blue

Flowers and birthday blues…

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spring-by-the-river

Spring by the River

I decided a few weeks ago it was time for me to practice making flowers again. Why? It’s spring… and my sister’s birthday. Now y’all know i’m not really the floral type so it was definitely more for the latter reason than the former.  My much, much older (ANCIENT actually!) sister Frances just llllooooovvves  flowers.  And not just any flowers – BLUE flowers.

blue lilies

Lilies in the Deep

I have no idea what it is with her and the colour blue but she just ADORES it!  And not just any blue: deep, rich royal or cobalt blue.  Nope, no pastels, sapphires and turquoises for her, it’s gotta be dark blue and it also better be covered with flowers.  Anyone in her life understands that to be with her is to be surrounded with varying shades of deep blue… and flowers.  Lots of them.

april4

River Garden

So considering how often she used to beat me up, i learned decades ago to stop arguing (despite not really caring for the colour blue or flowers) and just give her what she wants… or maybe it’s a need?

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Blue Pandora Beads

Not very many people could get me to sit down and just make blue flower beads over and over again over several torch sessions but for her…well ok… since i  KINDA like her… a bit (plus she could keel over from lack of exercise any day)… i figured i could squeeze out maybe one… or two.  or three.  plus a few bracelet beads.  But that’s it.  i’m done.  No more blue flower beads for me!

(p.s. Her birthday was April 2nd and yes, through her wrinkles, grey hair and doddering i could tell she was very pleased.  I think she even let go of her walker for a moment.)

Tales from the Torch: Feb. & March (part deux)

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I’m back on the Teenager’s computer again as the kitten Busta finally finished chewing through my laptop’s power cable.  Now doesn’t having a cat usually mean no pets chewing random valuables around the house??? i might as well have a dog.

Soooo… until i decide whether to replace the power cable and harddrive on my laptop vs buying a new one, i’m trapped in that teenage hellhole again… damn cat.  Anyhoo, i did manage to backup most of my pics from the last meltdown so found a few more from February and March. (I didn’t torch much in April/May as I had the flu.)

These random beads were for a long bead exchange on LE.  They’re all about 2-2.5″ long (except the purple one) which isn’t huge for me at all – my beads are normally 1.5-2.5″ long.  I think the winner made a bead something like 11″ long.  not sure what one would do with a massive (and fragile!) piece of glass like that…  I wanted to try bigger but about 4″ is my max. anything larger seems to be beyond the limits of my current torch – i can get there but it takes forever to melt all that glass and the results are seriously ugly.

 

This Chocolate Goddess was part of a gift package for Valentine’s Day… 

 

My sister snapped up this Winter Garden pendant as soon as it came out of the kiln… Note my improved stringer control – that Corina stringer DVD has really helped.

I’ve been torching all weekend and have some new beadies cooling in the kiln right now.  I’ll try to post them tomorrow…

What the…????!!!

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I know, I know… i’m just as shocked as you.  seriously.

It’s a set.  And I don’t make sets. 

Really.  i don’t. 

I’ve only ever made one other set before and it was pure torture.  Took me over a year to finish those too. 

But this set?  just took a me a few hours yesterday morning. barely.

I just don’t know what came over me… must be some sort of sickness: 

matchie-poo-beadyitis.  

…or something. 

In any case i’ve decided to name them: Deep Blue Sea

Tales from the torch: Jan. 26th/08

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Results from my last few torch sessions – a goddess and two pendants for a couple custom orders:

Hades GoddessHades goddess back

Hades Goddess:  (sold) Sometimes simple is best.  This is just black glass and silver leaf passed through a reduction flame to bring out the iridescence.  I had originally planned to tart her up with some frit and a latticino or two but once i reached this stage, i realized she’s perfect just as is.

Tempest leftTempest right

Tempest:  (sold)  Ever been on the beach during a thunderstorm?  As the wind rises and the sea slams against the cliffs, the water, foam, seaweed and sand all swirl together wildly. And if you’re lucky enough to find a good vantage point, you can enjoy this spectacle of nature from a safe distance but still be close enough to feel the salty spray hit your skin with each crashing wave…

Almond Blossom leftalmond blossom right

Spring Bloom:  My first serious attempt at a traditional raised floral.   Every single colour is custom blended – from the base to the premade latticino’s used for the branches and the flowers.  The branches have a bit of sparkle as i used green adventurine in the twist, then i reduced the bead lightly at the base to give it some depth.  A lot of work but i’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

And if you think it looks familiar, you’re right.  It’s inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s 1890 painting Almond Blossom.

Two pendants also off to a good home

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I recently donated these two pendants to the charity silent auction at my office.  I’m happy to say both went to the same home.  Both pendants were wired on sterling silver and came with 18″ sterling silver snake chains.

Spring Rain Pendant: Approx. 2.25″

The pendant is made of opaque and transparent light blue glass, wrapped in pure silver, then lightly sprinkled with several shades of frit (tiny glass chips).  The opaque blue base is slightly reduced to bring out the streaks of red copper within the glass.
Spring Rain 

Autumn Leaves Pendant: Approx. 2.5″

The pendant is made of a white base of glass sprinkled with several shades of powdered enamel and frit.  The tree trunk is made from a tri-colour latticino (twisted glass cane).
Autumn Leaves