Getting ready for Bead & Button

The heat is on as the song goes... the torch has been humming and I'm trying to sort, price and organize my trays.  I will fret over this until the car is loaded.  In the great scheme of life, it's really not a biggie but always seems to be at the time.

Chef Pierre's sous chef will be at the show as well as a full company of 'accouterments'.  Doing this grouping has been a lot of fun I only worry no one else will get as much of a kick from them as I did making them!

But I have been doing something more sublime as well - I guess to counter the ridiculous, "Chef Pierre Monkee".

Here a a couple of simple tab sets that I enjoyed doing.  Love playing with frit.  For non-glass workers, frit is crushed or even ground color glass that is added to a piece to give it color and texture. It can be used as a background or simply on it's own.

Blue Hawaii

Hawaiian Sunset

Nothing fancy, but I like the colors and textures... I can see them in bracelets for sun wear...

So incase I don't get back to the blog, if you're there, come meet me at Bead &Button in Milwaukee next week, booth 1018, it's the Glass Act booth but we're listed as 'SE MI Glass Beadmakers Guild'.

Monkey Business

 Behind on the blog again and Etsy of course. But here's something I haven't done in awhile - a monkey.

Introducing, Chef Pierre. He's wearing his chef toque, white smock with black trim and buttons, black pants and white gym shoes.  (I should add a red dot to signify Converse shoes in honor of my son-in-law the chef. No Chef Pierre is not model after him). He's about 3 inches tall from his shoes to his toque, not counting the copper wire work.

And since he's a chef, he needs 'accouterments' - french for 'stuff'. (Ah, all those years of studying french in school are paying off!!!).

I had been making veggie beads but the chef needs more stuff so here it is!
Have to confess, am loving the french bread and since this picture, my wine bottles have improved in their shape.

Chef Pierre and his accoutrements will be appearing on Etsy soon.  Aurevoir for now...

Show updates

Time will get away from me, the garden has been calling...

But a little business to address, new shows.  I've made a couple of small changes to the blog lay-out and now you can find show info more easily.

Now for a sunny day to take some new pictures of actual work!!!

Spring has sprung!!!

I guess it's really here.  After so many gray skies, rain, drizzle and fog (I am so grateful no tornados) we have had two days of sun and relative warmth in a row! Hooray!

I really have been making beads - lots of experimenting with CIM colors - which I would buy and not use for some weird reason. But it takes time to take pictures of beads and jewelry, so instead, here are some pics of flowers in the yard.

The daffs and Charlie Brown (my dwarf weeping cherry) are part of my "Mom garden", in honor of Chuck's mom, Helen, and my mom, Eva. Charlie Brown was so small when I got it, maybe 18 inches 10 years ago, but he's at least 3 foot now.  The magnolia is a slipper magnolia I believe.

Off to work in the garden for awhile - beads are a-commin'!

Spring is Here?

I guess I was premature on my comment. Yesterday we got snow, about 3 inches.  The weatherman can say 1 1/2 but in my yard - 3 inches.  The good thing is that by noon, most of it was gone.  I would rather have the snow than an ice storm.

The flowers will be fine... they are pretty in the snow.  Need to adjust the contrast on the one pic. I can't help but wonder why it is that the preview, everything lines up so nice but when it appears on the web, so much for formatting...

Now here is a new piece that was inspired by spring - OK, the hope of spring...

Spring is here

I guess it's safe to say that spring is here.  I tend to be doubtful about these things as some of the worst weather I can recall has happened in April.  We may get snow storms but I really hate ice storms.  They take down power lines, tree limbs and branches and of course driving is awful.

Here are some pictures that make me feel that there is real hope for the spring...

 

Spring is Really Here!

The angle of the sun has change, the crocuses are up, snow drops and of course the weeds, well maybe they were there all a long.

In honor of spring, I have added a few more of our spring buddies - Lady Bugs...

 They're in my Etsy Store... and available as pairs if you like.  Great for earrings.