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!

Time For A New Leaf

Well, it's been a while since I've posted onto my blog, and it's about time. Don't you think?

I needed to seriously take some time off from all of the Internet posts and just unwind a bit. Sorry to leave so abruptly, but it wasn't you. I just needed some time off.

However, now that I'm back I have a great new set of leaf beads to show off. They're a custom order so they won't be added to my Etsy Shop, but I do want you to get to see them.

This set, called "Autumn Treasures", consists of ten leaf beads in Amber, Purple and Green. It's the most colors I've used in my leaves before and I love how they turned out.

I varied the order of the colors on the leaves, but kept the bead portions all the same for uniformity in the set.

I may have to make some more leaves in three colors and see what else I can come up with.

Hope you're all doing well and had a terrific summer!

A New Album In Facebook- A Show In November

Hello everyone!

No, I haven't abandoned you, but I have been on vacation for a bit. Today was my first day back to work and my blog. So much has been going on here.

I got some new photos taken of my beads being created and added them to my Facebook page. The album shows how the grape and tree beads are made. You can view the album by clicking HERE.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not be shy.

Mistletoe Magic

I'm still working on getting ready for my show coming up in November. The show will be held in Bartlett, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out. More information is on my Burning Scentsations Facebook page, so be sure to check out all of the details.

More updates are coming to my web site once I get bead pictures taken, so stay tuned folks.

Have a great night!

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!

Burning Scentsations On Facebook!

I've been quite busy this weekend getting set up on Facebook.

As you may know, Facebook is a social networking site where you can connect to friends, family, businesses, fan groups and just about everything else you can imagine. The system is set up to help organize updates from all of your contacts, and keeps you up to date with what your friends are doing and saying in one easy place. Best of all, using Facebook is FREE.

I'm planning on using the site to connect with friends and customers around the country, but in addition to that, I've set up a company page for Burning Scentsations.

Of course, this blog and my other websites are not going anywhere, but I'm hoping this will help increase my exposure on the net. If you're on Facebook, please be sure to stop by the Burning Scentsations page.

I'm still adding photos and features to the page, so be sure to become a Fan of the page so that changes and updates will be forwarded to you automatically. An events calendar will also be coming once I've confirmed the shows I'll be doing this Fall.

More new stuff is coming to Etsy soon also, so stay tuned!

Summer Midnight In The Vines

I've got new grape-themed choker coming to my Etsy Shop later tonight (possibly in the morning) that I thought you'd like a first look at.

This choker's focal bead has a rich, sparkling background of blue and green Dichro that shimmers behind a thriving patch of grapes ready for harvesting.

The encased background's colors remind me a peacock feather while the green leaves, purple grapes and brown vines add a great look to the piece.

I wish the pictures would show up the dichroic glass more, but the sparkling of the background is really wonderful to see in person. It's like a vast array stars that twinkle in the night sky.

I'll be posting it to My Shop later this evening, time permitting, or in the morning. I hope you'll swing by and check out all of the pictures.

Have a great day!

Attention All Bears!

Hey Bears, I've got a new listing coming to my Etsy Shop tomorrow that you might just be interested in. I'm entitling the series "Bear Wear" and have a number of fun ideas.

The choker, strung on nylon coated steel cable with a magnet clasp, is called "Ivory Bear Paw".

This is the first of several new pieces with a Bear Theme coming to my shop. A dark black paw print is on the front of the bead in this choker, but there's a surprise on the back of the bead that you won't see until tomorrow.

Silver and ivory glass create a marble -like background for the dark black bear paw and the design on the back of the bead.

The lines visible in the black paw print are actually reflections in the glass of me taking the picture. The paw is solid black like onyx.

To see the entire design (along with the surprise), be sure to check out my new listing tomorrow in My Shop.

Have a great night!

Come Visit The Mall!

I hope today finds you healthy and happy.

My second web update this weeks debuts a new section of my website: The Mall.

This is the page where all of the shops, galleries and on-line venues that I sell my work in will be listed. As shows and art fairs come along, this will be the place to see that schedule too!

For all of the details, come take a look HERE.

Hope you have a great day!

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!

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!

This Design Is Cursed

I love this bead. It's the second one I've made with a similar design since the first one met a dark fate.

I picked up the bubble bag it was in when I took it to work, and I failed to realize that I was holding it upside-down. The bead fell out of the bag and hit my desk. Instant grapevine pruning.

While I would rather have me break a bead than a customer, I was still rather upset about it. So I canceled the gym that night (any excuse, right?) and got back onto the torch. I made this bead and two organic focals.

Last night, after etching and cleaning the bead up, I took some pictures, and that's when I noticed it. It's amazing what the camera sees and what our eyes see through the camera that we didn't notice before. The bead was cracked, in several places!

YIKES.

Atop the bead, the vine was cracked, by the hole there was another crack and again across the blue grapes. So I will not have this bead design to show while in Door County. The fates are working against me.

That is why I have to tell you, that this design is cursed.

Will I try to lift the curse? Absolutely, but not until I get back from my trip to Door County.

While I'm up in Door County, I wont be able to post any new blog entries, but I will be back late next week and will hopefully have lots of fun stories to relate to you.

Have a great weekend and a better week!

You Won't Want To Fight These Summer Blues!

How many grape and vineyard names can I come up with?

I don't know, but we'll just have to see. This latest vineyard bead is called "Summer Blues" and features a new grape color--pale blue.

I love how the colors of this bead came out against the ivory background and the bright blue bunches of grapes.

As you can see, I also carried over a few tendrils onto the back side of the bead for more detail.

The blue in these beads is almost electric and seems to shine on its own power. More grape colors are coming soon!

There seems to be no end in the number of colors that grapes come in--at least in my world!

I still have more beads to photograph before I can post them. Don't worry, I have already pictures of more beads that I've made recently.

I've really been bitten by the glass-bug this week, and I'm so glad that I'm getting so much done and created. In a few days, I'll be displaying my wares in Door County to a few shop owners and we'll see what happens then!

Have a great night!

Standing Against The Fire

That's the name of this new tree focal bead I created this weekend.

A lone tree grows on a patch of ground while a roiling fire rages in the distance, and the tree does what it can only do--stand there and live life to its fullest. No matter how much time it has, it will enjoy every minute of it.

I can only hope to be as brave and resolute as this tree in my life, and I think we can all use this focal as an object lesson for life from time to time.

The back of this bead shows the rich colors and swirling "flames" of the background, and I suppose the bead could be worn with either side facing forward, depending upon your mood.

This is one of the beads that will be going with me to Door County in our search for a gift shop outlet.

Have a great night and don't forget to stop by my Etsy Shop if you have a chance!

Enjoying The Sunshine

Here's another one of my creations from this past weekend that I'm taking up to Door County.

I've entitled it "In The French Sunshine" because I'm envisioning these grapes are from France and loving their life in the wine country.

This focal has the classic purple grapes draped around the bead along with the twisting vines and leaves of the plant. As you can see, this bead is designed to hang horizontally instead of my usual vertical designs.

Grapes are so much fun and they come in such a wide range of colors.

The ivory background on this bead has been capped in black for additional drama against the crackle-like color variations of the ivory. There so much to see and feel on this bead.

Have a great night!

Please Don't Eat The Daisies

Creatively, this has been one of the best weekends in ages. I needed a weekend like this in the worst way, so I'm glad to have finally gotten it.

I had three successful torching sessions where I created a variety of items that I'm planning on taking up to Door County, a tourist resort in Wisconsin, with me next weekend. Hopefully, I can get my items into a shop up there.

Two of the items that I'm not taking to Door County with me are a pair of daisy focal beads that were commissioned for fan pulls by one of my returning customers.

While I've never done daisies before, I had an idea of how to do them. These beads are the results.

I will have more daisy and floral designs coming in the weeks ahead as I work to enhanc the pattern further and add my own spin to it.

My customer, however, loved the pictures I've sent her and that is always my goal--customer satisfaction.

More pictures of my new creations will be coming all week, so be sure to check back. Also take a peek at my Etsy Shop for wonderful items that are for sale!

Have a great day.

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.