In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Fire Divas are having a Breast Cancer Awareness Challenge! Several of our members have made wonderful pieces for YOU to vote on. First, you can feast your eyes on these beauties in big, clear pictures. When you're done savoring them, please vote for your favorite in bite-sized images on the right side of the Fire Divas' blog. The voting will stay open for one week - then the winner will receive a really cool prize!

Go vote on the Fire Divas Blog.

Dinner @ Justin & Sara's new apartment

My older son, Justin & his lovely GF, Sara, moved in together last month into an apartment in Park Slope. Due to our varied schedules, Larry & I didn't get to go see it till last night. We forgot to take any pics so I've "borrowed" these from Sara's facebook pics from when they 1st moved in. It looks nice & lived in now & they've really made it theirs.

They now have a small table in front of the huge bay window that looks out onto Lincoln Place. That is where they served us dinner last night. Justin made delicious hamburgers that he made in the grill pan I bought for them. And Sara made yummy brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes for sides. Even Larry, who's not into veggies, had some.

For dessert we brought some fresh fruit at their request since they wanted to eat healthy. But then when we went on a walk around the neighborhood, they took us to a cute little bakery that they love & we bought all kinds of goodies to take back to the apt. for dessert. It was a fun evening and it was great seeing them both so happy.

October Weekend Shopping Extravaganza

Hate having to pay shipping for just an item or 2? Or even a whole bunch? I am participating in ESST's Weekend Shopping Extravaganza. For this weekend only, 10/3-10/4, shipping is on me, no matter how large or how small your order is. Just please add FREESHIP in your comments at checkout & I'll refund your paypal account for the shipping portion. Good deal, huh??

I will extend the same offer to any purchases from my
ArtFire. Just click on Etsy or ArtFire to be taken to my shops. Here's a sampling of some items from both shops:

Etsy:






ArtFire:

Return From Glass Stock!

I thought that posting on my return would be a sad thing, but I am still so hyped up on all that I learned & the fabulous people I met that I'm still on cloud 9.

For those that don't know, Glass Stock (GS from now on) is a 4 day lampwork festival put on by Deb Crowley in Oregon once a year. Attendees are selected by lottery from the numerous applicants. Approximately 1/2 the attendees are returnees. The rest are all newcomers to the event like me.

Deb had a meet & greet at her house on Wednesday night prior to the actual event. It was nice to see who else would be there though also a bit overwhelming....maybe due in part to my long plane ride, but all my fab roomies were also newbies so I felt safe. Early the next morning immediately following the safety meeting, everyone had to do a demo. I had been dreading this for some time, but being that my name was somewhere near the middle, I had a chance to watch others and my fear subsided somewhat. Here I am doing my demo (photo courtesy of Maggie MacDonald)



Classes started following lunch. I can't remember the order but I had an enameling class with Jennifer Geldard and a fun wire crochet class with Doretha Jones, AKA Dr. Meow. I had an electroforming and PMC class with Bernie and sat in on an incredible fish bead class with Deb. There was a fab class taught by the amazing Mark McCourt on his curly pendants. He's a wonderful, patient instructor with a lovely humble way about him. Last but not least was a coil potted and hollow bead class taught by Hugh Salkind of Eugene Glass School.







There were also some fun night time activities, such as pajama jam and crazy hat night and a few other fun things plus open torch every night where you could practice what you had learned during the day.

I felt so energized and inspired watching all these hugely talented glass artists demo for us and have them share their techniques with us so freely. Huge kudos to Deb Crowley for putting this all together for us. I can't imagine how much work & planning goes into such an event and I feel blessed to have been able to attend. Thanks Deb!

Roze rockin' the torch:



My roomies:

Glassstock in ONE WEEK!!!

I have been waiting for this event for over a year. I first applied last year & didn't get into Glassstock. I was pretty bummed hearing all the others making plans and talking about their upcoming trips. So when I got the e-mail saying that I was in, I was beyond myself.

Well here we are just a short week away & you would think I'd be prepared, but no, still plenty of trade beads to make & supplies to gather. At this point both my artfire & etsy shops are stocked & I've decided to put everything in both shops for sale @ 20% off till 8/31, giving me enough time to pack up orders & send them on their way on 9/2 before I leave. So, shop away & send me a message to remind me to refund your purchase price by 20%. Anything that's left after that time will be coming with me to Oregon as trade beads.

From Jewelry to Beads

I wrote a blog entry for another blog & thought that I may not have posted to my own just how I got involved with lampwork. So here's a little bit about myself.....I started out making jewelry over 10 years ago after I was unable to work following spine surgery. I had to find SOMETHING to do to keep myself busy. I had always been creative so naturally when I'd go into a department store to look at the jewelry case, I'd examine the pieces and decide, "I can do that". Unfortunately in those days we didn't use digital cameras (I sound old, don't I?) so no images to share of my early work, but here's a piece I made a little later on. It's made with vintage Swarovski crystals.

It started innocently, just making jewelry for myself until one day one of my DH's employees, knowing that I dabbled in jewelry making, showed me a necklace that someone had given her. It was too bulky for her small frame. I took it apart for her & made her a new necklace with matching bracelet and earrings. She was so thrilled and urged me to go into business.

I did that for several years, but got the bug to try lampwork (glass beadmaking) after taking a class at a local art league. Though my results were sad, to say the least, I know immediately that I loved melting glass and seeing it turn into beads. I saved up & bought all the equipment needed (trust me, this is NOT an inexpensive hobby) and read everything I could get my hands on. I've since taken 2 boro classes as well. I just love the colors that you can get from boro, though oftentimes it's still a mystery.

I find making glass beads mesmerizing. I often fall into a zen-like state while working. Of course there are some challenging beads and days when nothing goes right, but when you open the kiln the morning after a good session and find lovely surprises awaiting, it's just the best feeling. It's like Christmas each & every time. LOL!

So, I know that the journey for many is usually the other way around, from beads to jewelry, but for me it was the jewelry that got me interested in making beads in the 1st place. Now, I love nothing better than to get an e-mail from a customer with a photo of a finished product using MY beads so if you have one, by all means, PLEASE share it with me! And for those of you that are jewelry makers, I also take custom orders if there's something in particular that you'd like.

Look What a Customer Made With My Beads

I woke up to find a nice surprise on my friend Kristen Latimer's blog, a lovely bracelet that she made with beads purchased from my ArtFire shop recently. She's the talented jewelry designer behind MJM Jewelry Designs. Not only is she a talented jewelry designer, but her photographs are wonderful as well. Her designs show off the beads to their best advantage. Beautiful Kristen!

Fall Harvest on Etsy

I'm so pleased with how these 2 sets of beads came out. They were made at different torch sessions, but they are similar enough in look to be used in the same design if so desired. Of course there are enough beads in each set to use them on their own. Just saying....

First up is a luscious set of boro rounds pictured above, called Fall Harvest, a wonderful set of 6 round handmade artisan boro lampwork beads. The beads are made on a base of topaz glass, with small glass bits in varying shades of green and topaz similar to falling leaves and a ribbon of cranberry glass. The beads measure from 17-19mm and were wound on 3/32" mandrels.

The set below is similar, but in a tab shape, a wonderful set of 5 handmade artisan boro lampwork beads. The beads are made on a base of topaz colored glass, with small glass bits in varying shades of green and topaz similar to falling leaves and a ribbon of cranberry glass. The beads measure from 20x16mm to 25x20mm and were wound on 3/32" mandrels. Both sets are currently available in my etsy shop.

Lampwork Focal Glass Bead : lajewelrydesigns - ArtFire Glass

I just love making these beads!




Lampwork Focal Glass Bead : lajewelrydesigns - ArtFire Glass

Shared via AddThis

Lampwork Focal Glass Bead Set : lajewelrydesigns - ArtFire Glass

Lampwork Focal Glass Bead Set : lajewelrydesigns - ArtFire Glass

Shared via AddThis

Fab Skin Care Products from this ArtFire Shop

Mea Culpa's Body & Bath Creations on ArtFire has some fab skin care products. My personal favorite is this 3 in 1 skin cleanser.



Here's a description from the listing...sounds good enough to eat:

You open this bottle and the gentle scent of roses hits your nose and takes you away....nope, it doesnt just smell good, it does good too! It cleanses, moisturizes and might help prevent premature aging and protect against the suns rays

Witch Hazel is one of the best natural cleansers, its cool touch on the skin wakes it up and gently rubs off all the dirtiness without drying it out harshly as any over the counter al-cohol based product would do. It is also said that it helps with oily skin and acne.

Rose Floral Water...wow...I dont know if you noticed, but I have this in a lot of my products. Shhhhhh....thats my secret for making my skin soft....it is said that its a gently cleansing and toning product for all skin types. Maintains the pH balance, stimulates regeneration processes, has a calming effect in acne and sunburns. As a result the skin texture becomes even and elastic.

Green Tea Extract is believed to neutralize the damage done by exposure to UV rays. Since exposure to sunlight is a major factor that ages the skin, it is reasonable to assume that green tea cream could help prevent premature aging.
No one is advocating giving up your sunscreen in favor of green tea just yet, but green tea can definitely help enhance its effectiveness.

Lovely Earrings from JewelryByJoy on ArtFire

Look at these lovely chandelier earrings I found today on JewelrybyJoy on ArtFire. They are so pretty! Made of crystals and gold filled wire and findings. Just beautiful!

Forget the Trash, Bring a Towel

Forget the Trash, Bring a Towel, check out the ingenious use of a dumpster to make a pool on the banks of the Gowanus Canal in industrial Brooklyn. It's actually three connected pools housed in Dumpsters, a boccie court, some lounge chairs, grills and cabanas.

The space has been open since July 4th weekend and has hosted barbecues, photo shoots and a film screening, all by invitation only. Macro-Sea, the company behind the pools, is using the project as a template for a larger idea: turning eyesore strip malls into artsy community destinations, with Dumpster pools and other indie attractions.

Can't wait to see one in person!

Trash Fashion Face Off starting today in NYC:

Designers use recycled materials 2 come up with fashion designs. I've copied the content below. Sounds like a fun exhibit, pretty cool if you ask me. :)

Trashion

New exhibit from

The Urban Green Initiative

Gallery 151 (350 Bowery, NYC 10012) invites you to the opening of "TRASHION" the newest exhibit from the Urban Green Initiative - an ongoing series of art exhibitions, music concerts & dance performances that will encourage an artistic approach to ongoing conversations about environmental awareness.

The opening night "Trashion Tuesday", will include a performance by Miz Metro featuring Crosby and saxophonist Alex Violette and a live "TRASH FASHION FACE OFF" where two designers given the same recycled materials will battle to be the "Trashion Queen". Live performances on the chi-chair, and games and toys made of trash to play with. Also featuring an interactive tape wall where gallery goers can become a part of the exhibit with their own tape creations, creating a community mural that will stay up and can be added to through out the duration of the show.

Featured Artists

Dan Walker, Francis Stallings, Patrick Sheely, Rolando Politi, David Levine, Kristy Leibowitz

Miz Metro, Marcus Jefferson, Kipton Hinsdale, Jennifer Harris, Kate Goldwater, Walker Fee

Zev Deans, ClockWork Cros, Boneman, Isaac Aden.

Open: July 21st - August 21st

1pm-6pm Wednesday-Sunday

Crazy Train on ArtFire

I'm a newbie member to the ArtFire Crazy Train. Fellow artisans work hard to promote one another. Today's shop of the day is Andrea Designs. Andrea is a fabulous knitter. Look at this awesome shawl that she knit. A beautiful accessory for a night out on the town. I'm a pink person so am partial to this:

Check out this awesome treasury on etsy west!

Check out this awesome treasury filled with some of my favorite glassy peeps: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=61804

I LOVE PURPLE!!!!

OK, so I'm not one of those people that ONLY dresses in purple, but it is one of my favorite colors, along with teal, turquoise, lime green and olive green. I've been needing a new laptop for quite awhile now. My desktop is approaching 9 years (hate to think how many that is in human years....do you think it's like dogs??) and has been on it's last leg for some time now. I never had a DVD drive and my CD & A drives don't work. I found this out when I attempted to delete some programs & reinstall them due to virtual memory issues, only to see that the CD drive, or was it driver?? had big scary yellow notes next to it.

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not great with computer terminology. I can work a computer without a problem, but that's about it. So, even though we really can't afford it right now, there wasn't much choice due to it's pending doom. So, DH finally ordered me a new one tonight.......and, it's PURPLE!!! Black was the free color, but for $40 more, DH treated me. Isn't he the best???.

It's made by Dell. It's the Studio 15 model. It's supposed to be the most lightweight of their laptops, which is important for me with my neck issues. We lucked out too. We had gotten a promo pamphlet in the mail from Dell earlier in the week and we saved over $100 & free shipping with the promotion so he decided to treat me. OK, so I had to beg before he agree, but he DID agree in the end. :)

Now I just need to keep my fingers crossed that the PC lasts another 2 weeks till the laptop is delivered.

Finished up a large custom order (for me)

A customer, who I'm happy to call a friend now, Ann Marie of Hearts Desire Jewelry, contacted me several weeks ago about a custom order for an online class she's teaching at Joggles. Ann Marie is a fabulous jewelry designer with a keen eye for color so I was quite flattered that she recommended me to Barbara of Joggles to supply the lampwork beads for the class this summer.

The last of the beads is in the kiln now, warm and toasty. Tomorrow I'll take them out, clean them out real well, removing all traces of bead release and pack them up safe and securely for their journey to Barbara. Oh & of course I'll take some photos too. Will post them later in the week.

ArtFire's $12/Month For Life Offer!!!

I've been a member of ArtFire since January. I have seen such growth from this young site. They have great support. Have a problem or question? Chances are you'll get a response from a real live person @ ArtFire.

So for a brief period of time, they're offering membership for $12/month FOR LIFE guaranteed! And, as if that's not enough, if you refer at least 12 new members through your personal link, then you'll get FREE MEMBERSHIP for yourself & 1 friend. How awesome is that?!??

For those of you that have websites that are just sitting there, check out ArtFire's new Fusion Studios. Each shop owner can customize their look, whether it's to match to their own site or just to have a look that is a reflection of their personal style. I am SO IMPRESSED with how much AF has done in so little time!


What is Art Fire?
Art Fire is a handmade marketplace that works for you. You can sell anything handmade items assembled by you, handmade art, fine art, crafts and collectibles. Supplies and vintage items that support handmade artists needs. Design and media items which the member/designer actively participated in the creative process.

Do your products fit the description above?

With that price, you'll get:

• Unlimited listing for your store. You can list as many products as you'd like for $12/month and there are no listing fees! Imagine how much money you can save!
• Free membership for those content with just listing 10 items.
  
• Up to 10 photos/listing for Verified Members. This is extremely useful for those with high detail products.
• Virtually unlimited place for tagging. The CEO even encouraged us to tag our products with as many related words we can think of. This will help the internet spider find your product on search.
• ArtFire will submit your products to Google Base and we also get statistics that you can view on your ArtFire page and further detailed statistic on Goggle Analytics.
• Their Rapid Cart is doubled as a Shop Window and Cash Register.
• A Personalized Fusion Studio. Big banner, customized theme and colors, add html, videos, and many more to your studio. This is something other handmade venues do not offer.
• And many more!
  

Most of all, ArtFire still has their Free For Life program going on! Get 10 sign ups to get your free account for life!

So don't pass up this good deal and Register on ArtFire for $12/month now.

The weatherman LIED!

Why does this NOT surprise me??? The weekend's weather was dreary, foggy to beat the band on Saturday & then clouds & rain yesterday. But they said that TODAY was supposed to be the best day of all.....sunny & warm.......NOT!

I was so hoping to torch, but they say possible showers now for today. Think they can be wrong again??? Keeping my fingers crossed.

Belated Mother's Day Wishes to All!

And by all, I mean all caretakers. I know lots of men, grandparents, etc. who do so much for their children, grandchildren that they can easily be called MOM.

My sister who lives out of state came in cause it was not only Mother's Day, but it was also my mother's 88th birthday on Sunday. We went out for a lovely brunch with the family out east and then relaxed and played board games.

Then when the hub and kids left to go home cause they all had work the next day, the 3 of us stayed for a couple of days & had a fun girls only few days. My mother tends to be more & more of a hermit the older she gets, so it was nice to get her out of the house if even for just a few days. We took a long drive, went for walks on the beach, out to eat & of course SHOPPING!!!

Slept through a Thunderstorm Last Night

Hubby tells me that there was a loud BOOM in the middle of the night. Apparently it did nothing to interrupt MY REM sleep...........so why it I can't sleep more than 6 hours???? And that's a GOOD night's sleep! Sad thing is I can function alright, but my poor eyes can't. :-(

UGH!!! Migraine AGAIN!!!

I don't know why I've been getting so many migraines lately. It's something I've been stricken with all my life, but seems to be more of a problem lately. Will have to mention it to the neurologist when I go next week.

And of course today was the FIRST nice day all week, with no rain. I was tempted to go out & torch anyway, but somehow the thought of staring at a flame for hours on end, even thru my didys, somehow just didn't seem appealing. Oh well.....at least it's FINALLY subsided.

Well I got a fun surprise from my friend Billie Sanchez of Wicked Oak Designs who makes awesome beadwoven creations.........a Kreativ Blogger Award!!! How cool is that?!?? How wonderful of her. I read her post there and I have to post 7 of my favorite things and then give the award to 7 other blogs.






So let's begin.....
Favorite things
1. lampwork beads
2. seedbeads
3. beading of any kind
4. my family (hubby, kids, GF's and of course grandma)
5. My beading buddy Linda
6. chocolate
7. ice cream (what list would be complete without chocolate & ice cream???)


Now the people to nominate
1. http://dailyjewel.blogspot.com
2. http://szarka.blogspot.com/
3. http://360.yahoo.com/profile-zp3g71Y2f6O.pHXAcyA9
4. http://lisaliddy.wordpress.com/
5. http://calysdayatthebeach.blogspot.com/
6. www.lmaurerdesign.blogspot.com
7. http://www.takegoodphotos.blogspot.com/

Contest Entry

Lori Greenberg is running a contest on her blog where the winner receives a copy of Val Cox's awesome book, "Frit Secrets". Here's my entry.......whaddya think???

I love Val's frit & particularly the but one has a cool surface that

It's March & we have over a foot of snow!!! YUCK!

We had over a foot of snow fall in the Long Island area Sunday night into Monday. And only a week or so ago, I went out with just a sweater on with temps reaching 60 degrees. I am SO ready for spring. Never was a fan of winter anyway. I know the kids love it, but my poor husband had to clear out not only our driveway, but then went into work to clear the snow there. Where are you spring??? I'm ready!

Shoe Shopping & Credit Cards

So my son's GF, Sara, wanted me to take her shopping for a pair of boots to wear tonight. We looked all over the mall till she found a beautiful pair of brown Michael Kors boots in her size. They were originally $279, but with all the discounts the final price was $101 & change. I had a Lord & Taylor card, which I attempted to use cause that would've gotten her an additional 10% off only to find that the card was no longer valid since it had't been used for a few years.

Long story short, I opened up a new acct., got her 15% off now instead of 10%. We were very good & resisted doing any more shopping except that I needed a new perfume, which is never discounted, but was able to apply the 15% off on that. YAY! A good day was had by all. :-)

BRRRRR!!!!!!

It is sooooo cold that I just can't seem to warm up today, even with 2 layers of sweats on......AND the heat's ON!!! And, today is warmer than it's been for the past couple of days too! UGH!!! Have I mentioned that I HATE the cold?!??

We're supposed to warm up a bit over the weekend. Might even reach 50 degrees! I'm ready for spring! Speaking of which, check out this bead over on etsy. The colors remind me that spring is not too far behind.

etsy

Groundhog Day

As if this winter hasn't been long enough & cold enough, Punxsutawney Phil awoke this morning, saw his shadow & projected another 6 weeks of winter. Now, I don't want to wish my life away, but this cold & snowy weather we've had this winter is REALLY getting to me. And you'd think with his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers winning the Superbowl, he'd be less inclined to dole out such a dreary forecast, but I guess with the sun shining & his shadow cast before him, he had no choice. OK, I guess I'll have to pull it together for another 6 weeks before we finally get some nicer weather.

Just what I need.....

So I finally succumbed & joined Facebook. I had heard about it, but just didn't want to join yet ANOTHER group that would keep me on the computer for even longer periods of time than I already am.

I found it fun though to find people that I know from other places there. I even connected with a cousin's daughter in Belgium. Anyone know an eligible bachelor for a beautiful 35 year old girl? She's willing to come to the States to meet someone.

So I I've missed anyone, please look for me on facebook, Lea Avroch.

Organization continued.....

I've been trying hard to devote SOME time every day to organizing my work area. I have tons of seedbeads & crystals, not to mention semi-precious stones, sterling silver, findings, etc. So, in searching for that perfect cabinet to put some of the stuff in, I found this great wood CD shelving unit at best buy. And it's on sale for $89.99! BTW, I'm not affiliated with best buy in any way. It's just the perfect size for my needs & if you do a google search you might be able to find a coupon like I did. Mine was a $10 coupon toward my next purchase. Love it! OK, gotta get back to my organizing!

Organization........NOT!!!!

There are some parts of my life & my house that are organized & then there are others like my bead studio/basement that are almost beyond hope. But my friend told me about someone that she's had over to her house to help her organize & ever since I've the organization bug has bit me. OK, more like a little pinch, but it's something.

Her name is Cynthia Braun of Organize Your Life. She's hosting a mini workshop at her house that I'll be attending with my friend in 2 weeks. We'll get a tour of every room in her house & we'll be able to open closets, cabinets, etc. to see how she organizes her house. I'm really looking forward to going. I can't afford to have her come here to help me organize, at least not yet, but maybe I can get some pointers & be inspired to do something with the mess. Funny thing is that I'm finding things I had long forgotten I had & reordered. Well, maybe not so funny actually.

Beadfest

Well Beadfest was absolutely AWESOME this year. I took a 2 day class with Chad Trent on making Blown & Inside Out Boro beads. For those that may not know, Chad is an awesome lampwork artist specializing in boro beads and pendants. I'm not even sure if he works in soft glass at all. His ID is Cosmo on Lampwork Etc.

Chad's a gifted lampworker and an excellent teacher with the patience of a saint. Even with taking notes while he demonstrated I found myself asking a million questions. This is 1 technique that will take quite a bit of practice in order to master it.

Oh Gosh!

I'm so bad about keeping up on this blog. I don't know what it is. I guess not enough hours in the day or something. The summer has been crazy busy. Hubby & I went to Europe with my sister & BIL for almost 2 weeks to celebrate our anniversaries. It was so much fun!

I came home, had 1 day to do laundry & then headed down south to a lampwork retreat with a friend in Georgia. It was so much fun & the ladies couldn't be nicer. I'm friends with one of them & know another from an online lampwork group, but had never met the last 2 ladies. They were all so sweet. We became fast friends in no time. What a great bunch. I don't know which part of my vacation was better, Europe or the lampwork retreat. And I'm only half joking! ;-)

I'm off again on Wednesday to beadfest Philly. I'm taking a 2 day boro class in a technique that I've been dying to learn for some time now. I'm really looking forward to it. And then I want to come home & practice what I've learned & just veg if you KWIM ;-).

Softflex Designer Spotlight for May

I'm very excited to let you know that Softflex has selected me to be their Spotlighted Designer for the month of May. They had originally contacted me for June, but apparently the person selected for May backed out at the last minute. So I scrambled to get my photos in order the last couple of days, but now it's up. So please go to the Softflex site and check it out. Any & all comments are greatly appreciated.

20% off Sale in my Etsy Store Through 4/7

I am pleased to be a part of the new LampworkEtc. Etsy Street Team (LEST), and to celebrate the new group, everything in my shop is now 20% off!! The price listed has already been calculated to reflect this discount and the original price is listed in the item description! Sale runs now 'till April 7th! Search for LESTSALE for some incredible glass at great prices!!

Northeast Bead Retreat

I'm so excited!!! A bunch of us that met on a yahoo chat group are planning a Northeast Bead Retreat. We met tonight in chat & it's really coming together. The group is made up of people of varying talent, so we're just going to teach other techniques that we know. So, a bit of teaching & a bit of learning combined with lots of fun & laughter making new friends.

1st Etsy sale!!! WOOHOO!!!

I'm loving this whole etsy thing. I didn't understand it for the longest time, but I joined a street team, LEST & I'm learning quite a bit. I made my 1st sale this weekend, 3 items to the same person no less! I think it's due in part to some things I learned from my street team. If you're looking for fabulous lampwork beads, do a search for the tags LAJ (that's me :-) & LEST for the work of the talented LEST street team members.

Etsy Shop Open!

I'm so bad about keeping up with this blog. It's not that I don't have what to say. I just forget ;-). Well, I just wanted to announce the opening of my new etsy shop. I'm going to try to be better about loading things there then I have been about blogging. So, here's the link if you'd like to check it out. Feedback is always welcome.

http://www.lajewelrydesigns.etsy.com

Happy Birthday to Me :-)!

It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party.

I would like you to dance--Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Dance

You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too--yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

OK, so Sunday is my birthday. WOOHOO!!! Yes, it's my birthday, but I feel like giving too so I
am offering everything on my site at 30% off from now until Valentine's Day, which as you all know is 2/14. I have no way of discounting the items or at least I don't know how to do it & my
techie son is away at school so rather than bother him, please just e-mail me at lajewelrydesignsATaol.com letting me know which item (s) you'd like to purchase & I will then send you a paypal invoice.

auction won by Bunny Crosson

I'm so excited! Our auction ended last night. The winning bidder was Bunny Crosson. I love her designs! It's truly gratifying to have it go to the home of such a talented seed bead artist. And, did I mention that we took in $147.50 for the Susan G Komen Foundation??? YAHOO!!!

auction to benefit the Susan G Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research

I was involved in a colloaborative project, a necklace that was featured in the September/October issue of Belle Armoire. We are 5 members of another yahoo group that created the components for this beautiful piece. We've decided to auction the
necklace off on ebay. Should any of you be interested, here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/AUTUMN-NECKLACE-BELLE-ARMOIRE-SUSAN-G-KOMEN_W0QQitemZ1901680\
35237QQihZ009QQcategoryZ110665QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/34dgzj

Please note that 100% of the proceeds is being donated to the Susan G
Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. I hope you'll take a look
at this lovely piece and bid generously.

Adult Ed class

My adult ed class started last week. It's a big class! I had asked them to cut off registration at 10 people since I'm teaching on my own, but at last count we're up to 12. I was a bit unnerved by the size of the class & was concerned how I was going to be able to give everyone my attention, but the 1st class seemed to run pretty smoothly since several of them were in my class before. My biggest challenge is being heard. I have a soft voice & it's a chatty bunch ;-), but that's what makes it fun. We even finished a bit early. It's hard to gauge the timing of the class.

The projects that I chose for last sessions' classes were a bit challenging for people that had never beaded so I decided to start with a simple stringing project. We made bracelets strung on beading wire with gemstones & crystals. The bracelets came out beautiful & everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. It was gratifying to see at least 4 people from last session that had signed up for this session. I guess they liked it ;-)!

I'm still working on this coming week's project. The consensus was that they had wanted to make knotted silk cord lariats. These are actually a bit more challenging than one might think for beginners. They're somewhat freeform so although that sounds like it would be easier, it really isn't. I have to check my stock anyway. I'm not sure I have all the materials on hand for it.

Collaborative piece in September Belle Armoire

Five of us that are all members of the Jewelry Haven yahoo group got together (virtually) to compose a necklace. We submitted it to Belle Armoire and it is published in the current issue of Belle Armoire. I coordinated the project, but everyone involved made charms of their own choosing to include in the piece. Interestingly enough, unbeknownst to one another the 5 of us each used a different media, which proved to add each person's individuality to the project. My contribution was the focal bead & hand torched lampwork leaves. I then took all the components and made sterling silver heart shaped links to attach them to.

Here's an excerpt from the issue:
Five Jewelry Haven members were inspired by Fall to create a collaborative necklace using various mediums. As the season unfolds with the myriad of colors, they have been inspired to capture the best of the season-the changing leaves - the landscape- the changes in our lives and the constancy of friendship.

Oxycon is working

So apparently the part I thought was missing from the oxycon is not a necessary part. I've been worrying for nothing. It would only be necessary if I were using the oxycon in a medical situation. Since I'm not, it's all good. Now just need to get DH to attach the hoses to the new torch & I'm in business. I tried to do it myself, but just don't have the strength to do it myself. Hopefully Sunday I'll be able to give it a try.

got my new torch & oxycon!

Well, so I'm a bit impulsive ;-)! I sold out all my 90 COE glass & some fusing things that I had hopes of attempting, but never did & went & bought myself new toys. Well...new, used toys. I kept all my 104 COE glass though. I just didn't want or need to have 3 different COE's.

I bought a Knight Bullet Burner & an M20 oxygen concentrator. This is one big torch, let me tell you. I just didn't want to have to upgrade again. I received both of these this week. I drove to Connecticut to pick up the oxycon. I'm a bit bummed cause the oxycon is missing the O2 tube & connector so can't use it till I get replacement parts. The person I bought it from sold out her entire studio & is now not returning calls. Not too cool, if you ask me. Oh well, will just have to be a bit more patient, not my strongest virtue.

I just returned from Beadfest in Philly where I took a Boro class & fell in love all over again. I'm chomping at the bit now to get a bigger torch & oxygen concentrator that will melt Boro rods. My DH had a canary when I told him the news so I am doing some creative fund raising, LOL! I've decided to offer 25% off on anything on my site from now until September 10th.

I found someone selling the torch I'm interested in & someone else selling the oxygen concentrator so everything is right with the world, except of course coming up with the funds for these major purchases, ;-). If taking advantage of the 25% off sale, you'll need to e-mail me at lajewelrydesigns @ aol.com (remove the spaces) & I will invoice you with the discounted pricing.

best party ever!!!

I've become close friends with 2 local bead buddies. We get together to bead about once a month. We bead, we laugh, we eat. Is there more to life ;-)? Well, we were supposed to do a party together this past weekend, Soiree we called it. It was hosted by Linda's step daughter. Unfortunately Jean couldn't make it. Her MIL had brain surgery earlier in the week.

Well, Lisa, Linda's daughter, put out a beautiful spread. I was feeling guilty at how much money she must've spent on the food. I'm not sure how many people were actually there, but there was a steady stream and each one was nicer than the next. They enjoyed looking at our jewelry, trying them on &......BUYING!!!! We came away with just shy of $1000 for the night. Now all we need to do is find more folks wanting to host a party. Here's a photo with my side of the table:

studio set up

I've been making lampwork beads for over a year now. I tried torching in several different places. First, I tried the back deck. The problem with that I soon found out is that if it's at all windy, it could/would affect the flame.

I then started working at the kitchen table, which was great unless someone in the household actually wanted to eat a meal at the table. So, every night, I'd have to pack up the glass, torch, tools, etc. for the night. This got to be old rather quick so I built myself a little studio in our 1 car garage. When I say little, I mean little.

I built myself a table top using a piece of wood that someone had freecycled. I lined the walls with wonderboard, which is flame retardant. I even built myself a small cabinet to hold all my glass rods. The square dividers that you see are cut up fence posts. For some reason, the Home Depots around here don't stock it so I had those cut down for me by a fellow lampwork artist in Florida.

My kiln sits on the floor since I have insufficient counter space. What you don't see is my fire extinguisher that's mounted on a side wall within arms reach of where I torch ;-).

Here's another view of all my glass. I just looking at it, LOL!









The next photo shows a revolving plexiglass display that I purchased from Tower Records at their Going Out of Business sale. I love this tower. It's where I keep all my presses and glass frit (ground up glass pieces used to decorate beads). Besides the fact that it rotates, it's on wheels so I can pull it closer to within arms reach when I'm torching.













And here are photos of me actually torching in case you're curious to see.

Chameleon Beads are a hit!

Since the release of the June issue of Bead and Button, I have had orders coming in for my Chameleon beads. I'm frantically torching away at every opportunity to replace beads that have sold and to attempt to build up stock so as not to run out. I have some beads that I made this week that came out great. Just need to clean them up and will be posting new pics on my site hopefully by the end of the weekend ;-).

my piece in June 2007 issue of Bead and Button

I received an advance copy of the June 2007 issue of Bead and Button magazine along with my lariat that was returned to me last week. It's a real treat to see my piece in print. Click here to view the article and an enlarged photo.