Archive for February, 2008

Here are a few pieces of silver that I have been working on. I’m finally feeling brave about soldering which is very exciting! Hopefully I’ll be making myself some pretty pieces here soon. I’m happy with the ring in this photo. I’ve been reading about bezel setting (because of course I’m teaching myself all of this… no time for a class unfortunately…) and I think my bezel strip is too thick so I’ve got more on order and hopefully it will work a little better. Anyway, I’m just having lots of fun playing.

I’ve added lots of flowers to the Mart. You have seen my tutorial for these button style flowers right?

I’m still playing around with new designs… I plan to have some new goodies for my Year of Jewelry quest soon. I have to admit that lately my family life has been more chaotic than usual, nothing too crazy, but it makes you appreciate the routine days… Not to mention apparently I was sick, I went to the doctor and got medicine and who knew how much better you can feel after a little run on antibiotics! The spring is back in my step and everyone in my household is quite happy about that. Okay, I’m off to ponder some PMC ideas… I know… wasn’t I soldering? Yes, perhaps a little focus might aid my jewelry quest as well! Ha!

Yesterday I got an email that said new glass odds were out at the glass school waiting to be bought. Don’t ya’ just love emails like that? I know I do! Of course I dragged my girlies out to the school and I bought some of the available glass. Apparently Paul Trautman was out at the glass school showing how to use some of his new high silver content glass. I didn’t take the class but I got some goodies to play with. Of course I have not tried any of it, there is a boro rose color that looks like it might be interesting but I’m sort of on a little boro break so I’ll have to see if I get a chance to play later this week… At any rate I have been making lots of flowers so if you need some check back tomorrow!

So after spending a day making stuff out of clay, we had to go spend over an hour painting it all! Whew… I was quite surprised at how well all the pieces fired, I thought for sure some of them would end up exploding in the kiln from air bubble, but happily that did not happen.

So it is that time of year when I think how cool it would be to have a beautiful flower garden on my patio. I see the sweet crocus flowers popping up and just that bit of color makes me smile… maybe this will be the year when I make it happen, who knows. At any rate I’m certainly into flowers of glass! I plan to have a bunch for my Tuesday update so stop by if you need some fun flowers. Okay, gotta run, I need to get a few more things done this afternoon before we head out to celebrate the “half birthday” of number two. Apparently in school if you have a summer birthday they announce your “half birthday” so no one is left out… works for me, I’ll take any excuse to eat out!

Oh the sunshine is making me SOOO very happy! I know that the clouds will come back before summer but I am trying to soak up every little bit before they do. It has also inspired me to make more flower beads so stay tuned for those next week.

I’ve got new beads ready to show at 11:30. Above is one of my favorite sets for this week. I LOVE the color combo and the shape! I have so many more color ideas in my head for this design, hopefully you will like them too… I also have been playing around with a few new boro techniques. Of course everything about boro takes forever compared to soft glass but again I am smitten by the colors and these new techniques bring out new colors which is great. Boro is so unpredictable which of course draws me in, I love a surprise in the kiln! Anyway, check back in a few to see them all and have a great Tuesday!!

Today the kids are home. Happily the sun is out and after a morning at “clay camp” they are now running about outside. We stopped for groceries on the way home from camp. The grocery store is kind of stressful for me since I’m not a very good cook and so I am always guessing about what to both buy and feed my family. I guess I could, dare I say it, plan ahead?! Now what fun would that be? We filled up out cart though and the house is now stocked with food… The real question is will I cook anything… heehee!

Yep, I’ve been messing with the layout again… what can I say? Every once in awhile I’ve got to mix it up. I think I like this one… but you never know… Ha! Okay, I’m off to melt some glass and maybe have a walk with the kids. Enjoy your Sunday!

Isn’t he sweet…