well, yes I'm still around...I've been busily making beadsets from my flower beads, but i can't find the pics that Brian downloaded from the memory stick...as soon as I locate them, i'll post them... ugh.
Speaking of Brian, he's 34 today. We aren't doing anything wacky, he's getting a Star Wars watch for his birthday and he's happy. Livin' large, that's what I say!
My Spotlight..On Silver arrived and I've been playing with some techniques in there. Some are coming out good, others I obviously need to practice. I really like Scott Bowen's silver and ivory beads that look like stones. I've had luck with that technique and am tickled to have it in my arsenal of knowledge. Sometimes you need to do something new in your life.
i'm very happy to have everyone visit who's received Corina's Spotlight...On Silver edition. If this is your first time here, feel free to look around or email me a question. I'm planning on playing with some silver today, we'll see what happens...
i've hit a bit of a wall the past two days and haven't made many beads. so not much to display i'm afraid..
the kiln is heating up and i'm running into the studio to get to work...back with more later!
we had our backdoor replaced yesterday - and our front screen door. I have loads of pics that I haven't pulled off the stick yet, but will post them when I do. the before and after are pretty cool.
am still making flower beads like crazy, another 5 came out of the kiln this morning...that's all i could get done w/ the door folks here. oh and i've been crankin' out spacers too. i reorganized those by putting them in a tackle/craft compartment box (you know, those that you see at Michael's for 99 cents) and it makes finding the perfect spacer colors so much easier...
Haven't heard much feedback regarding the colors of the website, so I guess you have either left in droves, or are getting used to it. I did change the color of the font on this purple, after complaints that the black text was too dark to read. Lemme know your thoughts if you have any...
Still haven't received my Spotlight...On Silver yet...have you?
while i don't batch anneal any longer like shown in this pic, I still enjoy looking at all the beads in there, sitting patiently. Its also fun to look back on work that i've done previously because i tend to forget what has come out of my torch. Some beadsets are planned, others are merry surprises.
I've heard that the Spotlight...On have started arriving in folks' mailboxes - not mine of course. I'm always the last to receive it, for whatever reason. I think my stuff must get shipped around the world before reaching me. I was hoping to get to try out some neato silver techniques this weekend, and alas no such luck. Although I did get to make some 6 layered flower beads and am happy with the way they turned out.
I've also got a new set of toys in my studio - a new TV and DVD/VCR combo is sitting on the shelf just above me. I have already played a movie in the DVD portion, and watched a beadmaking video in the VCR portion. Its fabulous. I'm contemplating getting some language tapes and seeing if I can learn a new language while at the torch. What language do you think I should learn?
I'm playing with the idea of adding color to my site. I've heard too many folks say "its too bland, its too white, where's the color?". So, here is your opportunity to give me feedback - do you like the added color? I went with a 'fall' theme, i'm sure I will change the colors as my mood changes too. I kinda like the new look, its very retro 70's in a good way (if that's possible).
If you don't like it, I won't be offended. Just let me know your thoughts. I'd rather not drive you away from the site due to colors that are easily changed.
Will have some new pics posted soon. The Flower Bead saga is continuing - made another 20 flower beads yesterday. guess it hasn't worked its way out of my system yet. I'm really enjoying making them, coming up with new color combos and seeing what ones jump out at me.
i don't mean to update this site every other day - it just tends to happen that way. I don't have a lot of new things to say, so I try to store them up like a squirrel and then unload them here. However, today is one of those days where I don't have much to say. I haven't downloaded the pics from my flower beads yet, and I've been tinkering with my kiln to try and get a decent setup so i don't keep getting divits in my encasing. Yesterday was a trial run and it didn't go as hoped, so today I'm back at it, trying again. I did order a second mandrel rack for the kiln, but I think i need to lower the temp as well. I'm using a different glass than moretti, and it anneals at a different level. So, its back to the laboratory (you have to say that like Vincent Price to get it right) and see how things go today.
ok, enough talk about the weather, i'm sure its hot where you are too and unless you experience 111 degree weather, its really just a number now, isn't it? I get it. I'll shut up about the weather.
School is gearing up, kids are coming back to UT and the traffic is gettin scary again. I sound old, I know, but its tough when you almost get into 3 accidents in one day, all due to idiot new kids who don't know the rules of one way roads. I guess the lesson there is not to go near the UT area until about November. I am getting psyched about UT football, though. The first game is at the end of the month. I think its time to start making some new UT beads for the season...
I'm also excited about the new Spotlight...On shipping this week. I hope you have yours on order too...I plan to learn loads of new things do with silver. Next issue is all about boroscilicate, and being that I've never used it before, it'll be a great teaching companion.
the sound you hear in the background is me...melting in the heat. Yes, it was 109 in my neighborhood yesterday, according to my Weatherbug. My trees are suffering from heat stress. I checked the temp at 11:00pm last night, and it was still 91 outside. Hot enough for ya? (hint: don't think of moving to Central Texas unless you are part lizard).
I tried a new technique (new for me) yesterday and must say that I'm pleased with the intial result. I had made a bead a couple of days ago, that turned out pretty nicely except for the little divits on the surface that happened when the bead touched another hot bead in the kiln. Because it is an encased bead, you really notice the divit. So, instead of just tossing it in my 'bad bead' jar (which is way too full), I ramped it up in the kiln and after letting it sit and get nice and hot all the way thru, I reintroduced it into the flame and polished out the divit. Took it out of the kiln this morning and it voila, all better. I anticipated the bead 'sploding all over me (even had my leather apron on my lap waiting for the hot glass shards) but everything turned out fine.
Dell field support is coming out to the house today to fix my laptop keyboard. When Brian (who works at Dell) called in to report the problem, the tech he spoke to asked if he was familiar with how to type on a laptop - ??? Is there some kind of secret to typing on a laptop? When I was trying to update this site the other day, while I was typing the cursor started jumping all over the screen and actually deleted this entire table in a split second. What's the secret to making that happen, cause believe me, I certainly wasn't trying to make that happen!
whew...finally! my computer has been undocked and I've been using the laptop keyboard - which is completely messed up and while I was trying to update this website last night, it completely erased everything on the screen. Wow. I just closed w/out saving and it restored, so I didn't panic, but man was I frustrated!! arrrrgh! So I'm back at the docking station and no longer reading emails in my studio :( That was pretty cool, make a bead, read an email. Alas, no more.
I took pics of my flower beads, but they are still on the digital memory stick, so give me some time to download them and get them posted. I'm slow.
I've been having a great time making flower beads, its like the only thing I've been doing of late. The color combinations have been so much fun, and making different sizes and shapes, its just endless. until I get bored, of course.
i won't be updating for the next few days while we are on a mini-vacation, but watch out!! I have been making some very cool floral beads the past few days and will post them when we get back in town. I'm really excited about them, I'm starting to get down the nuances and details of these guys. I couldn't have made these a year ago, its taken awhile to just get the hang of encasing, making very tiny dots for petals and so on. I think you'll dig them.
I've been searching the web for the latest news on Return of the King and Prisoner of Azkaban trailers/pictures. Both movies look pretty cool. I think I need to re-read Azkaban, I'm forgetting little things in it already. those books don't sit in my mind for very long, I forget most everything about them in two weeks. (makes re-reading them that much more fun).
If you're interested in Azkaban behind-the-scenes, check out the Leaky Cauldron site. For Return of the King pics, visit the official site. there is a trailer floating around, I've seen it, but its not on an official site, so I can't point you to it...sorry.
i've been making frogs for a local store who said the 'sample' frogs I have on display there have been requested by many a customer. I participated in a bead exchange in July and the store has my frog bead that I submitted (remember those?) ...so in honor of my frogs, i've posted an old pic of some frogs that are still hanging around my house (some of them anyway) so if you see one you like, email me and i'll let you know if he's still available.
Brian and I have decided its time to get out of the house this weekend, so we're going somewhere close by but fun. Dunno yet where. We'll figure it out on the way. There are lots of great places in Central Texas to visit and we need a vacation, even if its a weekend get away. No phones, tvs, computers or cats. (or torches).
I ordered a fun ring from here the other day and it arrived - black murano glass. Its big and chunky but i thought it might be fun to learn how to make them...i need to find some local stainless mandrels in ring sizes. so much to do, not enough time in the day!