Graduation

One down and one more to go! Both of my kids are graduating one week apart. I made jewelry to go with my dress and here is a group shot. I love the disc earrings and I have lots of ideas for more.

Monday

This is the bracelet that I made for my SIL that goes with the necklace. I think that she was pleased when she opened her presents yesterday.
I have more beads to show later when I photograph them. Have a good week!

Happy Mother's Day!

We are going to visit my Mom tomorrow. I knotted the pearls for my Mom with matching earrings and the necklace is a custom order for my SIL from my brother. I will get to watch them both open their gifts tomorrow and it is always fun to see their reactions. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Gardenia

One of our gardenias is in full bloom. This one happens to sit by the corner of my studio so when I have my window open for makeup air, I can smell them while I am making beads.
I have some new beads and this is one of the sets. More later!

A New Computer

Computers are great, as long as they work. I finally had to break down and order a new one which is what I am using now. I was without a computer for an entire week and you don't realize how much you depend on something until you don't have it.
The studio is calling and it has been neglected lately for family reasons. My Mom is having surgery tomorrow so this will be another busy week. I have one photo to share and hopefully will have more soon. This is another cluster pendant which has actually been sold but I will make more out of other beads. Have a good week!

Photo Problems

For some unknow reason, this site is not allowing me to upload photos. I hope they get it fixed soon. Computers are great as long as they work.
The Grand Wine and Food Affair was great this past weekend. The food and wine were plentiful and the music kept it lively. We had a great time and met some very nice people. The event planners know how to put on a good show in a beautiful setting. I hope to be back next year.
I will try later to add more photos if they get their techical glitches worked out.

This has been quite a week. My Dad gave us a scare and was rushed to the ER last Thursday which resulted in surgery for a pacemaker. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and I am glad that my Dad is recovering quickly.
I have another show tomorrow. It should be fun and the weather is supposed to be great this time unlike my last show that was cancelled.
Here is a link:
http://www.thegrandwineandfoodaffair.com/events/stroll.php?id=64

My Little Helper

I usually take photographs outside and the cat that lives next door always comes over to help. I think he was more interested in the fish in the pond this time than my beads. He is so sweet.

I made this pendant out of orphan beads which are left over from other sets or just experiments. It looks great on a long heavy chain.

New Beads

Here is one new set that I made over the weekend. There are only 3 colors used in these but it looks like more. That is what is so fun about glass - you never know what you are going to get. I have more jewelry to finish up and will add more photographs soon. This necklace looks great with jeans.

Spring in Texas

It doesn't get much better than this. My husband and I took a drive Monday and this is what we saw. These magnificent animals were in their element grazing in the Bluebonnets. I thought you might like to see one reason that I am proud to be a native Texan.

New Photos

The new photo software is actually easier to use than I expected. I had ordered this silver framed bracelet from a supplier that feeds the addiction that all beadmakers aquire. We are always looking for something new to use with our beads. I ordered one to see how it worked and I think that it is perfect to show off these beads.

I have been going back to an old style with a twist. Just dots! They can be layered and manipulated in so many ways. The color combinations are endless.

Thanks for looking. More later.

Good Friday

Last week was not a good one. My kiln broke, my computer crashed and the art show was cancelled due to rain. I fixed my kiln, my son hopefully fixed my computer and I have been accepted into another show. I loaded another photo editing program so now I have to learn how to use it.

This is a photo my son took out on our deck. We don't know where it came from or how it climbed up two steps to get there, but isn't he cute?

I made a few beads today so when they are photographed, I will post something else soon.

Show Information

I am adding a few more photographs while I am in the editing mood.

Here is the link to the Market Street Show this Saturday, March 31st. I hope to see you there!

http://www.marketstreet-thewoodlands.com/events/detail/index.lasso?e=448

One more necklace that I photographed this morning. I really like this one!

New Jewelry

Here are a few photos of recently finished jewelry. My kiln has been broken for the last week so I have not been able to make beads. I am hoping that the part will be delivered today; then I have to figure out how to replace it myself. I will keep you posted on that saga.

Come by and visit next Saturday at the Market Street Art Show. It is supposed to be a beautiful day if the weather forecast holds true. I have several friends that will be exhibiting their art too so there will be quite a variety. Have a good week!

The Blue Bead

There is a specific technique that I have tried before and I never was able to get the color that I wanted. This time it worked! I hope I can repeat it but you never know when it comes to glass. Sometimes it has a mind of its own.

Frankie

We have been cat-sitting for most of the week. He is a sweetie but it is like having a toddler in the house. He likes to butt-heads with you instead of gently nuzzling. I found him in the top of the pantry this morning and he has no problem opening every cabinet and drawer in the house. I thought I would take a picture of him because he is going home tonight.

New necklace

I am still practicing making bent beads and these are shaped by hand without any tools. I have one new set and the necklace is made with the first ones that I made. I had to buy heavy rubber cording to balance out the weight of the beads. I like the way this turned out and plan to make a few more in this style. It is a challenge to make 2 bent beads that match.

It was raining buckets this morning and we were going to work in the yard today. It is Spring Break and time to do all those things around the house that I have been avoiding. I even cleaned my studio!

I managed to make a few beads so here are some new photos. The very round ones go with the bent bead that I showed earlier. Those are fun to make and I have ideas for more in different colors. Thanks for looking!

I had a good day at the torch yesterday. This is one of them. More later.

I love this bracelet! I am going to have a hard time letting this one go because it goes with almost anything neutral. The reaction between the Dark Ivory, the silver leaf and Intense Black glass is one of my favorites. The extra pure silver wire swirled and melted to the surface just adds the right shine.

My studio pet

This little tree frog has been in the box that holds my Propane tank outside my studio window. He has not moved even when I lifted the lid to turn the tank valve on. It is so tiny - only a little over an inch. There was another tree frog last summer that was larger but I have not seen him again. Maybe this one is it's baby.

Spring is almost here!

I noticed that the Chinese Fringe Flowers were blooming in our back yard and this is the first full bloom after they had to be cut back last fall. They have grown as high as the fence and are very pretty.

March

March is here already. I entered my first juried art show last Saturday with my leaf necklace and came home with a second place ribbon. The judge was very complimentary and encouraging. I put so many hours into a piece like that, it helps to hear an encouraging word from a professional artist.
Here are a few new things that I photographed recently. I am on a bending bead kick but I can only make 2 in a day because they won't fit in the kiln with the other beads and they take forever. I have a necklace design in the works using the first ones so look for that soon.
If you see anything that you like, please feel free to contact me.

I am so excited!

Bent beads: This is a new technique for me that only another beadmaker can really appreciate. It is difficult to do because you don't have the stability of the steel rod inside the bead, you only have a fiberglass fabric sleeving. It is a balancing act trying to bend the bead, keep it from cracking, maintain its shape and get it into the kiln all at the same time. I have lots of ideas to incorporate these into jewelry. This is one that I like and photographs well.

New Items

I am getting ready for the Market Street Show wih lots of jewelry. I still have a month to prepare but I know how fast that will go so I am trying to plan ahead. More soon!

New Necklace

I have had this design in mind for a while and finally got around to putting it together. It is a rainy day so I took the photo on the front porch on white paper. I probably need more light but I also need a new photo cube that is large enough to hold finished necklaces.

I don't know where the time goes but we have all been sick so I am behind as usual. I was accepted into the Market Street Fine Art Show on March 31 so I need to get busy making more jewelry and beads. I will post more photos soon.

New Camera and Photos

I finally decided on a camera but still have to learn the settings in order to get the best images. Here are some new beads shot with the new camera. Thanks for looking!