Halloween / Day of the Dead Blog Hop...

You may already know (based on past blog posts) that Halloween is my favorite holiday and we celebrate the Day of the Dead every year at Bone Garden Cantina. When I saw an invitation to join a Halloween/Day of the Dead blog hop, I immediately dropped everything and went to work on some ‘creepy’ new designs. 

Blog hop host Diana Ptaszynski asked that each design contain at least one Art Bead.  I dug through my lampwork bead collection and came up with several possibilities.  I also purchased a marvelous polymer clay skull pendant from artist Jenny Davies-Reazor. 

In celebration of the lives of my dearly departed, I’ve crafted this Catrina necklace using an Art Bead made of polymer clay, individually wire wrapped Czech glass flowers and round Howlite gemstone beads.  The Bali sliver links have been in my stash for several years, they seemed perfect for this design. I plan to wear the necklace to the annual Day of the Dead celebration at The Bone Garden Cantina in mid-town Atlanta.  

Despite its macabre name, Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a joyful celebration. It's a day set aside to remember, honor, and celebrate the life of loved ones that have passed. The day isn’t spent mourning the loss; it is spent celebrating the lives of the dearly departed.

Sculpture by Michael Benoit At Bone Garden Cantina, Atlanta, GA

In Mexico on the Day of the Dead, families travel to village graveyards to visit their departed loved ones. Favorite foods and drinks of the departed are shared graveside during family picnics. The graves of relatives are decorated with sunny marigold garlands and candles. Some folks even bring toys for the children that were taken too soon. Families sing, reminisce, laugh, and tell stories. They are conversing with the dead, unafraid and happy. Death's morbid side is buried under music and remembrances; they are celebrating life during the remembrance of death.

El Dia de los Muertos is one of my favorite days of the year. I love the colors, vibrant orange, yellow and pink. I love Catrinas, the dressed-up skeletons doing all kinds of things, like dancing and cooking and getting married. I love the brightly decorated sugar skulls, and most of all I love the significance of the day.

Mural by Michael Benoit - At Bone Garden Cantina, Atlanta, GA.

I had a few glass flower beads left after finishing the necklace, so I made a matching pair of drop earrings to wear to the celebration.

For the Halloween portion of this blog hop, I used a great lampwork bead of Jack from the Tim Burton movie Nightmare before Christmas. The bead was made by fellow lampwork artisit Melanie at Moonraker Beads  and I thought it would be perfect for this challenge.

 

I added several small lampwork beads, some freshwater pearls and several different sizes of black glass beads to compliment the Jack lampwork bead.  The bracelet is long enough to wrap around the wrist twice. I like the multi strand look.

Thanks for stopping by my blog to take a peek at my designs. If you have a few minutes, stop by some of the other blogs revealing today. Participants are listed below.

Have fun hoping around! Cheers!

Diana Ptaszynski  http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

Staci Smith  http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/

Kathleen Breeding  http://99bobotw.blogspot.com

Sue Kennedy  http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Dianne Miller  http://www.artbydianne.blogspot.com

Lisa Liddy  http://www.lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Toltec Jewels  http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Linda Landig  http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com

Laura Medeiros  http://Www.zoeowyn.blogspot.com

Veralynne Malone  http://www.veradesigns.blogspot.com

Lynn Jobber  http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk

Michelle McCarthy  http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Karen Totten  http://www.starryroadstudio.blogspot.com

Jayne Capps  https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor  http://jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Joan Miller  http://metalmudandsand.blogspot.com/

Melissa Meman  http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger  http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Kari Asbury  http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Inge von Roos  http://www.ingetraud.wordpress.com

Andrea Glick  http://zenithjade.blogspot.com 

Stephanie LaRosa  http://Www.stringaholic.blogspot.com

Lola Surwillo  http://www.beadlolabead.com

Jennifer Cameron  http://glassaddictions.com/blog

Diane Hawkey  http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com

Kristi Harrison  http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.com

Nicole Valentine Rimmer  http://www.nvalentine.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin  http://www.Pixiloo.blogspot.com

Shai Williams  http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Sandra McGriff  http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com

Sarajo Wentling  http://www.sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Marie Covert  http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com

Lisa Stukel  http://www.carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com

Laurie Vyselaar  http://www.Lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com

Sherri Stokey  http://www.knotjustmacrame.com

Pam Traub  http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Lori Dorrington  http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com   « You Are Here

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Eleanor Burian-Mohr  http://cornerstoregoddessjewelry.blogspot.com

Sally Russick  http://thestudiosublime.com

Dawn M. Gallop  http://www.flipflopsandpoptarts.com

Christine Damm   http://storiestheytell.blogspot.com

Check out what I got in the mail…

 

This week I got some new beads from a favorite lampwork artist: Melanie of Moonraker Beads.  I’m working on a birthday present for an old friend who lives on the Atlantic coast and loves the beach.  Our birthdays are on the same day and we have been celebrating this big day for more years than I care to mention.  I’m going to use these beads and some sea glass to make a multi strand bracelet for her.  I can’t wait to get started.   I’ll post pictures after the big day. 

 

Information about Moonraker Beads:
  Melanie started lampworking in 2002, after seeing some beads online and realizing that *actual* people made them…one by one…by 'playing' with glass.  After a little digging, she found a beginners class in lampworking and signed up. It was a very basic class, learning to do simple rounds and applying glass.

 

She went home and ordered a simple kit to continue working on her new craft.  After much practicing and a rapidly growing pile of finished beads Melanie started selling online in the fall of 2002. Not surprisingly her whimsical beads were a hit and a new business was born.

 

Take a peek at her shop:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/moonrakerbeads

 

Cheers!

 

Hot Molten Glass...WooHoo!

 

Finally, the weekend I’ve been waiting for has arrived. I’ll be attending the 50th birthday celebration for the American Studio Glass Movement at the High Museum of Art.  WOOHOO!

I’m a lampworker; I make glass beads and small glass items. This celebration is a wonderful opportunity to see master glass artists in action.  The Corning Museum of Glass artists (gaffers) will take glowing gobs of molten glass and skillfully shape them into vases, bowls, or sculpture. The Gaffers will be explaining this dynamic process and answer audience questions along the way. Live glassblowing demonstrations and guest appearances by artists Richard Jolley, Johanna Grawunder, and Gyun Hur will be free to the public. I so excited!

If you’re interested in more information about the Studio Glass Movement, continue reading the article below…

A Brief History of the

Studio Glass Movement

by Lynda Olsen Adelson

The American Studio Glass Movement, which began in the early 1960s, is a new phenomenon in the century’s long history of glass as an artistic medium.

For the first time in more than 3500 years, technology allowed artists to make glass alone and unaided, without the necessity of a factory environment. Prior to the 1960s, glass was made only in large scale industrial settings.

At established art glass factories like Steuben (United States), Waterford (Ireland) or Baccarat (France), hundreds of employees work in an industrial environment, mass producing glass objects. These factories produce a large number of pieces each day, and employees are assigned to one part of the multi-stage process involved in making each object. There are designers, glass batchers, glassblowers, cutters, polishers, etc.

American studio glass differs from factory glass in that the individual artist completes all aspects of the creation of a piece, from design through signature. These studio artists generally "batch" their own glass, using sand (silica), ash and metallic oxides to create their raw material. The quantity of work they produce is extremely limited. Most studio glass artists will make fewer pieces in their lifetimes than factories like Baccarat or Waterford will make in one day.

In 1962, Harvey Littleton, professor of art at the University of Wisconsin , and Dominick Labino presented a glass workshop in conjunction with the Toledo Museum of Art. These men are recognized internationally as the "fathers" of the American Studio Glass Movement.

Convinced that it was finally possible for an individual artist to undertake glassblowing by working entirely alone, Littleton and Labino provided information on furnace construction, glass formulas, tools, techniques, etc.

The Toledo workshop was the beginning of the American Studio Glass Movement. In the decades since then the number of American Studio Glass Artists has gone from virtually none to more than 1,000. Internationally, American glass artists are acknowledged as the undisputed leaders in creativity and originality. Dale Chihuly, a Seattle artist who established the famed Pilchuck Glass School , is widely credited with advancing public awareness of glass as an artistic medium.

The Corning Museum of Glass is recognized as having the world's finest collections of glass art objects, dating from antiquity through the 20th century. Each year the Corning Museum sponsors an international juried competition, which attracts more than 2,000 submissions from all over the world, with only 100 pieces selected for inclusion in the museum's New Glass Review and permanent collection of 20th Century Glass. Since the beginning of the New Glass Competition in 1979, American artists have dominated this important award contest, consistently accounting for more than half of the 100 winning selections each year.

See You at the High Museum!

Lori in Atlanta

Summer love....

Summer in Atlanta is hot and sticky, but the high humidity is perfect for growing hydrangeas.  I'm in love with hydrangeas; they are one of the most beautiful summer blooming plants in the south. I can remember when I moved to Atlanta being drawn to the cool shaded area on the north side of the my house where a huge bush of blue hydrangeas was planted. The giant blooms were as big as a plate and such a clear, deep blue they seemed to belong in a hot house rather than casually hanging about the garden. 

Every year just a few weeks before the daily temps soar, we get to enjoy these gorgeous blooming flowers in a range of bold colors.  Below are some of my jewelry designs reminiscent of the hydrangeas in the garden... 

CHEERS!

Winter Sale Event...

As part of my “fresh start” effort this year, I am cleaning out the clutter and releasing some of the baggage that has been weighing me down. I mean this figuratively and literally. I get this yearning to lighten the load about every 5 years.



Examples of items currently On Sale in my shop.



So, to jump-start my effort I’m reorganizing my jewelry studio and offering 15% off the price of everything in my Etsy shop. That’s right…everything. I need to make space for my new materials and direction I want to take with my Etsy shop. I love making lampwork beads; I’m just ready to try something new this year.

I hope you can take advantage of the sale….Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are just around the corner. Sale ends at 5:00 PM EST Tuesday January 31st.

BOO Y'ALL!

I love Halloween! I’ve always thought of it as my day to escape my “real Life”. While growing up, other holidays were stressful and sometimes unpleasant. Family feuds, divorced parents, and a host of other disappointing situations made traditional Holidays a bit disjointed in our family. But not Halloween!

Fall Front Door Decor

Halloween provided me a free pass one night a year to escape and become part of the world of fantasy and adventure. It was my chance to become something different, something exciting, something beautiful, or even someone who could fly. I could leave behind the pressure of family challenges and just enjoy my favorite day.

Vintage Halloween Costume Patterns

Even as a very young girl, I spent days working on my costume; as a teenager I learned to sew just so I could create fabulous outfits. Being extremely tall for my age, (I still am), I could never wear the commercial costumes available at the local Woolworth's, so I had to sew my own.

Today, I still enjoy everything Halloween and decorate the house for the holiday. I’ve made a few items for my Etsy Shop for my favorite day. No pressure, no guilt, just pure enjoyment…cheers!



Halloween items in my Etsy shop.

Take a Peek....

New earring designs in my Etsy shop

Since moving I have not had time to setup my lampwork studio space. So, toady I went through my stash of odds and ends and found several matching pairs of lampwork beads that I could use for earrings. I'm trying to get my shop stocked now for the approaching holiday season. Have you started your holiday planning yet?

Spring has Sprung in my Etsy Shop

Spring in Atlanta is a short-lived event each year.  The full-on flower blooming, pollen covering, light jacket in the morning and drinks outside on the terrace in the afternoon kind of spring weather lasts for about 90 seconds before the harsh heat of a Southern summer settles over us. And every year, just a few weeks before the daily temps soar; we get to enjoy the blooming flowers and sounds of nature while strolling through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  Below are some of my jewelry designs reminiscent of the spring colors in the garden...



Don't forget the Kitty .....

 

It's official, we will be moving within the next 30 days. Our cat is a little anxious about moving again, he seems to be making sure that he is not left behind. No worries Beau... you're going with us.

I'm excited about the move; my lampwork studio will be back in business.  For the last two years we have been living in a townhouse that does not have space for my studio, and every room has automatic sprinklers. I didn't want to take a chance by firing up the torch, kiln, and other heat producing gadgets; sudden rain inside the house is never good!  The new house will have a room just for my studio...Yippeee!

Winner's Choice Giveaway

Maria Grimes is having a Great Giveaway to celebrate

her 8th year of lampworking! She will make5 lampwork beads for you..

Don't miss out check this out!

 

Click on Maria's name above for more details.

What is "Lampwork"?.....

Some of my work contains my handmade lampwork beads. Lampworking (flameworking) is the art of melting and manipulating glass in a flame. The glass rods that are used are different types of glass ranging from “soft“ to “hard” glass. 

The glass is wound as it melts around a steel wire welding rod (called a mandrel) that has been coated with a clay based material called “bead release”. This prevents the glass from sticking to the metal rod. After laying down my initial layer of glass, I shape my bead by using gravity. At this point I can decorate the bead by rolling it in frit (crushed glass), adding dots of glass, or laying down strings of a different color glass.

When I have finished shaping and decorating my bead, I then place it into a kiln (small oven) that is turned on and set to the annealing temperature for the type of glass I was using.  The kiln slowly brings the temperature of the bead down so it does not crack.

When the bead is at room temperature, I remove it from the mandrel and clean the clay out of the inside of the hole. I usually break off the bead release first over a garbage can and then soak them in water. Once clean the beads are ready to use in my jewelry design. Lampwork beads are one-of-a-kind pieces of art.

Trends in Jewelry.....

We all know how important it is to keep up with jewelry trends if you're in the handmade jewelry business. It certainly would not be in your best interest to be selling bright, colorful neon designs in a year when the trend screams black and white! Not that you want to completely alter your jewelry line based on trends; BUT, it is important to be aware of jewelry trends so that you can make subtle changes to your line based on demand.

Right now long chain necklaces with some embellishments are popular, also multi strand necklaces and bracelets are selling. Fashion magazines and trend watch publications are very helpfully when adjusting your shop to draw attention to the latest style. One good source of jewelry trend information for jewelry makers is Bead Style Magazine. Each month they have a trend watch section.

Take a peek at two of my current trend designs:


http://www.etsy.com/listing/44701432/handmade-lampwork-bead-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45148143/ultra-long-amethyst-and-chain-link

Purple Twilight Bead Necklace - Just Listed on Etsy

Just listed this lampwork bead necklace in my Etsy shop. The earrings will be sold separately and I also have a matching bracelet that I posted previously. This color combination will be one of the hot color trends for fall. What do you think?