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Jewelry Photo Shoot

I have been doing jewelry photo shoots.  Lots of new jewelry coming, stay tuned for more info on my upcoming release.  Sign up on my email list for early bird shopping and special offers.

Hand made lampwork beaded jewelry, fused glass jewelry, bracelets, and rings.

Coral, turquoise, bone, coins, Swarovski crystals, wire wrapped stones and sterling silver.

#christinamlee #christinamleedesigns #leeshorestudio #art #artist #fineart #fineartist #floridaartist #floridaart #floridalife #picoftheday #instalike #instagood #awesome #fiberartist #lampworkbeadartist #fusedglassartist #artstudio #followme #creative #stones #semipreciousstones #turquoise #fusedglass #wirewrapped #wirewrappedstones #coral #coins #earrings #necklaces #fusedglasspendants #bracelets #rings #lampworkbeads #sterlingsilver #swarovski #necklace #pendant

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New Lampwork Beads

Here are some new lampwork beads I have recently made.  They will make some fun new jewelry pieces.  Sign up for my email list to get advance notice of upcoming new jewelry releases and advanced sales.

#artstudio #newartstudio #florida #floridaartist #floridalife #art #artist #awesome #christinamlee #christinamleedesigns #leeshorestudio #followme #picoftheday #instalike #instagood #lampworkbeadartist #fiberartist #jewerlydesignartist #lampwork #lampworkbeads #artstudio #beads #blog

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Finishing Up The New Art Studio

I am down to all the finishing touches on the new art studio.

Here you can see I finally got all my sheets of stained glass out of the house and back into the cabinet where they belong safe and sound!  Yay!!  Only chipped the corner of one piece.  I thought that was a pretty good accomplishment.  It took me months and months of carrying a few sheets out at a time every time I went out back.   As you can see I have a lot of beautiful stained glass to work with.  I have it all organized by brand and by fusible and non-fusible, and have one cubby for my glass rods for lampwork or flamework glass bead making.  This will make everything very easy to access when I want to create!!

I started grouting the tile on the new counter top, messy, but a necessity.  My wonderful Hubby, Rick, got the trim board mounted on the front of the counter top.

Finally all the grouting mess is done and the tile cleaned!!!  Yay!!!

My two 110 Kilns and my microwave are now reposing on the new counter top in their new home.

Now I am back to finishing the painting of the floor!  You can also see I put spray foam in the crack in the floor between the two units to seal it up.

Prepping the next section of the floor for paint, under the window on the South side.

In between waiting on paint, grout and caulk to dry, and while cleaning out the old art studio upstairs in the house, I found this old Dave’s Insanity hot sauce bottle rack.  I stuck it away some years ago on a shelf and forgot I had it, thinking I could use it for something.

I flipped it upside down, and got my wonderful Hubby to cut a dowel and drill holes in it for the dowel.

I put a couple of coats of some pretty blue paint on it and, presto change o, I now have a new “upcycled”/”recycled” rack for my spools of bead stringing wire and my small pliers, cutters and crimping tools!!!  I love my little rack!!

Things are progressing nicely!!

#stainedglass #cabinet #fusedglass #fusible #art #artist #artstudio #newartstudio #instalike #instagood #picoftheday #dreamcometrue #awesome #upcycled #recycled #davesinsanitysauce #beadstring #beadstringingwire #countertop #grout #paint #pliers #crimpingtool #painting #lampwork #flamework

 

 

 

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New Art Studio, Almost Done

Here is the latest update on the New Art Studio.  It is almost done.

I have been continuing to bring all my stained glass out of the house a few sheets at a time and putting them back in the cabinet.  I have been organizing it by brands of glass, and fusible and non-fusible glass.  I also had a cubby for my glass rods for lampwork bead making.  Everything will be real easy to access for ease of creating.

Just had to show you this pretty piece of my stained glass.  I have so many pieces of beautiful glass.  I was very fortunate to buy a lot of beautiful glass some years ago from a lady who was moving out of state for a very reasonable price.

We brought my stainless steel table out of storage with help of my grandson, Devin.  Forgot how heavy the thing was!!  It will be the prefect work surface for my torches for lampwork, also called flamework, bead making!  This is not it’s final resting place, but we got it into the studio.  I will move it after the rest of the floor is painted.

Final coat of paint on the last wall on the north side by the door, except for that upper corner and the door trim on the right hand side.  My Hubby, Rick, is installing a motion detector light on the outside of the building, and then that panel will be put up and painted, and the door trim painted.  It is dark at night walking in and out of the house into the back yard, so the light is much needed.

Hubby put the trim board on the front edge of the counter top and I started grouting the tile.

Removing the blue painter’s tape from around the window on the north side.

Next work to be done: finish grouting the tiles, finish painting the floors, also have some touch up spots of paint here and there, and paint the trim boards on both counter tops.  Almost done!!

#almostdone #artstudio #newartstudio #instalike #instagood #picoftheday #art #artist #flamework #lampwork #fusedglass #stainedglass #painting

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Manatee Co Fair Winners 2017

Wow, my entries at the Manatee Co Fair won awards!!

My Free-Form Crochet Shawl (without a pattern).RIMG0904

They did not display it very well, but you can see the Red Rosette Second Place Ribbon on the Shawl at the Fair.IMG_1539

My handmade (lampwork) bead necklace hung on my handmade sterling silver neck wire won First Place.

IMG_1552Excited and happy!!

#lampwork #ManateeCoFair #blueribbon #artstudio #picoftheday #instalike #instagood #winner #crochet #freeformcrochet #newartstudio #fiberarts #flamework #shawl #redrosetteribbon

 

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Amber Small Bead Necklace With Swarovski Crystals

I thought would share with you a pretty little necklace I made in 2009.  It has 4 very small amber handmade (lampwork) beads which I made under my torch.  I strung my handmade beads with Swarovski crystals, sterling silver beads, and seed beads.

Closeup of my handmade beads and the Swarovski and silver beads.

I would love to design a one-of-a-kind special necklace for you.  Please contact me.

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Lampwork Glass Bead Making Class

Hi everyone, hope your having a wonderful holiday season so far.   I am so excited to be teaching a Lampwork Bead Making Class on Saturday January 2, 2016 from Noon to 5 pm.

I have room for 1 more student in the Class.   Here is some info on the class:

LAMPWORK BEAD MAKING: This class teaches you how to make your own handcrafted lampwork or flamework glass beads.  Glass rods are melted under an open torch and formed into glass beads.  You will learn about expansion of glass, compatible glasses, how to anneal your beads, and much more.  $100.00 includes all supplies and the use of all tools (you take home your finished beads).  This is a one secession class, 5 hours long.  The class is limited to two students.

Here are some pics of bead making:

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Me melting the glass under the torch.

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Above and below, Shaping the bead.

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Adding decoration to the bead.

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More shaping the bead

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Adding clear glass over the top of the bead

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The bead taking the final shape

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Beads right out of the torch.  The bead on the left is the one I was making in the pics above

RIMG0865Final beads after they come off the rods. Bead in the center is the one I am making in the pics above.

My classes very individualized providing you the one-on-one instruction that you will not receive in a larger class setting.   Let me know if you want to take this class.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, very Merry Christmas, a fantastic Holiday Season however you celebrate, and a Happy New Year.    Christina

#lampwork, #flamework, #glassbeadmaking, #classes

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Jewelry Care Tips

Here is my Jewelry Care Tip of the day.  This is how I keep my Sterling Silver, 14k Gold, my fused glass and precious metal clay (PMC) pendants, my glass lampwork beads and semi-precious stones looking shiny and pretty.  I use Connoisseurs Jewelry Wipes.  I am not affiliated with the company or the product.  I just use it, and like it.  One wipe can be used over and over and over again for months.  One box will last you for years.  The wipe also puts a protective non-tarnish coat on your sterling silver and protects your jewelry from tarnishing longer.

 Jewelry WipesI just thought I would share with you how easy it is to keep your jewelry looking shiny all the time.  You can buy them at any jewelry counter or on the web.

#jewelry, #jewelrycaretip, #sterlingsilver, #fusedglass, #PMC

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Classes I teach: Lampwork Bead Making

LAMPWORK BEAD MAKING:

This class I teach you how to make your own handmade lampwork or flamework glass beads.  Glass rods are melted under an open torch and formed into glass beads.  You will learn about expansion of glass, about compatible glasses, how to anneal your beads, and much more.  $100.00 includes all supplies and use of all tools (you take home your finished beads).  This is a one secession class, 5 hours long.  The class is limited to two students.

Classes are available by appointment only:

Due to limited space available for teaching, my Classes are limited to 1, 2 or 3 students per class depending on the class.  This makes my classes very individualized providing you the one-on-one instruction that you will not receive in a larger class setting.  This also allows me to be flexible in my teaching schedule.

Classes are generally weekday evenings, or Saturday during the day or evenings.  I can also work with you to fit your class around your schedule.  I can arrange a weekday afternoon class if that is the only time you have available.  I thoroughly love teaching, so click here to see a list of other classes I teach: http://creationsbychristina.net/?page_id=913

Follow my blog via email.  Be among the first to receive my blog posts and to know about specials and sales, click the ‘subscribe’ button in the right hand column.

 

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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

To follow my blog, click on the purple diamond on the right hand side of the page under the links section.  —————->

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Wine Bottle Cozy

Here is the wine bottle cozy I crocheted for my Mother-in-Law for her birthday.  She loved it.

The Yarn was Red Heart Collage and the color is Landscape Green.

I just love how the greens and pink of the yarn were blended and came out so pretty.

I added the ruffled rows around the top to make it more ruffly after the draw string is pulled.

The two beads on the draw string are two of my lampwork (handmade) glass beads.

 

Here is the pattern I used: http://www.yarntomato.com/patterns/wine-bottle-cozy/

I made a few changes. I skipped rows 12 and 13, (the two rows where you add the beads) because I was not adding beads.  I did 6 rows of sc after changing from the bottle bottom and starting up the sides, but that was going too slow, so I changed to dc and crocheted to 9 inches from bottom.  Then switched back to sc for the last 1/2 inch.  For the top edge, after I finished the pattern, I wanted it more ruffly than the pattern called for, so I did one row of sc working 3 sc in each stitch to force it to ruffle and then another row of sc working 2 sc in each stitch, continuing to force it to ruffle.

Then made my draw string and added two of my handmade (lampwork) beads to the ends of the drawstring after I threaded it into the cozy.

Happy crocheting.

To follow my blog, click on the purple diamond on the right hand side of the screen below the links section–>

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Learn how to make glass beads

Glass bead making, under an open torch, Lampwork.

In my next few blog posts, I thought I would remind you of the classes I teach.

 

LAMPWORK BEAD MAKING: This class teaches you how to make your own handmade lampwork or flamework glass beads.  Glass rods are melted under an open torch and formed into glass beads.  You will learn about expansion of glass, compatible glasses, how to anneal your beads, and much more.  $100.00 includes all supplies and use of all tools (you take home your finished beads).  This is a one secession class, 5 hours long.  The class is limited to three students.

Classes are available by appointment only:

Due to limited space available for teaching, my Classes are limited to 1, 2 or 3 students per class depending on the class.  This makes my classes very individualized providing you the one-on-one instruction that you will not receive in a larger class setting.  This also allows me to be flexible in my teaching schedule.

Classes are generally weekday evenings, or Saturday during the day or evenings.  I can also work with you to fit your class around your schedule.  I can arrange a weekday afternoon class if that is the only time you have available.  I thoroughly love teaching, so click here to see a list of other classes I teach: http://creationsbychristina.net/?page_id=913

 

To follow my blog, click on the purple diamond at the bottom of the links section on the right hand side of the page ———>

 

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Upcoming Blogs

In the next few weeks I will post some blogs about free form design, i.e. designing a necklace or bracelet when you have not drawn out a sketch in advance.  As in the pic below.

This is a carved bone pendant, strung abstractly with 6 of my handmade glass beads (lampwork) and various bone beads.  I dropped the beads on the bead board and let them fall where they may, then strung them. 

Most of the time I am very symmetrical in my designs, making each side of the necklace match, left and right of the focal piece in the center, whether it be a bead, a carved bone pendant or a fused glass pendant I created, but occasionally I get a little wild and just drop the beads and string them.  (My husband likes it when I do.  The necklace in the pic is one of his favorite pieces.)

Maybe you purchased some semi-precious gemstone beads or just some glass beads, and you have been looking at these beads in your bead box for quite some time trying to figure, what am I going to make with them.  How do you take them from just being a pile of beads, just sitting around the art studio, to finished jewelry?  I will do some layout on my bead board and shoot some pics and post them to give you a concept of how I get creative, whether symmetrical or abstract, how does one come up with a design. 

How do I get ideas for my designs, you ask?  I look at the seasonal color charts that are published and I look at clothing magazines and jewelry design magazines.  I get ideas from various places, nature, leaves, flowers.  I never copy anyone’s work.  All my pieces are my originals, but I can look at someone work and get a basic idea and then create my own unique piece from there.

If you have any questions, please post them.  I will try my best to answer them.

Christina

 

To follow my blog, click on the purple diamond on the right hand side of the screen below the links section.——>

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Holiday Greetings

Hello everyone.  I trust you had a wonderful holiday season.  My family and I had a fantastic Christmas!!!  Haven’t done much jewelry making the last few weeks, and have not posted to the blog.  With the closing of my art gallery, getting ready to leave for vacation and being gone, there was not much time to make jewelry.  I just posted a couple of pendants to my Etsy Shop. So for today’s blog I will show you those.

This Necklace has a carved bone pendant, 2 of my handmade (lampwork) beads, and copper beads, strung on a Sterling Silver Chain.  To see more pics and find out more info click here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65488100/carved-bone-pendant-copper-beads-on

Blue and Red Pendant is fused glass with 4 of my handmade (lampwork) beads strung on red rubber cord.  To see more pics and find out more info click here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65487462/blue-red-fused-glass-pendant?ref=v1_other_2

Coming soon, I will post a blog on making fusing glass pendants.  I will also be entering some pieces in the Manatee County Fair and will keep everyone apprised on that project.


Wishing a very prosperous New Year to everyone.
Christina