match.com.....really???

This is a second marriage for both Bill and I and I think we got it right this time.  It's actually a 3rd for me, but the first one was just as a young 19 year old and it lasted less than a year soooo....technically it does count, but I was a REALLY YOUNG RISK TAKER back then!  What's great about our marriage is everything that we have in common.  One of the things that I loved about his personality was his love of all things artistic.  Meeting someone like him was a little more thought out this time....not a random meeting in the produce dept. at the grocery store (I hear that's how it happens sometimes to people that aren't me), but a planned meeting through match.com.  For all you single people out there who would like to have someone in your life, I would highly recommend it.  What I also recommend is that you do your homework on the topic prior to jumping into it.  Okay, there's a few true confessions.  I was really just going to mention the woodfiring, but sometimes my fingers type into another direction.  I'm a risk taker, so ....Why Not?....just go with it?  It takes less thinking that way!! 

I guess I'm not as much of a risk taker when it comes to firing a kiln.  Bill is.  There have been many trials and tribulations that revolve around that too.  I'm hoping that tomorrow, all of that experience (10 firings) gives him the results that he wants. He made the beads in the picture, I'm getting them glazed so that he can do all the grunt work to get the kiln ready.....He likes that kinda thing...wood, cutting, splitting, chopping, etc.  I like to plunk my butt down and know that the biggest pain in the butt will be getting those little guys to make "happy" with the bead wire that they are going get into the HEAT with!  So there you have it ....a match made on the internet over 5 years ago and a woodfiring from our country home tomorrow!  I think we have a good thing going!

testing~tap~tap~tap~testing: BEADS-OF-CLAY!!! BEADS-OF-CLAY!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for some giveaways from the same artists that have made these designs...... A chance to receive 3 packages with items from 3 artists  in about 3 weeks.....

Hey~That has a little ring to it and I didn't even plan it that way!  Here's a sample of what's to come.....RUSH ON OVER to Beads-Of-Clay and start following TODAY!!!!! 

Haven't seen enough?  Check 'em out:  Natalie, Mary and Me :O)

HERE YE HERE YE.....

or is that Hear Ye? Hear Ye?  Did you know that means...."Listen to HIM, Listen to HIM.."  Well today, April 16th 2010, I'm tweaking that old expression...."Listen to HER, Listen to HER!" 

....Actually, speaking of then and now....BEADS OF CLAY has a then and now a "NOW!"  Keep watching the clay blog....new news, new give aways, new etsy shop.....NEW NEW NEW coming soon!!!  There's a certain ring to that word "NEW," isn't there?  Don't miss your chance to follow now so you don't miss out on the action!  

Who wouldn't want a chance to win a little part of the earth?  Just take a gander at what can happen when you dig deep through this.... 

And end up with something like this........?  Wonderfully amazing!!!

Toggle pendant by Mary Harding

With all that said...go forth and...

FOLLOW YE FOLLOW YE!! 

I'M IN THE DOGHOUSE!....again

With this firing, that is......The white shepard was a custom order.  The only thing that I wasn't happy about was that the white glaze was a little more dominant than I had expected.  That's the kind of thing with clay that you have no control over once the decision to turn that kiln on is made.  I thought I knew that glaze and I guess the glaze really had the last say!!   Crooked ear shepard was for a necklace that I made for my good friend Pam!  Don't forget to head over the Bill's April 3rd Post to win a free mug.  He's drawing a name for that tomorrow!

Man....I Feel Like a Woman...

with this new firing!!!  Doesn't take much! Thank-you Shania :O)  I don't usually make this many multiples, but I really like this new glaze combo I've discovered in one of my experiments.....The "teenie" beads (5-6 mm) are not my favorite thing to make......They are always dropping and rolling across the floor...Ughhh!!  I've gotta chase 'em down.. only make them if someone requests or, in this case, if I want them!!

5 out of the 6 strings I will be sending to Juls from Julsbeads.  I first wanted necklaces for my sons since she makes some really cool "manly" necklaces and then I thought...."Can't just give them to them....I have a daughter too!"  and....my sons have wives....so, you have probably figured out where this is going..  The littlest ones are for the girls (well...women ;o) and the larger gray and earthy ones are for my sons.  I hope that the small aren't too small and the big aren't too big...I think an artist as talented as she will make it work...after all...She said she would :O)  GO JULS!!  The greens are a custom order for a new customer.  I think she will be surprised since I told her up to 2 weeks and it's only been 2 days...(happened to have more smalls than I needed).  Oh, and one more thing....these links...the "spring colors" is a custom order, but as with most custom orders, I try to make a few other similiar items while I'm in that zone.....New idea for a link!!

The winner of my bead give away will be announced later on today....Stay tuned :O)  Look at that....they MULTIPLIED in the kiln.....How'd that happen?

This Week Pre-Listing Look.....

I'm trying to use the colors from this year's Pantone Color Chart, but also keep them in my own earthy style.  I've also tried out some bezel designs.  I think I may keep one of them to try my skill at using my granddaughter's pictures and a little ice resin on top.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  Please feel free to convo me on Etsy if you see anything that you would like to reserve.

Give Me an Idea or Two....

Kelli is one of my buyers whose style just meshes with mine.  I like to make rustic beads and she's incredibly talented at using them in her own unique designs.  She has taken many classes in metal smithing as, I'm sure, you can see is evident in her work.  Stop by my website (artisanbeadsplus.com) soon for some more examples of her work.....Did I mention that her work is sold in museums and gift shops in and around her area of Clarksville, IN and that she specializes in custom work?  Her prices are very reasonable.  Drop her a line if you are interested in that unique piece that has been customized just for you (McPeanuts@aol.com).

A New Baby and My latest Firing..

Here's what just came out of the kiln.....One was my little doll kiln and the other straight from her Mommy's kiln ;o) It's so exciting when I come home from work and open the lid......What's even more exciting is our latest addition, Chloe Vaughn......Our new granddaughter weighed 7.0 lbs. even.....Now we have two little ones to spoil and hopefully, encourage to be bead or jewelry makers one day!!!

The Results Are In...

Although, the picture really doesn't do these any justice, what I mostly experience are many little lovely's, in many different shapes and sizes. I like to make small sets of a variety of shapes and colors. The beads that are the most time consuming are when I use mulitple glazes. Trying to figure out what might look good together and not clash can sometimes be a challenge. I love challenges so I'm also loving making these little works of art.

The Good, The Bead and The Ugly

Well....what can I say. While starting out 2010 I'm going to refrain from creating anymore beads as shown in the pics. You might ask, "What the @#$%! happened?" The sad truth is: My bead wire sculpture was created during my first experience with stoneware. Prior to that I only worked with low fire clays. I was using my cute, little personal kiln to make beads for my jewelry. Well....inexperienced and dependant on a defective pyrometer, the temperature never did reach 2250 degrees.....so I thought! I finally gave up at midnight, shut the kiln off, woke up to see my new beads and cried! There you have it.....I would say that I definitely learned the hard way. I was determined to overcome this and not give up! I have :O)

My mistakes since then have been minor. I occasionally apply too much glaze around the bead hole which results in the little bead flowers that you see. Bill was given the lovely little vase by Jack Troy during a workshop in Syracuse. The only way to remove these beads is with a hammer which I haven't been able to do just yet. It always seems like to much work to just take a hammer to!

Hot Hot Hot

This is my little electric kiln. The other pic is an inside shot of Bill's woodfire kiln. Those were the turquoise beads that were grabbed shortly after listing them on Etsy. They were very cool. I have pics listed in an earlier post. Hopefully, we'll have another bead woodfiring in about a month or so.

For right now though I'm excited to see what this bead firing brings. I'm passing the time away before I can take them out. I'm usually happy.....

My Life Outside of Teaching and Bead Making

Here's a picture of our beautiful granddaughter Lacey. Last weekend she spotted the 2 mounted fish in the laundry room. This fit right in with her current obsession with Nemo. She was estatic!! Her eyes got wide and she exclaimed with shear excitement, "Nonnie, it's NEMO!" She is absolutely precious.

I thought I'd also throw in my latest version of ceramic coin beads. I like the way these came out so I think I'll make some more :O)

They're Glazed....

Here's a few pics of what it looks like once my beads are glazed and then put in the kiln. In this firing, I've added a couple of name signs that my nieces glazed when they were here this weekend. It's Thanksgiving and I'm passing the time away before we go out to eat. Tomorrow I should hopefully, be able to post how exciting it is to open the kiln. I LOVE it!!!