Last Day to Participate in May Give-A-Way

Dont miss out  on the May-Give-A-way - its the last day

will be pulling a name tomorrow morning

short cut to thread (also one on right side bar)  where  all you do is make a comment and your in the running for a free gift.

This month

copper etched with zentangle dichro center pendant 

More details on Give-A-Way page


Finally figured out a decent slide show for my blog - just had to find the right Flickr codes

http://www.flickrslideshow.com/    and it will use ALL your pics you have on flickr

Turtle Season - more baby turtles

More Turtle hatchlings  last night  - three and one close to having some purple

The purplish one is a bit larger 

compared to the large turtle 

"bale" of baby turtles

only 45 more to go on babies 

Baby Turtles

Had time to make a couple of baby turtles last night - was on my mind to make smaller ones so I gave it a try
Not sure - they could be small pendants or earrings

You can see how small they are to the regular large turtle

and what size they are in my hand 

Last week for May Give-A-Way

Remember to visit the May - Give - Way thread and leave a comment and you could win

shortcut on side bar to the right 

Just one Turtle for last night

Cut the lawn - fixed last piece of the pool and decided to torch -

got one lonely turtle done -

but my "bale" of turtles is growing

I'll make till I have about 50 in stock  for my show 

Widgetbox.com is closed - wonder why

I used them for my Gallery and I just noticed it not working  so its not running right now- wonder if its just temporary  - will have to find something else to display my pictures - so off to find one

showing my Flikr slide show on the side for now

suggested replacement is due within the week   http://simplewidget.com/
it will replace Widgetbox   but alos checking out a few others

Perfectly Twisted - wire wrap tutorials

If your interested in the new wire wrapping techniques -  PERFECTLY TWISTED  has a great tutorial

This link is to Part 1 of a step by step tutorial for the above wire wrapped pendant - its amazing of Susan  to share such great information - then just scroll up and you will get to part 2-  She also has other free tutorials on her site -   and other tutorials on her Perfectly Twisted  Etsy shop where you can see and purchase her beautiful  pieces - I adore her wire wraps and her Tree's of life

I am definitely going to try this on the weekend - Thank you   Perfectly Twisted

Working in the Studio - Finally

The weather is warmer - the studio has warmed up and its great to be back playing
Putzing around - sorting things out, moving things around and sitting for a while at the torch  while I clean up the farm
 On Sunday  did a couple of turtles and some hearts - I think I'm getting the hearts and the turtles finally
These are all boro glass and done on a Nortel Minor with two oxy concentrators - so those out there that think you cant do boro - this shows you that you can make rather large pendants  using hard glass

Then on Monday  did some more turtles and a heart 

Update

I want to thank everyone for the their wonderful comments on the Bead Soup

Dont forget about the give-a-way - see side bar for  short cut link

what the soup has done for me :

1. Motivate to get moving on new items and thinking about new designs
2. pushed my following up to 152   -  my goal was to have about 150 by end of June so I am ahead now to set my year end goal to be at least 160
3. going from blog to blog has really opened my eyes to how people are working lately in regards to designs and types of materials -  absolutely nothing is left out of this soup - every type of material is used to create and I mean CREATE !  the most amazing pieces -  You think from the last soup that there just cant be any new designs out there or combos of materials - but the soup proves that thinking wrong.

I haven't even made it a 1/4 through as I am spending quality time on each blog - not just checking out the soup but the other items in their blog as I find them fascinating and motivating

I actually torched last night - a few hearts  as I only had a boro kiln up at the studio - have to bring up my regular kiln

I've cleaned the sink, hooked up the water, cleaned the fridge, filled with pop and water, new big bottle water  done, cleaned arond and brought a lot of stuff back up to the studio.  Have some ideas for some new etched pieces   and overall its a nice spring and the weather is changing for the better.  so need to get working.

8th Annual Bead Soup - Reveal !!!!!

I am posting before the midnight reveal time - I have to assemble all my stuff for my demos tomorrow , wash clothes, do litter, garbage and have a bath - so I dont want to forget -  So here it is !!!  The Reveal !!!

I want to thank Jo-Ann Woolverton for the wonderful soup that she sent to me -
www.itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.ca
 I loved the colors as soon as I opened the bag and within a couple of days had the components all made and it was just assembly I had to do- which of course I procrastinated  until 2 weeks ago

so from this beautiful Soup


to this

to see how I made the copper piece go to the end of the thread 

Assembly was a bit tough - but thankfully I was able to work in the studio so I could use the torch to torch wire ends which was the plan all along 

so 

I spread everything out 

wired up some dangles 

then I took them apart and did torched wire ends rather than wound ends 

then sealed my copper etched piece and let dry 

set out to see next step 

with the dangle attached I worked on the necklace attachment 

attached 

assembled the beautiful blue glass 

and finally the center piece 

then I did the last add on for the toggle for size 

All in all a very fun Bead Soup

I really need to take better pictures 

A lot of people are asking how I made the copper piece to sett my necklace 

if you click here  it will take you to what I did step by step 

Copper Etched base 

Toronto Flameworking Technologies Ltd.- Grand opening -

May - Give-A-Way is here

MAY GIVE-A-WAY IS NOW CLOSED

THE WINNER IS :  BEADHEN   -

Yes I braved the rain and cold and visited the studio and picked out something for this months give-a-way

Here it is -  an etched and dapped copper zentangle pendant with a dichroic glass center

Its approximately 1-3/4" in diameter -  I etched using the staz-on-stamp and using my zentangle rubber stamps for the design I etched it in ferric chloride , cleaned and then cut a center circle and then dapped the circle to give it some depth.  I soldered a back to hold the dichroic glass which I set with clear resin . and the copper is sealed with a clear resin.

Rules

Same rules as before -  just make a comment here on this thread and I will pull a name at random on the 1st of June

No cost to you and I ship anywhere in the world

You dont have to be a follower - but still looking to round up my followers this year to 150  

almost there 

Hopefully as the weather gets better I"ll have some step by steps posted  and of course there is the Bead soup coming up in May 

June  - I'll probably do another give a way 

As always I typically do not repsond to the comments so I can make sure that I dont mix any up or leave anyone out so I thank you in advice for participating 

O YES THERE WILL BE A GIVE - A - WAY THIS MONTH

Yes there will be one - and I will post by tomorrow - so it could be tonight but at least by tomorrow night

so come on back and join in the blog

Unfortunately the 8th Bead Soup Reveal has been pushed out a week to May 10  - mine is all done  and glad it is - I had all the layout done within two days,  the extra piece I made was done and then I let it sit till last Sunday when I finally put it together - had to pull apart a few times as I was not happy with some of the wire work  - but its funky and unusual - sort of reminds me of an Egyptian necklace  - but you will have to wait one more week to see it .