Remnants of Fruit!

So much of my inspiration comes from nature, that my yard is always a source of interest :)
We had loads of delicious fruit, and luckily some is still around!  I'm fine with fruit on the ground if someone is still eating it...

This bee had a huge appetite!

The great part about grazing insects is that I get to observe them up close while they're distracted...

This threesome stuck around for a group photo, but I can't guarantee they survived after the photo shoot...

And this little guy is still guarding my plums from other would-be assailants

Well, I can't leave you with a spider in mind, so enjoy this photo of a cluster of grapes from our little slope :)  Someday we'll have enough for a glass of wine!

In the meantime, they do make a tasty snack...  Plus I can work on my grape cluster design!

Sunday Show-Off: August 22nd, 2010

Two blog posts in one day?  Ridiculous!  Now if I could get you to read both... then that would really be something :)

Today I'd like to showcase my new summery beach goodies, with my favorite first:

My newest beach bead, Beach Scene Shell Pendant

Then, my new whale tail pendant (my Sealife Series):

 

Whale Tail Pendant

And lastly (part of my Botanicals Series):

 

New Palm Tree Pendant

The palm tree is the only one listed for now, but after I measure the others they'll get on Artfire too.  I just wanted to share them with you guys and gals first!  See you again soon!

Fire Divas Quarterly Challenge: The Holiday Season!

So many of you know I belong to a glassy ladies group called the Fire Divas.  We all share a love of glass, and the group collectively creates some really awesome stuff.  Well, part of what we do is showcase the designs that our connoisseurs/customers create using our glass art beads and pendants, and you may be interested to know that the holiday challenge is coming up.  Tell you more? Ok!

The Holiday Season Challenge for jewelry designers is the next Quarterly Jewelry Challenge the Divas are hosting, and it will feature YOUR work if you submit it in time.  Check out this page for more information.  The Holiday Season Challenge can be any of your favorite designs that reflect the holidays coming up, not just Christmas.  So... sift through your lovely designs (or make some new ones with our fabulous new beads!) and submit those photos.  There are some great prizes offered to the winners, such as $20 and $25 gift certificates to Fire Diva shops!  This is all for just submitting your designs, so really you have nothing to lose except a little time you'll already spend surfing the net :)

I'm speaking to the general "you" of my awesome readers, and also those nice folks who recently purchased beads such as these:

Teal/Red and Purple Twisted Squares Bracelet

Although this is a bracelet I made with custom colors for a client, there were other colorful beads in the set that were selected by some artistic designers from my shop recently, so you know who you are, get beading! :)

Saturday Showing Off: New Insect Series Additions

Happy Saturday!  My favorite day of the week, it never disappoints.  I'm reading a book currently called "The Art of Time" and I'm learning about the difference between real time and perceived time, where we think a year goes by faster as we age.  It's pretty well written, and as I make my way through it, the book reminds us to live in the present, as it's the only place we really can be.  Embracing that idea, Paul and I are enjoying our weekend, and I've even managed to get some work done photographing my new insects and listing them :)  Here are three new critters to enjoy, and I think a good variety.

Teal & Purple Snail Pendant

Amber Purplish Butterfly Pendant

Cobalt & Gold Twisted Dragonfly Pendant

Once it gets too warm outside today, I'll continue reading my book.  Do I really have time to read about time? We'll see!

Bead of the Day - Thursday, August 12th, 2010

It's Thursday again, which means I am back browsing the wonderful glass offerings of the Fire Divas.  Today, I found a really cute Yellow Lab dog bead:

Amber the Yellow Lab Lampwork Bead - Maybeads

Isn't she cute?  This is from Maybeads, another adorable animal bead.  She does make some lovelies that pet lovers everywhere especially should enjoy.  Visit her Etsy shop here for more glass goodness.

See what the other Fire Divas are up to by visiting the Etsy thread and the Artfire thread. 
I posted this originally on the Fire Divas blog, but I wanted to share it with you glass lovers too :)

Sunday Show-Off: August 8, 2010

Happy Sunday!  Even though Saturday is my favorite day of the week, Sunday is a close second, especially when we have set aside most of the day for housework and some glass in the cool morning...

I love sculpting animals, and it's been awhile since I made new fish.  A recent purchase of a fish pushed me to make new, fancy fish, so feast your sleepy Sunday eyes on these!

Glass Fish Frenzy - New Fish Pendants

Can you see the koi in the upper right corner?  Yes, he blends into the white background all too well...  That's OK, I've photographed him separately too!

Koi on Black Background

I wanted to start making koi fish so that I can send one to my sister for her birthday next month... Luckily she's a busy woman and doesn't keep up on my blog :)  This isn't the one I'm sending her though, as hers is the fanciest one I don't want to tease people with it since this little guy is almost as fancy.  All of these are currently available, but that can change as they find good homes, so I will keep making new fish as we enjoy the busy summer show season.

I'm working on other animals lately, furthering our inventory of unique glass art creations, with the recent addition of an owl, whale tail, crab, and a baby seal.  If you can think of an animal you'd like to see in my style of glass art, please email me or mention it when you come see our booth at the Farmer's Market :)  Meantime, more to come as I get better and better at my exotic critters! Thanks for reading, and have a great week, folks!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Happy Sunday folks!  It's a day for relaxation, and that's just what I'll do after my morning lesson ;)  Relaxing is great, but Sundays are also good for sneaking some exercise into your weekend...  Once we get into our summer groove, we'll start hiking more, like this photo of Paul I took on a morning hike:

Lots of inspiration can be found in nature, as these flowers are so lovely!  Cute critters and wonderful wildflowers everywhere, though I think this time of the season there might not be as many blossoms...

Next Sunday, maybe some new flowers?  I did make a lovely purple and white one last week... Stick around!