Last Day of September Give-A-Way

I will be pulling the name tomorrow - so get you r name (comment) onto the Give-A-Way thread

http://deborahreadcom.blogspot.ca/2013/08/september-2013-give-way.html

also a shortcut on the right side bar -  good luck -   wont be another give away till November !!!!

The Memory is going..... going.....gone - thank goodness for other artists

I cant tell you how many classes or techniques I've taken over the years and yet a simple  task such as making murrini  was a challenge  -  but thank goodness for the internet - to reboot the brain

I have my optic molds, mandrels etc..  but I wanted to make some really nice ones and murrini is not something I took to task in the past -or spent much time on so why would I not forget the basics -  but there are so many beautiflul beads using them

-  Donna Millard is one of my favourites -


 her colour combinations and the use of the murrini is so beautiful
Sometimes I feel colour chanllenged and I just visit her blog  and come out all happy and wanting to make beads  - visit her Etsy store for more of an  eyefull -   https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaMillard   she has a great eye for colour combos and her murrini is to die for  - of course the beads made with the murrini are fantastic and to die for too.   I may break down and go shopping tonight for some murrini and save myself the trouble

Updates and Reminder of the Give-A-Way

Dont forget to enter the free give-a-way for September

You could win - no charge - no shipping fees  one of my copper etched pendants (must leave comment on the give-a-way page )
There is a link  on the right side bar and one below

Up for grabs this month is an 18g copper etched approx 1-1/2" diameter with a glass dichroic engraved insert

Quick Link- come see what you could win

http://deborahreadcom.blogspot.ca/2013/08/september-2013-give-way.html

Contemplating starting a video series as well and will attach them to youtube and the blog video bar

Hope to do some more lampwork this weekend.

Will do up a seperate thread on the upcoming Creative Craft Festival  Classes I will be teaching 

(evidently 3 on the friday,  2 on the saturday and 1 on the sunday - whew thats a lot of classes) 

A Little Time in the Studio

Saturday was a full day of outside work getting ready for winter - closing the pool is an all day thing from 7am right to 6pm , cutting the lawn and moving things around  and a trip to the dump  was really pooped  but was able to eventually get up Sunday with some sore muscles and make my way to the studio and work on some things

Been trying to think of how to present the drop beads I made and came up with a wire cap and a jump ring to lock it on

I wound around the top and the end a long tail that I put in the torch and balled up the end 

Not sure yet if I like it so I did a few more to look at 

Need to stare at them some more 

I did get to play on the torch - still in an orange mood then onto bubble beads 

I am etching the orange beads  and need to make more bubble beads for a necklace 

The weather is cooling off so I should get some time in  before its "too cold" and I have to bring all the liquids down from the studio - two years ago I remember still being in the studio right up to mid December - I can only wish ......

Simple Soldering - by Kate Ferrant Richbourg - Digital Edition

I've soldered for quite a while and taken courses on soldering  even one from Rio Grande at various shows

I downloaded this book digitally from amazon (kindle edition) to my iPhone and went through it


What a marvelous book - a really detailed and informative  and well worth the charge both Digitally or hardcover.
I find that yes I took classes and yes I solder on and off - but over the years sometimes you forget some of the basics and a book like this one is great to have around  - I love having it digitally as I always have my phone with me .

Going to try out some of the projects and one is soldering ends on tube and I have lots of those to practice on and cant wait to play

Of course  its  close the pool weekend  and weed wack to clean up for winter (o it hurts to say that - especially whens its still 80-90 degrees out - but were in for a cold spell starting friday )
Have lots to do  so I'll have to fit things in for this weekend and I no longer take fridays off  so I only have two days to get it all done

A little kiln time

Working with some orange 

Havnt made a fat cat witch  in quite some time 

needed to etch a few of the  orange beads 

got the cat/witch assembled

in fact got the other 5 green cats assembled as well 

Got some copper with some PnP ready for etching 

and got some bails onto some dichro ready to be put onto cards 

have some sheets that need cutting

I'll hopefully get those done this week 

Fresh from the kiln

some assembly required

out of the kiln today    only another 10 to go and I can switch to monsters

Long Weekend Update

What a weekend -  Friday - went to mini golf and batting cages  with the grand kids and had a really good day out with them -   note to self -  after breaking a wrist  batting cages are not a wise decision -  didn't hurt it just could feel it more afterwards


Saturday - went to the Jays Game - but before we went took my oldest grand daughter to the CN tour  360  restaurant - we have been before but its always a very entertaining place -

Finally got into the studio on sunday and made up some beads  Nothing spectacular

5 fat cats 

assortment of spacer beads - 

have another 5 fat cats (3 with hats) and some larger beads for a necklace I want for myself