♥ Successes & Failures

Glass is a fickle medium.

Some days you can do no wrong and other days you can't buy the most simple of success in even forming a round bead for love or money. Yesterday was one of those days.

So rather than dwell on having spend the beautiful afternoon indoors behind a torch to the tune of not having anything to show for it, I decided to post some of my past successes that I haven't shared here before... Feast your eyes on my latest earring designs!





The Mod Earrings feature my handmade glass, sterling silver, a small round petrified wood bead, and tiger ebony wood frame. The St.Basil Earrings (so-called as the beads remind me of the onion domes of St.Basil's Catherdral in Moscow) feature my handmade glass beads, sterling silver and a Swarovski crystal. The crystal can be omitted should one prefer a more simple earring with less dangle.

While I currently have only the Mod Earrings up for sale (the St.Basil's have already been bought, sorry!) I will be in the studio making some more in the coming weeks. Custom colour requests are welcome, so please drop me an email if you'd like to order a pair for yourself or as a gift... Each set sells for $30, and can be shipped for an additional $5 or picked-up if you are local to Toronto.

♥ Autumn Amber Bead Set

Inspired by the beautiful fall colours after an afternoon wander thru the sunny woodlands along the Niagara Escarpment, these amber and ivory beads are sure to keep the spirit of a sparkling clear autumn day alive long after the leaves have all fallen to the ground and the snow flies. These beads are currently available in my Etsy Shop.

♥ Art Show

My hearts series of jewellery is on display along with some paintings from other artists-in-residence from Walnut Studios at The Public Butter for the next month, so feel free to drop by and have a look!

♥ Colour Shifting Barrel Beads

Just a quick snapshot of some barrel beads made with colour shifting and metallic glass that were recently removed from the kiln. I'm looking forward to experimenting some more with this shape and technique. Both beads are currently available in my Etsy Shop.

♥ Dutch Delft Blue

These beads whose colour was inspired by the famous Dutch delft blue pottery have been described as being reminiscent of sea creatures by those who have handled them. I have to agree that the patterns, linework and dots do remind me of the sea urchin shells we find washed up along the beaches in Florida. This set of beads would look spectacular combined with either freshwater pearls or sparkling Swarovski crystals.



This is my first bead set on offer in my Etsy Shop that shows off some of the pattern work I've been exploring. It takes quite some time to build up the patterns and layers, I spend close to 20 minutes on each bead. I am very fond of this collection of beads, the colours are so pure and saturated, and they are as interesting to explore visually as they are with your fingertips, the raised dots giving them a nice textural aspect as well as catching the light for added sparkle.

♥ Dare I Say I've Tamed Luna?

I haven't seen too many artists working to great effect with Double Helix's Luna2 which is kind of surprising and not so surprising all at once. Luna2 is an expensive glass, costing $80 a pound and it takes quite a bit of time to figure out how to get the colours to develop. I've gone thru numerous experiments trying to get results that I am happy with, but when everything is just right the effects are quite stunning!



Named "Rainfall In Jupiter" this is the first set of beads made with Luna to be featured in my Etsy shop.

♥ Note To Self: Creativity Is Good For The Soul...

Sometimes when life gets really hectic, I forget just how beneficial the process of creation can be. Going in to the studio after a long day at werk can feel like a task rather than a pleasure, so during those times where I am feeling pressure in other aspects of my life, I can get into the habit of skipping my sessions at the torch.

The other night I finally made my way into the studio to work on a commission after about a month and a half away. Granted, I don't get into the studio much over the summer months, besides my space not having air conditioning - which can become unbearable when you factor in the heat of the torch and nearby kiln - I figure that these warm sunny months are better spent outside. Knowing that the cooler months will be spent happily torching away really gets me looking forward to the fall and winter. In the meantime tho, my productivity in regards to glass drops dramatically so I was fortunate that a custom order gave me the kick-in-the-ass that I needed to make it back to the workbench.

After I had completed the work for my client, I decided to mess around with a few colours and patterns and just have some fun. I was really pleased with the results - not only did I get a lovely bead out of the process, but at the end of the session I felt a certain clarity, peace and lightness that hasn't been present much in my life of late. Rather than feeling like a chore or yet another pressure to be dealt with, getting down and working on something I am passionate about elevated my mood considerably. Sounds simple, but this is something I really need to note for future reference.

And the bead (pictured above) I'm most happy with from the other night's experiments? I am currently enjoying simply wearing it around my neck on a silver chain as a reminder that creation is truly good for the soul.