tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28527734101432482612024-02-18T22:24:36.862-05:00A Torching Good Story!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-58507032234603693902009-12-27T16:06:00.001-05:002009-12-27T16:06:52.928-05:00I am Moving!I am moving this blog over to WordPress! Come visit me there and add me to your follow list!<br /><br />http://fourtailslampwork.wordpress.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-66825049545004296492009-12-09T20:45:00.009-05:002009-12-09T22:42:08.478-05:00Public Shout-Out to C&T DesignsCurt at <a href="http://www.candtdesigns.com/cart.php">C&T Designs</a> is another person to whom I need to say a public "Thank you!". I buy all my niobium, bronze, and square copper rings from Curt, because his quality is so good. However, I also get rings from Curt because he is just a really nice guy.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com/2009/11/post-show-musings.html">past post</a> I mentioned that I was struggling with HP 3-1, an easy weave, but the dickens to get started! I also commented about my struggles on Twitter. Curt Twitters, as well, and asked me <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0512/1154/09C008-2_display.jpg?20091208164525"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 416px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0512/1154/09C008-2_display.jpg?20091208164525" border="0" alt="" /></a> what tutorials I was using. I mentioned them, and he sent me his own tutorial on HP 3-1, which gave the absolutely clearest description that I have yet seen of the dimensionality of that weave. The tutorial helped me figure out the 3-1 weave, as you can see. These are rings that I cut, and are not up to the standard of Curt's. I wanted to try the weave with the size rings Curt recommended, and I was too impatient to order some of his excellent rings. I don't mind cutting a few rings with a jewellery saw to see if I like the weave enough to do it again, but anything more than a bracelet's worth of rings in soft copper and I go running to the store! Life is too short.<br /><br />Anyway, I had to try again, this time combining larger rings in copper and bronze. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8sqD3o0Nhv13GDeno7yc9vBHUEfPjItBceEaQsgdrZR9gFtL5augU7A52bPo4aPSVxO33UHbhJU2Ag1NYbGS2pd6mrpydryN89LlvA-2Fgasugsns43zyy3or9mplVrP7rUHnZgpMrfW/s1600-h/09C007-2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8sqD3o0Nhv13GDeno7yc9vBHUEfPjItBceEaQsgdrZR9gFtL5augU7A52bPo4aPSVxO33UHbhJU2Ag1NYbGS2pd6mrpydryN89LlvA-2Fgasugsns43zyy3or9mplVrP7rUHnZgpMrfW/s320/09C007-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413419536766433266" /></a> Next I think I could alternate them. <br /><br />But then I had to try helm chain, and managed that, too. I really like helm chain; it is an odd combination of incredibly easy and flat-out annoying, but the result is lovely, like a Celtic knotowrk border. Next time, though, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0512/0954/09C006-1_display.jpg?20091208164210"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 433px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/1000markets-images/pictures/0512/0954/09C006-1_display.jpg?20091208164210" border="0" alt="" /></a>I am buying the rings for that weave; never again am I cutting 1/8" rings with my hand saw. I have a teeny blade that gives me a nice flush cut, but oy, the labor in keeping an even cut on a weeny surface! Curt earns every penny he charges on those rings, and I am happy to pay it!<br /><br />Curt is also very nice about cutting custom rings for people, and doing other things (we are talking about adding a liver-of-sulfur patina to the square copper rings, as I have a neighbor who wants a bracelet with a darker finish). He's also the original seller of the anodized rainbow niobium rings.<br /><br />You can see the helm chain and the first HP 3-1 bracelets over at <a href="http://www.1000markets.com/users/fourtailslampwork">my 1000 Markets shop.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-49592977289497398452009-12-09T09:33:00.003-05:002009-12-09T10:05:47.674-05:00Thank You, Studio Marcy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_430xN.49540230.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 428px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_430xN.49540230.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> One of the things I really, really like about my local ISGB chapter, "<a href="http://www.southernflames.org/">Southern Flames,</a>" is that everyone there is so helpful. We're all interested in each other's success, and everyone is just genuinely supportive. One great example is Marcy Lamberson, aka <a href="http://www.studiomarcy.com/">Studio Marcy,</a> Marcy makes the most wonderful, humorous, just plain funny beads out there. She has a fantastic sense of humor when it comes to beads -- check out Kayla the Panda Hula Dancer, or the woman who wants to be kissed under the mistletoe! <br /><br />But Marcy is a genuinely cheerful person outside the studio as well. I still laugh when I think of the both of us outside <a href="http://www.beadsbydesign.us/">Beads by Design,</a> where Southern Flames meets (Thank you, Stephanie!). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_430xN.50518378.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 429px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_430xN.50518378.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> We were both buying glass from another Southern Flames member who had extra in his car, and there in the dark, weighing out glass, we were cracking all kinds of mafia jokes :) <br /><br />Marcy is also generous of spirit, and when we are all working on beads for Beads of Courage offers mini-tutorials, sharing techniques freely--something increasingly rare. She features Southern Flames members <a href="http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/">on her blog</a>--and I am her latest feature. If you are in the ATL area on the 12th of December, make sure you stop by <a href="http://www.jankestudios.com/index.htm">Janke Studios</a>, where Marcy will be demoing lampwork! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com//il_430xN.37849003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 432px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com//il_430xN.37849003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-12882115116160925422009-11-25T22:13:00.005-05:002009-11-25T22:17:25.772-05:00By the wayif you are wondering how some of the Prismacolor turned out ... here's some recent pictures, plus some more chain maille. Happy Thanksgiving, people! Remember all the things you are thankful for ... not just today, or tomorrow, but every day. We all have *so* much that I think we don't even think of.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESumU87lAYJAyhIZt4mb0sXXJjMDVnxdMGIB1_dJHWhMPGMoXiBosEJfEHKmt147CZMKIoVZKpuETJssfMzMPDH18Gc67hYiRWXRBE12mNJpX9aJzcEsPBtoNBbbCkp57O9SCuRTkuWLF/s1600/rectangleprismablue.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESumU87lAYJAyhIZt4mb0sXXJjMDVnxdMGIB1_dJHWhMPGMoXiBosEJfEHKmt147CZMKIoVZKpuETJssfMzMPDH18Gc67hYiRWXRBE12mNJpX9aJzcEsPBtoNBbbCkp57O9SCuRTkuWLF/s320/rectangleprismablue.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408245794610603106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyGGaNve48KkLg6pjHsOSAMKheXRWhLnZC3v9wX0QqPAEJMj6x63gU2Wx0dFDlqtWimSSY5eU3JTBBu05Ub4gL63Gk33PPX-Fct48iyAfESqGFzN5mhNqw9r2DJFUmQ9aRT-QSAbg_svB/s1600/TurquoiseCM1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyGGaNve48KkLg6pjHsOSAMKheXRWhLnZC3v9wX0QqPAEJMj6x63gU2Wx0dFDlqtWimSSY5eU3JTBBu05Ub4gL63Gk33PPX-Fct48iyAfESqGFzN5mhNqw9r2DJFUmQ9aRT-QSAbg_svB/s320/TurquoiseCM1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408245792426029186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ldAwEsxQ7bjGXiXJ9sQzEdOggRus54VlmtNsqIiAKQLDCMy3n0KxtBAOaGwZ8NclPygTYC3zg7LCY0jNc1uOZi5s3j8HTyouz0p2m2aEGDDftwK7x8aGWoxAKKzJykgRBSF4lxaohtF0/s1600/boxchainsquare1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ldAwEsxQ7bjGXiXJ9sQzEdOggRus54VlmtNsqIiAKQLDCMy3n0KxtBAOaGwZ8NclPygTYC3zg7LCY0jNc1uOZi5s3j8HTyouz0p2m2aEGDDftwK7x8aGWoxAKKzJykgRBSF4lxaohtF0/s320/boxchainsquare1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408245785895998306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y3SxOw5n5Bnbt6PlzROv8v-UwE0Q4Tq0x1mSwM6AFknO4DCRBUtroQOtv_2VBuCwjiRGfJUawePJTkuu3GfgawSb7Rap7MvU1fDD-AAWS_KUneElv-lpJKU_5Qh0gkB46g3iJHqW5RP4/s1600/blueprismatriangles1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y3SxOw5n5Bnbt6PlzROv8v-UwE0Q4Tq0x1mSwM6AFknO4DCRBUtroQOtv_2VBuCwjiRGfJUawePJTkuu3GfgawSb7Rap7MvU1fDD-AAWS_KUneElv-lpJKU_5Qh0gkB46g3iJHqW5RP4/s320/blueprismatriangles1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408245776374472562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx8p-hqu1mvdVJUAYqOX2E2km5hZkNx4ewGUUk2bEr2cX9UmJq3vDzkqf69lPxfBURNjCi8eMmPb2QBn97HsKjtwS-lyC87e8RviBM992Qglq9wv8SRPgJKuJ6cM_rNZD0li8ttRahSpE/s1600/bluecopper1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx8p-hqu1mvdVJUAYqOX2E2km5hZkNx4ewGUUk2bEr2cX9UmJq3vDzkqf69lPxfBURNjCi8eMmPb2QBn97HsKjtwS-lyC87e8RviBM992Qglq9wv8SRPgJKuJ6cM_rNZD0li8ttRahSpE/s320/bluecopper1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408245774476007970" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-90435647295322799982009-11-24T14:02:00.005-05:002009-11-24T19:10:51.973-05:00Post-Show MusingsMy friend Julia (<a href="http://artofthefirebird.com/">Art of the Firebird</a>) and I were at the <a href="http://www.thedownthestreetbeadshow.com/">Down the Street Bead Show</a> this past weekend. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt2pDEFD0GfHj6CVCp5ytAFNOonlTE6hgBwSUV0cbedry9Tf9YqwdWdRClBAJu_OBgza5Iqy_PrzGCQ33z-dlz14oV_UAObliN32It5rHRnlwB4-D2lNSsNu-wFC58eEZYLcs0RLi8oMF/s1600/P1010022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt2pDEFD0GfHj6CVCp5ytAFNOonlTE6hgBwSUV0cbedry9Tf9YqwdWdRClBAJu_OBgza5Iqy_PrzGCQ33z-dlz14oV_UAObliN32It5rHRnlwB4-D2lNSsNu-wFC58eEZYLcs0RLi8oMF/s320/P1010022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407751491814411650" /></a>The people were wonderful, as always; it is lots of fun to chat with returning customers, new ones, and of course other vendors. I'm always so thankful for the people who stop by and look, and talk, whether they buy or not! This year our friend Tara Roberts had made a pile of fleece hats with animal ears--everything from pert cats to long dangly rabbit and sheep ears--and several of us bought them. Julia and I each had one, and they were a conversation piece (AND were warm!). If you are on Facebook, Tara's husband John posted pictures of the show, including a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=38455312#/album.php?aid=4568&id=100000402757684&ref=mf">picture of Tara in her bunny hat</a> and other lampworkers in theirs.<br /><br />In terms of money,the show was disappointing. Sales were slow across the show, and there was one four-hour block where we made only one sale. I was very thankful that at my faculty meeting on Friday I brought out my "box of sin" and was cleaned out of all my Prismacolor pieces! The other area of disappointment was Cobb Galleria's treatment of Miss Daisy, our favorite food vendor, who was ejected by the Cobb Galleria management. Audrey was very unhappy at that, as Daisy doesn't make much on these shows yet can't store the finished food--everything is seriously fresh, which is what makes it so yummy. So she bought Daisy out and then shared with all of us. Wouldn't take a penny, either. I hope that Cobb lets Miss Daisy back in next show; she's a lot of fun (and her chocolate is to die for!). <br /><br />However, the slow pace of the show meant that I could finally sit down and figure out chain maille, which I have enjoyed ever since seeing Julia's absolutely gorgeous work. When I say "figure out chain maille," I am not implying that you can sit down and be an expert. What I figured out was how to hold my pliers, work, and rings while only spilling the rings seriously once. I still shed rings all over the floor (which I had to pick up ... and pick up ...) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vp2zDikxqoNlz5BNnBNrYPzEMVL3V4An9h26owghRBdiI-UU6NSqirF4s8GYkZJng_kAGIEZ4zWlqWyeaNElvTwN3cImoPNu5X9FEWILiJ8sfIm7wFBXXoTRaemUmNwqhXiGsN_f7j7L/s1600/rsa2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vp2zDikxqoNlz5BNnBNrYPzEMVL3V4An9h26owghRBdiI-UU6NSqirF4s8GYkZJng_kAGIEZ4zWlqWyeaNElvTwN3cImoPNu5X9FEWILiJ8sfIm7wFBXXoTRaemUmNwqhXiGsN_f7j7L/s320/rsa2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407752257792296882" /></a> I started with a simple box chain, but I tarted it up with square wire. As a box chain is rather rectangular and, well, boxy, I thought I would see what happened when I used square wire. Lo and behold, it was elegant! I need to dig it out of the show box and take a picture of it.<br /><br />Julia was working on a barrel chain with anodized niobium wire, and I really liked the look of the resulting bracelet. There's a trick to barrel chain! I hunted around on the web and found instructions to a barrel chain with a single inner ring, elegantly named Rhinos Snorting Drano. No, really. Who makes up these names? Anyway, RSD looked quite good in copper square wire, and was incredibly easy to construct. I like easy! I then tried half-Persian 3-1, but either my rings are too small, or the square doesn't work. I can see *how* to do it, but can't make the blasted things go. Will try again with larger rings. <br /><br />So then I returned to the barrel chain, this time doing a real barrel chain. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpH22wwjgdUTKN5HJzghM9cTH7BanLQlSLcG3-Y09NmDfQyWNAd-DwY7lTJVcOfFGcsZH2iwKe1DwOSDMvW0Yn4HHPp7EX5ggAYj7rJVfwqTE-o-86K3ePhv20n-JSE5t-FOBHsmfidxw/s1600/rsabeads1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpH22wwjgdUTKN5HJzghM9cTH7BanLQlSLcG3-Y09NmDfQyWNAd-DwY7lTJVcOfFGcsZH2iwKe1DwOSDMvW0Yn4HHPp7EX5ggAYj7rJVfwqTE-o-86K3ePhv20n-JSE5t-FOBHsmfidxw/s320/rsabeads1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407752252507014850" /></a> I added bright blue lampwork beads, with copper bead caps, and really liked the result.<br /> I have the earrings made, too, but no picture. I really like the way this weave is soft in a round wire and is almost engineering-steampunk in the square wire. It makes a nice contrast with the soft blue of the beads.<br /><br />One other thing about a slow show is that one gets to talk to other vendors, and in general, the vendors at the DTS shows are very generous with time and information. I got some more tips on the Prismacolour-on-copper process, and shared how I made my copper displays. ,<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Lj47ic4J60X3XupXXEmJaF_egCPyZTRTx9hp6-AKHDBGHwnbJn1LrcDHENaUZNmC8HCd0fgaZlX9FEMrTdkGzRKJXKcz4aNW7PiJqZM1KD0xyOjit8Dqk-Aun-bwXfgHhHa5hHW-_uS/s1600/rsabeads3.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Lj47ic4J60X3XupXXEmJaF_egCPyZTRTx9hp6-AKHDBGHwnbJn1LrcDHENaUZNmC8HCd0fgaZlX9FEMrTdkGzRKJXKcz4aNW7PiJqZM1KD0xyOjit8Dqk-Aun-bwXfgHhHa5hHW-_uS/s320/rsabeads3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407752267801248258" /></a> All in all, it was tiring--but a good time was had by all. <br /><br />Now on to Christmas!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-18418902892836642632009-11-04T11:28:00.005-05:002009-11-04T12:44:33.354-05:00Adventures in Prismacolor and CopperEverything happened this month! My Subaru died an untimely but very spectacular death, I caught the (NOT swine) flu, I had unexpected administrative work to do at my university, and I was teaching overloads. Until this Monday I hadn't turned on my torch since the last time I updated! <br /><br />I did try to fit some interesting things into the cracks and corners of time, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqlYabRIU8ur51DAdkcze1BBDEHitJxvOQT9eKROwPdtL2DNbXYIzYb7CpJkUtyMdGfEwL9fece7A7BMAa_2a5au6FZtHecRuCl7jc0-f1O5BdG_Jx605vaiVWB9xlyQwpM-2b005K3-c/s1600-h/annealed.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqlYabRIU8ur51DAdkcze1BBDEHitJxvOQT9eKROwPdtL2DNbXYIzYb7CpJkUtyMdGfEwL9fece7A7BMAa_2a5au6FZtHecRuCl7jc0-f1O5BdG_Jx605vaiVWB9xlyQwpM-2b005K3-c/s320/annealed.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400287375363359218" /></a> and one of them was playing with Prismacolour markers on copper metal. The pieces aren't finished, but here's the fun I have been having. These pictures are from different projects that I have going all at once, not from one project start-to-finish.<br /><br />I started with raw copper, either annealed, as in the first picture, or plain. Then I roughed up the surface with 220, 180, and 60-grit sandpaper to make the patina stick. The rougher the surface, the better. Afterwards, I pickled the annealed copper to remove firescale, and then thoroughly washed the copper pieces. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROTNK1pkuK3fQ-tYLbw5a8G2jVUKKtTY4fcyvPw_sjOKbUfVzporlS4FpTAoZon2ZbgtssfodZFY8dvRHY_Ngu8O3kBcE85eb1DUoFXPSgzM4Jm6sX0qTGdmWuYBt-Wob90RiBCDT02Bc/s1600-h/sanded.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROTNK1pkuK3fQ-tYLbw5a8G2jVUKKtTY4fcyvPw_sjOKbUfVzporlS4FpTAoZon2ZbgtssfodZFY8dvRHY_Ngu8O3kBcE85eb1DUoFXPSgzM4Jm6sX0qTGdmWuYBt-Wob90RiBCDT02Bc/s320/sanded.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400287386590596386" /></a> Oil from your hands on the copper will prevent the patina from adhering to the metal. It needs to be fairly well bonded to the metal, unless you want copper showing through on your design. <br /><br />Once your piece is clean, you can patina it. There are lots of formulae on the web that work faster or slower, so pick your poison and be *careful* handling it! My first time I used a commercial patinaing formula that I picked up at Binder's art supply. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pmSD2t55schjWMmrfq4E7sMtNmRnXg-HHRzKoS5X5rEHVK6NlMVcv-xjohjEgrDoyGkL-ZLDMDllxQuoDkE5KsF1DabFyvm3j4OzlHGKCcbi26B5x0wpdHd-r_DNqXhglFppKW8w4Nse/s1600-h/patinaed.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pmSD2t55schjWMmrfq4E7sMtNmRnXg-HHRzKoS5X5rEHVK6NlMVcv-xjohjEgrDoyGkL-ZLDMDllxQuoDkE5KsF1DabFyvm3j4OzlHGKCcbi26B5x0wpdHd-r_DNqXhglFppKW8w4Nse/s320/patinaed.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400287379151139426" /></a> You can get a similar formula from JAX chemicals. I laid some of it on too thickly and didn't make my copper rough enough in others, so when I worked with the patinaed piece I had to be careful and use a very light touch--and incorporate the places where the bare copper showed through as part of my design. The next time I used the slower method of salt and ammonia, which produced a more durable finish. Some people on the net have suggested urine, which does have ammonia in it. While it may have been an acceptable laundry bleach substitute in Ancient Rome, and <a href="http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/">Lindsey Davis</a> describes her character, Marcus Didius Falco, giving his landlady (the laundress Lenia) the ... umm ... results of his day's intake of fluids, I really don't want to use pee on anything I make, wear, or sell. Given the sheer amount of liquid my current foster dog, <a href="http://wantedforeverhome.blogspot.com">Gator,</a> produces, it would be a cheap patina ... but no. Just no. Thank you.<br /><br />I also made the mistake of sanding a larger piece of copper, putting a patina on it, and then sawing or snipping out my final shapes. Bad move, because even a strongly bonded patina can be delicate at this stage. My reasoning had been to make sanding and patinaing more efficient. However, next time I will sand a larger piece, then cut, drill, and file my final shapes, and then add patina. <br /><br />Anyway, next comes the fun part! You guessed it--COLOR! I bought a few Prismacolor pencils in bright cheerful neon colours, and began laying them on the patina with a very light touch. Then I swabbed each piece with a bit of turpentine and let it dry. Next came -- you guessed it -- more colour, and so on until I was happy with the result or the copper would not take any more colour. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.prismacolor.com/sanford/consumer/prismacolor/images/product/hdr_image_colored_pencils.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 70px;" src="http://www.prismacolor.com/sanford/consumer/prismacolor/images/product/hdr_image_colored_pencils.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> I baked the pieces for about ten minutes in my oven (I want a dedicated toaster oven!) to melt the Prismacolour wax; the turps will not catch fire at 275 degrees. Then I sprayed the pieces with a lacquer. People have recommended Krylon for its short drying time, and I see why -- the stuff I had around the house took an age to dry! It wasn't an issue because I was fitting in these steps into the "cracks" of my day, but now that I have more time it is going to be a PITA to wait. Krylon, here I come! <br /><br />If I liked the colour at that stage, I stopped there. If not, I sanded each piece with 0000 grit steel wool, very lightly, and did another set of Prismacolour and turps rounds, followed by another fast bake and another spray of lacquer, and so on until I was satisfied. Once I liked the colour, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUABDy4P6Do2FVnK9AKFNnKzLW-8M1S23dYU01GCzD0AkU0-xXFnKH16WN8NlZfOz-E82w76LlQEiAUkVOPQU7Ip6tEPHSi3TSDEo2nOJxnApJvps73gipL2nbEPonGucsG9_D1DAIN_7R/s1600-h/sealedandwaxed.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUABDy4P6Do2FVnK9AKFNnKzLW-8M1S23dYU01GCzD0AkU0-xXFnKH16WN8NlZfOz-E82w76LlQEiAUkVOPQU7Ip6tEPHSi3TSDEo2nOJxnApJvps73gipL2nbEPonGucsG9_D1DAIN_7R/s320/sealedandwaxed.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400287378581600370" /></a> or knew that the piece was as good as it was going to get, I finished up with a spray of lacquer followed by a thin layer of that wonderful magical substance, Renaissance Wax. Then, you guessed it, I baked it for 10 minutes.<br /><br />Finally, I used 0000 grit steel wool to sand each piece again, and buffed and polished it. With this lot I still have drilling and assembly to do, as you can see in the final picture (above). However, the next time I go through the process I will have pre-drilled, and all I will need to do is some final forming, if needed, and assembly. I want to add small lampwork beads to these pieces!<br /><br />Metal and colored pencils and chemicals, oh my! How much more fun could there be? If you try this, by the way (speaking of fun) make sure you work outside or in a well-ventilated area. Turps and Renaissance Wax have noxious vapours, and filing / sanding metal isn't particularly healthy for the respiratory system.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-15049564895371737532009-06-04T07:59:00.005-04:002009-06-04T08:46:19.985-04:00Beads of Courage: Butterfly Beads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8NdWWuNBnVyO1j7FaBTr0A2EBVs-Kq06jPBnagCFSqECif_V8Xz9PzCUnqDi1Vsu1T7FxihEAKFVB_Tbrarhqmir_i6xjOr7imGvSmEfgv_td-Kj7O-5oUf7_o7ARDm4vA8NsyhXWg/s400/Butterfly+Beads.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 384px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8NdWWuNBnVyO1j7FaBTr0A2EBVs-Kq06jPBnagCFSqECif_V8Xz9PzCUnqDi1Vsu1T7FxihEAKFVB_Tbrarhqmir_i6xjOr7imGvSmEfgv_td-Kj7O-5oUf7_o7ARDm4vA8NsyhXWg/s400/Butterfly+Beads.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/2009/06/robert-simmons-wearable-butterfly-bead.html">Marcy Lamberson</a> has blogged about Robert Simmons' new take on butterfly beads using white enamel and copper leaf. Robert's beads are the top picture. He's the National Director for Bead Donations for the Beads of Courage program. He also is a wonderful person and an excellent teacher--only Robert could tell a group of lampworkers about the chemical composition of etching fluid, and its dangers (this stuff can eat down to the bone!), and have all of us raring to go out and etch some more ... carefully. <br /><br />Butterfly beads are given to parents whose children didn't survive their illness. The problem with many sculptural butterfly beads is that, while they are beautiful, they can also be delicate. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2p7yVQaYmA9H4UWt5tGna20ZW5A6OAolhZePtgPB_Rgz7VI2oij4KLLsHgYv7rtAi_sUHBy1VZj_Przl5ACT3OfUJOdo35Yp-V_3LClyjPJBenZA2XM1NwL8WUgzNusJsCfbwFsy0822/s1600-h/Butterflybead1-1-3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2p7yVQaYmA9H4UWt5tGna20ZW5A6OAolhZePtgPB_Rgz7VI2oij4KLLsHgYv7rtAi_sUHBy1VZj_Przl5ACT3OfUJOdo35Yp-V_3LClyjPJBenZA2XM1NwL8WUgzNusJsCfbwFsy0822/s320/Butterflybead1-1-3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343451060155051378" /></a>Unless the wings are carefully attached, they are likely to chip or snap off. It's not a problem if the parents want to display the bead, but many want to wear it and keep it close.<br /><br />Robert has made <a href="http://www.southernflames.org/Tips%20and%20Techniques/Tips%20and%20Techniques%20BOC%20Wearable%20Butterfly%20Bead.htm">an excellent tutorial</a> on making these beads; you can see <a href="http://www.southernflames.org/2009%20Scrapbook/PP_2009%20Mayl%20Meeting%20%20Butterfly%20Demo.htm">pictures at the Southern Flames website.</a> <br /><br />The second and third pictures are of both sides of my first butterfly bead. I rather pretentiously named it "From Bonds Arising," and added copper mesh to signify the prison fence of the body that the child has escaped. The bead can be wired so that it can be worn as a pendant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QPjRSIWLLJNfqX0_REmgzXFjQ60z2xRMrqN86gSgCE0vnairSaVnAS4iPztpGhTf45OJbNatPUpvwdXzyZj-QxHMLHu-5g0Ga-_Z-NjAwVstxuIj1XtGykRWSa3juT8twRlyDRRx5-3U/s1600-h/Butterflybead1-2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QPjRSIWLLJNfqX0_REmgzXFjQ60z2xRMrqN86gSgCE0vnairSaVnAS4iPztpGhTf45OJbNatPUpvwdXzyZj-QxHMLHu-5g0Ga-_Z-NjAwVstxuIj1XtGykRWSa3juT8twRlyDRRx5-3U/s320/Butterflybead1-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343451061677928818" /></a><br /><br />If you do not want to use enamels, I have found that adding copper leaf over a dot of Opal Yellow will give a lovely green color, as seen in these beads from last year. I think if you add a dot of Opal Yellow <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RbQdYhE5I2_pjyFJyx-as2fICxCw6OCO4re73RtFu0YqB1Lxbyv8hOOi-ss0OdWL2beKEWXQaAxmDrdBP6JzGu9ZZCzzJiYEYz2XtR5hFUUyqVkQ3oDopp1B7A5juDENKBmuTet_R1v9/s1600-h/00007.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RbQdYhE5I2_pjyFJyx-as2fICxCw6OCO4re73RtFu0YqB1Lxbyv8hOOi-ss0OdWL2beKEWXQaAxmDrdBP6JzGu9ZZCzzJiYEYz2XtR5hFUUyqVkQ3oDopp1B7A5juDENKBmuTet_R1v9/s320/00007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343451063049932450" /></a>where you want your butterfly to be that you can achieve a similar look. If you want to use fine 40 or 42 gauge copper sheeting, the butterfly will turn a lovely shade of pink if you use it over Reichenbach frits in the pink and red family, as seen in this focal (it's a dragonfly, so just imagine it as a butterfly, k?).<br /><br />Robert's tutorial (and my tips) are freely offered to the lampworking community. Please consider making--and donating--some of these butterfly beads to <a href="http://www.beadsofcourage.net/">Beads of Courage</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-47500360888879975092009-06-01T08:49:00.006-04:002009-06-01T09:24:40.550-04:00I'm Finally Back . .. with Chunky Discs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP0ElLyGFWNKsPAWPb1aRT25bDPOoxVB_f_4TTngtwF2tgmuuM-pCBA0EBps_DazzL5FIXtxdEE7B7h4s07QUaZ8Qhbp8lSxB8vIf4WxH1Nb8mg-e9gQXlOKAf4Tghy9POzlQ092e-cbC/s1600-h/90503-2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP0ElLyGFWNKsPAWPb1aRT25bDPOoxVB_f_4TTngtwF2tgmuuM-pCBA0EBps_DazzL5FIXtxdEE7B7h4s07QUaZ8Qhbp8lSxB8vIf4WxH1Nb8mg-e9gQXlOKAf4Tghy9POzlQ092e-cbC/s320/90503-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342341959652984082" /></a><br />*whew!* It's good to be back, having some time to torch. The semester is over, the cold that laid me out flat for nearly two weeks, sleeping 20+ hours a day, has gone, and my Memorial Day guests are a very pleasant memory.<br /><br />The first day back at the torch I didn't make much of anything of note; as always, I was trying to get my mojo back. I spent some time experimenting with copper inclusions, and will post about that later in the week. Yesterday I decided that the time had come to conquer my chunky disc press. I'm pretty good with presses in general, but my results were pretty hit and miss. However, I had some of my sister's (<a href="http://www.thatfritgirl.com/">That Frit Girl</a>) fantastic <a href="http://www.thatfritgirl.com/category_6/Iron-Mountain-Custom-Blends.htm">specialty blend frits</a> to play with, and I was determined to master the press. <br /><br />We went toe to toe, and at first it looked as if I was going to lose, again -- Press 3, Andrea 0. I started with plain pale turquoise, because I have a *lot* of that glass. A couple beads were too wonky (so before the bead release flaked off in the press I turned the gather into a tube for Beads of Courage), but then perseverence, or maybe that steely glint in my eye, paid off. (I think the steely glint is due to perspiration ... it gets hot in my kitchen nook!) I got three nice ones -- a little dimply, but within the bounds of "artistic" :). Then I decided to press my victory and I tried frit, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEI_45-rJfSRVQQTBOfeUB_mdArz0eIRcShR93VFYnv-9CHNJTmI71aqj7JeQPUD9YFod7kgXT9VUMnXCnp1zVdaeTs-GggpgwFNrDW1k7LGlo2Nhr-MYtdLr1nFgMWS2xMXt21UVOWkh/s1600-h/90502-6.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEI_45-rJfSRVQQTBOfeUB_mdArz0eIRcShR93VFYnv-9CHNJTmI71aqj7JeQPUD9YFod7kgXT9VUMnXCnp1zVdaeTs-GggpgwFNrDW1k7LGlo2Nhr-MYtdLr1nFgMWS2xMXt21UVOWkh/s320/90502-6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342341565062320594" /></a> using "Sedna," which I really love. The problem with using frit and a disc press, of course, is where do you dip? For once I think I need to make a deeper frit tray; all mine are shallow. Anyway, I solved the problem by carefully rolling a layer of frit into the bead, adding more pale aqua, and then adding frit--watching for that 10% rule! <br /><br />I finished the session, not with disc beads, but with some flat bottomed crunches. I love the shape; they lie so nicely on a bracelet or necklace! But they are a pain to make if you want precise sizes, as I first shape them in a Cattwalk tab press and then crunch them. The advantage to that process, of course, is not just consistent sizes, but the lack of those strongly indented ends. Mind you, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigtaeXlKlPjUQZ4DlCVsI3jzLcvfdHKfv0k5DKRNTCocFuf3BKyYgljRMzTPaVdK133fzrO7lmqIRt8OgFDHLZZBPxR286HeYzb3CX4WcZzzyzwANam752AkFdnIv7PPd1ALKN-pYzRIm/s1600-h/90501-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigtaeXlKlPjUQZ4DlCVsI3jzLcvfdHKfv0k5DKRNTCocFuf3BKyYgljRMzTPaVdK133fzrO7lmqIRt8OgFDHLZZBPxR286HeYzb3CX4WcZzzyzwANam752AkFdnIv7PPd1ALKN-pYzRIm/s320/90501-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342341567316480226" /></a> those ends work really well with a Swarovski crystal nestled into them, so I make those too. Anyway, these beads are made with my sister's frit blend, "My sister's socks." It makes referents a tad awkward, because I always feel I should call them "my socks." Anyway, she made the frit for me, to match the cheerfully mismatched, candy-colored cotton socks I like to wear. This is a fun blend, and I thought the fun crunch shape was a good match for it.<br /><br />It's time to torch! So I will leave you with a new picture of an older set: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLAcMbGlD9QbyYrJ7rtFGwAaFovbL70zY9G9EfZf8kFdkLXwE2zOVO_pBY1inydn0qWHlL0KrNLx7kctr63dJzZNcTgOSxAMNRw7cL-x3-SHCmmHCkqp6X9-49o-Y3hGHSLs1vSXepkR4/s1600-h/90119-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLAcMbGlD9QbyYrJ7rtFGwAaFovbL70zY9G9EfZf8kFdkLXwE2zOVO_pBY1inydn0qWHlL0KrNLx7kctr63dJzZNcTgOSxAMNRw7cL-x3-SHCmmHCkqp6X9-49o-Y3hGHSLs1vSXepkR4/s320/90119-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342341571296135554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ry hit<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-61081429438424845762009-03-09T22:56:00.004-04:002009-03-09T23:13:34.470-04:00Improving Your Photos: Graduated ND FiltersWhat nobody ever tells you when you begin to post your beads or other crafts online is that you are going to have to become a photographer and a Photoshop or GIMP guru as well as a crafter, business person, marketer, and other related occupations. (No, I don't know how to do all that gracefully; if I did, this blog would be published regularly instead of in fits and starts.)<br /><br />For the most part, my photography routine works well. Crop to size. Adjust color to as close to the bead as I can using levels. Resize to 1000 px square, and run unsharp mask. But sometimes that routine just doesn't work. Since I have been procrastinating doing some work for my day job, I have been searching out GIMP tutorials to share. One of the simplest is a <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8148206941839265885">lovely video tutorial on creating a graduated ND filter,</a> which enriches the colors of your photo when they are washed out.<br /><br />Here is my original picture. Not bad, but not great, either. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDNtpuaP1NcBbdBFcUMJlWtT3UgmM5HmhJ8t9aVaaY67xGoiaHUOXExLv-00to3gy3NfP7FG1mDvyGtwac3RKUdIkJQQCDQio-Z0XkvLgLZ-9hzpC708FoCNaqVWOluVeLBkLT08yYSlB/s1600-h/original.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDNtpuaP1NcBbdBFcUMJlWtT3UgmM5HmhJ8t9aVaaY67xGoiaHUOXExLv-00to3gy3NfP7FG1mDvyGtwac3RKUdIkJQQCDQio-Z0XkvLgLZ-9hzpC708FoCNaqVWOluVeLBkLT08yYSlB/s320/original.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311389809326959554" /></a> Well, let me say that this isn't really the original--I've already cropped the picture to zoom in close. Otherwise, though, I haven't done anything to the image.<br /><br />Next, I went ahead and changed the colors using the Color --> Levels command. This command lets you adjust the color levels using a histogram, and lets you fiddle with the colors until they more closely approximate the colors in your original beads.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdARUaFuga6OdufHBiXfcMpZEutfF8-7vz7oVycX-sTFKXhDlD43QchC3tul-M1NvH9nPEl48oAh5J-yS7eRDIbXY9Z_lUH3JrmF6US_SkYTkn9VdfTNRWclYbcGi0LUkupWeqXllc8mt9/s1600-h/levels.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdARUaFuga6OdufHBiXfcMpZEutfF8-7vz7oVycX-sTFKXhDlD43QchC3tul-M1NvH9nPEl48oAh5J-yS7eRDIbXY9Z_lUH3JrmF6US_SkYTkn9VdfTNRWclYbcGi0LUkupWeqXllc8mt9/s320/levels.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311389815773688978" /></a> I used to use the automatic white balance eyedropper, but now I just use the slider bars in the histogram (it opens up when you click Colors -->Levels) until the colors look natural.<br /><br />Only some times they don't. I've found there's lots of ways to make the colors pop, but one of the simplest is to add an ND-Filter. The tutorial creator does a good job of explaining how to do this, so I will just add my results here. However, if you have trouble following the video, let me know and I can walk you through it.<br /><br />The final result: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv6dCAMqRd1nq1qdhjMkG63zmO2iGjbgi721gqPMQmlobkIqjkgKq_8brlhczdAkpVvTVQp1-pwle0aZixIb4r0OxFDgyvDiJrLuNGa8SQ7zk6X_aDXJowxxzOnxCyxifMLaZ8b0Eb0Z1/s1600-h/final.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv6dCAMqRd1nq1qdhjMkG63zmO2iGjbgi721gqPMQmlobkIqjkgKq_8brlhczdAkpVvTVQp1-pwle0aZixIb4r0OxFDgyvDiJrLuNGa8SQ7zk6X_aDXJowxxzOnxCyxifMLaZ8b0Eb0Z1/s320/final.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311389828957768674" /></a><br /><br />Try it and see if it helps your photos!<br />s<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-60518577047251758392009-03-08T11:36:00.003-04:002009-03-08T12:15:48.318-04:00PreparationsNext weekend is the <a href="http://www.thedownthestreetbeadshow.com/#atlanta">Down the Street Bead Show</a> here in Atlanta, at the Cobb Galleria, and as usual Art of the Firebird and I are going to be there. If you're thinking of coming, stop by and say hello! (And make sure you go to the DTS website first, because they will give you $1 off the admission fee.)<br /><br />What that means is that this week, in and around prepping a new class, I am assessing my inventory and filling in gaps--colors, shapes, types. I'm also moving old bead sets that haven't moved through two or three shows to the "super sale" bin. <br /><br />I'm concentrating on simple beads in spring colors -- frit beads that I can put a lower price on than I can the beads with a lot of complex elements. Given the current economy, I want to have a number of affordable options. Plus the current focus on simplicity means that beads that are not fussy may do well. I have enough fancy focals that there should be something for everyone. <br /><br />I'm also changing some of my display. I started out showing all sets on mandrels in the cigar boxes. Then I went to wiring the sets together and leaving them loose in the boxes, spread out so they could be seen. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.<br /> <br />The advantage of wiring sets together is that you can combine shapes and sizes, and the wired form seems to invite more handling. People who can afford a whole set are more likely to buy the whole set. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fdTXRg5OUzkzG3mI6ucquZrrWe9A8kcJ6AgTHAPO6GZB_AbC3uO8n-ZgxyWyarTRKchYZ_1UJ3F2nixFxQzoFqVNYUt_aTdKUnu3tGDVAJbEmetkrpQOvERNlIzrgwQGf2OQrYzlO_Dp/s1600-h/cigarboxdisplay.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fdTXRg5OUzkzG3mI6ucquZrrWe9A8kcJ6AgTHAPO6GZB_AbC3uO8n-ZgxyWyarTRKchYZ_1UJ3F2nixFxQzoFqVNYUt_aTdKUnu3tGDVAJbEmetkrpQOvERNlIzrgwQGf2OQrYzlO_Dp/s200/cigarboxdisplay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310851258921916002" /></a> The disadvantage is that people who might want one or two beads but not the whole set tend not to want to disrupt a set, and don't buy anything; and there are some people who think that the beads are already wired into their final form, and cannot imagine what to to with that form. The boxes also take longer to set up. <br /><br />The advantage of having the beads neatly on mandrels in rows is that per-bead pricing is more obvious, and people on budgets are more likely to buy a couple, even when they cannot buy the whole set. Setting out the display takes less time--just open the cigar box, arrange, and you are done! The disadvantage is that the mandrels seem to invite less handling, and it is harder to show prices per set and per bead. <br /><br />I think I am going to combine my display, depending on the type of bead. Elaborate, elegant, higher priced sets (or sets with multiple sizes of beads) I will leave wired together, loose in the boxes. Frit beads, however, where everything is one or two sizes, I plan to show in the boxes, on mandrels. I will continue to display focals in trays or cigar boxes with the grey square inserts. I'm hoping that this arrangement will make clear price differentials, as well as encouraging sales in a slow economy. One hopeful sign comes from Melanie Gulley at the Bead Shoppe, who says her sales continue to be constant -- people may not be able to afford the finished goods, but making something themselves is seen as a good, frugal bargain.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-89770518661527776952009-02-28T11:40:00.002-05:002009-02-28T11:51:52.964-05:00Joining Your Local Guild is a Good Thing!Well, yes, you knew that!<br /><br />There are lots of benefits to joining your local guild in whatever craft you do. There's a lot of interesting people who want to talk about the same thing you do, and are less likely to have glazed over eyes after the first minute on the topic. You make good contacts, and usually there are resources available more easily.<br /><br />But you also make the most important thing--friends. And sometimes just getting together and having an artistic play date can really help in ways you would never have imagined. Recently Renee Taylor (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5216872) and I got together just to play. Not only was it fun just because, but it was also a fantastic learning opportunity. Renee does lovely florals, whereas I am reasonably dot- and flower-challenged. I, however, am pretty good with presses, whereas Renee is press-challenged. So we swapped. I showed Renee how to roll (not press) a thin tube of glass into the press first, so that the ends are roughly 1mm from each side of the press. Then add glass, slowly--you always use less than you think! Renee showed me her dot technique, and under her good eyes I realized that I had had more problems because I was heating up too much of each rod's end, and making it much harder to place dots precisely. <br /><br />We finished up with pho at my favorite local <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/9/126288/restaurant/Atlanta/Pho-Truc-Clarkston">Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall, Pho Truc,</a> and need not to wait so long before doing this again. It was just flat FUN.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-54375461103405683712009-02-11T09:00:00.000-05:002009-02-11T09:00:00.857-05:00Ready for Valentine's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXRGkeOxBJ8bDQh0qIG4pCQxnrRdeyyldVOJWPHWsYhpCXFe5gfUiBqGooqGvIAj7vrQSfnidFWk7cu00k3pr3SnvfzVQQJGpUp16CODmqyRVD6VcGiQ6yyca65yPyh4W3ZJfOViHxLe5/s1600-h/petiteheart2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXRGkeOxBJ8bDQh0qIG4pCQxnrRdeyyldVOJWPHWsYhpCXFe5gfUiBqGooqGvIAj7vrQSfnidFWk7cu00k3pr3SnvfzVQQJGpUp16CODmqyRVD6VcGiQ6yyca65yPyh4W3ZJfOViHxLe5/s200/petiteheart2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301247777954550178" /></a><br />I haven't shown any new work for a while, so I thought I would share some pictures of heart pendants that I have been working on lately. I'll also leave you with an ear-worm at the end, so you Have Been Warned. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLlXlBkUyDbKDeKiuDUytVJCJ-2CD-Gb0gVM0MCYwU_yedn_9ifpZ9e-uv-2mjzppHI-iooHm1enS23NjunJdGy2QbxzKjl4V5ddVsKe5G0yNt490VJDpinlz4N_yaPYJKv07zXwFg5A3/s1600-h/smallblueheart3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLlXlBkUyDbKDeKiuDUytVJCJ-2CD-Gb0gVM0MCYwU_yedn_9ifpZ9e-uv-2mjzppHI-iooHm1enS23NjunJdGy2QbxzKjl4V5ddVsKe5G0yNt490VJDpinlz4N_yaPYJKv07zXwFg5A3/s200/smallblueheart3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301247778727602674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0jxJtOJ4T7e1uwt_MFdSebbtERBJOg-zJkc7VShQ7afLBIxSXS253Omp-kl5wWOdg25hV8EDlI5Wc45S4VhdWLhO0e6P3yiSFLU_7nKyOfpyZrG-LVTYf_ipbq3WQfO_Xgb6nrl0BAKE/s1600-h/plumheart1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0jxJtOJ4T7e1uwt_MFdSebbtERBJOg-zJkc7VShQ7afLBIxSXS253Omp-kl5wWOdg25hV8EDlI5Wc45S4VhdWLhO0e6P3yiSFLU_7nKyOfpyZrG-LVTYf_ipbq3WQfO_Xgb6nrl0BAKE/s200/plumheart1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301247775861588130" /></a> Heart pendants are fun to make. Sometimes they have long, graceful points with nice smooth ends, and other times one gets a short, fat, stubby heart. Like human beings, they're all beautiful in their own ways.<br /><br />The sole exception are the hearts with poor loops--thin and breakable ones, poorly attached ones, really fugly ones. Those I take out of my kiln and give to friends as window ornaments, or hang them from my fruit trees in a futile effort to keep the birds from getting all my plums! As I take them out of the kiln, I find myself singing, "Please take away my heart ... my poopy loopy heart ... " <br /><br />Admit it. You knew that one was coming. If you get an earworm from it, don't say I didn't warn you!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-41989944240256208272009-02-10T13:55:00.004-05:002009-02-10T14:02:04.209-05:00Show Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadktM9O8V8WIrAUM57jJN1Blrky6yORX_q7CuKpzbTZj4Ux2S3HoXjJ5IX_7JwVq1KxKoqo67vluwXnbcnm_Ldz-YhRz8VQLqLNsoZH5blPFntN75evN1_n1Gb_Pla_99nRqD59rQSOXM/s1600-h/dscf6549.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadktM9O8V8WIrAUM57jJN1Blrky6yORX_q7CuKpzbTZj4Ux2S3HoXjJ5IX_7JwVq1KxKoqo67vluwXnbcnm_Ldz-YhRz8VQLqLNsoZH5blPFntN75evN1_n1Gb_Pla_99nRqD59rQSOXM/s200/dscf6549.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301244951674332850" /></a><br />This weekend Art of the Firebird and I did a show at Amalgam Arts Studio in Atlanta. It's in the Rail Arts District of Atlanta--the Decatur, Scottdale, and Avondale area. The studio has a great group of artists and a wonderful vibe. It is a wonderfully creative community.<br /><br />Our show began with the Studio Cruise on Saturday evening, and completed with the trunk show on Sunday. We met some wonderful folks, and even did reasonably well!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictH51p0EzI4X1sUwy_-ewfK54lS3xYVoEuGG_m_-uQsrSoZI3C2VIrWXEw-YVgkN2MkC4mLmiVz6JIp2pOGsuoBpVwBcsQ5omSDhdI2kQZW4I1vNDaugN8nQ38YNPDYx8hWbozN2MHrIG/s1600-h/dscf6540.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictH51p0EzI4X1sUwy_-ewfK54lS3xYVoEuGG_m_-uQsrSoZI3C2VIrWXEw-YVgkN2MkC4mLmiVz6JIp2pOGsuoBpVwBcsQ5omSDhdI2kQZW4I1vNDaugN8nQ38YNPDYx8hWbozN2MHrIG/s200/dscf6540.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301244950685716898" /></a><br /><br />You can see the studio founder, Brian Gibney, teaching a class during the Sunday afternoon one-day jewellery making workshop during the trunk show. Our display is in the foreground. Brian is a good teacher; I know I learn so much just by observing the class and listening in!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-60357354426741252692009-01-27T16:45:00.002-05:002009-01-27T16:54:38.108-05:00Eurotool Flush CuttersToday I needed some more fine silver wire, so I stopped by JFF Jeweler Supply. The family that runs the store is always fun to talk with, and extremely knowledgeable. I asked Dustin about flush-cutters. Lindstroms are phenomenal, but I don't do enough wire work to justify the expense. I need something mid-range--good quality to last and to do the job well, but not so high end. <br /><br />Dustin said that most people have been extremely happy with the <a href="http://www.eurotool.com/">EuroTool Professional quality flush cutters.</a> In his experience, he said, they did as well as the Lindstroms for about 1/3 of the price. Their springs aren't as robust, but more than adequate, and the slightly larger size fits my large, square hand very well. Time will tell how long they last, but I'm willing to trust Dustin's judgement.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-13066430913227790292009-01-26T12:45:00.005-05:002009-01-26T12:58:11.788-05:00Four Tails Lampwork at Amalgam Arts Studio Cruise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTkIMfNteAhLbhVUstUYoXppD-GI7TD0-TRWVm7hRCIWD-sqw6F9C08Ej2dWkbhcfRDY3cgAnCI95WCFYFWm9YisDpukDs6I67p8pEE-Zl0fBzK8Vx29v4A2U7osNnzRn2xEYJO1KeJkn/s1600-h/RAD-Logo-2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTkIMfNteAhLbhVUstUYoXppD-GI7TD0-TRWVm7hRCIWD-sqw6F9C08Ej2dWkbhcfRDY3cgAnCI95WCFYFWm9YisDpukDs6I67p8pEE-Zl0fBzK8Vx29v4A2U7osNnzRn2xEYJO1KeJkn/s200/RAD-Logo-2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295660303353375602" /></a><br /><br />I'm absolutely chuffed, as my Australian friend says, to be part of the Second Annual Rail Arts District Studio Cruise. Together with Art of the Firebird, we're going to participate in the marketplace. This is a great opportunity--last year's Cruise attracted nearly 1000 people! This year's cruise is on <b>7 February 2009, 5-10 pm.</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5H8_uNjykRXnPyc7w-_ugu6xcjSwiXXfWgKIncq5QsvB_KrXJ6w0_u3awUpfNucIlv0kSM6ts5jnQOQW-OzKbQRQlXYmqPOpIZ9ZMXBQKbxhFG-KuZ25CI094V5U1JQKuXGdgPtIrnrx/s1600-h/RAD-Card-Email.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5H8_uNjykRXnPyc7w-_ugu6xcjSwiXXfWgKIncq5QsvB_KrXJ6w0_u3awUpfNucIlv0kSM6ts5jnQOQW-OzKbQRQlXYmqPOpIZ9ZMXBQKbxhFG-KuZ25CI094V5U1JQKuXGdgPtIrnrx/s200/RAD-Card-Email.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295660719859612370" /></a> If you live in the Atlanta area, stop by! (Or tell a friend who lives in Atlanta.) There will be food and drink and music in plenty, but most of all wonderful eye candy. Even if your pocketbook is flat, come for the music and the demos and the conversation. There will be an open studio at Duckbill Studios--watch owner Tadashi Torii and his assistants blow glass. There will be performances and demos at Mudfire Gallery and Clayworks, art over at The Alcove, and numerous opportunities to hang out and talk to some seriously creative people. Don't know where the Rail Arts District in Atlanta is? <a href="http://www.mudfire.com/RAD-Studio-Cruise-2009.htm">Here is a map.</a> <br /><br />To whet your appetite, here's links to two videos from DuckBill Studios. The first is about the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwaKc9Thovw">glassblower's way of toasting bagels.</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkGa4FBS5Q8">The second shows an open house from 2007.</a> Alas, I cannot embed either, as embedding has been suppressed. You can still see the videos by following the links.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-69078409539840585592009-01-22T09:00:00.001-05:002009-01-22T09:00:00.906-05:00Some things only a sister ....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.socklady.com/images/sockline.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 83px;" src="http://www.socklady.com/images/sockline.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <br /><br />can get away with! No, really, this is seriously cool. First, though, some background: I have a couple pairs of riotously coloured socks from Sol-Mate--see the picture from Socklady.com's website, above. Each pair is deliberately mismatched in pattern, though they stay with the same yarns. If you get several pair in similar tonalities, though, it really doesn't matter what two you grab! I love wearing them; they are cheerful, and make me grin. And they are wonderful for wearing through security at an airport. You just can't take the delays too seriously when you are wearing blueberry, crocus, purple, orange, and fuschia socks. Want your own? You can get them <a href="http://www.socklady.com/index.php">at Socklady.com</a>.<br /><br /> My sister Leslie, of <a href="http://stores.ironmountainjewelry.com/StoreFront.bok">Iron Mountain Jewelry</a>, sells frit to finance her own frit habit, and has begun to make her own unique blends. If you melt glass in the 90-104 range, you should try them some time! Anyway, she always kids me about my "crazy knit striped eye-assaultingly bright mismatched" socks, and ... tada!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ironmountainjewelry.com/catalog/My%20Sisters%20Socks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 158px;" src="http://stores.ironmountainjewelry.com/catalog/My%20Sisters%20Socks.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> She is making me some crazy sock frit! She has installment one done, the opaque colors. The frit looks like tons of fun! I<br />m eagerly awaiting the transparent / translucent colors, though--something about the purple / orange / fuschia / lime combination just makes me want to get up and dance. Wearing the socks, of course.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-45080496616513299722009-01-21T09:00:00.000-05:002009-01-21T09:00:00.599-05:00Random Musings about ExperimentsThe last Southern Flames meeting featured a presentation by <a href="http://www.margiedeeb.com/index.php">Margie Deeb</a> and <a href="http://www.nijenkampglass.com/">Kristy Nijenkamp</a> on color theory and color mixing. I had some time to torch today, and I played with color mixing, with varied success (it was my first time!) And that got me thinking ... always dangerous.<br /><br />When you're mixing colors you're using some of the same skills you need to build complex glass cane or twisties, and you're using some of the techniques. Some people build a cane using a flat lollipop-shape of glass as a base, whereas others use a cone or a barrel shape. Some people build cane right on the parent rod, whereas others use borosilicate or Moretti clear rods as punties, with or without a maria on the end. Others prefer stainless steel chopsticks. For simple canes or twisties, the method generally doesn't matter. Whatever works for you is what you should do.<br /><br />As I was mixing colors, however, I began to think about what differentiated techniques, and--by extension--what differentiated beadmakers. Why did some people become teachers and others not? Why do some people write wonderful techniques books and others not? Why do some people improve steadily in their art and others stay at hte same level? Obviously, talent, time to work, inclination, and many other variables all play a role. But I think the habit of analytical reflection is also part of the process. I make my history students tell me the argument of the text they are reading, because if they can articulate it, they own it. I make myself do the same thing when I am reading. If I just understand something non-verbally, chances are I don't really understand it clearly enough to use it. And I find the same thing happens when I'm torching.<br /><br />As I was mixing, I was thinking about the ways Kristy--and Drew Fritts--suggested holding the stainless steel chopsticks. While I could see the benefit in that method, I found that, for me, a style more closely rooted in knitting worked better and gave me better results. I could see why, because of the twisting action my hands were making, but I could also see the downside, namely more glass on the chopstick. As I worked around that obstacle (letting the glass on the chopstick stay hot while letting the glass on the other cool down enough that I could swipe most of the glass from the first chopstick onto the larger mass of glass), I considered twistie techniques, and realized that I could say when I would prefer to use a maria rather than a chopstick (a large gather with stripes I wanted to keep even), when I would use a boro maria (I want a clean break at the end), when I would use a cone (I'm using chopsticks and don't want "bones" at each end), when I would use chopsticks (Most cases, but especially using up shorts), and the like. <br /><br />What it does is help me do what I want to do with glass more mindfully when I consciously, rather than *only* intuitively, know how to achieve the look I want in glass. And I think that may be one of the things that separates the writer, the teacher, the learner from those who stay still--the habit of conscious analysis.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-63981438674050101362009-01-20T09:00:00.001-05:002009-01-20T09:52:54.108-05:00Pantone Spring 2009 ColorsPantone has released the Spring 2009 color report. From the language, it looks as if they are trying to reflect hope and optimism, while recognizing that people are searching for stability and are conscious of the need to conserve. As always, fashion language seems to be talking to someone other than me, a long-time frugalista--but the colors are useful when planning my offerings for spring!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMobyGKeox4fYzDBJ5jLr6xyEl7tV8MmNGATXFhyphenhyphenBaoBeJLhnP2g9BfTqP4MKIzM3fkCrBF9elU54bC44sqOESJziWJgxaf-2WMm0vcuDwqcqAVi3ycsnhYqmDU2g-i9lzUcy54SpC0nO9/s1600-h/Top_Ten_Colors_for_Spring_2009_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMobyGKeox4fYzDBJ5jLr6xyEl7tV8MmNGATXFhyphenhyphenBaoBeJLhnP2g9BfTqP4MKIzM3fkCrBF9elU54bC44sqOESJziWJgxaf-2WMm0vcuDwqcqAVi3ycsnhYqmDU2g-i9lzUcy54SpC0nO9/s320/Top_Ten_Colors_for_Spring_2009_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293388938349906306" /></a> From the report: "Top Ten Colors for Spring 2009." <br />PANTONE 18-4043 Palace Blue<br />PANTONE 15-3817 Lavender<br />PANTONE 14-0754 Super Lemon PANTONE 15-1626 Salmon Rose<br />PANTONE 18-2328 Fuchsia Red<br />PANTONE 14-1307 Rose Dust<br />PANTONE 16-5804 Slate Gray<br />PANTONE 16-6339 Vibrant Green<br />PANTONE 16-0435 Dark Citron<br />PANTONE 14-5714 Lucite Green<br /><br />Fall '08 saw blue and purple rise to the forefront of fashion. As is often true, colors evolve from season to season, and spring '09 is no exception. Palace Blue, a favorite among designers this season, takes a steadfast, classic, spring navy-like tone and makes it sparkle. Paired with just about any color in the report, it offers many intriguing spring combinations. Taking purple in a lighter direction, Lavender presents a softer, more summery hue, extending the mystical aspects of purple available last fall." <br /><br /><a href="http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/pantone-fashion-color-report-spring-2009.html">You can see the original, from which I took my text, here.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-23460297676498322012009-01-19T11:44:00.003-05:002009-01-19T12:48:06.422-05:00Chew on this ...What do you do if your dog gets into your glassmaking supplies?<br /><br />I'm currently dog-sitting for my ex-neighbor's two dogs, both of whom get along really well with Mr. Justin Wigglebutt, my rescue whatsit. Justin sleeps in his (open) crate in the study, because I can trust him not to chew the books on the lower bookcase shelves. Milo and Diamond sleep in the kitchen; although that's where my workbench is, neither dog has ever shown any sign of pulling things off the table. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MWbJjB-ik-X88kcCP19ZoPGYFpxnEXL_rOz-pVlhUNAL2-ABsAOqnHE3otgv1wLO6WoFoc5Cr7EqkMkFq5mJum63R5YiGzxDbIjW7nR9bIzvbYa7YrsUytYNHl8_XSvokgRpOTm1jlbT/s1600-h/milo1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MWbJjB-ik-X88kcCP19ZoPGYFpxnEXL_rOz-pVlhUNAL2-ABsAOqnHE3otgv1wLO6WoFoc5Cr7EqkMkFq5mJum63R5YiGzxDbIjW7nR9bIzvbYa7YrsUytYNHl8_XSvokgRpOTm1jlbT/s200/milo1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293062290075987490" /></a>Until night before last, when Milo decided to take a taste of my workbench. I woke up to find Val Cox' <i>Frit Secrets</i> in a pile of gleefully ripped pages, along with parts of <i>Passing the Flame</i> and two half-packages of silver and gold leaf. Most alarmingly, there were chewed plastic bottles of frit, ripped sacks of shards, and loose shards and frit strewn all through the debris.<br /><br />First of all, don't panic, but assess the situation as calmly as you can. Remember that most glass shatters at an angle that is more likely to pass safely through the intestine than ground glass or thin pieces, like shards. The larger the frit is the safer you are. After my first flush of sheer panic, I looked carefully at Milo; Diamond does not have a history of ripping things up, but Milo does. No blood on his gums, no glass or frit in the pads of his paws. I looked for the icky stuff--there was no diarrhea or bloody stool, and no blood around his anus. Given that what looked like all the frit was on the floor or still caught in the container, I was most worried about his involuntarily swallowing a piece or two, not a whole lot.<br /><br />My second step was to call the emergency vet for advice, while pulling out some bread slices. Why bread? Bread is an old home remedy for any animal that's swallowed something sharp, such as bone fragments. It can coat the bone and help it pass safely through the intestine. The emergency vet confirmed that, and also said that unless the glass had lead in it, it would not show up on an x-ray. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq_1AeWH-KU9wlf2pLJUBwWYDRcNLEFo872n8svjcwXnOGvlpUpn1TEB9Cwn1L9LH9uiF1LtlaADO8BfmeF3YNZUQ1HwGtp4XncBmSblOO8lNXaLD4ddSv4Tob52EHdnIenv79N43Dy58/s1600-h/dogs3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq_1AeWH-KU9wlf2pLJUBwWYDRcNLEFo872n8svjcwXnOGvlpUpn1TEB9Cwn1L9LH9uiF1LtlaADO8BfmeF3YNZUQ1HwGtp4XncBmSblOO8lNXaLD4ddSv4Tob52EHdnIenv79N43Dy58/s200/dogs3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293062499217216530" /></a>I did a fast Internet search and found the answers inconclusive. The vet didn't think there would be enough in Milo's system, so she told me to do the things I had already done--feed him bread (the other two were happy, because what you give to one ... ), and watch his behavior and his stools, and bring him in if he began to show blood, to vomit, or just to become lethargic. <br /><br />Milo was wrestling with Justin, and clearly hadn't a care in the world. *I* was a nervous wreck. On my way to visit Art of the Firebird to pick up her unwanted dog crate (I could have put Milo in Justin's crate, but he does like to den in it, and AoF wants to get rid of the crate ASAP anyway) I called Milo's human to see if he wanted me to take any additional action, and to give him a heads-up about the situation. He said no, no emergency X-Ray in case; he agreed with me that it was unlikely that Milo had really *eaten* any of the glass, let alone enough of the glass to possibly show on an X-ray *if* there was lead in it. <br /><br />Last night Milo slept, most reluctantly, in his new "box," which will be his permanent bedroom whenever he comes to stay with me. Diamond usually dens with him, but this time she stayed in the kitchen, and Justin slept in his blanket-covered crate. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi828lQeCmHw84ZRtl2oFLuK_Hx7hL_qorY9bFbqC-91sddZ0w3Leztdl2KDPLyARM5x7x1p6yjOg66eOHIaDRU_ITXrNAS0kcXencLdyIPKSfOUqd9_SSn5Exo_ZnmAlRIQ5u8dgSF3WCa/s1600-h/dogs2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi828lQeCmHw84ZRtl2oFLuK_Hx7hL_qorY9bFbqC-91sddZ0w3Leztdl2KDPLyARM5x7x1p6yjOg66eOHIaDRU_ITXrNAS0kcXencLdyIPKSfOUqd9_SSn5Exo_ZnmAlRIQ5u8dgSF3WCa/s200/dogs2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293062675185605810" /></a> As you can see from the pictures, taken this afternoon, Milo is happy, healthy, and active (he's the littlest one; Diamond is the middle-sized Pit bull, and Justin is the largest Lab/Spitz). His only ocmplaint is that he had to sleep in a crate, rather than rrrrripping into things, eating more frit, and getting more bread.<br /><br />But if you work with glass, and have dogs, I offer you both this cautionary tale and this medical method.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-77870674413490032602009-01-18T21:16:00.004-05:002009-01-18T21:53:25.875-05:00Blew it again!Yes, I disappeared. Eeek! I am back home, the house is swamped out, the students are registered, and life ought to be much more regular (I hope). <br /><br />Meanwhile, I want to congratulate Maureen McRorie for winning the <a href="http://www.myglassart.org/frabel-awards-winners">2008 Frabel Novice Award!</a> The Frabel Awards are highly competitive and very prestigious, so winning one is an extremely Big Deal in the glass world. Maureen deserves it--both because of her skill and because of just being a Good Human Bean. Maureen is one half of the team that runs our fantastic local glass shop, <a href="http://www.flametreeglass.com/">Flame Tree Glass.</a> The other half is her husband and business partner, Lance McRorie. They are two of the sweetest and most generous people I know. I am in awe of their glass skills, and I learn so much form them just as human beings.<br /><br />When you look at Maureen's stuff, of course, the word "novice" does <i>not</i> come to mind. Here's her winning entry: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.myglassart.org/frabel-awards-nominees-pics/novice-nominee-pic-3-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 590px; height: 574px;" src="http://www.myglassart.org/frabel-awards-nominees-pics/novice-nominee-pic-3-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-20331934213027393972008-12-30T09:31:00.003-05:002008-12-30T09:43:42.083-05:00Amazon Customer Service?So I was extremely excited to have made my first sale on 1000Markets, and needed to log in to my Amazon seller's account. I blithely logged on using the email account I have used for years, only to be told that that email and password weren't recognized. Humm, I thought, so I entered my email to be sent my password. <br /><br />That's when things got interesting. The system told me that it had no record of my email address! Being a good academic, I checked all email correspondence I had with Amazon and verified that yes indeedy, I was using the correct email address. (It's the only one I have ever used with Amazon, but checking is always good.)<br /><br />So I emailed Amazon's customer support, and got this reply (emphasis mine):<br /><br /><blockquote>I am very sorry that you have experienced difficulty accessing your account.....You can <b>reset your password online</b> through the Your Account area of our Web site, or by clicking this link:<br /><br />(link deleted)<br /><br /><b>Enter your e-mail address in the space provided </b>and click "Continue." We will then send you an e-mail containing a personalized link. Use the link, enter your new password twice (to confirm it), and click "Submit your password." Once you have taken these steps, your new password will be effective immediately.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Please note that this does not address the problem--it assumes that the system recognizes my email, when in fact it appears to be the email, and not the password, that is the problem. (Well, if the system has lost my email, then likely it has lost the password, too!) I emailed back pointing this out, and also noting that it has been less than a month since they upgraded my seller account to Tier II status (using that selfsame email that now the system does not recognize, after they initially told me I *had* no account--then a human being found it), and got the following email in return:<br /><br /><blockquote>Did we successfully answer your question?<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Below were two options, a link for yes and one for no. Obviously, I clicked NO, and restated the problem, this time with a query as to whether initial emails were actually read or whether customer service just answered the most common question rather than the one actually asked.<br /><br />I am awaiting their response. <br /><br />Up until now I've never had trouble with Amazon, but I have to say that in this case Amazon service is made of fail. Clearly there is some problem on their end--they couldn't find my seller account the first time I tried to upgrade, but then they did when I was persistent; now the system as a whole does not accept my email, even as a buyer. Sigh. All I want is for them to fix it, but they can't fix it until they actually *address the problem*.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-23864790817042168342008-12-29T09:30:00.001-05:002008-12-30T09:48:56.470-05:00Sometimes it IS the toolsWe've all heard the saying that it's a poor workman who blames his tools. In general, that's right. The best tools in the world won't turn a shoddy craftsperson into a good one, and someone with superb skills can often turn out the most amazing work despite poor or makeshift tools. <br /><br />But sometimes you reach the limit of the tool you have. That's happened to two friends of mine this month. Tinroof couldn't get the lighting on her photos right, though she tried different lighting, white balance squares, and the like. A better light tent solved the problem. Art of the Firebird was having trouble with photography. No matter what she did, her pictures didn't improve. She spent a lot of time looking at camera angles, white balance, staging, focus, and the like. Finally, she got a camera with a better macro lens, and all that practice paid off in instantaneously better photos. <br /><br />Does the better tool pay off because of the investment in skill that preceded its acquisition? I think so, when that's the case. I can usually get excellent color out of Iris Orange glass, aka raku. But I spent months trying to coax colour out of raku on a Hot Head torch, and I think all that effort paid off when I got a torch that could actually have an oxidizing flame.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-88618228166096240452008-12-28T15:05:00.004-05:002008-12-28T16:55:36.491-05:00Happy Holidays!Yes, I have committed the ultimate blog sin: not updating for nearly a month. Mea maxima culpa. It was that whole Real Life thing--you know, having a full-time job that has seasonal busy spots--<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36ewtZIheLQUI9UD9mFTxlwKAKkwX8IG04MaYPLVDb9M8blixoBOKcfKzOggTsAK9KKvsQ-5sqY5GE1mrHdZtbXHDL0Cb-GT5dO7GMCv_PgCaTfQw3IOsMjWl6M8M3I7nNw8m6LlKcl45/s1600-h/fossil1-2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36ewtZIheLQUI9UD9mFTxlwKAKkwX8IG04MaYPLVDb9M8blixoBOKcfKzOggTsAK9KKvsQ-5sqY5GE1mrHdZtbXHDL0Cb-GT5dO7GMCv_PgCaTfQw3IOsMjWl6M8M3I7nNw8m6LlKcl45/s200/fossil1-2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284936172924006178" /></a>combined with not planning ahead appropriately for those busy spots. I'm sorry!<br /><br />What I am doing: spending Christmas at my sister's house and spending more time in her studio than she is--the poor kid is barking like a seal with a cough and sleeping every second she isn't at work.<br /><br />Here are some of the experiments: I was playing around with Frogsong's wonderful tutorial. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6127741">Frogsong does some lovely beads,</a> and created a technique-based tutorial. Since I like to do structured organics, I was all over that one! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2-brt9PyJiFJQyodKYHmCCKvuOQMOvDZUQmt3WPz7PEA6_CFU4v0pDqJe8-2LvF5PYglXv_L1OwTU620q5yd7LR0ua-aFmuou5WdvBHM5u3SPzQXSJgQIQU_bolLcfYqbTBZI6xXkq-3/s1600-h/colorstones2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2-brt9PyJiFJQyodKYHmCCKvuOQMOvDZUQmt3WPz7PEA6_CFU4v0pDqJe8-2LvF5PYglXv_L1OwTU620q5yd7LR0ua-aFmuou5WdvBHM5u3SPzQXSJgQIQU_bolLcfYqbTBZI6xXkq-3/s200/colorstones2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284936172513383410" /></a> So I have been playing with placement and color, as you can see. I like the layered look!<br /><br />Here are some more. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN584zcA-a8feC4E-gpkr62UERKh6WwxqlJKL1wbokRE2vCUdDAU791ZqYP2HVLCAuLht6vp2pTxiaPjI5ZgtSxuFDGe1lZqGO9jaiQTx_rYiSD61XVUw40iKByHqWffaC3CaKZkDbeI6v/s1600-h/pathways2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN584zcA-a8feC4E-gpkr62UERKh6WwxqlJKL1wbokRE2vCUdDAU791ZqYP2HVLCAuLht6vp2pTxiaPjI5ZgtSxuFDGe1lZqGO9jaiQTx_rYiSD61XVUw40iKByHqWffaC3CaKZkDbeI6v/s200/pathways2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284936184590818562" /></a>Over the next couple of weeks I will be listing these on <a href="http://fourtailslampwork.etsy.com">Etsy (as focals)</a> or on <a href="http://fourtailslampwork.1000Markets.com">1000Markets (as pendants).</a> Stop by either place and check them out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sY1xm-N-2kf80ZivGU7XzT5kqq0hwPNgUYvDcaxamkR_8izZiksAEwpMED0h7ZWjyyqDgRWcwvWbx22eDNKzN311DJiWQy01qmW_UkSgKeOeF2E0ul_4-Ynygm17mkaDJ8vmytkuqm_K/s1600-h/fossin2-2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sY1xm-N-2kf80ZivGU7XzT5kqq0hwPNgUYvDcaxamkR_8izZiksAEwpMED0h7ZWjyyqDgRWcwvWbx22eDNKzN311DJiWQy01qmW_UkSgKeOeF2E0ul_4-Ynygm17mkaDJ8vmytkuqm_K/s200/fossin2-2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284936170285135522" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-34693178628224159752008-11-30T00:18:00.004-05:002008-11-30T00:39:06.345-05:00Shout out to ReneesSoapsI hope everyone who celebrates it had a good Thanksgiving holiday, whatever that means to you. (The best Thanksgiving I ever had was the Thanksgiving nine years ago, the last year my mother was alive. With only two of us, we decided to skip the big Thanksgiving meal. Mom cooked a turkey breast--mostly for soup later--and we took turkey sandwiches up to the reservoir and park in the town we lived in at the time. It was cold and raw, but we sat and watched the water birds and talked until well after sundown, until a park ranger knocked on the door. Clearly he had seen the steamy windows and the old beat-up car and had assumed it was kids necking; he turned so beet red when he saw it was a thirty-six year old and her mother! It was a good day, and I am thankful I had it.)<br /><br />But I digress! I want to talk about <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6048708">Renee's Soaps,</a> a wonderful shop on Etsy. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.5869084.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 760px; height: 100px;" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.5869084.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> I know that normally I feature ESST members, but Renee is a fantastic Good Citizen of the market world, who was looking for people to feature--and chose me; I'd like to return the favor!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_430xN.46557593.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 466px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_430xN.46557593.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />And let me tell you, it sure isn't hard. Renee makes a large variety of items, from candles to soaps and lip glosses. She even has gender specific items, for Wonderful Women and Manly Men. (What I <i>really</i> wanted to see was her "Ugly Soap" section, but alas, it was empty.)<br /><br />Among her offerings, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.46835787.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 288px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.46835787.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Renee has some wonderfully unique scents. As someone who is very sensitive to scents, though, I zeroed on on the Green Tea and Aloe soap. I think I am going to have to get some of this; it looks scrumptious!<br /><br />In the current economic climate, we're all stretching our money more than we might have in the past. Soap is an excellent bargain--handmade soap may appear to be spendy per bar, but I can tell you that it lasts far longer than the commercial soap and supports an independent artisan to boot. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.47072874.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 323px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.47072874.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> In addition to the good value that handmade soap provides, Renee offers a discount--buy any three bars for less than the price of two bars. It's a great idea to stock up on your favorite soap, give gifts, or just try out some of Renee's interesting and intriguing combinations. Yuzu? Hippie Hemp? Green Guava and Pineapple? DO WANT.<br /><br />Finally, now is a great time to shop here--there's a "Buy two & get one free" sale from now until December 1.<br /><br />What are you waiting for? Go get clean!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852773410143248261.post-85078153168942767542008-11-23T10:27:00.006-05:002008-11-23T11:51:23.486-05:00Beads of Courage DayThis weekend I went up to Beads by Design in Marietta to spend some time torching. The Southern Flames support a wonderful charity, <a href="http://www.beadsofcourage.net/index.htm">Beads of Courage.</a> Beads of Courage helps children who are undergoing treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer or leukemia. Each treatment wins the child a bead for his or her string, and serious treatments earn a handmade bead. It sounds silly, but increasing numbers of studies are showing that the kids in the program are more involved in their treatment and recovery.<br /><br />Marcy Lamberson (bottom photo) showed us how to make cute face beads, which are in demand by both kids and staff. Kim Neely was making Georgia Dawg beads, and we all made fish, faces, and bumpy beads. I made one of my poodledo beads. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0e5ALK9GCXVJQ-QHRkiA3krNkn4CbnAfmhIsrOei5guMci0KbiaYoxKmc14_UtkC-DZkPjj2md44rlLnT61ekaxFsa4KVa5vvelv2nmehlhkKo9lhpQTsDyUkCVtDIgb5TuMd5SxpUjB/s1600-h/1000Markets+052.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0e5ALK9GCXVJQ-QHRkiA3krNkn4CbnAfmhIsrOei5guMci0KbiaYoxKmc14_UtkC-DZkPjj2md44rlLnT61ekaxFsa4KVa5vvelv2nmehlhkKo9lhpQTsDyUkCVtDIgb5TuMd5SxpUjB/s200/1000Markets+052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271896260647260850" /></a><br /><br /><br />We filled up one kiln and were working on a second one when I left. Beads by Design contributed the studio space, the propane and oxygen, and the supplies. Flame Tree Glass gave us the glass. Thanks to everyone, we're going to have a lot of beads for the kids to use.<br /><br />It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning--melting glass with friends, and doing good things for kids and the people who care for them at the same time.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Originally posted on http://fourtailslampwork.blogspot.com</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2