tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51977046925744905502012-01-08T20:49:28.747-08:00Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-41445036020849980282009-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:002009-05-21T22:54:47.764-07:00

Tap. Tap. Tap.Is this thing on?Testing. Testing.Remind me to dip some mandrels tomorrow. I'm ready to get back to work!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-78800051361240890432008-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:002008-02-02T10:50:00.788-08:00

Thank you to those of you who come back and check for updates. It's been cold here, and we've been sick on and off so I haven't gotten out to my workbench in the garage to make more beads since the last pictures I posted. Things are warming up, and if I can get to feeling better I'll get busy again.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-15107441759498561202008-01-11T14:51:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:17.543-08:00

Sorry, I promised pictures of what I was making this week, and then I got sidetracked. Here's this week's worth of beads:Not much there, I'm afraid. Today would have been a perfect day to get out in my garage and work because it's nice and warm, but I'm still in sidetracked mode!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-69073328390379133832008-01-07T13:54:00.000-08:002008-01-07T14:00:41.690-08:00

It's strange how sometimes I have to force myself to do things I actually love doing. I finally got myself out to the garage to make more beads today. There was snow on the ground, so I layered up and got to work.I only got about seven beads made before my fingers, toes, and ears were numb, but it felt good to get back to it.Pictures coming in a couple of days.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-37620046613498231132007-12-28T12:34:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:17.715-08:00

Today's topic on Flaming Hot! is Out with the Old, In with the New, and we've been asked to share our grand plans for the New Year.I plan to build an inventory of beads to sell. (Oh, I'm having a major case of Déjà vu!) I'll start by listing them in the shop on my website and then I'll start listing auctions on eBay or I may check out Etsy.I'd also like to take a class or two for new inspiration

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-48211317209640104042007-12-28T12:04:00.000-08:002007-12-28T12:32:34.979-08:00

Hey, you can make really pretty jewelry too! I thought I'd list a few resources I have found helpful while learning new techniques for stringing and wire wrapping.The very first book I read about wire wrapping was All Wired Up: Wire Techniques for the Beadworker and Jewelry Maker by Mark Lareau. Mark and Vicki Lareau own a local bead store called The Bead Factory where they offer awesome

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-15130746707404328032007-12-25T23:41:00.000-08:002007-12-27T08:57:33.829-08:00

Hey, maybe I'll try one of these soon. Stay tuned. I have a feeling I'll have some material for a new installment of Beads Gone Bad when I do.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-82599153507507888972007-12-20T21:44:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:18.577-08:00

I hope you had a blessed Christmas filled with peace, hope, and joy!Now that Christmas day has arrived it's safe to post pictures of a few pieces I made for gifts this year. I wish I would have had the time to make something for everyone on my list.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-22166699424679362342007-12-20T19:04:00.001-08:002007-12-20T19:06:54.451-08:00

The Beading Gem's Journal has become a place where I regularly browse for design inspiration, and now one of my pieces is being featured there. Go check it out!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-24722414551163863082007-12-15T09:33:00.001-08:002008-12-09T00:09:18.679-08:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I have nothing to post.I hadn't planned to take the month of December off, but it seems that's what I've done. Between family birthdays, a new birth in the family (my niece), and Christmas festivities and preparations I haven't found the time to make new beads. Besides, it's been cold, and it's hard to get excited about freezing my butt off in the garage.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-25499222627574768192007-11-28T11:17:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:18.940-08:00

Although I haven't officially opened up my shop for business I've been making a few sales. Here's a bracelet for a four year old little girl that goes out in the mail tomorrow.I hope she loves it!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-77093281194686574352007-11-21T12:00:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:19.088-08:00

The electrician has come and gone. I paid $250 to teach the electrician that a melting outlet can indeed smell "fishy". He had never encountered such a thing, but now he has something new for which he can look or sniff when troubleshooting. I think he should have paid me for the education, but I'm just happy the problem is fixed and didn't require tearing up any walls. In fact, I am truly

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-81309867070940657652007-11-19T10:45:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:19.756-08:00

Between the holiday crunch I'm feeling (already!) and life's little challenges (I have to call an electrician today because I'm pretty sure we have wires melting in our wall. Ack!) I've been getting a few beads and pieces of jewelry made. I've had a few commissions for pieces come in all at once, and that's exciting, but now I really need to get to work. Here are a couple of sets I've made

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-79780850379046808442007-11-16T17:52:00.000-08:002007-11-22T09:36:10.609-08:00

Inadequate.Today's "Blog It!" topic at Flaming Hot! is, "My Studio Is,..." and that's the first thing that popped into my head. I make do with my little corner of the garage and still have fun, but there are a lot of improvements I'd like to make. I don't really have an adequate ventilation system. I work next to the garage door with the door open and a fan blowing on the other side of me.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-9453446417724309852007-11-15T10:44:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:19.853-08:00

I wouldn't normally put these colors together in a piece of jewelry; I prefer pinks, purples and blues or basic black and white, but now that I have I like it.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-35903201605782797132007-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:20.600-08:00

A.K.A. FUGLY BEADSBad beads bad beads, watcha gonna do.....whatcha gonna do when they come for you... (Theme song by Tam)Making beads sometimes requires experimentation, and well, sometimes experiments go horribly wrong. I'm going to share some of those bad experiments with you, lest you think every bead that comes out of my kiln is a work of art. This bead is definitely over baked. The color

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-75275270232251428262007-11-12T18:37:00.000-08:002007-11-12T18:46:26.916-08:00

I love seeing what jewelry designers do with the beads they buy from me. It is such a pleasure to see something I created become part of a beautiful piece of jewelry. I found a picture of a bracelet on the internet today that was made using beads that were purchased from me over two years ago. Check out the 9/29/07 update at Kewee Bead and Jewelry Company. What a gorgeous bracelet! (Not

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-18553165838121629512007-11-10T16:09:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:20.852-08:00

It's a bit rustic looking, but then isn't that the way you'd expect a wooden treasure box that's been buried to look?We're having a slumber party here for my (now) nine year old girly girl, who happens to also like pirates, and this cake is my latest artistic endeavor. (Thanks for the help, Mom!)

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-30772386244384709842007-11-08T16:52:00.000-08:002007-11-08T17:06:04.799-08:00

Today I was wondering, not for the first time, just what my neighbors think of me out in my garage playing at my torch. When I make beads I take my MP3 player and headphones out to the garage with me. I can't even imagine making beads without my music. In fact, today, I spent ten minutes looking for my MP3 player before I could go out and turn on my torch.So, there I sit, with my torch, which

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-61056743373800466892007-11-04T15:49:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:09:20.993-08:00

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-86066419859115109782007-11-02T13:36:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:21.718-08:00

There is one thing about making beads that I do not enjoy, the chores. There is just no escaping chores no matter what one does in life, is there? I'm practically allergic to chores of all kinds, I don't know why, and bead chores are no exception.Still, I do them because, like anything else, to get to the good stuff they have to be done.Here are a few of my bead chores:Mixing the bead release

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-18538690310982568102007-11-01T13:21:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:21.888-08:00

After posting a picture of the baby bracelet I made for my niece last week, a friend of mine emailed me and said, "I want one," so I invited her over to make her own.This is my sneaky way of creating another beading addict. I guess that makes me a bead pusher. Changing the world, one bead at a time. Here's a picture of my friend (Er, well, her hand, that is.) holding her creation. See? I told

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-91045713263949928282007-10-30T11:13:00.000-07:002007-10-30T11:23:59.083-07:00

I have no new pictures to share, I spent my torch day in bed. I could post pictures of what happens to a house when Mom is sick, but let's be honest, no one really wants to see that, do they? I know I wish I hadn't.I was tempted to go make a few beads yesterday because I have a few ideas for more bracelets I want to make floating around in my head, but somehow the combination of sneezing,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-68667483796246276032007-10-27T17:23:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:22.138-08:00

The creative process is different for everyone, I suppose. For me, a little chaos in the beginning often gets the ball rolling when I'm making jewelry. Would you like to see my jewelry creation station?Actually, I'm not alone. I've seen much worse. Some of the beads on my bead board have been there for years, but when I sit down to create a piece it helps me to have lots of shapes and colors

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-86465472018816051762007-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:22.570-08:00

As promised, I'm posting the dotty fruits of my labor yesterday. I still need work on the dots so I think I'll do some more on my next torch day. Oh, and see that swirly bead in the center? That was a dotty bead gone bad. So, no mistakes only a new opportunity, right?

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-89885342977887627602007-10-25T14:56:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:22.823-08:00

My torch session was short today because I have sick kids, but I made a few dotty beads. I'll show you a picture of them after they come out of the kiln tomorrow. After making beads I came in and put together a baby bracelet. My niece is having a little girl and is due next month, so I wanted to give her baby this bracelet.It's teeny tiny, which doesn't come across in the enlarged photo. When

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-65407634094855086102007-10-24T14:44:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:23.153-08:00

I found a tub that will work better for taking bead photos. Now the trick will be finding the proper lighting. So far I've discovered the best lighting is natural sunlight, but that can be hard to come by this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday was gorgeous. It was 70 degrees out there and not a cloud in the sky.I do think I captured this bead at the wrong time of day for the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-15294176131837436292007-10-23T12:58:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:23.492-08:00

I went out and bought a fancy new photography setup so I can take nice pictures of my beads because I threw out my old photo setup in a decluttering frenzy. The photos are important as I plan at some point to sell my beads online again.Would you like to see this fancy setup?It's not going to work, though. Silly me. I bought the wrong kind of bowl and it casts shadows all over the beads when I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-82569857707801335562007-10-19T10:23:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:23.727-08:00

Monday and Thursday are the two days I've designated as Torch Day. I marked it on my calendar, and I'll not be making appointments, lunch dates, or any other plans for those days.I did get on the torch yesterday, but not for hours like I had planned. The wind was howling so badly yesterday that by the time I had finished my first bead making session my garage was filled with leaves. I had to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-61372739857162910592007-10-16T09:52:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:23.995-08:00

Finding the time to do something I really love to do amidst daily obligations is a real challenge. I need to make time for all the priorities in my life: God, family, friends, fitness, and then I need to make time for the obligations that I'd love to forget about. I mean, someone's gotta do the laundry and grocery shopping, right?All I can do is try to balance all of those things, and if I find

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-25456516778346125672007-10-11T15:58:00.000-07:002007-10-12T13:11:49.495-07:00

So, how did I get interested in lampworking, you ask? What's that? You didn't ask? That's okay, I'm happy to tell you anyhow.Several years ago I saw Deanna Griffin Dove demonstrating her lampworking on the Lynette Jennings show. Until then it had never even occurred to me that people actually made glass beads. I guess I just thought they were made in factories with fancy equipment, or maybe

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-39443583861591561882007-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:002007-10-10T15:31:05.412-07:00

For those of you who have never seen a glass bead being made I thought I'd post a quick video. A search for "lampwork" over at youtube.com brings up several more.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-49524253611441443342007-10-09T23:57:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:09:24.138-08:00

The garage cleaning went better than I expected. It turns out I was able to stack stuff in his part of the garage (effectively making his garage cleaning job more difficult, I'm afraid) leaving enough space for me to clean up my workspace. I just have to wheel the lawnmower outside when I decide to work. Small sacrifice.Anyway, while I was cleaning I found a handful of beads I had made a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-82316015757633023022007-10-09T10:49:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:09:24.324-08:00

I'm off to go clean my garage. I'll be working on my workspace this week in between shuttling kids to doctor appointments and art classes, in between birthday celebrations, (We have TWO this week.) and in between other mom duties.I took a picture of my neglected workspace to give you an idea of what I'll be doing this week. It's kind of sad. That shirt hanging on my workbench has been there

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-72954706791232491902007-10-08T09:07:00.000-07:002007-10-10T00:26:08.390-07:00

So, while I've been away from my torch I've been blogging. No, not here, two posts would make me a pretty pathetic blogger, but over at my personal blog I have over 500 posts logged. I retired that blog because I wanted to get back to doing some of the other things I love, not the least of which is melting glass. Now I find that while I've been away from the world of bead making, bead makers

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5197704692574490550.post-26524294857986171712007-10-07T18:41:00.000-07:002007-10-10T00:26:22.221-07:00

I'm working on getting my bead business going again. Right now I'm working on getting a website up and running. Next on my "to do" list is getting my corner of the garage, "my studio," cleaned out. Then I need to clean up my workspace, clean my torch, purge my gas tank and get it refilled. I'll be ready to start making beads again, FINALLY!Eventually I want to build a shed in the backyard and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03058477338395836750noreply@blogger.com1