Jenni's beads: August 2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thank me - Thank YOU!

Hello dear friends,

Lori sent me (and close to 400 others I'm guessing) this cute card.
Looks like it's on again next year... yippee!

So Cute!

Sure will....Thanks Lori!

Now off to the studio before the hail hits!

Love to all,

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Hello dear friends

I had a play with some glass 'frit' the other day, so here are some of the beads that I made.
Frit.... for those who do not know, is small particles of glass that can be added to a bead.
It can be added as you are making the bead and either melted in fully or added to the top of the bead and left raised for texture.

To apply it, you can roll your warm glass in a little frit pile, either in a dish or a spoon or apply it directly from another rod of glass which has been dipped in frit and then applied in a "painterly" fashion.

It comes in MANY colours both plain and mixed and many different brands. It can be transparent, opaque or a combination of the two. It can be reactive to the glass base... and that is the fun part that I love.
As you can see, in all of these beads, I have melted the frit in fully.

Here are a few I made the other day. None of them are a total standout to me, but it was good getting back to working with glass....

This pile is a bit of a mixture. The sparkly one to the right of centre has had a dash of silver foil applied to the mix.

These beads all have an opaque, reactive frit called "Silver Lake" which is plain white in appearance and then turns this pretty blue colour when exposed to the heat of the torch flame.

I really love the look of layered transparent glass which has been combined with frit and finished by encasing with clear glass. However, it is a fine line between adding too much frit which can result in a rather "muddy" look. This long bead really is a case in point... it is the old story of less is often better! I am going to work on this a little more today! The gorgeous, deep pink glass behind the long bead is called "Rubino", a stunning glass made by Effetre.

So that's your lot for the day,

Cheers,

Post Script..... I have been told by a reader that Silver lake frit is no longer in production! What a shame!
I will have to eke out carefully the small amount I have left!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Thankyou and Welcome!

Hello dear friends,

I have been meaning to say this for a few weeks now...

sincerely,

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Love and beads.

Hello dear friends,

After some months, I finally sat down in my studio and had a play with some glass. I cannot say I made anything spectacular... but it was certainly good just to have a play... the way certain types of glass reacts to another has always been a wonderful mystery to me.. and probably the reason why I took up this fascinating craft in the first place. The beads are in the kiln at the moment, so if there is anything worth showing...... might show you tomorrow!

Today I am linking up to "I Heart Macro" over at Lori's place for those who love to take up close and macro photos.

We all need to give and receive it... it has been getting me through these last sad weeks.

Please head on over to Loris for a bit of Macro love. Click on the photo above and it will take you straight

there.

Until next time,

Sunday, August 12, 2012

I Heart Macro - Spring is just around the corner

Hello dear friends,

It is still officially Winter here in Melbourne.... however with only a little more than two weeks to the first day of Spring...dare I say the days seem already a little milder?! ( Touch wood!)

The garden, however is still looking fairly wintery, although the first early flowering bulbs and iris are here, so I do feel justified in thinking my favourite season is definitely on her way. Here are a few gifts in my Winter garden.

I love the delicacy and shape of the Pieris, a Winter lover. And look at that pretty touch of pink on the stem.

The Green Goddess lily flowers all year round.

The violets are there all year round too, but seem more prolific in the cooler months. I love their sweet pop of colour against their leaves.

But it's the buds on the plant behind these old pots that tells me.."Spring is coming!"

I have forgotten what this is called!! It has LONG upright spikes about a metre in length...this one will be purple. The bees go crazy for it! Can anyone remind me?

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.. I am still browsing through Bead Soup.

Today I am linking up to I Heart Macro for those who love to take close up and macro photos. Please head on over for a look or even join in the fun.

Cheers to all,

Saturday, August 11, 2012

6th Bead Soup Blog Party - 2nd Reveal

Hello dear friends,

Sorry for my absence... I have had a few tough weeks and have not been creating or even thinking about it too much.

My darling Dad left this earthly life on the 28th of July... I was close to him and am missing him so much.
I have found these last weeks to be so strange... some days it is just so hard to get going and do much of anything.
However, there has been Bead Soup to finish and family to tend... life does just continue on wether we feel
sad or not!

My partner in the Sixth Bead Soup, second reveal, is Tanya from Moobie Grace Designs and she sent me such a lovely and generous soup.
Here is the picture to refresh your memory..

I chose to use the purple polymer clay focal and it's accompanying beads. I was originally going to have a chain in the shape of the focal bead, but then had just too much on my plate to complete this. ( Motto... do not delay your work... something I always say to my girls!) So it had to be a simpler project for me this time. I might even change things around soon.. and finish the chain... will see how I go.
(I am also going to change the cream sari-silk to brown to match the line on the focal.... the cream looks a bit bright to my eye and possibly a bit too jarring.. but I didn't have the brown on hand)

I do so want to use the other gorgeous focal and beads ... I will be putting it together in the not too distant future... a "cuff" is definately calling to me!

"River Song"

Polymer focal and beads by Tanya, salwag beads, pearls, wooden sticks copper clasp and sari silk.

Up close with the yummy focal element.

I made a bracelet from my hand made copper "easy links,"some of my handmade copper beads and ball-ended hook and mixed in some more of the beads Tania sent, including purple ceramic discs, purple briolette- shaped beads and Tania's fabulous wire-wrapped element which I love.

When I first opened Tania's parcel and saw the purple polymer focal, a song popped in to my head which I had not thought about for eons!!

It was a lullaby which I used to sing to my girls when they were little and my Mother did to me. I always just called it the "The river song"...... I have no idea if this is it's real name. This is how it goes...

The river sang softly to the leaves on the trees

"I am waiting to take you on a journey with me."

So the leaves fell down gently on a bright Autumn day

and floated with the river very far, far away.

So, although the focal bead has little flowers and not leaves on it... I called my necklace "River Song"
The bracelet is yet to tell me it's name!

Please check out the other items that the other Sixth Bead Soup - reveal 2- participants have made.

Here is the list for a bit of wonderful browsing...

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Adlinah Kamsir, Dream Struck Designs

Adrienn Lukacs, Raszputyin Designs

Agata Grygiel, Cytherea Bijoux

Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade