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Showing posts from May, 2009

Lampwork Jewelry Contest

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Are you in the mood for a contest?..how about 5 of them?..Fellow lampworker Laurie Smith is running a series of contests for both lampworkers that design using their own beads as well as jewelry designers using other artisans lampwork beads. Check it out ..and if you design with your own beads or other artisan made lampwork beads please do enter! Even if you don't enter take a moment to take a look at the beautiful entries, and vote !

High time for a Makeover!

Thanks everyone for playing along and signing up for the newsletter...I promise you won't be inundated with letters..ha. I'll be doing good to get one a month out but I'll make sure they're news worthy. Here's the list from random.org and Congratulations to Miss Benita..send me your snail mail and I'll have this bead on its way to your house~ There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order: Benita Nicole Leah Shelley Shelby Tracie Theresa Coleen Laurie Timestamp: 2009-05-25 13:46:05 UTC on a side note..as an artist I of course enjoy layouts and graphics and am quickly bored with the look of my own site or blog. I've left my site alone for some time but this blog was due for a shake up don't you think? I found the Cutest blog on the Block site yesterday and couldn't resist.

Enter to win the bead!

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'Tangerine' Sign up today and tomorrow for my n e w s y newsletter and your name will go into a draw for this flameworked glass bead. Encased sparkling dichroic glass on juicy tangerine~pale blue floral. A tart little focal. Measures about 18mm. Sign up box is on the right..

American Idol..

Both Adam and Kris are amazing ~ but this song, 'Mad World' sung by Adam was just achingly beautiful. This isn't the live version but its much better quality. If you didn't get to watch last night..give this a listen.

The art of Lampwork

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Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking, as the modern practice no longer uses oil-fueled lamps. Although the art form has been practiced since ancient Syrian (1 Century B.C., B. Dunham) times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid 19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today. Lampworking differs from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a blowpipe to inflate a glass blob known as a gob or gather, thereby inflating it by blowing air into the blowpipe, whereas lampworking manipulates glass either by the use of tools, gravity, or by blowing directly into the end of a glass tube. Early lampworking was done in the flame

I'm not above Bribery

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Did you notice the brand spanking new 'subscribe to my newsletter' box? Well, technically it asks you if you want to preview the latest from Sweetwater Designs...over there in the right column.. If you sign up now through this holiday long weekend I'll send you 300 Entrecard credit s ..yes, unfortunately this only means something if you're an Entrecard member. Please leave me a comment if you want to receive the EC credits. For those of you who are not..I'll think of something interesting to entice you with next week.

Choice suppliers ..

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Highlighting a few of my favorite suppliers for your perusal this fine sunny morning.. Each of these has been a good experience for me and come straight from my list of choice sellers. Enjoy.. Cahootz ribbons ..I've always only purchased the ribbon but I see she's also selling some mighty fine looking head pins there. The ribbon is ultra fine quality..I loved the colors I ordered and was super happy with her. I ordered a small leather wristlet for my Mom from this gal in Victoria, BC quite some time ago. The customer service was knock out but the wristlet was so well made and Mom loves it to this day.. Hollyhawk is the name of the company. I think I'm in love with this leather card case now.. This seller is on the bay.. Flat Earth Trading Company. I bought a wooden bust from him for jewelry display and like it alot. Service was superb. They're in Arizona. hmm, those would look great with some of my bracelets and necklaces hanging from them... Another lady with a fun

My Mother is the smartest person I know..

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For one thing she’s always known exactly how I feel…how smart is that? when half the time I myself am at a loss. She has mothered six children and sustained more than 40 years of marriage before Dad passed away more than 10 years ago. You have to be very near brilliant to pull that one off. Growing up my mother derived great satisfaction in being self-sufficient. While we lived on Vancouver Island we had a small acreage. Just enough to keep a couple of cats, a dog, a cow and a few laying hens happy. She and Dad planted gardens that produced copious amounts of corn, carrots and potatoes. Not to mention her tomatoes, strawberries and grapes. They all flourished under her green thumb. Most of our clothes were sewn from Butterick and Simplicity patterns. I have some treasured recollections of hiking myself up onto those stools and leafing through the massive pattern books in Woodwards while Mom tried to find something I would like. An impossibility, I’m sure. This was the 70’s and I want

musing

Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions - the hero and the sidekick. Quoting Laurence Shames

8 Things

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Snagged and Tagged by Wendy of Sand & Sea Designs ~ she creates lovely jewelry and is just starting up her Etsy shop so go and take a look. 8 Things I'm Looking Forward to: 1.The actual arrival of Spring..it's still pretty brown in this part of the country 2. The mail delivery gal..I've usually got an order or 2 coming in for glass or beads or books or sheets of metal or tools..you get the picture. 3.The printing of a paper that will have a write up about Sweetwater Designs in it..yahoo. 4. Teaching what glassy things I've learned in the fall of this year..getting that ready to go. 5. Hearing my nephews voice on Mothers day when he calls my sister ..he's on a 2 year mission in Virginia! 6.Road trip to Edmonton next month 7. Started watching the first season of Lost with DH last night--Looking forward to the rest of it tonight. good show~ had only previously seen bits and pieces of it. 8.Melting some glass for the first time in a week as soon as I'm finished

Photos for the Northerner

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I'm writing a small article for our local newspaper so Miss Birdie helped me with the photos..I'm not sure which I'm using but the top one is just for fun...what's the general opinion between the bottom 2? the camera can't seem to photograph both skin and glass at the same time ~ the bracelets look like lead..but que sera. I like them anyway..but which one?