I have been a terrible blogger as usual....so much has happened since my last post...there is simply no way to fill you in completely, but I will touch on the highlights :)

We went to Jamaica in early January and had such a wonderful time!!! If you have never been there..I highly recommend it!

I have not been making beads much in this last month...mainly because "life" has been busy, but I am back at the torch. You dont realize just how much you miss creating until you start up again...

I have 2 sets on ebay right now that are not doing very well at all.....but I am hoping that will change with 2 new sets that I will be listing here in the next day or two. I am so excited about them...they are different from the sets I have made in the past in that I has put my bead presses aside and made them free form....I am quite proud of them and really hope you guys like them aswell. The first set I am calling Venetian and quite frankly had a tough time deciding to list them because I love them so much!!!! They were made with Cobalt, Gaia from Double Helix, Silver Leaf and clear. They look like the jewels that an elegant Venetian woman would wear.

The second set looks like a Valentine's Day gift for our Venetian woman from her Martian beau. These were made with black, color-shifting Raku, Cobalt, a little Amethyst and red.

Okay...so maybe I was a little gassed from the fumes that these beads created while making them....let me know what you think they look like!!

I hope you guys enjoy!!!!

Last night I listed a set of crystal beads on ebay!!!! (I posted pics of them in my last post) It's been a while since I put any sets on there...so we shall see how it turns out. The auction ends Sunday night....go check it out!!!!

They have a base of dark transparent amber and are splashed with the amazing blues and greens from Double Helix's glass, Gaia! Then they are heavily encased with crystal clear to magnify the beautiful colors beneath! They are really beautiful!! The spacers are Gaia. Isnt that glass amazing...all those colors from one rod!

Tomorrow I am off to Jamaica!!!! I will be gone until Sunday night. I hope everyone has a great week!!!

See you when I get back from paradise :)

New Ebay Auction!!!

Promised Pictures!!

Here are some pictures from our trip to Arkansas to visit my family (and to visit Debby of Starlight Beads)!!

This is the view from my parent's front porch in the morning...you can see the clouds below us in the valley...It was absolutely beautifu. By mid morning the clouds burn off and you can see down into the valley and sometimes even see a camp fire in the evening.

This is a shot at Haw Creek Falls. It's a beautiful area that is about 3 miles away from thier home. Aren't they lucky!

Here is a shot of thier home and "guest house" above the garage. Behind the garage is my dad's shop...this is where he makes violins.

Here is my mother's pride and joy. This is CC (which stands for Christmas Carol). I bought this little wonder dog for my mom 2 Christmas' ago...she is so funny and really a great addition to the family. Here she is with her sleepy eyes enjoying some of her new toys she got for Christmas.

And here is our little wonder dog, Mia. Isnt she spoiled rotten!! Sound asleep in the bed. This is her favorite thing to do.

When she is not sleeping she is standing guard on the stairs...this way she doesnt miss any of the action. She can see what is going on upstairs and downstairs.

These are my treasures that I received from Debby, my new long lost sister that I was fortunate enough to visit while in Arkansas. Can you believe that this lady is also lucky enough to see those mountains everyday?? And let me tell you the wierd part. My parents live in the middle of nowhere...seriously there are only 3 of them living in thier town. What are the odds that I would find a fellow lampworker in those mountains?? Debby's house was only about a 40 minute drive (which is NOTHING considering the grocery store is an hour and a half away!!) Debby I believe I was meant to find you in those mountains!!! I am so glad I met you. Aren't these beads beautiful!!! Debby inspired me to start making my own little fishy beads, something I may have never tried had it not been for her incouraging words!! Thanks Debby. Make sure you go and check out all of Debby's goodies!! (I know I am repeating myself from earlier today..but I promise it's well worth it :))

Well have a great night!!! Make sure you check out the website. I have added new and fun beads and am working on my men's items...the page is up and hopefully I will have pictures to post by the end of the weekend!!!

Family and Friends!

Well it has been a busy several weeks. I cant believe my last post was so long ago!!! So much has happened it's difficult to tell you all of it....so I will hit the highlights :)
My daughter and I went to Arkansas for Christmas to visit my mom and dad and we had an amazing time!!! It is so beautiful and peaceful up there....you can really "find" yourself while amongst those mountains! I celebrated a birthday while there and my parents took us to Branson for dinner and a show at the Dixie Stampede. We really had a great time...thanks mom and dad! It was a wonderful day!!!
On Christmas Eve I had the opportunity to meet one of the other Wetcanvas members, Debby. I first "met" Debby on wetcanvas and discovered she also lived out in the middle of nowhere near my parents. It was a short, but wonderful visit. Hailey and I hung out with her and her daughter Ginny and just really hit it off! We could have continued talking and looking at beads for hours...we really connected. At the end of the visit Debby suggested we trade some beads...it was my lucky day! She makes the most amazing beads and I was like a little kid in a candy store trying to decide!!! Make sure you check out her website!!! (she is also listed on my links page) I will post pictures of my treasured goodies hopefully tonight!
Debby is an extremely talented lampwork artist and painter and I am fortunate to be able to call her a friend! I cant wait until my next trip to Arkansas so we can get together again!

What's happening in my studio???
I have been working on my "men's" line and have added that page to my site. Now I just need to get all the pieces photographed and posted!
I have also been making some fish beads (thanks to Debby's encouraging words :)) and have been really pleased with how those little guys have turned out!!! Be sure to check out the website over the next several days!!! Hopefully I will get my act together and get all the new goodies posted!!!

Attempt at Earthy Beads!!!

Well, last night I made a few beads, but wanted to show my favorites!! Naos, (a wonderful glass artist that I mentioned in a prior post) was kind enough to share some of her priceless secrets with us!!! She so soooooo nice and posted a tutorial for her "Dragon Scale Beads"!!! Here is what I came up with :) They are not nearly as spectacular as hers, but I really like how they came out!! Let me know what you think! Alan (if you and my mom are reading this ..lol) these were the tutorial beads I was talking about :)

Oh....and if your interested in seeing the tutorial...you can go HERE!!!



this one is my favorite!!!!

I just heard the FedEx guy drop a package at my front door!!!! Yeah!!! my glass is here!!! Gotta run...will post more later :)

Well I was really excited when I went to the kiln this morning because the bead fairy did not switch out my beads in the middle of the night :) Here are the focals I made last night and I am really excited to say that they turned out just like I wanted them too !!!!! YEAH!!! They are really big and chunky and would go great on cording or a simple silver chain!! Let me know what you think!







I will take pictures of them out in the sunlight later today. The sun does amazing things with the reactive glass!! Like feathers of a peacock!!!

Also....go check out these amazing orchid rings by JC Herrell!!!! There is a really funny and nice glass artist who makes unbelievable beads, well she has made really amazing glass rings that are orchids...go check them out!!

Beading MOJO

Oh my goodness, I had the BEST torch session tonight!!!! I had great bead MOJO on all the beads I made!! I love it when that happens...its not frequent enough!
Anyway, I really hope the bad bead fairy does not show up during the night and change out the beads that are in my kiln right now!!! It is hard to tell how a bead will look when you are done with it at the torch and put it away into the kiln...you dont really know how the colors will look until in the morning because hot glass does not always look like cold glass. I really hope that when I open that kiln tomorrow those beads look like I imagine they will :) :) :)

I have been working with a wonderful reactive glass from double helix. It is not my first time to work with this glass, but I think I am finally forming a working relationship with it :) It's very very very tricky to use...you have to put it into the flame JUST right and cross your toes and look a little side ways for it to work, but I think we have come to an agreement....all will be known tomorrow. If I am sulking then you know we have not yet decided to see eye to eye...but my better judgement (okay...it might be the Sam Adams :)) tells me that we have finally found out how to work together (when I say "we" I mean me and this tempermental yet wonderful glass)
Until then.... cross your fingers, your toes, and anything else you may be able to get into that position :)....

I will post pics tomorrow...whether it be a celebration or pathetic sad day :)
Until then.....have a wonderful evening!!!

Carey (aka crazy bead lady)....yep that's right mom...the apple did not fall far :)

PICTURES

Well here they are....I plan on experimenting with leather (I have some neat ideas - we'll see if they actually come out how I imagine them :)


Let me know what you think. I was trying to make "masculine" beads...did I pull it off???