What's New

First, about the post below - Tanya's heart bead - she reached her goal and will have her surgery this weekend! And none too soon from the sounds of it, wishing her well and a speedy recovery. So glad for her!

Second, I'm still working on the OWOH beads, I didn't like the first round so much... but next week will be better. I don't know about other bead makers, but every time I get pulled away from the torch for any length of time, it takes me a day or two to get back up to speed. Such a waste of time and glass, but there you have it.

Third, two new beads that I do like, they will go on Etsy sooner or later. After getting all frustrated with the OWOH beads, I discovered that Michael Barley had finished his Baleen Bead tutorial... and that perked me up some. I love slicing into hot glass this way.

Have a Heart

I've been trying to sell this bead to raise money for Tanya, a woman in desperate need of heart surgery. Actually, I've sold the bead three times, and each time, the buyer asked me to relist it and resell it so that someone else can have a chance to help. (Aren't people amazing?!) The third buyer suggested that I send the bead to Tanya herself if there are no other takers... which I will gladly do, if no one else snatches it up. I just want to help Tanya out and for my bead to go somewhere it will be loved, you know? So no guilt if you want to be the buyer to keep it!!

Read her story, you will see how desperate it is. And how great a job the community of jewelry makers and bead makers has done to get her so close to her financial requirements. Tanya has about $1600 left to raise, and only a couple of days to do so, so I'm throwing this out there another time to see if anyone will bite. All of the money goes to her mayday fund, and I'm offering free shipping.

Her story is here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6410706

The bead is here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39200170

And if you just want to help out directly, the link to do that is here:
http://pledgie.com/campaigns/7593

Thank you!

One World One Heart Magic Carpet Ride

This is the second year I am participating in OWOH - I love this event! This year the theme is "Magic Carpet Ride" and so I've decided I will give away three wishes. In the form of handmade glass beads of course, since that is what I do. But since I'm not really a magic genie, and I may not really be able to whip up a bead with any old wish on it, I'll tell you what the wishes are and the first winner will get first choice, the second will get to pick from the remaining two, and the third will get the one that is left, but I know it will be the perfect wish for them too!

Also, because I am not a magic genie, I did not get my beads ready in time. You don't want to know, other than the fact that my son has only been in school 9 days this month - that should tell you how behind I am on everything I've wanted to do this fresh new year.

But I will tell you this. One bead will be a PEACE bead, because who doesn't wish for peace? Another will be LOVE. And the third bead will be HEALTH. I will post pictures of them just as soon as humanly possible. Promise.

UPDATE: I have the beads! Let me show you!

First, I introduce to you "Love". I'm so happy with this one, I never get pink to stay pink, but this one did! It also has gold in it - real gold leaf. And the design has a sort of hidden abstract heart - do you see it?



And here is "Health", one side has sort of a healing hand, a reiki hand, and the other side has my tribal sunshine design, which I think is also healing in it's own way. It feels like a shaman bead to me. I hope it speaks to someone else too!





And finally, "Peace". It's a spring-time peace bead, in swirly greens, with a hint of blue, kind of tie-dye. Happy. For inner peace or world peace, whatever you seek.



There! Those are the prizes - I hope you like them.

Now, the details: All you have to do is leave a comment IN THIS THREAD. Really, that's it. Easy peasy. On February 15th, I'll drawn three names using some random number generator or something or other, and I'll contact the winners. So - leave contact information, a link to your blog or some way to reach you. Then go on to http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/one-world-one-heart.html and find more blogs to visit enter to win more great things - have fun... make some new friends... click to follow some new cool blogs... enjoy the magic carpet ride!

Craft Hope for Haiti

Craft Hope is doing something really wonderful: they are collecting donations from crafters and artisans and selling them on Etsy (like hotcakes, I might add) and all the proceeds are going to Doctors Without Borders to help with the Haiti rescue efforts. I'm really happy to be a part of it, the first bead I donated has already found a new home and another is waiting to be listed. Plus I snagged a really great handbag as well.

If you would like to shop the Craft Hope for Haiti store, you can find it here: http://crafthope.etsy.com, check it often for new things and if you see something you like, act fast because it might not be there long.

If you would like to donate something to the Craft Hope for Haiti store, instructions are here: http://crafthope.com/2010/01/craft-hope-for-haiti/.

Three New Treasures From the Kiln

New Beads and That Tree

First, the tree, it's almost done. It needs one more leaf for sure (I didn't see it until I took the photo - funny how that works!) and maybe or maybe not something else.



And then some new beads. The birds are from working with Kerri Fuhr's Raven Tutorial. I adore her beads... mine are no where close, but I like them anyway. And then some Peace beads, one is a heart, and then an ancient scrolly thing that is part fossil and part cave drawings... you'll see what I mean. All are up on Etsy today.

Painting Today...

So here I am, painting, when I have all these glass ideas floating around in my head... I don't know why I do this! I've been dreaming of melting glass since before Christmas, and then I get a chance and what do I do? Paint. It must be some sort of self-sabotage thing. Or maybe I just needed a tree to get grounded with. Whatever, I'm just going with it... the leaves aren't gelled down yet... and I think it's still missing something, but I don't know what. And now I'm going to go melt some glass and think about what this thing needs...

One World One Heart is coming soon!

Remember this from last year? It was so fun, so many people blogging and commenting and giving beautiful things away! It starts on January 25th... 22 days to get ready!

Looking Back at 2009

The best thing about MY 2009 was certainly glass:



But then, there was also the beach, the boy, the dogs, the mountains, some good stuff for sure:



Mostly, a good riddance to 2009 and a hearty welcome to 2010. It's going to be a better year, I can feel it, can't you? Here's to looking forward! Happy New Year!