Time Flies!

Hello!

I can't believe its been so long since I updated!

I have been very busy at the torch and creating jewelry. I had several special orders I had to get out and then the flower beads I had made needed to be used.
There was a bead show 2 weeks ago and the BG's were there! Beads galore - what fun!

Here are some of the blooms I had made now ready for sale:










The pink and brown neckalce is absolutely yummy! I was really pleased with how it turned out! The turquoise flower dangle has a real southwest flair and was fun to make.

Well I am ooff to get back out to my studion and make more jewelry. I have 2 shows coming upp and hope to have planty of inventory.

I hope you are well, thanks for stopping by and remember - Keep Looking Up!

Moving Right Along!

Good Afternoon!

Well as with the changes and the seasons things just keep moving along. As I get one project done, another emerges.....YEA! More glass to melt! ;)

First off the proposal anklet along with a requested pair of earrings to match are on their way home. Here they are and remember pics are clickable now too ;)




I have new pendants coming out!
There are only a few I have ready for show but here is a peek:










Two of the pendants are made with a glass called Terra and its beautiful! I never know what colors I will get from it but they range from blues to greens, fuschia pink and purple. This glass also has a lustre and sheen to it I can't capture with the camera as much as I try to.

Here are some upcomgin blooms that haven't been baked yet ~ more Terra ~ Love that glass!






Well the B G's got together again this weekend! FUN, fun, fun!
Melting and chatting....methinks more chatting than melting but who cares, we were chatting about glass! lol

I am back to the studio.....another Lapis Flower necklace is being created, its gonna look cool with jeans and I am adding a bit of CZ sparkle to it too.
A little Bling is always good ;)

Hope all is well in your world and remember ~
Keep Looking UP!

Changes!

Hello!

Well only 4 days later and I am back!

This past week has shown me changes in several ways.
As with the changing of the seasons there are changes in life as well.

The first happy change I can reveal now is that the gentleman who contacted me for a piece to propose with, came by today with his now finace'!

My last update was a sneak peek, remember?

It was very exciting to sneak him the box with her pretty in it and then I had to conceal my joy and wait to see if he would indeed propose to her here. He did!
As she and I visited, she is a sweetie, and we passed the time talking as the guys took care of their business and then "the opportunity".
DH needed a phone number and as we headed to the house to get he number.....they went out in my studio.
It was an perfect opportunity for him to have a private moment with her and he took it and as he put the anklet on her popped the question! She said YES!
So now I can say congratulations to them and we wish them every happiness and reveal her finished anklet!

Here is her finished anklet and you can click to get a larger image:





I will need to make a few changes to it and she also wanted a pair of earrings to match so I will be once again at the torch (yea!) and get her pieces done because all us girls know how fun it is to be able to wear our presents so I have to get them back to her ASAP!!

The other change is hurricane Dean approaching the gulfcoast.
Storms are a part of life for so many along the coast and a definite concern for all.
I will be watching where Dean goes and its always hard for me since there is no good place for me to wish it to, it will affect many no matter where it goes.

Please keep all who are in Dean's path in your thoughts and prayers.
I surely will as I continue to Look Up!

Swinging Summer!

Hello!

Whoa! Its been 4-ever since I updated! I am have a million things going on ~ all good ~ but busy as a beaver! I kept thinking I HAD to get here and update but then then night would come and I would think the usual "tomorrow" and on and on.

Summer is here and in full swing! HOT!HOT!HOT! We are expecting rain in a day ot two so that will be good. We actually have grass! lol I know its not a big thing to most people but when you see everything turn brown and crispy due to the lack of rain... well its nice to see green this year and all the little animals have plenty to eat.
Last night I tried to get a pic of the baby skunk that has been visiting every night, he digs up and eats bugs. Grub worms I think, not sure but he is SO cute with his big, fluffy tail! If you are wondering has he sprayed? Nope - not yet and lets hope he doesn't! lol

I had the neatest thing happen!
As I mentioned in an earlier post I had sold a necklace all the way from California. The sale was generated by the way of a forum my DH visits. Well, another gentleman emailed me and asked for a piece of mine and he was going to use it to propose!
So I have been diligently at the torch creating a pretty set for him! That is about all I can say since she may have access to my blog and I would never want to give the surprise away!

Here is what he specifically asked for. I made several focals for him to choose from and the heart focal was just a "wonder if I can do it"! It came out great!
Hand shaped - thankyouverymuch! ;) I am SO happy with the way they turned out.
Somebody likes green! lol After everything is said and done, I'll post the pics...

Also NEW FRit Alert!!!
The second pic is of a new frit blend I got called GreenWood! I LOVE it!
After a session at the torch to see how it would look I happened upon some beads that match perfectly. Also there is a new Pumpkin color I will be adding to the set and some transparent amber as well. I'll get a finished pic of that set up soon.








I am trying to use clickable thumbnails this time to see if they will save space.
I am hoping to be able to use larger pics so we will see how it works out.

Well I am off and back to the torch!

I hope you are having a great summer..school is just around the corner ya know and it is going to be strange for me not to have to do the usual pre school prep stuff, and a relief too....DS is now looking into the Air Force...and still growing up!

Stay tuned and keep Looking UP!

Summer Fun!

Hello!

Well summer is officially here! Since the rains have gone its heating up and feeling like summer. EEP! Its okay though, I have good ole AC in my shop so time at the torch is cool and add some great music and it makes for a great time for the girls ;)

Yesterday 2 torch buddies came and we played all day. Did more talking than melting but it was a blast. We are "The Bead Girls" AKA: BG, BGtoo, and BG3 ~respectively~. We share frit (glass bits), new colored rods, tools and anything else one of us has discovered in the world of glass. FUN!FUN!FUN!

OKay, Camo here (my newest design) just came up for sale and another one very similar to it recently found a home in California. She ships off in a day or so, I hope her new owner is pleased. Camo is one of my favorites and I have one of mine own quite similar. I always change something about each piece I make so as to keep the One Of A Kind (OOAK) style intact.

This one includes Tiger Eye, Black Onyx and some pretty beads I found called Snakeskin Jasper along with my Camo patterned beads and all SS components.
I have never seen anyone else make this type of bead. Original Indeed! HA! LOL

Keep watching, I am currently trying to get my picture taking skills and editing perfected. Its harder than it looks I promise! I have more sets I will be showing in the next day or so. The orders are coming in quite nicely ~ thank you ~ so I am busy as a beaver with all the glass projects! Thank You :)

I hope all is well with you, stay tuned and remember to keep Looking Up!
Dona

Rays Of Hope in Stormy Weather

Good morning!

It has been a while since my last update.

The stormy weather is back in more ways than one but there are rays of happy sunshine in my midst as well. We have had a lot of company come in town for summer visits so my beading time has been very limited. While it is always fun and entertaining to see old friends, I have moments of yearning for the torch but that makes it all the more special when I finally DO get to sit down and melt some glass!

As with the storms moving in the last few days, I got another call yesterday that hurt my heart. Yet another dear friend who is in the midst of a serious illness. It pains my heart so to see so many friends going through the trials if an illness and I always feel completely helpless in what I can really DO for them other than Look Up and while that is mighty powerful as a human I feel the need to DO more. So I melt and Look Up hoping there will be an idea of what I can do to help make things better for those who are going through so much. Many beads have been born from my thoughts wandering to those I love and care about.

I did finish the Coffee & Cream set and I really like how it turned out. I should have used a darker background but the rock matched the set perfectly and I was out of time since the sun was going down.

It is currently for sale in my shop and I will miss it when it sells.
The Golden Shadow Swarovski crystals, Eggshell Charlotte and Mother of Pearl beads really set the colors of my glass beads off. The sparkles are always hard to catch but it does sparkle!

Well thats all for now as I head back to the torch.
I wish you peace, love and health!

Keep Looking Up!

Its Raining Projects!

Good Afternoon!

Well Father's Day was fun. Good food and good company made for a nice afternoon.

I have been working on several projects that had taken the back burner due to the benefit. I have been making great progress.
These two beadies found homes recently.


And this bead is going to be the center of an upcoming creation. The colors remind me of light carmel and cream. I came across some other beads that match perfectly so this will be a fun project because I get to just create as I go!


Its raining again and the flowers are still blooming away ~ I love it. We are out of the draught we went through last year and its such a blessing.

I have more projects to get to so I will say goodbye for now and head out to my studio.

I wish you many blessings and Keep looking UP!

Creativity & Comfort Bring Showers

Good Morning!

The showers are back and just in time. The rain always brings me comfort.

Yesterday I was able to get out in my studio again and I made this for my SIL.
She had ordered it a while back and I just never could get it to come together
until yesterday.



The pic just doesn't do it justice since I could not get the true sparkle of the crystals to show. I am very pleased with it! She had picked my handmade glass
beads and the Swarovski crystls and I added the Bali Silver beads as well.

I have several other ordere I hope to get done in the next few days. Now that
the benefit is over I have time to get back to melting glass!

I have taken a bit of a new direction making butterflies since DS's graduation.
I'll have pics soon of my cute little new creations.

The rain is here for a couple of days and I love it!
I wish you rain or shine whichever you prefer.

Until next time ~ keep looking UP!

Benefits Of The Flame!

Hello!

I finally made it back and I am happy to say the benefit I helped to produce was a HUGE success! The turn out was more than we anticipated but the food held out, the kids had fun and all enjoyed the bands that donated their time and awesome music.
We raised what is being called a record breaking amount of money for the family! What a blessing that is!!

I did manage to find time to create a set to wear from the beads I had made.
In my haste I made a mistake but I wore it anyway and it was a hit!
Here is the set. A necklace, a bracelet and an anklet.



The weather is beautiful, the river is ready for the tubers and it looks like I might be able to get back to my beloved torch soon. I have some new, yummy colors that are tempting me back to make more beadies!

I hope you have had many blessings and they continue to rain down for you.

Until next time!

Keep Looking UP!

Freshly Baked Beads!

Good Morning!

What a beauty of a day it is!
We had a mean storn blow through last night ~ more rain for the flowers!

Saturday I was at the torch all day and finished my set for the upcoming beneift.
I annealed them in my kiln yesterday and I could not wait to open it up this morning to see how they had turned out.
Here they are:

I am very pleased with them!
The top 2 tiny polka dotted ones will be earrings, the small center set a bracelet and the large set a necklace.

A thought occurred to me - if someone wants them they will come off and I'll let them go - but it better be for a lots of money - its for a great cause anyway!

Well I have lots to do today so I had better get going.

I hope you have a great day and keep looking UP!

Sunshine & Flames

Good Morning!!

Looks to be a beauty of a day!

I did get to the torch yesterday with new glass colors that arrived!
I was blessed with a new yellow that happened to be the PERFECT color for the Live Strong necklace I want to make for the upcoming benefit! The color name? Sunshine!
Take a look at what I have made so far with Sunshine and black:


I will head back out to the torch shortly to add to my set but so far I am very pleased, and they are small! lol The smallest beads are about 5mm and that is small for me. Guess it will be a petite sized necklace - sometimes the smallest things make the biggest statement eh? ;)

Off to the torch and sending you wishes for a glorious day!

Keep looking UP!

Things Are Heating UP!

Hello!

It seems the showers have subsided for a bit which brings out the sun in all its glory...and heat! Now I'll have to take over and make sure the flowers are watered! Here is a pic a friend asked me about, its a Thistle bloom and they are really pretty although considered a weed.

A really lovely shade of lavendar, and they are tall plants too.

I'll be heading out to my shop today. I ordered new glass and its here! I hope to make a set of beads to wear for an upcoming benefit I am helping with for a dear friend who was diagnosed with Leukemia. If you are in the Texas area, comment/email me for details. It will be held June the 9th and it is a family event...and its gonna be BIG! ALL proceeds will go to to help with medical bills for his family. They are all a wonderful family and we were blessed to meet them when we moved here.

So off to the torch and remember to keep looking for your gifts!

Wishes to you for an awesome day!

Till next time ~ keep looking UP!

The Sun is Shining!

Hello!

Hope you have had a great day!
The flowers are watered and the sun has been up all day, such a beautiful day it was

This beauty has been here for several days and I had to capture it.


I did get to melt some glass before DS's graduation and I made this butterfly to match my dress.
I decided to keep it plain since the dress had butterflies all over it. Simple and stunning, well I thought it was.



I am off to get back to melting for a bit before the sun goes down.

I wish you a peaceful evening, keep looking for your gifts.

Till next time ~ keep looking UP!~

Continued Showers Bring Gifts!

Hi There!

A few days have passed since I was able to visit and update.

The rains continue here and as I look back at the past few days I realize as the showers feed the flowers so do the gifts I have received feed my soul.

I was gifted with a wonderful surprise by a dear friend who appeared at my door the day of my DS's graduation from out of town. I do believe I looked like a child filled with glee as I ran to greet her when I realized who it was out in the yard. What a gift that was! :)

DS's graduation was spectacular. He looked so handsome and walked so proud and although I had previously thought I would not cry, as I watched him walk out on the floor I did shed a tear at the thought of him finally coming into his own and how proud I am of the young man he has become. When the ceremony was over we all came back to our house for refreshments with the grandparents and we all had a good visit. This occasion was another milestone in his life and mine as well, another season has passed; another gift.

Spending the Holiday visiting on the porch with my dear friend was a gift.
Catching up on all life's triumphs and challenges was refreshing and while relaxing we shared memories and had a few good laughs as well.

While we were visiting I happened to notice another gift I was given.
I had seen the coccoon on my "welcome" flag and thought it was lost due to the rain.
Not so, as I looked up I saw I had been blessed with a sight most never get to see.



She was beautiful! I raced for the camera and disturbed her as little as possible. I really wanted this pic and she finally povided me the opportunity by crawling up by her coccoon ~ another gift ;)
Later that night the rains poured down and the next morning I feared she had been washed away, but she was still there hanging on a leaf. The sun rose and as soon as her wings dried out she flew away, headed up into the sky.

Thats a recap of my wonderful gifted weekend - I hope it was the same for you.

Always look for the gifts, for some may pass you by if you aren't looking.
I wish you many gifts and thanks for reading.

Until next time ~ keep looking up ~

Watering the Flowers

Back today watching it rain, I so love it when it rains - its very relaxing to me.

I hope to get out and melt some glass today. I have a set of beads in mind I want to make to wear with my dress for my son's graduation tomorrow. Its been a week and I am SO ready to melt somethng! I fear withdrawls will come on soon if I don't! ;)

Tomorrow is an exciting day for us all and I also have lotsa goodies ready to surprise my DS with when we get home ~ that should be fun! ~

See ya soon and always look up!

Up in flames!

Well after some help I am here!
Many thanks to Lavendar and Annie!

I have a long way to go in learning the web thing but its great to be this far along!

I am a self taught lampworker and hope to share my creations here as I grow and learn in the wonderful world of glass.

Stay tuned for more! :)