Yay for new glass!!!!

On my way home from the show in Portland I stopped at Bullseye Glass. I had never been there before and discovered it's pretty much glass heaven!

11 years ago, when I first started lampworking, Bullseye was the first glass I used. That was before they began making round rods, and all that was available for lampworkers was cut up sheets of glass in long skinny strips. I loved all the colors, but eventually switched to Moretti because they made round rods which are way easier to turn.

I had to restrain myself and only buy a few, ok maybe 20 colors and today gave myself a play day. Yay! I really just wanted to play with the colors, so I did. I can hardly wait to see my beads when I get them out of the kiln in the morning.

It was really interesting and fun working with a different glass. I kept thinking it felt silky and smooth to work with. It takes a little more heat to melt it, so I had more time and it kept it's shape easier. Usually when I make round discs and flowers, around the hole wants to melt and I have to be super careful to keep the hole nice. This glass wasn't doing that and it was kind of nice.

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of my beads here. But be warned, they could be really ugly! I never know what I'm going to get when I open the kiln, but that is half the fun! Sometimes I make something that I am sure is just fabulously beautiful and when it comes out it's really not so pretty. I'll just have to wait and see......

Portland Here I Come!

Next week I'll be heading to Portland for Bead Fest Portland at the Oregon Convention Center. Here are the show hours:

Thursday Sept. 24, 5-9
Friday Sept. 25, 10-7
Saturday Sept. 26, 10-6
Friday Sept. 27, 11-5

I'll be at an Artisan Table in space #16. Hope to see you there!



I've come up with a new color combination for a Lovely Bloom Bead. I'm calling it Marina. I just love the vibrant blue, and how the lighter blue radiates out from the center.