Deronda designs.... blog

Not much to say today.  I've been spending many hours out in the studio, but for all the time, it seems like I'm not coming up with much I like.  I know, I know, we are our own worst critics...

Any way, some pics of some May beads....

 

 

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It's so nice to see that spring is really here.  The grass is beginning to get green and the flowers are starting to pop up.  I've been organizing the studio and I'm not sure that I will ever get it done.  But it works...I have a section for the torch and a space for the fusing. 

I've started a newsletter...or rather am trying one.  I can't add any more widgets here so if you are interested you'll have to check out my etsy blog   http://derondadesigns.blogspot.com  and click on the feedblitz signup. 

 

 

The Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) and the etsyBEAD Street Team have joined forces for a creative collaboration challenge. CGGE members will create gorgeous glass cabs, beads, and pendants for etsyBEAD members to turn into beautiful pieces of finished jewelry. These pieces will then be donated to the Helping Others Street Team (HOST) in order to raise money for those fellow Etsyians in need.

Check out the pictures of finished pieces as well the one day poll!   http://creativemindsforcharity.wordpress.com/

More pictures here  http://flickr.com/groups/cmcchallenge/pool/

The pieces are now being sold in the HOST shop on Etsy   http://host.etsy.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

The things I have been learning about the computer....I am going to try this and see how it looks.  Hmmm, this is sooo much fun.

 

April 9, 2008

I'm on vacation for a few days.  No torching, no listing, no beads until the 15th.  It is probably needed and I am so looking forward to spending time with family! 

I do have new colors of glass for when I come back and that is always an adventure.  And I will do one glassy thing while I'm gone and that is to find more fusing glass. 

I've become a contributor to my etsy street blog and am working on doing some member spotlights.  Makes me think I should also do featured artists on my blog so you can see some of the amazing work that is being done by people I've come to know through the beads and Etsy.

 

And now for some of the things that I have been doing this month so far....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 25, 2008

The more I learn, the more I want to know.  Glass still fascinates me as much now as it did in the beginning.  I still feel like such a newbie, and there are so many things that I don't know about what I can and can't make the glass do. 

I've had the flu, and it really kicked my butt.  I was miserable for days and still don't feel completely healthy yet. It's left me a bit shaky, so my torch time has been very, very limited.  The last thing I need is to end up with a burn because I don't have control of the glass and flame.  But not being able to stay away from the glass, I pulled out the fusing stuff and have been playing with that.  It's so different than playing in the flame, but I like it.  This is my first attempt at multi layered fusing...a very simple coaster design.  I did one, liked it so made 3 more so I actually have a whole set of them.

 

See, nothing too detailed, but it does give me an idea of how things work.  Of course, now I want more glass...the story of my glassy life.  Sell something, buy more glass!

I've gotten more involved in EtsyBEAD which is an Etsy street team, or a group of people working together to promote their Etsy shops.  It's fun to "meet" other people that share a common interest and it's a zany lot, but tons of fun.  This is a set of beads that I made that a jewelry designer will use to create something to be sold for charity.  I am anxious to see what she will do with them. 

 

March 12, 2008

I think I have begun to spread my wings and I am scared.  How in the world am I supposed to fly?  What if I hit the side of a building?  What if I don't know how to land?  And in the land of "what ifs" I am still spreading my wings, and beginning to realize that glass has given me so much more than I would have ever dreamed.

I've made some wonderful friends both online and in real life through the glass.  People that make me laugh, inspire me, encourage me, and give me a sense of belonging. 

This bead makes me laugh so hard...go look and tell me it doesn't just make you giggle.   http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7934774  She  makes some awesome beads.

Then there is this   http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8723223   Amazing fused pieces that I go and drool over on a regular basis. 

And this:  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7302957  The metal work is astonishing and beyond beautiful.  And out of my price range, but hey, I can always dream, right?

 

If you've never checked out what Etsy has to offer, you should wander over there and check it all out.  You could wander for days and never get to the end of what you can find. 

 

I also started a flickr photostream.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/derondadesigns/  Now I must thank my daughter LC for getting me on Vox and Flickr.  But I've been adding more and more pictures to flickr and it's kind of fun. I've been getting people adding me to their contacts and how sweet is that?

But just in case you don't have time to go to flickr, I will show you a couple of things I've been doing;  cuz ain't that the fun part?  seeing the pictures?

   

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 9, 2008

Seems like life has been busy...at least my beading life.  It's fun, exciting, frustrating, and at times demanding.  I love the torch and glass, and I even like the challenge of selling the beads, but I still feel like I have a lot of things to learn and could really use a class in organization and time management.

I see beads sometimes and I can just tell who the artist is.  I don't think I've found my "style" yet and I hop from thing to thing depending on what's working.  Lately, I've done a lot of flowers, but also some other different types of beads.  I think I should blame one of my customers who got me started on making "flame" beads for her.  She tells me that she is making neck pieces with them and that at least one will be going to Iraq with her son-in-law who will be going back for the 5th time. 

 

 

 

The flame beads are big beads, and I've been doing some other big beads.  I think they will make good "man" jewelry. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of my favorites...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course, I have to show you some of the flowers

 

March 3, 2008

 

Here's a sneak preview of what may be listed this week in my Etsy shop.  Of course, there may be others-it just depends on how the kiln fairies treat me this week.

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 29, 2008

Tomorrow will be the first day of March.  I know we could still get snowstorms and have cold, cold days but somehow it doesn't seem quite so bad when it happens in March.  The promise of spring is in the air, the days are getting longer, and you know it won't be too much longer before you see the first blooms.  I guess that must be the reason that most of the beads that I have been working on are flowers....