White stuff....

.... we're inundated with it!!



Wonder if it will last for St Nicholas this weekend..?

Naughty, naughty!!

I've been melting glass, but haven't been too good at taking photographs and adding my work to the blog... Naughty, naughty!!

These are the latest pieces to be submitted to the gallery in Luxembourg, The Art of Good Taste, who have been doing a wonderful trade in the build up to Christmas with open evenings accompanied by bubbly.



If you're in Luxembourg, and want to go along to have a look at my work, and that of the other artists the gallery is home to, join us!




28, rue Alfred de Musset, Limpertsberg

So far, there are two Christmas preview evenings scheduled for December - Thursday 2nd December and Friday 3rd December 2010 - from 10am to 5pm both evenings.

Summer holidays over.....

The children are back at school, but I have found it really difficult to get myself going on the torch again. The summer holidays are so long here, and getting yourself back into work mode after 2 months lazing around in the sun is hard! Driving home from Luxembourg one late afternoon a few days before school re-started, I saw a hint of brown in the trees and felt the urge to do some tree beads once I could get on the torch again.

So, once my mojo chose to rejoin me, here's what I came up with. Thanks for looking.

Cosmos

Autumn Leaves


Tree Silhouette


Snow Queen


Spun Honey


Wire Wrap Rings

Tigress

Getting on the torch during the summer months is always a little tricky, however I had a good excuse to light up this weekend. A colleague of James's had spotted, on Flickr, a necklace I made three years ago and asked if I could make something similar for her mothers forthcoming birthday.

So, after a few hours torching Sunday morning, and 4 hours yesterday evening wrapping sterling silver wire around beads, here is Tigress! She goes to her new home tomorrow.

Enchanted Forest

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy making tree beads. These are all large, 3.5cm lentils using Triton and Psyche glass, with nero intense black for the trees.



The pendant I had at The Art of Good Taste gallery sold last week, and another person had had their eye on it so commissioned one.



I had a good day at the torch on Monday and made 5. The balance were taken by the Bead Buddies!!



I think I might make some more, and try out the Clio and Aurae glass I have...

Flame-Off!

I spent the day in Towcester yesterday, at Flame-Off! The annual event hosted by Tuffnell Glass. It was great that the dates coincided with a week long trip to the UK. I met loads of forum friends: Sooz, Sandie, Fiona, George, Ray and Andrew from the Bead Buddies forum as well as Natalie, Manda, Sarah, Sarah and Dickie, Sabine, Julie and Becky from the Frit-Happens! forum as well Sue, another Brit lampworking in France, and Pauline Holt who gave me my first ever lesson.

I sat in on some brilliant demonstrations by Di East, Teresa Laliberte and Sharon Peters, unfortunately having to leave before Sabine did her demo but will hopefully catch up with her again soon.

If you've missed it this year, try and get along to next years. It was my first ever time of going, but I'm hoping the girls Spring half term from school coincides again next year :-)

A 2 Week Break and Home to Blighty!

So, the girls finish school this evening for a 2 week Spring break and Sunday morning (obscenely early) we set out for our road trip back to the UK.



With the thought of not making beads for 2 weeks, I had a couple of all day sessions this week which has been great.



I had a whole day yesterday playing with and encasing silver glass, which I very rarely get to do.



And finished photographing this morning. It was also fun making some BHB's!!!



And of course some dots!



Hoping to list these for sale later.



Except I can't find my gauge to measure them!

The Art of Good Taste

I spent March getting my work organised for display at The Art of Good Taste gallery, which opens in Luxembourg on April 20th.

As many of us do, I have to work around school hours and term dates which means you don't have as much time as you think you do.

Although the opening is still almost 3 weeks away, the girls have this long Easter weekend, then a 2 week break from April 11th and for the first week we will be back in the UK (the dates of which happily coincide with The Flame-Off which Tuffnell's host in Towcester).

Work has been dispatched to Janice, the fabulous woman who is behind the Gallery, and yesterday with Daisy and Ruby in tow I set up the glass display unit which will be home for my work.

The Gallery is almost second home to the girls now. For the last couple of Wednesday afternoon's while I've been dropping off work, putting cabinets together and laying out work, they've been very happily sitting at Janice's desk playing on their DSi's or colouring in their colouring books.

There aren't many gallery owners who would have a creche corner for a 4 and 6 year old, but it also goes to show how great my two little girls are.

Sunshine Blog Awards...

Today I found out I have been nominated for the "Sunshine Blog Award" by the very talented Jives Jewels
"The Sunshine Blog Award" is given to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others around the blogging world.

THE RULES OF THE AWARD
1. Put the Sunshine logo on your blog or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let your nominees know they have been nominated by leaving a comment on their blogs.
5. Link to the person from whom you recieved this award.

Here are the 12 wonderful bloggers I have chosen:

• A and R Jewellery Daily Ramblings
• All That Sparkles Beads
• Aster Sadler Designs
• Autumn Weaves
• Delicate Sparkles
• Jewellery My Designs
• Lala Lampwork Beads Blog by Helen Mitchell
• Little Castle Designs
• Nicola @ Smitten Kitten
• Spider Pixie
• Sooz in the Shed
• Tiny Charms

Keep Blogging!

Went a Bit Barmy with Blue

I had a little time Friday afternoon to get on the torch. I found myself reaching for rods of white and cobalt blue and made this series - Porcelain...



This monster, took 3 rods of glass and measures 35mm



And for a choice of focals, there is also this "crunched" oblong



I also got this set made - a 30mm "marble" focal with 3 matching spacer beads which I've named Candied Jewels. I love the dark amethyst of this set!



And this, Galakto - another large "marble" focal



And I made an invert of the porcelain beads. Instead of white, I used ivory coloured glass, which has given a daintier swirl. This is Midnight Waltz



And lastly, Blue Lace... Told you I had a thing about blue on this last session!!



The girls are on 2 weeks leave from school, so no more torch time now until the end of the month... Which is probably just as well as the studio is FREEZING! See you in March!

A new year, a new name!!

Well, it has only taken me until February to say Happy New Year and wish everyone good health, peace and prosperity. Where does the time go?



2010 is also presenting a wonderful new opportunity, in that I have been invited to exhibit my creative pieces in a new gallery opening in Luxembourg - The Art of Good Taste where you'll be able to find my work under Serendipity Glass Art Beads & Jewellery.



The gallery opens toward the end of April, and if you're in the neighbourhood and would like to go along for a look, let me know.



January brought snow, and lots of new bead sets - some of which are here. In the meantime, as always, you can view photo's of everything that has been baked on Flickr