Where does the time go?

I guess I am not really a very good blogger.  My last post was in February and now it is early July!

Spring was busy with the Oasis Bead Show and then my beloved Toronto Bead Society - Bead and Jewellery Fair in May. 

I am still playing with my new style of beads.  They do have a name - Bakbuk beads - Bakbuk is the hebrew word for bottle.  I was making one and thinking about things that it reminded me of and I thought of that old TV show "I Dream of Genie" and the wonderful bottle she lived in.  I think if I were a genie I would like to live in a fancy bottle. 

Here is one of the latest of these beads: I am trying to branch out and play with more colours.  This can be difficult for me.  Each of these beads takes at least an hour, sometimes two, to create.  What if I don't like the colour combination? 

This one is a really pretty bead.  In real life it is very difficult to see the colour differences between the red and the brown.  Though in the photos I could more readily see the two colours.  Sometimes red glass is too brown and other times it is too orange.  Fussy, fussy me is never quite happy with our selections of reds.

I am gearing up to teach at Red Deer College in just under two weeks (I leave in 11 days to be exact!).  I have an almosst full class and a five day plan of beads to make.  It should be tons of fun.  I google-walked around the campus just yesterday and the place looks lovely!  I hope the weather is nice when I am out there.  I am getting really excited. 

Turning a corner

It is funny the way things happen.

I love making my Ottoman beads.  They are full of details and take a great deal of concentration.  Somedays I just don't have it in me to concentrate quite that hard.  Other days I think why do I want to make another one of those - have I not made enough of them.

Then, there are days when I just want to make them in different colour combinations and continue to tweak them.

Recently I started playing with light hearted creations - novelty glass you may call  it.  I have participated in a local Toronto bead show for many years and was quite surprised to see that her description of my work included those words: Lampwork glass by Amy - beads, pendants, novelty glass  The first time I saw that I was not impressed, but I have always had some quirky items and I suppose it is novel.


Recently I decided that perhaps I could combine the novelty (owls) with the Ottoman.  I started with a squat little shape and began to decorate it as an Ottoman bead - in the end it was really quite nice and I did not have the heart to put eyes or wings on it.  

I had such fun that I made another, and another.  I am still trying to find a good name for these large, intricate, teardrop shaped Ottoman beads - Owl Ottomans? Teardrop Ottomans?  In any case here is a selection of the latest of these beads.

It was a snow day here in Toronto.  I had hoped to have many hours at my torch, but it somehow did not work out that way at all.  I think I have spent the entire day either in the kitchen or here at the computer.  I have a baker's dozen of fresh bagels, which are delicious, if I do say so myself and perhaps Saturday will bring some new Ottoman beads.