Hot Summer Blog Deal!

Hi All,

I am running a special sale on my Etsy site exclusively for those people who view this blog.  This will be for a limited time.  Not sure how long I will keep it going, but it will last through the end of summer, at least.

Any item purchased in my store will reflect a 20% discount if you use this discount code in your checkout process: BLOGGER20

If you have admired a certain bead, bead set or finished product of mine, here is your chance to get one at a great discount.  I have Dragon Eye pendants online, Faerie Beads, hearts, implosions, bead sets - - a wide variety is available now.  I will also be posting many new items in the coming weeks so more is to come!
Jean's Beads on Etsy - - click this link!

What Inspires You?

So, what does inspire you to create?  I have been asked that question many times over the years, in many different ways.  "How do you come up with these ideas?", "Where did you learn how to make this?", and "How did you create something so unique?", are just some of the questions I have heard over the years.  Well as for learning and creating my own pieces, most come from working with the glass, learning how it flows, moves and melds, then experimenting with different ideas and techniques to get my final products. As for inspiration, that's a different story.

As many artists may tell you, whether they are painters, sculptures or little 'ole glass artists like me, that is a hard question to answer.  The best answer I can honestly come up with is "everywhere"!  I am so in love with the art of melting glass, that just about every day, I see something, think of something or hear something that inspires me to mentally transform an image into a glass bead or sculpture.  Of course, there are so many ideas bouncing around in my brain each day that most don't turn into an actual finished glass piece, but maybe one day,  given enough time. :0)

Many of my ideas come from, where else, my imagination.  I love fantasy and so I created my beautiful Faerie beads and my intense Dragon Eye pendants.  Both came from a visual picture in my mind in which I had also visualized the process of creating the pieces.  After drawings and then practice at the torch, they gradually took shape into the final pieces you can see today.

 Other beads I created "off the cuff" so-to-speak.  Just sitting at the torch one day, had an idea or image and took it from there.  Some of the beads I made were also ideas from friends, just suggesting an idea or asking if I ever created this or that.  I was glad for suggestions from friends because in many cases it pushed me into different directions of creativity and helped open the door to new techniques and skills.  For this I am very grateful, thanks friends!  One of these creations was the shark tooth bead (left) that came from a conversation with a past work-mate of mine.

Of course, nature is always a big inspiration. Trees, mountains, flowers, streams, oceans, sky, etc. All can be transformed into lovely art. I have created various beads with ocean themes, space/moon themes, desert landscapes, trees and mountain, flowers, etc. They are always a joy to make and each one I create has it's own, unique landscape, just like a precious painting. But in this case, it's a painting you can wear!




There are so many other inspirations out there, too.  Seeing a unique painting, the design of a fabric, a children's book, a stuffed animal, a movie scene or even a commercial - - any of these things can put ideas in my head of a new bead or glass art piece.  They come from everywhere and anywhere, at any time.  It is amazing to me still that glass seems to be a constant learning experience, bringing new challenges, new ideas and new techniques all the time.

Beautiful Beads

 

What does it take to make a beautiful bead?  My guess is that beauty is in
the eye of the beholder, kind of like love and relationships.  Some people
like certain colors, designs, shapes, etc.  Other people are attracted to
certain themes, like butterflies or flowers.

Like most artists I know, I started learning the glass trade by viewing other artist's works and trying to duplicate the style.  One style I really liked was flowers/floral beads.  I made them for a short time and was happy with my results.  I even came up with my own, unique florals called Halo Beads (at the right) which consisted of a long tapered cylinder with a "halo" of vines and flowers around the center.  Very pretty, I thought.

After a short while, I stopped making florals for a couple of reasons.  Number one, I moved onto experimenting with other techniques and
designs, and number two, it seemed like there were so many other artists out there making floral beads.

Not too long ago, a good friend of mine (you know who you are!), asked if I made floral beads.  It has been years since I made any florals besides my implosion pendants (at right), but decided it would be nice to go and revisit an old technique.

 I have decided that when I get back on the torch (when this Arizona
heat lets me) I will try my hand again at making florals.  I am still going to be making all my other signature beads - Dragon Eyes, other eye pendants, faerie beads, liquid swirls, butterflies etc., but it will be nice to see how I will do with the floral theme after so much time away.  I hope that I can come up with some really beautiful beads that someone out there will love.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

I have really been itching to get back to the torch, but with the recent heat here in AZ, it seems almost impossible!  It's has been over 110 degrees for over a week now and the forecast calls for 113 or so for at least the next few days.
I am not sure when the temperature will get back down to a tolerable level, but also hoping that our swamp cooler purchase in July will help out.  Isn't it convenient that we will be purchasing it right in the middle of monsoon season when it's likely not to help much at all?  (story of my life!)  I am just hoping for some low humidity days after bringing it home.
Stay cool!

A Lovely Bead for a Lovely Mom

    Happy Birthday to my Mom!  Her birthday is coming up soon and I hope she likes the present I will give her, a lovely Faerie bead in black, natural tones, silvered ivory and a little silver striking color for accent.
   I love the way this bead looks and I hope my Mom will love it, too!  I will definitely have to make more with these color combinations - - there is just so much going on in this bead!
   Now, I just have to string it all up for her (always the part I dread!).

First Day of Summer is Here

Hi All,

First day of summer has come.  I don't know if that means much to us folks here in AZ since it seems like summer has been down here for about a month now.  Been over 100 degrees the last couple weeks and it only seems to be getting worse.
On the home front, I really want to get back to the torch, but with this heat not sure if I will be on very often.  There are so many things I want to play around with and experiment with in glass and it doesn't seem like I am getting enough torch time.  I feel like I am falling behind.
I hope that getting a new window swamp cooler in July will help out, but being in the middle of monsoon season, I am worried it won't cool the area enough.  And that's a whole month away!
Only time will tell . . .

Been Working Tirelessly . . .

Howdy All,

I have been working a lot lately on the tutorial for an upcoming issue of a well-known glass magazine (name to be release later) and I haven't had the time to work on my Dad's special Father's Day bead.  I am hoping to finish up with this tut and get back to the torch.

I hope my tut is well received and that my pictures are decent enough.  My camera isn't the best so my pictures aren't crystal clear (it's also hard to take pics with a flame).  I think they look pretty good and hopefully the magazine designers will, too!

Best!
Jeannie