Bead Talk

If you’ve come looking for me…..

maryann — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:33:08 +0000

I’ve got a new address! You can find my new blog by clicking on the picture of my lampwork beads below. Thanks for tracking me down!

New Camera…..

maryann — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:05:18 +0000

……that comes complete with a HUGE new learning curve. Sigh. I am excited though, about the potential this camera has. Hopefully this rookie can eventually do it justice. I’ve got a long road ahead of me!

Another oldie while you are waiting….

maryann — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:05:23 +0000

I did a series of beads using this technique back in 2004/2005 and ran across a small stash of them when I was attempting to herd my lampwork into one common area. After finding beads in a multitude of nooks and crannies, apparently with no rhyme or reason to my stashing mentality, I made a mental note to be less casual with my ’stashings’ (as if that would change anything!) Most of them were tabular but I found this one that I had left in its original rounded bicone shape.

The Mary Mobile!

maryann — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:33:53 +0000

Well, not really mine. My dream transportation would be an old 4-wheel drive truck with a lift and a winch for lifting large rocks, but the paint job is right! The picture was taken by yours truly at the Main Street Reunion Car Show in Napa. What every flame lover should drive while wearing these boots:

Just Where Did I Leave Off Again?

maryann — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:06:53 +0000

I’ve been sorting through the trays (yes I said trays!) of lampwork beads I made before the abrupt halt nearly 6 years ago, and discovered a tray holding some of the last designs I had been experimenting with. The bead above is one in a series I had been exploring. I’m dusting them off (both literally and figuratively) along with my trademark designs as I continue to unearth all of my lampwork tools and glass.

Where to begin is the question, though I might find myself making spacers, lots and lots of spacers, mind-numbing amounts of spacers(!) to get warmed up.

I have been derelict in my duties….

maryann — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:01:42 +0000

Don’t bother looking down to see when I last posted. Believe me when I say that wooly mammoths were roaming the earth when I penned that particular entry.

Instead of saying I’m getting closer to returning to my lampwork art, (please don’t count how many times I’ve said THAT, ha,and by the way I’ve added lapidary art) I’m going to share one of my newly acquired treasures.

I hate to admit (since they were sold as specimens) that I had originally purchased them to cut up and make cabochons. Shhh. Don’t let word of that get around. However, they were just too beautiful and special. They sit, along with assorted treasures, in my office.

Though there are many of my special items that family will puzzle over when I am gone and exclaim to themselves “mom was a little weird, wasn’t she?”, there is no denying how beautiful these are. I hope you like the eye candy.

Patiently Waiting

maryann — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:50:20 +0000

Thank you all for waiting patiently for some news, ANY news about when I’ll be selling my beads on a regular basis again. Believe me, for each time you ask yourselves “when?? when??” I am telling myself “next week, next week” a hundred times over.

A friend of mine once asked me if I was dangling my torch time out there as some sort of reward for when I finally deserve it. Well, sort of. I’ve been working hard taking pictures of my beads for The Red Bead online store The Red Bead Boutique. So busy, that I have had scarcely any time to torch.

The good news is I have a stockpile of my beads. The bad news is they are showing up at The Red Bead (the only place to buy them online right now) in dribs and drabs. Thanks for your patience!

My Second Love…………

maryann — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:18:13 +0000

Though I haven’t made any beads recently (working on that, I promise!), here is a picture of one of the chainmaille bracelets that have occupied a lot of my time. I used to teach a lot of chainmaille classes at The Red Bead. Avid chainmaille students were dubbed a member of the TRB Chainmaille Gang.

Where do I Begin??

maryann — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:09:13 +0000

At times it seems like the past 4 years have whizzed past in a blur, at other times, it seems like (as Billy once said) they have been measured in dog years.

As I set up my studio, dusting off the remnants of my previous life in glass, I worry that the connection has been broke, that too many years have gone by and that my artistic path that was once so clearly defined has now become too blurred.

My head is reaching out in multiple directions, current responsibilities, past artistic loves, future possibilities, and the net effect is that I sit artistically immobilized. I was once the person who could take off at a run, grasping at a parachute on the way, and know that it would open as I leapt off whatever cliff I had chosen to point myself toward.

It always worked out, sometimes with a smooth effortless ride and others with scrapes and cuts, but it always worked out. Now I sit wondering if the parachute will be there. My cliff has turned into a huge rock wall.

Time to go to the studio and start breaking down that rock wall…..

FINALLY!!!……….

maryann — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:19:09 +0000

I have spent hours, days, and weeks, trying to figure out how to log back in to this blog. Good grief it is good to be here!! It is not a wordpress-hosted blog (back when I had more computer skills I downloaded the software so it sits on my server) so signing back in became a bit more of a challenge, since I didn’t know how to find the page I needed to sign in.

I am one of those foolhardy people who believe that just because they USED to be able to remember everything they think they can still rely on their aging bank of brain cells. Now that I’ve utterly exhausted myself breaking into this page, and am basking in the glow of a challenge met, updates will have to wait. Duty calls in other areas today.

My it is good to be back!!!

Scooting Out the Door…..

maryann — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:32:14 +0000

Well, we had almost ALL of it yesterday, in the way of weather at least. We had fog, we had rain, we had bright sunny warm skies, we had hail and we even had a tornado pass by over a neighboring town. Once we had it all, we had it all over again. And again.The weather just kept repeating these patterns until about mid-afternoon. The weather has definitely been a mystery these days. One good thing about yesterday for the weather forecasters, no matter what had forecast they were right!

I’ve got to scoot out the door right now before the blizzard strikes. I’ve got some new beads made so hopefully when all of the frenzy of activity lessens around here I’ll find some time to update the shopping sections.

Tornado Watch in California?…..

maryann — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:44:47 +0000

Dorothy, is that you?? While we made it through last night’s flood watch unscathed (thanks to a few quick two-steps from Billy, it appears that now we are under tornado watch. Whaa?? Brings back memories of my childhood visiting our extended family in Oklahoma. My relatives were always WAY too relaxed in the face of the threat of tornado destruction to suit me. Here we would be standing in the doorway watching the trees do deep knee bends and toe touches and they calmly tell me to go on to bed, they will wake me if the winds get too strong. Huh?? How about I sleep in the root cellar?

New Auctions…..

maryann — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:42:50 +0000

Thwarted…..

maryann — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 17:59:08 +0000

Okay, I resisted the urge to run off to a Gem Faire today recognizing it as an avoidance tool (what, me avoid taking pictures of beads??) and I’m going to lash myself to my camera and get the site further updated….as soon as I get a diet cola…….and after I fill out that magazine subscription online……and hey, I think the dishwasher stopped so I really do need to unload it…….is that the mailman I hear…….and……and…….what????

Rekconks eislgil tlientlie…..

maryann — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 03:14:14 +0000

What, you can’t understand the title?? You don’t know what language that is? Well, that is a taste of what my updates will look like when I’m wearing my shiny new wrist brace. I swear this thing has a mind of its own. It somehow started up the voice recognition thing on my keyboard (I didn’t even know I had one of those) and I can’t figure out how to disable it, AND it wrote a really rude email to Billy, LOL. So, until I figure out how to show this thing who’s boss, my typing will be limited (and very possibly bizarre).

Beadmaking Day…..

maryann — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:02:22 +0000

While I was working the morning must have been sucked out of the room because it has apparently just evaporated.

Have a great day! I’m off to the studio to take advantage of a slightly warmer day.

Need Beads?…..

maryann — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 19:38:50 +0000

New Gallery…..

maryann — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:07:40 +0000

I’ve finally gotten around to updating that tired old gallery of mine, I hope you like it! It’s pretty bare bones but it has all of the important stuff, the pictures!

They knew how to turn a phrase…..

maryann — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:53:23 +0000

Getting along without a heart
They say is hard to do,
But I would gladly give mine up
If it were claimed by you.”
~Mom’s keepsake from the 1930’s~

Just a Little Eye Candy…..

maryann — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:36:44 +0000

Something to look at while I’m away. These will probably be in the next update.

Focus, Focus, Focus…..

maryann — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:32:08 +0000

Black, White, Red all over?…..

maryann — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 21:02:26 +0000

I’ve been playing around with this color combo for my pinwheel beads. Yes?

Ancient Beadmaking Tradition…..

maryann — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 04:37:23 +0000

Following in the footsteps of ancient beadmakers before me, I went down to the studio today with a firm list of things I was going to make……and I didn’t make one single thing on the list. I recently received an email from someone asking if I ever made little beads. So, realizing I hadn’t made any in a long time, the thought occurred to me when I lit the torch this morning that I should try some of my new designs in ‘miniature’. Just one, that’s all, then onto the list. Currently my kiln is full of little beads, none of which were on the list. :->

One New Set…..

maryann — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 20:07:46 +0000

Gridiron…..

maryann — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:11:16 +0000

My tribute to football (that IS a football term, right? :->). Look for them on Ebay, probably tonight.

Not a Football Fan (she whispers)…..

maryann — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:15:53 +0000

BUT I will be taping the game so I can later fast-forward through all of the football action and watch the performances and commercials while I eat all my SuperBowl snacks. Go Team Go!!

Another Auction!…..

maryann — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:19:59 +0000

This auction stuff is harder than I remembered! I recall, years ago when I started on Ebay, I would put about 30 auction a week on. Not only THAT, I got everything packed, the paperwork done, AND had time to make more beads, clean the house, make dinner, take care of a huge vegetable garden and scoot the kids around town to school and activities. I even made homemade bread! Who WAS that superwoman and where did she go? This is just a long-winded way to say I am running out to do some torching and we’re having Cheerios for dinner Billy!

Hold Onto Your Hats….

maryann — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:23:28 +0000

Caution, Doesn’t Travel Well…..

maryann — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:07:22 +0000

I’m home, but while yesterday (pre-jetlag) I made plans for today including painting the whole house inside and out, making 1000 beads, developing 100 new websites, and putting a year’s worth of beads on the site for sale, today I find that my energy is at a level best used for wrapping myself in a warm quilt, flipping pages of a good book and if I’m really, really ambitious maybe taking a hot bath.

Monday Whizzdom….

maryann — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 18:48:08 +0000

Today I have a hundred things whizzing through my head and as yet have not been able to reach out, grab one and pin it down.

Spun Glass…..

maryann — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:34:39 +0000

Each year I try to add an ornament to my collection and some years my collection gets more of a boost than others. While I used to collect Santas I now find I tend to gravitate toward glass but finding unique glass ornaments is a challenge. I can always count on RASgalleries to provide at least one “can’t leave without” glass item to take home with me. If you are ever in Napa Valley and love glass, I suggest you make room for a visit to the gallery while you are here.

If you have checked my shopping page index you might have seen that I am working on an update. I will let the mailing list know when the beads are listed (are you on it yet??) but my internet connection has been more than a little troublesome the past several days. I am waiting until whatever problem is causing it to be resolved before adding the update. Thank you for your patience.

Breathe In, Breathe Out…..

maryann — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:52:13 +0000

Wax on, Wax off. This morning (egads, is it almost noon already??) I am running around the house in a delirium trying to knock as many ‘to do’ things off my list as possible so that I can then tear across town, turn screeching into the parking lot and burst in the door breathless to the building where my first class in “D-Stress! Using Meditative Movement” will be held. Do you think I sound like a likely candidate for most improved by the end of the 7 week course?? I mean, I have nowhere to go but up!! Oh, rats, I have to find a magazine to take with me so I will have something to read while waiting for class to start. I mean, I can’t just sit there with nothing to do but, erm, meditate, can I? :->

Eerily Beautiful…..

maryann — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:18:27 +0000

The moon last night was amazing. It had been drizzly most of the day and then, in late afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds and remnants of its glow lingered past dark. The clouds were slowly drifting across the face of the moon and combined with the last remnants of the sunlight to produce an amazing display. I only wish I could have gotten more shots but the camera, a cantankerous tripod, and an unlevel surface made for more of a bungling professor routine than that of a serious photographer. I am such an amateur at this, but I hope to learn as I would love to do justice to these beautiful scenes.

I’m off to get serious about beads! For those of you who missed my announcement last night (via the mailing list) there are still some goodies in the store! Thanks for dropping by today!

Looking Glass…..

maryann — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 04:57:05 +0000

I loved the design and the color combination in the top beads so much that I had to do it again, in reverse! Don’t look for them for sale just yet, though. They’re going to be my desk buddies for for a few days while I think about how to offer them. In case it hasn’t been apparent, I love the effect of repetitive designs. In my opinion they offer a dramatic statement that just can’t be beat. Your eye isn’t fighting for which bead to look at, instead you get it all in one big blast!

Feed the Need…..

maryann — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:02:24 +0000

I admit it, I am a card-carrying magazine junkie. Yes, my first choice would be bead and jewelry magazines, but I enjoy reading material that I don’t have to invest myself in, as one does a long novel. Those have a place in my life as well, but I love all of the little treasures, words of wisdom, and sometimes useless but entertaining information that magazines provide, sometimes in only a few minutes of reading. I’m guilty of taking magazines in the car with me to sneak in a little bit of reading as fuel pours into my tank at the gas station. LOL! Having said all of that, I want to introduce you to my favorite ‘cheap’ magazine site. The selections vary, so if you find something you want, you had better grab it then because it might not be there the next time you visit. As an example, right now you can get 12 issues of GQ for $1.20 (yes that’s right, 10 cents per issue!), Family Circle $3.82 for 15 issues, Woman’s Day $3.60 for 17 issues, Forbes $5.31 for 52 issues, and more! I have yet to be disappointed but be sure to research the site if you have any questions. I have no relationship with the site other than being a satisfied customer. Over breakfast I enjoyed plenty of food eye candy in my new issue of Bon Appetit for a whole 50 cents per issue (eleven cents more than a postage stamp, can you believe it??)

If you order, be sure to follow all of the instrucions such as including the provided coupon code. Oh, and I should also say that it can take several weeks to receive your first issue (the Bon Appetit took about six.

Magazine Price Search

Cool Clogs…..

maryann — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 19:35:37 +0000

Newly added to my wish list. What every woman who plays with fire needs!
It doesn’t hurt that I love boots. When my son was younger, he said (with admiration, LOL) that I looked tough when I wore boots. Yeah, all 5′/2″ of me! :->

Safe Refuge…..

maryann — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 17:53:44 +0000

I’ve stolen a few moments at the computer this morning, hiding in my office to avoid the tasks at hand. LOL! I’d much rather be torching, but today is chore day. While it seemed a good idea (and to tell the truth, an absolute necessity) to devote one day a week to the task of bringing this household into some sort of order at the time I so brilliantly, ahem, suggested it, it is rather the last thing I feel like doing this morning. Much like the staunch mindset of “I’ll start my diet tomorrow” while still full from a hearty meal of spaghetti and buttery french bread. The next day, however, your resolve melts as your stomach rumbles and you are faced with a gauntlet of tempting foods in the fridge. Ah, well, the pastry beckons me but I must brace myself and go eat a breakfast of cardboard (so to speak :->).

Seeing Red…..

maryann — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 22:15:32 +0000

Newly added to the store.

That Little Voice……

maryann — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:06:02 +0000

Just checking in for a moment while I brace myself with yet another jolt of caffeine before trudging down to the annealer to check on yesterday’s batch of beads. I’m a little leery of what I will find. During the flood our power blipped off a couple of times, nothing serious, and really not given a second thought other than the fact I had to drag myself out of a sound sleep to put an end to the annoying flashing numbers of my digital clock burning through my eyelids like a lazer. When I turned on my annealer to begin my torch session yesterday, a brief, but in retrospect oh so clairvoyant thought, crossed my mind that perhaps I should check the program. Nawww.

I had a pretty good, if not wildly productive, day at the torch considering it had been sometime before Christmas since I had melted glass. Around 6 I decided to call it a day, took my annealer off ‘hold’ and assumed it would go through my annealing schedule like it always does. About 3 hours later I go to the studio to get a soda and find that my annealer is still at annealing temperature.If this were soft glass it wouldn’t be a disaster, but with boro the longer some glasses stay at annealing temperature the darker, muddier and/or hazier they can get. I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t working with rubies, which can turn a horrid livery color if not treated just right, reset my annealer to finish the program, and have kept my fingers crossed all night. Now to find the courage to peek in the kiln!

Disaster Averted……

maryann — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:39:10 +0000

It looks like I had only a couple casualties! Pheww. You can bet I will listen to that little voice from now on. Above is just a taste (look for them in my store), more to come later. Right now I’m off to pack boxes and then on to the torch.

Diversions…..

maryann — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 23:12:27 +0000

Anytime there has been a long lampworking dry spell I find myself looking for excuses not to venture into my cold, dank lampworking space. Obviously today it was photography :->. The good news, though, is I still have tons of beads already made and I have been working on getting them placed in the online store. Take a peek:

Specials Anyone?…..

maryann — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:08:08 +0000

The BEST news is I’ve figured out what was wrong with the blog ‘clock’ and the color of the comments link (see, up there next to the titles of the threads?). I’m now not appearing to be a time traveler and writing my entries a day in the future AND you can actually see the comments link and the other links without them appearing as if they are fading before your eyes.

Rationalizing…..

maryann — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 20:48:23 +0000

I remember when my mother-in-law would defend the nutrition of the bag of Cheetos she had just given my 2 year old by exclaiming with a gleam in her eye “it’s nutriitious! It’s full of cheese!” I must be embracing my golden age as I just rationalized substituting THIS for a portion of fruit for lunch, actually convincing myself that it was just as healthy. LOL! If you want to eat as nutritiously as me, here is the recipe:

Pineapple Apricot Salad

Baaa, Baaa…..

maryann — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 19:38:22 +0000

We took a trip to Ikea yesterday to investigate cabinetry for our kitchen and my work studio. For those of you who have never been to Ikea it is a surreal experience. Much like going to Disneyland without the rides or the fun, oh, and the people movers are of the manual type (as in one foot in front of the other along paths that have arrows painted on the floor in case you lose your way). Your path has been predetermined and on a busy Sunday afternoon don’t even think about changing direction. If you see something you want you had better grab it as you pass because you will be risking life and limb trying to weave your way back against the flow of the giant human tsunami. By the end of the ‘trail’ my eyes had glazed over and all I wanted was fresh air. As the check-out lines came into view with more people than you would see in a Disneyland “E” ticket line (is my age showing?) I paused, braced myself, and sighed deeply. Billy put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was okay. “Yeah, I said, I just feel like such a sheep”.

Will we return? Of course! Where else can you buy coffee mugs and beer glasses for 50 cents?? If they have something you need, odds are you won’t find it cheaper. I must also admit that the cabinets I have purchased in the past were excellent. Ah, well, nothing more to say but baaaaa baaaaa.

Sunshine Brings Beads

maryann — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:05:29 +0000

It’s hard to believe that we had torrential amounts of rainfall less than a week ago. The last few days the sun has been shining and it has been absolutely gorgeous. Just enough warmth to make you close your eyes and raise your face to the sun to drink it in.

I’m slowly adding new items to the shopping pages today (see cool link at the right :->) and hope to blow the dust off my torch tomorrow. If the sun is shining once again, it will take a herculean effort to stay inside however!

Professional Blogger………Not!…..

maryann — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:46:03 +0000

After struggling for 3 days trying to get this page set up, I think it is fair to state that I will never be a professional blogger. :-> I have, however, most certainly broken the record for number of irreversible errors you can produce while setting up a blog. Well, irreversible except to dump it all and start over from scratch.

That being said, Fear not! There will be beads again soon. I’m also working on some stickpins for those of you who have lapels in need of dressing up!

Flood Aftermath…..

maryann — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:24:47 +0000

Napa is beginning to dry out and the sun is shining, but the site of water-soaked carpeting, furniture, and other possessions are evident in many parts of town. There is also a lot of debris that had been carried by the flood waters still littering the town. The last news report I heard stated the damage was around $130M in Napa. It appears that the weather will stay dry, for the most part, so hopefully the people that were the most affected will be able to focus on the task of putting their homes and their businesses back together without any more setbacks.

Wringing in the New Year…..

maryann — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 02:37:43 +0000

‘Wringing’in the New Year in Napa (or is it wringing out?). For those of you who have been to Napa, this is the intersection at Monticello Road/Trancas and Silverado Trail. This was Saturday afternoon after the water had receded a bit. Once the rain had stopped, Billy and I got into the truck to see if we could get into town and get some sand bags. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

We were basically cut off from the rest of the town, some of which was either under a few feet of water, covered in mud and silt from the rivers and creeks, or cut off, as we were. Billy commented that the arial view we saw on the news looked pretty much like New Orleans after the levee broke. Thankfully, unlike New Orleans, the waters here eventually receded for the most part by today. Another big storm is due in this evening. Hope y’all are keeping dry! :->

Blast From the Past…..

maryann — Tue, 20 Feb 2001 04:11:05 +0000

While cleaning out some files I came upon this. It is a catalog, of sorts, of my production beads I made 10 years ago. I was working in dichroic glass then. I have been toying with the idea of picking up the dichroic again and seeing what I would do with it now, but moving from the high heat required for boro to the gentle heat needed to produce the most brilliant results from the dichroic is a huge step. Maybe one day. Click below to see a larger picture of them:

Dichroic Lampwork Beads 1996

Rosebud…..

maryann — Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:00:37 +0000

Shake, Shake, Shake……

maryann — Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:00:31 +0000

Today is not the day to smell the roses. I’ve been distracted with a project the last couple of weeks but today is the day I shake myself off and get back to beads. I am just going to go lose myself in the glass (I know you lampworkers out there know what I’m talking about, right?).Stay in touch this week, I’ll be posting some new things.

Rainbow Days…..

maryann — Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:00:05 +0000

You would think with all of the dramatic changes in our weather over the course of a day, rain-sun-rain-sun-rain, that we would have at least one little rainbow to delight in. Alas, no such luck so I had to make my own!

Happy B’Day to You!…..

maryann — Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:00:02 +0000

I’ve been playing around with this color combo for my pinwheel beads. Yes?