Necklace with lampwork and enamel be

I made this necklace yesterday using both lampwork and enamel beads. The enamel beads are such a pleasure to work with. They instantly add detail and keep things light.

A small diversion - the mirror has two faces

I don't know how it started, but a couple of days ago I came across the idea of each side of the face expressing different aspects of our personality, and how cutting an image of a face in half and then mirroring it, accentuated the differences. So I had to do it. I made sure that the lighting was as even as I could get it, and used a nikon d90 to snap the pic.

Well it turns out my nose is not in the centre of my face, so it ends up fat and skinny. Smile has always been a little lopsided, more active rightside. An eyebrow (right) has usually been a little more raised (the skeptic in me) and I have a mighty neck and chin on the right. Anyway the right side is quite intense and strong (freak!). The left side looks friendly, I could be friends with someone like that.
While looking for other faces on the 'net I came across Angelina Jolie, very striking  and unexpected differences. Also saw Gwyneth Paltrow, who appears almost perfectly symmetrical!
Ok, now that I've purged that notion on to the blog I hope to focus on more important things!

Enamel filigree beads - getting the hang of it

Ever since I read a tutorial in a bead magazine about enamelling filigree beads I have felt compelled to gather the ingredients and have a go. After a couple of months of sitting on the idea I finally had a couple of goes.  I have to say that the tutorial has some gaps in terms of usability of the technique offered.  The first attempt, following the instructions, was very poor. If the bead is free spinning and you turn the stick it's threaded on, well the bead won't spin when you turn the stick, will it??? no, it won't. That is quite different from lampworking, where a coating is put on the mandrel, which the glass sticks to while working on the bead, but also enables you to release the bead when it's ready to remove. The other problem with threading a filigree bead onto the uncoated mandrel, is that enamel falls through the filigree and gets melted onto the mandrel, making it next to impossible to remove the bead. very frustrating, and the beads look dodgy and mangled and patchy from the efforts to remove it.  I guess I am missing something obvious and would probably benefit from watching a demonstration. Anyway, I ended up developing my own technique which I am relatively happy with. It is along the lines of  'puntying up'. Hold the bead with tweezers and get a little patch of enamel established, then get some enamel melted onto the tip of the mandrel and connect the two. So the bead is stuck to the end of the stick through the whole spinning process until I melt it off and smooth out the connection. Holding the bead with warmed up tungsten tweezers when removing also enables one to get it into the vermiculite with ease. That technique will do until such time as I see someone do it efficiently a different way!
I love the beads that turn out, they are light and lacy looking. The light weight of them means that they balance out the weight of glass lampwork so that you are not going to break your neck when wearing a full strand of large beads.

OK, here is the motley crew. The first efforts are mixed in with the second efforts. I think by effort number 10 they should be looking  perfect ;-)

Here are three white filigree along with a bunch of largish round lampwork beads. Even though the three large white lampwork beads are 'hollow', a whole strand can be quite hefty.

Green toned bead caps. The longest one at the front is my favorite of everything (40mm long). I love the berry red tips. Will be making more with that concept. I can imagine it as a focal with a dangle hanging down from it's centre. The bead caps I found are nice and large so that they can fit on the large round beads I tend to make.

The cool toned beads. I love the teal color, which is actually 'turquoise' enamel. It can have beautiful depth when layered a couple of times, such as the front right bead. There is also a robins egg blue, nile green and a pale yellow green. These are acutally large substantial beads. The barrel shapes are 30mm long and 20mm diameter.

The pink pastels. I love the orchid color of the centre round bead. Also digging those top right bead caps.

A few red beads. Not quite happy with the outcome of this red yet. Will be putting a tranparent blue  layer over the next one to add some depth.

Little Red Riding Hood

I am very excited about a collaborative project I have embarked on with artist, Claudia Rubinstein . We met at the bead show and have discovered a mutual love of fairy tales and art nouveau.
So far the theme is Little Red Riding Hood, Grimm Brothers.  I have made a bunch of beads around the theme and they are really stepping stones to the final outcome. Still in gestation but also fun and a joy to make! It is great to swap ideas and encouragement in collaboration, it is inspirational and motivational.
Here's the pics:

The first Red is quite graphic and cartoon like. I added a hole in her hood for a dangle She was supposed to be looking over her shoulder in fear but her heavy eyelid makes her quite confident!! Also not in the style I want to eventually aim for (Art Nouveau curves).

First time making leaves and I enjoyed it. Used a metallic green glass and added some dew drops.

Also made some 'berries'

What is a fairytale without a forest? Birchwood trees are eminently suitable for fairytales. Introducing Red and the Wolf.  Red has evolved somewhat! the shape is more reminiscent of Nouveau, Will work on refining the details and adding the wavy hair highlights that all nouveau ladies seem to have! I love the howling wolf head, just him and the tree trunks is a super combination.

Red, Wolf and an owl. I am trying to make a tiny owl or two. I think I can go smaller.

Bead Expo, Owls (ofcourse) and online Interview

It has been a busy two months. I just finished a bead show and will soon be back creating, today hopefully!!! Below are some reports on all the things I have been up to... beady related!

1.  I have taken a workshop with Andrea Guarino and had a fab time. One of the noteable consequences from attending this workshop is meeting two gorgeous gals who have a passion for lampworking and live within a stones throw. We now form a little bead group that is called "The Flaming Matildas" and this is blossoming and expanding to include a bunch of other wonderful lampwork artists in Victoria.
   

   

   Andrea Guarino and Georgie Field

2. I had my first bead expo and met so many fabulous people!! I went there with 50 owls and came home with 3 little lonely owls. 
   One fabulous lady turned out to be the visiting international beading artist Marcia Decoster who loves owls. Marcia mentions her owl purchases and our meeting in her blog... Generous, warm and  incredibly supportive, thankyou Marcia!  Aside from the owl aspect, Marcia makes the most beautiful adornments to wear, using seed beads like magic dust these wonderful creations appear. I loved it when people came up to the stall wearing their works of art. Marcia had whipped up some incredible earrings the night before.
   Two AbFab ladies also made an entrance into my life by purchasing parliaments of owls and beads, while looking dazzling and spreading encouragement. Kirstin doesn't have a website at this time but promised me some photos of the grand idea she has for the beads she purchased. Considering the fabulous jewellery she was wearing I am very excited to see that project blossom. Claudia Rubinstein was also decked out in superb beaded finery and has a penchant for owls and fairytales, bringing them to life through her gorgeous paintings.
   

   

   Georgie Field and her table at the BSV Bead Expo

3. Speaking of fabulous jewellery, the Flaming Matildas' Belinda and Jenni have both purchased owls from me and turned them into gorgeous jewellery. Jenni has a post in her blog with some photos but I would also love to get a photo of both Belinda and Jenni wearing their work. Such different designs and both  brilliant.
4. I was asked for an interview about my lampwork for an online beading magazine called Beading Times. I am the featured artist for the month of November. Check it out to see lots of eyecandy and learn more about me, if you're interested that is!! there are also many other interviews with amazing and talented bead makers.
5. Finally.... some of my work for October

I made a new design, incorporating a bit more fantasy than normal with the curly eye feathers, and also incorporating some things I have learnt about frit in the body. This guy is my favorite, hanging on to him for a while!

Everyone points at this guy because of his big beautiful eyes.

40 ain't so bad

Awesome sister, Mandy, made me these terrific icing owls for the cake and sent them over express along with other beautiful gifts. Thanks Mandy!!!

Time to bead free!

Finally I have some time off work so that I can focus on the beads. Many owls have been made but I might post pictures of them in a couple of days.  Mainly I have been playing and experimenting with new glass, tools and concepts. 

The concept isn't new but it's fresh for me, and that is to make some eclectic sets. Sets of identical beads are not easy for me to produce because it's repetitive (sweat shop/ factory like). I got around that with the idea of different combinations and patterns and textures.

Even more fun can be had in matching up the individuals into their 'special' families. They're not set in concrete and it depends on the coming days how many more get produced and swapped.

Without further ado, here are the pics:

Eclectic 1: ~19mm  Some of the ingredients above are Goldstone, Aurae, Silverlake frit, brass bubbles, silver glasses.

Eclectic 2: ~17mm Encased frit, Multicolor, Magic, Taxco, Special purple rose. My theory is that sometimes you need plain beads, to contrast with the pretty ones and make them shine.

Eclectic 3:: A new glass arrived this past week and I fell in love. It is by Effetre and called Metallic Black. It usually has a matte finish and a gorgeous patina of oilslick colors. The two ultra shiny spacers are Aurae (different glass).

Eclectic 4: ~18mm "Hoi Poloi" Last but not least, a splash of color.  I have so much frit (crushed glass of different colors and blends) and thought it high time to do something with it..