12.14.2016 - Castle Hill Graffiti Park

Austin... you've gotta love her.

YEARS ago - I lived in the neighborhood at the top of this park.  It's on the edge of being right in the midst of the meat of downtown, and has a view of that says it all.  "Way back when", this was a failed foundation for a commercial venture.  Given a few decades - it has become an art gallery that is always in flux, with new art popping up overnight - then obscured by the next up-and-coming one.  Nice - as it's like watching a r.e.a.l.l.y slow movie... 

Awhile back, my friend Vickie R. from CA was visiting and we went for a brief visit... since then it's become a mainstay to show visitors the oddly quirky remnants of this city and tell tales of things not torn down - but repurposed... I kinda like that.   Anyhow.  

It inspired a set of mine - that is way more colorful and abstract than I normally work... but it gives me hope that someday my inner child will be released. : )

JillSymons.com Lampwork
Graffiti Park - $130

So, this set above is on tonight's update... I was planning to do a mini one - only with cool earrings, thank you Barbara Muth (ArtSongSoul on Facebook) for yesterday's email.  Saying how when she was wearing her long purple pillar earrings - they made her feel like a million bucks (even when she was wearing the garb of an artist at work)... big smile for me, and inspiration to work in long slender pillars at the torch for the day.  Hence the update.... : )  The holidays are looming - and I decided to do what feels good this week.

: ) - smiles - Jill
(just to show you a pair up for grabs... )

12.7.2016 - Bubbles in the Park and a Preview

Last summer Luis and I took a trip to Boston, and we tromped all over that city - and one of the  magical visuals I took back home was this small gathering that were utterly delighted at the bubble creation performance at the edge of the pond.

I found instructions to make this and will direct you there - granted - I guess this is more of a summertime thing - but - I just remembered how wonderful they were - and maybe some of you are in a location that this would work - NOW... : )

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/giant-bubble-wands/

The weather here in TX has finally turned cold... tomorrow night it's supposed to get down to 30 degrees... so - I'll be schlepping what plants I can into the garage for awhile.... Granted, torching and having a heated kiln going are perfect activities for this time of year - know that I'll be at the torch!!  Update tonight with this week's goodies - tonight at 9pm EST - stay warm.... smiles - Jill.

JillSymons.com Lampwork

11.30.2016 - Tenacity

I was sweeping the deck today - and found this treasure.  I guess the mother plant had been brushed up against and had lost a petal... and through a desire to exist... it has forged forth.  How amazing is this?  And how amazing was it that I found it today, when my mind was elsewhere.
Many of you out there know my father "Glassdaddy" aka Frank... today he completed his first chemo treatment... he seemed to weather it well - but it still must be awfully scary.  Jill

11.9.2016 - Culinary Bead Courses

While I love making beads - I equally love photographing them... then writing about them.  Is this considered all consuming, I wonder.... ?  Anyhow - my sons both rave about a Netflix series called The Chef's Table, and last weekend we tuned it in.  One would think that being a chef and their subsequent preparation of food is the main push of what they're about, but not according to this series.  

There is talk of instead of adding rosemary to a dish - perhaps placing a plate on top of a pillow that allows gentle puffs of the aroma with each cutting motion... delights the sense of smell - in combination with taste and obviously (presentation) sight.  

I realized that I had taken this advice to heart this week and instead of serving you side dishes, my photography was serving up the main course plated with the sides.  The menu is cohesive and the sides vary... and of course the photography was a delight!  Enjoy.

I try hard to always give you an idea of size... and call out the measurements of the beads, even sometimes resorting to the bead-in-hand photos... which give a sense of scale.  I understand the help it provides, but dislike the visual pollution on my website... and who likes their hands photographed?  So - this approach serves two purposes - to whet your appetite, and to give you a sense of scale and how the beads/focals relate to each other.  FUN, huh?? 
smiles, Jill

10.26.2016 - ... I love it when... "My Friends are friends with My Friends"

I spend much of my time working solo.  Creating solo and musing solo.  Throughout my life I have always moved so often that I now I can claim a significant collection of friends scattered all over.

Granted some of them are glassy, some of them are from school, and some are just the timeworn OLD friends - broken in and comfortable.  What I've begun to see recently, through social media, is that my separate 'friend groups' are starting to cross over... and be friends with each other.  I then surmise that I must attract/collect a consistent type of person, and for that I am glad - as it affirms that I am steady and true.

This week I have retreated to the comfort of the magical groupings of beads - and I am again finding the same theme, glad to see that whatever style of bead I've made - again, somehow - they all seem to play nicely together - be it through color, texture, shape or just overall theme.... and for that - I am very happy. : )  Jill

*Remember - tonight's update (10.26.2016) at 9pm Eastern Time... http://www.jillsymons.com

10.19.2016 - Stiff Competition....

The Weekly Wednesday Update for my website is supposed to go live just about the same time that the final presidential debate starts.  All I can say is that I'll post it and when you tire of the debate you can come see some pretties... no drama here, just gorgeous glass.  (smile)
 


I'm on the cusp of venturing out to writing my first tutorial... and am looking for some advice, as I know many of you are also beadmakers... What has worked best for you?

Also - for you "non-tutorial writing beadmakers" - what would you like to have a tutorial ON?

I think one of my favorite things is shaping of glass.  Sometimes making it do what it doesn't want to.  

I've been making beads for 20 years, and while much of what I do has become just motor memory... when asked to describe something, I would normally tend to gloss over what has just become the normal way of doing things.  I had a friend watching one day - and I heard her "AHA moment"... she pointed out that I had done something that solved an issue she had been struggling with,buty it had just been the normal way I do things... so attention to detail will be paramount.  Huh. Neat.

I discovered lampworking on eBay - and learned in a vacuum, through mostly trial and error.  LOL, mostly through lots of error!  My passion has never waned - and through these weekly updates - I have always felt the need to constantly be pushing forward - to discover things so that you will always be eager to come back.  Last week, I happened upon one of those moments where all the time put in pays off...  and all I can say is I will explore this further - and when it's to the point that I have enough secrets and techniques to pass on, there will be a tutorial.   Want to hear the glass sing?? Can you hear the symphony yet?  Smiles, Jill

*update tonight at 9pm EST - at http://www.jillsymons.com

10.5.2016 - Xeriscape... and making beads

Today I was watering my flower garden out back, marveling at how nicely the Portulaca and Bougainvillea, Lantana and Esparanza are doing.... making a mental note that planting things that are native is just so nice... instead of worrying about a plant that wilts and complains if the sun is too hot or I don't water it often enough - these plants just flourish!! SO - mental note: take note of what works and plant more of those!!



Then I thought about my beadmaking - trying to find a parallel to the garden.  If I made beads with the styles that were easiest - all my beads would be round.... but.  They are most interesting, it seems, the more they defy gravity and surface tension... let's take something that naturally wants to end up being round, and instead, make it into something that has straight lines and corners!!?  Yikes.  AND  - lets make two of them that MATCH!

9.28.2016 - Finally.

The good news is that I only made ONE hollow bead this week... the bad news is that I only made focals =====>
I made fourteen focals.  14...

These are my very favorites.  I am seeing these black cylinders with raised chunky scrolls and perimeter dots on a simple long chain for Fall.

I've chosen to round out this week's Weekly Wednesday Update (tonight 9.28.2016 at 9pm Eastern) with some favorite sets I have and I hope that will please.
: )  Jill

Jillsymons.com Lampwork

On an aside.  I was working on perfecting how to etch hollow beads that I'd already removed from the mandrel.  One thought I had was to use that rubbery silicone caulk to make little stoppers for each end... that needs some work.  BUT in doing that - I solved another problem....

I make all my findings - and it's always a challenge to keep ear wires paired up... (as I do try to make them in matching pairs) It seems a waste to bag each pair separately, I found that if I put a small dab of the silicone on one ear wire and gently push the second into it - they stay nicely together until I am ready to use them!! 

 

9.21.2016 - Can't See the Forest - For the Trees!!

OK... so you know I've been on this hollow kick now for a few months, and no - it's not out of my system yet.  Last week I talked about how beautiful the etched beads were, and yes they are - but I found myself dreading cleaning out the residue from inside each bead.  UGH.
I would sit and painstakingly wind small tufts from a cotton ball onto a thin wire and wipe the inside of each bead with alcohol - when the average set is around 15 beads that is HUGELY time consuming.

So - after trying everything I could think of, and suggestions from friends I finally decided to Google it.  Right - why is that always my last resort?  Thank you goes out to Anne Londez from Switzerland... who rather matter o factly said - UH... I just etch them while they're still on the mandrels.  

Blink. blink. blink... jawdrop.

I did, and am pleased to report that no longer is the INSIDE etched, and no longer am I cleaning out residue for hours... it was quick, easy and just wonderful!!  Thank you sweet European non-overthinking Anne... smiles and an embarassed eye roll... Jill

9.14.2016 - Fall Etchings

I know that lately I've been making lots of hollows... the season has been such that it just felt like the right thing to do.  Granted, I'm still not over making them - but I wanted to showcase a necklace that I finished up this morning... : )

Transparent glass is just gorgeous... but so is acid etched glass... it's a little more tactile, as each piece feels like time worn beach glass, and while you can't see in one side and out the other, it has a nice presence & feel  without a lot of sparkle.

The problem with etching is - that there's no going back, so I will most likely offer up these hollows as is first.  I spent awhile this morning cleaning the inside of each of these hollows with a small wire and a tuft of cotton ball... it's worth is though.  There are two hollow sets available tonight on my update.  These are larger than I've made in the past - I'm just in a lil-bigger mode... : )  

JillSymons.com Lampwork
Fall Jubilee Necklace - $375

You know... awhile back I made a video of me making a hollow... it's on YouTube, and I've posted a link in an earlier blog... I'll go get the link, just so you can see the process. : )

Hollow Bead Video - Click the bold text and see the video I made last September... the angle is a little strange, as i wanted you to be able to see just what I was doing.   Enjoy. 

smiles,
Jill