How a Customer Used one of my Dichroic Glass Cabs

Just a quick post to show off how a customer used one of my dichroic glass cabs to create a custom ordered necklace.  The creator is Joan Fine of JFine Design on Etsy.

I love how she picks up the flashes of color in the dichroic glass cab with the Swarovski crystals around the chain.

Special thanks to Joan for allowing me to use her picture.

Hot! Hot! Hot! July Bead Journal Project

OK!  I'm way behind!  I know it is already October and I've just finished my Bead Journal Project for July.  There were several reasons for the delay.

The main reason for my taking so long is that I wanted to make a dichroic glass cab that represented the sun.  Seemed like a good idea, but it actually took me over a month.  I'll spare you the gorey details.

After making a "sun" that I thought I could use, I could not figure out how to place it on the backing so I could bead around it.  I ended up breaking off some of the rays and refiring the piece, so that I could place it in the upper left hand corner.  That helped!

Once that was done, it was not difficult to figure out a beading design.  I wanted to show how HOT the month of July was and using all the "hot" colors was a no brainer.  These colors are not my favorite colors - as I'm a "cool color gal" by nature.  But once I gave myself permission to get wild and crazy it finally took shape.

So here is my July Bead Journal Project.   Not my favorite, but it does represent the very hot weather we experienced here in the high desert of Southern California.

You can view the work of other members of the Bead Journal Project by going to these links:
http://beadjournalproject4.blogspot.com/
http://blog2beadjournalproject4-2011.blogspot.com/

You won't be disappointed by all the creativity!  Happy Beading Everyone!

Bead Journal Project - June Gloom - NOT!

June is the month often known for it's gloomy weather and therefore has gotten the name "June Gloom."  But that was not the case for us here this year.  We did get rain, but we also got glorious sunshine.  The combination of rain and sunshine gave us an early growing season.  The plants really did thrive.

So to reflect the month of June for my Bead Journal Project I chose one of my dichroic glass cabs that I had called River Scene.  The rippling surface of the cabochon reminded me of a painter's rendition of the scene at a river - rushing waters and lush vegetation.  I surrounded the cab with beads and fringe in an effort to keep the rippling effect going.   If it weren't for mosquitoes, I think it would be a great place to have a picnic.

You can view more Bead Journal Projects on these two sites:
http://beadjournalproject4.blogspot.com/
http://blog2beadjournalproject4-2011.blogspot.com/

Bead Journal Project - May 2011 - May Gray (with a little bling!)

I don't know what happened, but time got away from me.  Here it is the end of June and I just finished my May Bead Journal Project.   I know one of the reasons I got a late start was because I didn't have any gray dichroic glass (do they even make any?) and I was determined to use the May Gray theme. So I pondered and procrastinated and then I took a vacation and went to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee (more about that in another post). It was just a short flight from Milwaukee to South Dakota where my family lives, so I continued my vacation with them for another 10 days. By the time I got back home and resettled into beading, June was almost gone too!

I call this piece "May Gray" because out here in California, the month of May is often full of gray days.   The large dichroic piece has a grayish bluish purplish hue.  I surrounded it with some size 8 Ceylon grey/lilac beads and then added the matte cylinder beads in an outward array.  The layers all use muted colors from gray to pale yellow (with some shiny beads interspersed), hoping to represent the changes throughout the month of May.  I added the dichroic glass hands of a clock in the 5 o'clock position to represent the 5th month.

You can view the Bead Journal Projects of others on these two sites:
http://blog2beadjournalproject4-2011.blogspot.com/
http://beadjournalproject4.blogspot.com/

Big Dreams Start Small

Little did I know when I opened my BeadsForever Etsy shop in November 2007 that it would bring such joy to my heart.  I didn't make a big splash when I opened my shop.  Far from it!  It wasn't until almost a year later that I sold my very first item, a necklace I named "Bronze Delight" which combined beadweaving with one of my polymer clay cabs.

Today I had my 200th sale to a very dear facebook friend - one of my dichroic glass cabochons.

While 200 may not be a very large number to many of you, to me it is a huge milestone!  It took a lot of determination and perserverance to stand alone and keep putting one foot in front of another.  I'm so happy I did not give up and let my little dream die.  I praise God for giving me faith to continue on and thank my friends who encouraged me to keep going.

To celebrate this milestone and to thank you all, I am having a giveaway.  Whomever leaves a comment on this blog post will have a change to win this new Walk on the Wild Side dichroic glass cab called Midnight Mystery.

To enter this giveaway just leave a comment on my blog (say anything you want) and your name will be put in a hat for a drawing on November 15, 2010.  Only one entry per person.  Please leave some hint as to how I can get in contact with you to get your mailing address (if I don't know you already).

Remember, big dreams start small.  It just takes a little faith, courage and perserverance.  What's your dream?

Beautiful Artists and Their Works of Art - Part 1

This post has been on my list of "to do's" far too long.  I confess I have been procrastinating and I'm not sure why - especially confusing because the subject matter is so dear to me.

It is so rewarding for me when someone uses something I've created to create something even more creative and beautiful.  This series of posts will feature those artists who have purchased one (or more) of my dichroic glass cabochons and turned them into works of art.  My deepest gratitude to each of you.

The first artist I want to thank is Anita Martinez whose Etsy shop name is Turiana07.  She purchased one of my dichroic glass cabochons and turned it into this masterpiece she called "Celestial Wings."

It all started with one of my dichroic glass cabs I called "Scuba Diving Twin B."

There are many other beautiful works of art in her Etsy shop like this necklace she calls "Aztec Princess."

Be sure to stop by and let her know how beautiful her work is.  Thank you Anita!

And the Winner Is ... (Plus the Contest Answers)

The winner of my guessing contest is Deborah L. Gray-Wurz, owner of Sneekbead on Etsy.  You can also read more about her on her blog "Bead Indulgences."  Just for posting her answers here on my blog, she wins any dichroic glass item of her choice from my Etsy shop.

The answers to the contest are:

     1.  Millifiore Glass  (although I do admit it looks a lot like Christmas candy!)

      2.  1/8" Diamond Copper Mesh

      3.  Fine Silver Wire

These items are all available from Delphi Glass and are part of their "Ring of Fire Contest."    The contest is open to all artists - not just glass artists.  They also have Pressed Flowers, Mirrored Tiles, Krafty Blok, DG3 Art Gel Glaze, and Recycled Glass Tiles.  All you need to do is purchase one item, create something and enter it in the contest.

The prizes are fantastic.  Grand Prize Sponsor: Jen-Ken Kilns Delphi Ez-Pro Deluxe 15-6 Kiln – Fuse glass and ceramics in one kiln
Plus:

• Choice of instructional video from Glass Craftsman
• Choice of Best-Of Glass Patterns Quarterly instructional CD
• Choice of book from Wardell Publications

All Delphi award winners will receive:

$50 Delphi Dollars

Multi-media craft pack, including KraftyBlok from Diamond Tech Crafts

Choice of instructional video from Glass Craftsman

Choice of Best-Of Glass Patterns Quarterly instructional CD

Choice of book from Wardell Publications

Delphi’s Favorite award winner will be featured on one of Delphi’s catalog covers.

Artfire will award the following:

Free Lifetime ArtFire Pro Account $100 Shopping Spree on ArtFire Free ArtFire Pro Account 1-Year Membership with Graphics Package from ArtFire’s designer

I originally purchased the Dichroic Scrap package and created this as my entry.  I call it "Say It With a Flower."  You can vote for your favorite entry here.  Just click on "View Entries" and choose your favorite.

I hope you will be encouraged to enter the Ring of Fire Contest sponsored by Delphi Glass and Artfire and their Sponsors.  Have fun!

How Joy Gets Spread Throughout the World

Today I received a surprise gift from a Facebook friend.  I have not met this friend in person yet, but I'm excited that in just a few short weeks I will.  She is a reminder to me that we can all make the world a better place by being thoughtful of others.  Here's the beautiful pendant created by ViSart on Etsy that my friend purchased and mailed to me.

My friend bought the pendant for me simply because I had posted a link to it on Facebook and had said that I loved it.  I originally saw the pendant on Polymer Clay Daily.

A short while after she purchased it from ViSart, I introduced my new line of DichroCentrics - a layered glass cabochon with a hole in the middle (dare I call it a bead?).  I'm sure you can tell that the pendant by ViSart was the inspiration for my new line.  I called this necklace "Lizard Tango" and entered it in the BeadStar contest.

I call this one Rhubarb Pie:

And this one I named Tangerine Dacquiri:

You can see more of my DichroCentrics and other dichroic glass cabochons, buttons and pendants in my Etsy shop.

So the world was made happier today by the thoughtfulness of a friend.  I hope we will all pass on this spirit of joy to brighten the world even more.

Ring of Fire Artist Challenge at Delphi Glass

Ring of Fire Artist Challenge is a new contest sponsored by Artfire and Delphi Glass.

This contest was designed for artists of all crafts and abilities. All you have to do is create a project of your choice using one or more of the products from the Ring of Fire. You can also incorporate elements from your favorite craft. Whether you're interested in fiber, glass, paper, jewelry, fabric or any other craft, this contest is for YOU!  Check out the contest rules.   You can also check out the fantastic prizes  here.

I purchased the scrap bag of dichroic glass and created this pendant which I called "Say It With a Flower." 

If you would like to help me win, you can vote for me on the Delphi Ring of Fire Challenge site.

Making Gifts for My Family

One of the things I love best about being an artist is making gifts for members of my family.  I never did like shopping for gifts for people.  But I do like planning and creating handcrafted gifts as they are truly from my heart.

I recently made two necklaces - one for my Mother for Mother's Day with beading around a petrified palm root cabochon ...

(even though brown is not her favorite color, I chose it so she would have an excuse to go out and buy a new outfit to match)

... and another for my sister, Sherry, who loves turquoise - a belated birthday gift.

The necklace for my sister was made by beading around one of my dichroic glass cabochons.  The beaded chain on both necklaces was made using the herringbone stitch.  I love using that stitch.

I often daydream that my gifts will one day be heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation.   Well, one can dream, can't they?

TrinityDJ Creates Another Beauty!

Trinitydj, who has a shop on Etsy, created another beautiful necklace she calls "Grape Vine." using one of my dichroic glass cabochons. I love the colors she chose and the unique beaded chain.


The original cab was called Mysterious and was sold out of my Etsy shop called "BeadsForever."

Lorraine, who owns "Trinitydj" on Etsy, is from Cape Town, South Africa. She is not only a beautiful bead weaver, but an beautiful person. I hope you will check out her shop. Here is another beautiful necklace she created - not using one of my cabs, but gorgeous nonetheless! She calls it "Royal Princess."

800 Hearts on Etsy

Today I received my 800th heart from a "secret admirer." Secret admirers are wonderful, but they remain secret, so today I'm honoring my 799th heart on Etsy!


I had a very nice convo from "Little Fish Like Green" - my 799th Heart on Etsy. She said my "Implosion" dichroic glass cabochon reminded her of the cover art for Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" - exploded.

I know the music from that album, but couldn't remember what the cover art looked like, so I did a quick google search and found it.

Wasn't it nice of her to send me a message and tell me that? It's easy to understand her reasoning as she is an artist and photographer. As I looked into her shop on Etsy, I read that she has another shop where she sells her artwork and photographs - "In a Beautiful Daze." Here is one photograph from her shop called Red Day Lily that I think is gorgeous!

I'm so thankful for my Etsy hearts and the kindness of Etsy people to spread the love! I hope you will continue to pay that love forward around the world.

A Beautiful Work of Beadweaving

Recently Lorraine Hickman of Trinity Designer Jewellery on Etsy purchased some of my dichroic glass cabochons. This one is the first one she used in a beautiful necklace she calls "High Tide."

She used my "Ocean Depths" dichroic glass cabochon to create her beautiful entry into the Etsy Beadweavers Jan/Feb Challenge with an "Ocean" theme.

Here is her beautiful High Tide necklace which is available for purchase in her Etsy shop.


If you are interested in my dichroic glass cabochons, you can find them in my BeadsForever shop on Etsy.

Sabine Lippert - Bead Magician Extraordinaire

Today a friend posted a link of her work on my facebook page and I was so honored. She used one of my dichroic glass cabochons and created a fantastic necklace using her magical beading powers! I'm talking about Sabine Lippert from Germany.

Here's the original dichroic glass cab.


And here is Sabine's necklace after she did some serious beading magic. Isn't it beautiful?!


Check out her blog to see more of Sabine's beautiful work http://try-to-be-better.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in seeing more of my dichroic glass cabochons, you can see them in my Etsy shop.

Finished Goods and an FFF

I thought I'd better show you the finished product using one of my first dichroic glass cabochons.

Just by coincidence I had been working on a right angle weave chain necklace made with Japanese rainbow colored beads. I was about three-fourths of the way done and I was feeling good about it. I had conquered RAW.

When I looked at my new cab and then at my new chain, I thought they complimented each other and so a new necklace was born. The bezel around the cab and the bail were made with peyote stitch. It feels so good to create something from beginning to end. (Well, OK, I didn't create the seed beads!)



My necklace is on it's way to a new home. A fellow Facebook friend (better known as an FFF) and I agreed on a trade. I'm receiving a wonderful leather cuff which will be a surprise and my daughter in South Dakota is receiving a necklace and leather bracelet. I think I made out very well on this trade!

My FFF has two shops on Etsy - Tocadora Leather and Blest Beads. Please check them out. Here's the bracelet and necklace that my daughter picked out. Aren't they beautiful! My daughter and her husband love EAGLES so this was the perfect bracelet for her.



Thank you FFF. Sometimes Life if So Good!

Ta Da! My First Dichroic Glass Pendants

I'm not a morning person. I usually stay up until 11pm and then read for at least 1/2 hour, so waking up before 8:00 is not my cup of tea, so to speak. But this morning was different. My eyes popped open at 6:30 and I had to sneak out of bed, get dressed and skip out to our shed where my kiln awaited. It was Christmas time!

My heart was beating fast and I was holding my breath. I was full of hope, but prepared for disappointment. I cautiously opened the door of the kiln.

I should have taken a picture of the pendants still in the kiln, but my mind just wasn't working that way. I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. Here's my precioussssssss pendants!

Pendant 1

Pendant 2

Pendant 3

OK, maybe they aren't the most beautiful pieces of dichroic glass in the world, but they mean so much to me. I learned a new skill and it was FUN! And I'm so looking forward to doing it again - and again - and again.

Let me know which pendant you like best and why. It will be fun to read your comments!

New Venture - Glass Fusion

I took a dichroic glass fusion class from Fusion Glass Company in San Diego last month. It was so much FUN! Using a variety of 90 COE dichroic glass and total freedom to be creative, we built our "potential" pendants. Here's an example of the pieces I chose for my 1st pendant. The black square will be the base.








I used this grinder/polisher to shape the glass.
I rounded down the corners so it wouldn't be
quite so square.







The pieces are all shaped and stacked on top of each other in the pattern and design I chose.

For my second pendant I chose a vibrant orange colored base, some wild glass for the middle and a clear glass top - and again I rounded the corners.



Both pendants are currently in my Sierra kiln. I'm praying that I was able to program it correctly so that it will do all the things it's supposed to do at all the right temperatures.

I'll know in about 6 hours. The suspense is intense (at least for me)!

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product. Hopefully I will have some beautiful pendants to show you.