Nagibeads

2012-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

2011-12-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

our family crest

2011-05-19T16:35:00.001-07:00

Nagibeads test

EGG

2011-05-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

sketch of the day

Girls Drawin Girls Nature PRoject

2011-05-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since posting and I have joined a girls pin up drawing group called Girls Drawin' Girls. The first thing I joined is the Nature Project...I chose Osmanthus because I love the fragrance of this plant...it is intoxicating!! I can't decide which version I like....! I do know that I didn't have the time I wanted to dedicate to making it more interesting. The dress and background flowers I wanted to have be a fade over(Escher-esque) where you can't tell whether it is on the dress or the background...I have a version with her eyes open but I ended up liking the closed eye version better...just more shy and sweet like the flower...anyhoo....here it is..oh--and the bee pupae...they're white like the flower and full of the promise of life and usefulness, like the flowers of Osmanthus which is used to scent teas....I think of Osmanthus as something magical like royal jelly.....so wonderful is that fragrance...when I die, please plant an Osmanthus over my grave. I wish to be entranced by its spell for all eternity....

Mecha-Nation Comic

2010-03-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Hi-
I just wanted to give you a heads up for a great new comic series called Mecha-Nation. It was created by a good friend of mine, Vic Cook(of The Specatcular Spiderman fame). He teamed up with Greg Weisman, Greg Guler and Antonio Campo and the result is very cool! Congratulations Vic--may you have much success!
Have a look-see!
Mecha-Nation

and read the first review here:
Review

My New Etsy Store!

2010-02-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am taking the plunge and going for it--starting to sell my work online. I listed a couple of pendants and a few beads to test the waters.
nagibeads on Etsy
let me know what you think--what kind of work would you like to see here?
thank you!

Jewelry for Joe

2010-02-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

Joe Imler(Glow Joe of Glow Glass fame) has had surgery to repair a hernia operation that went wrong. unfortunately, he doesn't have insurance and needs money to pay the Doctor bills. I am donating a few pieces to be sold....you can help by purchasing work from his website:
http://www.lapissolaris.com/
or Marjorie's site:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MixesJewelry
or send money to:
http://pledgie.com/campaigns/8106
or send artwork to:
Gemstone and Bead
Attn: Jessica Boggs
1937 Military Trail Suite 1
West Palm Beach, FL. 33409

with a note to say you are donating to Joe's surgery fund
thank you ever so much!!

More Alien Fruit!

2010-02-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

This time I decided to etch them and see what they looked like....well I gotta say I like them even better than the regular versions....
I am going to keep going with this series and try to do different shapes....in the meantime, I am also finding the zen of doing spacers. Something I never had the patience of doing before. I think it is the vibrant colors of Bullseye that relax me and get me excited about making sets.

Necklaces I am donating to Craft Hope

2010-01-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:
YAY!! All the necklaces sold! Thank you so much Elke, Josephine and Maggie! You made a difference! Thank you so much for donating to Craft Hope and Doctors without Borders and for purchasing my artwork!
Love to you all!!!

I am not sure if they posted in the Craft Hope Etsy store yet, but I donated 3 necklaces. From my Alien Fruit exploration....

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

We are all aware of the tragedy in Haiti and the incredible need people have for help. It is amazing to know that so many people are stepping up to the challenge. As artists and crafters, we have the unique ability to use our art for good and join in the effort. I saw a link to this website, Craft Hope for Haiti and I encourage you to consider helping by either donating your artwork or purchasing a handmade item. After fees and shipping costs are subtracted, all monies will go to Doctors Without Borders. I just bought a felt brooch and am going to donate some floral beads and whatever else I can think of that people might buy......to know that your artwork is helping someone is truly priceless. Within our hearts and our hands we have more power than we think.

Butterfly Bead challenge!

2010-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

I just read this note from Robert Simmons, director of Beads of Courage Bead Donations:

I want to wish everyone in the glass community a Happy New Year from all of us at Beads of Courage. I got the latest figures from our CEO and Founder, Jean Baruch, and thought I would let you know where we stand today.

We are in 60 children’s hospitals throughout the United States, New Zealand and Japan. We support over 10,000 children coping with a serious illness. This estimate includes all children we serve who are coping with treatment for cancer, a life threatening cardiac or blood condition, or children coping with traumatic burn injuries. We now provide the Beads of Courage Program for children with cancer, blood conditions, cardiac conditions and burn injuries. All beads donated by artists are given to children for treatment milestones.

Unfortunately, many children we support die each year. The butterfly beads continue to be in high demand from all our member hospitals. There is nothing that can come close to the beauty of a handmade butterfly bead that brings much needed comfort to parents who are coping with the loss of their child.

In 2010 we already have 10 new hospitals ready to start the Beads of Courage Program.

We do depend on financial contributions too to help pay for the manufactured program beads we must purchase to keep up with demand (and for program integrity/consistency). We appreciate all donations.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in 2009 and all of the years since we began this journey. Each bead is a treasure and we appreciate every one that comes to us. We depend upon bead donations which truly bring the ART to our “arts-in-medicine” mission. Thank you for your glass, your talent and that most precious gift, your time. I look forward to working with you in 2010.

Robert Simmons
Director for Bead Donations
Beads of Courage, Inc.

...so, you know what that means...time to get this ball rolling!
if you have any ideas or thoughts on donating or making Butterfly beads for Beads of Courage, please comment and let me know!
I am thinking of a contest for most butterfly beads created.....something big!
I need your help!
Thanks so much Glass Family!!

Winners of the Beads of Courage drawing!

2010-01-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

GTT Cricket—Leslie Cox
Aether—Rachel McCormick
Special odds—Sassy Glass... See More
Coral assortment---Lea Zinke
frits-tn2, psyche—Renee Mathies
frits triton, gaia--Humblenewbie--Theresa
book-Sue in Maine
silver collection-Linda Ostrom
reduction frit pack--angie09
$100 gift cert-Leslie Dana Baer
$50 gift cert-Casey Schell

Thank you so very much for your very generous contributions! You make the difference in a child's day! On behalf of Beads of Courage, I say...You all are the best! Our glass community rocks out loud!
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you so much everyone for giving your time, efforts, creativity and love! You are so appreciated!!
Much Love!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2009-12-31T12:16:00.001-08:00

As 2009 comes to a close, I'd like to wish you and yours all the best for the coming year! May the new decade bring you much joy, happiness and glassy goodness!! Thank you so much for all your support in the past several years....I never knew this hobby would take off the way that it has, and it is all due to you! I appreciate you all so much and wish you well on your own glass journeys!
With love, nagi

2 more weeks til the drawing!!!

2009-12-19T11:48:00.001-08:00

If you donate art, beads or money to Beads of Courage between November and December of this year, let me know and I will enter you in a drawing for some cool prizes!!
Just 2 weeks left! BoC will even take manufactured beads as well, so get those sparklies in the mail!!

Bullseye flower hearts

2009-12-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Continuing the experimentation with sculpture on beads, I am focusing on flower hearts. The flowers are 3 -D elements over the hearts...they are fun to make!

Bullseye and experimentation

2009-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

I am trying a few new things this month....big holed beads, sculptural beads and some tests for juzu beads. Here are some of my results. The glass is Bullseye. The dichroic beads are both Bullseye and COE 104.

Felting!!!

2009-11-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

A new hobby is on the horizon....I was inspired to try my hand at felting after I purchased an incredible felt scarf from Lori Lochner....My friend Elizabeth gave me some starter tools and wool to try out and wow is it ever fun! I ran out to Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica to get more wool but had to go online to get a good variety of colors. Of course, I decided to make flowers and I found this hobby quite relaxing....here are my first attempts....
I didn't have a good range of colors so I improvised and felted together some yarn and yarn threads as well....it is so much fun and there is no sewing involved! :-D
Now I want to try and incorporate glass and silver to see what I cna come up with...lots of fun ahead!

Beads of Courage Challenge/Game

2009-11-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, technically, I never know what to call these things--games, contests....but by any name, this is my way of encouraging you to help some kids and have some fun at the same time. Beads of Courage is a great organization that helps kids with cancer cope with their treatments. Each time a child finishes a treatment, they get to pick a bead to add to their treatment necklace. I am challenging you to donate beads or other artwork to Beads of Courage through the end of the year. Beads of Courage will accept any artwork they can sell in their gift shop( I sent them marbles and pendants), so even if you do not make beads, please consider donating an artpiece. In return, I will enter your name in a drawing for a chance to win some prizes. Just let me know what and when you have donated and I will add your name. Honor system, please.
Personally, I have decided to donate all the glass work I make(of course except pre-promised work) for the month of November to Beads of Courage.
IN a short while I will post some of the prizes that will be offered in this contest....since there are non--glass people entering as well, there will be non-glass related prizes. Please specify if you want to be included in the glass or non glass or either category. thanks!!!!

Happy 80th Birthday to my Dad

2009-11-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Dad-
I want to wish you a very happy 80th Birthday and take the time to tell you just how much you mean to me. You have sacrificed so much and worked so hard to help me(and my sisters) get to where we are today. We are the people we are because of you(and Mom). Thank you. I will never forget the times you came home from work, so exhausted you couldn't stand up. As I watched you lie on the floor in pain, your back in knots, I vowed to work harder and be a better person. And even with all that pain, pressure from work and stress, you never complained. You always greeted us cheerfully and asked us how our day was. With your busy schedule, you were gone before we woke and came home late, yet always found time to be with us(and sometimes make sure we were doing our homework :-P).
You are an amazing leader and the calm in the eye of the storm. Whenever I have a problem, I know I can turn to you for excellent advice. When I feel I can't go any further, you are always there to tell me how to push through my barriers and continue forward. Your words of encouragement and acts of 'gaman'(endurance) inspire me and help drive me to achieve and persevere. It's not just in our daily life, but in emergency situations.... I remember when we had the brush fires that came close to the house. We were all in a panic and then you came home and told us to calm down. You asked Mom to make dinner then proceeded to take a bath and relax, just as if it was a regular day. Sure enough, the fires never got close and all went well. Your attitude in emergency situations is to be admired. Even in the big earthquake back in '71, which was incredibly scary, you and Mom were prepared for evacuation within minutes. I remember running over to my goldfish bowl and hugging it to try and keep my goldfish safe. You said that was good and advised me to keep all the doors open so if there was an aftershock I would not be trapped. No matter what happened, I always felt safe because you were there. You always had an answer for everything and gave incredibly good advice(maybe I should have listened to your advice more!) and was understanding even when I didn't listen to you or take your advice. Your patience knows no bounds--remember when you tried to teach me to drive standard?I got stuck at the stop light on Meats and it was half way up the hill. I kept starting and stopping the car so many times because I let the clutch out too soon and couldn't get the timing right. You got so sick and had to lay in bed for the entire rest of the day but encouraged me to keep practicing and work on timing. Thanks Dad--I really appreciate the time and effort you put into me.
On the flip side, you have a great sense of humor well hidden in your stoic outer self. Once, when we were kids, it was raining and Leslie and I were kinda sad that we couldn't play. You came over and did the batchi dance as a gnome. You made us laugh so hard we forgot all our sadness. When I close my eyes I can see that day as if it just happened, and when life gets sad, I think of that time and I am instantly happy again. So many times you played practical jokes--some that really scared me but all with a sense of humor upon which I look back with such fondness. The time Leslie and I were watching a scary TV show where this lady opened her drapes and there was a dead body hanging in the window. We screamed and you laughed and said that wasn't scary. Then the next day I was getting ready for school and opened the drapes and you were pretend hanging there just like the guy in the show. I screamed so loud and we both busted out laughing so hard it was truly awesome. I will always cherish that moment. That and the popping out of closets and ninja tactics that you liked so much. You scared me so bad once I fell over unable to stand! I think I like practical jokes so much because of you. I also love the block strike games you played with me, Leslie and sometimes Sandra. This game is still my favorite game of all and whenever I have the opportunity to play it, I think of it fondly as if I am 7 years old trying to find an opening to strike you. Some of the advice you gave me then I am finding I still need to work on now. Especially leaving my head open because I don't use my guard hand. And that leads us to those crazy feats of physical power. I have yet to meet another person whose dad would jump off the roof and land unharmed. Who can catch a rattlesnake and bring it home to his kids, or do any number of things you do with ease and aplomb. You used to say you were superman and I really did think you were. Now I know you really are a super man. You are truly one of a kind.
Your schedule was always so busy but when it cleared, you would take us fishing. These were my favorite jaunts. Mom would make a nigiri bento and we would wake up at some ungodly hours like 3am. We would get out there, be it at the pier or at a stream, and you would set everything up for us and we would fish. Most times we didn't catch anything, but it was fun just to be out there together. I still enjoy fishing today, even though I don't go as often as I would like . Being near the ocean or a stream reminds me of those times. I think that exploring nature affinity for the outdoors and nature has rubbed off on me and I long to go on the adventures I imagined as a child. Maybe fulfilling, in part, the side of you that you never got to experience because you had us. And that gets us to your commitment and drive. I wish I had one tenth of the iron will power you have. Your ability to over come any hardship and attain any goal is amazing. I don't know where half that power comes from, but I am amazed and in awe of it. There are very few people in this world that have this inner strength tied in with gentle compassion for everyone. I have seen you be so compassionate to people you don't even know. You would go out of your way to help someone even if it had no benefit to you. You have an amazing capacity for putting yourself in other people's shoes and helping people when they need help. Sometimes to your own detriment, as Mom often says. But that is a very beautiful quality and I strive to achieve a nuturing kindness and altruism that I find in you. Thank you so much for the gift of your compassion.
Dad- I think I could keep going on but you know how I feel even if we don't talk much. Your love is in everything you do and have done for us. Thank you so much. I love you more than I can even say. Your name, Hideyo, means hero or conqueror of the world and you joke that your dad gave you too powerful a name. I disagree with that, for you are the hero of my world and the world of everyone you touch. Thank you so much for giving me such a wonderful life full of more happiness than any one person could ask for. I am truly and humbly grateful that I was born to this family and have the opportunity to call you Dad. So thank you Dad, and Happy Birthday. I wish you many many more years of joy on par with the joy you give.

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

A quick wish for a very Happy Halloween to you all! I hope the beginning of the holiday season sees you happy and healthy! And here's to wishing the economy picks up soon.

Best wishes for a successful season to all you glassy peeps out there! Love and luck to you all!

A wonderful quote

2009-10-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to Facebook and here is one of the reasons why....a quote that was posted by Katie Elrod(thanks Katie!):

You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life ......and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you've lost them forever. -- Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

The older I get, the more I can appreciate this message. If you have hopes and dreams, don't just wish for them, find a way to make them come true! We only live once so make it count! Have fun and don't get caught up in the "have to's" and "shoulds"!

Just an FYI

2009-10-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted of late because it has been so busy and my life is full of schtuff. Kung Fu being one of the bigger parts of it! I'm having a blast!
I'm also working on getting back into actually drawing by hand(no control z button!) and possibly start up painting again. I am not sure about the later half, I think I have to sneak up on it. Those of you who are artists understand just how hard creating something is. It can be so painful and yet something you can't live without. I think I transferred that energy somewhat into photography--much easier and less painful. Much less frustrating too--you can capture movement and emotion quickly and there is no pondering or noodling. You either have the shot or you don't--no cheating or guessing. I recently found a site where people of Wing Chun skills get together and actually fight--not tournament style, but actual no holds barred survival fighting. I have been pondering this alot, but I am interested in sketching and photographing these fights if they will allow it. I am so intrigued by the fight spirit and the individual--what makes a fighter and what is that elusive quality within each fighter that makes them special? There are alot of technical issues I need to address(my equipment is now outdated and I am sure there are faster cameras available). Lighting--I am sure the area will not be properly lit--am I to make workable photos or just reference photos? Will they fight naturally with a camera pointed at them?
Anyhoo, it is an idea that keeps growing and growing and I have to decide whether to follow it to its end or go in another direction....
so, alot of thinking involved...
that's where I am today.
And where does glass come in? I am writing another article which should be in print early next year. I am still trying to figure out a way to incorporate Kung Fu and glass together so I can do both at the same time. That's it for now--time to get back to it!
Love to you all and best wishes on your own art journeys!

Some doodles....

2009-08-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Not glass related, but I did some doodles recently and wanted to post them. I am starting a sketchbook of actual hand drawn drawings(no Cintiq--gasp!) and maybe when I have some time I will scan some of them in so you can peek. I am so out of practice, but am having some good fun. It's been a while and I am finding it all very refreshing. I think I needed this.....

Oh, and yeah, they are mostly kung fu related....I know, I am obsessed.....well, but these are not....the top pic is a study for an assassin girl...I was thinking of doing a comic, but not sure if I have the stamina to do one....maybe it will just remain a doodle.....who knows....I am ADD girl..too many things I want to do!

Sarah Hornik class!!!

2009-08-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

I was able to take a couple of Sarah Hornik classes this past weekend and they totally rocked! Casey came back into town so that was an added treat! If you have a chance, you should take Sarah's class--she is a great teacher and wonderful artist!
Here are a couple of beads I made after taking her class. They are inspired by her Barbie Bling beads. I got the Dichro from The Mandrel and this dichro is really nice--it doesn't burn!

8-9-3 Jack Hsu and his amazing graphic novel debut!

2009-05-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have the privilege of working with Jack Hsu and am so very happy to see this review/preview of his work 8-9-3! He has been working on this book for years and the amount of research he put into it is astounding. So much accuracy in the history and culture of the Japanese underworld. And, the story is great--this book reads like a movie and I wouldn't be surprised if it make it to the silver screen one day.
Congratulations Jack, on your award, this review and the completion of your amazing book! Best Wishes for continued success!! You deserve it!!

Diamond Publishing Preview

Peek!!

2009-05-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

I can't take it anymore!! I want to show off a horse head I did with Momka's new silver experimental. It is purple purple! So I won't use the photo I used for the ad, but a photo from the session....so without further ado...here he is! The body is clear encased Momka's silver experimental and the mane is Momka's Thunder Sparkle that was not struck so as to keep it dark.
I am going up north and begging Momka to sell me as much as I can afford of this color. Peeps, don't beat me to the punch!!

Seattle in a week!

2009-05-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Next week I will be on a plane to visit Seattle with my friend Casey! We are going to have a blast!!! Double Helix, Momka, Gaffer, Hot Glass Color and Supply are a few places that are on the list!!! Can you say the poor house it will be for the both of us?!! Then Hubby is going to join us and Casey will go home to Colorado, and Hubs and I will make the trek up to Vancouver to see my uncle. Then it is back to Seattle to do some serious seafood eating and sightseeing. I can't wait. I have a ton of work I need to get through before all this can happen and I am working on getting through this week!!!
I am also looking into some serious eating establishments here to take Casey to....one for sure is Sweet Lady Jane's...an awesome bakery. All natural ingredients--beautifully decorated. Then there is a toss up... La Brea Bakery and Campanile, The Little Door, Comme Ca, Chaya, Taste, Massimo's, XIV? I dunno, could be fun to try these, or the good NoHo standbys, D'Cache or Ca' Del Sole....it'll kick off the fun!
But first-I need to dig through this giant mountain of work!!

YAHOO!

2009-05-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

It was easy and now I have a brand new more powerful gallery too. It will take me some time to get the gallery to where it was, but I am ecstatic. Customer support was insane. Within a minute of clicking the submit button, I got a phonecall. Unbelievable. Everything was one click easy.
YAY! and YAY!!!
I was sick all day and feeling poopy, but this made me smile. Wish everything could be so simple!!

GoodBye IPower!!!

2009-05-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Well, if all goes well, within the next 48 hours I will have a new website provider. A better, faster, stronger one. Thank heavens!! This past year has been a rough one and I think more than a few grey hairs can be attributed to my interactions with IPower. After much research, I came to try InMotion Hosting. They offer many things that I like, and we shall see in the coming months how things go. This will also be a spring board for me to revamp the ailing website. There are many tools that are now at my fingertips and it's exciting to know that I'm not going to be charged extra. Exciting times ahead!
And of course, as soon as I notified them of my change to InMotion, they cut off my gallery page. Thanks IPower! Yet another reason to run away from ya!

Art and the Body

2009-04-05T11:52:00.001-07:00

For the longest time, I thought that as an artist, all I needed was a strong mind, a good eye and good hand- eye coordination. Body? As long as it was alive and could move my hand, I didn't give it much thought..... it was there but it was just THERE if you know what I mean. It was the reject child of my life that brought me nothing but disappointment. In art, I could be totally free and powerful. I could communicate ideas and thoughts that I could not articulate in real life. I could secretly nurture my hurt and protect myself from pain. And, I could go on adventures and do the things I knew I could not do in real life. But anyway, I digress. Back to this artist's body.... Most of us artists have spent countless hours behind the desk or at the torch, studying to get the skills and technique of our craft down. We live on caffeine and fast food....anything that will not take time away from our precious studies. Where does that leave our bodies? At the bottom of the 'to do' list. How did I feel? Like my body looked—terrible. At 42, I felt my life should be over. I was in a lot of pain, chronically tired (anyone who remembers me from back then will remember just how exhausted I was) and sick, sick, sick all the time. I think at one point I was sick every 6 weeks. I secretly wondered if this was all there was to life. I decided I had to do something to turn things around, but I didn't think it was possible. I felt lost. That is when a friend introduced me to my now trainer, Alona(thank you Dana!). With her help, I started on the path to rediscovering my body and learning that it is possible to have a healthy body if I give it the same love and attention I give my art. Now, at age 45, I feel like I did when I was in my 20's. That feeling of mortality has slowly shifted away. I am Alive. But what does a healthy body have to do with art?
I am learning, kicking and screaming(yes, it is emotionally not easy to come to grips with!), that I need to have a healthy and fit body to do good and happy art. Feeling alive and vibrant pushes you to take more chances. It clears the mind and allows space for true freedom. And only being sick about once a year ain't bad either. All this sounds like a given, doesn't it? What was the old saying? Sound Body Sound Mind? Well, there is a difference between knowing it, and experiencing it. And that is just it. Knowledge stays in the brain, but understanding goes through every cell.
And here, we arrive at M11. This work deals with physical and mental healing through dynamic flexibility. We learn to move our bodies in ways that we never have before, to open up the body's natural healing response. At first, it seems too simple to believe, but like art, the more you learn, the more you realize there is a lot of complexity behind that simplicity. What is this natural healing response? The body, through blood, nourishes and replenishes itself constantly. If there is an infection or wound, white blood cells aggregate to protect and heal. The more blood flows through an area, the quicker toxins are removed, cells are nourished and the faster everything returns to homeostasis. As we age or are injured, we avoid painful movement. The more we do this, the stiffer we get. Less blood flows through these areas and we lose function. Leonardo Da Vinci touched on this notion in his notebook, he writes:
“The body of anything whatsoever that receives nourishment continually dies and is continually renewed. For the nourishment cannot enter except in those places where the preceding nourishment is exhausted, and if it is exhausted, it no longer has life. Unless therefore, you supply nourishment equivalent to that which has departed, the life fails in its vigour; and if you deprive it of this nourishment, the life is completely destroyed. But if you supply it day by day, then it renews its life just as much as it is consumed.......”
Of course, we learned this to be true in science class, but once again, this very simple statement belies the complexity of what actually is happening in our bodies. We don't understand our physical body(or the universe) as much as we would like to. We can, through experimentation, come up with hypotheses as to the nature of an ailment and find a good solution, but the human mind has a flaw—it naturally orders and compartmentalizes things. We think linearly—this action sets off this reaction and that reaction sets off yet another. But Mother Nature works on so many levels that we cannot even comprehend. We cannot see into the multiplicitous activities of the body. With this Dynamic Flexibility class, we learn to go back and trust our bodies and allow them to do what they were meant to do.Heal on all levels. It seems easy but is very hard to do. You have to let your brain stop trying to take control.
I do the work--it's been week 10 now--and physically here is what I am noticing:Sore back, gone. Shoulder pain, gone. I still have pain in my neck, due to chronic usage, but the flare ups I get have lessened to the point where I am healed overnight. I am a bit surprised to find that the nerve damage from my horseback riding fall is starting to dissipate—I mean, I have had this numbness for well over 10 years—how could it be going away? Pretty amazing. Mentally,I still resist much of it, I think because I hate being weak and it is like someone poking a finger on your weak spot continually over and over. All you want to do is karate chop that finger away and hide but in reality, the only way to stop the pain and frustration is to go through it and come out the other end. There is a lot of stuff I know I have to deal with, but I am fighting it tooth and nail. I don't know if mentally I can overcome things, but I am physically doing the work and I hope that my mind will follow. It's a strange thing to do for people who are used to leading with the mind first.
There's so much more to it, but really, it cannot be explained. It has to be experienced. I'm just a beginner in this work and there is a long road ahead. Will I be able to continue and progress? I don't know. It's scary territory. All these emotions come up and I don't know what I am doing. But I do know one thing. It is slowly freeing me of the mental oppression I felt doing my artwork. I cannot explain it. I stopped painting 5 years ago because it caused too much mental anguish. I would approach that empty canvas with dread and every brushstroke was pain. I won't go into it here because it's too personal, but it's enough to say that I almost gave away my easel....my beloved easel. And yesterday, for the first time in over 10 years, I did a life drawing and felt for the first time in five years, the urge to paint. So yes, in a way I cannot explain, the health of my physical body is healing my mind and that is why having a healthy body is so important to good art. Okay, I have to stop writing because this is too much for a Sunday morning.....but I will continue my reports here and there. I wish you all the very best in your artistic journey and may you all find what you are looking for.

Figure study

2009-03-30T14:36:00.001-07:00

The torso is Loki's Lipstick...with clear core ....Using contrapossto....getting in the mood for something larger....

Loki's Lipstick

2009-03-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

One word: LOVE.

Round Three--Viperfish

2009-03-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

I had another go with the viperfish.....This Glow Glass is alot of fun--the glow is fairly powerful--more so than the powders--it just tells me that I wasn't mixing the concentration high enough....Thre was some encasement issue that I need to go and explore. But this is a fun glass and has lots of potential--much easier to incorporate into the workflow!!!

Glow Glass!

2009-03-22T07:24:00.001-07:00

Joe Imler of Glow Glass has teamed up with Origins Glass to create a wonderful new product--Glow Glass borosilicate bars.

So far, the glow is pretty nice on these bars. It does better when on the surface, but will give a nice glow even when encased. Don't thin it out too much or the glow will be diminished. It's fun stuff!
Here is an attempt at a viper fish...I used both the green and the aqua on him....the head popped off, but I am going to give it a go again and also add some glow detail to the fins....
lots of fun ahead!!
:-D

Bucephalus

2009-03-10T20:32:00.001-07:00

Harkening back to my days of elementary school when I was obsessed with Przewalski's horse... and the Greek style horses...the clipped mane and thick neck features...
This bead is about an inch and a half tall from tip of the ear to bottom of the neck....made of Effetre Dark Silver Plum.

Quick Sketch

2009-03-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

In drawing there is the quick sketch--this is the glass equivalent...just trying to capture gesture, not detail....
This is Momka's Yellow Pearl.

Second Try....

2009-03-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

A bit better results today....I think the jaw muscle ended up being too small, but oh well...there is always next time. I really like the new Momka's color Aurora Borealis...it's an Amber Purple with lots of sparkle in it. When held up to the light, the burgundy of this color really shows up and it is beautiful. The image on the left shows the side I reduced--more greens and opaques. The image on the right was worked normally and shown in indirect sunlight to showcase the burgundy tones.
While I was warming up to get ready to make the horse head, I thought I would practice my marbles and made Cosmic Ruby....a dichroic galaxy center with backing of sparkling ruby. Lots of fun...Unfortunately I forgot to wear my full helmet instead of my half helmet so I have a bit of a sunburned(or technically a torchburned) face....ouch!

Back to Basics

2009-03-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have been getting the sculpting bug again but boy can it be frustrating at times. Sometimes things work out and the glass flows nicely and other times you feel like you are fighting the whole way. I've been playing a bit with COE 104...wow it is hard...it's much easier to sculpt in boro. I did figure out about how long I can get away with moving the glass before the dreaded 'tink' ....
I did my first male sculpture and wouldn't you know, I forgot to pull some stringer for the detail(ehem).....the only stringer I had was a DH odd lot. Then I put it in the kiln only it was set at boro for 4 hours....(why do I not think of these things sometimes?). So I figure, oh well, he will be a blob, but I will learn from it. Pull him out of the kiln today and he had become a nice blob of ochre except for his privates, which struck to a very dark burgundy purple! Nothing like cracking yourself up when you open the kiln! LOL!!!
Next was my horse head sculpture. I haven't done it in a while so I thought I would pick it up again.....well, of course I did not pull any stringer for detail AGAIN(talk about not being prepared!) so he had to settle for being blobby too. Over all, I think I am out of practice. The only angle I am happy with is the one I am posting....
Note to self....if you are going to do sculpture, prep first! Otherwise, be prepared to laugh in the morning!!!

Crystalflipz Dichroic Stringer

2009-03-03T07:00:00.001-08:00

I have been using these amazing stringers for a while now and I have to say they are one of the most useful innovations for COE 104 glass. No longer is dichroic a pain! These stringers are so easy to use, do not burn out and last a long time. Since they are stringers, they can be used like traditional stringers--on the surface, in a twist, dot or wherever you want to have a spot of sparkle. My favorite colors are the Magenta Gold and Bright Gold stringer, but all the colors are lovely. She is also concocting new variations. I just tested some rubino and murrini stringer that are out of this world. I can't wait to get my hands on more of them!

There are different sizes of sparkle, from fine(gives a subtle sheen) to large speckled for an almost glitter effect. She takes special orders but has regular colors listed in her Etsy store.
I've still yet to discover all the possibilities with this stringer, but I know I am going to have alot of fun along the way!

The beads above have red stringer with gold dichroic--a beautiful way to shimmer. Also, it's hard to see, but the flower has rubino with Magenta sparkle in it. I love the icicle effect of this stringer when overlapped one over the other on the bead...it goes so well with silver glass too!
the bead on the left below has gold stringer over the orange for a subtle glitter. The bead on the right I used the stringer to twist the glass. It leaves a gorgeous sparkle filled dot!

DoubleHelix and Trautman Art Glass color fun!!

2009-03-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

I had some time to play this weekend so I thought I would play...
Double Helix had a new Odd Lot--T-256....similar to T-265 but more opaque. A bit tricky to play with at first until you figure out what to look for. This is one of those colors that can strike even under clear encasement. Watch the timing!
I haven't played with Trautman Art Glass in a long time. I thought I would try a color that I bought but never got around to--Transcendental. Jenny had sent me a bonus rod of Blue Transcendental so I tried a bit and really liked it. Not wanting to waste my only rod, I pulled out the Transcendental stock rods I had and wonderfully, they worked up the same. I love this color!! Lots of gorgeous pinks and wispy blues. It needs a different treatment than normal(well, at least for me it did) but once you figure it out, it is easy to get the colors to bloom. I was supposed to make some other beads for a prototype I am working on but got caught up in this color and spent the rest of the evening making Transcendental beads!

Valentine's Day Tiki

2009-02-25T17:29:00.001-08:00

Hubby shocked and amazed me with a wonderful Valentine's Day gift! A tiki powder coated in my favorite Candy Apple red! It's got gorgeous sparkles in it, but it was impossible to photograph.
Anyhoo, I am in heaven and soooo very proud of the Hubs too...Thank you so much Hubby for making my life so very wonderful! You are my gift and I need nothing else(but I will happily accept powder coated tikis!!)....thank you thank you!!!

Luna 2.1 and T-265

2009-02-23T09:38:00.001-08:00

WOW--some fun striking colors from Double Helix!
this bead below is Luna 2.1 kilned to 1060F for 4.5 hours. I wanted to see if the colors would stay in an elevated kiln temp and they do! I am in love!!

Happy Valentine's Day/President's Day Weekend!

2009-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Just want to wish you all a wonderful Valentine's Day and President's Day!!
Hubby surprised me with a cozy dinner at Kona Restaurant. This is our dessert--a red velvet cheesecake wrapped in white chocolate. He also ordered flowers to be brought in for our table.....Hubs is the best!

Galaxy Glass has a Website!

2009-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

I used to order glass from Galaxy Glass on eBay, and now she has a website! In her Odds and Ends page she has many of the colors I adore. I was able to get some original Terra! She is posting these colors here and there--check it out! I also got some T-25--the magic stuff(along with Terra, of course...this one stays more in the blue/purple stage while Terra does the rainbow effect)! I am overjoyed. Jed has not been able to duplicate this color yet(he's gotten an amazing opaque version with Terranova 2, but this is semi opaque and has a watercolor-like texture to it that is ethereal.).
Amazingly, she has Sea Foam Green, River Rock, Black Metallic and that lovely lovely pale butter Opal Yellow that I had a hard time resisting. I've got a good amount so I am okay for now, but if you haven't tried it, it is a non-reactive ivory that perfectly accents silver glass. Very nice glass that is not often available.
Anyhoo, a great new resource for glass from a familiar face! Welcome and congratulations Deonne!!

Aether Seconds...

2009-02-06T20:30:00.001-08:00

...are really firsts....well almost!
I don't have alot of time, but melted a bit and made a simple bead. WOW--this is like the regular Aether! Great job Jed! I am one happy camper!
and check out the Terranova 2 Shards container--cool!

Bullseye February Odds part 2!

2009-02-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

YAY! I was able to pick up some of the colors I missed before from Bridgetown Glass.
From the description, I thought I wanted Buttered popcorn, but when I saw the photo I think that Astro Yellow was the color I was looking for. I LOVE Lily White--the odd lot from a while back-- and was hoping it could be made again. I think this is a close match and have ordered some to see. I'm excited about the Silver Blue Tint...I also bought a few rods of the Berry Blast, Lemon Ice and Strata.
Berry Blast looks a bit orangey--it's got that Sapphirine look that I am not too fond of. Lemon Ice looks so-so. Someone did mention that it looked very pretty in person, so I am still hopeful. Anyhoo, it was an exciting day.

I missed them....

2009-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

I missed getting the Bullseye odds! By the time I called--only a half an hour after the release--only the Astro Yellow and Strata remained....boohoo...but, there is still hope.....
Bridgetown Glass or M&D Designs sell odds, so I will be stalking them for sure tomorrow!
c'mon Buttered Popcorn!!!

Bullseye Odds on sale Thursday!

2009-02-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

Finally, my first Bullseye odds sale since buying the Studio Hot Rodz Set! It starts this Thursday and I can't wait! Usually they come out with about 4 colors to choose from. Last time there was an assortment of Green marble, Smoke, and some very nice yellows, pinks and orange. My favorite had to be the absolutely gorgeous Wild Mulberry. The rods were very shocky but the color was totally worth the extra care needed to melt this glass. The Peach Glaze was also a big hit! I was able to get a bit of the Sand Dune, but have yet to try the silver reaction Breezy posted on LE. I liked the Mist but it did need to be worked very cool in order to preserve the pearlescent quality of the glass--simply stunning over transparent Fuchsia!!
Anyhoo, Bullseye offers an amazing 50% off retail if you 1. buy the Hot Rodz pack(I think they are no longer offering this pack and I don't know what the new rules will be, but was assured I could still get the discount) and 2. meet the minimum requirement of $250 purchase. I am not sure if calling or emailing is faster--I know I have to be quick or the choice colors could be gone before I know it. I hope there is another try for Pink Peoni or maybe a sparkly purple? The suspense is killing me!! Just a couple more days! I'll post more info as I get it!

Aura and Aether!

2009-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Double Helix Glass has done it again and released a new color--Aura! The sale started at midnight last night. This color is the culmination of experimentation from last year. I was lucky enough to try the M-166 and M-232 batch and fell in love! Finally--a COE 104 Gold luster glass! Yippee!! I am so happy about this I waited til midnight and have already ordered twice. You can also get beautiful shades of pink and blue from this glass. There is also a hint that it does a bit of the Psyche phenomenon of reduction and striking color shifting.
Along with Aura, Aether seconds are being sold. I have tried Aether and it is hands down the best COE 104 clear on the market. There have been difficulties in getting first quality rods with zero bubbles and he now offers the seconds with approximately 4 bubbles per rod. That's fine--this glass is scum free and that is what counts. Oh, and its compatibility with silver glass. I couldn't help myself and already bought 9 pounds. I decided I should wait a day or two for other people to buy before buying more. I am stocking up because I never want to be without this clear.

Devardi comment

2009-02-04T07:47:00.001-08:00

I got a comment from Devardi spokesperson/owner Natasha but since it had a link I chose not to publish it. Here it is, without the link:
Thanks so much for the post and kind information. You can also read other reviews and feedback by going to(the website)
We welcome all opinions. Thanks, Natasha

thank you for your comment Natasha!
For those interested, please do a Google search. I do not want links on my blog for a glass I am still neutral about. Thanks for your understanding!

Kreative Award

2009-02-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!
Nagiblog just got nominated for a Kreativ Award from Coloraddictions! Thank you so much Kandice! if you have a chance, check out her website as well--many amazing beads to look at and buy....
The rules are to link to 5 blogs that inspire you and also link back to the blog that nominated you.
And to let the nominees know by commenting in their blog. So without further delay, here are my nominees:

Blogner: Lori Lochner's blog--check out her rescue kitties and beautiful photographs. Don't miss her Etsy store either--lots of amazing work there for the picking! Her signature sea urchin beads are absolutley stunning!!
Lodahl Art Glass : Kay Lodahl's cool blog--lots of gorgeous boro creations and beautiful photographs! Her Etsy store is also really cool--lots of yummy treats!
Beadabundant: This is one of my favorite blogs--eye candy plus incredible information! Karolen Deupree is a master of the silver glass! Her website is also a must see!
Bun Drawings: Jennifer Yuh-Nelson--story artist extraordinaire! Her drawings of her favorite subject, her husband, whom she nicknamed "Bun". Inspiring drawings!! Tom, the Bun, also is an incredible artist...check out his website.
Bobopoly: One of the most talented designer/story artists I know! His blog has interesting information about nostalgic animation and of course, his amazing designs! He is also the author of Rocket Town, a beautiful book about the search to find the perfect rocket...

Thank you so much for inspiring me and sharing your lives and artwork with the world. you make the internet a better place! Best wishes for continued success!

Beads made with Devardi Glass

2009-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is Terra over Devardi Purple and encased with Devardi clear. Beautiful encasement glass, but incompatible. I'll run some more tests because the base was CiM Peace. This photo was taken about 10 minutes after the beads came out of a cooled kiln. The cracks continue to grow.

This is Devardi Purple and Amethyst over CiM Peace cased with clear. Incompatible.

This is ASK Bahia blue with Terra thin stringer and Crystalflipz gold dichroic stringer encased with Devardi clear. Very nice clear--very little scum.

More encasements with Devardi base and dichroic foil. The flowers are Effetre Streaky Pink and Rubino. The last bead is a base of Light Rose covered with T-96C and an overlayer of Striking Color A-7......The light rose turned amber.

Devardi Glass Testing

2009-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

There is a new glass from India called Devardi. I thought I would give it a try and see what it is all about. The price is very reasonable at $5.99 a pound. There are some good and bad in this glassline, just as there are good and bad in other glass lines. If you are looking for consistency of rod, this glass is not for you. Compatibility testing is a must, since nothing is known of the company history or testing.
The package came quickly and was nicely packed with aquarium filter fiber. I hope they find a way to change this to mailing bubbles or some other safer method. There were a few chipped ends, but over all, the packaging was fine. The bundle was mixed and unlabeled. This is troublesome because there is no way of knowing what color is what so when restocking, there will be a bit of guesswork. Annoying, but not unliveable.
The rods were seedy, scratchy and irregular. They average around 8-12mm in diameter. Some rods had grooves along the side which made for a shocky experience. The worst so far is the opaque olive(?). This is like that Vetro Marbled Avocado--turned to frit in the flame. Others would shock/shatter when reintroduced in the flame...annoying but liveable. This is not the regular shocking from the size of the rod, but I think from the tiny bubbles that run along the length of the rod.
For the most part, my experience has been good. If the clear had fewer bubbles and less scratches, it would be great clear--it doesn't scum if you get a rod without the scratches(I got one!). The other clear rods I got did have scratches and did form a tiny bit of scum. Still, it was better than some of the other clears available on the market. I was pleasantly surprised.

The light rose was a pretty amber rose color but the rods had a coating of what looked like an accidental spray of shellac or something. A scrubbing could not take it off. Subsequently, this color foamed horribly and was not pretty. When silver color was added over it, it darkened to an amber. If the shellac or whatever the coating is, could be removed, this could be a nice color.
I also tested a transparent green and it was a bit fizzy too. Nothing like the clear or the purple which was very nice. From this I figure each color must be tested individually to see if it is smooth or bubbly.
The Metallic Black is a cheap alternative to the expensive Dark Silver Plum or Effetre Black Metallic. It reacts beautifully with silver colors. So far, surface decorations are nice. I have not tried to encase this color yet, but this is a very nice surprise. It does take a bit more time to strike than DSP and sometimes it's hard to get the rainbow, but for $5.99 a pound, it's pretty nice.
Another nice surprise is the aqua. Unlike Moretti, this color doesn't foam or pit. It does react with Ivory and turns a greyish green. Interesting color, but more tests need to be done.
Encasing will need much more testing, as will compatibility with silver colors.
So far I have cracking with CiM Peace based beads encased with Devardi Purple and Amethyst. Also with encased Terra over Devardi purple. More tests need to be done to show which color the Devardi is incompatible with. Another clear encased bead made with a very thin strip of Terra, dichroic stringer and ASK Bahia Blue came out fine. Since the proof in the pudding for silver glass is a wait of 6 months, it can be a while before the final results will be known.
I tested the dark red and it gets brown reduction in it. I will not be using this red, as there are several good reds on the market that will not turn brown. The purple opaque turned grey coming out of the kiln. I also tried some of the semi opaques but I will redo the test because all of them turned opaque. I think these might be like the Lauscha milky way colors that can only tolerate a very quick annealing time. I will try making a couple at the end of a garage cycle.

Overall, much more testing needs to be done. I do worry about how to market beads made with this glass, but that is me. If I knew more about the company and how they treat their workers and the heart they put into the glass, I think I would be more comfortable. I like to support companies that care, and so far Bullseye, Double Helix and American Boro have those in spades! I also like to support Italian glass because of their history and tradition. The island of Murano is going through some tough times and some of the historic factories are being leveled to make way for hotels. I feel that if I support the production of glass in Italy, I am helping to keep their fires burning and subsequently the history of glass.
Anyhoo--it's time to melt some glass!!

Lalique and Kanzashi

2009-01-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

I love Lalique's Art Nouveau jewelry and the traditional Japanese kanzashi/kushi. I didn't realize it, but many of his combs were inspired by Japanese art. I just ordered a companion book to the Rokusho kanzashi book I got last year. This book is a retrospective of Lalique's combs and includes comparison photos of Lalique's combs to some kanzashi. Really gorgeous carved horn sculpting by both Lalique and the kanzashi artists. If you ever wanted to marvel at a flower, look for Lalique's orchids...incredible(and of course, the Blauschkas glass flowers--amazing!)
I love that he themes his work--he tells a story with his jewelry. His work is beautiful yet sometimes has a slightly haunting feel to it that I love. I hope to be able, in some small way, to capture some of the essence and beauty of nature.....
Anyhoo, to the technical aspects......
I have been thinking of how to make combs out of silver and keep it light....now I wonder if I can do part if it in glass and part in silver.....
The question is...how heavy can a comb be before it becomes too heavy to wear? If it is beautiful, would it matter? Or is part of the beauty in its functionality?
Many questions....
I am still working on some sketches...baby steps....haven't tried anything yet......

I am not sure if these will be marketable at all, but I will be having loads of fun with them.....

Kanzashi fun!

2009-01-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Since I was a kid, I loved to make dough flowers. Mom taught me how to shape roses and mix the dough from scratch. One of my fondest memories was of my Mom making blue roses on toothpicks and painting them with shellac. She would do each of them and line them up on some styrofoam blocks until they dried. Then she would make pins or decorate combs. I was obsessed, and would make roses whenever I had free time. I would try and make them more and more realistic and decorate pins and hair combs. In class, I would take the kneaded rubber erasers and make roses--anything that was in the least bit doughy turned into either a flower or a horse.
Years later, Fimo came around and that was really a neat medium for flowers. It was harder to form than dough, but pretty. I think I still prefer the dough my Mom taught me how to make. It makes for rock hard flowers and kinda looks similar to cold porcelain. In Japan, there were clubs formed around bread dough decorations and I found several publications at the local J-bookstore. I pored over their techniques but felt that forming by hand was better than all the molds or presses....Then this interest naturally transitioned to sugar, and now to glass!

Making glass flowers has taken me back down memory lane....It's fun and relaxing. Mom is still making kanzashi(the Japanese hair ornaments) out of fabric and beads. I gave her some of my beads and can't wait to see what she will come up with. In the meantime, during the holidays, I decided to make a couple myself, using Glass beads and Swarowski crystals. What fun! I feel like I am 5 years old again and making dough flowers :-D

Shogatsu and Mom's Amazing Feast

2009-01-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! or Shogatsu Omedeto! In Japanese....
January first is a special day for Japanese people, and my Mom is the one in our family to keep up the tradition. The day before, Mom slaves over the stove, concocting amazing culinary feasts. All the cooking has to be done before midnight. At midnight there is a noodle dish that is eaten called "toshi-koshi soba" which means literally the year traversing noodle.....something you eat to cross over into the new year. When we were kids, we would watch Kohaku Uta gassen--a singing contest with all the Japanese stars of the year vying male against female. Red is for women and white is for men. very fun. It is still a nice custom that my sisters enjoy :-D but I seemingly have not kept up with.
In the morning of the first, it is customary fro the man to get up and do the cooking of the miso/mochi soup called Zoni. Dad is not one for tradition, so Mom is the one who makes it in our house....Supposedly men were to do it as a way of purifying the kitchen for the new year....hmmmm....
Anyhoo, The meal starts with new leaf green tea and zoni, and then the sky is the limit. Mom used to make Tai--a Sea Bream that is tied and broiled to look like it is jumping up. She also made chicken and salmon teriyaki and a host of other things. She still makes more than any family can eat for 5 days....sushi, sashimi, taro root, shrimp....so many dishes and they are all absolutely amazing. Many of the dishes have symbology, like beans. Beans are called "mame" and to be "mame-mame-shii" menas to be industrious. So to ensure you will be industrious throughout the year, you eat beans. Kurikinton(chestnut beans) for money, shrimp for long life, kombu for enjoyment/happiness adn kazunoko to be fruitful........all delicious.....It is one of Mom's treasures that we savor and think about all year.....Thank you Mom!!!

Purple Orchid

2009-01-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Another Tiki bar...this time in El Segundo. We went to eat at Farm Stand first. I must say that this restaurant had very tasty relatively inexpensive food in a nice, casual yet urban setting. Most of the food was Italian but there were small hints of Middle Eastern flavor choices mixed in....My Lemon Chicken came with a delightful Cherry Rice that was similar to the dish I cannot forget from Shiraz Restaurant in Sherman Oaks. This version was a hint sweeter and didn't have the deliciously sour sumac sprinkles....but it was tasty and different. DH got a walnut pomegranate chicken, hoping it would be similar to our beloved Muhammara dip....but it was not, yet still very tasty. We were very happy to have been introduced to such a great place to eat. When we are down here again, we will definitely visit again. The service too, was wonderful and they even gave us coupons for desserts next time we visit! They must have read our minds!!!
Purple Orchid was just a couple of blocks away, and it was a huge bar. It was very clean and the drinks were tasty...not too sweet and served in a tiki mug...yay!
What a delightful evening...

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post my wishes for a Merry Christmas to all!!!
I hope you are having a wonderful restful day full of love and light.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Tiki-Ti

2008-12-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

DH is a big fan of tiki culture so we try to make it a goal to visit as many tiki places as we can.
Here is Tiki-Ti--a wonderful hole in the wall tiki bar in Hollywood. The original bartender used to work at Trader Vic's.
There were many people dressed in Hawaiian shirts and also one person dressed in a 50's houndstooth suit....or was it plaid?--it was hard to see inside the bar. It was a super tiny place but very nice and tasty drinks....I think the DH liked the Tonga Hut better(far fewer people and more low rent)...but it was very nice and a good break from "the usual".

Dreams....

2008-12-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

A post on Lampwork etc. Forum prompted me to think about dreams. Last night I had a very vivid dream about being some kind of gangster guy. I had met up with my brother at his house to just hang out, but was ambushed in the garage by a rival gang. I went for a gun that was in the cabinet but it was shooting blanks. The rivals had gone through the house and emptied all the guns and filled them with blanks. The rival gangleader had a pneumatic gun which shot out upholstery tacks and he shot me in my face, eye and back. He wanted us not only to die, but to suffer.
I ran into the house and was breaking into a wall where I had secretly stashed a magazine for the guns my brother used(.40 Glock). I tested the bullets to make sure they were real and tried to text for help also(no coverage). The gangleader was banging on the door and I shot through it . There was a real life bang and I woke up and stayed in bed until about a half hour later when the neighbor's cat started crying.
But I guess that wasn't weird weird....I did have a dream once that I was a tabloid reporter who was investigating why Brad Pitt had so much interest in South America and the rainforests. I went on a long search and finally found his compound deep in the Amazon. He had discovered dinosaurs and had recruited scores of scientists to develop a telepathy device so he could communicate with them. His plan was to use them to take over the world. He discovered my investigation and gave chase riding on the back of a T-Rex. It was pretty surreal.
These vivid dreams usually happen when I eat something before going to bed. I find them curious!

Christmas in LA

2008-12-11T10:03:00.001-08:00

Hubby surprised me with a nightime jaunt through Downtown LA last night. Usually it is a ghost town but we found some cool Christmasy sights we wanted to share. Pershing Square and City Hall....

An Old Photo.....

2008-12-10T19:39:00.001-08:00

I was cleaning up the studio and came across some old photos--this was one of them. This is Mamoru and Kinako, the bestest Akitas one could ever hope to know. Kinako is about 2 and Yam is about 1 in this photo.(we call Mamoru YamDogs sometimes--it comes from babytalking 'MyaMyoru" to "Mayam" to Yam). I love that big smile of his. Kinako blinked in this photo. I wonder if it was a harbinger of things to come(her blindness)....I miss her terribly and still have her ashes next to my bed, along with her collar. She was pure love.....
I loves them both so much!!!

Today's Creations

2008-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am still having fun with the Bullseye. I finally broke down and purchased the Studio Rodz pak and it should be arriving soon. I can't wait! It also allows the purchaser a 50% discount off the regular price of Bullseye so it is a huge savings.
Here are a couple more experiments and more flowers....

More Flowers!

2008-12-01T13:04:00.001-08:00

I am in love with making Bullseye glass flowers! They are so much fun to make!
I am trying different combos. The flowers at the bottom of the last photo were made with a color called Superman. To be frank, I didn't like this color until I put it under yellow. Then it had a retro feel that I like alot.
I think now I am at the skill level where I can finally make the Lily of the Valley beads that were a request from a friend many years ago. I hope I can do them justice. My thought was to do several white flower beads, some leaf beads and a focal with a small floral picture of the plant....on a base of violet blue....I hope I can do it :-D

Flowers and Hearts!!

2008-11-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

I was working on so much green with the Pitcher plants that I decided to go do something with color afterwards, just to clean things out. I never use my Bullseye but decided to try once again(each time I try, I end up being frustrated because it has very different qualities from the glass I am used to). This time I thought I would try flowers. At first, the flowers were very simple 5 petal dot flowers on a central spacer. Then, as I started to do more, I tried different shapes and sizes...I was having fun!
And when I pulled them out of the kiln, I fell in love--this was fun and the colors were pretty! Finally I am able to understand Bullseye and use it in a way that showcases their characteristics, not fight with it.
I am still in my Bullseye craze--there is so much to learn and experiment with. I love it and I never thought I would hear myself say that. Another COE--oh boy.....
oh...and just to show that I still love boro, the big daffodil is boro... ;-D

More pitcher plants

2008-11-26T09:02:00.001-08:00

The small bleebs are made from uranium glass and placed inside the neon tubing....
to simulate a digesting meal....I was originally going to put a creature inside, but couldn't make one small enough that was identifiable...
need more time and more skillz before approaching it again....the uneven undulations magnidfy the neon in places and gives a cool effect--different than if it was smooth....an unforseen but happy accident!

Pitcher Plants and neon!

2008-11-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yahooo!!! I am finished! I missed my show, unfortunately, but at least I finished my project! Here it is, sans some Sphagnum moss...also a smaller side piece to go with it....
I had a lot of fun and learned alot from the class. Next time I will not choose something so big and green. The neon was so long that to cover it, the boro needed to be longer. I think next time I will try assemblage rather than blowing one giant tube. I am new to hollowwork and it was really hard! The green checked and I was so over the color green afterwards. LOL!!
I enjoyed making the creature. I wanted the trail to be longer to give a sensation of flight, but when it went to get bombarded, it came back with a much shorter trail....but there is always next time! :-D

Pitcher Plants in my kiln

2008-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

There were many things going on these past few months and life has been incredibly busy(and thus, the neglected blog)! Hubby and I are taking a neon class and that has been really fun and exciting, but alot of work. My concept was a pitcher plant with a creature about ready to make a visit, but it has taken me longer than I imagined.

First things first, I have very little tubeworking experience. Note to self. Start smaller next time. LOL! Next, I have no prior experience with neon.....hehe....it's been a seat of your pants experience, but I am so glad that both David and Kazumi, the instructors have been very patient and so helpful.

It's all good and today the first pitcher plants that I kinda sorta like are in the kiln. Some of the tubing is neon lead and one of the sheaths is made of boro. Some of the color devitted, but it looks great--nice texture.

In the next couple of days I will post some pics. I hope to make more and get better. I have been making a ton of stuff for the circular bin of late just learning how hollow glass moves and reacts. It is a different fish than solid rod, hat is for sure! Very cool!

Anyhoo, more coming soon!

Help save the Endangered Species Act

2008-08-12T08:46:00.001-07:00

If it wasn't enough converting 99% of sugar to GMO as well as making it harder for Organic farming to thrive in this country, Bush has decided to end his stay as President by disabling the Endangered Species Act...
Please help out by sending a letter to help stop this from happening:
http://online.nwf.org/protectesa

Tim's Tiki

2008-08-11T22:43:00.001-07:00

It's getting close! Tim is going to be showing his work at Tiki Oasis 8!
It will be open to the public on Sunday August 17th from 10am to 4pm. We are excited as this is our first venture into showing....
Tim is working all day and night getting everything together.
Here is a picture of his sign....he will be selling metal Tiki's, sconces and tshirts with his Tiki designs!
Please cross your fingers for us!

Old Town Alameda

2008-08-11T22:39:00.001-07:00

Alameda had a great small town feel to it. The Alameda Theater had some great neon. It is in a bit of disrepair, but restoration is being undertaken....

Tiki Time!

2008-08-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

First, at Alameda in the Bay area, there is a wonderful little tiki bar called Forbidden Island.
great retro atmosphere that is casual and nice.

Bead Bazaar!

2008-08-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

DH and I drove up to Oakland for the Bead Bazaar at the Gathering. I am still recovering but when I do I will post more....for now, some pics.....

Photographing Boro

2008-08-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Boro is one of the most beautiful glasses to play with. The sparkle is like no other. It is, however, difficult to get good pictures of. What is the true color?
When in sunlight, the colors play and brighten. The pinks seem especially clean. When indoors, the light no longer sparkles through the glass and the art pieces appear somewhat dark.
Getting a good picture that is representative of the true colors is always the goal of an artist. I think I am going to go with slightly shaded photos. They appear slightly bluer but value wise is closer to what the marble would look like indoors....
Below are the comparisons between shooting in full sun and in shade.
Neither photo has been color corrected. The images are straight off my camera and cropped for size....

Earthquakes and Glass....

2008-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

We just had an earthquake today right before lunch. Thank goodness it was relatively small but it does make one wonder--what to do when the big one hits.....

Thinking about my studio, I realize I have a lot of loose glass and areas when glass can fall and block my exit. DH has created a cabinet for me but I still have my rod buckets between me and the doorway, and that has to change.

Also, labelling loose glass so that if it does fall and get mixed up, the COE's can remain separate.

I haven't been home yet to check up. Cross your fingers for me :-)

Double Helix's Terranova II Rocks!

2008-07-11T10:14:00.001-07:00

I finally got some time to make a bead of Terranova II. I was making some boro beads and though the setting was for boro, I really wanted to make a bead from this glass. I haven't been able to torch, so I figured it may not turn out, but at least I made a bead.
I made a solid bead and struck it--only part of it turned purple--the rest was athat tannish greenish look of unstruck silver glass. I dotted some clear on the purple parts in case it all turned brown, so at least some of the purple was preserved. The kiln cycle was still at 3 hours at 1058F but I had to leave, so that was it. I've never tried such a long soak time at boro temp for soft glass.
When I pulled out the bead this morning WOW! I couldn't believe my eyes--the whole bead struck purple!
I love this glass and can't wait to have a bit more time to play and see what else I can do with it!
:-D

New Colors from Momka!

2008-07-08T08:04:00.001-07:00

Momka has done it again! She has created some new colors and has put her spin on some classic colors!
First is Yellow Pearl: Beautiful creamy yellow that turns a nice white when worked hot. I think this will make a wonderful transluscent to opaque white substitute. More testing ahead, but if you've been waiting for Momka to make a yellow, this one is it!
Momka is also working on an extra light yellow. I have yet to test it, due to not being able to torch for a bit, but it looks amazing. This for me, is a dream come true--smooth consistency is a Momka trademark, so I am really looking forward to working with this color!!
Pink!! You heard it--Pink!!! I just got some rods, but I haven't had a chance to work it. Maybe this week sometime! The pics that Lodahl Glass has posted are out of this world! More results soon!
Secret Green(that's all I'm gonna say so far!)
Hopefully in the next few days I will post some new work....Thanks again Momka, for always creating the colors we love!!

Japanese Lampworkers

2008-06-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is an old link of Japanese Lampwork. I am trying to find Atsushi Ono's website still.

I had it on my old computer and need to go back and find it.

Anyhoo, take a peek--I am always inspired by the amazing detail and beauty and I hope you are too!

Momkas Aurora Trails and Orchard Plum

2008-06-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

New colors from Momkas glass!
I had a chance to test these colors out and here are the results.
Aurora Trails: Another fine addition to the multicolor line. Easy to use as is or pulled into twisties.
Aurora Trails requires striking for the full color range which spans the gamut from transparent amber, purple, deep cobalt blues and greens to opaque green, blue, purple and yellow. Stable in deep encasements and stunning as petals in floral marbles. Use twisties of Aurora Trails over clear or white cores in beads for easy multicolored striped beads.

Orchard Plum: encased opaque silver rods that yield vibrant colors. Transparent deep amber purples with halos of purple and blue are possible. Perfect for sculpture. Twist rods heavily and/or compress rod before or during use for the most variegation. The clear coat protects color from overheating quickly. Let cool before striking for best results. Wonderful in beads either used directly or in twisties. Use thin in deep encasements--if worked cool, some faint pastel purple is possible.

Once again, Momka really has worked her magic! Bravo!

Go See Kung Fu Panda!!!

2008-06-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

What an awesome movie! Normally I don't like to mix work and play, but I have to make an exception with KFP! WOW! is all I can say. And please go see this film--you will love it!
Congratulations to everyone who worked on this cool movie! You deserve high praise! Funny, extremely charming and full of Kung Fu goodness --this movie really hit it out of the ball park! Good on ya! I was glad to see Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Rodolphe Guenoden get special nods. Rodolphe did some kickass fight sequences that never made it into Sinbad and it's great to see that they used them here. Jen, of course, is amazing as always! I wish one day her storyboards can have a wider audience--they really need to be made into a book!! Alfred, Rob, Jed(amazing Jed!) , Spyros and all the story crew--a special tip o' the hat to you, from one story artist to another. I was in awe and man, I am so very happy for you all!! Congratulations on a job very well done! I hope the movie continues to do well through out the year and beyond!

Double Helix Odd Lots!

2008-06-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Jed has done it again with some new experimentals!
Of the ones I was lucky enough to grab,there are a few that I really like alot and some that need a little bit more experimentation to find their secret.
Here are the ones I was able to get, and a brief description of what they do. I'm going to keep updating them as I experiment :-D

Reduction:

M-166--pink luster: this glass foams a bit but has a beautiful gold sheen

SL-194-triton/elecktra mix: very much like regular Triton but goes a bit mroe opaque in reduction for me....also has red streaks when heavily reduced

Striking:

T-106:
TN-203: nice striking glass--purple, blues,red, corals, green
KH-133: Khaos experimental. It strikes very dark on my first test bead--but is interesting. It needs more experiments but is very interesting

L-143: light Luna--this color needs heavy heat and multiple strikes. The see through stage is gorgeous. light purples, etc. When it goes in the kiln, it strikes further adn opacifies. Multiple kilnstrikes yield further strikes. More experimentation is needed to figure out optimal color.

TN-200:Amazing! my favorite of the bunch. Strikes to a vibrant purple with bright blue and green opaques. Super nice.

T-96C: Nice strike! Terra that doesn't revert to brown in my kiln. Nice brushtroky color with rich purples, greens, yellows and blues.
T-96B: Nice striking glass--a little lighter.
T-96A-almost identical to T-28 amber luster. It doesn't seem to luster exactly the same, and the strike needs a tad bit more care than T-28, but it is a great substitute!

VK-192-deep cinnamon coral-with silver speckles. There is alot of silver in this glass but the trick is how to coax it out. The red is overpowering and care is needed to preserve the purple. Low kiln temp(940F) helps, as does a very quick work time. Encased, the reds go a light clay red.
RH-204: Really nice colors! Opaque pastelly blue purple, blue grey, rusty orange and green. Really different and reactive. Love it!
RH-198-haven't tried it yet
RH-169:one of my favorite hematinone reds. Will strike to purples, blues and greens.
RH-193: will strike to some extent but needs seeding.
RH-209: haven't tried it yet
VK-211: when worked regular, it goes coral red as do most of the hematinone reds. Seed it by placing it close to other silver glass.

More Focals

2008-05-01T08:07:00.001-07:00

I am really having a ball making soft glass beads. Here are a couple of new focals. There is another style I am working on but it is still in development. I hope you enjoy these beads!

Going Tribal!

2008-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Having alot of fun making patterns and marvering bicones. I made quite a few and my shapes are getting better--yay!!
Here is one of my favorites from the session....

Set Goal

2008-04-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

I cannot for the life of me make sets consistently. I have tried and I do have some sets here and there, but cannot do them on demand. That is why I want to set it up here(pun intended) and now to discipline myself and focus on sets til I have this skill under my wing.
Just so I won't drive myself crazy in the process, I am going to limit the goal to half a set per session or 2 matching beads for sessions around/under 2 hours.
The sets shall be 5 to 7 beads, with or without spacers.
There, I said it! Let it be known throughout the land!

I got a tattoo!!!

2008-04-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, Hubby and I were busy doing our hobbies til the wee hours. I stopped before my usual midnight/1am shutdown to be ready for a full day on Saturday. Went over to see what the Hubs was up to and he was sketching and having a snoot.
We talked for a few minutes and he casually doodled on my arm. It's a normal thing for us and it was around my tricep area, so I just waited for him to finish(he was fast--about 1 minute!).
I tried to peek, but had to go to the mirror to see what he drew.....PUNKED by the Hubby!!! And with one of those permanent India ink pens!!!!!!
But man, he draws so well I couldn't be mad!!
OK sweets, it is on--you better not ever go to sleep...nyar nyar!! >:-D....

More Kugler/ASK fun

2008-04-14T07:12:00.001-07:00

More fun with Kugler/ASK and silver....the reactions are so pretty!
This bead is one of my favorites of today's batch.

Olive, Silver Rattan, Turquoise Ivory and Gaia...

Kugler Stringer test for Compatibility

2008-04-13T16:40:00.001-07:00

I did some stringer compatibility tests for a couple of the Kugler 104 line colors. The stringer test is fairly simple and is not entirely accurate but gives a quick result. The more compatible the two colors are, the straighter the stringer. The boro/Moretti stringer bent so much that it shattered into many pieces.

Some fun with Psyche....

2008-04-13T08:24:00.001-07:00

Pulled out the ol' Double Helix Psyche and had a blast--it never fails to amaze me how many different reactions you can get with this glass. It is one of my all time favorite 104 silver glasses!

ASK Glass

2008-04-10T17:39:00.001-07:00

This bead is almost all ASK glass with the exception of the dot of Double Helix Kronos for the heart and Effetre Black near he ends. This bead luckily survived. Other beads that had a mix of Effetre, Double Helix silver glass and ASK had varying results. Some cracked, some didn't. The smaller beads had a larger chance of surviving.....
This glass is so pretty--the way it reacts with other glass and with the silver glass. I have read that Arrow Springs not only had problems with the clear being compatible, but also some batches of certain colors. This makes it important to test each batch of Kugler before using it in a bead, or heartache and money/time will be lost. Wish all glass was compatible with each other--wouldn't that be cool to be able to mix boro and soda lime? :-D
Ahhh....at least I can dream....

Prince Rupert's Drops

2008-04-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest videos on glass is the demo on the Prince Rupert's Drop. Molten glass is allowed to drop into a bucket of water and cool to hardness. Once cooled, the drop can be hammered and it will not break. But, if the tail of the drop is broken, the stress in the glass is instantly released and the drop disintegrates into powder. Cool!!

Silver glass love

2008-04-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

Whether it's boro or soda lime, silver glass is fun! Colors dance and swirl over the surface and depending on how much heat, O2, time and glass you use..... you will get different effects...it is endlessly intriguing!!

Kugler Beadmaking 104 versus ASK 104 glass

2008-04-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

I ordered a bit of the Kugler to test against my ASK glass and it should arrive either today or tomorrow. There is confusion about what happened with the deal between Kugler and Arrow Springs and whether the copyright is for the name or the glass recipe. One thing for sure, some of the colors are so beautiful it would be a shame not to have them any more.

I have a tough choice-- if I want to continue using this glass I need to buy the Kugler when I run out of the ASK......BUT, now I hear that Arrow Springs got stuck with 20,000 pounds of unusable Kugler clear glass rods when Kugler refused to recall it(at around $30/pound,that is alot to have to eat...)....not good......I can't buy from a company that would do that.....

Sigh....I gotta think about this...I may boycott buying the B-line of Kugler in support of Arrow Springs.....it's a tough choice and I have to find out more of the story behind it. I don't know if I could stop ordering the K line.....such pretty color! Oh my....

Well, the package arrived and some of the colors are identical. Silver Cinnamon looks like Silver Rattan on the outside, but the core looks like the dark cinnamon color in the ASK glass. This batch of Silver Rattan looks more beige(like Effetre Sage Premium) than the gorgeous bamboo color of the past pulls. I am sure it will look very similar once melted....

Desert Chameleon or tobacco, is more transparent in this pull. When heated, it does goes transluscent/opaque and looks just like the old batch.

The Olive is identical to the rods sold as ASK. The color is lighter than the first pull of Olive which was absolutely stunning. When reduced, the color darkens a bit , but not like the old batch.

Pink Lady Slippers is lighter than the rods I have from a previous batch.

Mystic Grey rods are gorgeous! Slightly more bluish. It remains to be seen how it will look once melted, but the rods at least are beautiful!

Caramel Apple looks very close to Silver Rattan--that beigy look, but it is slightly more yellow in the rods.

New Colors:

Light Sand Brown-- The rods look ivory and when encased, remains ivory.....I used it with silver colors and it appears a dusty red sand color--looks very much like when silver hits Vetro Seashell pink....it gets a thin surface brown webbing....

Dark Sand Brown-similar to all the other silver browns....looks like Vetro Lime Sweet in rod form, but when melted as very close to rattan....

My Orange Crush--looks like what you would expect opaque orange to look like

Black Mirror--just looks black--I need to melt it to see :-)

Smokey grey--A pretty neutral grey transparent in the rod form. On the website it looks opaque. Unannealed test beads are grey transparent. Annealed, the grey is a very dark brown--almost an olive brown. In normal light, it is almost black.

Gold and silver fume

2008-04-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

A new test for gold and silver fume--why not use them together?

Here is the result. The pink, orange and green is from gold, and the blue is from the silver....

yikes that is alot of bubbles! Gotta work cooler next time!

Testing New Colors

2008-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

I got my Trautman Boro Mystery Box in the mail the other day. Lots of interesting new colors to test.

There is a feedback form included to give my notes on each color and a drawing at the end of the month for a free pound of glass. Not sure if I will have time to test everything by the deadline, but I think it's cool that he wants to hear the good and the bad of the colors.

So far, here are my results:

Peach Cove: An extremely light Amber Purple color. Some faint purple haze appears on the surface when struck, but the body of the color remains a pure amber color. Very pretty when used very thin. It looks very similar to Apricot only a bit darker. I like it except for the excessive bubbling. Momkas Magic Mirror is similar but superior in striking ability for beads.

Nectarine: Feels like a mix between Peach Cove and Green Ghost. Murky colors--goes milky fairly quick. Looks prettier when mixed heavily with clear, but then it looks similar to both Peach Cove and Green Ghost. I am not liking this color too much....

Olive Grey(striped): I still need to do more tests with this one. My test was not so nice. It stripes and colors laid over it thinly will show the stripes through them, but the overall grey of the color is dark and unappealing. I need to do more tests in different situations to find what will make this color work, but I am not so excited to do it....

Green Ghost: Pretty--a murky Yellow/silver color. It is a heavier Yellow. Bubbles profusely when heated. In solid beads, the color looks murky and unattractive, but when used very thin, it has a nice hazy yellow look that is pleasing. More experiments are needed to find more uses for this color. When coated with clear a very pleasant blue haze appears. Used thin in deep encasement it forms white wisps with small touches of deep blue haze. Pretty.

Caramelo light:

Cobalt Blizzard: Nice cobalt color with some sprinkles of white. Goes down smooth and looks pretty, except I don't like the white specks--they are so few that they look like mistakes in the glass....

Wisteria Blizzard: A pretty purple-blue with mild white flecks and lots of bubbles. Very smooth melting, very little bubbling when it goes down. It looks killer over the Blue Blizzard. It's not so pretty as an overlay color over clean colors--the flecks look like inclusions--but when used over other Blizzard colors it is pretty. It is a bit more blue than GA Violet--can be a nice addition to the glass palette, especially if there are fewer bubbles in the glass.

Airy Canary: Similar to GA Acid Yellow or experimental Lemon Drop but less sublimation in comparison. Nice so far--more tests to follow....

Pink Transluscent Blizzard: Similar to GA and NS pink but with blizzard action. Very light in beads but good for cores and tinting. I prefer Borostix Blush or gold fume for pink in boro, but this is a very nice pink if you compare it to GA or NS pink. It is my hope that one day they will be able to make a pink comparable to the pinks available in the COE 104 and 96 range....

Sphagnum Moss(light): Similar to GA Paris Green Light but with bubbles. The label said it had sparkles but I didn't see any. The workability is the same as Paris Green Light and I prefer GA's version.

Red Blizzard: Cool color-when heating the rod, the red disappears. When the rod cools again, the red reappears. The red fades in thin applications. All beads and marbles made with this color came out white with small tinges of yellow(the red before it strikes). I will put these back in the kiln and see if I can strike them to red.....OK-tried another kiln cycle and no luck. The Bilzzard remains white.

Blizzard: Solid white flecks. Pretty and smooth. Similar to Momkas Pistachio, only it is white, not greenish white. All my large whiteheart beads made with this color as the core cracked. It needs a clear core laid down first before placing a layer of white over it. Small whiteheart beads were fine. Nice but will watch for further cracking issues.

Dk Elvis Blizzard:

Mango: Slightly less intense Cad orange. Similar to Momkas Pumpkin.

Mandarin: Similar to Northstar exp Solar Flare. Nice and smooth--very little bubbling. More tests to follow....

Marble

2008-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

A Marble from last year. This was one of my favorite marbles--I think the color on it was very nice. The front was a pretty pink that when looked at from the side turned teal. The back got a very nice purple on it that I liked alot.

Goddess Challenge

2008-03-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

A friend on one of the forums had a goddess challenge. I had never tackled a goddess before so I thought I would give it a try.

This is borosilicate glass--Precision Silver Creek(tan?) and Glass Alchemy Amazon Night frit over a base of Schott clear. My Hubby built a wooden stand for it and it now resides in North Carolina!

Hello!

2008-03-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wooo--look at all this empty monitor space...

Time to fill it up!

I like to lampwork in my free time. I use a bench mounted glass torch and like to dabble in both soda lime and borosilicate glass. Lampworking is alot of fun and very relaxing. All the colors dance and form and you will never get the same effect twice. It feels like treasure hunting in your own backyard.

Here is a horse sculpture I did last year and another view of it in sunlight. Using borosilicate glass is fun because it color shifts with the light....