitting at home with my son and the power was out. It lasted until Sunday evening!

Thursday night was a night of no sleep - the trees were bent over heavy with snow on the leaves that hadn't turned completely russet yet. They looked like wilted flowers in a vase. Around midnight, I could hear creaking and snapping as they finally yielded to the weight of the wet snow. Trees fell on our house (as far as I can see, no serious damage), a tree fell across our driveway and in the back yard. There was nothing I could do but listen and watch. Since the power was out, my son and I slept on the couches in our great room where we have a fireplace. I kept the fire going all night to keep us warm.

The next morning I awoke to a scene similiar to "Clobbered" (taken from the Buffalo News and photographed by Derek Gee). We were stranded because of the tree blocking our driveway and the 2 feet of snow. My husband was out of town in Michigan where the storm actually started. We spent Friday wondering if he would be able to fly home and trying to keep warm.

Friday night, we ran out of firewood but my husband made it home. He said it was eerie walking through the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport when the power was out - he had to de-plane on the runway and walk through hallways lit only every so often.

Saturday we drove an hour and a half to Rochester, New York and spent a few hours standing in line to buy a generator. Funny how you can bond in a crisis with people you don't know. We stood in line with a variety of other people from Buffalo or those who had family in Buffalo - chatting away as if we knew each other as neighbors. We were fortunate to get one of the 15 generators delivered to the store that day. It kept us warm for the rest of the power outage.

Last night at about 8 pm, the lights came back on. Happy and relieved, we shut down the generator and took it to a family member who was still waiting for power to come back on.

I didn't think about the "lost weekend" of glass. I was just glad to be warm again! I still have alot of trees to clear out from the yard - hmmm firewood for next year?

Pink!

October 10, 2006....ARGH! That's me tearing my hair out over yet another shade of pink glass available! Do I buy this one? Do I already have it? Will it be pink after I work it in the flame? You're wondering, "hey, Cindy, what's the big deal? It's just pink!"

You're right - but in glass, pink is a hard color to achieve. I don't fully understand the chemical content of the glass except that the pink color is made with gold. You can burn it out and discolor it easily in the flame so it makes it a hard color to produce. Therefore, pink is a much sought after color simply because it's so hard to achieve. When a new pink is offered we all go running but will it keep its color in the flame? The only way to find out is to test the pink glass.

The test beads here today are lavendar-pink - I can live with it. I think the alabastro pink is the best though (that was the pink nude I showed a few weeks ago). Alabastro glass has a reputation for being difficult to work and incompatible (it will cause cracking) with other Italian glass so many of the glass bead artists avoid it. I did too for a long time - sorry I did. It's a lovely pink.

I posted a question to the glass boards and they're all just as confused as I am. No one has heard of the dark pink I'm working with (Super Dark Pink) so they post their 6 different shades of pinks that they have. None of them are the same! Oh no! Which of their six different pinks match the 6 different pinks that I have?!? You call yours "raspberry pink" - mine is called "super dark pink" or is that an odd batch of "orchid" that happens to be light? Is that the dark batch of the normal light pink that was made in the spring of 2005? Or is that the light batch of the dark pink made during the summer of 2006? Is that the "bubble gum" or is that the "cotton candy?" Is that the old streaky pink that everyone talks about with dewy eyes? Or is that the imposter bubble gum pink with the same stripe?

I'm confused!!!

So is every other glass bead maker.

Ahhh oh well! I'm telling you, we don't have to be confused. The perfect pink is here - it's alabastro dark pink!

Practice, practice, practice!

....that's what I'm doing with the glyph series. Some prefer not to do a design over and over again...I do because once I've mastered the skills necessary, I can start to play and create with the design. It's how particular series of beads evolve....another Glyph series bead today....this one is an animal of some kind....the Glyph Series are inspired by ancient cave drawings. I like the way I can take glass, apply basic techniques and make it took old and worn out. The bead is 14mm by 20 mm with a nice large hole - 3mm.

Development.....October 4, 2006

I'm developing in two ways....developing a series of beads, the "Glyph" series which is today's picture and developing myself as a business owner. First, the bead series, "Glyphs"....I've made some of these as donuts on a large holed mandrel - I like it but the technique of creating the glyph on the side of the donut is lost...the pattern created isn't recognizable as a "glyph" but is still very nice. It won't end up in the glyph series but is a lovely set of beads all on their own! This is a good example of the trial and error of development - it isn't what I had in my head, but is lovely anyways!

I recently took a business leadership assessment, the Enneagram. Very popular now within the corporate world - so I have to think about the results in terms of a self employed business person. Despite the focus on corporations, I found the results to be very useful and shed some light on how I approach the business end of things. It's all a process - I continue to develop in business and glass!

Good days and not so good days....

October 2, 2006....We all have good days and not so good days....the orange dot with murrini looks like it's not have such a good day...my lapis blue dot bead was just perfect with the murrini...the orange one is a little off - not completely but looks as if it's not having such a good day. I like the flameworked multi-layered dot beads slumped into a cabachon like this....the murrini in the center...so much so, I'm digging through my rejects bowl to find more!

Yesterday I thought I was having a good day at the torch....all the beads I made I liked....one imparticular was definitely "Bead Review" worthy - that is until I took it off the mandrel! It chipped around the beadhole - ARGHHH!! Not quite enough heat to the ends while I was making it - but it'll go into the slump line and I'm pretty sure it will be a great cabachon!

Off the the torch! Hope today is a good day for you - but if it isn't, you can always put it into the kiln and slump it!

Using your hands....

I've been CRAZY BUSY with interpreting work this month! I'm a sign language interpreter and use my hands to earn my living. With two master's degrees, people wonder why I don't do something different - but I love interpreting - it's challenging, hard work and I get to see people I adore everyday! How awesome a job is that?!? I don't think you'd do anything different either!

From May to August, work usually slows wwwwaayyyy down, so when September rolls around and I have to pay my quarterly taxes, I take alot of extra interpreting work to replenish my bank account. Unfortunately, it takes me away from the torch and September can be slow for beadmaking.

Either pursuit, though is work done with the hands - hence today's bead. Hands were one of the first sculptural beads I wanted to make. I have my original first ever hand - it's bad - misshapen but you can see where I'm going. The longer I've made these, the smaller I am able to make them. My flame-hand which is in the gallery show, Once Upon a Bead currently, is approximately 1/2 inch wide by 3/4 inch tall and approximately 6mm thick. Small compared to my first hand which is 1 and 1/2 inches tall and wide! One of my favorite hands is the "chakra hand" that has all of the chakra colors included in the fingers.

I have a set of new beads for the "glyph" series but am waiting to first send them into for the Bead Review - I want them to go there first - then I'll post a few here. Until then, I'll keep working with my hands, interpreting and making beads!

September 24, 2006...Slumping...

I've lined up a couple of venues for the fall....I'll be hosting a trunk show at Chochkey's on the Elmwood strip in Buffalo, New York on October 14th and then I'll be at Beadfiesta held at the Eastern States Big E Fairgrounds in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 4th. I'm considering hosting an open studio in October/November but not sure which yet. I'll post the date when I decide.

Today's bead is a slumped faux-lapis bead. Slumping is using the kiln to heat glass to between 1300-1500 degrees Farehenheit so it will move and change shape. I made the bead at the torch and then melted it flat on one side with a murrini covering the beadhole. It reduced in the kiln and has a slight metallic sheen to it. The cabachon is approximately one and an eighth inch in diameter. It was slumped on kiln cloth and has a herringbone texture on the back side to ensure that the expoxy will hold the finding securely and won't turn around when worn. If you'd like to buy it, it is $14.00 US and free shipping to the continental US. Send me an email and it's yours!

Being present, paying attention and gifts....

I'm going to see the Dalai Lama today with my son at the local university. I was fortunate to be able to see his Holiness yesterday at a function for the university. Oh my! I was excited and thrilled to be there! I knew I would be closer to him than I would be today. It's important to "be present" - sometimes our excitement and planning can sweep us away and we miss the important moment when it comes - as I was standing on a bleacher waiting for his Holiness to enter the arena, I turned to look at the podium where he would be standing. Excited, nervous and thrilled at the same time, I completely missed him when he walked past me!! I missed the moment because I was too wrapped up in the excitement I was feeling.

The good news is that I recognized what had happened so that when the event ended and the Dalai Lama walked by me again, I was paying attention. In yoga, we end each class holding our hands in prayer position and bow to our fellow classmates and say "namaste." Namaste roughly means that I recognize the higher spirit in you or the light within you. I bowed to his Holiness and thought "namaste." Wow! It was my once in a lifetime moment to see one of the people I most admire in this life. I'm glad I was there to be in it! It was a gift.

Today's picture is a gift from Sheryll Anspach (Booger Beads). It's a Turkish Medallion. She sent it to me when I was collecting beads to make into a bead crown for Brenda Gillen who is fighting cancer. It's so lovely! This is a concrete gift, but the sentiment behind it is what is so appreciated. Namaste, Sheryll.

Lampwork Carnival Host: Sculpture on a Mandrel

I'm the host for this month's Lampwork Carnival. The theme for this month is "Sculpture on a Mandrel." I chose the theme for the month because I wanted to highlight one of the great things about glass and beadmaking - you can sculpt small works of art to wear or use the small pieces to create a whole sculpture- how cool is that?!?

I want to take you on a guided tour off the beaten path so to speak. Instead of the repeating many of the same artists that we all know and love, I'd like to highlight some of the artists who may be lesser known - along with a few of the well known artists. But first I want to explain what I mean by "sculpture." To me, sculpture has a very broad definition - "to fashion a medium such as glass into a three dimensional figure." (paraphrased from answers.com) So, the sites and pieces I'll mention fall into a couple of categories - beads made as parts for a sculptured wearable or non wearable object - JC Herrell shows us a non-wearable motorcycle on her blog. Jen Geldard collaborated with Andrea Guarino to come up with the Sacred Bird of Port Townsend Totem and Gizzaz Design makes Ancient Totems in the non wearables category.

Some artists are partial to creating sculpted animals. Glennie Sims of Calmwater Studio makes adorable and wearable kitties while Janet Crosby is fond of chickens.

Several torchworkers gain their inspiration from nature. Barb Svetlick creates flowersand Jodi Wheeler makes sea shells

Not leaving out the wonderful artists who work in borosilicate glass while sculpting florals or mythical creatures, Lluvia Brito's flowers have made me drool since she started making them! Bickley Studio's fairies created in borosilicate glass are magical!

Whether you are creating sculpted beads to work into a complete wearable or non-wearble, the process can be a journey. Fay Katherine well known for her sculpted animals, tells us of her journey to sculpted glass. We want to take that journey too! Last but not least, Lori Greenberg gives us a run down of her favorites - my favorites too! Kate Fowle's goddess bead was one of the first artist made beads I had ever seen, they're still gorgeous - hmmm maybe it's time to buy one!!!

If you haven't tried sculpting on a mandrel, I hope that I've inspired you to try it!

2,996 Tribute: Karen Hagerty

Karen Hagerty loved her horse, Ricardo and threw him a birthday party with a horseshoe shaped carrot cake. Her sister Deborah Hagerty says that along with her horse, Karen had two cats, Kitty and Buddy who she considered her "kids."

Karen was loud, funny and with what some described as an "outrageous" sense of humor. She also had a generous spirit that was evident to those around her. She organized and collected toy donations for a homeless shelter in the Bronx. Karen would urge everyone in her office to buy something "good" and insisted that kids wanted toys instead of clothing. One year, she collected so many toys, that a moving truck had to be hired to deliver the presents. Karen was also very involved in the Silver Lining Foundation a charity that provides one week campvacations to children with cancer or other life threatening diseases.

Karen was 34 and a senior vice president for the Aon, Corp. She was on the 78th floor of Two World Trade Center waiting for the elevator when the second airplane hit at about the 80th floor. According to colleagues, Karen had no pulse after the second plane struck.

Esther Goldbert Harrison left a fitting description of Karen Hagerty on the internet site, September 11 Victims, "I will never forget her, her rioutous laugh and infectious spirit...."

Credits/Research:

Newsday, Tribute written by Bart Jones can be found at Karen Hagerty Tribute
Tribute from the New York Times can be found at Karen Hagerty Tribute
September 11 Victims website at Karen Hagerty

Publishing, The Flow Magazine and new work....

I mentioned a while back that one of my painted beads would be in "The Flow" magazine - The Flow is a magazine for torchworkers - those who make glass at a torch. It is the focal bead entitle "Thoughtful." I made two of these beads, one in a red background and the other in an aqua background. I actually sold the red one about a year ago and honestly, I don't know who bought it. I wonder if that person has seen the bead in any of the publications it has been in over the past year. Probably not - afterall, it was most likely a collector or jewelry designer - someone who doesn't subscribe to any of the specialized glass publications.

I've been in the studio working on a new series of beads - hopefully, I'll be able to post pictures tomorrow morning of a few of them. It's an improvement of the "Ivory Glyphs" and I intend on making them into a regular series. I've also been working on my first conceptual and politically inspired beads - they're a surprise to me - I'm starting to express concepts and not just playing with the physical properties of the beads and translucency. Those beads will take a little while before they are posted because they're designed to be combined with metal and right now I'm working intently on the glass.

September 2, 2006....Canime

My 14 year old son is an Anime (Japanese Animation) fan so today we are off to Toronto, Canada to go to the "Canime" - an anime expo. It's the largest anime expo in Canada - so I expect it will be HUGE!

So, today's bead is a painted bead that I made (and will be in the Once Upon a Bead show) using my son's drawing done in anime. This is a "chibi" style character that I transferred onto a piece of glass. He lent me a book on how to color anime and I hand mixed the enamels to come up with the shades of blue for the hair. Although it looks huge, the bead is about 22mm long and about 15mm wide.

Maybe I'll come back from Toronto with lots of new bead ideas!

Planning Fall schedule and torching.....

August 28th, 2006.....Here in the Northeast US, summer is drawing to a close. We'll still have some warm days in September and October but the summer comes to an end when the kids go back to school during the first week of September. If you have followed my posts or read my profile, you know I'm a part time sign language interpreter and interpreting work always picks up the last week of August. So, more time interpreting and less time at the torch!

BUT - I've added more shows and will do so steadily over the next year. Take a look the CindyGimbroneBeads website for the schedule - I'll have my beads in the "Once Upon a Bead" show in Hunter, New York during the fall and I'm pursuing other gallery opportunities. I'll also have a tutorial on the Lucky Knots and Lampwork in the debut issue of the Annealer magazine. So, you'll be seeing MORE of my work rather than less!

The summer has gone well, though. I've made good progress in organization and marketing. A biggy for me - marketing myself. So far, my schedule has worked out so I can have 3 un-interrupted days a week to work in the studio. My next project is to insulate the studio for the winter. I want to be able to work year round and in an unheated, uninsulated studio, I can't work January-February. I do sometimes go out there in the winter - but with about 4 layers of clothing! Smile!

Ancient Glass.....August 27, 2006

While on vacation in Toronto, we went to the Royal Ontario Museum, the "ROM" - and in the new Asian exhibit was this grouping of horned and warring states beads. I've seen lots of pictures of ancient beads such as these, but I've never actually seen the real thing until now. The beads are big - probably around 30mm-50mm. I find that most beads that have that many layers of dots have to be large. The holes are much larger too than most modern day beads. I really like them - it was a real thrill to see some "live."

The 2996 Tribute Project

August 26, 2006....I've signed up for the 2,996 Tribute Project which honors those who were killed on 9/11. On September 11, myself and other bloggers will post a tribute to an individual who was lost on 9/11. To learn more, you can click on the title of today's blog.

Do you see beads everywhere?

August 23, 2006....Sometimes, I see beads in everything! I look at the most mundane things and am inspired to make beads! On a walk through Chinatown in Toronto last week, the fruit and vegetables on the street were so vibrant with color that I had to take a few pictures. It said glass to me! I'm grateful and fortunate that something as routine as a walk on vacation can provide such inspiration - as long as I'm willing to stop and look at it.

Hands and Mudras.....

August 22, 2006.....I'm back from vacation....we went to Toronto for a few days. Very busy visiting many different sites - was alot of fun!

Last Friday, we spent the afternoon at the Royal Ontario Museum or ROM as it's called. A wonderful new Asian exhibit had recently opened and was full of wonderful sculpture. I'm always fascinated with hands. Many of the hands were broken off - so we don't know exactly which handshape it was. But each handshape has significance and is called a "mudra." The first picture shows buddha as an infant/toddler - seems that there a few representations of the buddha as a baby. His hand is outstretched in a particular handshape. The sculpture's description didn't explain which mudra this was,though. I spent a few hours just going through this one exhibit - there was so much to see! I'm not going to show all but just a brief glimpse of the buddhas and the handshapes. Fascinating!

Travels....August 18, 2006

I'm off on a vacation for a few days to Toronto in Ontario Canada. Spent yesterday walking the streets of Chinatown - found some interesting dyed leaf shell beads that I decided I hadn't seen anywhere before - so scooped them up to bring home. Wandering the streets with my family, we look lots of pictures of street vendors and food markets. Lots of very colorful fruit and vegetables. I didn't bring my USB cable with me so I can't upload any pictures yet. When I get back home in a few days, I'll post some pictures.

We'll be visiting the Royal Ontario Museum today and hopefully get a chance to see the St. Lawrence Market. Tomorrow, the zoo and then home! I promise lots of great pictures to share!

Hard work....August 14, 2006

Good morning! I'm in a great mood today despite the fact that it's a paperwork day! I'm excited to announce that my work has been accepted into the "Once Upon a Bead" show at THE GALLERY in Hunter, New York. The show is hosted by the Catskill Mountain Foundation and features beads made of all types of materials, glass, ceramic, etc. The show will run from September 30th to November 12th, 2006. All beads at the show will be for sale.

If you've been reading my blog, this is one of the series of applications I've been working on this summer. Hard work does pay off!

So, in honor of the upcoming show, I've posted on of the "Chakra" hands that I make. The fingers have all of the colors of the rainbow representing the chakras. I use the pearly yellow for the palm - I really love the color - so bright and energetic. I've been making some variations on the chakra hand theme and using a cobalt blue for the palm. A very soothing color - gives the hand a whole different feel. Funny how changing one element can lend an entirely different tone. That's what keeps me interested in creating!

Development and Comfort....August 11, 2006

I'm developing a new series of beads and that means that while they're in development, the beads are not show-able. During a torch session, I'll make a few of the new series beads and then make a variation on one of my current series. It's comforting to go back to something I can make with confidence after working on new techniques/styles.

I've created slight variations on my hand beads. In the Cosmic Hand bead, I've made a separate "bail bead" and created the hand hanging from it. The flame-hand was inspired by a fellow beadmaker, Jim Anspach, who creates "fire and ice" beads with small flames. He was kind enough to post directions on how to create the flames. I used his tutorial to place the flames in the palm of my hand!

Homage to Favorite Artist Picasso -Copying?

August 7, 2006....I did a series of beads awhile ago that were a HOMAGE to certain artists. The goal in creating the beads were to look like the artist's work. I've posted my homage to Picasso which is very recognizable as Picasso - that's was the point. I don't say I came up with the artwork, the image - it's a tribute to the artist.

I really love the paintings that Picasso did of this woman - she's so languid - I can feel the adoration he might have felt for her coming through the painting. So, I entitled it Picasso's Amour. I wanted to be out there with where the image came from.

There's nothing that gets some people more red in the face than these beads! I'm sure it was the subject of a long, sharply critical thread on one of the glass boards when I posted a picture of it there. I only scanned a few of the posts because I could feel the anger.

It never occurred to me that someone might think it was improper. It was a homage, a tribute. The image on the bead was supposed to look like Picasso paintings. If you recognized the style, the name - then you were a Picasso admirer like me.

I love these beads so much and are so excited to show them that I put one or two of the homage beads out at a bead show - one person picked it up and looked at me and said - this is Picasso! I said yes it is! (with a smile on my face - I thought she understood it! - Fellow Picasso lovers! Wrong!) She grumbled under her breath about copyright infringement - huffed and walked away.

Interesting.

The point was to look like Picasso - it was obvious to her - so does that mean I copied or achieved my goal?

Well, it matters not how everyone else feels about the bead. In the end, it's how I feel about them. I love them. I love Picasso's paintings in this style. I'd be happy to send a percentage of the money from the sale of the homage beads to the estate of Picasso but I don't sell the beads - selling isn't the reason I make glass in the first place. I've just given this one away but the rest I'll keep in my private collection - just more for me!

How to's and To Do's....

I've written a "how to" article for the online forum WetCanvas! It will appear in the Glass Art section. It's an easy tutorial on what to do with the left over bits of glass rod from flameworking/beadmaking. The finished project is a textured piece of glass, about 1.5 inches square. They look woven, but they're not. I love the look of them!

I've decided to start using a "to do" list - bought a dry eraser board and have placed it directly in front of me at my desk. To Do lists have never worked well for me - I tend to write a list that has 15 or 20 things on it that need to get done. After I write a list that long, I'm too overwhelmed with what I have to do - so I don't do any of it! LOL! Instead of writing a very long list, I force myself to write 2-3 things at a time. I've been doing that this week and haven't felt overwhelmed yet! I actually gone things done! Truth be told - I got things done before but for some reason, I feel more of a sense of accomplishment when I can erase items from the list!

Glasscaster Podcast Review.....August 3, 2006

Finally there is a podcast out for flameworkers/lampworkers! Hurrah! Thanks to Marcie Davis for bringing a radio show for flameworkers to our computers and iPods! Before Glasscaster, there was/is GlassTalk Radio but since I am a MacHead, I was never able to get it to run on my Mac. Missed out on alot of great interviews but Glasscaster will fill that void nicely!

In this show entitled "The Life of an Artist: Is it for You?" Marcie has lined up some of the flameworking greats, Paul Stankard and Fred Birkhill. Davis interviewed both at the annual Flameworking Conference held at Salem Community College in New Jersey.

Glasscaster opens with some catchy instrumental music which fades as Davis begins the show and interview with Stankard. Davis is an excellent interviewer, she asks the questions that all of us are thinking. The first time I listened to the show, what stood out for me were the voices of Davis, Stankard and Birkhill. No disrespect intended to either Davis or Stankard, but both voices were fairly monotone making them difficult to listen to for the entire 21:50 minutes of the Stankard interview. In person, their voices would be supported by seeing the person, their gestures, facial expression, etc. and I doubt I would have felt their voices were monotone. On a radio show, the voices have to carry the listeners' interest and I felt myself wanting more inflection, more "personality" because I couldn't see them. In contrast, when Davis began the interview with Birkhill, his voice was full of personality, inflection and enthusiasm. His excitement about flameworking became my excitement and I wanted to hear more than 15 minutes!

Voices aside, the show was engaging and the questions thoughtful. While being interviewed, Stankard mentions several books that he feels an asipiring artist should read. I've posted most of them below with either summaries or links to summaries for those who are interested.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainence Robert Pirseg (first published 1974, 25th Anniversary edition, 1999) From the back cover:

A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintencance becomes a personal and philogophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live. The narrator’s relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reconing: the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconcliling science, relition and humanism. Resonant with the confusion of existence, this class is a touching and transcendent book of life.

The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property– by Lewis Hyde first published 1979 – Literary Criticism/Sociology – from back cover:

The gift is an inquiry into the place of creativity in our market-oriented society. Starting with the premise that the work of art is a gift and not a commodity. Lewis Hyde’s revolutionary book ranges across anthropology, literature, economics, and psychology to show how the “commerce of the creative spirit” functions in the lives of artists and in the culture as a whole.


Ayn Rand – The Fountainhead. From the back cover:

When it was first published in 1943, the fountainhead, Ayn Rand’s daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy,, Objectivisim, won immediate world wide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him.



Robert Hughes – American Visions excerpt at: American Visions

Earnest Gombich – The Story of Art

(I have the last book, The Story of Art and it is a readable art history book. Lots of pictures of the artwork Gombich describes. His writing style is accessible and not full of professional jargon. Worth the $30.00 I paid for the hard cover off Amazon. )

I must admit to being puzzled about some of the book recommendations. I am not sure how Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Repair makes one a significantly better artist. However, art is subjective and a whole variety of things can make one a good artist. Although I may or may not agree with the recommendations, I will agree if Stankard feels reading it made him a better artist, then by all means read it! No one can argue with the beauty of his paperweights and his skill as an artist.

After about 22 minutes, the show transitions to Birkhill. I'd like to hear a little more of the instrumental music between the interviews - it would help to bring back listeners who may have drifted off. However, the minute Birkhill starts to speak, he draws you in with his voice - he's excited and his love of flameworking comes through the earphones. Birkhill's portion of the show addresses the title - The Life of An Artist - is it for you? best. He describes his own journey and how art can be a compulsion - something you can't NOT do! Many of the listeners will feel the same. It was interesting to hear how his "failures" at other careers lead him to his current and successful career as a glass artist. At the end of Birkhill's interview, Davis promises to interview him again in the future. I look forward to hearing more.

Glasscaster gets a thumbs up and thanks to Marcie Davis for all the hard work it takes to put a podcast together. I look forward to future shows.

You can subscribe to Glasscaster through the iTunes store:

Glasscaster Hot Glass Talk in a High Tech World!

or via Marcie Davis's site: Glasscaster Hot Glass Talk in a High Tech World!

Ivory Glyphs....

Working on a series - this is Ivory Glyphs. I see this as an outgrowth of the Ancient Star Maps series - it's all part of the same vision I'm working on inspired by petroglyphs, archeological beads and how they were used as talismans and communication. The Star Map beads are made differently than the Ivory Glyphs - Ivory Glyphs is manipulated amber glass whereas the Star Maps are enameled. Let me know what you think of these!

Project Samples.....

A few weeks ago, I was working feverishly to finish the proposals and send in samples for 2007's Bead and Button Show. I wanted to show a few of the samples from the proposed classes. This one is entitled "Wired Squares" It uses the Primary Colored Square beads that I are available on my website listed in the left menu. The beads were inspired by Kandinsky's Color Studies and were one of the first beads I ever made. I still love them!

Pink Alabastro glass....

Pink is a difficult color to achieve in glass - the gold used to make pink can be lost in the heat that is necessary to make the glass. I find that it's also a difficult color to photograph! The color looks washed out in the photo - it's a soft pink in person, a little deeper color than in the picture.

I used medium pink "alabastro" glass to sculpt a nude and wrap a dichroic glass stringer to create the illusion of stardust. The alabastro glass has a reputation for being fussy - the glass rod breaks apart in the flame. I worked the glass much cooler than I do the other glass so the whole process took longer than it normally does. The results are worth it!

Auras - for fun

I'm still working on applications...so today's fun is a little "test" I took to find out what color my "aura" is. I'm not sure the questions asked truly captured who I am because while answering I found I wanted to take part of answer "A" and answer "C" - but that wasn't an option. So the analysis was a little syrupy - I edited out the "goo" and left what I thought had captured a little bit of who I am. I was thrilled to be even remotely like the Dalai Lama - a human being I have the utmost respect for - I am so amazed by his teachings. As an aside - I'll actually be able to see him lecture in September - very much looking forward to it! Anyways, my aura is BLUE.

Back to the applications!

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. Famous blues include: the Dalai Lama, Oprah

What Color Is Your Aura?

Beads between applications....

I've got another application I'm working on that will be sent out this weekend. In the meantime, I've been working very early in the morning before it gets too hot (90+). I set out the colors I'll work with for the session and for the past week or so, I've been working with yellow, red, ocean, lime and parrot green. The yellow has a golden shampoo glass quality - it's not made anymore and when Frantz (glass supplier) was selling off all they had, I bought as much as I could afford. It doesn't photograph well so you can see the shampoo-ness of it, but it is just gorgeous!
I'll post more later, I have to get out into the studio now to do some work.....

Sample projects and Applications.....

I've created a variation on the Lucky Knots and Lampwork necklace - a bracelet that has a button clasp using a disk bead. I've been fooling around with this for awhile to figure out exactly how to knot so that the disk bead lies nicely on the wrist. This is the sample that was sent to B&B yesterday. I like it alot!

I'll be working on another application today - getting pictures prepared to send in. Then on to another one that will be due by the 31st. I have to remember to send in my application and table fee for Urban Glass before August 1. Lots to do!

I don't tend to talk about my applications - I don't like to "jinx" it. But if I put it out there, then it forces me to do it. My perfectionism in my work makes me second guess myself -seeing flaws in the work that only I see but making me feel that the work is imperfect so therefore I should not submit it. The work is perfectly acceptable! So, talking about it to others prods me over that perfectionism hump that can get in my way.

Masks, Post Office, then on to the next project!

New masks today from the mask series....I'm running out of clever names for these. If you have any suggestions, please post them! Not sure I like the one without any "eyes" although it conveys the idea of a mask better than one with eyes. Hmmm... thinking out loud now....Maybe it should be a mask built onto a background color?....
I've got to go to the post office to mail sample projects to Bead &Button for next year's show. I've proposed 7 classes including the Lucky Knots and Lampwork necklace that I taught at Beadfest in 2005. I'm rummaging around for a box and going through the list to make sure I included everything they asked for. I don't like going to the post office but sometimes, you just gotta do it!
After I'm done at the PO today, I'm on to the next set of images I have to submit! Let me know what you think of the masks!

Ack! and Argh!

I'm going crazy here trying to send in all of the applications and slides for various juried shows or publications! I realized I missed one this morning and I only have a few days to get everything in order! Ack! Today's post is short because I have to get to work on those things. I really don't want to miss the deadlines! ACK!

Today's picture is Enamels-Gone-Wrong! I was working in jade-like opalino green when I decided it needed enamels to highlight the relief of the face. WRONG! The enamels clumped when I sifted. ARGH!

Applications for next year's shows and ETSY....

I've been working on applications for next year's shows. Bead and Button requests that you submit a minimum of 6 class proposals. You apply on-line and then you have to send the finished product to their offices....it stays there for 6 months. Oh, and by the way, if they lose your work or damage it, it's not their fault. You're supposed to add a rider to your insurance to cover any damages that might be incurred. Don't know what to say about that. It doesn't seem right but then again, I'm not Bead and Button. AND it's not deterring me from sending in 6 proposals and the accompanying pieces to go with it! There's just sometimes that you feel like the little guy and this is definitely one of those times! :-)

Today's eye candy is one of the finished projects that I am proposing...Lucky Knots and Lampwork. This is the original design, a single handmade lampworked bead as the centerpiece of a knotted rope. I taught this class at Beadfest 2005 in Philadelphia. I really enjoyed teaching the class - I learned more from the students I think than they learned from me!

I've proposed a few other classes that I'll post later on in the week.

I've opened an etsy.com shop (link at the left). I want to put a variety of things in the shop and will do so over the next couple of weeks. I've got soap dishes and cutting boards that I've been developing. Right now, I've got some beads and earrings. Look for the housewares later on in the month!

Lampworkers, flameworkers Blogs are Boring???

July 10, 2006....Yesterday I watched a news piece on bloggers. Apparently to be popular in the "blogosphere" or should I say to have anyone even READ your blog, you have to be opininated, snarky, nasty and gossipy! Hmmmm, I guess you could call me "Pollyanna" at best (does anyone even know who Pollyanna is anymore?) ...anyways, nasty and snarky is not what my blog is usually about. In fact, it's not usually what any of the lampworkers, flameworkers I know are about in their blogs! If you want people to read your blog, you're not supposed to talk about your kids, kitties or dogs!

I wonder if glass is included in the boring category? Hmmmm.....Ok, I know that not everyone finds glass interesting and not everyone interested in glass will find all of the technical details interesting. Sometimes, even those of us who love the artsy and the technical parts of glass can be bored with some of the flameworkers blog posts! Take a look at Halefire's Saturday, June 3, 2006 update: HalefireGlass Update

Halefire, I LOVE your glass but a post and picture of your AC is just crossing the line! (Insert snoring here)

This is said all in fun...and in the interest of improving our collective blogs! Afterall, if we're boring then no one will read our blogs and then how do we get the word of our work out? I'm thinking maybe I should give out a Lampworkers/Flameworkers Snoozer award? I don't think I can be completely opinionated and snarky but maybe just slightly opinionated and snarky to be interesting.

Podcasting

Ok, so I've been considering doing a podcast since there's nothing really out there for lampworkers. There's GlassTalk radio but I've never been able to listen to it on my Mac. Anyways, I've been listening to some of the casts, Podcast Pickle, CastOn (knitting), CraftyChica, Crochet...some of them are more entertaining than others but am I the only one whose eyes are glazing over after about 10 minutes? The casts feel very long even though they aren't (20-30 minutes). Easy for me to criticize, I havent' done one yet! So props to those who are but one piece of advice. Keep it short - don't feel like you have to do 30 minutes if you've only enough script for 15.

On to the picture for today....a newly made set of earrings. Mango orange is my color for the summer! It's in the flameworked disks, beads and in these earrings. When I go to the yarn shop, I'm heading straight for the orange bins of yarn. Don't ask me why, it is what it is!

Cleaning, listening and enamels continued.....

July 7, 2006....I cleaned my studio the other day from the "winter clutter." During the coldest part of the year, I can't really work in my unheated studio. During that time, any supplies and equipment I order usually gets stored in the studio but not organized and put away properly. I save that until it warms up. Yeah, I know it's been warm for a few months now but I didn't clean and organize until the other day. Never really tops on my list of things to do, I'd rather be melting glass!

I've had a few situations happen recently where I've noticed that some people can talk and simply not be heard. You know that someone is me (grin), I offered to send half a rod of the Doublehelix Krono to anyone who would send their address. Now, mind you, it is THE glass to have right now and is very pricey. I thought I might be overwhelmed with addresses but only 1 person sent me a pm. Fascinating! Makes me wonder what is it that makes people listen or pay attention. People are a real puzzle aren't they? (smile)

On to today's beads - this is the last of my most recent foray into enamels. A base of enamel (any color) will make the color laid on top of it web. A new "discovery" for me - it is well known that the intense black will web on anice white but this is different. The brown enamel base caused the dark topaz to web. With the blue tab bead, you can see "webbing" all around and under the blue. The webbing here causes the dots to be surrounded and look like paisleys. This application of "webbing" is new to me. I'd like to be able to control it better for certain effects that I have in mind. Stay tuned - you'll see more of this!

Reactive Glass.....

July 4th, 2006....today's beads are made with a "reactive" glass. The maker of the glass - Doublehelix glassworks - creates a glass that has alot of metals in it so that when you melt it in the flame, the metals create crystals that create colors. You can get shading in the reactive glass that can be very difficult to create with the regular glass rods. When I put a layer of clear over the reactive glass, it created a slight orangey-yellow line around the dots in some places. Silver will turn glass yellow - I'm assuming that's what caused the line.

I'm also playing with different ways to photograph the beads. I played with this concept a couple of years ago - not sure why I stopped because I really like it! Also have made some large holed beads - the hole is 1/4 inch in diameter. I see the large holed beads called "charms." An apt name - I do find them charming!

Knotting and musings....

I've posted pictures of the Chinese knotting necklaces that I've been making over the past 2 years. I'm playing with this knot to make something a little bit different with it. Hope to finish it by the end of the weekend and post next week. This one is done in pink and handformed hearts on the lampworked beads. I call it My Heart is in Knots (or something like that - I can't remember exactly - but it's on the picture). I have this particular necklace up for sale at CindyGimbronebeads.com. Click on the title and it will take you the website.
It's going to be hot today. I woke up at 5:30 am and it was almost 70 degrees. So, my post will be quick as I have to get out and do my morning walk before 7 am. I know I know! What am I crazy for getting up that early and walking? I am a morning person - I do all my best work before 12:00 noon. Just how I am. So, I have to cut it short this morning - I want to be in the studio by 8 am and work before it gets unbearable!