GLASS paper weights WESTERN MI Glass~bead expo Grand rapids

LAst week I met with a group of flame workers (lampworker/bead maker friends). We met at the Western Michigan glass society. (If you go to the site; a picture of me is on the homepage…lol!) We rented the space, with over 10 torches, and numerous tools. We talked about beads, techniques we use, we had a good time.

I was excited because I got to use the biggest stump sucker tool they have, and a little torch to practice schott crystal encasement (see these crystals the inventor of the tool made, he is also in e of my favorite instructors.)

With glass, every experience is a new learning experience. This piece is way off. Pretty, but WAY OFF! The flower petals were constructed improperly. (I like to use what I have, even when I know it is not perfect.  I was not going to spend a day making flowers I was just going to screw up learning what I was doing….) I heated the flowers too much. And, the glass I heated to encapsulat the flowers, I do not think was hot enough. You can tell because the flowers sagged while I was putting the glass on them.  It is the first one I have done without Loren next to me.  By next year I hope to get the perfect shape.

This weekend (SATURDAY) I am taking LOTS of beads to the bead expo at the Devos place in Grand Rapids. I am so excited to see all of the glass beads, and the polymer clay artist friends I made last year.  Come shop!

Leap day,PAPER weights with glass, Ebay is slow! MYSPACE COPY

Today is leap day. That means this day will not exist next year. So, I took the day off; kind of. I spent 3 hours on the torch, and I etched some beads. So, really, I took half the day off. In honor of the day that doesn’t really exist….right? Silly…And, since paper weight month is next month…GULP! Yup! I am naming the next month “Paper weight month”, because I have FINALLY purchased a stump sucker! Now! I can encase my murrini in big beautiful glass bubbles. (they look like bubbles; really they are BUBBLE FREE, the whole point of a stump sucker…you suck the air out.) And, that means I am am planning a stop to the furnace studio real soon! Can’t wait to get my hands on a big pot of molten glass.  Until then, I will be heating large (hockey puck size) blobs of glass in my flame, and encasing object with MY NEW STUMP SUCKER!!!!!  Yes, i will share pictures of progress. Knowing me, I will even show you my screw ups. So, that will be something to look forward to. I will even show you the paper weights I have been making without the stump sucker, so you can see what a BIG difference it makes. For today, I have 2 pictures to share. This first one;he loves me not (with a  rainbow petal murrini flower) This next one; some kind of Love Goddess. I was excited to have the heart look like it was floating above her hand, ever so gentle.     talk atcha later….  (BTW, I copied this to my myspace blog too, I just can not seam to let it go…)