Finding My Voice

I'm in for a challenge!  I have joined a group run by artist Sylvie Lansdowne called 'Finding Your Voice As A Glass Bead Maker, and today is the first day of my little groups assignments!

Just to make things interesting I'm going to have to switch back to my hothead until my new oxycon arrives, but hopefully I'll have that in time for assignment two or three.

This group is meant to help stretch our imaginations and beadmaking styles with positive feedback from the other members.  I know a couple of people in my group but am also excited to meet some new glassy folks!

My assignment, should I choose to accept (Hah! not much choice there, I committed!)

Assignment #1 This picture

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My first bead will be based on this image, and use only the colours in the swatches.  I have to use all three colours but can use them in any amounts.  I have until Sunday to make one bead, and one bead only - take a picture and post to the group.  Failure to do so will immediately result in my self destruction!   This is going to be interesting!

Immediately it seems to me that this should be an off mandrel creation, BUT I'm hopeless at loops so I'm going to have to think very seriously before I attempt something like that.  Today will be my thinking day, oooh and idea just came to me!  "Please Miss!!  Can I use clear as well"?

Marcy Lamberson's blog today was talking about Typealyzer, it's an online thing that analyses your blog and tells you what kind of person you are and what parts of your brain you are using when you write.  I couldn't resist giving it a go - here is what it said about me - funnily enough it was almost the duplicate of Marcy's!

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

- I don't see myself as a bar floozy, but the rest is pretty accurate!

The Brain Part -


I'm not sure what this means exactly, but like Marcy, I wish there was more of an imaginative slant to it. Oh well, we can't be all things at 6am in the morning can we?

I'm going to sneak off now and analyze husband David's - I'm curious to see what lurks in his brain....

Well isn't he the 'Artist' of course!

I decided to do some more checking and took another test at Bloginality.com this one came out a bit different and said I was -

An ISFP, you are Intraverted, Sensing, Feeling , Perceiving.
This makes your primary focus on Introverted Feeling with Extraverted Sensing.

This is defined as a SP personality, which is part of Carl Jung's Artisans (Sensation Seeking) type, and more specifically the Composers or Artist

Because you are in touch with the inner-artist, you see things heavily in relationship to your feelings and their beauty. You may not be as likely to have a public site, because you feel better sharing with only those who are closest with you.

I think this is closer as I'd definitely consider myself an introvert NOT an extrovert.  -- What are  YOU?

A BIG list of things to make

The Ottawa Glass Bead Artists show is now LESS than two weeks away.  I have a HUGE list of things I need to achieve, I don't know why I put things off.  Display?  Yeah... I'll get to it....  Now I really do have to get to it.  It's funny sometimes I work best under a deadline, some of my more creative ideas come to me at the last minute, which is not always a good thing because I seldom have what I need on hand to pull them off!



Sooo, I have to get with the display, I have some ideas, unfortunately they involve sawing wood which I neither have the tools or the expertise for, but I'll work on that.

Aside from a display I need to make more beads.  Monkees in Space are getting lots of wonderful comments, as are my regular Monkees so I want to try and get a bit of stock up there.  I have an idea for making cake testers too, which I think will be a popular gift item (unfortunately these involve sawing too!).  Oh, lets just go with the list -

1. Space Monkees


2. Monkees


3. Beads for Meghann to turn into a collaborative piece


4. Matching pairs for earrings


5. Cake testers


6. Display


7. A combination technique bead to show Marcy for her blog.


8. Other things for show - postcards - price tags - etc.

I think that will keep me busy today!

Oh and one more, but it might have to wait, I want to try a copy of a sugar skull bead - again Marcy posted an image on her blog and I'd love to try a copy of this skull!

Inspiration from other Glass Artists

One thing I have found since I started this wonderful journey in glass, is how generous other Artists are with their inspiration and guidance. I do believe this is how Art can truly flourish.

For example, this morning I've been doing my usual rounds of blogs and forums and have been particularly inspired by two things.

Samma's Vessel

Samma has shared a tutorial on her beautiful blown glass vessels over at Beaders Showcase.  This reminded me of a wonderful blown Pod bead that she created, and got me thinking I'd like to have a go at blowing some glass.  I loved the organic shape of her Pod, but also am intrigued with blown vessels I've seen that have holes blown out of them, leaving the inner cavity wide open to the imagination!

And then I visited Studio Marcy's Blog, where Marcy has created a bead based on a work of Art.  Instead of playing it safe with something relatively simple she's really stretched herself and put a very complicated image into a bead.

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Marcy's inspiration and bead!

Making Monkees can get repetitive, and it's starting to feel safe and comfortable, these two Artists have given me food for thought this morning as well as planting seeds of inspiration for ways in which I can stretch myself in my beadmaking endeavours!

Thank you Samma and Marcy!

On a less thrilling note our weather forecasters are saying that we are about to get hit with our first Winter Storm of the season.  WHAT!!??  It's still October and they are predicting as much as 30cms in some areas!  I don't like Winter at the best of times, and this evening is supposed to be our last bead meeting before the show in November, I'm beginning to feel as though Fate is conspiring to keep me away from these meetings.  Hopefully it will get rescheduled.

Best Pet of The Year!!

Thanks to Marcy Lamberson of Studio Marcy for pointing out this exciting opportunity for my Monkees!