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Random thoughts: Summer, summer, summ-errrrrr time….

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Remember this old Will Smith song? 

The video was a slow-rolling, old school rap about all the fun activities that make summers a blast: bbqs, music, hanging out with friends and family, enjoying the weather, roadtrips, etc. 

I had a pretty fantastic summer this year and now with the coolness back in the air (yes, already – it’s Ottawa), i’m slowly winding down (or catching up on) all my summer projects and preparing for the long, cold, hard winter that’s just around the corner…

Concerts:  saw a TON of those: Gladys Knight (fantastic entertainer), Naturally7 (unbelievable a capella!), Jully Black (awesome Canadian singer but PLEASE someone get her a new stylist!), Fergie (can’t sing but fun to watch), Boyz II Men (yes, they’re still touring and still good), Snoop Dogg (don’t ask), Akon (not bad), Joan Armatrading (still awesome), Celine Dion (all her french songs in a 250k strong crowd) and many, many more…

Road Trips: A packed car and a long highway with good times and friends waiting for you at either end.  Is there anything better?

Summer Projects:  yeaaaaahhhhh.  those didn’t get done – waaaay too much other fun stuff to do.  Some serious catchup planned this month…

Torch time:  didn’t have much of that.  I was either too tired or completely unmotivated.  My mojo left me sometime around the end of June and I’d find myself sitting in front of the torch rolling rods of glass in my hands but with no fresh ideas.  I’m hoping it gets back soon.

Glass, glass and more GLASS!!!:  I stocked up.  twice.  and LOTS!  (there’s more since these pics) I keep fondling all of it cuz i still can’t believe it’s all mine.  When i first started torching, with only a small bin of single rods to my name (you can see it in the centre pic), i dreamed about one day having a fully stocked studio filled with all the lampwork glass, tools, toys and books that peaked my interest.  I’m there now.  Yeaaaaaah baby.

Glass Class 101:Making Lampwork Glass Beads

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Soooo, how do you DO that???

This is the question I’m most frequently asked when i mention i make glass beads (after of course, we get past that initial stage of incomprehension where i explain that yes, a person can make their own glass beads if they so choose, and no, it’s not really like glassblowing). 

SO! in honour of that ever repeating question, i decided to make a video demonstrating that process.  Ha!  easier said than done.  Unfortunately life and the whims of a teenage schedule means that video never quite happened. 

Instead, thanks to the wonder of modern technology, the internet and lots of people with way more time and video talent than I will ever have, here are some YouTube videos (of other glass beadmakers) demonstrating how they make their glass beads.  I’ve explained the process and components on this page: My Glass Beads.  Any questions? let me know…

My beads are essentially made just like these – but bigger.  Enjoy!

Simple disc bead:

Encased floral:

Sculpted polar bear:

(Yes, someday i will get my own video made and posted… someday…)

i almost bought these shoes…

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they’re stunningly, frivolously, fabulously beautiful
and all my favourite colours.

i had dreams about them.  seriously.
showcased with a fantastic pencil skirt and an airy white shirt…
watching them dangle flirtatiously from the bottom of my jeans…
thinking about how they’d sparkle in the lights while i made my moves on the dance floor.

i even planned to make big beads in colours to match –
yes, another one of my ever so rare sets!

think about it…
just sitting there on a patio with my girlz
sipping a martini
enjoying the spring weather,
people watching
and chatting…
catching up on our lives.

and then i’d look down…
and i’d see my own fabulous beads
in all my fave colours
strung into a stunning necklace
nestled in the collar of my crisp white linen shirt
(ok, maybe not so crisp since this would probably be after work)
glistening in the evening sun.

and then i’d look further down
down the looonnng, lean expanse
of my blue jean covered legs…
(umm, ok i admit it. there may be a slight exaggeration here on the long part…)
(uuuhh, ok yeah.  perhaps a bit on the lean part too…)
and see my FAB-ulous new shoes
and my freshly manicured (and colour coordinated!) toes.

and i would be so caught by all this combined beauty
i would just have to breathe: “oooooooooooooooooooo”
and my girlz would catch the same view and also breathe:
“oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo those shoooeeesss…”

and then the other women passing…
at least the ones who understand
that since comfort and cute can’t always be combined
cute should win – most of the time
…only within the context of shoes, of course.
(smirk)

…they would also look down
and be caught in the colourful kaleidoscope 
of my stunningly beautiful fab shoe/custom bead combo.
and they’d lift their eyes to mine and smile
and say: “ooooooooooooooo… nice shoooooeeeessss!”
“…and nice beads tooooo!”

And i’d contentedly sip my girlie martini
or maybe Bellini cuz that would definitely match!

And know just for that one moment 
that my lampworking skillz
and my fashionista street cred were perfectly aligned in my world.

p.s. Can you tell i can’t wait for the new Sex and the City Movie to open?
(And no, i didn’t buy them, i stocked up on glass instead. choices. sigh)

p.p.s. Confused? Read my About Me or My Studio pages.

Newest addition…

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Nope, not beads this time – a cat.  Got him this week from a friend’s co-worker who’s new roommate is allergic to cats.  She sent this photo around and as soon as i saw that face i was sold.  i mean, how could i resist? just look at that superbly, self-satisfied smile!  I actually didn’t want another cat but the Teenager has been bugging me about getting a second one since last fall (when we lost our other cat Couche-couche) so i caved.  (The cat in the background is his sister – she went to live in the country.)

He’s now named Balthazar (the Teenager is currently reading Romeo & Juliet at school), Bali for short.  When my son suggested that name my first comment was “wait, you want to name the cat after a demon???”  Can you tell i’ve  been watching waaaaay too much Space TV?

Anyhoo, this new cat is HUGE, about the size of a small dog even though he’s barely a year old. And a typical cat in the fickle way he adapted to us within a day or so and began alternately demanding belly rubs/back scratches and then completely ignoring us. 

Bali’s a pleasant change though, since our current cat Busta is the most un-cat-like cat we’ve ever owned – so much so, we actually consider him our pet dog.  When Bali sat down and started grooming himself, the Teenager and i were both so shocked we burst out laughing.  Why? because Busta just… well… doesn’t.  And yes, he smells bad.  All the time.  Our old cat used to have to hold him down and groom him (probably cuz he couldn’t take the smell either) and we’re hoping Bali takes up those responsibilities as well.  Bathing a cat is NOT fun.

As soon as Bali stops hissing at Busta (who is just beyond thrilled to have a new playmate) i’ll get  a pic of them together to post…

Latest additions to my collection…

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I found these two quirky items from a UK ceramics artist while randomly surfing etsy (click either picture to get to her store). 

They are tiny, handmade and absolute perfection.  The base is offwhite clay with embedded glass (you knew there’d have to glass included, right?) and gold and platinum highlights. 

I had the teal pendant custom made and then found the purple brooch in her store – i LOVE purple!  I’ll need to wire the pendant or maybe make a necklace for it. i think i’ll wear the brooch to an event i’m attending tonite.

I keep picking them up to look at them ‘cuz they’re just too perfectly precious…