Just a Few New Beads

Today was hit or miss in the studio, so just these few new baubles. Thanks for looking!

Fall has Definitely Arrived

It was in the 90's last week. Now it's almost frosty at night. And the rain. The rain has come back. I have mixed feelings about it all - summer was SO nice this year. And while I love autumn, leaves turning, pumpkins, cooler weather, sweaters, cute jackets, cool boots... eh, the rain. The idea of months of rain has me sinking down... and it has only just started. Not good.

But! When life gives you lemons...

.... make beads!

I worked in fall colors yesterday, always an experiment when trying new colors and combos, but I think these came out pretty good! All available on Etsy too. Thanks for looking!

Two out of Six

That's how many beads are worth sharing tonight. The other four - eh, I don't want to hurt your eyes. I was trying to play with Reichenbach's Multicolor glass.... it's supposed to be a lot like the Gaffer Chalcedony only just blues and purples and greens. All I got from it was a copper green with copper scum. And oh, it took a long time to get that! What a waste of propane. Actually, I think I needed more oxygen... but whatever. I'll wait for the new Blue Chalcedony that Gaffer is coming out with. Unfortunately, it's weeks away.

So here is all I have to offer today. A couple of big organics with some of Amy's storm dots and lots of silver reaction. I do like these two. Up on Etsy soon.

Playing with Amy's Storm Tutorial

I purchased Amy's Storm Tutorial last week and just today got a chance to try it out - very fun! Here is what I made - both are listed on Etsy already too!

More Gaffer Chalcedony Beads

These are straight Gaffer, no cracks. I'm happy with them. Working on putting them up on Etsy now.

A Few Beads on Etsy

Not my favorites of the batch, but still, pretty cool beads. Like this one:



This one, reminds me of the Ed Hardy graphics - I love it. But sorry, you won't find it on Etsy.... I'm keeping it, as it's one of those special cracked beads I was talking about earlier today.



My Gaffer glass order came lickety split today - so fast! So I have more choices in colors to mess with - will see what happens next time I get to play, which may not be until Friday or next week, even, as I have to put on my Web Designer hat tomorrow for a paying job. Darnit!

Chalcedony Beads

I thought I was being so clever using a tiny amount of 104 glass with the gaffer. A touch of opal yellow and intense black twisty. Itty bitty tiny hairline cracks on my favorite beads.... so sad... but they get to live with me now, so that's the silver lining.



And this one... no opal yellow, but intense black... tiny crack on the end - a heating issue? I just don't know.



This one is fine. It's on Etsy now. I have four more that are fine too and will go up for sale soon. None of them have that cursed opal yellow in them. Or cracks. Phew.



And this one I think I'm keeping for myself, just because:

More Chalcedony

I'm having WAY too much fun with this glass! Too tired to clean and photograph it all tonight, but here is a preview! (Oh, and there are new beads listed on Etsy tonight!)

Gaffer Chalcedony (G109) Glass

I'm in love with a new glass! Wow this stuff is loverly... I'm going to have to order some more asap!

Luke says Kesia is a star now...

and I say she always was one. My smiling, sweet, good-old-girl, we miss you.

Kesia Pooh Brisse: 9/10/95 - 9/11/09

Last Splash

Summer isn't gone yet, at least it's not in *my* studio! Two new hot beads, fresh on the Etsy scene - thanks for looking!

The Pink Temptress Beads

First of all, I have to say, working with pink is HARD. I'm afraid I'm not very good at it... but I hope that won't stop you from making a donation to The Three Day Breast Cancer walk that starts tomorrow. The details are in the post below. Thanks so much!!

The Three Day Walk - Starts Tomorrow!

I just realized the Seattle Three Day is walking right through my neighborhood tomorrow! The proof is in this line of porta-potties just up the street - what a sight! I'm planning on getting up early and getting a cuppa coffee and standing on the sidelines to cheer them on. They are walking 60 miles over 3 days - isn't that amazing?! I'm in awe of these women (and men), some of them survivors themselves.

My friend wants to get T-shirts that say "Save the Tatas!" - now that's a fashion statement - can you see it? Too funny. I think we are running out of time to do that... but it's not to late to make a donation to help end breast cancer... and we have a friend who has still not met her financial goals (which means the balance gets charged to her) - so if you'd like to help out, here's how: go to http://www.the3Day.org, click on “Donate” and enter “Victoria Millikan".

And let me know if you do and I'll send you a little pink bead of some sort. I'm making a handful of them today - I'll post pictures tonight to tempt you some more. But hurry - the walk starts tomorrow!

Looking Around

Two new Eye Beads listed on Etsy!

Another School Year Begins

Someone was happy to start third grade today!

Vacation's Over

Back to work! Summer was great... but I'm ready for Autumn, and back to school, and pumpkins and Halloween, and all that, aren't you? The store is open again, and I have some new beads for sale in it. Most of these are concept beads - experiments... playing with new glass and enamels... and a new idea... leading on to something really cool, I hope.