Tag: creating

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Happy Thanksgiving.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I am back to blogging and creating new jewelry.  Look for new posts and pics coming in the next few weeks.  Will get back in full swing after the holidays. So sorry I have not posted in such a long time.  What can I say, life happens.

I leave you with this collage of some of my work.  The background is a hand painted silk scarf I designed with butterflies, a pair of black and blue handmade (lampwork) beaded earrings, and a black, red and white memory wire bracelet with a handmade (lampwork) black, red and white focal bead.

A Collage of my Work

Wishing each and every one of you a blessed holiday season.  Christina

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Creating new Necklaces

Creating new Necklaces for the up coming Art on the Water show

I just thought you might like to see what I am working on.  Here is my work bench and the some of the stuff just finished and some in the process, preparing for this coming Saturday’s show.  (See my previous post for Art on the Water show info.)

Two finished necklaces in the fore ground of the picture.  The cross on the left I did a few weeks ago, the dangle one on the right, I just finished Mon night.  On the bead board is the next one I started laying out last night and stringing.  It will be multi-strand. 

The next step in the process is to price each finished piece and to photograph them.  I so love being creative.  I love making wearable Art, and I hope you enjoy wearing it as much as I enjoy creating it for you. 

I wish I could do this full time.  One day soon I will retire from the paralegal gig and just have fun creating full time.  Have a happy Tuesday everyone.  Do come see me at Art on the Water this Saturday, Jackson’s Bistro, Tampa, Florida.  (See previous blog post or Events page for more info.)

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Making Glass Beads, Part 2

After I make the beads, I put them in my kiln and fire them.  The process is called annealing.  It strengthens the glass so the bead will not crack and break.  The glass has gone through severe thermal shock in the making of the bead, starting with the glass at room temperature to the very hot flame of the torch, about 2000 degrees, then slowly cooling again back to room temperature.  Annealing them takes the glass up through all the temperature ranges slowly, allowing the glass to slowly acclimate and strengthen.  I hold the kiln at 940 degrees for 30 minutes, which is called soaking, further strengthening beads before slowing cooling the kiln down.  This process takes about 3 1/2 hours.

 

My kiln is an older model, I have been using it since the 1980’s when I bought it new, but I love it.  I usually spend several days making about 75 to 100 beads.  When I have enough beads to cover the kiln floor, then I anneal them all at once.

In creating a piece of jewelry I will be selling to the public, I want a finished bead that I know will endure.  I don’t want to have a bead crack in half while someone is wearing the jewelry.

Christina

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Making Glass Beads (Lampwork)

 

I have so much fun making Glass Beads.  Working with glass is fascinating.  I light a torch, take a solid glass rod, melt it under the torch to a molten, liquid state, then start shaping a bead.  Along the process of creating that bead, I am turning, shaping and decorating the bead.  Then I slowly cool the beads so they don’t crack. The anticipation of getting my hands on that finished bead sometimes is hard, it is hard to wait to see the finished product.  It never ceases to fascinate me as to what I can create with glass.

The photos above are taken by Lin Oakerson.  The first picture is me making glass beads at the Village of the Arts, Manatee Chamber After Hours Event Dec 2008.  The second picture is me showing beads I have just completed to guests in my gallery, Lee Shore Gallery, Village of the Arts, Jan 2010 at the Village Studio Tours Event.