New work

I'm working on a few new things - night scenes and ocean scenes. Couldn't be farther apart! But I'm having fun with both :)

Here's a night scene - Blue goldstone background, big yellow moon, tree silhouette and a black bird preparing to take off from a branch.

and from a series of Starfish by the Sea - A red starfish waits on a sandy beach for the cool blue water to cover him.

I have another series of ocean floor beads that I'm working on as well. For now, I'm calling these my 'no fear' beads. My goal is to feel the freedom to add more and more elements to a bead with out the fear that the next step will 'ruin' it! It's a concept that I have difficulty allowing myself to believe :)

Off to the torch!! Happy Monday :)

Random Thoughts

I have been on a roll lately! In the last two days I delivered over 140 beads to my local bead store The Sun Dog Bead Co. Two torching sessions per day have really boosted my production, and the cooler weather has helped a little. I'm still working my way through a huge pile of beads that aren't currently listed anywhere for some reason or other. I must often put them in the boxes that correspond with where they are listed before they actually make it on the site! Some of that pile will be made into jewelry for my 1000 Markets shop, but most will be listed on Etsy and ArtFire. There is only a week and a half before school starts so we're headed out of town for a few days, but come September - Look Out! I'll actually be able to torch full time without any interuptions! I'm planning to update my blog once a week starting now (wait, now - no, now) :) and I'm also working on a tutorial! More on that soon. There is so much to do when you're a one man show!! Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you next week :)

Designer Showcase - Splashings

Featured Designer Karen Cedrone-Harris of Splashings is a talented designer that makes fantastic jewelry using handmade lampwork beads by a variety of artists!

Karen began making jewelry 5 years ago when she became a stay at home mom in search of a challenge that would keep her busy. She started making jewelry for herself, and then friends and family and eventually selling her jewelry to the friends and co-workers of those that wore the pieces she made.

Karen says: " As I tried new things, I discovered lampwork glass which I love. I never get tired of looking at it and am truely amazed by what glass artists can do. I love blues and greens and anything that makes you think of warm sunny places and the beach. I have fun trying to find new ways to use beads or trying to figure out a new technique I saw in a magazine, it's like a puzzle."

Karen started selling on Ebay and switched to Etsy last year. She also sells at shows and festivals in the MA and CT area. Her Etsy shop announcement always has a current list of upcomming events. You can also find her work at:

~Closet Collections - 409 Columbia Rd., Hanover, MA~

~HOME Wellness Center - 1028 Poquonnock Rd., Groton, CT~

Don't forget to check out Splashings Etsy shop for your next One Of A Kind jewelry purchase!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6220155

First Post!

So this is my first official Blog Post! (Assuming we ignore the fact that I got ahead of myself with ping.fm) :) I'm just going to start with my generic "about me" statement tonight, but hopefully this will be the place to share all things beady!

Generic statement:

I have a passion for glass that I hope to share with you here. I love the solitude of working at the torch, the way the glass melts and flows, and the sheer magic of turning a blob (I believe that is the technical term!) of glass into a tiny little treasure! I also love the way any silly little thing can inspire a bead - coffee cups, fabrics, even smells!
I live in the middle of Washington State (on the dry side of the mountains!) with my super-fantabulous husband and 3 amazing daughters. I make all my beads in the incredible home office/studio my husband built for me and the girls help with website updating and photography. If you would like to learn more about me or see pictures of my studio - please check out vedasbeads.com