Glass Bead Totem

This glass totem pole has been a work in progress since our trip to Alaska several years ago. Our expedition ended in Sitka, Alaska where we got to tour the Sitka National Park and saw some wonderful carved totem poles. So I was inspired to create a miniature totem with my glass beads.

You can see this piece in person until mid August at the Dayton Visual Arts Center in Dayton, OH. It is part if the center's All Member Show

Vote for My Bead!

Earlier this year I entered a contest run by the Annealer Magazine And WOW!, my bead made it to the top 10 finalists. From today until the end of the month the magazine is allowing YOU to vote for your favorite. So go take a look and vote for my bead (if you like it).

Click the link to the magazine, click VOTE on their website, click category A - beads, and my bead is Entry 2.

Desert Shadows, a lampworked bead embellished with metal clay and a bezel set amethyst

Slow Food

I think I have been on a diet for most of my life or at least it seems that way. But lately I realize that diets really don't work. Several years ago I read the popular non diet book by Mireille Guiliano, French Woman Don't Get Fat and I really changed the way I started to cook for my family. I'm lucky to have a wonderful grocery store here in Dayton, Dorothy Lane Market, that has a great selection of organic fruits and vegetables; so that made it easy. Last night I watched 60 minutes and was enlightened to see that there is a whole movement out there called 'Slow Food". They ran a segment on Alice Waters who I have always admired. Very interesting. Makes you want to go eat something healthy!

Day 1 at Bead and Button - Copper Etching Class

My first day at Bead and Button was spent with Janice Berkebile learning how to etch copper. My plates turned out fantastic. Janice is a wonderful teacher and her approach to adding the images to the copper was unique. We ended up with collages of images on the metal. Janice uses the etched copper for bead caps and beads for her finished jewelry, so she cuts the pieces up. My intent was to etch copper sheets as texture plates for my metal clay work. And these will be wonderful. But I might have to use some of them for jewelry components too, plus each plate turned out to be a piece of art all by itself. Umm.... might have to frame a few.

The process of etching the copper with Ferric Chloride is messy and the chemical takes special handling. At the Bead and Button show, we heard about Sherry Haab's new etching machine. the E3, that will etch copper, brass and silver and uses chemicals thatt are less harsh to the environment. So had to have one. I plan to etch some copper both ways and will keep you posted how it goes. Of course, I need to order some supplies before I can begin.

More on Bead and Button tomorrow.......

Published!

The current issue of Glassline Magazine was waiting for me when I returned from the Bead and Button Show. And it contains the Step by Step article I wrote for them a few months back. Yipee! 2 articles published this year.

This step by step tells you how to make one of my metal clay and glass "caged beads". I will be putting this tutorial on my website for a nominal fee to cover reproduction costs. Or you can go out and buy the magazine. Here's the link to Glassline http://www.hotglass.com/ for subscription information.

Convergence Show

This is the necklace created by Heidi Kummli incorporating my lampworked beads. It was juried into the Convergence Show which was co-sponsored by Bead and Button and the ISGB. The show was exhibited first at the Ohio Glass Museum in Lancaster, OH. Then it traveled to Milwaukee, WI for the Bead and Button Show. That's where I saw it for the first time. And wow! What an incredible piece.

Now that Bead and Button is over the show travels to Miami, FL where most of the pieces will be auctioned to raise funds for the CREF. It was really amazing to see all of the entries displayed so nicely at the Bead and Button Show. Amazing amount of talent. The ISGB has a catalog of all of the entries and I imagine you can contact them to buy one if you want.

New Techniques

I know I have to make lots of bead inventory for the Bead and Button Show coming up this June, but I am also trying to set aside some time each week to try out some new things. It's the only way to grow and come up with new ideas and expand my creative juices.

If you know me you know I make lampworked beads, but also like to use them in jewelry too. So I like to try lots of jewelry techniques. I also work with precious metal clays. And I am trying to teach myself some basic silver smithing techniques.

So I decided to make a project that appeared in the September 2007 Art Jewelry Magazine. My plan is to adapt it for my glass beads. But for now I followed it precisely. I learned a new cane technique with polymer clay. I made 3 bezels and attached them to sterling backs which I had to saw out. And I soldered the 3 pieces to a wire (not easy), and soldered on a pin finding. Whew!

But I'm happy with the results. And I definitely learned a lot. It's not perfect. But I already have plans for number 2 and know what I need to do a little differently to work smarter.