A Perponderance Of Profiles!

The following is taken from a new handmade only site I'm a member of. Check out my profile and blog on Byhand.me. If you love handmade, you should see this!

Do you realize how much time it takes to set up a profile on a new site to market your work? It seems to take me weeks before I've fully completed everything and have it just the way I want it. Maybe having a full-time job slows me down a bit than some of the lucky ones who only have their art business.

I'm on many sites now, I can hardly keep up with it all, but I do it because I love my art and want to share it with as many others as possible. Would we really do all of this if we didn't love it?

Tonight I've been creating banners for use on Etsy and on my profile here and have finally put them into place. There's a lot of great options on this site in the profile, but it's taken a few weeks of exploring and seeing what other's profiles look like to determine what all it can do.

Up until yesterday, I had no idea that I could upload banners to my profile and blog pages, but now I do. So Voila! New banners on both pages.

A day or two before that, I put up some Etsy Mini's onto my blog sidebar to give it a bit of personality too.

What do you think of the changes so far?

On the blog I tried to merge the banners for both my Etsy shops since this blog will cover either one as time permits.

Now, how many shops should I set up? I probably should have presences on more than one selling site, so I'm thinking about that now. Of course, I'll want it to be a shop that can be linked into this site too. Any suggestions?

(argh, more profiles!)

Shop Loading Continues

I've been very busy getting my shop loaded with lots of new items over this weekend in addition to making several new pieces.

Working in Boro is a lot of fun and I hope you are enjoying my adventure with me.

This weekend I made some new disk pendants--some with a large front hole--that I will be adding over the next few days.

Drop pendants and a couple hearts were also made, but I'm not sure if one of them will go up. I was using a new color, cranberry, but it didn't quite turn out as expected. The color looks too much like rust and cherry. Reds are giving me some trouble, but I will get them worked out soon, I hope.

If they won't come out, then I can always use some "Red Elvis"--yes, that's actually the name of the color. I know it will come out red for me since I used it in class and is a very reliable color.

The pictures in this posting are new items that I posted to my shop today. Be sure to stop by Etsy and see what all I've added over the weekend.

Hope you're having a great week so far.

Where have I been?

"I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me!"

It's been quite a while between posting, but I thought it was time revive my blog and get back to you great folks.

Creatively, I've been in a bit of a funk for several months--since last summer actually-- and wasn't sure how to break out of it.

After much thought, soul searching and just generally taking a break from most things glass, I have been able to recapture my desire and creativity.

Over the past few months, I've been preparing to switch from using the soft-glass that I learned on to the harder Borosilicate. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. I love the wide range of reactive colors available to me in this glass.
2. I needed a new challenge creatively to prevent me from just making the same thing over and over again.
3. Boro gives me much more freedom over the types of items that I can make--not just jewelry but sculpture, marbles, paperweights etc. (If I have enough heat, that is).
4. It was just time for a change.

So, now that the switch has been made, I hope you enjoy the pictures of my latest creations in the new medium.

Also, be sure to check out my Facebook Page for Burning Scentsations!

Several new items have been added my Esty Shop over the past few days, so please check out the all-Boro items now!

Have a great night!

Thank You All So Much!

I wanted to thank everyone who made my sale this weekend a very big success!

I wasn't sure how it would work out, but I'm so glad that it worked out as well as it has. While being a celebration of Robert's return, it will also help me to do two shows in November which I am so looking forward to after the summer show circuit flopped a bit this year for me.

I'm so thankful to have such wonderful customers and friends as you, and I couldn't keep doing this without you.

I hope you have a great day tomorrow, and remember to always follow your dreams!

Celebration Sale This Weekend!

As you may know if you're a regular reader, my partner, Robert, has been performing all summer up in Door County, Wisconsin. He will be returning home on Monday after being gone for two and a half months and it will be great to have him home.

In honor of his return home, I've decided to hold a sale at My Etsy Shop that starts on Friday, August 22nd and runs through the weekend through Monday, August 25th (CST). During this sale, all purchases totaling $30 or more will receive a 30% discount.

And for my CGGE members, you can take an additional 5% off any item in my shop. During checkout, put CELEBRATION SALE in the comments.

DO NOT not make your payment at the time of sale. I will send out a separate invoice to your e-mail address with your adjusted total.

If the sale is successful, I do have more items that I will be adding to my Etsy Shop as the weekend progresses, so stop by and see what's new!

I don't hold sales very often, so take advantage of this while you can.

Have a great weekend!

Can you resist The Green River?

I've got a new organic choker for My Etsy Shop tomorrow morning in shades of green, ivory, gray and purple!

No, this bead isn't named after the infamous crimes in Washington State, but for the bright green band that flows diagonally across the front side of the bead as you can see in this picture.

The back of the bead has a much more mixed color palette with more of the purples visible than on this side, but you'll have to check out my new listing tomorrow to see all of the pictures of this bead.

The black caps on the end really add an elegant flair to the bead and set off the colors in the body of the bead.

As with all of my chokers, this one is strung on a steel cable with a very secure magnetic clasp for ease of putting the choker on and taking it off.

Be sure to stop by My Shop tomorrow and see all of the pictures of this unique piece of jewelry.

Have a great night!

Let's meet under the Rain Tree!

Tonight has been very busy and very productive. I've completed a picture reorganization on my computer, pushed the new pictures up to the website AND I've got a new item for Etsy tomorrow.

Website Updates

After a few weeks of being gun-shy about updating my web site with new pictures since the MobileMe upgrade that gave me so many problems in July, I've updated my web site with LOTS of new pictures--many of items that have never been in Etsy or shown here!

Be sure to check out the new stuff on the site. Click HERE for the blog post about the new items!

Rain Tree Choker

Do you remember the Rain Tree commercials from the late 70's/early 80's? Apparently, I do since the tree on this bead reminded me of it so much that I named it, you guessed it, "Rain Tree".

The product was for a facial moisturizing creme, if I remember correctly. However, I think this choker will be much more memorable than that old commercial, don't you?

I've been playing a lot with the mottling of ivory glass to look like natural stone this week, and I really like how all of the choker focals have this really interesting and warm background.

My first successful tree bead, which I kept for myself, has this type of warm ivory background (without the marbling design) and I never wear it without someone--guys and girls--stoping me to ask about it or comment on it. So, I guess it was time to make a few more in a similar design, and that is how the trees this week came about.

The branches and trunk of the tree have lots deep, warm colors which adds more variation to the piece.

I'll be adding this choker to my Etsy Shop in the morning, so please be sure to stop by when you get a chance.

Have a great night and take care!

Ready For The Last Flowers Of Summer?

Ready or not, here they come.

This new choker has a new floral design that I'm trying out and really quite happy with. Entitled, "Summer's Last Flowers", it features two flowering plants with orange and blue flowers similar to forget-me-nots or hyacinths.

Swaying the last of the warm summer breezes, each plant has two last bunches of flowers showing their beauty in the last golden days.

The base bead in this choker is a very interesting ivory with mottled tans and dark lanes of color for that stone look.

As with all my chokers, its strung on a nylon coated steel cable with a magnetic clasp that holds the necklace quite securely since the clasp is interlocking barrels instead of the traditional magnetic clasp.

I'll be posting this lovely to my Etsy Shop tomorrow around lunch time (CST), so please check in to see more pictures of this piece.

I hope you're having a great night!

If You Love Boro...

...Then you have got to check out this new treasury on Etsy.


What is a treasury? Well, for those who aren't used to Etsy, treasuries are collections of items that are currently for sale on Etsy. These collections are created by the user community, buyers and sellers, and put on display for the rest of the users to enjoy. They're typically created around a theme, but do not have to be.

It is made up of beads and jewelry using Borosilicate glass and the items are amazing. This is a great chance to see all of the great colors and what can be done in this amazing glass.

I was contacted by its creator since I'm lucky enough to have been included in the collection as you may notice from this preview picture. See "The Boro Gang" set of my beads in the lower left corner?

To view the actual treasury, just click HERE. You can also visit My Etsy Shop and see all of the creations I've put into the shop as well.

Treasuries last for a limited time only, so please be sure to check it out before it disappears.

Have a great day.

We Didn't Start The Fire

But you can certainly wear it!

I've got a new choker coming to my Etsy Shop later today, and it features the "Standing Against The Fire" tree focal that I created before going up to Door County.

The focal of this wonderful piece of jewelry is a lone tree growing on a patch of sandy ground a fire rages in the background, thanks to the bright organic design of the base bead.

In spite of this adversity, the tree just keeps on growing.

The choker is a high-quality steel cable with a very secure magnetic clasp that is quite easy to close and re-open as necessary. The cable is coated in transparent nylon which makes it quite comfortable, and since the cable is small, the choker is very light to wear.

I'll be posting this piece into My Shop later this afternoon with many more pictures. Won't you come take a look?

Have a great day!

Hey, Look. I'm featured!

As you may know if you've been reading this blog for a bit, I am a member of the Creative Glass Artists of Etsy aka CGGE. CGGE is known as a Street Team on Etsy, which is a group of folks around a common theme. Our theme is glass art.

They have honored me with a profile in the Member Spotlight section of their web site which can be found HERE.

Come take a look and find out what makes me tick!

Also be sure to check out the rest of the CGGE site since there are a lot of neat features and information available--not to mentions tons of great pictures and links to fabulous shops.

A very big THANK YOU goes out to the folks in the CGGE who are both fun and caring individuals and I'm glad I found you guys!

Something New Coming Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll be adding a new item to my shop. It's simple and elegant and not like anything I've had there before.

This new item is the first wave of several new items that are part of a grand experiment and I hope you'll be part of it.

In the morning I'll be adding this lovely choker entitled "Pink And Fruity". The choker is a thin steel cable coated in nylon and wears very comfortably. Using a magnetic clasp, this necklace is easy to put on and keep on, but is not recommended for wear during strenuous physical activity.

The focal bead on this necklace is a new raised grape design in bright pink on an ivory background. The black capped ends add drama and really set off the colors in this item.

So please stop by my Etsy Shop tomorrow and take a look at all of the pictures.

I want to know what you think of the new design, so please post your comments here too!

Have a great night!

Happy 4th Of July

Good Morning, Everyone!

I'm usually not posting in the mornings since I have to get ready for work, but the only work I have to get ready for today is making some more fabulous beads!

I love holidays!

I was supposed to post the picture of my new leaf bead last night, but totally forgot about it since I was caught up with mowing the lawn, taking care of the dogs, the cat and watching a movie.

Better late than never, though. So without further ado, I present "Water Leaf".

This is another borosilicate leaf in great shades of blue and green, which reminded me of water and how the bead got its name.

This one is a bit smaller than my previous leaf, but has a more organic shape to it.

This would look lovely as a focal of larger necklace or just strung on a cord by itself.

I'm posting this bead to my Etsy Shop momentarily, so please come take a look!

Thanks for stopping by.

Don't Get Stung!

This summer, you'd better be on the lookout for Yellow Jackets! No, not the insects, but this fun little set of beads.

This is the set, for those of you that read this blog regularly, is the set of beads that just about drove me nuts. I was using my new tool on this set while you only see five little beads, I worked for quite a while just to get these.

That's why each bead in this set is $20.00. JUST KIDDING!

The beads are a black base with bright yellow patterns created by raking the hot glass around the bead. It's a cool effect and gives the beads some real punch!

If I can get the hang of the new tool, I'll be able to make more of these with lots of color variation and designs. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'll be posting this set to my Etsy Shop sometime tomorrow, so come check them out.

Sleep Well!

Fall's First Leaf

Updates have been a bit scant lately since I've been experimenting so much with new techniques, glasses and tools. You've been very patient and now I have something new that's coming to my Etsy Shop in the morning.

May I present: Fall's First Leaf.

This leaf pendant is a mixture of two different colors of Borosilicate glass which is partially what created the cool mix of colors that drape across this bead.

Working with the hard glass is very interesting and challenging, but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon. One thing is for sure, I will definitely need some new shaping tools since boro is so much stiffer, I had a terrible time getting the leaf pattern pressed into the glass. Now I know why they make such a wide range of leaf presses; one size does not fit all!

I'll be adding this pendant to my Etsy Shop in the morning, so please stop by to see the rest of the pictures and check it out.

Have a great night, all!

Abracadabra! It's Magic!

Or at least it looks like it has magical powers.

Sparkling with supernatural shades of color, this borosilicate focal bead must really be seen in person to be appreciated.

I've entitled it "Sand & Magic".

A double encased core of tans and cremes is surrounded by layered dots of the same core color and clear boro for a great texture and maximized light refraction.

The raised dots feel great on your fingers as you rub them around the bead.

I'll be adding this my Etsy Shop tomorrow morning with more pictures and complete specs on the bead.

Thanks for stopping by!

Meet The Boro Gang!

That's the name of my new set of beads that I made using Borosilicate (hard) glass. I love how these beads came out with their bright cores and clear encasing. The colors just jump off the beads.

These accent beads will look great in just about any design, so don't be shy. Play around with them a bit.

Each one is an experiment in color and design to see what the colors I've got can really do. Notice how the colors are not solid, like in my other glass designs, but actually look like threads of color that varies in each of the sections.

One of the blue colors I used has created an almost sapphire like brilliance that reflects the light out of the bead like a mirror. Very cool.

I even have one bead that has a series of punged dots (on the left end of the strand) against a background that is peacock blue and purple. It's all one rod of glass, but came out in several shades of colors.

I will definitely be playing with Boro much much more!

Be sure to see these beads in my Etsy Shop tomorrow. There'll be lots more pictures and information about the beads.

Thanks for stopping by!

What's Up?

Some of you may have noticed that there have been fewer posts and new items lately than I usually have going here, so I thought I'd give you a glimpse into what's currently going on here.

First off, my partner has been cast in two summer shows up in Wisconsin. This means that he will be gone for the next few months and we have many preparations to make so that he can go and not worry about us here.

Second, I am considering going back to school and weighing my options. There's a class this summer that would give me a good intro into the coursework and let me see if I will like this type of work (it's still computers, but a bit more creative field).

With all that's going on, I haven't had as much time to work on the torch.

Not to worry, more new items will be coming soon.

I have re-listed several items that you might be interested in so please check out My Shop to see what's come up this week.

In addition, I will be playing with Boro (short for Borosilicate - aka pyrex) for the first time and seeing how I like the colors and how the glass works up. Keep an eye out for some beads that don't look like my other designs in the upcoming weeks.

That's the long and the short of it for now. Thanks for stopping by, and let me know if I can be of service to you.

Hope you're having a great night!

That Hollow Feeling!

I've just completed a custom order for a new customer who found me on Etsy, the web site where I keep my store, and I wanted to share with you the results.

The order was for a set of 30 hollow beads in light teal, light amber and fuchsia pink. While the teal and amber ones were done first, the fuchsia ones were a bit of a challenge.

Soft glass does not have a fuchsia that is reliable; that is to say, it tends to not want to be worked in the flame for long nor does it like starts and stops in its glass flow when making the beads. I tried several different manufacturers of the glass, but could not get the fuchsia to come out.

Hollow beads do not exactly come off the rod in a one piece, and it does take a while for the glass to melt, flow and inflate in order for the bead to take shape...this takes time which the pink glass abhors!

Fortunately, I had some wonderful fuchsia frit and used that to color transparent hollows to the nice fuchsia shade.

I'd made the last set of the beads on Sunday and cleaned them up last night. Tonight I strung the beads onto the leather cords by set and took the pictures.

I've forwarded the pictures to my customer, but thought you might like a look too.

I hope she likes her new beads!

Have a great night!

New Tools Arrived--Bead & Button Weekend!

My new tools arrived today from Scott over at BearFootArt after several weeks of waiting for them to be made. I can't wait to try them out, but it just so happens that this is Bead & Button weekend!

I saw them demoed last year at the Bead & Button Show and I've watched the movies of them in action. There's a number of new techniques that I want to try once I get used the new tools. Keep an eye on my Etsy Shop for some new designs!

Bead & Button Show

I'll be heading up to Milwaukee on Saturday to spend the day looking at all the new toys and glass at the market. If you're in the area, I would really recommend it.

The market is huge and you can see glass beads from artists around the world, new glass vendors for both Boro and soft glass, new tools, suppliers and just about anything else you can imagine in the bead and jewelry market.

Last year I was fortunate to take a class there and spend several days, but that just didn't work out this year. Maybe next year, but I'm not missing the market!

Watch Out For The Breaking Wave

My latest focal bead that I will be adding to Etsy tomorrow is entitled "The Breaking Wave" since the design on the bead at the top looks a lot like a wave on a very deep ocean. Ivory foam of the the wave pours over the side along the surface in a very cool design.

The deep ocean currents are a variety of the deep rich colors in greens and grays, while the upper portion of the bead is dominated with light purples and ivory colors.

This bicone is accented with rich black ends that make the colors really stand out.

Don't forget to stop by My Shop tomorrow and see the new bead. This one will be posted in the mid-morning time.

Sleep Tight!