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!

Here we go again!!! Off to Dewey Beach to play with the Greyhounds~ The standing Greyhound is my newly designed image~
Of course One of them is my favorite :)
A sampling of some of the dichroic Greyhound beads I have made for Dewey. Sue has been turning them into beautiful wearable items. Creating the dichro images is something I really enjoy. This year I created a standing greyhound. Creating an image involves first drawing the picture. Then it is scanned into my computer and e-mailed to my wonderful dichro guy. He then does whatever it is he does (magic?) that puts the image onto glass so I can melt it onto my beads. Each piece is meticulously and carefully formed to the bead it is on. I have to be very attentive during this process or I end up with a distorted image.
*** Greyhounds Reach the Beach 2007 is the event Sue and I will be attending **
It is our 10th year at this event !!
Sue creates beautiful collars for greyhounds as Silk Road Collars http://www.silkroadcollars.com/
** Stop by and say hello:) We will be located at:
The Sand Palace, Room 108
1710 HWY One, Dewey Beach DE 19771
Sand Palace Hours - Friday through Sunday
Friday - 9am to 4pm
Saturday - 8am to 4pm
Sunday - 8am to 12pm
Also The Best Western Gold Leaf
1400 Hwy 1 Dewey Beach DE 19971
Best Western Hours - Wednsday through Sunday
Wednsday 10am to 5pm
Thursday 10am to 6pm
Friday 8am to 7pm
Saturday 8am to 7pm
Sunday 9am to 4pm
See you There!!!

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

A new love for making focals has been awakened! Don't know if I can stop so I hope you like them as much as I do :) Some close ups of my most favorite ones...
mmm...
ahhh...
Just in case you are wondering and in a panic because you noticed most of the items in my etsy shop have vanished! I thought I would let you all know I have taken all of the jewelry items out of the etsy shop for a few days. They are way overdue for some fresh air so I am taking them to Lincoln City where they will have a day in the sun and feel the cool kiss of the ocean breeze...
Some of them will find new homes and never return...
The rest will be back later next week~
Seeya!

Going to Lincoln City with me ~ Lovely shades of a rainforest safari~ Pretty topaz lovelies~ A custom request that wasn't exactly what the customer had in mind :)
Custom orders~ I love them as long as I get to have a bit of creative leeway~ Like color options! Choose more than one and it becomes an inspirational experience for me :)
Be specific! If you are after a certain look say so! It is okay, my goal is to make something you will love. Of course if I love them as well it will be easier for me, but I think I love most all of them~ lol...
I have been doing some custom requests lately and the reality is sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. It is difficult translating a vision from an e-mail, even with pictures. I am learning to ask more questions and really get the specifics nailed down. But still I will make more than one bead set or pendant or whatever if I need to and it is allright, because like I said I happen to love them all and extra inventory is always great for me.
Have no fear! It is certainly okay to ask and never a bother for me.
Now seriously I must get down to the business of show preparation. Lincoln City is looming and I am starting to have a touch of anxiety! I may need to back off the coffee this week so I can stay calm and not get too excited. I'll burn myself out before Friday if my mind keeps racing like this hehehe... I am really looking forward to it. Matt and I will get a mini vacation and meet up with a bunch of other people from Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/index.php
It is going to be a fun time!

Beads, its always beads isn't it? These deserved a new picture at the very least. The first pix I took of them were just not right~ This sweet beauty~ hmm do I keep it? Sometimes the camera will pick up detail the naked eye doesn't. That being said most always they are prettier in real life. The dark color here is navy, dark enough to be almost black. I was going for black and the rod I used was extremely dark in color and one of my lightbulbs burned out... well your getting the picture now :) So the experimentals got some friends in this "new" color I accidently mixed. I was surprised when I went out yesterday morning and held the rod up next to the remaining lightbulb to look through it. It isn't even blue~ it is all about layers :)
Green has always had a special place in my heart! More to come in this mix for sure!
Then there are these little delights! They are big-holed ~ 3/16 and layered with silver foil that I decided not to burn off completely. Ahh serious Bliss!
How did my outdoor event for work go? I met "The Crime Dog" Other than that is was a very quiet evening. We had dark threatening rain clouds and some drizzle. Even free food didn't lure the people out. One of the managers, Marlene really made my day! I was scheduled to do the event alone and she put forth an extra effort and came along, good thing, I never would have gotten the canopy up by myself. A Big Thank YOU Marlene!!

So my vacation week is flying by way faster than it should. It is now Thursday and I have two days left. One of which will be spent here : http://www.frantznewsletter.com/August_Bash_07.htm
The other one will be spent preparing to go. I have a list to make ya know?!!!

Vetrofond River Rock~ I still haven't decided what to do with this one :) Lemon Ice and Terra
Some more of these~ unetched and shiny :)
Whooeeey has it ever been sticky steamy and muggy here lately. Blech! We usually manage to avoid that in the Pacific Northwest. If it rains a little it normally just cools things down and gives us all a chance to freshen up a bit. Not last weekend, in fact Matt and I actually went to see two movies over the weekend just to get out of the hot muggy. We never do that :) I think we probably average a movie every six months or so. We watched Harry Potter and it was allright. We also watched Transformers and that was some seriously action packed and riveting entertainment. I wasn't really very excited to see it and went mostly for Matt. I am so glad I did it was really a great show :) The mugginess is gone now and it is warm and sunny again at least until this weekend when they have promised us some more rain. I have a few custom orders this week and I am anxious to get started. Rainy and cool weather will be perfect for flameworking~

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~

Hey Graphic Artists Type folks who love glass~ This is a contest just for you!!!!

Etsy Glass Artists Business Card Contest Sponsored by the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) Street Team is sponsoring a business card design contest. The contest, details for which are online at http://contest.etsyglass.com, invites participants to design the official business card for the Team. The grand prize winner will receive artisan glass items valued at $350. Two runners up will each receive a $10 gift certificate to use in any EGA member Etsy shop. Individuals wishing to enter the contest should create a unique business card design that effectively promotes glasswork on Etsy and conveys the mission of EGA. Submissions will be accepted through the website beginning July 5 and must be received by August 15, 2007. Winners will be announced in late August 2007. Etsy Glass Artists is an Etsy.com Street Team comprised of glass fusers, glass blowers, lampworkers and stained glass artisans dedicated to fostering an appreciation for the handmade glass arts. Etsy.com is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Complete contest rules and technical specifications can be found at the contest website, http://contest.etsyglass.com.

Love these!!!

I have been playing with copper foil and some of the new colors and this is my favorite set by far this week!

Post and run~

Seeya!!!

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.

Ready for a little fun in the sun? Sweet chocolate and turquoise :) yummmeeee~
A cool Forest Green Cube

Well I turned 41 last weekend and I am still alive and kickin'~ TJ and Kendra brought Aleena for a dip in the pool. Is she just the cutest in her hat and bikini or what? We had a wonderful day, Matts' Grandma and Uncle Dave came up from Little Rock (Wa) Mom and Milo came out and Chelsea brought Jaxson over to play with Sammy. Matts' sister Jill even made a surprise appearance. It was great to see everyone. The weather was fabulous, we are back to grey and rainy now though with a thunderstorm here and there just to keep you on your toes :)

My dad sent me a gift certificate for Frantz Art Glass and I can't wait to go and use it!! Boy talk about the "Perfect" gift hehehe... Now I just need to take some time for myself from my crazy schedule so I can use it.

Maybe next week...

Kris

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

The new glass came and you haven't heard a peep from me since :) These are some of the beads I made from Terra last week. Terra is the latest thing from Double Helix Glass. It is handmade glass with a heavy silver content. It is the silver content that makes this such a wonderful glass to work with. A whole range of color from one stick of glass. Terra does require some patience, as do most of the silver glasses. It has to be heated and cooled repeatedly to get great results. If you know me, you know I am a bit short on patience. I can hardly stand to wait for anything. Terra is sooo worth the wait. It is magical to see the the colors appear as the bead cools.
The weather has been gorgeous this week, sunny and cool with a big blue sky overhead. Work has been busy, as it always is in May~ It is a struggle to do everything this time of year and a day off is such a relaxing treasure. This coming Sunday is Mothers Day and I am taking a day off. Matt and and Sam and I will go to his grandparents for his Grandmas birthday.
Enjoy your day!
Kris