Another rainy spring day here but it's sunshine in my bead world! A wonderful new customer and friend came to my studio Saturday and couldn't resist several of my sets listed on Etsy, as well as some of my focals! She will be a wonderful addition to the jewelry designer world, as she already makes some fantastic pieces. It really helps inspire and motivate me to have such wonderful customers and friends.

Easter Sunday was a beautiful sunny and wonderful day with shared with family.

Now that I'm inspired again, I am heading to the torch as my day will be cut short with another visit to the vet this afternoon with our youngest cocker spaniel, Tuxedo. She had knee surgery about 5 weeks ago, but seems to have had a setback, so wish us luck this afternoon! I think she was just feeling too confident and overdid it. The positive things about her recovery is that she lost an extra 8 pounds she was carrying and she doesn't push Oreo around!

So no new beads to show today, but check back tomorrow for an update on Tuxedo and new beads I'm working on.

Starting all over

I feel like I'm starting all over again with my new torch I got last week! Well, not quite but almost! I had a nice little Firebird torch from Wale Apparatus which started giving me problems. So I purchased a new Bobcat from GTT. Now I'm learning to melt glass all over again albeit faster and hotter! Hopefully by the end of the day today I'll get the hang of it, find the sweet spot and have that "aha" moment. Maybe I'll have pics of new work I did yesterday by the end of the day.


I also joined a great group of other lampworkers on Facebook, Fire Divas. Check out the blog with the link on the right. So I'm also trying to learn more about posting in Facebook, ArtFire, blogs, etc. So bear with me as I do more learning. Never too old, right?


Till later - have a great one, smiles - Debbi

Working on my artists statement for my new web site. Let me know what you think:

"I am inspired to create my art by everything around me, always aware of color, light, feelings and sounds. I primarily work with glass rods making glass beads and am exploring using my handmade glass beads with metals.
When I create my art I lose myself in the comingling of the colors of glass being melted in the flame as I watch the flame dance. I am so in tune to my hands being so careful to place each addition to the piece where it feels to me it should be placed. I cannot help but wonder who will be called by this piece as I was called to create it, to want to hold it, touch it, examine it closely. My hope is that the person or persons viewing my creations get lost in their own thoughts of what I was thinking when I created it, how was it made, how long did it take? All of the pieces of art I create are made to be touched."

Does it make sense? Do I need to say more, say less? What do you think?

Affirmations

In the previous post I talked briefly about the online class with Alyson Stanfield which I am really enjoying and learning a lot about myself and my art business. The other day we were asked to write and design some affirmation cards to help us with our vision. Acknowledging that I need to spend more time in my studio being creative, here is one of mine that I'd like to share:

As those of you who know me as a glass bead artist know my talent doesn't lie in drawing, but I was able to draw a butterfly--yeah--scan it and print some out on cards so I could color them in. And no, I don't have any of the nice paints or pencils, so I used my stash of used crayons. I have to say, though, I did have fun and spent a good 2-3 hours writing and coloring them. It was real fun to play on purpose!

With that said, I need to get some space cleared out of my mind and my studio so I can open up and get the creative juices flowing again. As mentioned in my last post, I'm already drawing up some ideas that I can't wait to get into the studio and work on. I'm getting more anxious every day.

I have also gotten back on eBay and Etsy with a few things, trying to clear out some of my beads and things that are taking up space in my studio, including my first torch! I'm finally letting go of it, knowing that I don't really need 2 to get things done. Plus, it makes space for more glass, right? The other thing I need to do is update my web site, which needs to be done pronto!

I hope to be done with the clearing and organizing by the end of the week and back on the torch creating some new pieces by the end of the week.

Until next time...

Fear of what?

A year ago, almost to the day, I signed up for a blog and never even typed a word into it or posted anything. I was afraid. I was afraid to share my thoughts, my art, and that I would sound stupid. But wow, I have been doing a lot of reading and research in the last few weeks and realizing I was ignorant for not jumping in with both feet and exploring the "uncomfortable", or stepping outside my comfort zone. I was going to post for a few weeks before I published this, but I just need to jump. So here goes...

I started a wonderful online class by Alyson Stanfield to help me focus on my art business a few days ago, and boy have my eyes been opened up. They're not wide open yet, but I know they will be by the end of this journey. You see, one thing I have realized already is that I have been trying to force myself to have a passion for something I don't have a passion for. And that passion is jewelry. Yes, I started out making jewelry, but then discovered the art of making glass beads. I was passionate about making glass beads when I started 7 years ago, because I was able to truly create something from inside me where my fire was burning to create.

About 3 years ago I thought, "why don't I create jewelry with my beads like others are, and make more money and share my art with more people?". And I did ok, not fantastic. I started losing the desire to make beads out of my need to create and started making them as a need to make something else that more people would buy. I could make jewelry, and do more shows, and make more money. Well, yeah, I could do more shows, and I did. I got into a few juried shows, but I realized at the end of last year I fit somewhere between the craft shows and the juried art shows. I also finally realized that I really didn't enjoy making jewelry that much. It became more of a production for me and not creation. My bead designs started to jump all over the place with no real style of my own. My creativity was buried in the desire to make what other people were making and not in my desire to create something where my passion was (lie, laid, whatever the word should be).

I have a passion to create beads and work in the flame of my torch with hot molten glass. My vision is already becoming more clear on how I can and need to focus my artwork on my beads. I know what my strongest talents are in my bead designs; funny thing is, I don't even have many or any of those on my web site. I have a lot of work to do, but I will be more focused and enjoy it more because I will be "creating" and "playing" again and not working to create something I don't even like.

In the meantime, I also have to make some money, so I will be selling my beads online as in the past to the people who enjoy making jewelry with my beads. At the same time I will be working on artwork that focuses on my glass art beads. I've already been writing out some ideas.

Until next time...keep your fires burning!
Debbi