Monday, December 27, 2010

Yehawwwww



Well it finally happened! My son just got engaged! I am so excited and proud. My son and his girlfriend have been dating for 8 1/2 years, since they were 14.
Celsi has become part of our family already, but now it's different, she is my sons fiance.
Now I can tell people "this is my son's fiance".
They have been a blast to watch growing up. Both have been so wonderful. Great students, beautiful people, and wonderful adults.
I could not be happier.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

I am a Horder..er of Beads.


Ok so this is a problem. I have too many beads. I made these bead sets for Bead and Button 2010. Did I tell you how bad that show was..it was bad. I came home with loads of beads, which I promptly lost and then made more for another show. Well guess what I found this morning, yup the beads I lost. Now I'm feeling a bit sad.
They are a reminder that my stuff is not selling. It kind of feels like a slap in the face. Here you go Libby, tons of beads STILL here, not being sold or used. It makes me wonder are they really good enough or is it because I have not made an effort to really sell them.
So here is an early New Years Resolution, get these beads on my Etsy store, and start to promote more!
So look for some challenges with bead give aways to see what you would do with my beads.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I'm busy, how about you.


So get this...I still haven't bought one Christmas gift yet. Ha. Yep, that's usually how I roll. Get ideas and then try and get it done in a couple of days. Every year. I think I will try and do it earlier but it just doesn't work.

It really doesn't feel like Christmas unless I see certain shows, the old Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer with Burl Ives, the cartoon Grinch not the new one with Jim Carry (sp), and the best...Charlie Browns Christmas. I am not into Frosty the Snow Man, that one just never did it for me.

What were your favorite ones?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

HO HO HO!


I am in the mood, that's right I said it, I love Christmas. I love the crisp cool air, driving home at night and seeing the houses all lit up, the smells, sounds, fires in the fireplace, friends, shopping (i know..right) and yep I am a Christian so it also has special meaning for me.
Seems now that saying you are a "Christian" has a different meaning. I am not a right wing conservative. I am about as liberal as they come...and kind of a cool person. It's really too bad to lump us all into one category or think we all think the same way, or act the same way. Guess what, I cuss, drink, gossip sometimes, and question my faith constantly, that is part of it for me.
I have my own personal relationship with God and it is unique to me.
You know I am super smart, very educated. I know all the intellectual reason for why the early Christians choose this time of year to celebrate Christs birth, his resurrection in the spring, I am not stupid. I get the doubt.
My faith is based on belief that there is a higher power. One of my favorite quotes about faith comes for the movie "Keeping the Faith" It really says it all for me.

"It's very important to understand the difference between religion and faith. Because faith is not about having the right answers. Faith is a feeling. Faith is a hunch, really. It's a hunch that there is something bigger connecting it all... connecting us all together. And that feeling, that hunch, is God."

Off my soap box. Hope I didn't offend too many of you. I give you the right to your beliefs without judgment, hopefully you may do the same.

Peace.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Holy moly dude!


Ok seriously I have got to get my butt going. The new store is selling like crazy and our ornaments are flying out the door AND my earrings are too. I thought making 20 pairs this weekend would catch me up but looks like I need to make more of the little boogers.

Oh and can I say...I love the crisp cold air of winter. Ahhh it is so nice not to have warm weather. I love the winter. I think it is quickly becoming my second favorite season, with fall being my first. You know what is the best, the smell of my kitties fur after they come in from the cold. They smell like pine, fire places, and fresh air. It's heaven.

What are your favorite smells of winter?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Beep Beep


Wow, soooo busy. We opened a store in the mall here in town and I have been making jewelry like a mad woman, AND I have several deadlines to fill that are super exciting!
Need to keep my head down and get this S@#T done.
Hey are you going to sign up for my class at Bead and Button? You should, it's going to be super cool and FULL of information.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving














Happy Thanksgiving to all! This is a day of celebration of family no matter how small or large. I have lost two large forces in my life, my mom 8 years ago, and my sister Becky 3 yrs ago. So hard to not have them here with us, but I know that they are there in spirit.
It has made our Thanksgivings very small with not a lot of family to share it with. We have wonderful friends that we see every year and they have become our family.
So off we go to Joe and Ellen's house.
Everyone have a wonderful and blessed day.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Rusty Dreams


Have I showed you my new Steampunk pendant. It has gears, patina brass, watch parts and my own glass bead in the center. It was pretty fun to make and I can't wait to make more.

I am having dreams about finding an antique, second hand store that has hidden old rusty gears, washers, metal stampings, watches, and just plain ole junk that I could spend hours sorting though. Wouldn't that be grand. I bet I could find some cool stuff in Tucson. I used to go every year when I had the bead store, but can no longer afford to go. I do miss it, not so much Tucson (its dusty, brown, gritty, and not nearly enough green spaces) but I loved the shows. You could find treasures galore around each corner. I need to try and make it back there.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Great Class!


We just got done with a wicked cool class with bead artist Trey Cornette.
It was a fun class filled with wonderful students. It is nice when all the students seem to gel with each other. All the creative juices were flowing and Trey is such a great teacher. He has little tricks, suggestions that the students really caught onto. Everyone learned tons. If you get a chance take one of his classes, take it!

I have been working non-stop for a couple of weeks so I am taking the morning off. Watching Young Frankenstein. OMG I forgot how funny. Abby Normal...snort.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Good News!! Finally..


After going though lots of artistic self doubt I finally have some good news. My class was accepted by Bead and Button 2011. I will be teaching the Off Mandrel Soft Glass Implosions. I have always wanted to teach at Bead and Button but couldn't ever seem to make the deadline or gather up the courage to submit a class.
I am super happy I did and rather proud. I am going to take this and celebrate!

Next. I received in the
mail a book. Hummm I don't remember ordering a book. I opened it up and it was Kate Mckinnon's beautiful new book The Jewelry Architect. Oh how sweet, Kate sent me her book, but there was no message and it was sent by the publisher. So I looked further and there was my name in the back and my beads on one of the project pages. Wow super cool. I knew Kate had some of my beads but I didn't know she used them. What a gal.

Ok a bit about the book. It is great, fabulous, and jammed packed full of information AND there is a DVD that accompanies the book. Kate constructs jewelry to last. She gives thought to everything she touches. She wants her jewelry to be that piece of vintage treasure that you find at an antique shop 50 years after it was made, and it is still strong, and sure, and ready to wear.

There are great unique ideas and it is a book that I highly recommend.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Why oh why..


Why oh why do I keep making these pods? They really are fun to make and I love trying to see if I can make the silver glass work on them and I am getting close. It's such a sexy shape, and so wearable.
This does seem like a pattern in my bead making...remember the racked beads? Oh well.
I think to get really good at something you have to make a lot of them, especially in bead making. I think time on the torch also helps to find your own voice or bead style. The more you are on the torch the more you are exploring glass and how it works. Sometimes you get it quick and sometimes it takes time. I think when you rush it, it shows.
For the longest time I would just jump right into it and let it go. But now I am very careful about letting my beads out into the world. I have thrown out so many beads. The people in the studio found out I was doing it and would dig though the trash to retrieve them. HA.
I got smart and now wrap them in paper towels!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

What to see my studio?


























I posted pictures of Third Degree where I work on a forum called LE. I thought tons of people had seen pictures of it before, but so many had no idea how cool it is. I thought it might be fun to share it with my blog friends.
So here in random order are the hotshop, kiln, cold shop, then my studio, and some pictures of our galleries and the great glass sinks and facets in our bathrooms.
Enjoy.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!



Sorry I haven't been around lately but my sister came in town and I have been busy running around doing fun stuff. We went to a flea market and picked up a rug for her daughter at school, went to a lovely couple of antique stores, were I found this great rug! I didn't expect to find a great rug for my living room but it was on sale and in great shape.
The next day we went to the storage lockers from my sister Becky's estate. It's always hard to go and see all of my sisters things packed away in storage. All of her things have such memories for me, and I usually cry every time we go. She had some great paintings and my sister and I wanted to get some out of storage for the kids. Jan and my kids dearly loved their Aunt Becky and now want to have a bit of her in their apartments, so we are slowly going though her things. I got a couple of paintings myself.
I need to get going and carve my pumpkin! We are doing a trial run for Thanksgiving (we do one every year cause you can't have just one Thanksgiving dinner a year!)

Hope everyone has a great Halloween.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Deep Breath


Ahhh my favorite time of year. I love the smell of fall, the riot of colors, the crisp cool air. I drive around my town and see bluffs by the Meramec river and the trees are amazing. On my drive to work I go though Forest Park and see the changes and it makes my heart sing.
I look forward to winter too. I love the contrast of the blue sky and bare branches, the green of the pines with snow on them. There is nothing better than a fire in the fireplace and soup on the stove.
I am a nut about 4 seasons with deciduous trees, have to have those deciduous trees. I think the most beautiful scenery involves trees Oaks, Maples, River Birch, Hickory. I grew up in a town that had 100 year old trees. Large and stately, offering cool shade in the summer and colors like mad in fall and spring. You could stand under them during a driving rain and only feel a couple of drops, climb them and dream away the summer nights.
I am getting ready to bundle up and sit outside and stare at trees. See ya.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Frustration or Inflated Ego..humm


It's so hard to put myself out there. Rejection is not my thing. I have been doing this for so many years( 14), and teaching for 10. There are some pretty cool bead techniques I have in my back pocket and when I do teach, students dig my class. I have potential students who are asking if I teach in their area, several in one area. However getting booked at a studio is frustrating and I feel confused and then I start to question if I do have it.
I hate this s@#t. Seriously. Makes me question everything.
I guess I will keep trying and just pick up my big girl panties and march on.
So if you are one of my potential students I am trying, honest.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Bead Porn







Finally I got some new beads listed on Etsy. It took all day but I got it done. Lots of work listing stuff on Etsy. I even sold a Pod bead to a buddy (thanks Jaime). I will be listing more stuff as the week goes on, but I think I got a good start. Lately I have had tons of people asking me why don't I list more on Etsy, and where can they get my beads. I do sell a lot of beads at Third Degree and it does keep me busy just keeping up with that, but I do want to get better at listing on Etsy so give me sometime and I will deliver. So without further ado BEAD PORN.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Snort!

OMG too funny. One of the funnest things I have seen in a while.

Smell Like a Monster

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Uhmmm excuse me.


This is Winston, otherwise known as "Big Kitty". He loves food. A bit like a dog. Most cats seems to be a little picky, but not Big Kitty. He also loves to leave us little presents. If you have cats you know what I mean. He is a big ole tom cat and not very affectionate, unless it's his idea, then the purring begins. When he jumps up into our laps we are still, making sure we don't move, so we can get some Winston loven's, a rare treat.

Making beads cause I still can't find all those sets of beads I make for Bead and Button. I know they are hidden somewhere in the bottom of a box.
I love making beads this time of year in the studio. All the doors are open and everyone is working, making beautiful things. Heaven.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

I promise I will be better


Such a bad, bad blogger. I promise to make sure to update more. I have been busy making beads for a little show here in St. Louis called Glass Galore. It is our local glassbead makers society's yearly show and its fun to do.

Finally it is turning cooler. It really is my favorite time of year. The sun is warm and the air cool. Perfect time to be in the studio. All the doors are open and the breeze keeps us all cool while working with super hot glass, kilns, and flames.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I'm feeling much better....

For those Monty Python fans "I'm feeling much better, I think I could go for a walk" A long haul but day by day I am feeling better. Still a lot of coughing and hacking but hopefully that will be over soon.
Glee is back on! Yipee. How can you not like this show. It's marvelous. I tell my classes if they watch I will give them a Pass +. A couple of them kind of cock their heads to the side wondering if there is a new grading system, Ha.
I like to randomly hand out Pass +'s and Pass -'s, keeps them on their toes.
Making some beads and hopefully be able to update my Etsy store.
Later Taters.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Cough, cough, sniff, sniff...


Dang nabit I got sick. I started sneezing every 10 min, and I thought it was allergies, but it seems I got my daughters cold. Arggg.
Getting sick kind of pisses me off. I have lots of stuff to do, not just work but fun stuff.

Remember all those great bead sets I made for Bead and Button a couple months ago..well seems I can't find them. Seriously were in the heck did I put those? I think I need to organize all my show stuff and see if I stuffed them somewhere I didn't look.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Friday, September 10, 2010

Habitat For Humanity.


So excited . Third Degree is doing a build for Habitat For Humanity tomorrow. I have always wanted to do a build. Third Degree has always given back to the community, so when we decided to sponsor a build we were so excited. The whole crew is going to be there! When you get the whole group together it is pretty crazy.
I will try and get some pictures.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Sketchy but good Score!


My daughter took me to this flea market deep in the middle of the Sketchy part of St. Louis. All cities have them but its good to explore different parts of the city. Of course it was mostly cheap knock off purses she was after,but me, I was after rusty junk to put into pendants.
It was a big old supermarket that they had set up booths in. It was super hot that day and of course there was no AC. Arggg I am not a heat kind of person, drives me crazy, but we were there so I tried to make the best out of it.
Right off the bat I found these great rusty old iron pieces. Perfect for someplace in the house. They must have been from a gate or something. I wire brushed them and cleaned them all up. My husband of course said "aren't you going to paint them?"
(insert rolling of eyes here). I had to explain about patinas and good rust etc...I still don't think he gets it, whatever...
Aren't they lovely!!!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Oh how I adore thee.


Ok so once more obsessed with combining my love of glass and metal I have fallen" in admire" with Richard Salley I am sure many of my fellow bloggers already know about this talented artist, but I have just recently found him.
I stare at his work and ponder how can I make it my own, and how can I incorporate my beads into this new style.
So I am sketching, working, wasting TONS of wire and generally spending a lot of my
time making and remaking things.
It's hard work. Having to figure out how to measure, bend, twist, drill, attach, and construct the piece so it looks purposeful and complete.
So here is a couple of my new pendants, with plenty more to come.


Monday, August 30, 2010

Back to School


I am sure many of you have kids going back to school. Such an exciting time of year. My classes start tomorrow. A fresh batch of students to introduce to the wonders of glass.
It's so much fun to see how excited they get as I make a simple bead. Such a everyday thing for me that I forget how cool it is to see glass melting and being shaped into a round bead.
I really need to figure out how many times or students I have taught glass bead making to. It's got to be getting close to over 500. Wow that's a lot!
Be working on my metal and will make sure I get some pictures up soon.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Ohhh such a bad girl.


Hate it when I don't post for a long time, but my Dad was in the hospital, and I was really nervous and too unfocused to do a good blog post. Dad is fine but when you have only one parent left it can get kind of scary.

Ok on to matters of epic proportions...etching metal. Ok so a fellow blogger Judith posted some pictures of her super cool etchings that she had done. She got some really good deep etches and we exchanged emails about how sometimes you get good etchings, and sometimes you don't.

Recently I had a friend tell me to try Red permanent markers, saying it worked better than black. Well I tried it and I am thinking I got better results with black. So I tried a little experiment and it does seem the black is better.
In the photo the two smaller ones I used black permanent marker, and the larger I used red.

Anybody else have any results they might like to share for deeper etchings? Longer soaking, red or black markers? Humm the mystery's of etching.


Sunday, August 8, 2010

Oh felting how I love you so..


Dang and double dang. Why oh why did I have to start loving this felting thing? I have always adored the wonderful and talented Gail Moore who felts beautifully and teaches! I never felt the pull until lately.
On the other hand do very simple beginning type stuff, but I am starting to expand and my head is spinning with ideas.
I guess its the feel of the fibers, the rich colors, and the endless possibilities that are pulling me in.
Of course I always have loved fibers, and now the goal is to combine the glass, metal, and fibers altogether. It will take time cause I just don't want to slap stuff together, but take my time to really discover what feels good to my aesthetic.
Patience grasshopper...

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

I'am Backkkkkkk


Yep back from the ISGB Gathering 2010. I had a blast.
We had a wonderful opening reception at the Eastman House in the Gardens. We were able to wander in the home of Mr. Eastman. It was a beautiful night.
I reconnected with tons of my friends and then back to open torch.
Next up demos on Friday and then while I was in the Tech Vendors area who do I see but my buddy and author of Totally Twisted Kerry Bogart!

The Bead Bazaar was on Sat. and was so much fun. I was next to my friend Nolly. My friend from work (Denise) was my roommate and she worked my booth so I could look around and see everyone's work.

I talked to several studio owners (who hopefully I will be teaching for next year), and tons of people asking where I teach. So if you are interested in me teaching in your area the best thing for you to do is contact your local studio and let the owner know!
They love to know they can fill a class if they feel there is an interest in an artist.

I went out to dinner with some really fun people on Sat. night and we literally laughed the whole time. Some pretty witty people in the ISGB.

Got to spend time with tons of old friends and made lots of new ones. Can't wait till next year!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Glup....


So much to do, so little time. I have two more days before I leave for the Gathering!
Really it is one of the highlights of my year. It's a mini vacation with like minded people, who all want to talk about glass and beads all the time. I have so many good friend that will be there that I can't wait to see them. Demonstrations, buying, talking, bar, and great dinners with great people. Ahhhh.

Oh and something cool is happening. Unexpected. I am beginning to feel part of a blog family. Those blogs who I follow I am feeling a kinship with. A glimpse into their art lives and how they think. It's fun. I feel I am getting to know them. I know it's hard to catch up with everyone's blog that I follow, but I am trying.

I leave you with my obsession...those fricken dang beads. You know I am going to have a butt load of them at the Gathering and sell zippo, nada, the big "0". Oh well more for me, HA.


Saturday, July 24, 2010

So flippin excited.


Well I decided to stop being a whiny bit#$ and get over it..although sometimes I still might be a big baby and whine and cry that nobody likes me...but for now I am pulling up my big girl panties and moving forward. Doing what makes me super happy.

So here is a glimpse into my head. Love the unexpected in glass. Taking simple techniques and turning them around so they become something new and different.
Ok so I complain about silver glass but I do love what happens to it, just want to incorporate it into something that pleases me.

So this technique is super old. Used thousands of years ago to decorate the surface of beads. Tom Holland showed me how to do this and also gave me the background of the history of the raked bead. Super simple technique, very elegant and used by tons of beadmakers. So I added a twist and did a really cool color shift on the base bead and used Psyche silver glass and racked it. Super simple but I LOVE how they turned out.

So now of course I am obsessed and will make tons of them for the Gathering and people will think "what the hell" BUT I am lovin it and that's all that counts.

Ahhh glass its so flippin cool.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Introspective blog


I have been battling self doubt lately (like so many artist do).
Should I post about it or not. Feelings of being the last kid picked for kickball. Posting pictures on forums and being passed over (not using a lot of silver glass can be a bitch).Trying to set up teaching gigs and getting no responses or even worse "we will keep you in mind" arrrggg, (I teach a bitchn class, dudes...really!) People just not being very nice, and letting them take advantage of me.

Even worse doubting my work and wondering if I should keep going or change paths (Starbucks is hiring...) But a tiny little thing happened.
A couple of posts by some nice people and some praise from unexpected places have given me a much needed boost.

I guess we all go though this, but this self doubt is a drag. It brings up shitty emotions like anger, and jealousy. So I am going to light the torch and make things I like. Things that feed my soul. Because their are people out there who I have touched with my art and those are the people who matter to me.

As my buddy Sage says "Peace, Love, Beads".




Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Seriously...really.


So I am trying to get beads made for the upcoming Gathering (beadmakers convention) coming up in a couple of weeks. I have a table at the Bead Bazaar and need my best stuff to sell.
So I am making some cool stuff yesterday and one of my off mandrel beads got to cool and BANG broke in half.
Ok that's alright I can make another one.
So today I made a kick ass pendant. Really it was baller, Well constructed, great colors, nice, nice, nice. I turn to my kiln to put it in and......the fricken kiln wasn't on. Yep busted right in half.
Some days are not bead days. ARRGGGGGG.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Ahhh youth,


My son and his girlfriend decided last minute to take some time and go to Colorado before they begin their graduate programs this fall. So they packed up the car, loaded all the gear and went camping at Rocky Mountain National Park. They are having a blast, camping, hiking, fishing and generally going "into the wild". WHICH if you saw the movie or read the book (you should do both!) I was worried my son would do. He is too connected to his family to do it, but I could see him checking out of society for a summer and hoofing it around the US. Hell I could see myself checking out and doing it too.

The Big Ass Sale went great. Some good friends stopped by and bought some pretty cool stuff. I still have lots left but will be selling it at a "bead" garage sale next weekend, so hopefully it will all go to a good home.

Oh and by the way the sound track to Into the Wild is baller. Eddie Vedder rocks my world.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Big Ass Sale!


I used to own a bead store. It was a great store but I sold it about 3 years ago.
So when I sold it I kept TONS of stuff...duh. Ok so I might have kept too much, and so I am going to have a BIG sale at my house to sell off some inventory.
So if are in the St. Louis area stop by. Drop me a email libbyleu@gmail.com and I will give you all the details.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

New Bead Design.



You would think after 13 going on 14 years making glass beads you would run dry of ideas. Nope they keep coming.
I see pictures, or remember old techniques I haven't used lately and stuff just pops into my head. One thing I have learned is to draw it out, or write it down, otherwise I won't remember it.
I am thankful that I can keep my beads new and fresh, so my stuff is always evolving and doesn't look the same year after year. That's why if you copy me or my beads its no big deal, cause baby I WILL come up with something new. Fer shure.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Ahhh when is it coming!


Ok so I was bad...I bought a disk cutter at Bead and Button. It was $115.00 with shipping. My buddy Jim Jones said it was a good cutter cause it has screws that hold
the metal in place as you hammer your cutter. So I bought it and that was about two weeks ago. Argg. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head and need that cutter.
The studio has AC on Mondays so I hope to get it this weekend. Fingers crossed.
Did you see Jim Jones Steampunk beads he made at Bead and Button. They were beautiful and so well done. Jim seems to take every art form and pushes it to perfection. Such a talented artist and his wife Lani is too! They are the main reason I am coming back to Bead and Button. Lani and I are shopping buddies and Jim and I shop for tools....perfect.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Bead Porn Baby





I am falling hard for metal..But still love my glass. So I got to thinking how can I combine the two. So I have been playing around with a new style and really am happy with the results. I got some new tools at Bead and Button and so I have lots of new ideas swimming in my head. Enjoy.