Thursday, March 28, 2013

Another Stormy Day - Testing More Storming Glass

Just a bit of a log update for me and some eye candy for you.  I hope you enjoy my glass storming experiments as much as I do! I think some of the reactions are very cool!
Top bead: PL base, Dk Ivory and Triton, Stormed Oxalis (needs more storming than OR,) SC.
Second bead: Black base, Dk Ivory and Gaia, Stormed Oxalis (needs more storming than I used,) SC.
Bottom bead: AWESOME - but you can't see it well in this photo.  Black base, Dk Ivory and Triton, Stormed Elektra, SC.


This green bead is a total experiment - no plans to use this bead for a finished piece of jewelry so no critiques on this bead for those purposes.  It's a mess I know.  But I learn a lot from this kind of mess!
Pale Aqua Base encased with Gaia - reduced and encased w/ Zepher, stripe of stormed OR covered with clear - melted down about 1/2 way, put in some other reactive stuff just to see what happened and all encased.


This bead has some interesting effects going on - look like lizard eyes to me.  I'll have to remember how I did this when I move on to making animals with detailed eyes!!!!!
Black base, Dk Ivory (stringer and it seemed to suck in the layers above and below it,) Triton on outer dots, Hades on center dots, Stormed Notos (needs way more storming than I used here,) SC.


I got some nice sparkles on this bead but not really any storming.  I think Gaia needs heavy storming.
Black base, Ivory and Triton, Stormed Gaia (needs more storming,) Aether.


This next bead I really like.  It's the perfect size for a European charm bracelet or would look nice on one of my Change A Bead necklaces!
PL base, Ivory and Triton, center dots - stormed Gaia (plenty of storming showed up this time with the Gaia!!!!) one side has Stormed Oxalis and the other side has Stormed Notos, Zepher, accent dots of reduced Aurae.

I had high hopes for this combination but I learned that Stormed Elektra looks better over Triton than it does PL.
Black base, Dk. Ivory and PL, Stormed Elektra, Aether. how to how to how to hoeosieltingleist litheonr gltiht

This bead was another disappointment for me but I have a feeling my sister will love this bead.  She always likes my failure beads and she always makes them look good with what she does with them too!  So this one is for you Scotty. 
 I used PL in the bead I made right before this one and while I was working it though the paces I was getting some really nice blues and purples (for the first time I was getting PL to do what it was supposed to do) so I was excited to try it again only leaving it as the color layer instead of a base layer for something else.  But my luck did not last and it doesn't have much color or color variation at all.
Black base, Dk. Ivory and PL, SC on center dots, Aether on one side and Zepher on other side.


After that last disappointment I changed the type of bead I was making - I needed a break from storming and that darn PL glass!!!  This bead was a doozie to photograph and I really wanted the golden colors to show along with all the variations of purple and blues.  I captured the colors well but did not do the gold tones justice at all.
Clear base, Triton rolled in Val Cox Cashmere White Frit - raked and manipulated a bit, reduced at the very end.  Love this bead!!!


I can't decide if I like this next bead or not.  Sometimes I think it's great and others times I can only see that 50's turquoise color that my mom had in the kitchen of the home I grew up in - I loved that home and liked the kitchen just fine back then but I'm not a fan of that color these days.
Multi-color over clear base, Iris Blue Frit (no particular brand - just some I had in a jar,) and some of the Val Cox Cashmere White Frit - raked and manipulated, lightly reduced in small areas.


Now this bead is a winner for sure!  I LOVE it!  Might keep this one for myself as a present from the Easter Bunny.
Front Side
Back Side
CIM Canyon de Chelly http://www.creationismessy.com/color.aspx?id=6 base, foil burnished and burned off, dots and wraps of dark and regular multi-color, squished flat.  Now if I can only reproduce this the next time I'm at the torch!!!


These last two beads are made with Reichenbach Pink Lady.  I am still not able to make a perfect hollow bead every time yet, so I try to practice them each time I make beads.  The Pink Lady makes a very lovely color for a hollow bead!!!

The last bead has Boreas stringer work for decoration.  I really have been loving the new DH glass!  Boreas, Notos, and Oxalis are all very pretty on their own or used as accent work.

I just accomplished my goal for the day!  I edited all my photos up to date for blogging and got one new blog post written!  I still have two more batches of photos to blog about but they are not on my goal list today.  For now, I'm heading to the torch as I have lots of ideas in my head that are busting to get out before Easter weekend activities start.

Thanks for reading my bead blog and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend and/or spring break - ya'll travel safe this weekend!!!!
Chris

Contact me: chrissandersonbeads@gmail.com - to make an appointment to see my beads and jewelry at my home studio.
Follow my life of Lampworking: http://beadsbychrissanderson.blogspot.com
Purchase my beads and Jewelry: http://www.artfire.com/users/BeadsByChris
Finished Jewelry sold on site at:  
1. Mermaid's Bite 472 5th Ave. South, Naples, FL 34102
2. Will be returning this spring to SALVATORE CAPELLI SALON at their ***new location*** 4105 Chapel Drive in the Levis Commons open air mall in Perrysburg
Loose beads (sets and focals) sold on site at:
1. The Bead Boutique 2015 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912
Just for fun: Facebook: Glass Lampwork beads and Jewelry by Chris Sanderson (Remember to click on the "like" button for updates)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glass-Lampwork-beads-and-Jewelry-by-Chris-Sanderson/175334185825493

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Video - Me Making A Simple Masked Bead

Some of my family and friends have seen me working at the torch and understand what I actually do.  Others ask to come watch but we never seem to find a time that will work for both of us.  And then there are people who take a long time to understand that I actually do make the beads and not just put jewelry together.  So I thought I would share this video here with you on my blog.

Many of you know that I have had the wonderful opportunity to have my work in an awesome gallery on 5th Ave. in Naples, FL called The Mermaid's Bite.  They asked me to put together a short video for them to play on their gallery monitor so customers can understand what it is I actually do.  So I wrangled my hubby and together we made this video.  He did most of the hard work - all I had to do was do what I love to do - make a simple masked patterned bead. A big thank you to Tom for taking the time to shoot the video, edited it, put it on youtube and other related work!!!  Thank you thank you thank you!!!!  Tom has been my biggest supporter of this love I have for glass bead making and I am lucky to have him!

Okay enough of the mushy stuff.  Here is the video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JINMarC_nps

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Catching Up - European Charm Style Beads

I can't believe I didn't get these posted on my blog - way back in September but it seems as though I got distracted yet again.  Usually around Christmas time I start getting requests for this style of bead - large hole to fit European Style Charm Bracelets.  I haven't really enjoyed making the large hole beads in the past but most of these were quite fun actually.  It still amazes me how much time it takes to make these little beads.
Thanks for reading my blog - for the second time in one day!!!
Chris

Contact me: chrissandersonbeads@gmail.com - to make an appointment to see my beads and jewelry at my home studio.
Follow my life of Lampworking: http://beadsbychrissanderson.blogspot.com
Purchase my beads and Jewelry: http://www.artfire.com/users/BeadsByChris
Finished Jewelry sold on site at:  
1. Mermaid's Bite 472 5th Ave. South, Naples, FL 34102
2. Will be returning this spring to SALVATORE CAPELLI SALON 114 W. South Boundary Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 - In the Country Charm Shoppes.
Loose beads (sets and focals) sold on site at:
1. The Bead Boutique 2015 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912
Just for fun: Facebook: Glass Lampwork beads and Jewelry by Chris Sanderson (Remember to click on the "like" button for updates)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glass-Lampwork-beads-and-Jewelry-by-Chris-Sanderson/175334185825493

Catching Up With Beads From January

Will I ever be caught up on my blog?!?!?!?  I seem to find things that I thought I had posted and then figure out that I missed a few.  So here are some that I just found.

These first beads are all experiments with frit.  I don't seem to be the best frit bead maker but I do like some of the results.
I found some photos of some pendants that I'm pretty sure I haven't shared on my blog yet.
These next two photographs are of handmade scarf pins and rings.  I hire another jewelry maker, Donna Zalar, to make these.  We pick out some of my lampwork beads together that we feel with make nice rings/pins and then Donna makes whatever style of wire creation she thinks will fit each bead.
We make rings in both sterling silver and base metal.  These are sized and not adjustable.
I have more photos ready to edit and get posted on my blog in the near future!  I hate saying that I"ll be back soon because it always seems like I never get that ("soon") accomplished.

Thanks for reading my blog! 
Chris

Contact me: chrissandersonbeads@gmail.com - to make an appointment to see my beads and jewelry at my home studio.
Follow my life of Lampworking: http://beadsbychrissanderson.blogspot.com
Purchase my beads and Jewelry: http://www.artfire.com/users/BeadsByChris
Finished Jewelry sold on site at:  
1. Mermaid's Bite 472 5th Ave. South, Naples, FL 34102
2. Will be returning this spring to SALVATORE CAPELLI SALON 114 W. South Boundary Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 - In the Country Charm Shoppes.
Loose beads (sets and focals) sold on site at:
1. The Bead Boutique 2015 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912
Just for fun: Facebook: Glass Lampwork beads and Jewelry by Chris Sanderson (Remember to click on the "like" button for updates)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glass-Lampwork-beads-and-Jewelry-by-Chris-Sanderson/175334185825493