Fire & Glass

same time last year..

2012-02-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

Lampwork Necklace

2012-02-02T03:34:00.000-08:00

now on Etsy..

20" hammered sterling silver gemstones and my own flame worked glass beads

Nature inspired..

One of a kind.

$145

2012-01-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Jewelry in 2012 is appearing a wee bit more classical in style than last year..don't you think? I like that. Pieces you can hang on to for a few years..I think that's why the gold chains never really get put away. They're always in style..maybe more layered this year but still in style. You're more likely to see 3 or more gold chains of varying link style and lengths than you are just one.

According to one of LA's leading style expert, Michael O'Connor we're going to see 50/60's influenced accessories this year..hmm.
Smaller rings but mega sized earrings. Brighter bolder colors, botanical and organic designs. Choker length necklaces.. statement cuffs..

Will these forecasts translate in your designs?

I create spontaneously generally, but I'm not immune to trends...
in fact, possibly it's the reason for all the flowers blooming in the studio lately..

Congratulations Angie.. you won :-))

2012-01-20T01:33:00.000-08:00

List Randomizer

There were 7 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Angie
Kathy
Romaine
Jordan
Louise
Angela
Innocent

Timestamp: 2012-01-20 09:33:29 UTC

Be sure to send me your mailing address Angie [deborahlambsonatgmaildotcom] and I'll have this on its way..thanks all for participating. We'll do this again soon!

Well, isn't this nice..

2012-01-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

JG Beaded Jewelry Blog: Handcrafted Lampwork Beads and Jewelry by Sweetwat...: JG Beaded Jewelry is delighted to feature Deborah Lambson, a skilled bead and jewelry creator and owner of Sweetwater Designs. Deborah disc...

2012-01-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

Source: ponderingpool.com via Deborah on Pinterest

Giveaway!!

2012-01-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

I wired up this little flame worked glass pendant this morning and oxidized the copper. I think it has a lot of Spring elements..woodsy greens..mauves, and in my favorite organic floral style.

All ready now to be strung onto leather..chain..sari silk...worked into your own designs.

Free! to those of you who mention
this giveaway

OR

my etsy shop

in any of your social media accounts..Just send me the link in a comment here
and you will be entered to win!

Simple,no? ~Sweet, yes?

Of course you may enter as many times as you like..your name will go into the draw for as many mentions that are made.

Draw ends Jan 20th and comments must be here on my blog in order to count..otherwise I will surely miss someone!

Enjoy your week all!

Trending..

2012-01-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

Botanical prints/themes abound this season..as is usually the trend for Spring, but 2012 will see it throughout the year according to some of the fashion gurus.

"Half of New York showed florals, but in a great way," said Bryan Grey Yambao, fashion blogger of Bryanboy.com "I love the tropical prints from Joseph Altuzarra, the hyper flower power at Peter Thom, the botanical prints from Alexander Wang ... This season is very visual."

taken from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/21/living/spring-fashion-forecast/index.html

Florals are most certainly bang on the money for 2012...
so says http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk

I don't really follow the fashion trends..or even pay a whole lot of attention to them. I prefer classic styles that will look great for more than a year or two..
As for glass, I play with colors that make me feel good, and organic florals have been the theme in my studio for the last few months..[at least~]

Hey,..I'm right on trend. How about that. (:

All of the above handmade glass beads for your jewelry designs are available in the Etsy shop..

Guide to Necklace Lengths

2011-12-22T11:35:00.000-08:00

Great post here..thank you Delamina!

A Girls Guide to Necklace Lengths

Collar Necklace

First we have the ‘collar’ length. Very snug. Very sophisticated. Collar length necklaces are great for formal occasions and look fab with anything strapless. To wear a collar, especially one on the smaller side of the 12-13 inches, you should have a thin neck, or a love of bondage. But if you can pull it off, this style looks fantastic. Even good with jeans and a blouse. Anything v-neck.

Choker Necklace

A little more relaxed than the collar, and more comfortable for those of us with thicker necks, the choker gives you a little more breathing room. This 14-16 inch length is great if you want to draw attention to your long lovely neck. And that hollow.

Princess Necklace

Now that just sounds right. And it often is. This 17-19 inch length is very common and the main thing to be aware of is that you choose the appropriate clothing. This necklace length works well with higher or lower necklines, just be sure that your clothing and necklace don’t fight over the same spot.

Matinee Necklace

This necklace length is traditionally thought of as sophisticated. Good for business wear, for formal wear with higher necklines or for dressing up casual clothing. The matinee should fall to the top of your cleavage and is 20-24 inches long.

Opera Necklace

The opera, 28-34 inches in length falls just below the breast bone and draws attention to your chest. Sound unnecessary? Well for those of us who no longer want to draw attention to our necks, this is a good option.

Rope Necklace

The rope necklace deserves special applause at a spectacular 45 inches or more in length. Wearing something fabulous? Confident in the total package? This length requires the ‘once over’ in order to take it all in.

Apparently I wear either princess or matinee length..so, which is your favorite?

Using long tube Beads

2011-12-20T05:40:00.001-08:00

I like to re-create the same bead countless times, and while this may seem obsessive I like to think it's more correctly the desire to make the bead I see in my head. Mostly impossible. But I keep trying.
Lately that obsession is the long tube shaped bead. The longer and skinnier the better. More a cigarillo shape.
Here are a few of the latest. Still not quite the fantasy bead in my mind, but the latest...which is the copper green one with the pale green rose is the most satisfying.
In fact, I may be happy with that for a bit~

all of the above handmade glass beads are available here:
Green Bird Studio

What's your favorite bead shape to design with? For most of us it seems to be the flattened lozenge shape. But don't disregard other perhaps more 'difficult' shapes, they afford an excuse to create something unique and truly one of a kind.
Following are some beautiful necklaces using long tube shaped beads.

Credits for jewelry design go to:

http://thegloss.com/fashion/tribal-style-from-tanya-lochridge
http://www.marilyn.oberins.com
http://www.mykonosbeads.com
http://www.designtextures.com
www.craftjuice.com
http://www.lisakan.com/LisaKanDesigns.htm

2011-12-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.

~Michelangelo

Shop handmade this Season!

2011-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Pour yourself a cup of tea or a mug of hot chocolate and snuggle up to your laptops peeps. This is a fun 2 day event dreamed up by Shelly of MiShel Designs to help you keep your resolve to Shop HaNdmade this season.

Or just window shop if that's what strikes your fancy, but definitely stroll on by and take a look.

..a superb list of quality artisans all decked out for the holidays..
click the link below to go to the

Blog Hop!! December 2011

and for those of you who have found yourselves here via the Hop from someones participating blog Please use the code BlogHopping2011 to take 25% off anything in my Etsy shop featuring handmade glass beads for your jewelry designs!

Seasons Greetings and Much Happiness to all of you

She does not need opium. She has the gift of reverie. ~Anais Nin

2011-12-01T01:33:00.000-08:00

My creative journey began many years ago. White walls and crayolas,  misted windows and fingers were my favorite materials to work with. I  dabbled in pastel when my beloved grandmother gave me a small wooden box  filled with skinny sticks of colored chalk and a sketch pad.

I discovered the art of lampwork beads in early 2005 and fell head over heels in love.

Ask anyone who melts glass...it is a strong addiction that rapidly becomes an integral part of your life.

I named my little business 'SweetWater' Designs as a tribute to my beloved Dad who we lost to cancer in 1995.

The year I turned 14 my father did something many people just think about doing. He left a secure 9-5 job and a house he'd built with his own sweat on the very lovely Vancouver Island to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a rancher.
Promising us adventure and lots of 'crunchy' snow, he packed up his family of 8 and moved us from our home to 2400 acres of pristine land on a remote northern corner of British Columbia, ~a land known for its Prairie, the Boreal Forest the Rocky Mountains and the mighty Peace River, one of the longest river systems in Canada- ...no, I never did take to the crunchy snow.
There was an underground stream of crystal clear water that bubbled year round out of the earth and because of that Dad named his ranch, the 'SweetWater'. (He was an avid Louis L'Amour reader.)

My father was a constant encouragement to his children and I like to imagine that he continues to watch over and take pride in our accomplishments and adventures.

I miss him still.

I am in the ever evolving process of learning this wonderful art called Lampwork and I love every single minute of it.

the birth of a bead ..from raw glass in the form of a long rod, melted in the flame and then wrapped..rather like capturing liquid honey..onto a clay coated steel mandrel..gravity and design play...
.it is pure magic and unsung music all in the form of a drip of glass frozen forever into a tiny work of art to be worn and treasured~

I've begun to add metals to the mix and my little studio is over flowing with solder, glass, hammers and torches..it's amazing and wonderful and I hope to be melting glass and creating jewelry well into my old lady years. :-)

If you're interested in learning more:

sweetwater designs

glass art

get the latest on
 FaceBook

Contact:
sweetwaterdesigns@live.com

Thank you for stopping by!

Sweetwater Designs

2011-12-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

2011-11-30T02:43:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure I've mentioned in past posts, the food here in Israel is definitely Delicious, and to make it even more palatable, following a Mediterranean diet is known to be tres healthy!

According to the Daily Express:
“Following a strict Mediterranean diet offers substantial protection against heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's”

What is a Mediterranean diet you might be asking?

A Mediterranean diet is a diet that is high in olive oil or any monounsaturated fat. I've noticed a lot of avocado oils on the shelves here as well. I've not tried it yet, but it seems it must be comparable to olive. A Mediterranean diet also consists of lots of fish and chicken and much less..much much less, red meat. Lots of fresh..plucked from the lush Arab gardens fresh! fruits and vegetables. High in legumes. I've never eaten so much hummus in my life. Low in dairy. You cannot find processed cheese anywhere on the shelves. nope. Not a can of cheese anywhere. There is however quite a lot of yogurt..greek with honey is one of my favorite, and labaneh [a sort of light spread for pita which is an alternative to cream cheese and just as tasty] is a favorite here. I decided to try my hand at cooking Mediterranean last night and made us some Shakshuka and Balkan bread. The pot was licked clean. We loved it..I was not as crazy about the bread as my husband was, but I will make the Shakshuka again. Following is the recipe for the Shakshuka, [very much reminded me of my Dad's recipe for Hungarian Goulash with more spice] as well as Labeneh should you want to try your hand at something a wee bit different next meal. Really a perfect dinner for cold winter months~

Shakshuka [Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce]
Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (I was nervous and only used 2 Anaheims; I would go for 3 or 4 next time for a more moderate but still gentle kick)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
6 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pitas, for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

Labneh

2 C Greek yogurt
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Line a large colander with a cheesecloth. Stir salt into the yogurt, and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. Set the colander in the sink or bowl to catch the liquid that drains off. Leave to drain for 24 hours.

2. After draining for the 24 hours, transfer the resulting cheese to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Make sure you buy Greek yogurt [without the honey :-0 ask me why I warn you, dear reader..unless of course you intend your cheese spread to be sweet] or any pure yogurt free from sweetener or gelatin.

You could get very creative with this recipe~ easy, healthful and deelish.

Credits go to Smitten Kitchen , Health News and All Recipes for some of the information and recipes in this post.

Holiday Shop Hop 2011

2011-11-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for ways to promote your beautiful work this holiday season, Michelle of MiShel Designs had a superb idea.

Nothing much is required of you,
except to be involved in a link swap and then

advertise!! advertise!

The more of us talking about this..the BEtter~ of course I signed up..go take a peek

and let them know I sent you!

This time last year I was..

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

...using nature to inspire my Muse

[this was originally posted last year at this time while we were in Boston]

I know I've whined about this before, but I am mentioning it just once more...I am without my precious torch and glass. So. in the quest for more dynamic creative outlets I have found I am enjoying photography.

The tools are few and simple. A camera. Photo software. An eye that sees light and dark spaces. An eye willing to see and ruthlessly crop the unnecessary.

A fitting metaphor for life wouldn't you say?

I find I like simple scenes with few distractions. I like to photograph the views that might be missed by busy minds... a literal, tangible 'ohm' ..so to speak~

And in some odd serendipitous way, it seems any creative expression folds back upon itself and feeds all of your muses...

In other words, I see ideas for jewelry in each of these photographs.

Enjoy your muses today everyone.. go make something ~

--All of the above photographs were taken by me in the Boston area--

2011-10-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

If I find in myself a desire
which no experience in this world can satisfy,
the most probable explanation is that
I was made for another world.
~ C.S. Lewis

Beautiful Haifa,Israel

2011-10-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

'Randoms from my Favs' by kenzee

Decorative Home Dec... TheClayTheory $24.00	White Lumina Pumpki... HoneysuckleLan... $45.00	Cardinal Female 8 x... FranzsFeatured... $15.00	Paper bowl by mixed... Mixedesign $48.00
Blue beauty II, wea... Cesart64 $59.00	African Blue Opal i... rockcandybeads... $59.00	monkey see monkey d... ohbabydotcom $28.00	Knitting Bowl, Red ... blueroompotter... $34.00
Scroll Earrings celiefago $215.00	Feather painting wa... amberalexander $30.00	Smoke Signals. Open... barkdecor $55.00	Verdigris Patina Br... glamourgirlbea... $3.95
Glass Lampwork Foca... skyvalleybeads $18.50	Fiber choker nO.58... kjoo $390.00	SALE Naos Glass - O... Na0sGlass $15.00	tank treehouse28 $40.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

The Canadian snowboys return..

2011-10-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

I don't think there's snow in my hometown in northern Canada yet, but sadly..or maybe happily [if you're a snow boarder or skier]..it's not far away. There's usually a skiff of snow by Hallowe'en, sometimes even earlier. Not enough for snowmen maybe but enough to make you start putting your woolies on.

I love making these little guys..

even though they all have the same features, each one is different and unique. Kind of like us. :-)

Available now on Etsy, Canadian Snowboys [and girls]..each with a woolie toque and scarf. One piece bead to string as a wintery charm [at about 1" in length they're also very sweet as package accents when you wrap your gifts] or to use as a focal in your Christmas designs.

I will be offering one free snowboy with every purchase totaling 40.00 or more in the Bead shop from now through to February 2nd. These will be surprise snowboys..so not the ones that are listed. Each will be just as sweet and cute as the ones listed though..promise.

...more to come!

2011-10-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

There's something outstanding about the bread in Israel.

You would think bread is bread and that its all in the bakers hands and of course that's true, but there is something better about the bread in Israel than any I've ever eaten. true.
Of course, as in all things..its about your ingredients. Israel imports nothing..all they have on their shelves has been grown here in Israel. The flour..the honey..the yeast.
All home grown ingredients. That must be the secret. In my quest for recipes that reveal the secret of special Hebrew bread I found this bread makers blog..Breadman Talking.

I tried the pizza/focaccia one from the archives:

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
a pinch of sugar or 1/4 teaspoon honey

2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal or semolina for sprinkling
Tomato sauce
olive oil for brushing (focaccia and outside of calzone)
toppings

1. Pour the warm water in a bowl, dissolve the sugar (or honey) then stir in the yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until nice and frothy.
2. If you are mixing by hand, put the olive oil, salt and 1 cup of the flour in a bowl along with the yeast mixture and mix until smooth and liquidy. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix with a wooden spoon until a smooth tacky dough is formed that clears the bowl. Remove from the bowl to a lightly floured surface and knesad for a few minutes to make a smooth dough. It should be quite springy, soft and smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil (prevents drying out) and cover. Let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

If you are mixing with an electric mixer, place the yeast mixture along with olive oil, salt and 1 cup of flour in the bowl and mix using the paddle for a few minutes then add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until a smooth dough is formed. Switch to the dough hook and knead for a few minutes to for a smooth, springy dough. Let it rise in the bowl, lightly oiled for 1 1/2 hours until doubled.

Make two recipes for basic pizza dough for an 11 by 17 inch (28 by 43 cm) focaccia.

After the dough has risen, lightly oil a 11 by 17 inch (28 by 43 cm) baking pan then, after deflating the dough, press it out to fill the pan using your fingers. When the dough fills the pan, cover it lightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven (with a baking stone if you have one) to 400 F (200 C). When the dough has risen, gently indent the surface with your fingers, then brush the surface with herbed olive oil. Sprinkle kosher salt over the surface and maybe some rosemary. Yum! bake 20 to 25 minutes for smaller rounds if directly on the baking stone, or 35 minutes or so (until nicely browned) for the larger pan. Serve as a side with a hearty soup and a green salad.

It was good. Not wonderful but it was, meh..good. All warm bread fresh out of the oven is good, don't you think? I had exchanged 1/2 the white flour with WholeWheat and I didn't have time for that last 30 minute rise so the results were not up to Israels standards. :-) yes. I have to admit it was a wee bit tough.
My mother was an expert bread maker when I was growing up so I know its in my genes..I remember her saying the bread isn't ready to rise until it squeaks..those little tiny bubbles in the dough when you've kneaded it really well? those squeak when the air is pushed out of them while you're kneading. But I used a dough hook..no hand kneading.
Maybe I'll have to try again, stick a little closer to the script and knead by hand.

Anyway, if I think of it, I'll let you know! anyone have a good bread recipe or bread making tips..feel free to share!

9.9.11

2011-09-09T10:07:00.001-07:00

the beads

the jewelry

Silver glass

2011-09-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

There aren't too many glass artisans that I know of who do not covet and hoard rods of the very lovely silver glasses that are available out there.
The term 'Silver' glass doesn't refer to the color of the glass but rather to the content of silver nitrates and metals in the glass recipe. These are very expensive rods of glass..sometimes costing 100.00 or more for a single lb.
According to Abe at Northstar Glass there are several reasons for the value placed on these phenomenal rods of lampworking glass.

This is a quote from Abe at Northstar Glass in April 2009

"Cost of Silver rich glasses.
1. $300-400 per pound for Silver Salts each batch might have 1lbs in one 30 lb batch.
2. $200 per crucible we try to change each crucible every 3-6 batches some times we ONLY get 1 batch out of a crucible because the silver metal drills a hole through the crucible, if that happenes it destroys the furnace floor and this is not cheap $300-500 just for the floor.
3. each furnace costs about $5000 and we have to rebuild the furnace every 6-12 months this depends on how the glass and chemicals attack the furnace.
4. overhead, payroll, insurance
5. by the time we are ready to ship this glass to you the cost is high. We are trying to lower our price of these glasses in the next year but we shall see.
Abe"

~info taken from Torchbugs forum

So. Easy to see why we pay what we do and much appreciation to these guys for their hard labor and toil. Though, I'm sure they're as enthralled as we are with the outcome. I bought a few rods of one of the latest production from the crucibles of Double Helix.. Clio it's called. [How do they arrive at these names? hm]
Clio...lively, pert ..sometimes blue [also beauteous] but ~ the most envious color of all? brilliant fushia pink. I love it. Of course.

The lure of the silver glasses is not just in the promise of glorious color, it's also in the challenge of working it. Unlike some of the other 'what you see is what you get' glass, there is a dance that must be learned first. Steps carefully followed, muse gratefully achknowledged..and even then sometimes there is an unknown element that will throw the color off. Kiln temperature is most generally to blame.
Glass workers who've been doing this for several years don't seem to run into those unknown elements quite as often as we who have been doing this for not so long.

And that I guess is why I love glass the way I do.
There's always something to reach for. Something to learn. A new technique to acquire and become skilled at.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
~Benjamin Franklin

Enjoy your week everyone!!

Handmade glass bead is available on Etsy

Finding new Resources

2011-08-26T03:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, the joys of discovering a new supply shop!..this one is in Tel Aviv, Israel and is full of silver findings that have been made here in Israel. I Love that.. My guy had to entertain himself while I bellied up to the wall of mmmm toggles, end caps, beads, clasps, connectors ..all hand stamped sterling silver.

Yes. Let's just say that I was there for quite some time...

A bracelet made using one of the toggles found in Tel Aviv

Available now on Etsy

Enjoy your week people!

and we're Live!

2011-08-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

GreenBird Studio ~ handmade glass bead supply

..please show some love and add me to your favorites! Much more to come. Photos taken by my husband..aren't they great?

I'll be focusing my next few torch sessions on a few more headpins so that there is a substantial supply there.I know I love using these..also some sort of corn flake like discs in neutral colors...

I love feedback..so if you have some suggestions for me..colors, shapes..I'm all ears. not really, but I am listening. oh I am funny this time of night~

Coming soon..

2011-08-13T04:05:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to Etsy..

Just the beads ma'am..

Handmade glass beads waiting patiently for their beauty shots

..please stay tuned!

2011-08-13T03:08:00.000-07:00

'Sea Fever' by sweetwaterdesigns

seashellsupply $4.00	leapinggazelle $55.00	gingerkellydes... $12.00	zuppaartista $63.00
MySelvagedLife $18.00	staroftheeast $40.00	skybirdarts $68.00	AlchemicMuse $6.50
FrenchKissed $4.99	eyeful $17.00	BeachCoveJewel... $24.00	CarolynCochran... $30.00
MayaHoney $14.30	JennasBeachRet... $39.99	ShymaliLlamas $4.50	crinamin $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

~ John Masefield

2011-08-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Many of these are available now in the Etsy shop

2011-08-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

'the Glory of Autumn' by sweetwaterdesigns

angelafehr $80.00	Gemtonebeads $59.40	KimVGlass $40.00	khphillips $950.00
kimberlyafflec... $160.00	Na0sGlass $100.00	ORRTEC $26.00	DeShawnMarie $4.95
bullfinchbarbu... $85.00	amberalexander $20.00	kangas $26.00	serenitycrysta... $45.00
ElasIdeaDesign... $22.00	BarbaraRosenzw... $27.00	autumnlanearti... $25.00	MiddleEarths $74.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'Agosto' by branchonthebeadtree

5eizen $50.00	BlueRoomBijoux $68.00	EightSeasons $65.00	CallOfEarth $58.00
SewnNatural $60.00	eninaj $108.00	Antiquebasketl... $10.99	glowfly $138.00
Velvetmanna $55.00	sweetwaterdesi... $155.00	MelissaCaronJe... $240.00	NewFashionedWh... $19.50
AprilHenderlon... $100.00	JasGlassArt $22.00	Peggitha $125.00	krillian $3500.00

Thank you to the curator of this lovely Treasury, Mary Perez of 'A Branch on the Beaded Tree' for including my latest lampwork bracelet 'August Heat'..

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

The making of a lightbox..

2011-08-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've come to believe that aside from a great product the single most important tool that you can have for selling online is.. a really GREAT photo.
If you want the viewer..the perspective customer.. to really see the color, the texture and all of the detail that they would see if they had the item you wish to sell in their hand, your photograph needs to be crisp macro photographed and the colors need to be true.
All of which is an art in itself..but one you had better learn if you expect to sell online.
Of course, there are many factors to a really good photograph but one of the most important, is good lighting~

Some people prefer natural light and I agree, I love the use of natural sunlight..even they little light spots and shadows..I think it adds to the charm and beauty of jewelry and glass beads, most especially. The drawback is that you are limited to perfect weather and time of day.
A lightbox solves those problems and provides you with a perfect source of light for your photo taking no matter when you're working.

So, in the quest for a really great photo, my husband rose to the occasion last week and following the instructions he found here, provided me with a perfect table top light box.

How great is he :-) Of course, I love it.
and I don't know about really GREAT photo..I think I'll always be searching for that..but really, this looks pretty darn good,don't you think?

Sterling silver and colorful spiney oyster discs combined with some of my own flameworked glass beads..
Coming soon to Etsy!

Enjoy your week all..and let me know if you give this a try!

Our Mourning Doves

2011-07-20T03:58:00.000-07:00

Or, are we 'theirs'..I think that's more probably the case. Two mourning doves have chosen our strawberry pot on the deck to nest. I interrupted the two mid house construction about 10 days ago now.
They were busy with twigs and grass in my strawberry pot when I went out to hang laundry. [no need for dryers here in the desert..clothes are dry sometimes within an hour]
They seemed only slightly perturbed and waited on the roof until I finished and went back inside to resume the nest building.

First just one egg in the nest then a day later, 2. They're so sweetly diligent in their parental responsibilities. The male takes the day shift and the female the night and unless they are frightened away they never leave that nest. We've curtailed grilling for a bit and I'm reluctant to even water my plants..not, of course the plant they're nesting in. No strawberry crop this year. I did have to give that plant behind them a small drink yesterday though and the male stood his ground til I was finished.
I was quite surprised, I was sure he would leave for a few minutes anyway. Brave daddy.

Looking forward to photographing the hatching and feeding process.

Enjoy your week everyone!

Lampwork ..the art of the Bead

2011-07-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

All jewelry worn by the model can be found here..

Lampwork Pendant

2011-07-08T06:22:00.001-07:00

A pendant designed using objects from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea..swirling with life and movement and mystery this pendant features an organic seashell locket that holds a small drip of glass within.
One charming little pebble, tumbled in the sands of the seas floor until one day it gave it up.. complete with one small perfectly placed hole, as though drilled just for me.

Good thing since I don't own a bit that would drill through stone~ :-)

Listed on Etsy.

Moving!

2011-05-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

I am moving again..
yes.

This will be a very simple move~

My new digs:

FireandGlass

I may keep both going somehow..one for glass and another for other stuff...

I'll see what transpires.

7/20: I will keep this new site as an alternate should Blogger go down for any period of time~

onemore...

2011-05-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

[available in the etsy shop]

Torched glass Jewelry

2011-05-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

I've been busy.

Listing and re-listing work, photographing some work that was done while in California, re-photographing a bracelet that goes with a pair of earrings made.. ~thus a 'set'.

wow. ..I made a set ~almost unheard of. :-)

Here's a preview of what's in the shop:

and a couple more that aren't here..go have a look see.

Enjoy your week!

Setting up..

2011-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our things have finally arrived from the States here to Israel...so glad to have my stuff finally!

I have a spare room that I can use as a studio space but have to share with that little red bed. It belong to the owners and it must stay, so I have to work around it.

I will look for movable drawers to shove under that work table and maybe pegboard if I can attach it securely..the walls are cement..yes they are. We are on the 3rd floor apartment and the walls are some sort of cement. Its great..no neighbor noise.

I'm hoping that I can somehow use that little room off the side there for the torch but of course working with a torch requires a very good ventilation system so that's not a go yet..it would be an amazing little work space though, don't you think?

I have to find some glass storage room..my glass rods are in those 3 tupperware containers tucked beside the work table.

On a side note..the glass, kiln and all of our things..tools clothes..some dishes...all travelled 3000 miles from British Columbia, Canada to California, USA, another 3000 from CA to Alabama, then flew 10,000 miles to Beer Sheva, Israel ~and all we lost was a small bowl.

How incredible is that??

__________________

Finding Abraham's Well..

2011-05-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

We visited the site of Abraham's well today..it's a sacred site to the Jewish people and unlike Canada or the United States where something like this might be given a national monument and historical park recognition, the site that marks Be'er Sheva's origin is found with great difficulty [it's located behind a wall] sitting unassumingly beside the local Dominos Pizza joint [ yes! Domino's. We were surprised too~]

The site of an ancient well that has been preserved for hundreds of years. It's said to be the well that was dug by Abraham.

Above you can see a replica of a water wheel that would have been used to pump the water.

Be'er Sheva was built on the bank of a wadi which was flooded by rain water in the winter. In the summer the water lay shallow under the ground level. According to archeologists, the site was occupied from the 4th millennium BCE. In 3000 BCE its first peoples moved away and it was only seasonally inhabited by nomads, among these were presumably the Biblical patriarchs - but no archeological traces have been found of them.

Some main stories in the Bible are about Be'er Sheva, beginning with Abraham. He was allowed to settle on the lands of king Avimelek, who ruled the land of Gerar. But they entered a dispute about a well which Abraham used but which had been taken by Avimelek's servants. Abraham dug a new well at Be'er Sheva and gave Avimelek seven lambs to enforce the oath to be peaceful towards each other. The well was dubbed Be'er Sheva (be'er means 'well' and sheva can be interpreted as 'seven' or 'oath.' - see Genesis 21:22-34).

~excerpt fr the Jewish Magazine

[So it seems that because of this ancient pact, the word for the number 'seven' and 'oath' mean one and the same in Israel..I love it.]

Inside we watched a small film that detailed some of Be'er Shevas history. You could purchase maps and small artifacts as well as Jewish kippahs, the skullcap traditionally worn by Jewish men and boys to show their acknowledgment that God watches over us all.

Most amazing..hope you all enjoyed your weekend too!

wordless wednesday

2011-04-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

Visit here for more 'Wordless Wednesday' participants

Happy Easter or Passover weekend..

2011-04-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

~however you choose to celebrate..
enjoy your families!

on Creating

2011-04-22T02:10:00.001-07:00

"Creativity belongs to the artist in each of us. 
To create means to  relate. 
The root meaning of the word art is "to  fit together"
 and we all  do this every day. 
Not all of us are painters  
but we are all artists. 
 Each time we fit things together we are  creating 

- whether it is to make  a loaf of bread,
 a child,

                     a day."                     

{Corita Kent}

What the locals do on Thursday

2011-04-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call this morning from the wife of one of my husbands work mates..

"Do you want to see what a Bedouin flea market is like?' she asked....

oh yes ma'am I do.

The Bedouins set up their tents and sell their wares every Thursday on the outskirts of Beer Sheva.

I was surprised first at the relative civility..I assumed there would be more bedlam.

I was wrong. With the exception of a few exuberant young men yelling something as they stood beside their wares..[we could only imagine what they were saying...maybe the best price of a highlighted item or 'check this out' or ..'get your rice bowls here!' who knows...my knowledge of the Hebrew language has not extended beyond a few niceties, like thank you [todah] and peace be unto you [shalom]..oh, and yamina [go right] and shmola [go left]. I haven't found a good reason to use those last two yet.]..most sellers were not pushing their merchandise aggressively at all.
I was also surprised that these are new items they are selling..lol. I guess I assumed it would be like a giant yard sale of some sort...anyway. No, these are brand new, tagged and lovely items..at knock out prices.

I also had expected to see more haggling. Maybe there isn't because the prices are so reasonable ..I never felt anything I picked up was out of line, in fact I was shocked at some of the prices...or it could be I just missed seeing the haggling. My head was on a 360 spin but I'm sure I never saw everything.

There is anything you can imagine to be bought here in this Israeli open market..from nail polish and toilet bowl plungers to drapes and fabric by the bolt..dishes and pots, herbs and propane outdoor grills that looked very 'bedoin-ish'

sun-glasses and shoes,

lots of clotheing items..

toys and puzzles
to interest little boys

My find of the day??

A designer bathing suit. A tankini. Israeli designer. I paid 80 shekels ~roughly 22-23.00 CAD/US.

How sweet is that..:-)

So thank you Miss Julia.

..Same time next week?

Copper foil + white glass + fire

2011-04-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite techniques when working with glass in the flame is copper foil on white glass. It's the copper that produces that lovely robins egg, Mediterranean sea blue..

It's a simple recipe:

Begin with a rod of moretti white
You will need a small amount of Thompsons white enamel (powdered glass) ..experiment! different colors with the copper produce something new every time. Some will give you lovely char black which you may or may not want so experiment with the glass and the heat.
Small bits of torn copper foil..not too much..[but here again..experiment.]

The beads above were created with very small bits of copper foil..[not an entire wrap] white enamels as well as brilliant blue enamels gently melted in at the finish.

Prepare a simple bead in the flame [you will lose your well formed bead so don't worry overly much about the shape to begin with] and allow it to set up a bit..roll into enamels and then into your copper bits, and heat throughly in the flame so that the copper is well heated. Shape and roll in enamels of your choice. This time treat the enamels carefully and heat gently in the cooler part of the flame so that you do not burn out the color you've chosen~

Can you tell I'm jonesing for my torch!?

Giveaway from Trudie Davies Designs

2011-04-16T03:22:00.000-07:00

"..a stacking ring set with two silver rings , two gold filled rings and one garnet set ring.. "

Very very sweet. is it not?

Trudie Davis Designs is a birthday girl this month..so she's having a giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win this very lovely set of finely crafted rings
Be sure to enter here.

wow..very generous..

that would look mighty fine on this gals pinkie.

umhmm.

New Sweetwater Designs insignia

2011-04-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Logo..insignia..just a stamp that says 'Sweetwater Designs' in image only

Although they say that it makes good business sense to stay with one image, I've been playing with several different drawings lately. Isn't creativity about play and changing things up?? How can we be expected to stick to only one image?! lol..

Of course, I love the green magpie, since it was hand drawn by my grand-daughter ..he stands proudly on all cards that accompany my work.

But online..well, that's a different story. I have the small insignia on this blog..I have a profile photo on my facebook as well as my twitter account,... and I have lots of time on my hands lately while I await the arrival of my work tools to Israel...ohmy. soon, I hope.

anyway..this is my new insignia for the blog, and we'll see what else..

..at least for the moment.

What do you think?

on Age and Mothers

2011-04-14T01:29:00.000-07:00

Mom and her great grand-daughter, MacKenzie 3.2010

My mother celebrates her 81st! birthday today!

I trust she's okay with me telling her age. :-)

Its funny isn't it? There is a time in a woman's life when she doesn't want her age broadcast..maybe in your mid thirties through to the late 40's?
But then something happens, and like the 13 year old proudly walking into puberty, women become verbal about the number once again. ..and Mom certainly should be.

She's always~ as long as I've been aware~ taken care of her skin..I don't ever remember my mom laying out in the sun. On the beach or working in the garden she wore a hat... She would never go to bed without cleaning her skin and moisturizing it..it's a nightly and daily ritual for her. Her skin shows the care she's given it over the years.

She still walks almost daily,weather permitting. She watches her weight. She's always been conscious of what she eats and chooses to like horrid things ~ like turnips and oatmeal. [shudder]
Although she's baffled by the growing technologies around her, she is stoic and does her best to keep up.
She's well read regarding mind and health and has always been an advocate for preventative medicine.
She has an imaginative artistic mind and has always some beautiful and wonderful creation to give away or something in the process of being constructed. She loves to read and also..big secret here, sorry Mom..likes to write poems. She stays active in church responsibilities and remains the go to person for the child looking for a band-aid, a safety pin, popcorn, a snuggle or a movie partner.

It's been these wonderful characteristics that have kept my Mom in terrific health over these years~

She's an amazing example for her 6 children, her 23 grand children and her 3 great grand children..

great genes need smart minds, to be sure.

I love you, Mom

Thank you for the years you gave me and for being an unwavering example of love to me

Enjoy your day!

Make yourself a chain fringe Necklace!

2011-04-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Sharing with you all today this very sweet site I enjoy browsing every so often..
Ornamentea...

I should forewarn you though,
its very fun to shop!

They have some fabulous tutorials too..this one for a chain fringe necklace, for example.
Love it.

and it's easy.

transitioning..

2011-04-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

So we have finally moved into an apartment and unpacked our suitcases here in Be'er Sheva Israel...and although we are missing some things from home, we are settling in.
Much to our surprise, it does rain and the days can be cool in the Negev desert..I brought only my flip flops with me and have my boots and all other closed shoes coming in 3 months time ~when it will be 100 plus.
There is so much that's new... the smells, the sounds, the music, the television, the many muslim and orthodox jews in the dress of their beliefs, the seemingly impatient drivers and the incessant honking (why?) the pink dust of the desert sand always on the horizon, the quick animated hebrew tongue...all of it is foreign and I have a longing for it to become familiar quickly..I don't much like feeling like a stranger out of my element. but I am and we are and I know it will be some time before I am feeling 'at home'
Our apartment is high on a hill on the outskirts of the city. These buildings themselves are built to withstand the elements and man.
The walls are not drywall or wood, but constructed of stone and marble and cement. We have a 'safe room', as do all coded apartments. A safe room is a room the size of an ordinary bedroom that is equipped with a sliding steel barrier over the window and a heavy lockable door. I'm not quite sure if I feel safer with this room in my home or uneasy that I may actually need such a thing~

This is my safe room

Quite lovely..and I will get much use out of that tub for sure..:-)

Today I had the internet guy show up and connect me once again to the outside world..yes. some familiarity! its wonderful. Many Israeli speak a smattering of English and although difficult it's possible to understand somewhat what the other is needing or saying.
As it turns out the connection is too slow for skype and I'm unable to make a satisfactory call to my mom or sister..:-( very disappointing.

Anyway..stay tuned. I'll take lots of photos of the lovely Israel and our journey here this year, ..the food is delicious by the way. Sometimes the restaurant is such a surprise..the outside is questionable and you would easily pass by not realizing what you were missing inside.
Omelets with feta or goat cheese and black olives..salads of tomato and cucumber and vinigrette..brushetta with tapenades. Oddly, we've become huge fans of sushi..? yes, not very hebrew, we know. But there is a restaurant here that serves the best inside out rolls with spicy tuna and I have promised my husband I'll learn to make this~

It's going to be a busy year full of learning and adventure and in spite of being a wee bit homesick right now I truly am looking forward to all of it.. :-))

Winnner of the Spring draw!

2011-03-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm on the road right now on but stopping long enough to say Congratulations to the winner of the draw for the Spring bracelet.

[Yes it is a couple of days earlier than I originally announced but I may be on the road again on that date so I'm drawing now so that I can have it in the mail.]

The winner is Nita Butler~ so thank you all for entering and being part of Fire and Glass. I will have another draw in a month or two ..it will be something earthy and Israeli inspired so check in with me then..

Enjoy your week everyone!

2011-03-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

As are most bloggers, I'm always looking for a cool widget to make the blog interesting and dynamic.
I personally like pages that have lots of information and color..without overwhelming of course. anyway ~ I found this one today.. a site dedicated to announcing give aways..

gotta Love it

speaking of ..go and enter mine if you haven't already!

Good-bye our Lovely California..

2011-03-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Well, we are leaving the beautiful beautiful state of California and we'll miss it terribly. I know. I said the same thing when we left Boston did I not? But truly, Santa Barbara county is a place of beauty.. the green hills, the massive trees..the ocean, the glorious weather. It's a state that we would love to come back to when we're ready to settle down. yea..either here or Boston~ :-)

We spent Saturday afternoon at the El Capitan State park~

..so it's goodbye to California for now and Hello once again to Israel! We're thrilled to be sent back to the little country of Israel~ there are so many places we still need to see!
We were hurried on our trip to Jerusalem in September and promised each other that we'd come back and hike an area called the Mata Forest [forest of Peace]..there are some very sweet ruins there.

So, the next time I post we should be in Be'er Sheva, Israel..stay safe everyone!

Spring Give Away!!

2011-03-01T09:27:00.001-08:00

Small, delicate strand of teeny tiny seed beads, small freshwater pearls and one perfect petite flameworked bead. Fastens with sterling silver lobster clasp. Measures 7"

Don't you love March!?

Even if you're still in the snow and feeling the cold you know it won't be long before the water is running and that sweet new green covers the ground.

March calls for an 'I love Spring!!' giveaway

How can you enter this great Spring giveaway??

You can enter to win this very feminine spring-y lampwork bracelet by either

1. joining me on Facebook

2. Following me on twitter

..or

3. Add me to your etsy circle

Make sure you come back here and leave a comment to tell me which you did and some way of contact should you win. All of your names will be duly noted and entered into a draw and I will pull the winning name on the 17th of March..yes, St Paddy's Day.

Enjoy your day all!

Photo tour of the La Purisma Mission

2011-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

In our neighborhood we are lucky enough to have the historic ruins of one of the oldest Catholic missions here in California..the La Purisma Mission. We enjoyed a self-guided tour over the weekend.

Some of the areas seemed a little over bearing to me and so seemed to hold a somber saddened tone, but it is undeniably an amazing area here in California and I imagine that there have been many many photographers that have thrilled to spend hours shooting here.
The play of light and shadow within the adobe walls of the many buildings is outstanding..there are so many shots here that will go into my resource file for when the watercolors come out again..Lovely~

What an amazing spot! ~here are some of the photos taken Saturday.

Above, my husband within the walls of the cemetery.. an area that held hundreds of bodies of Chumash Indians as well as the Spaniards. There is only one cross to mark this as a burial ground.

and a few inside shots

Outside communal basin for bathing and washing clothes

Vat for melting hundreds of pounds of fat for tallow, an ingredient in soap and candles. The area you see is where the fire was built, above is the vat.

Adobe pillars outside of the buildings

Moss hanging from an Olive Tree

I desaturated this photo to highlight the character of this ancient European Myrtle tree

Adobe tiled rooves.. artified or pushed to more clearly show the amazing texture and color of the weather worn adobe

That's only a small view of these historic ruins..if you're interested in seeing more~ and there is much much more to see, visit this site.

Enjoy your week all!

Exploring..

2011-02-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

I come by a love of stones naturally..my grandmother was a rock hound who carefully tumbled and polished and set some of her favorite found stones into pendants and key chains. I can remember poring over the ground with my mother every walk or beach visit and have brought home many a wishing stone to sit on my dresser over the years.

This year the travels were a little further from home and I slipped some tiny treasures from the shores of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea as well as Boston and Piney Point in Maryland into each Christmas gift.
I have accumulated quite a few pebbles and shells and pressed leaves [still need to get scrapbooking :-)]

Great karma must come from Earth dna wouldn't you say?

Anyway. I love stones... since my sabbatical from glass has moved me toward other materials for a time, I've begun perusing the gem sites and noticing stones of the semi-precious variety...actually I noticed these for the first time at the Santa Barbara Gem faire last week-end.

How is it that I got this far in life and never heard of this amazing ..well, not stone..its a shell, but its definitely one of the most beautiful jewelry making materials that I've seen.

Spiney oyster.. mmmm. gorgeous gorgeous.
Also known as thorny oyster, this is what it looks like in its natural habitat.

Their shells are sometimes called “chrysanthemum shells” because of the delicate, flower-like appearance.
They're asexual and do not mate.
They are not consumed but rather valued for their colorful shell which is used in artwork and jewelry.
The colors range from coral like shades of reds, oranges and yellows to deep shades of purple, depending on their age and the depths of the ocean in which they've lived.

Look at these fabulous beads!

and these~ :-o

Outstanding yes?!

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondylus
http://www.redshelljewelry.com/beads.html

copper and glass. mmm

2011-02-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

I have a few new pieces to debut soon on SweetwaterDesigns..
Stay tuned!

Forging a copper chain

2011-02-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

Cold connections is the term used when you need to join a metal to a metal [or any object really] and are going to do that with out a torch. So no soldering. Rivets are a common join.. also, small hinges.. eyelets.. and of course, wire-wrapping is considered a cold join.

Very few tools are needed to make cold connections..thus the popularity I suspect. If you have a mallet, a steel block and a small drill you're pretty much set, to at least begin experimenting. Perfect. if you are..say, stuck in a small hotel room. I lack the small drill..I'll need that to make rivets and I'm wanting to make some rivets now..:-)

Hopefully any hammering that I'm doing is not bothering anyone around me. yikes..

I've cushioned it on a small leather pillow on the carpeted floor and really its not necessary to hammer too much. I'm not forging horse shoes after all. Anyway.. thankfully, there have been no complaints.
I made this the other day.. after a few links it reminded me of making paper chains in 3rd grade. Repetition makes for perfection? maybe..anyway. I like it..looks great on and paired up with other chains~

~very simple and fun to do~

Available on Etsy

the beauty of Santa Barbara county

2011-02-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

California. ohmy~

I love my Peace country in British Columbia, but I truly don't know that I've seen anything prettier than the country side here in Santa Barbara county..it knocks my socks off daily. Every morning I wake up to clear blue skies ~I think there have been maybe 3 or 4 days of rain total since we got here in early December..which may not bode well in the long range scheme of things..hopefully we will see the rainy season soon or it will be a very very dry summer.

Meanwhile its sweaters and flip flops and this girl from northern Canada is in bliss ..

Do you have a catalog?

2011-02-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

You can now.

Those guys at Etsy are a hard working bunch I have to say..look at this nifty feature for all of us entrepreneurs trying to sell our wares. A down-loadable catalog of our shop in pdf format.

Sweet, yes?

Sweetwaters new digs..

2011-02-01T08:45:00.001-08:00

Take a look at my brand new web site~

The primal joy of housework..

2011-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have been living out of hotels and suitcases for 7 months now..and while its been very very enjoyable ~ full of new sights and food and people, of course there are some things I'm missing. Yes, my children and my family top this list...but the surprise to me is this:

I MISS cleaning and cooking. [ ...I swear I can hear my sister laughing~]

Granted. It is the sweetest thing to leave an untidy room and come back to clean towels and a freshly made bed, all the garbage mysteriously whisked away and the counters clean and neat. It is joyous. :=)

But.

There is something therapeutic to squirting sweet smelling dish detergent under a flowing tap and scrubbing your dishes in a sink full of warm sudsy water. It is satisfying to polish the taps in the bathroom until they gleam..it's even somewhat pleasant to cook supper. Ugh. okay scratch that one..but, there have been moments in my life as a mommy and wife when baking something..usually bread...just hits the spot. Fills that little empty void with an excuse to beat the dough around and shape it into neat little loaves or smaller rolls. Then fills the house with that unbeatable smell of crusty warm bread right out of the oven. The smells of home.

Maybe that's what I'm missing today. Home.

ah well.
This is an adventure of a lifetime and I Love every single minute of it..I truly do. It will come to an end soon enough one day and we will unpack our clothes for the last time..or at least for a looonngg while.
And, I will run out and stock my kitchen cupboards with everything I need to make this recipe~

Never Fail Rolls
I know what you're thinking. beware the recipe that claims to be 'never fail'..but this one will not let you down. ..try it~

Put 2 tsp of sugar and 2 Tbsp of yeast into 1 cup of warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl put:
1 cup of warm milk
2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C oil
2 beaten eggs

Mix together. Add in the yeast mixture. Add enough flour to make a runny dough and beat with a mixer until it's quite glutenous. Add additional flour to make it knead-able and knead [enjoy this, it's the therapeutic part~] until it's shiny. Let rise until double..about 1 hour. Plop the dough out onto a large floured counter top and begin to shape your rolls..or loaves..or even cinnamon rolls or pizza dough.

It is hands down the best bread dough recipe I've found. .

Anyway..enjoy your day all and scrub something for me will you? ~ :-)

Wire wrapped rings

2011-01-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

Don't hate me...

2011-01-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

because I'm enjoying the sun and sand in January. :-)

Believe me, I know how blessed I am~

2011-01-22T15:26:00.001-08:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
sweetwaterdesigns.etsy.com

Creating an organic glass Bead

2011-01-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

I have a love for organic works of art..movement, line and color that mimic nature

or are earth inspired...

A push or subtle exaggeration of textures, color and movement

..all of those elements play a role in organics.

Sometimes it's simply a matter of getting out of the way...

Provide the right atomosphere..

The correct ratio of oxygen to fuel, that perfect combination of glasses and metals,
the right temperature in your kiln for that particular glass..

don't forget to check the alignment of the stars ~

and then get out of the way..stop pushing and pulling with the form.

Listen and see.

..allow the glass to be the star.

Gravity, the glass itself, temperature and serendipity

...all combine to create an 'organic' piece of art~

etsy treasury

2011-01-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

..treasures from these talented artisans ~all available on Etsy today

Looking back..

2011-01-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

I've been discovering the benefits of practicing meditation...most especially visual meditation.
Along with this my daughter is taking some massage therapy courses which involve some fairly graphic textbooks detailing the bodys anatomy.
Her precocious 4 year old...[and aren't they all?]..has been fascinated and listens with great interest when my daughter talks about the things she's learned in class. I'm certain she's doctor material.
I knew she'd been sitting in while my daughter practiced her own meditation techniques so I asked my grand-daughter to do some yoga with me.
With great seriousness,she positioned herself in the classic Indian seated yoga pose, carefully placed her little fingers in an 0 position and looking at me with complete composure began to intone...with a slight lisp, since 'r's are a little difficult at that age;

"Bweathe in....bweathe out....bweathe in...bweathe out..."

I'm trying very hard to keep my face straight as she hesitated to think for a minute, then obviously recalling some of her moms insights, she solemnly continued,

"your bones are gwowing....your body is healthy...

bweathe in...bweathe out..."

You couldn't ask for a more perfect meditation mantra.

*I like the idea of 'looking back' every so often. This post was first published in November of 2007 when my grandbaby was 4..she is 7 now and continues to shine like the brilliant little star that she is~*

attention deficit...

2011-01-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

I need to stay somewhat focused today since I want to work on an order.. these x 5..but I like to net surf a bit during my breakfast. So while I was enjoying my morning meal of left over bread sticks from Domino's and [ahhh yes.] diet coke [Susan would be very disappointed in me..] I stumbled onto a tutorial site which led to another one and then one more and... and well, we all know how that goes ~ so forget about it.

I am in a billion different directions now.

I know Kanzashi flowers are probably old hat by now but I never did know how to do these..

taken from 'Thoughts from the Bus Stop'

and they have so many possibilities, don't they? We've all seen these in a little girls hair, on head bands and barrets, but smaller versions in jewelry applications would be fabulous...the use of fabrics and different materials would result in a different outcome every time.
Addictive no doubt.

of course they all need a lampworked glass center bead~

Instructables shows how to make these folded fabric flowers in step by step fashion with great photos..[I ♥ tutorials with great photos]

Then I came across this woman...what a kick. Mich L in L.A. She is my mother.

Not really...my mother lives in in Canada and her name is Barbara..but believe me the two would hit it off. I have always teased my mother that she would make something out of a tampon applicator if she could get away with it...she is of scottish descent and it pains her..literally pains her..to throw anything away.

Mich L in LA has that gene I think..

This bracelet is adorable....and probably self-explanatory [heavy wire ran through an old pair of jeans seam] My nieces would love one I'm sure.

Taken from Mich L in LA

but this little bracelet

was created with a rubber bath mat..

and this bangle

was made using this material

yes. the rubber tubing you can get for next to nothing at any hardware store... I love the idea.

Her blog led to this next site..or maybe it was the reverse..hmm I really need a cyber breadcrumb trail. Actually this may have been the place that started it all.

take a look

Crafty Pod

Make sure you look at the 'previous entries' link below those that are listed.

My mother has a few of these. She must have been on a roll that day..

Find the tutorial for this Yo-yo pincushion here

You see how I have got myself a little side-tracked today~ also I seem to be digging fabric. interesting..since I've not sewn anything since I was a young mommy and then it was simple..nighties and easy summer shifts.

I did make my 3 year old son a pair of hammer pants once..he was such a little hippie doll in them.

Remember MC hammer pants?

too funny.

okay.enough of this..I'm off to create magic. or at the very least off to get my materials out and decide on color and design.

Enjoy your day everyone
~color something outside the lines!

Busy Beader blogs ..

2011-01-11T01:24:00.000-08:00

Yep..there are lots of us out there hand crafting each tiny work of art by hand and we all like to share our passions. The possibilities are endless...there are glass beads, porcelain beads, ceramic beads, seeded beads, clay beads, metal beads, felted beads... and each componant adds a unique flavor to your final creation.

Brew yourself up a cup of tea and cuddle up to your laptop because I've gathered up a selection of interesting artisan blogs that focus on the art of beads...enjoy!

Denise Yezbak Moore ~Bling it On! ceramic beads

Painting with Fire ceramic beads by Barbara Lewis

Mamacita Beadworks by D'Arsie Manzella works with stoneware clay, polymer clay and lead

free pewter.

Most bead artists have heard of this lady...Joan Miller..she makes the sweetest little porcelain doll and shoe beads. See her work here, Joan Miller Porcelain Beads

One of my all time favorite glass bead artists..Ellen Dooley. See her work on her site, Ellen Dooley Lampwork~ Art from the Flame

Another well known artisan among beady peers is Anne Choi..Each of her silver beads is handcrafted..yes. Most have words of wisdom for your soul.

The Spirited Bead and Klews Gallery polymer beads

Morgan Wills felted beads

Barbara Becker Simon glass and metal clay

Mary Maiolica Arts Hand painted clay beads

I have to add these...I can remember my crafty mother making these a long long time ago in a far away land when I was a girl...paper beads. They can add a beautiful little splash of color. I bought some Ugandan paper beads long ago and still use them when a pop of fun color is called for. Check out this lady at Runs with Scissors on Etsy

Enjoy these few links fellow bead lovers... add something new to your creations. Or just become inspired. If you have the time! you can also learn to create jewelry componants for yourself.

Have yourself a great week!

Celebrations and new beginnings..

2011-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

It's a very very long drive to my home in northern British Columbia from Lompoc, California. There was close t0 5000 miles put on our very gutsy 4WD suberban! [superb winter vehicle btw] and we enjoyed every moment of it. We took our time and saw some beautiful country..lots of beautiful country.

This video clip was taken on Christmas day ~thus the reason for the old skool Christmas music playing ..we were trying to inject a wee bit of traditional Christmas spirit on a day we had celebrated much much differently every other year.

We are somewhere in Montana very close to the Canadian border.

It was definitely a treasured experience for us and we won't forget how we spent our first Christmas together, that's for sure.
The weather was cold and the road was long, but the trip was sweet ~and most importantly I have my torch and my glass back in my hot little hands! and we are now back enjoying the warmth of sunny California.

..whew. we won't be driving that road again for a very long time~

California artists..

2010-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Many of you may know that we have been travelling around the country for the past 6 months..I keep saying I will journal and scrapbook, but so far the journal is not as fat as it should be and the scrapbook has not been started.. I have however, been documenting much of what we've seen with small video clips. so small pat on my back for that. (those can be seen on facebook, for those interested)
But I resolve..yep...to do better in year 11.
We're packing and preparing this week to drive from Lompoc, California to my home town Fort St John in northern BC, Canada. It's a 34 hour drive so I'm fairly sure there will be some time to write in my journal then... I am looking forward to seeing everyone, even if its just for a couple of days.
I will be bringing back to California with me my beloved torch and glass. Yes! So I can begin again to melt glass.

So many talented artists here in California ..sharing here just a couple from the Santa Barbara and area.

SunFire Gallery We met the artist, Lawrence Newsum in a small shop of collectibles on State st in Santa Barbara. Nice guy..talented artist. Love the blown lampshades and light fixtures, mmhmm... this one would look fabuloso in our some day bedroom.

Julie Dunn..oh my. As soon as I am standing in one spot long enough I will get the materials needed to give this art a try. Its called Tempera Batik painting.. a procedure that involves outlined chalk drawing, block painting and a wash of india ink.

This womans work is stunning. We found her through a small gallery in San Luis Obispo~

and lastly ..for the moment anyway..Sarah John Afana, an artistic soul who lives in central California. It was the blown ornaments in a gallery that turned my head ~

but she is proficient in painting, photography and knitting as well. Of her work she says this:

"My images are expressive and colorful. I use top quality artists materials in all my creations. Acid-free papers or fine stretched canvases are always used as platforms for my paintings and drawings." ~Sarah John Afana

and if it may be a while before you get to troll the galleries in California, Miss Sarah has a shop on Etsy. so go give her work a gander. It's soulful and colorful and ..well really, with a name like Sarah John Afana..she must do art, don't you think?

!A most merry Christmas to you all..enjoy your holidays..and stay safe!

Lampwork bracelet..'Castleberry'

2010-12-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

'Castleberry'

Handcrafted with my own flameworked glass beads, this bold bracelet is one of a kind. Strung with fresh water pearls and tiny seed beads and all in shades of muted ochres and organic greens..

Findings and toggle clasp are 925 Sterling Silver..fits the average wrist at 7"

Available only on Etsy

and the winner is~

2010-12-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to randomizer.org the winner of the draw for the lampwork bracelet OR earrings is Jen! of Blue Desert Rose.

Thank you all for you support and participation..much much more to come in the New Year, so stay tuned.

And congratulations to Jen..I will be sending you and email for your preference and your address.

Reminder ~ draw for lampwork bracelet or earrings..

2010-12-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to enter the draw and remember that I have extended it to the 15th..which is Wednesday. AND I have added a choice for those who would rather have the earrings..

Needle felted silk Cuff

2010-12-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Brilliant turquoise silk threads needle felted cuff backed with soft faded re-cycled leather. Lampworked button style closure.

~~$48 available here

Comes to your house gift boxed and tagged with artist signed card