Something to hold on to !

What do you have in your pocket ? I carry a handful of glass beads . Sometimes I think they are just motivation to keep going or just to entertain me when I am bored . I love how they feel some smooth, some bumpy, some flat . When I am worried about something I use them to focus my thoughts to help me concentrate . Curious how something you can hide in the palm of your hand ,something small and that looks fragile can give me strength and make me believe that everything is under control ! I think a lot of you keep something in your pocket or at your desk . Something tactile that can be played with when we need to be amused . I love the idea of meditation beads ,to help focus during concentration or times of stress . I would have to admit that I use mine when I am sending Light and Love to family and friends I am thinking about so I guess they are a kind of modern day worry bead . So what do you carry in your pocket ... maybe you need some of these you can check them out here http://www.etsy.com/listing/59057969/handmade-glass-meditation-beads

It's Time

Was it not just yesterday that we were saying good bye to school lunches ,buses and teachers ? Ditching jeans and jackets for shorts and tanks pushing those hot sweaty sneakers to the back of the closet for the feel of bare feet in the long soft grass of summer ? Sleeping in late and heading to the park for a lazy dayof just playing in the sun, no worries, no problems, just friends and laughs and a few slurpees in the mix .
Where do all the good times go in the heat of the summer the magical days that never seem to end one blending into the next like the waves on the shore overlapping so smoothly one over the other . In the midst of all that leisure summer disappears and just this past week no longer is it light past the streetlights . Darkness falls before we are tired the days are starting to remind us that they to are tired of so much leisure . The signs of fall are now everywhere. The trees are being covered with yellow gold, school buses flashing lights, the smell of books crisp and new and I am just as excited as I was for summer . Time to start A New Year ! New hands to hold and stories to hear,friends to make and dreams to Imagine ! It's time to get back to school ! Hurray ! Time to make so much new stuff if you can just believe ....

Summer Reading Fun

When I was a young girl the long anticipated break for summer was a time to immerse myself in books. In summer I would spend days at the library . I would sit in the children's section the entire day and read cover to cover. I loved to read! I could escape in the pages to places I would never go. It was like having a holiday without leaving the library.I found friends on every page I turned
and adventures that most certainly always turned out fun . All that and I could be home by 6 pm; never alone but with a armload of adventures to keep me company! I do not get to the library much anymore but my love of a good book has not ended . These days my adventures are with my girls as I share with them the love of a good story. It is such a memorable time to sit and snuggle and read together ! Some great books to read with little girls are Butterfly Kisses, by Vicki Churchill, Stella by Marie Louse Gay, Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots ? by Carmela Lavigna Coyle, and our 2 year olds very favorite Russel the Sheep by Rob Scotton . If you are looking for a gift this summer for a book lover be sure to have a look at http://www.etsy.com/shop/sixbabygirls?section_id=6971429 for some beautiful bookmarks for that special person that loves a good read !

Iridescent Blue

I just love the look of glass and gemstone, and with my latest design I have incorporated a violet blue double diamond cut quartz with the iridescent glowing lampwork beads ! The dots on the glass beads are like opals shimmering and iridescent ! It is glorious to behold and the weight and size are just right . Quartz is used to cleanse focus and amplify energy levels in the body. It realigns and refocuses the body , mind, and spirit toward clear goals; beautiful and healing what a bonus !

That Old time Feeling ...

Well I finally have time to sit and reflect on the past 2 weeks at the Art show "The Works".
It was a thoroughly exhausting event with very long 12 - 13 hour day with lots of people looking and lots of people commenting on how much they liked my work which really made the long days worthwhile ! I also experienced some really remarkably beautiful work ! Being located in the heart of the city made for some very interesting characters and the entertainment was endless . One of the most loved and commented upon pieces was this bracelet . It is a compilation of many beads but has a vintage feel about it with lovely rose pink hues and a textural,tactile feel to some of the beads which really demands that you pick it up and touch it which was what many people did ! Although no one purchased this particular piece many a pendant walked away ! If you might be interested have a further look here http://www.etsy.com/listing/51064921/sweet-charlotte-lampwork-glass-bead . I had a interesting time at The Works met some fabulous Artisans and thank everyone for stopping in !

Stop and Kiss the Tulips !

We are always in such a hurry racing to the grocery store , the graduations, the recitals, for coffee to the library , to exercise class and so it is endless ! Recently I have been incredibly busy creating new works for a upcoming exhibit at The Works in Edmonton Alberta and it has really consumed my every moment not just making things but thinking about making things . In the middle of this flurry of activity is my sweet Novah who without regard to my tight schedule convinced me we needed to go outside even though the sun was not sunny . A break to escape, a moment to share just looking at all the beautiful creations blooming in the light of love. Sunshine is not always necessary to make a flower sweet or to entice a kiss from a 2 year old.I realized in this special moment the beauty that lies in everything is simple we just need to stop and acknowledge it !



So after a lovely break looking at all that is growing outside I was able to return to create more
beautiful treasures under the flame.
If you are in the Edmonton area please come down and visit
The Works at Sir Winston Churchill Square June 25 - July 7
11:30 AM- 9 PM with so much to see I am certain it will be just as beautiful as discovering that first tulip in the garden !

How to dress up a Dread ...

Well it seemed to me something new and different . I was trying to think up another use for my really big holed lampwork glass beads , when one of my team mates suggested beads for dreadlocks; wow I love that idea ! When I was in art school I used to stick all sorts of odd things in my hair . I did not have dreads but I did have some very unusual extensions crazy glued in there. So with that in mind I have started to make some of these 1/4 inch hole beads that are very iridescent and would be suitable for a man or woman they are glass so you would not have to ever take them out . I would love to see a whole bunch of these walking around some day !
If you or someone you know are interested check them out at my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/48994336/a-dreadlock-bead-of-lampwork-glass

Short Shorts

So I am usually sitting behind a torch or at a work table assembling a piece of jewelry . Today my thoughts turned to blue skies and water parks as i sewed up 9 pair of short shorts for my sweet baby girls in size 2, 6, and 8. ! Oh what fun these are the colours are alive and vibrant nothing wishy washy here i'll be able to spot them running across the park no problem . I really love to make special one of a kind garments for my girls and have built quite a collection from nightgowns to dresses . Now we just need some sun and a sprinkler to test them out . I sometimes have clothing for kids for sale at my etsy shop so check it out sometime http://www.etsy.com/shop/sixbabygirls

Sparkling in the Lights

I usually work with Lampwork Glass beads or semi precious gemstones , but recently I found myself gazing at this giant Swarvoski crystal in awe not just at the size a whooping 20 mm bead but at the vibrant Fuchsia color ! I am not a ring maker really but wanted to somehow focus attention to this glamourous crystal . I have worked alot with wire though so immediately I decided to wrap that sparkly jewel in sterling silver with no ring mandrel I found a object that fit my engagement ring and just jumped in and wrapped it up 10 minutes later WOW ! what a treasure ! The colour the simplicity I think there is more here then just one ..... I may have to figure out how to make my glass beads into rings ! You can see more of this ring at my etsy shop here http://www.etsy.com/listing/47792802/fuchsia-swarvoski-crystal-wire-wrapped

What a light box can do !

I recently made myself a handmade lightbox , nothing fancy just a cardboard box with hole cut in the sides and some tissue paper on the outside to diffuse the light . I am so happy with the results ! No more hard shadows the light is even !

Funny thing is I am photography major from Emily Carr College of art and I had forgotten the importance of a lightbox .... most of my photography is abstract like the lead photo of this blog . The results have definitely made me realize the skills I learned so long ago should not be forgotten.

I hope to go back through all my old photos of previous jewelry pieces and reshoot them , but that could be time consuming so for now i will just be happy that some lessons learned are not completely forgotten.

The bracelet can be viewed in detail at my etsy shop here http://www.etsy.com/listing/47974993/lampwork-glass-bracelet-purple-passion

as can the pretty pink ring http://www.etsy.com/listing/47792802/fuchsia-swarvoski-crystal-wire-wrapped

AHHHH Monsterssss!!!!

So i think i am completely in love with these gruesome dudes ! and my kids are lining up to pick which one they get to chose ! I think they would even make great pins ! I also think i should donate a few to the beads of courage program for children under going treatments for Heart and Cancer related illnesses .... i will have to get some strung on cord and see what the etsy world thinks of them ?

BWAhahahaha...

So i know it isn't halloween yet but i love all things creepy , silly, fun and well just a little off so when thinking of what i could make for one of my girls to take for a birthday party gift my first

thought was well a necklace focal would be great ! Then i really started to consider the age of the child and how goofy 9 year olds are and it just crept into my head to make creepy monster like faces. Well i had a hoot yesterday forming these guys and there is definitely more to come as i LOVE them and the possibilities for funny faces is well limited only by my imagination and that is endless so ....

Dragon's Wing

I am so very pleased with the outcome of my latest evening at the torch .... I new from the start that these pieces of glass were going to become something special and as you can see they did ! The time working the glass was magical and as i was turning and striking and re striking it was as if i was carried back in time and i was watching the wings of a dragon be born . If you can see into the bead you would see scale like formations in the glass and the colours are out of a mystical realm for sure !
I absolutely love this piece i hope you enjoy it to it can viewed at my shop here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46660934/on-dragons-wings-lampwork-glass-bead

From A Fairytale

These chunky gems of glass glitter with iridescent sky blue they look like something right out of a fairytale ! I love the chunky feeling the weight is akin to wearing a treasure on your wrist gorgeous and shimmery ! I love the look of The aurora borealis Pink Amethyst with the Glass it catches the eye and glitters in the sun . It is truly a awe inspiring piece of Glass Jewelry Art !

When i go into the studio to work for the day i really have no preconceived idea as to where or what i will end up with. I often just start with a color and go from there. The flame is intoxicating as it flickers and jumps around and i find myself often daydreaming and not at all thinking of what i am making at all . The whole process is very mechanical , the melt the form the finish .

It can be very liberating as the glass melts and droops and is quickly turned over and formed . I find often that i am thinking of a person or place while torching and that those thoughts turn into the glass piece i have created.This recent session ended with these nugget shaped beads now a whole new process takes place . What to make with them ?

Distance

Sometimes we loose connection with people in our lives sometimes you never reconnect. I was so fortunate to have found a old dear friend from Emily Carr Art School,

Marta Pan a fabulous painter and Chef extraordinaire !

So with her in mind i created this piece I hope she likes it, just a little bit of sterling and a whole lot of glass !

Cheers Bella !

Sprouts

What a great Spring morning and i found some early flowers in my garden ........ swirls of blue , green, purple, orange, and pink on a black stem groovy !

Everyday is the opportunity to start fresh , to make new friends and rekindle old relationships

Into the blue

My wild side and the great wonder of spring everything pushing it's way up, such inspiration in nature!

at work at the torch just got some Terranova 2.1 and it is beautiful see the beads ready for a new bracelet

"Colors answer feeling in man; shapes answer thought; and motion answers will."

John Sterling