A Glass Artist's Journey

Beads are getting more and more popular - it never seems to stop - the manic love of beads! For me that is such a blessing - afterall, that is my business - making beads. Lately the bead world has been under attack of sorts. Just as in any industry some folks have emerged, smelling money and are jumping on the band wagon.

While I always welcome a new lampworker - an artist - someone who makes and designs their own beads into the glass community, I certainly look down on those that order beads from China and market them as true lampwork made by them. The newbies in the design world are usually suckered into buying these mass produced beads - after all the price is low and the pictures look good. Unfortunately, they are not getting a bargain for their money.

Even though these supposed lampworkers claim that their beads are annealed (a process done in a controlled setting which brings the bead to a steady temperature over an extended time and then brings it down to room temperature SLOWLY - this removes all the hidden stress in the glass bead and ensures that it will not crack or break unexpectedly), they are not annealed - which compromises the strength of the bead and worse the final design, be it a necklace or bracelet. The beads will not hold up over time, it could be a few months, weeks and even years - but usually months - little cracks begin to work from the inside out and bamm!!! broken bead.

It is so disheartening to have such a crowd lurking in bead world - taking people's hard earned money for inferior product. I have no problem with the Chinese or any other group making beads - but they need to be marketed for what they are. The Chinese lampworker works in unsafe conditions, no ventalation, no safety guidelines - many are children - working hours for pennies! To add to the frey the beads are not properly cooled so they come to the customer compromised and not really fit to put in many designs. What is a Artisan and Self Representing lampworker to do? All I can do is try to educate people about beads, hope they eventually see the difference and go on from there. Sigh....

With all the things going on in my world and of course in THE WORLD. I never seem to have the time or memory to come here and post. Time to try again!

The Studio has been humming with activity since my last post. I have had dry artistic times and some slammin' creative times. I am hoping to keep up the slammin' artistic side and quench the dry....

I find it so interesting that blogs have become so popular lately - people from all over the world are enjoying posting their thoughts on the net. Funny, most don't like sharing thoughts face to face, but have no problem letting fingers type out such intimate details of their lives! Such a puzzle to me - especially since I am one of "them".

I am hoping, once again, to keep up my little blog world and make my internet mark. Who knows maybe one day my great, great grandchildren will find my virtual space and have a good laugh....

I can't believe I let so much time go by before this visit back to blog world! I have been busy creating new glass designs and working on my Studio's set up to make things easier to accomplish.

Here is one of my new flower sets - they come in all colors - but purple is so fun

Once the bead stores took a gander at this design they ordered a ton, so once those custom orders are done I am sure I will be moving on to something different. I do have to admit that they are so awesome in designs. I am always amazed at what designers can do with lampwork beads!

I did make some cool hollow vessels too - here is a pic of one of my favorites!-

I have really enjoyed working in glass all these years and even though it can be a bit tedious and scary at times, the enjoyment I get from working for myself can not compare to the oppressive enviroment I was in prior to this!

I can't say it was difficult working for Dr. B - but his trophy wife was a nightmare! Beautiful on the outside, but rotten to the core....ugh!

Unfortuantely she was the office manager, well, in name only - she would drop in between facials and anxiety attacks - what a mess.

OK I re-visited that for a bit, but I am out of there - thank goodness!!

I promise to be back with more creations soon!

Well hello again! After my whining session last time I think I should focus on the positive! Bead sales are up, my customers are all happy -which makes me happy! I designed a few new toggles and eye glass pendant holders in glass that are really hot and cool - so the torch is being good to me!!

On a sad note - my nephew passed away last December 25 - Christmas night - he took his own life - it has made me so much more sensitive to those around me! What brings this up now is that his dad passed away two days ago - a possible suicide - they live in Alaska and he was talking about suicide since his son died and he went white water rafting and just drowned! It was horrible to get another call. Alaska always held great memories for me - the beauty is unimaginable - you just have to see it to believe it. Even though my 14 yr. marriage ended there - heck it still has great memories, because the ending of that relationship was a good thing for me and for my son. Have you been following the Scott Peterson trial - well if you have - then you have met my ex!! All stories and affairs, and no interest in his son. Haven't seen him in years - and to be honest just thought about him now while writing this - lol! I suppose that is a good things since I was pretty broken up when the affair and divorce first happened!

Lets see - Glass - I find myself consumed with ideas - had a friend over for dinner and he nicely reminded me that for three hours I only talked about beads and glass! LOL - thank goodness he is a good sport. Talking about consumed lampworkers - have any of you read the blog by the anonoymous lampworker? It is killing me - because her last post was two years ago and she sounded so unhappy! I wish I could reach her and let her know that I really enjoyed her blog and hope she is well!

Well, I have vented a bit for a time - I am going to bed early tonight - no torch - just snuggle with my doggies and kitty - well, doggies - kitty hates the dogs so she stays in with my son and daughter-in-law downstairs - yup one great big happy extended family!! Got to go.

See ya soon!

I couldn't believe it! I have not posted a thing since October 2003 and here it is July 2004!!! Nine months of slaving over a hot torch with no contact with the outside world! Well, I am trully back this time.

It has been quite a journey - these last few months - I have come up with new designs, lost a dear friend and learned a few emotional and spiritual lessons....

I will call my friend J - J and I met because we were both looking for a kindred spirit in the glass world - we stumbled over each other on the internet and I thought we had become good friends. But circumstances separated us for a year and when we got back in touch things were just not the same.

One day I was browsing the net and there she was - J - she had opened a bead store right down the road and never even told me - was she afraid I would be competition, want to join? I don't know - but there was the store. I was a bit hurt prior to finding out about the store - because I had given J her first torch - and she sold it! That was my first torch for pete's sake and she just up and sold it - why? - because she was in California "finding herself" and didn't want to be bothered with bringing it back to NY -to much bother to take a less than one pound torch back to the original owner who gave it to her? Sigh - oh well, etc...that is all gone now.

I emailed J once - and she emailed me back - and I was supposed to call - but I just couldn't too much on my plate, to many hurts I didn't want to share - so here I am - a bit friendless, when it comes to glass folk! Goodness, I didn't write in all this time and now I am whining!!

I am so blest to be able to work in my own little studio making beads I love and selling them to folks who love them! So I will shut up for now and get back to work!!

Blessings!

Even though I haven't been "blog faithful" I have been bead making faithful :) so drop by and see my beads! http://www.glassbeadz.com

OK so I joined in October and never published again! The tale of the self employeed no time! So now I am back and hopefully will be more faithful!

Welcome to my on line journal in the coming weeks Iwill share with you my failures and (hopefully) successes in my ventures with glass and the web.