This Christmas season I participated in my first ever online "Secret Santa" game. I was assigned someone that had given no extra information. So I turned into "Stalker Santa" and looked her up online. I googled her name and came up with an interview she had given and finally some extra information so I could make something just for her. So I designed a bead to match her love for Stephen Kings' Dark Tower series and I also sent along some really incredible catnip for her two cats, Roland and Cuthbert, named after two of the characters in the books.

About that catnip... It was sitting in a sealed container, in a bag on top of the television, about 5' off of the floor. Our cat walked into the room an started sniffing the air. She then proceeded to jump up onto the narrow ledge beside the television and climbed up next to the bag with the yummy smell.

I put her back on the floor and gave her a little pinch from her own container :)

Happy Holidays!

Big olive shaped hollows~ It has been sooo cold everywhere lately. Matt set up the heater in my shop last week so I can at least keep my buns warm while I work :) I have one more custom order to finish up this week and then I can relax a bit and just be creative for a couple of weeks.
I purchased the cutest snowpeople here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8435259 Glasscat is a fellow member of the EGA and I can vouch for her well made adorable and quickly shipped items. I just hope the recipient loves them as much as I do!!
Ready for Christmas? Matt and I are going to finish up this weekend I think (hope)
I seriously can't stand the mall and the crowds umm... ever not just at Christmas time.
i am an early up get in get out kind of shopper~
Have a Great Day!!!

Great minds really do think alike! I was inspired by another ega member in a discussion. She was talking about using laminated cards for her pendants. So Sue and I got busy, she printed these out for me I punched tiny holes in them and strung our pendants on with hemp twine. Then while I was visiting flickr looking at pictures and preparing to post some of my own I came across another ega member who had done almost the exact same thing as me!!! She even used hemp like I did. Worried that she would think I had copied her I sent her an e-mail and we had ourselves a little chuckle over it. Really gives you food for thought on the whole issue of copying :)
Then there are these!!! I have been thinking about making some lampwork headpins for about month now. Thanks again to one of my wonderful etsy customers for the inspiration~

I just made a few to start and Sue and I used them all up on the pendants :)
Peacock inspired~
Vetrofond odd lot Lime Sweet! What a great color~
And I've saved my favorite for last :) It is difficult for me not to show my love for beads. If I love how something I made has turned out I will tell you. This is not a lack of humility on my part it is just my passion for glass coming through. I get very excited if something turns out fabulous. You will hear me say "Oh thats my favorite" a lot and it is never a lie. I love most all of them. I surely love some more than others. Yeah I am a glass freak. So? :)

School started last week so I will hopefully have more time to devote to making and listing!!
Kris

I made some silvered stringer this week. This is done by heating the tip of a glass rod and then rolling it onto some fine silver foil. The glass rod, wrapped in foil that has been burnished on, is then heated in the torch flame some more until the silver "burns off" The heating continues until the end of the rod kind of balls up. Then it is removed from the flame, cooled for a second or two before you grab the tip and give it a gentle downward tug, creating a thin silvered stringer. I made mine with the Vetrofond odd lot River Rock. Here I applied it to Copper Green and superheated each bead so the silver would really work some magic. Then I gave them the briefest bath in etching cream and they feel just like cool silk... Bliss~

Yummy yummy colors~ lately I've been wanting to make more big hole beads :)
Terra and dark Ivory what a great combo this turned out to be ~very rustic Some more squeezies! I just love these pretty, pretty, pretty, SMASH! oh yeah :)
More of the big holes

I know you are all dying to see the second installment in "The Mysteries of Glass" series. No worries, I've taken some more pix and will be telling you about some of my favorite tools next~

Just thought I'd throw out a quick little post with some of this weeks beads to tide you all over.

The Warm spice beads are back! A wonderful soft pinky coral medley, probably one of my all-time favorite beadsets. I re-listed them yesterday so if you missed them the first time around here is your second chance. Go get 'em!!

Its my Birthday :) I am spending a nice morning with my hubby. Then we are off to the store to get some goodies as we have a few family members coming over later for an impromptu get together.

The giant Larva beetle thingy is GONE!!! shudder... Matt got rid of it yesterday and I am so glad, it was kind of gross to see it laying in the bottom of the jar waiting to hatch bleh... No guesses on what it was.

Beauty and the beast~ The picture at the top is a HUGE pupa or cocoon Matt found while we were working in the yard last week ewwww it is about the size of my pinkie. It will probably hatch into a gigantic man-eating beetle. Bleh.... Of course the beauty is in the beads. I am very happy with the richness of the colors in the bottom set. I learned a new trick with my photo editing program too. I am always happy to find good tips!! Well I am outta here and off to work. Have a fabulous day!

May is an out of control busy month for me! We have two major sales at work in May, then there are the birthdays. Matt, his grandmother and my sister all have birthdays in May. So all the getting together to celebrate eats up some time. Time not wasted because my family is so precious to me. I get a little behind with all of you though :) I did manage to get another custom order done this week and some squeeze bead minis that I am absolutely smitten with~ I know I am a total glass nerd/freak I freely and happily admit that. One more cup of coffee and a few more words... Had to grab something for breakfast too. I think I have had a bit too much coffee this morning, half a pot!!! Yikes! just sipping and working lol~

Hope your Day is Glorious!

Kris

I am still here !! Just busy as sin trying to keep up with everything. I took last weekend off and went to Seattle with friends. We had an amazing time! Good food, lots of laughter and tons of walking. I couldn't live there though as I really love the country and fresh air. Not to mention there aren't as many sirens at night :) I ordered some Terra last week and it arrived on friday. I am so anxious to give it a bit of heat and see what happens! Terra is reactive glass made in small batches in the Pacific NW for those of you who don't know. I was lucky to get some on the first go round. They usually run out of the new glass pretty quickly.