Glass from Past Lives..

Of all the technological achievements of civilization, perhaps none so delights the senses as glass. For thousands of years, glass has been used to create jewelry, works of art, and functional objects of great beauty. In the Bible, the value of glass is equated with that of gold and silver, and it was indeed treated by the ancients as a precious substance. The origins of glass are lost in the mists of time, but it most probably was invented by the Egyptians in the 4th millennium B.C. The Roman naturalist Pliny attributes the discovery of glassmaking to the Phoenicians, and the cities of the Levant were famous as centers for the glass trade. The earliest glass was opaque, colored in a variety of rich hues that often imitated gems like lapis and emerald. The Egyptians used it extensively in jewelry and made little distinction between the genuine and the artificial gems. The art of glassblowing and the development of transparent glass both date to the Roman period. From centers like Tyre and Alexandria, glass vessels were exported throughout the empire and as far east as Persia and China. The Romans colored their glass in myriad shades, favoring blue, green and yellow, as well as clear. One of the most fascinating properties of glass is that, through oxidization, it acquires a rich iridescent patina with age.   

- (FJ.7297)....                                       

  Taken from http://www.antiques.com 

Such interesting material is this glass.  We found some here in Israel from just this period that is written about above, one day last week. 

We made a trip to Caesarea to view the ruins there and have lunch..it is undeniably one of the most beautiful places on this earth. But I think ruins always are..

The aquaducts shown below

There was an antiquities shop nearby and I was very excited to see that the owner had several pieces of pottery as well as beads from the Byzantine period. 

That was amazing of course, but the really exciting thing to me was a few broken pieces of pottery and Phoenician glass shards that he had. I bought three broken shards that had once been the lip of a bowl in the 1st century [Roman period] They are soft turquoise with a sheen present in Roman glass that is unlike anything you see in this day, even in dichroic glass. [you need to click on the photos to see proper detail] They have a tiny channel where the glass was rolled over to form the lip which will accomodate stringing material.

I have visions of cutting and sanding and suspending as a focal piece.. The shop owner warned me that this does not behave like 'normal' glass, so we shall see what that means when I try to cut.

Fine art Jewelry..created with hand crafted glass beads

a couple of new beads..more to come!

Apricots and Kilim

Turkey is a land of of beauty..We stayed at the very lovely and hospitable, Anemone Hotel on the outskirts of Malatya, a city situated in eastern Turkey. A city known for being the apricot capital..there are groves everywhere that stretch as far as the eye can see. Spring time must be amazing.
The city has been a human settlement for thousands of years. Strabo Geographica, says that the city was known "to the ancients" 
We were there for 3 weeks and savored every bit of it.

We tasted different foods.. Turkish kabob, turkish delite [sickeningly sweet..but I needed to taste what had enticed Edward so completely in the 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' Turns out the boy had a serious sweet tooth] and something called 'Eskender'..thinly sliced lamb covered with a spiced tomato sauce. Good. The kabob was a feast. Served with pride and flair and several different spreads and bread.
We met very friendly happy outgoing people. In fact, customer service in Turkey is something North Americans could take lessons on. They are happy to have you in their shop and make sure you know that.

enjoying Turkish Kabob at a local restaurant with some Lovely people..Deelish food and great company, in spite of the language barrier.

Malatya is very scenic. Shepherds with their flocks dot the landscape. I wondered how each shepherd managed to keep their flock apart.
During a walk not far from the hotel one evening, I captured this on the edge of the city.

In all of our travels we find interesting findings for my jewelry..some of it of undetermined age, some of it contemporary..all of it sure to add colorful energy and wonderful karma to my work. One snowy afternoon, we found ourselves in a small merchant noveltry shop with 2 Arab women that spoke little to no english. Mostly no. :-] We purchased some finished jewelry that could not be passed up and also several strands of stones and crystals for my work.

Have you heard of Scapolite crystal?..I had not. I gravitate to rough and natural materials. Most Scapolite is mined in Madagascar..some of it is also found in Canada..this particular strand is from Madagascar.  Scapolite is Greek for 'shaft' and you can easily see why when you examine a crystal. Tannin or golden in color and very translucent. This crystal gem also contains interesting metaphysical properties. Gold scapolite has a mood-lifting effect, similar to citrine. It can be used to increase energy, and also to support and purify the filter organs, particularly the liver and spleen.

"...helps you to look deeply inside yourself to see the solutions for past problems and present problems. Scapolite helps to bring about change--physical, intellectual, or in your environment. It helps you attain your goals, working with you to get where you need to get."      ~so says www.metaphysicalrealm1.com

They are the right match for some beads created with Murano Ivory that had been burnished with 22K gold. 

'Gaia' ~ Lampwork and Scapolite crystal  [Aztec series]. 

I could not have left Turkey without finding a kilim [tapestry woven rug] to bring back..as well as several fine silk scarves. Gifts yet to be wrapped and sent..:-] 

Beautiful, beautiful spot on the earth and one we would love to return to some day..pretty sure I've said that of every place we've been. 

Taken from our hotel window.. the Anemone Hotel, Malatya

Drumroll for the winner please!

Winner of the draw for the bracelet 'Pinked' is Irene of  'Flamekissed Glass'! Thank you all for particpating and sharing!

..Happy Holidays to all.. 

Timestamp: 2012-12-21 07:16:41 UTC

There were 63 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Irene
NiceBaskoota Rwtm
Mohammed Rahman
Monika Elkhwaga
Taopik Gandi
Melissa
Monika Elkhwaga
SKANETRA
Amber Van Meter
Katherine at Terra Beadworks
Rude Mood
Shaiha
Tavşanlı atatürk lisesi
Barbie Princese
Paul Andthebigfamly Cemara
Michelle @womenwwin
Laurie Terepocki
Stacey Smith
jennifer57
carolinainmymind
Angela Fehr
Jenny
Laurie
Zeynep Sibel Aksünger Sert
Waone Gembhell Sumedangtea
Zeynep Sibel Aksünger Sert,
Oktav Chasanova
Linda Wilson
Karan Lalwani
Julz
Sophia Mustafa Urban
Cheryl Roe
Janice Lewis
terri
AnNa Cvk Tea
Taopik Gandi
Tamsyn Gregory
Mohammed Rahman
Carmen Milagros Torres
‎محاسب‎ at ‎محاسب اول‎
Donna
Yasemin Ataman Çaldıran
賴俊智,
Melanie Cloud
TK aL-hiDayaH
Sam L. Boehner
Vickie
Waone Gembhell Sumedangtea
Jamie Parsons
SMA 1 PLAMPANG
Çaldıran,
Jerica Arcus
Terri Ann
Carmen Milagros Torres
Melanie-Pearl
Zeynep Sibel Aksünger Sert,
محمد تمام
Yasemin Ataman
Marj
Rude Mood
Whawan Chanci Chanci

Lampwork bracelet by Deborah JLambson to Give Away..

Enter to win this One of a KiNd artist made Lampwork bracelet by Deborah JLambson [formerly sweetwaterdesigns]

'Pinked'

From deborahjlambson.com 

Full of brilliant color and sass, this hand crafted artisan bracelet was made to go out on the town. Lots of flashy hues that are best seen in person. Juicy orange fushia tangerine blue purple. Oxidized copper chain strand and dangle for movement.. Turquoise hieshi chunk dangle, small turquoise glass and pure copper findings.

Measures 7.25"

Retails at $110.00 US

Terms and Conditions:

Winner will receive the above pictured Lampwork bracelet 'Pinked' designed and created by me, Deborah JLambson 

You can enter by commenting on this blog, tweeting about the giveaway, by following @glass_wrangler on twitter, or by "Liking" the Sweetwater Designs handmade glass beads facebook fan page. 'Sharing' the GiveAway post will also earn you an entry.

All entries will be verified. If an action cannot be verified the corresponding entry will be disqualified.

To make sure you receive the notification in case you win, please make sure that info[at]deborahjlambson.com is on your email program's list of approved senders.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond after notification has been sent. If there is no response from the winner within 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen.

Draw ends 12/21/2012 

 Photo taken from the hotel window in Netanya, Israel in June 2012

Looking for a perfect orange? Make it.

'Cane' is a term used by glass artists to describe the glass that is created and used to enhance and further design your bead [marble, vessel, ring..etc]

some of the hand pulled cane, twisties and stringer that are on my work bench this morning

When I began learning the art of lampwork it was enough to use the rods as they came shipped to me. While that's still exciting! [glass makers are always coming up with a new recipe and christening them with enticing names..see 'Mint Lozenge' or 'Gooseberry' Ltd run..who in their right mind with a set of didy's and a torch does not want to melt that. I ask you.] So, while I still salivate over the rods of glass that are in production, I have also been eyeing the rods I have with a deeper curiosity.
What might I get if I encased a blob of yellow with some of that transparent blue I never use, then stripe with small lines of my very expensive silver blue? If it sounds workable..[and some of course are not.. I have a series of gray cane to attest to that.] the dreamed up mix is then melted down and pulled into a workable diameter of glass rod or 'cane' ['stringer' is pulled skinny skinny and a 'twistie' is  twisted and pulled at the same time and 'cane' is simply lined up with stripes running neatly along your mandrel and slowly pulled]~ And so is born a luscious [hopefully!] new color to be used in future designs.

Below are a few recent examples of cane and stringer use.

'Renaissance' [sold]

'Selkie' [sold]

Botanical series [sold]

'dragonfly'

Shop for artisan made jewelry online..

You are now able to shop directly from my site.

The site has been especially designed to provide
a safe and secure environment to browse
and purchase from the comfort of your home.
Take a look here at Deborah JLambson ..and until the 28th of August enjoy a 30% discount..:-)

Enjoy your week!!

I feel younger already..

I'm always looking for new and interesting findings and materials to add to my stash. Mediums that play well with glass and that work with my style.. Seedy, textural findings. I love artisan made clasps and findings. I love the warmth of copper, bronze and brass..those metals jive well with my work. If I use sterling or fine silver I almost always oxidize it. I just think it makes it look more substantial..worn and lived in.

The other day, while going through handmade findings and supplies on Etsy..I found some Rudraksha Seeds, these to be used as beads..have you heard of them? I had never set eyes on them before but as I learn about them I find that they are commonly used as prayer beads. Anyway..love them. Bought them. They look like this:

 and here's a little bit about them:

 "The rudraksha seed comes from an eponymous broad-leaf evergreen found in South and Southeast Asia. The fruit is bright blue and generally of no interest, but the seeds are named according to shape and associated with various unsubstantiated divine powers. According to Indian mythology, when Shiva wept, his tears turned into the rudraksha."      ~ thank you  milkmiracle.net

Another site advises students and those "..seeking knowledge and intelligence to carry rudraksh with either four, five or six faces. These strengthen the mind of their owners and increase the ability to concentrate."       ~thank you eHow.com


I'm pretty sure these have 5 faces although that's difficult to be really sure of unless you're a seed expert..
and  then this from hinduism.about.com

"According to the Ayurvedic medical system, wearing Rudraksha can have a positive effect on the heart and nerves, and relieve you from stress, anxiety, depression, palpitations and lack of concentration. It is also known for its anti ageing effect, and electromagnetic and inductive properties. People with high blood pressure have been found have benefited from the use of Rudraksha seeds..."

It's a natural material to go with glass wouldn't you say? great vibrations and energy..I added two perfect little ones to balance the chi and the amethyst [using color theory, opposing colors on the wheel make us feel good when we look at them. Orange and purple sit opposite one another on the color wheel]..

One of a kind 'Om' bracelet is available here

 Enjoy your week people..create something. 

Jewelry, a painting, dinner, a mess, a journal entry

..anything. Just create.

July 2012

Our daily life here is beginning to find a hum..it's own rhythm. My husband works long hours..14 hr days. Exhausting yes. But on his off days we play..we travel and explore. We look forward to those off days.
Last weekend we took a small day trip to Tel Aviv to enjoy the water and to visit one of my favorite jewelry supply stores located on Allenby Street.
Allenby is a busy bustling street that sits near Jaffa and most definitely has a flavor all of it's own.  There are merchants sitting outside their shops smoking, surveying the day. There are assistants carrying bolts of material and boxes of merchandise.Of course the shoppers..lots of people shop at all hours. They're slow shoppers for the most part..out to mosey and explore, touch and examine.
The streets are not drive-able really. You would be smart to take a cab. There is continuous honking to add to the mayhem.. We have yet to become accustomed to driving the narrow streets with the thrust of people, bikes and taxis..meaning I'm still certain we will lose our lives or maim one of those brave cyclists on Allenby street in Tel Aviv. and yet we return..;-]

The store itself is one of the reasons we continue to visit. An organized  jumble of rollers and presses and lengths of metal and stones. Clasps and findings crafted in brass and sterling catch my eye..all hand stamped. Made here in Israel. I love that.
I bought my supplies and we went out to eat lunch..we decided that we were hungry enough to eat at the 'Manta Ray',  a beautiful wee little restaurant that sits seaside.
They served us the most delicious scallop and shrimp with a fennel sauce that I swore I was going to go home and google so that I could try it ourselves..[yet to do that] We enjoyed every morsel while we sat together chatting and loving the view.

I am a blessed woman and its a good life.

what I ate

what we saw

what I made when I got home..

artist made jewelry~ 'Renaissance'

Earthy and original...bold and lusty,

 with just the right amount of jangle 

~ this artist made bracelet was created for original women..

Available here.