Just to play catch up...

Bellflowers and other stuff

Ok, update on the Gathering bead bazaar and conference.  Amazing.  So much fun and we sold a ton of stuff.  Awesome!  Mark and I made it into a little vacation and stayed in the Seattle area for another week.  It was beautiful, the weather was great and we just loved the area. 

 

I treated myself to one extravagance while I was there.  A tool.  A beautiful, fabulous tool made in Italy by a master lampwork toolmaker.  It's the Carlo Dona bellflower press.  I love that thing.  It was ridiculously expensive.  I will have to sell a million of these flowers to pay for the darn thing but I figured, wth.  It's a business expense, right?  Oh, and by the way, I have actually made a million of these flowers so ...

 

 

 

 

Oh and now I am also making some kitties. 

 



And there's always the murrini and silver glass calling my name...

But we will save that for next time...



 

What are you so worried about?

Ok, so I am going to the annual meeting of my "coworkers" called the ISGB Gathering.  Saturday is the Bead Bazaar where Kim and I will have a table and we will try to sell our little glass beads and murrini to other beadmakers and hopefully a few others who wander in from the local area. 

We've sold beads and murrini at shows before.  This should be the same, right?  Um. Not exactly.  These are our peers.  Our biggest supporters. Our toughest critics. People who know how to do what we do. 

I'm terrified.

Trying to figure out good ways to get easily through security when we fly to Seattle for the gathering.  I have lots of beads to pack and I am going to take them with me as carry-on so I am nervous about it.  Pack too well and it will take forever to unpack and repack.  Don't pack well enough and I will be dealing with breakage.  Such a conundrum. 

Bead Show Prep

Kim and I are doing the annual bead show at The ISGB Gathering at the end of this month.  This year, it is taking place in Seattle, WA and since I've always wanted to go there, why not? 

I have the answer to that question now.  Panic.  That's why not.  Sheer, blinding panic.  I don't have enough beads.  Not nearly enough beads. 

Production mode has commenced, though...

New stuff - headpins in action

Remember those headpins from wayyyyyy back in February?  Well, I finally figured out what to do with them...

I am so happy with how these came out.  I have many others on deck as I am getting ready for the upcoming bead shows. 
Speaking of shows...Kim and I will be at the Bead Society of Northern California Bead Bazaar in Oakland at the Marriott hotel on April 21st.  Here's a link to the website for the info:  http://beadsocietyofnorcal.org/bazaar.html
I hope we see you there!

Lampwork head pins

A couple months ago, Sharon Peters posted a tutorial on how to make headpins using sterling silver wire with lampwork at the end and I have been addicted to making them ever since.  I just LOVE them!  Here's a link to the tutorial: http://lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212284

They are pretty easy to do and don't take too long to assemble.  They do have to cure for 24 hours, though.  I love how shiny and untarnished the silver wire is.  That's always been my beef with doing them on copper or steel wire.  They aren't exactly "jewelry ready" if the rest of your piece is done in shiny silver.  I love these for wire wrapping with a loop and dangling from a plain chain.  So fun, so playful!

So, thank you Sharon!  I have had a blast making these!