JC Herrell Glass Class

Hi everyone. I spent the weekend in a power and technique packed Sunday and Monday. JC Herrell taught her passion, stringer work and enamels, and I was a lucky one to attend the two day session with her.

What a gifted teacher, all around nice person, and extremely talented glass artist. I am honored to have been in one of her classes and consider myself touched by the anointed! I also won in the drawing, one of her coveted "Rainbow" beads, also her one of her signature beads which she taught us to make. Tons of work and precision. We laughed about how much the German Glass Artists love her because of that. I called her the Mercedes of the glass world.

I'm including her case of glass which she brought with her. I like to purchase at least one bead of each of the teachers I've learned from and with JC I just couldn't decide which I wanted. I wanted them all. So when I won the Rainbow bead I couldn't have been happier.

Learned tons, spent time with wonderful glass artists, made new friends and bonded even better with my new old friends I've met over the last 6 months or so.

My work should be reflecting what I've learned from JC. I'm so blessed. Thank you Donna for inviting her to come teach at your shop "The Mandrel". My favorite place to spend money and meet up with friends. You are the greatest!!!

Fairy Fly in the Garden - Handmade Lampwork Glass Bead - Set

I had so much fun making these beads last night. This little Fairy Fly is in an Amazing Fairy Futuristic Garden. Silver Fairy Dust is sprinkled around behind the especially furled fern fron he sits on. The back is sprinkled with Fairy Dust as well. Hard to see in the pictures, but if you squint you may be able to see it... A couple of my handmade murrini flowers in this garden.

The accompanying five bonus beads are fun as well. Three pink spacers with transparent blue cotton candy spun round and round and two transparent blue with raised dots poking fun.

About the focal:

Free formed approximately 58 x 31 mm at the widest part. Wound on 3/32 mandrel as are the spacers.

In my Etsy Shop tonight. If you care to stop by - click on the pictures in the right column under Etsy. It'll be fun to take a stroll through the shop tonight while you are lounging about relaxing...right?

Hugs and Kisses - Suzanne

Jupiter Dragon Fly - Lampwork Glass Beads - Set

Yea I had my first special order yesterday for beads which were for sale and sold recently using this color, "Jupiter". I love this color and since I had it out and was already working with it, I decided to make a Dragon Fly set. Who woulda guessed. The pinks, golds and terra cotta all wrapped up in this beautiful Effetre color are different each time a bead is made. I love that about Jupiter glass!

This set is five spacer beads on the larger side and one focal button bead.

Measurements:
Focal: approximately 1.25"
Bead hole: wound on 3/32 mandrels

The little silver spacers are purchased and included in the sale.

They will be in my Etsy Shop shortly. Enjoy and thanks for taking a peek.

www.etsy.com/shop/SuzannesArtGlass

Hugs and have a great day!
Suzanne

Three Amigos - Lampwork Glass Beads

These three came out of the kiln this morning much to my amazement in one piece and I really liked them. Something different. The Dragon Flies are encircling the bead which I haven't seen done by anyone as of yet. So I guess I will call this my design. Has a nice ring to it - don't you think? Struggling for my identity obviously.

They are rather long which makes them nice for a side piece in a longer necklace or, naturally, as a focal bead in a more elaborate piece.

Wound on 3/32 mandrel - that is what those pieces of metal are out the top and bottom. When the bead is removed from the mandrel that's where the hole comes from! Who knew how they got that hole in the bead?

The Dragon Fly on the right is of silvered glass and very pretty but hard to catch on camera (besides being a littttle bit out of focus). The two on the outside are nice and organic looking. Both have silvered glass in the body of the bead.

Approximate measurements from left to right

74 x 18 mm
62 x 17 mm
76 x 16mm

Thanks for taking a peek and have a lovely day. xoxo Suzanne

Darth Vader Dragon Fly - Lampwork Glass Bead

This is a Darth Vader Dragon Fly with luminous blue eyes and tail. This lentil bead is approx 1.25 inches in diameter and is wound on a 3/32 mandrel.

I'm having lots of fun working on these little fella's..The story goes that Dragon Flies drift in and out of the spirit side of life and the life we see with our eyes. They are sweet, colorful and also bring good luck! I love 'em.

Thanks for stopping by. This little critter will be on Etsy later today.

hugs - Suzanne

Dragon Fly 2nd Week - Lampwork Glass Bead

Not perfect yet, but give me another week and I think I'll be getting much closer.

This Dragon Fly is approximately 35.5 mm in length and 33 mm at the widest part of the bead. The hole runs lengthwise and is 3/32.

I'm continuing the plight of the perfect Dragon Fly. This one goes on Etsy today. Let's see how many visits it gets!

How much fun is this?

hugs - Suzanne

Venice Art Walk Collection - Handmade Lampwork Glass Pendants

Hi Everyone! I've been waiting for my new bead presses from Zoozii's. They arrived yesterday and I'm so excited to get started making beads that will all be the same size and great for bracelets, necklaces, focal beads and my new and more wonderful than ever "Dragon Fly" collection. Kerri Fuhr's tutorial has been more than helpful and I feel as thought I've come away from a private tutoring with her. I met Kerri in 2009 during a bead club event at Frantz Art Glass in Shelton, WA when I still lived in the Seattle area. She is absolutely amazing.

I just posted this collection which I made for the Gallery and Venice Art Walk in Venice, CA about two months ago. They got a lot of attention at the show and in the gallery. As you know, you always come home with a few of your favorites wondering - geez - I love these. Why didn't they sell? So, I posted the whole collection in my Etsy Shop for about 65% reduction. I thought the whole collection would make a neat group of pendants to purchase for gifts or for some over active love with lamp work bead kind of unique person. We'll see.

Hope you enjoy taking a peak at them.

xoxo Love you Suzanne

Harvest Crusade - AMAZING

I've been attending a startup church called Core Church in Culver City next to Sony Movie Studios.  Ours was one of the churches helping with this crusade. I attended the Sunday Night Crusade in the Angels Stadium.  I've never seen anything quite like this.

On Sunday night, in addition to fantastic music by Jeremy Camp, Jars of Clay, Francesca Battistelli, and the Harvest Worship Band, the crowd at Angel Stadium heard the testimony of special guest Louis Zamperini, a WW2 bombardier, Olympic athlete, prisoner of war, and follower of Jesus Christ. Pastor Greg Laurie gave a message entitled, “Home Before Dark.” The themes of reconciliation and coming home were woven through the entire night, culminating in Greg’s invitation to receive God’s gift of eternal life.


With 45,000 in attendance at the venue, 4,333 accepted the invitation to receive Christ on Sunday night.

That brings the weekend totals to:

•Attendance: 115,000
•Stadium Decisions: 11,216
•Online Decisions: 376
•Total Decisions: 11,592

Praise God for what he has done in Anaheim for the 22nd year!

But this is not the end. In fact, for those who registered decisions for Christ, this is just the beginning. Please join us in praying for these who made commitments and recommitments, that they would “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

What’s next? September 10, 2011 is the Los Angeles Harvest at Dodger Stadium. Greg will once again bring a powerful gospel message to the people of the L.A. area. Joining Greg for this one-night event will be Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, Kirk Franklin, and the Katinas. Please be in prayer and extend an invitation to friends and family to join you at the L.A. Harvest!

Dragonfly - Suzannes Lampwork Beads

The Dragonfly encourages us to live by the motto,

"Let there be light."

Learning to use the light force and the life force will inspire your imagination and creativity. The beautiful jewel-like colors of the Dragonfly are a reminder that we too are beings of light and need to allow our own true colors to shine through.

Kerri Fuhr, master bead maker/teacher, makes the most awesome Dragonfly beads ever. She has a tutorial for sale on Etsy on her technique so I purchased. I've done nothing but make dragonflies over the last three days. Above you can see my progress (I hope). Still I'm not satisfied and I think it will take me another week to have something I can actually be proud of. I'll post my progress again at that time.

I must say I am thoroughly enjoying this endeavor. However, easy, is not exactly how I would describe the adventure. First of all, Kerri has been making beads for over 10 years. So my meezely little two years hardly makes a dent in the years of practice making perfect she already has in the oven. I can only hope to come up with a dragonfly that I can be proud of at my skill level. The blue one on the right is among the first attempts after the tutorial purchase. The one on the right - I might be getting someplace now. Keep tuned in - should be fun to see where I'm at by next week.  All I have to do is:

1.  Hold my tongue right
2.  Pat my stomach with my hand while I
3.  Rake through molten glass and
4.  Have it actually end up on the bead where I want it
5.  Hold my breath until the bead slides into the kiln
6.  Take it out of the kiln in the morning and not have a single crack in it

We'll see how it goes (chuckle)

xoxo hugs
Suzanne

Hob Nailin Around - Suzanne's Lampwork Beads

This set is turquoise transparent, ivory and black. It is not a matching set, but I just love the colors.

They can be paired as earrings or added to a bracelette, necklace or keyring, watch fob, and on an on.

They are available on Etsy.

Have a great day!

Suzanne

Silver Powder - Lampwork Glass Beads

These beads are made from Effetre Glass called Pajama Blue, Intense Black and Double Helix with a high silver content.

There are three matching lumpy swirl spacer beads two silver dot spacer beads and the focal bead with threads of the DH glass wrapped around it.

Enjoy in my Etsy Shop later today!

French Blue - Suzanne's Lampwork Glass Beads - SRA

About the beads:

57 French Blue graduated sized lampwork glass beads.

Size: Range from 8mm to one large 17mm bead in the center of the strand. See strand in picture as necklace on Etsy.

There is only one 17 mm bead. The others graduate in size up to the largest bead on both sides.

The beads are wound on 3/32" mandrels.

Will be in Etsy Shop this evening.

Enjoy and have fun.

Moon Beam - Handmade Lampwork Beads

I love how these beads shine like little moon beams. The color is another fabulous Double Helix "Aion". It would be just dreamy around the neck of a movie star with one of those flesh colored mermaid dresses - who is that movie star I'm trying to think of.

I broke one of them on the way from the bedroom (my photo studio) and the sun porch (my torch studio) so there are only five beads now. The picture is so wonderful I had to share it with you.

Notice please - my pics now have text in the bottom right hand corner. If I get any fancier I don't know what I'll do! These are already in my Etsy Shop.

Love you - Suzanne

Double Helix Head Pins - Handmade Lampwork Beads

This set of head pins is so rich in color they look to have come from another planet. Isn't glass wonderful?

The double helix in itself is overwhelmingly beautiful, but I've also dipped each head pin in Gaffer Blue Chalcedony and then topped them off with a crystal clear dollop drawn into a dew drop just for fun and magnification of the colors underneath.

It's no secret that I love Double Helix glass. It makes me fall in love all over again with why I work with glass every time I use it. Enjoy!

Set includes five headpins on a 3" wire. Plenty of room for earring wraps or inclusion in a necklace or any other piece of mixed media you happen to need them for. Have fun!

Summer in the City - Lampwork Beads - Set - SRA

These beads are "HOT". But just enough cool blue to allow them to be wearable. Very vivid in color and that spells "Party".

The focal is what I call my "Splat" bead. A smash of color, hair fine glass stringer work on both sides and a bubble dot in transparent medium blue on one side. So, you are really getting two, two, two focal beads in one. ;o) Different designs on opposite sides of the bead.

There are three tear drop beads for interest. It will be fun to see what you do with them!

Total Beads: 28
Focal: 1
Spacers: 20
Specialty: 7

All wound on a 3/32 mandrel.

**All are created in my home studio, kiln annealed for durability and meticulously cleaned before sending them to you.

Thank you for supporting an Indie Artist. Your purchase is gratefully appreciated.

Toasted Caramel - Lampwork Glass Bead - Set - SRA

Does this set of beads not look good enough to eat! I'm hungry just looking at it. It is another one of double helix's super colors. It has been wrapped in clear stringer for depth and to magnify the colors running through the bead and its matching spacer beads.

I'll be putting this set up on Etsy as soon as I'm finished adding it to my blog so my friends and family can see what I'm up to today.

I actually sold five strings of beads last night on my Etsy sight. That is definitely a milestone for me. I'm beginning to see how this little hobby of mine may some day grow up into a full fledged business. Well, enough dreaming for today. All I did was take a little advice from the man upstairs. Get back to the basics - spacers. I should listen more often.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. You are the best friends and family a gal could ever have. Geez I love you.

Hugs - Suzanne

Tiny Purple Flowers - Lampwork Glass Beads - Set

Tiny Purple Flowers is a set made of Creation Is Messy (CIM) glass called "Thai Orchid". I have to say I loved the name of the glass and that is why I purchased the rods. It wouldn't have mattered to me what the color turned out to be. Usually I have a hard time getting my purples purple in the photos, but this color seems to be remaining true on my monitor.

These little flowers are so fun to play with in any design. I hope you enjoy them!

I reached a milestone in bead sales in one day yesterday.  Three sets of beads sold yesterday from my Etsy Shop online.  Three sets in one day!!!  I have a grateful heart - it just feels so wonderful to be producing a product that others are enjoying enough to purchase.  It is a dream come true.

"I'm dancing"  Suzanne

Jupiter - Lampwork Glass Beads - Set - SRA

This color has a rich earthy flavor of pinks, oranges, yellows and golden casts. It is an Effetre Italian Glass "Jupiter" is its name.

There are two sizes in this strand of 16 beads. There are 10 smaller spacer beads and six larger beads.

The silver tag "passion" is included in the sale.

All wound on a 3/32 mandrel.

Enjoy!

Confession of a Bead Artist

Yesterday, I left the torch many times to put the beads up for the day, because I just couldn't find my Mojo. I was hearing this big voice in my head saying "spacer beads - go back to the beginning". Oh no, was I being summoned to begin again? Yes I was ! - my answer "No, No not spacer beads". I had this idea that to be a big time bead artist, I had to create these mammoth art pieces of glass that were beyond any ones wildest dreams. Well, maybe sometime in the future. But, reality struck and the reality of the matter is that my pieces lacked any real creativity on my part. I've done such a wonderful job of studying my favorite glass artist's pieces that my mind is full of their ideas and NOT my own. Danger, Danger. My favorite artists, Manuela, Melanie, Annestasia and many others had filled up all the space in my head and there was no more room for me - where were MY ideas?

I have to say, I did write to Manuela and told her I was copying her beads a while back. She very graciously wrote back and said "Take your time Suzanne". Your own ideas will come. I am forever grateful to her for that because I learned many techniques copying her beads. Melanie's as well, however, I wasn't as honest with Melanie or the others as I was with Manuela. I'm sure they would have told me the same thing Manuela did because they also are, by all accounts, free spirits and loved by all.

However, I've considered myself such a beginner that after two years of torching I had lost all confidence in coming up with my own ideas because there are so many talented bead makers out there - they are all better than me, and there will always be someone better than me. This was a crossroads for me in my bead making career. Was I to become, in my own mind, an apprentice once again beginning with SPACER BEADS. I made a decision at that point. YES, WAS MY ANSWER. YES. After all, am I making beads because I love it. Or, was I making beads to be better than anyone else? I had become what I never intended to become. A copier.

So, I am back at the beginning. I am going to make the best spacer beads I can make. They will be so easy for me that by the time I am able to make a bead that is actually my own idea, it will pass my biggest critics approval - that being ME.  I'll be pulling many stringers and making many twisties too.

So much for the haps and the mishaps in my bead making kingdom in my own mind for today. More than likely you will be seeing many, many spacer beads in the upcoming posts. Let's see where we go from here.

A funny thing happened when I came to that conclusion. I got really really full of joy and inspired. I learned that by being WILLING I have a new found love for bead making. I loved coming to the torch today knowing it is a spacer making day. One day at a time I believe to see improvements in my spacer beads as new ideas come whirling around in my brain as I wind that glass in my own way. I will continue making spacer beads until that happens. I may be here for a long long time. Who knows. Maybe I'm suppose to be the best spacer bead maker in the world. ;o)  Acceptance and Surrender.

Much love in following my posts. You are my biggest fans and I in sharing my heart with you I've found a new freedom.

Suzanne

Carribbean Cruse - Lampwork Glass Beads - SRA

I just love this little set of Mardi Graish beads. There are 20 free shaped spacer beads and four focal beads the little wrench spacers are purchased and also included.

The playful colors seem to dance to the beat of their own drum.

Each is wound on a 3/32 mandrel. They are strung on a hemp cord for easy undoing to place in your very own designs.

The opposite side of the focals is also decorated with hair fine stringers of glass as well.

Enjoy!

Singing - Lampwork Glass Beads - SRA

This nice little set is a string of three barrel beads and one large round bead encased in clear magnifying the design with three barrel spacer beads each in pea green, teal blue, purple and black. It reminds me of waves of music dancing in and throughout these beads in color.

All handmade by torch and immediately switched to a digitally controlled kiln for durability. Stringer work is done with hair fine pulled glass.

All wound on 3/32 mandrel.

Enjoy!

Sandy Shores - Lampwork Glass Beads

Sandy Shores is a double helix color I found in my glass stash and french blue Italian Effetre. I wish I knew the name of it to share with you. The french blue is a beautiful contrast with the layers of the dh glass.  The beads are encased in buttery clear glass for a 3D look.

These beads put me in a dreamy mood for the ocean beaches somewhere exotic far away from home. Or, just down the street to the Venice Beach Boardwalk right here in LA.

This set is wound on a 3/32 mandrel and can be found in my Etsy Shop this evening.

Enjoy!

Tribel Ocean - Lampwork Glass Beads

This is a lovely set of four focal and 13 spacer beads. I used intense blue transparent, pea green and silver plum of the finest Effetre Italian glass . You can see the rods of glass behind in some of the pictures.

The beautiful transparency of these beads is much prettier in person. As are all glass beads. You have to hold them to believe them.

All were created in my home studio, kiln annealed for durability and meticulously decorated on both sides with hand pulled hair fine stringers of glass.

Wound on 3/32 mandrels. Enjoy them on Etsy this evening.

Banana Split - Lampwork Glass Beads

MMM MMMM Yummy. This is a new color for me to play with. It's called "Yellow Banana". I mixed it with berries and - Ola - Banana Split !

So summery and cool. There are six focals and 15 spacer beads in this wonderfully delightful set. Birds and flowers, my handmade murrini's, free shaped and whimsical.

They are being shown on a black rubber cord as loose beads.  They will surely incorporate in alone or all together in a necklace, bracelet, or any design of your choosing.

I hope you enjoy them.

xoxo Suzanne