3 Beautiful Things

Its always interesting pondering "beautiful things" that have happened during the course of a day, week, month.....So I sit here this morning thinking...thinking about all that is good in my life...thinking of what was beautiful this week.......Here is what came to mind;

1. An old friend. Yesterday I met up with Ginnie...an old friend from high school days that I hadn't seen since. When I walked in the door to where we were meeting w both exclaimed, "You look exactly the same!" We talked about our upcoming Reunion and friends we shared. So nice to step back in time and reconnect to someone whom you had lots of fun with!

2. Getting up early. I'm an early bird by nature. I LOVE to get up before anyone else and enjoy my first cup of coffee in peace. Listen to the early sounds of morning. Take in the denim blue sky. Check out the moon. It feels like your cheating the day and getting something in extra. Its a beautiful thing to rise early and enjoy peace.

3. The drive to work. Believe it or not, my drive to work is something I find beautiful. I have certain trees I like and watch them in there various seasonal stages, I look out over the water (Lake Ontario) and dream about the ocean and I just like to see what I can see. During this time of year its the swans. I can see them building their nests in the ponds I pass by and the human visitors that stop with their expensive cameras to take pictures. The swans are just so beautiful!

What beautiful things have filled your day or week?

Whack Your Head Wednesday

Reverse

#27 Reversing how you look at a situation can open up new possibilities and dislodge assumptions. Example: when everyone else is gazing at a glorious sunset, why not turn around to see the blues and violets behind you? What do you notice when you look at a coffee cup? Its design or color? Reverse your focus and look at the space inside- thats what gives it its functional value. Example: spend a minute describing a current problem. If you're a male, describe it from the female point of view. If you're a female, do the reverse. How can you reverse the way you look at your ideas?

Tutorials

Last August I created my first video featuring how I make my hearts. It was a nice video but I realize I have some improving to do. But now that I think I could do better and that I have my feet wet so to speak, I'd like to try my hand at some other tutorials. I have a few ideas but would really like to know what you would like to see. So, if you have an idea or have a particular something you'd like to know more about, send me an email or post it in a comment here. I'd love to hear from you.

Heart and Hand

In June I do a Joining Hearts and Hands promotion where I donate all proceeds to this organization. While working at the torch yesterday I made these. Heart in a Hand Beads. Kind of cute. I'm thinking of using them to make pins.

My Baby Head Buttons will be available today in my Etsy shop. So darn cute.

Fasinated by Keys

Each day this week I've made Key beads. I find a key and feel compelled to add a bead or two to it.

Can't say I have a favorite yet. Its just the process that I enjoy.

I don't yet have a cleaver way to use these as of yet. But who cares! Its just fun making them.

Do you see one you like? Today is a new day so I'm sure to make another Key Bead. Maybe I'll put some in my shop to see how they go over.

Wickedly Wonderful

The glass does all the work here....simply beautiful. So many things come to mind when you stare into these....an amazing sunset perhaps...merky waters...a dessert landscape? Just love the colors you get when playing with the fire a bit.

Now what to do with them? Hmmm. Sometimes things just have to sit a spell before they realize what they want to become.

New Work- Bead Nouveau

I'm really trying to explore new things these days in an effort to broaden my skills. These are a few of my new beads and the beginning of a new series of beads. I'm thinking of calling the series Bead Nouveau taken from the Art Nouveau movement.

Art Nouveau focused on rhythmic florals and decorative curving lines. I think of Tiffany Lamps, fancy iron work and french posters when I think of this period in art.

So, this is my new series! I hope you like them as much as I do. Here are a few other new beads. I don't know if any of these will be part of a jewelry design or just stand alone beads....

I hope you let me know what you think. Very different from the vibrant bright colors I tend towards. Please look for some of these beads to be listed in my Etsy shop later today. I want to enjoy the sunshine before the rain comes!

Whack Your Head Wednesday

Don't Fall in Love With Ideas

#45 If you fall in love with an idea, you won't see the merits of alternative approaches- and will probably miss an opportunity or two. One of life's great pleasures is letting go of a previously cherished idea. Then you're free to look for new ones. What part of your idea are you in love with? Kiss it goodbye!

Chill Out, Relax, Work the Problem

This was the phrase Trey used all weekend......I like it!

Class With Trey

These are a few of my beads during my weekend class with Trey. Not the best image but you get the idea. I absolutely loved the class! So inspired and ready to move forward. I have been itching for a new direction and think I'm on my way.

Along with all the great technique I learned, I also met some very nice people. Pictured here is Yee, from North Carolina and Claire from Virginia. I haven't taken a class in a few years and but this is just my first in many coming up. I enjoyed meeting all these new friends. The host of the class, Kris and her husband John were awesome! Down to earth people who really made everyone feel welcomed. Kris runs a teaching studio out of her home in PA called Noodlesaurus. I'd recommend taking a class there if you get  a chance.....the drive is worth every penny.

3 Beautiful Things

1. Watching the trees waiting to burst with leaves.
2. A compliment from a co-worker. Sounds small but when you are the art teacher you are a minority within your building. Often feeling unrecognized and unappreciated (from peers that is....students love art). But I've had several compliments from staff who are new to the building and boy does that give cause to smile. Its beautiful when we all appreciate each other for who we are and what we do.
3. Flowers. We all know they are beautiful. But a simple display of fresh daffodils that you see day after day make your day a bit brighter, sunnier & happier.

Whack Your Head Wednesday

Find A Pattern

#10  Poet Alexander Pope: "Order is heav'n's first law. Much of what is called "intelligence" is our ability to recognize this order in the form of patterns. We recognize cycles (plankton yields conform to a strict four year bloom and bust cycle), sequences (the order in which you put on your clothes), processes (how to convert flour, eggs and milk into waffles), tendencies (cracks in dried mud usually form 120 degree angles), shapes (the stars that make up the constellation Leo), similarities (stellar galaxies and water emptying in a bath tub spiral in the same way), behaviors (etiquette on a crowded bus), and probabilities (the likelihood of throwing a "seven" at a crap table). What patterns do you detect? How can you use them to better understand your idea?

Sunday's Featured Artist

Ayako Hattori

I'm fasinated with Japanese culture and their style of lampwork beads. The Japanese not only have a different type of glass, they also use a different style of torch too.  But what I love most however is the underlying style of Japanese lampwork. Grace, control and nature.....at least thats what I see. Today I would like to introduce you to Ayako Hattori. By learning a bit about her, I know you will love her work as much as I do.

How long have you been making beads and how did you get your start?
For about 10 years. I started bead making at a local hobby class. We used very small torch, so we could only make very small beads.

Where do you get your inspiration and who do you admire?
Nature and flowers inspire me. I often look up photos on internet. I admire Japanese and Western artists who make flower and scenery of nature.

What has been the most challenging aspect of your work?
I make marbles from Japanese techniques. Japanese Satake glass is too soft to make good shapes. It is very difficult for me but I keep on trying.

What are you most proud of?
When customers are pleased with my beads. I feel so happy and proud.

What do you hope to achieve in 3, 5 and 10 years?
I'm not sure. But I want to make more lifelike flowers and animals.

Three words that describe you?
Logical, diligent but a bit silly. Logical thinking is needed to make complicated murrini. It takes time so yo need to be diligent.

An interesting fun fact about you?
Satake glass is very soft so we blow surface of bead to make it solid before we put it into the kiln. When I blew on bead, my lips touched it by mistake. It was the hottest kiss of mine!!


I've included this video to show you the Japanese method of lampworking. Hope you've enjoyed learning about Ayako and will visit her Etsy shop too. I keep waiting for a particular bead that I should have snagged when I originally saw it!

3 Beautiful Things

1. A warm spring day off from work to be spent with my husband. Such a rare occassion. Doing simple things together like grocery shopping, working out at the gym, cleaning the cars and cleaning the house.
2. Signs of Spring. Seeing buds on early spring blooming bushes and trees, Robins searching for worms and listening to the birds calling early in the morning.
3. Time spent with friends. I went to the movies with 5 girlfriends last night. We laughed, enjoyed each others company and saw an okay movie. The night was warm and we all felt like it was summer.