Lampwork Corsages - Elegant, Complex, Unique!

I've made the leap into complex creations, making lampwork corsages.  Each takes two or more days to make, and has dozens of pieces all forged together in the flame.  Each corsage is made on a long, curved bead that acts as a "twig" and echos our natural neckline.  I'm selling most of these as single beads (the buyer can decide if they want to string them on a simple cord or go for a bolder look with a gold or silver chain) but I've hand-crocheted wire necklaces for a few, too. 

Many cloth corsages are expensive, have a short life and limited fashion use. My glass corsages are cheaper than many handmade cloth corsages and, if you treat them well, will last forever and will look gorgeous and appropriate with almost anything you might wear (dislaimer - these probably would look pretty silly if worn with a wet suit or an animal costume).

From handcoloring and pulling canes for the vines, to sculpting the petals and flowers and putting them together, I LOVE doing this!!  It's all a little complex and nervewracking to construct the corsage but wonderfully satisfying to open my lampworking kiln at the end of the day to see the results.

My lampwork corsages are listed as individual beads on Stringything.

Lampwork corsages paired with my handmade wire necklaces are listed on JesterJewelry.

Did you know?
Borosilicate glass, aka boro, is familiar to  most of us as Pyrex.  It's the hardest glass available.  Art boro is colored with metals and minerals, and many of the colors have a rich dose of silver.  As we work it in the flame, the gas and O2 from our torch brings out different colors.  Results are always unpredictable, and that's all part of the fun! 

The photos:

• (Top of page) Clarisse, on a simple leather lace.
• (Below) Beatrice, from the front.  A leafy vine spirals around a golden twig, leading your eye to the flower.
• (Middle) Beatrice, from the back.  You can see the vine and twig much better in this view.
• (Bottom) Anastasia, from the front.  A gorgeous rose surrounded by a multitude of leaves.  No thorns on this corsage!  Anastasia's "twig" is violet and purple.

Like Mother, Like Son?

My son Nadav spent some time with me this week.  I'm delighted to show off his very first stained glass project, and to declare that he's gifted with tons of natural talent!  In fact, I've never seen such clean and well-finished foiling and soldering from anyone with so little experience.

We created the pattern together, based on his favorite electric guitar; he's a muscian (when he's not a Paratrooper), which influenced his choice of design.  The guitar stands upright, held very steady with two clear supports soldered to the back.

With his permission, I'll be offering a tutorial with this pattern and instructions sometime soon on my Glass & Light Etsy store.

NOOOOOO - not in the garbage!!

I've been so busy working on my book that I haven't been attending to my blog... but what sweet projects I've been doing.   I can't wait for the book to come out :-)

One of my favorite pastimes is making beads from recycled glass and, guess what?  We've got a studio project in the book to teach you just that!  (Don't want to wait for the book to come out in June 2011? You can buy my tutorial, From Bottle to Bead, in my bead store, Stringythingy.)

Bottle glass, for those of you who have never worked with it, or even thought about doing something except throwing your empties in the bin, comes in many, many colors.  Blues, khakis, greens, honey... I pick out the wine when we go shopping, and I choose it by the color of the bottle glass as much as by the other important things we all consider... taste, price, grape....  Just the other day I found a bottle that is so dark as to seem black.  At the moment it's still filled with wine (we're slooooow drinkers) but in a few weeks, I'll light up the torch and indulge!  It's time consuming to prepare, a bit tricky to introduce to the flame, and a joy to work with.

Many of my bottle beads (as I affectionately call them) are available in Stringythingy and you can make yourself a wonderful, eco-friendly necklace and celebrate the earth!  At the moment, I've got a bottle bead necklace listed in my jewelry store, Jester Jewelry, and hope to add more soon.

I've created a collage of recent creations... enjoy!

Do you make bottle beads?  Send me some photos and a bit about yourself and I'll be happy to feature you in my blog!

To Fair or Not to Fair? What a Question!

I know, of course, that there is no verb, "to fair."  (Sorry mom...)  But for us artists, to participate in fairs - or not, as may be - is a delicate question.  I'm writing this post, sadly, after deciding to give up fairs.  In a way, it breaks my heart to know that I just "faired" for the last time, even if it makes no financial sense to particiapte in them.

For all of those out there who don't sell at fairs, you might wonder, why do it, why not do it?  The good parts: you get to meet a lot of cool people and, in my case, you get to listen to a lot of fabulous, live folk music.  You get to sell stuff... which can be emotionally exhilerating as well as financially sustaining.  The dark clouds looming over this cheerful picture are that booths at a fair cost money, as does getting there, staying there, being away from your house and/or studio for a few days... it all adds up, often not as you'd like.  The "getting there" part can be complicated, depending on the distance you travel and how much stuff you take with you (shading, tables, products, packaging; it can be a circus).  You need, pretty much, a full day to pack and prepare, and a full day to unpack and unwind when it's over, so a 3 day - or 2.75 day fair, like Jacob's Ladder - takes 5 days of your life.

For some time now, most of my income has been from internet sales, and that's where I see my future as an artist.  For the past 3 years, I've only participated in the annual Jacob's Ladder, and have delighted in it.  However, even I can't justify attending a fair that takes my husband from work, takes up 8 collective days of 2 lives, and gives a profit of less than $50 per day... even if it's just once a year.  Sadly, it would have been more intellegent to spend those days hyping up my blogs and internet stores.  Fortuately, my husband and I both recognize that there are sometimes more important things than money - we genuinely had a great time, got to spend time with friends, and will return there as guests rather than vendors.  While I'll miss being there as an artist, not selling at Jacob's Ladder will free me up to do what I've always wanted to do at the JL Folk Music Festival - rest my feet in the Sea of Galilee after square dancing with David.  See you next year - just not behind a table!

Call for Entries – Call for Glass Artists!

The Glass Artist’s Studio Handbook

We are seeking submissions for possible publication in The Glass Artist’s Studio Handbook, an upcoming book that I’m writing for Quarry Books. Publication date: June 2011. Quarry Books is an imprint of Rockport Publishers, an international publisher of high-quality visual and idea books for design professionals and creative enthusiasts – crafters, artisans, designers and artists. (Check them out at http://www.quarrybooks.com/ .)



I would like to feature 15-20 independent glass art studios; our book will cover not only glass art techniques but also how to set up a studio, and I am particularly interested in studios where more than one glass art technique is practiced, but all interested artists and craftspeople who create original glass art are encouraged to apply! (Submission does not guarantee inclusion).

The Submission process will be in 3 steps:

1. Email me at studiohandbook@live.com  and attach up to 4 low resolution shots of your studio (jpgs, please, not more than 1MB each). Name each attachment with your full name and the numbers 1-4. In the body of your email, please include your name, contact email, website URL (if you have one) and the street address of your studio, plus a description of your studio, what kind of glass art you create and some of your studio’s unique features. If you have any recommendations (based on your personal experience) for glass crafters who are setting up a new studio, please include them. (If selected, your description might be edited for clarity and/or length.) Descriptions should be no longer than ½ page and in English. High quality photography is essential. Deadline – May 5, 2010.

2. If your email submission is provisionally accepted, I will provide you with instructions on how to upload high resolution photos of your studio, up to three photos of your original work and a Grant of Rights form which will give the publisher permission to print your images and description if you are selected for inclusion in The Glass Artist’s Studio Handbook. The second round of submissions will be reviewed by the editors of Quarry Books.

3. 15-20 studios will be selected for inclusion. If selected, you might be asked to provide additional information. Published contributors will be credited in the book and will receive a complimentary copy of The Glass Artist’s Studio Handbook.

I look forward to hearing from you -

ACCEPTANCE BEGINS IMMEDIATELY: early submissions are encouraged!

Magical Boro - Back at the Torch!

Welcome to Glass & Light. If we haven't met before, you can visit my "other blog" (see link on the right) for a more personal view into my soul.

To celebrate the New Year, I picked up some of my precious boro and rushed to the torch to create a series of Galaxy and Nebulae beads - all swirls of delicious colors.

Some of them have very large holes - for what's called Pandora or Troll chains, or even to string onto your dreadlocks and braids.  (Yes, I occasionally adorn myself with beads :-).  All can be found in my Etsy store, Stringythingy.

What else is new for 2010?  I've upgraded my tutorial, From Bottle to Bead, for easier reading and printing, plus an interactive gallery that you can flip through.  And I've started a newsletter.  If you've ever purchased something from me you'll find yourself on it eventually (with the option to opt out) but if you are not a client and would like to recieve my Glass & Light Newsletter, feel free to sign up with the simple form at the lower right hand of this page - my newsletters will include photos, new designs and opportunities to see and purchase my work at a discount before it goes generally online.  I'm aiming to send out a newsletter once ever two or three months, so you needn't fear that I'll be drowning you in emails.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2010!