Fresh Glass 6.25.16 Last of the Cleo Sets

I'm done with the Cleo sets...at least until I can afford my own press! I'll be having a sale in private Facebook group in a day or two.

Fresh Glass 6.17.16

Another LONG torch hiatus. Let's see... TWO sinus infections severe enough for five doctor visits (and I'm still not out of the woods), end of school stress, job applications seeking fall contracts, a trip to Louisiana to catch up on yard work for mom... Is it any wonder I've no time to torch?

I did make a three piece set yesterday. Had hoped to repeat today but my head was spinning.

This is one of my faves from the Cleo series!

First Listings in the Buyer's Group

I will be listing this large grouping of Bicones Galore tonight in my Buyer's Group on Facebook. Join to shop! https://www.facebook.com/groups/HollysFollyGlassBuyersGroup/

Fresh Glass 11.23

I've decided to try and have my annual trunk show... gee, I guess I should start promoting it! I've had two intense days on the torch, trying to fill orders. The Jaunty hatted snowmen are repeats / requests. The first one had mean bead release and he ended up a two parter...

Also in this batch, 2 pair of bellflower earring sets. I really hate the Jupiter glass didn't strike on the ribbed disk. I reannealed them with the bellflowers and they look much better. There is a tree parts 3 piece set, and three pieces of snowmen tiles... ran out of time to make his hat! And an aventurine earring pair for good measure.

and Out of Gas

I tried to torch the other day and actually decided on a creative direction - I have some German pink glass and I wanted to make some small "normal" size hollow beads... and struggled cauae...small is really not my forte and my tools are all larger. So instead of a set, I made one. I didn't want to waste the pink.

Next I made a long skinny ivory base for a silver glass idea I had. And my flame looked funny.. I glanced at the tank and realized I was running low on gas. And here I was at the early stages of a one hour bead. So I tossed the ivory into the kiln.

I decided to try a tiny version of the silvered glass bead ...and was really glad I didn't waste the time on a larger version!

And then I ran the tank dry making some tropical sunset drums.

I have two fresh tanks...but it's been really windy.

Trunk Show on Glass Melters Open Market

OMG! It JUST dawned on me that the trunk show LOADS tomorrow afternoon! 4pm PST!!!

This is be a show chock full of more affordable glass beads! A few giveaways too!! There will be tons of purple and kitties!!! I sure hope you'll come by Glass Melters Open Market on Facebook and take a look over the weekend!

I'm hoping to list around 50 items!!!

 

The Squeezed Bead

I wanted to make a set of squeezed beads for the upcoming trunk show next weekend (OMG!!!) in Glass Melters Open Market. When I first started lampworking, squeezed beads were the new exciting shape! Back then, round, donut, free form squares are hand sculpted were pretty much it! Now, we have so many shapes, it's ridonkulous...

But OH! How I loved the squeezed bead! It felt so nice on a bracelet!I just loved how they felt on my skin! I guess I was feeling nostalgic when I set out to make this pink and gray set. And I quickly remembered why they are not my faves to make.

You HAVE to have an even bead before you squeeze ...otherwise, you get something so uneven and funky...it's not useable.

I searched my table for something to help me keep them even... I tried various rollers... round didn't quite do it. The donut made for a bigger "apple butt" on the squeeze. I finally settled on my drum roller. It worked like a charm!

Do you have a tool that needs another tool to work properly???

Fresh Glass 9.25.15

More Trunk Show goodies: A large purple dichro focal, some penguin squiggles, some tabs... the purple set came out nice but the teal ones look like cold lozenges...sigh! And the pumpkin moonwalk that is for sale on my fan page:

Fresh Glass 9.23.15

More trunk show prep: a set of Kaleras in purple and raku as well as a pair of squares in the same colorway. And... a focal that didn't come out the way I thought it would... but got some nice color reactions in spite of the artist!

It's Saturday Night!

Just loaded a special on the Fan Page for Saturday Night. Sorry for the lack of posts... it's been a crazy week!

Thanks, as always, for l@@king!

Show Prep

I'm having a bad pain day complicated by having to deal with a naughty customer who backed out on an order. So instead of more fresh glass, I thought I'd show off my show prep tray where I'm stringing sets, getting beadies ready for their closeups!

And for more glassy goodness...check out what the last three days look like in bouquet form!

Pretty fun, huh?? Wish I felt up to torching today...but it was already 90 when I got up!

Fresh Glass 8.26.15

More trunk show prep! Itty Bitty Kitties: Punkin, Olive, Calico, Old Gray and a normal size Punkin Kitty. And more PURPLE!

Fresh Glass 8/24

I was on a bead making roll last week! Here we have a variety of spacers  and one of my daisy beads in a smaller 1" focal size. I must say...it's harder to make one smaller than it is a larger one. IF I got paid for my time...this one would be much more $$ than the larger ones...sigh. It's likely to be one of a kind! And a Clio focal. I love that pink... I just hate how many freaking layers of glass it takes to get that color! I like long skinny beads... and I'll never have one in that shade of pink! GRRR!

Saturday Night Special

I got the bright idea instead of offering something new on the fan page today, to offer a really low start on a set that I love but...it's been kicking around my stash for a while. This glass bead set was
 from the Dot Challenge...they are really large beads and the opening bid of $20 considering their size makes them a great deal!

Fresh Glass 8.20.15

More Moonwalks... The red is part of a five bead set... beads 1, 3 and 5... I made 2 and 4 months ago and just never had the heart to make the other three. Partly because these mothers take so freaking long to make. I've yet to make an xl in under 40 minutes and just over 30 for the other pieces.  I know going in that I will never the $ for that investment of time.  A set like that "should" go for $160...but I'll do good to break $100...sigh.

The other XL moonwalk is a moody red - yes red! - covered in more of that honeycomb dichroic. I wasn't sure I would like it but I was trying to break out of the black base bead mold... I think it's lovely!!

Here's the pic of the other two:

Fresh Glass 8.18.15

Are you one of those lampworkers who take copious notes? I envy you! I wish I were...but I don't. And I do stupid stuff... I rename all my frits... and I'm walking around with that info in my curly little brain! One bump and... nothing! I remember reading some post from a lampworker on one of the forums... for ages she would mention in almost every post, "If only I could remember how I made my {insert fantastical name here} set!" I could be her... So far I haven't forgotten a bead I want to duplicate...but I'm sure I will.

But the one thing that drives me batty is notes to myself!  I'm notorious for writing down a phone number and no name... And I write down bead recipes with no point of reference. On my to do list was
"sedona w/ lapis stringer." Der... was that transparent or opaque? Where did I see this?? Was it a tut? Did a friend tell me? I have no idea... and the bead was lackluster... Hardly worth my time. Can you see it in the jumble below?

I also made scads of squeezed beads... a fun trip down memory lane that will be another post at some point. A pair of drums and a set of ribbed donuts are in there. And... a bead called "phantasia" that looks like a butterfly...only the hole is on the wrong side. Figured that out after I had made pairs in several colors!

Fresh Glass 8.17.15

Hey there...long time... uh... Been freaking busy! Found out some classes I need to take...were already happening! So I had to jump in and catch up or...wait til January. Waiting is not my forte. And... I started a tutoring job the same week! Argh! But things are a little calmer but...school is starting and hopefully work won't be far behind!

I have been a torching fiend! I have a trunk show the first weekend in October and so I want mostly newer stuffs...

Don't laugh but these were actually TWO torch sessions! Each time, I made exactly three beads and... hated them and quit! Only to get them them out and love them! Lather rinse repeat! LOL! Loving this honeycomb dichroic!  So these will be a set... three large olives and 2 spacers and ...one for the bead bowl. Sigh!  More tomorrow!

Fresh Glass | Where Have I Been??

Fresh Glass from July 1:  A Dark Waters long focal and 2 sets of earring pairs.

 I've been sorting through photos... trying to get in the listing habit and I'm just wondering where the heck I've been...for months?? I found folders of photos as far back as APRIL unedited! And then I keep finding the same photos that have been taken over and over and over. Sorting it out took me all day yesterday and several part-days before that. I'm finally editing photos from July and have five that need re-takes or supplementary shots. Sigh...

Do you ever feel you haven't really been in your life?? It's been a strange year and a busy one. I'm sitting here stunned it's half over.  But from long teaching assignment to back to back to back jobs, doing my own taxes for the first time ever, along with two sudden deaths of friends and one family member's prolonged illness and recent death and onto an extended work trip to take care of issues in my 92 year old mom's house followed by weeks of severe shoulder pain... I just feel like I'm on some kind of roller coaster that won't ever stop! 

I'm hoping that the sorting of pics and beads will get me back on track... OY! 

Fresh Glass 6.15.15

Back to the fresh glass beads posts:A large ivory and green lentil that I can't remember why I made and...drums, drums drums! Purple with purple metallic bands, Gold with gold metallic and extinct metallic over black...

We Interrupt These Fresh Glass Broadcasts...

... to show off a lot of beads that have been adopted!  I haven't really shown off any sold work since February! Wow! How's that for lack of promotion!??

My college bestie bought this bead and had me wrap it... the funny thing was, I was thinking of her and a dress she had when I made it! She bought it without knowing that!

The guitar sold lickety split! I loved the back of that bead: 

And the dichro on the front!

This was a turtle / ocean bead from my Corina class:


This was an End of Day bead from the same class:

 

Another End of day bead...I've been trying to use up some of the stringers on my desk!

 

This floral found a home:

I've been selling off that fabulous huge z99 set from when I first started lampworking in parts... makes me so sad... although I made more money from the parts than anyone was willing to pay for the set! 

And more....

 

All were sold on Facebook! I'm trying to concentrate my efforts on the Fire Divas Glass Market, Glass Beads for Sale and Artisans Lampwork Beads for Sale.