It is a wonderful variegated red, pink and white rose called ‘Fourth of July’. It was . . . → Continue reading: Wanta See MAY’s Rose Giveaway Bead?]]> I’ve made May’s Rose Lampwork Giveaway Bead! It was at the end of my exploring roses. But, let’s start at the beginning and I’ll share with you how I got to May’s Giveaway Bead. I started my lampworking journey with one of my favorite roses in my garden.

My 1st Lampwork Rose Was Inspired by ’4th of July’

It is a wonderful variegated red, pink and white rose called ‘Fourth of July’. It was a love affair from the start. On the rosebush, each rose bloom is a different combination of these 3 colors. Each morning it is always a surprise to see the amazing new blooms.

4th of July Roses

I was very pleased with my outcome of the variation of colors I got by carefully mixing compatible glass colors. Unlike nature, pink and red glass colors don’t play together nicely. I also spent a lot of time working with powdered enamels (powdered colored glass) to get the beautiful speckled effects that the real rose has.

See It On ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

My 2nd Lampworking Venture Was Encased Roses

I’ve also been experimenting with encased roses. I explored applying different amounts of encasing and heating-in of the roses to see the different results. Each rose petal has 3 to 4 layers of different colored glass, and I had to pre-make the rose centers (which is quite time intensive). Don’t you love the results?

In the heart below, I melted-in the rose slowly for a wonderful effect that I love. Of course, you never know if you used the right color glass until it comes out of the kiln! Some glass colors spread too much, and some are too translucent and disappear if stretched too thin. I had 10 encased hearts not make it during my experimentation.

See It On ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

My next challenge was to create dimension on the bead.

See It On ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

Using my Art Nouveau glass flower bouquets for inspiration, I experimented with including sculptural flowers with the encased roses. Blending the 2 different lampworking techniques was a challenge. I would love to incorporate roses into my flower bouquets, and the encased roses may be the answer.

See It On ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

I told my husband I have been feeling really tired lately. I think it is because I’m thinking sooo much! As I fall to sleep at night, I’m thinking about how to turn my floral visions into glass. And as I wake up in the morning, I sometimes get an inspired idea of how to do it. So off to the torch to try the idea I go!

3rd Direction – Melted In Round Lampwork Rose Bead

© Patsy Evins Studio

This one was the most Challenging bead of all because I had to make a round bead and very, very, very slowly melt in the roses to not distort them. These 2 lampworking techniques contain two qualities that I’m not inclined towards… patience and making something round! Love the look, and a great discipline for me to practice. There’s a lot of potential for this technique in my flower making!

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DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…

The above Rose Bead will be the MAY lampwork Giveaway Bead!!

So, this is what I’ve been up to this month… three directions with my lampworking glass roses. What is your favorite Rose lampworking technique? Comment on the Rafflecopter widget below for an Entry chance to win!

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Puffy Flowers & Floating Flowers Tutorial

Have you gotten my 2nd bead tutorial? I would love to know how you are doing? Have you tried the “Puffy Flowers’ or ‘Floating Flowers’? Are you learning & using the art theory? Are you doing the exercises? How’s it going?

*NEW* 4 Testimonial Entries for a chance to win May’s Gorgeous Round Rose Bead!

Go to Rafflecopter widget below and select a Testimonial entry. You will find links to Artfire and Lampwork Etc. there to write your testimonials. Just follow Rafflecopter’s directions.

*You can leave up to 2 Testimonials on any tutorial you have purchased* (on Artfire & Lampwork Etc.) That’s up to 4 entry chances to WIN if you have purchased both tutorials!

THANK YOU for sharing with others how you are enjoying my tutorials! and GOOD LUCK!!

Some wonderful comments I am receiving from buyers:

“…These two tutorial(s) are well worth the buy, for the newbie to the advanced lampworker…”

“…there’s loads of fantastic info in here…”

“The first one is just wonderful!”

“… So many ah ha s as I read through all the information on the how to and why this happens and how to get the best results…”

Read more about my Tutorials on my ArtFire Store!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lots of lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 & 102 Bead Tutorials on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

You will learn step by step the lampworking techniques to make 2 flower beads: ‘Puffy Flowers’ & ‘Floating Flowers’. (I love the names!) We will also learn the importance of: . . . → Continue reading: Lampworking 102 at a SPECIAL price till May 14th Only!]]> Lampworking Flower Beads 102: Secrets To How To Think Sculpturally is Finished!!!

I will be putting it on Artfire TODAY!!! And I have a special price for my newsletter friends. But first, let me tell you about my new baby, Tutorial 102!

You will learn step by step the lampworking techniques to make 2 flower beads: ‘Puffy Flowers’ & ‘Floating Flowers’. (I love the names!) We will also learn the importance of:

• Hue
• Color Intensity
• Color Value
• Warm and Cool colors

Inside, I will show you how to apply each of these art elements when designing your glass lampwork beads.

Learning New Lampworking Techniques: We Will Make 2 Beads with Cool Sculptural Flowers.

In ‘Puffy Flowers’ we will be working with creating different sizes and heights of flowers. It will get you thinking sculpturally and designing flower patterns on a bead.

Bead Tutorial 102 on ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

In ‘Floating Flowers’, we will leave the surface of the bead to make some of the flowers. When you master this flower bead, you will be mentally and physically ready to jump into sculptural flowers.

© Patsy Evins Studio

Bead Tutorial 102 on ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

Tutorial 102 will prepare you to think sculptural. I use these techniques that I am sharing in this tutorial in most of my sculptural flowers. I always work on the surface of a bead, and above it, as I create my flowers.

Additional Bonus lampworking techniques you will learn will include:

• Simple glass mixing
• Applying twisties to the surface of a bead

We will continue to examine and explore our creative path as artists by learning what it takes to create a work of art.

• Here you will do exercises that will help you push your creative boundaries into new territory. Guaranteed to get you thinking outside your creative box! Remember, each idea you learn and implement will enable you to add more dimension and personality to your beads.

This tutorial was soo long (120 pages) we had to reformat it to make it more compact! It is 70 pages now, with elaborate descriptions and 120 detailed photos. It should be more user friendly to use at your torch! Let me know! Go to my ArtFire Store to check it out!

Lampworking 102 will sell for $17.77. However, until midnight May 14th, I will be offering the tutorial for a special price of $14.77 to my newsletter friends!

Newsletter members will receive the coupon code number to use when checking out to get the special price!
If you are not a newsletter/blog member, sign up now on my blog page (top right) to save!
Then go to my ArtFire Store to get it!

P.S. As a One Time Bonus, all purchasers of “The Secrets of How to Think Sculpturally” will receive two (2) free extra entries into my monthly flower bead giveaway. (You will need to enter your purchase invoice number.)

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Lots of lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 & 102 Bead Tutorials on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

Roses are native to Asia, . . . → Continue reading: Can You Guess What May’s Lampwork Flower Bead Giveaway Will Be?]]> May is here and it’s time for a new Flower of the month! This flower is blooming in my gardens right now. It has many faces, comes in many colors and is the Birthday flower for the month of June. It’s the sign of love for many cultures and we especially like giving them in February. Have you guessed the flower?

My Lampworking Flower Bead for May is ROSES!!!!

Roses are native to Asia, cultivation dating back to 500 BC in China and Persia. Rose oil for perfume is made by steam distilling crushed rose petals. It takes 2000 roses to make one gram of rose oil. I guess that is why perfume is so expensive.

A byproduct of rose oil is rose water. Rose water is used in cooking such goodies as baklava (I love baklava), ice creams, sweets, and teas. America used alot of rose water in cooking until the 19th century when vanilla flavouring became popular. The rose hips, the fruit of the roses, are high in vitamins, being one of the richest sources of Vitamin C. Boy, roses sounds like a miracle! And we haven’t even gotten to how beautiful they are!

I’ve made encased roses and sculptural roses in the past but I am looking forward to seeing where I can push myself into some new creative territory with roses this month.

Find it on ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

This is one of my newest roses which was a double Knock-Out rose. I took some liberty with the colors.

Find it on Etsy, © Patsy Evins Studio

This lampwork Rose with pearl necklace is a sample in my website’s wedding section. It’s a delicate tea rose.

Lampworking 102 Is Coming Out…YAY!!!!

My NEW and SECOND Lampworking bead tutorial will be available in a couple of days! It has 2 flower bead tutorials, lots of art & color theory to learn and creative inspiration to get your artistic juices flowing! I’ll drop everyone a quick note when it’s out! I know many of you have asked when it would be available.

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My MAY Lampwork Flower Bead Giveaway

We’ll kick off May’s Rose Giveaway with this blog post. Here’s a reminder of how to play and win.

The giveaway will end May 31, and the winner will be drawn on June 1st.

I will announce the Winner on MY BLOG!!!! on June 2nd! The winner will have to leave a comment on my BLOG to claim their prize.

To get more details and enter the contest, check the Rafflecopter widget below!

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Remember, you have to enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget above!

Lots of lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 & 102 Bead Tutorials on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

My family started griping there was no food to be found in the house (duh, I was busy creating!) The fact that March came and went unnoticed was . . . → Continue reading: OK, I’m Late! Re-reevaluating My Lampworking Goals]]> Well, it’s April 14 and I am still trying to catch up! My 1st month of making a ‘NEW Flower of the Month’ was exhilarating, exhausting and overwhelming. I sorta dropped living my life and focused totaling on creating the apple blossoms.

Lampworking or Family?

My family started griping there was no food to be found in the house (duh, I was busy creating!) The fact that March came and went unnoticed was a little scary when I rejoined reality! It’s taken me this long just to catch up on things like cooking, cleaning, (OMG and Easter that I forgot about!) People are asking where is Lampworking Tutorial 102 and I’ve committed to doing a Frit Tutorial for Soda Lime Times this month!

Sssoooooo, I’m going to have to Re-reevalutate my goals to make some wiggle room to breathe!!

The problem is I LOVE doing it all!!

I so enjoy writing my lampworking tutorials. I see them as a way that I can help others really delve into their Divine Spark and share their wonderful talents with the world. My 2nd tutorial is almost finished and I think it is going to be fabulous! I’ve created a bead with some of the flowers floating above the bead that is sooo cool! And what is really cool is how the bead looks for the top AND the sides!

© Patsy Evins Studio

Getting Caught Up With Lampworking Possibilities!

What’s happening is that I am creating new flower beads for my Tutorials as examples to teach how to get to my sculptural flowers. I so very much want everyone to understand the creative process and how easy the method is to repeat using each lampworker’s personal perspective. But what’s happening is I’m getting excited about these new flower beads I’m creating. I keep wanting to create another possible direction for the new bead and I’m getting caught up in the creative flow. It’s like I keep thinking… “what if I did this with the bead… that would be really cool… and if I did this… that would be really cool”. It’s exactly what I want everyone to experience for themselves!

So… I was thinking…

What if I create a Flower one month and the next month work on a Tutorial and talk about what I’m experiencing.

I could use one of my Tutorial creations for the Giveaway Lampwork Bead! Maybe I could even sell some of the beads I am creating while I am writing my tutorials. That would be cool! (I think I have said way too many ‘cools’!)

Anyway, Life is a constant readjustment of realigning my aim to get to my goals! My goals are # 1, share what I have learned as a glass artist with others, # 2, keep exploring through glass the wonders of nature, and # 3, grow spiritually.

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So, here’s the NEW Plan….What’s left of April is catch-up month for me!

I’ll start in May with a NEW Flower of the Month and the Flower Giveaway!

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Just a reminder that if you haven’t purchased my First Bead Tutorial, Lampworking 101, now is a great time to get started learning the lampworking and artistic techniques that I am sharing. I’ve created a new bead to add to the first tutorial as a bridge to join dots and flowers. Everyone who has bought Lampworking 101 will be receiving the new version of the tutorial when I release it next week.

© Patsy Evins Studio

You can buy my Lampworking 101 Bead Tutorial on my ArtFire Store Here!

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© Patsy Evins Studio

Lampworking 102 will be coming out in a week or two! I think it’s a great tutorial. The first bead teaches you how to get different heights on a bead, & gives dot design ideas for making flower beads.

The 2nd bead is about the last step on our way to sculptural flowers. It will teach you how to lift your flowers off the surface of a bead and start thinking sculpturally. I’ll be talking about Color Value, how to use the Temperature of Colors in your beads, and about mixing colors.

As you learn and master each art and lampwork technique I share with you, you will be filling your toolbox with the tools you need to express yourself in your beads. Building a foundation of techniques will help you to create your visions in glass.

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I’ve started putting most of my lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 Bead Tutorial on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

My . . . → Continue reading: And Here’s the WINNER of my Gorgeous Apple Blossom Lampwork Flower Bead!]]> It’s been an amazing March, getting acquainted with Apple Blossoms. My apple tree has little green apples on it, now, and all the blooms are gone! It’s time for me to move on as well, to my NEW flower! Before I announce my NEW FLOWER FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL though, I think we should see who won my gorgeous March Apple Blossom lampwork bead!

How We Chose the Lampwork Flower Bead Winner

My son has designed a program to automatically, electronically and randomly select the winner. The problem is he is in the shower and I don’t know how to make the program work. So, while I’m waiting for him to get out of the shower, I’ll show you some of my glass Apple Blossoms that were created in March.

Pursuing Excellence with my Lampwork Flower Bead

I didn’t produce many glass lampwork flower beads for 31 days of work, only about 15. The artistic creative process is time consuming. I am really proud of these babies because they were the hardest flowers I have ever attempted! I feel like I need a mini vacation to celebrate making it to the end of March. There were times when I felt like I couldn’t stretch my brain with one more idea of how to create my apple blossoms. So, I would take a break, pull a few weeds, sleep on it and always mediate about it.

I think mediating has been the greatest benefit for me. I am able to relax (something I am not good at) through mediation and just allow. I think my creativity flows the best when I am relaxed and connected to Divine energy. When I mediate, I disconnect from my negativity, my fears, my worries and I feel that what I want is possible. Many times, solutions to my problems come during or shortly after I mediate. And I am always refreshed and ready to go back into my studio to try again.

See it on Etsy, © Patsy Evins Studio

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Special Surprise for Newsletter Members!

If you are not this month’s winner, you can still possess one of my enchanting glass apple blossoms for a very special price. For the next 7 days (April 3 to April 10, midnight) I will be giving a 10% off discount on the remaining Apple Blossoms on my ArtFire Storefront. After the 7 days, my apple blossoms will go back to their full price.

The Apple Blossoms that are still available are mostly on ArtFire. Each one is an exquisite, unique and everlasting expression of Springtime’s splendor. If you have been considering acquiring one of my apple blossoms, now is the perfect time to purchase it, while they last. These are all I am creating for my March flower!!! Onward we go to April’s flower!

***This discount is a special offer for newsletter members only.***
• Attention Newsletter Members: You will receive this Blog post as a newsletter email later today. You will find the special code number HERE in the email.

Go to my ArtFire Store and use the code number to receive your 10% discount off of the Apple Blossom lampwork beads when you check out.

If you are not a member yet, just sign up at the ‘Join My Newsletter/Blog‘ form at the top right side of the Blog Page, to receive your discount code.

See it on ArtFire, © Patsy Evins Studio

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NOW for the Exciting News!

The WINNER for the month of March Apple Blossom Giveaway is JANET ANDERSON!!!!
Here is the Apple Blossom that JANET will receive:

© Patsy Evins Studio

Janet, please contact me through my blog comments and acknowledge that you have read this to secure your place as the winner for March’s Apple Blossom Giveaway! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! YEA!!! We will pay for shipping, too! You have 2 days to respond or we will have to disqualify you and select a new winner. After you respond, we will send you an email to work out the details.

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I will be writing a blog/newsletter about April’s Flower in a few days! April is going to be a GREAT month for flowers and we will kick off the “April Flower” giveaway in a few days!!!

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I’ve got a lot of exciting things going on! I just wanted to remind you to be sure to Buy my First Bead Tutorial, Lampworking 101, and get moving on learning the lampworking and artistic techniques that I am sharing. I’m working on my Second Bead Tutorial now, and you need to have the first tutorial under your belt to be ready for the 2nd Tutorial. Buy my Lampworking 101 Bead Tutorial on my ArtFire Store Here!

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I’ve started putting most of my lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 Bead Tutorial on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

The giveaway will end March 31, and the winner will be drawn on April 1st. I will announce the Winner on April 2nd!!!! This will be the last blog post before the drawing and the last opportunity to get entry points to . . . → Continue reading: Here It Is! The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!]]> Ta-Da!!!! Here is the Apple Blossom Giveaway Bead. She is sweet, delicate and beautiful! Her value is over $117.00. I’m sure someone will be tickled pink when they win this sweet thing!!

The giveaway will end March 31, and the winner will be drawn on April 1st. I will announce the Winner on April 2nd!!!! This will be the last blog post before the drawing and the last opportunity to get entry points to win this fabulous Apple Blossom Bead. We’ll put new questions on the entry form to help you out.

Come April 1st, I will be saying Good Bye to apple blossoms and announcing the New Flower of the Month!

The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!

© Patsy Evins Studio

© Patsy Evins Studio

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Are You Wondering Where My Other Lampwork “Apple Blossoms” Beads Went?

I’ll be putting up my limited number of “Apple Blossoms” on my Artfire Store. I am absolutely delighted with my flowers. I don’t think one can become intimate with one of nature’s wonders and not receive a tremendous amount of love and joy in the encounter. Getting to know Apple Blossoms has been an awe inspiring experience for me this month.

I am overjoyed to be sharing with you this month’s exploration with divine inspiration! I hope they touch your heart, too!

Height 2 1/4″ | © Patsy Evins Studio

Height 1 7/8 ” | © Patsy Evins Studio

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My Technical Encounter with Lampworking Glass

This month has been a roller coaster ride of trying to balancing my time. Putting my New bead tutorial up for sale has taken more time than I expected. Many people are so thrilled with this one Lampworking 101 they are already asking about my next tutorial, which is scaring the bejeebers out of me. I definitely need to spend more time working on finishing my second tutorial.

The Apple Blossom’s technical learning curve had a double whammy for me. Besides designing a new flower, which is quite a challenge (and taxing on my brain), I also changed from my favorite glass (Moretti) to Bullseye glass.

Bullseye is an lovely American made glass that has a personality all it’s own. It takes more heat to melt it, which gives it the advantage of retaining its form once you shape it (which helps when making the small sculptural Apple Blossom petals). A disadvantage is that many colors are more translucent than opaque. I really had to experiment with each glass color’s characteristics to see what it could do. I ended up mixing a lot of colors I couldn’t use because the mixed colors became too transparent after I pulled them into stringers. In fact, I spent a least 2 hours everyday on just mixing colors.

The advantage of Moretti glass is that it is a softer glass that tends to easily mix and blend. I like to use Moretti glass the way I used oil paints, mixing colors as I paint my picture. Because Bullseye is stiffer, it doesn’t lend itself to the push and pull of surface mixing on the bead.

So, I had to develop a working relationship with Bullseye glass this month, fast! Yikes!

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On April 2nd, I’ll announced my NEW FLOWER for April and say farewell to Apple Blossoms.

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I have lampwork art beads and my Lampworking 101 Bead Tutorial on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ETSY

I finally finished my tutorial and I am getting wonderful feedback about it! The tutorial ended up over 70 pages with lots of information and two bead demos. There was a tremendous learning curve for me, but I’m over the worst and plan on working on my 2nd . . . → Continue reading: My 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial Is For Sale, and I’ve Got Apple Blossoms To Show You!]]> I am so excited about sharing with you 2 really cool projects I have been working on.

First, I Finished My LAMPWORKING BEAD TUTORIAL! Yea!!!

I finally finished my tutorial and I am getting wonderful feedback about it! The tutorial ended up over 70 pages with lots of information and two bead demos. There was a tremendous learning curve for me, but I’m over the worst and plan on working on my 2nd tutorial right away. I’ve already had requests for the 2nd tutorial. Each tutorial builds upon the previous tutorial so I keep telling everyone to really learn this first tutorial.

Take a minute and go to My ArtFire Store and read all about the tutorial! I am sooo excited!

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Lampwork Apple Blossoms are Here!

Rich and Delicate Apple Blossom. © Patsy Evins Studio

Boy, has this flower been a challenge! I started my Apple Blossom journey by taking pictures of the flowers. You don’t realize how something looks until you take a slow, up close look at it. And I sure was amazed! Apple Blossoms are Beautiful!

To really study something, you need to draw it. So I did! That gave me even more time to get acquainted with my flowers. It’s like time slows down and you really take in all the details. Did you know apple blossoms have fuzz on most of the stems. Amazing, again!

Then I picked a few flowers and pretty much took them apart to understand how the flower comes together and grows.

Love the Burst of Energy these Blooms have. © Patsy Evins Studio

I then placed some Apple Blossoms next to me and started torching. Oops, let’s back up a minute. As I was drawing my Blossoms, I took notes. Notes about the amazing pinks they were, how delicate they were, how the spent blooms looked like miniature fireworks, the way the buds grow out of the branches and the gnarled look of where the blooms joined the branch.

This last step is the most important because it’s how I felt. And that’s part of my creative soul touching nature’s soul! It’s what makes you and me artists.

Apple Blossoms with Leaves. © Patsy Evins Studio

These Apple Blossoms are more Fine Art Forms, that I think should be put under glass and displayed. Each one took hours to make; to get the luscious pinks, the delicate feel of the petals and the exuberant burst of sparkle like the last hurrah of the Blossoms! But wait… I see little apples forming! Amazing! I feel the Apple Blossoms beckoning me onward to my next discovery of her!

I hope you take a minute or two to really fall in love with a flower. You will marvel at nature’s unbelievable talent to make every moment a joyful experience just for you!

Single flowers and Buds. © Patsy Evins Studio

I love what a friend, Vera, said about life…”Life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” And yet, that vapor carries in it millions of droplets of overflowing love from all creation!

These are individual Apple Blossoms with center holes and stamens and buds on copper wire. © Patsy Evins Studio

What inspires you to create your beads or jewelry?

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I’m working on some different Apple Blossoms this week, and I have one in the kiln that I am really excited about! I’ll pick the Apple Blossom Giveaway Bead and show you soon!!!

We have new questions/entries for the Giveaway with this blog post. You can earn more entries by doing the New entry items! Use the entry form at the top of this post.

I have yummy lampwork art beads and my Tutorial on ArtFire

My lampwork art beads on my ESTY

It’s been a difficult week figuring out how to work things so I still have a tiny bit of personal life. Things like the cooking, cleaning, mowing grass and hopefully work in the gardens before the weeds . . . → Continue reading: Update on my Lampwork Bead Giveaway]]> Important Notice:
****You must make your giveaway contest entries in the white Rafflecopter widget below the apple blossom pictures. That is the only way for us to track the entries. Entries in comments can not be tracked/counted.****

It’s been a difficult week figuring out how to work things so I still have a tiny bit of personal life. Things like the cooking, cleaning, mowing grass and hopefully work in the gardens before the weeds take over.

My son very kindly pointed out to me all the failures I will have the first week as I experiment, making my new glass flowers. And how frustrated I get…. Thank you Christopher! Being a physicist, with a mind for details, he started rattling off all the things I will also be doing. Like taking photos of the new flowers, editing the photos on Photoshop, listing them on Artfire or Etsy (which takes hours), writing blog posts about the new flowers, taking pictures for the blog, take pictures for the tutorial, writing a tutorial each month, doing the bead giveaway and all the while, keep experimenting and creating new glass flowers.

Also while all this is going on, I am also working on a series of tutorials on flowers! It’s really a series on how to be an artist in lampworking and I am putting everything I know (plus my heart and soul) into it which is taking a ton of my time! OMG, am I crazy? That’s one thing about being an artist…. I have great ideas! It’s just figuring out how to do them!

“Variegate Blues Hydrangeas”
Here’s a peek at a Hydrangea going on Artfire or Etsy in the near future.

So here’s the plan I have come up with for the lampwork bead giveaway.

1. I’m going to be flexible the first couple of months to see how and if I can make all this work out.

2. I am going to write 2 blog posts a month on how and what I am doing with my flower that month.

3. At the end of each month, which is also the beginning of the next month, I will announce the winner from the previous month and the new flower (or another subject like desserts) for the next month. This will be a very short blog post.

4. I won’t guarantee a tutorial each month, until I see if I can do everything else.

“Hydrangeas of Pink & Yellow”
My hydrangeas are starting to bud out. This one’s on Etsy now

Now for the guidelines for the Lampwork Giveaway

You will receive 1 entry for each of these things you do. You can do as many or as few as you want. I have a lot of them to give EVERYONE as fair chance at the Giveaway.

I will add more questions each time I do the 2 blog posts for those who want to enter more often. You will need to click on each entry for more details on how to receive that entry point.

Below are the entry options.

1. Join my newsletter or put the special number if already a member. (Required)

2. Mention my contest in your blog post with a link back to me. This is the only entry that gets 2 entry points.

3. “Like” Patsy Evins Lampwork Beads on FaceBook

4. “Like” the Blog Post I write that week.

5. Tweet About the Giveaway

6. Watch my Lampwork video and answer my question

7. Leave a comment on my Blog Post by answering my question about Artfire.

8. Leave a comment on my Blog Post by answering my question about Etsy.

****All the terms of the Giveaway are listed on the Contest form you will be filling out to receive your entry points. Be sure to read them.****

****You must make your entries in the white Rafflecopter widget below the apple blossom pictures. That is the only way for us to track the entries. Entries in comments can not be tracked/counted.****

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My flower for March will be Apple Blossoms!!!!

My apple tree is blooming and I have been fascinated by the absolutely gorgeous blooms. It’s the first time my apple tree has budded so profusely. Actually, we had 3 apples last year but the squirrels got 2 of them before the apples were even ripe. We did get the last one.

My family of 3 sat down around that one apple, took pictures of it, then sliced it in 3 sections and ate it. It was an excellent apple!

Hope you have a moment to browse through my lampwork art beads on my ESTY

I also have yummy ones on ArtFire

Everyone liked the Lampwork Bead Giveaway. So I thought I would challenge myself in the process and make the Giveaway very special.

I’m going to take a break from the glass flowers and sea life I’ve . . . → Continue reading: Survey Inspired Changes for my Lampwork Bead Art]]> Well, so much for doing a blog every week. I’ve already slipped. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about your answers from the survey. I’ve come up with some ideas that I hope will please everyone.

Everyone liked the Lampwork Bead Giveaway. So I thought I would challenge myself in the process and make the Giveaway very special.

I’m going to take a break from the glass flowers and sea life I’ve been doing and try something new. I will continue to put the fish and flowers I have in inventory on Etsy and Artfire, but when I run out, I won’t be creating any new ones this year.

Growing and Pushing My Boundaries with my Lampwork Beads

First Step- New Flower Exploration

Each month I am going to pick a flower that is blooming in my gardens and spend the month exploring the glass possibilities of that flower. I will be pushing my artistic boundaries and doing things that I am writing about in my bead tutorials.

Second Step- Glass Flower Giveaway

When the month is up, I will move on to a NEW flower. Out of these floral creations, though, I will pick one for my Monthly Giveaway. The Giveaway will be at the end of the month.

Third Step- Opportunity to Buy the Monthly Flowers

The other flowers I have created that month will be up for sell on Artfire or Etsy instead of my usual art beads. These will be very special glass works due to their uniqueness and limited availability.

Fourth Step- Blogging about my Monthly Flower

I will blog about the flower I am working on that month. I’ll share photos, inspirations, my thoughts and the struggles that I go through with that flower. Hopefully, this will make my blogging more consistent and enjoyable for you as I share my creative journey.

Fifth Step- Monthly floral lampwork tutorial

At the each of the month, I will make a lampwork bead tutorial on my favorite flower I created that month. I’ll have the tutorial for sell on Artfire.

I don’t have the details worked out yet, (and I’m sure there’s plenty I missed) but I plan to put this project into effect March 1. Let me know if you have any suggestions that I can include in this adventure.

Hydrangea Blooms

My NEW Lampwork Bead Tutorial

Just wanted to let you know how my tutorial is going….. I’M ALMOST FINISHED!!!!!! I’m planning on having it available by the first week in March if all goes smoothly!

My lampwork bead tutorial (actually 2 tutorials) approaches lampworking as a learning process of how you can create your own unique glassworks. In each tutorial I explain different parts of color theory, lampwork techniques that I do, step by step instructions on different beads and flowers, and how to get inspiration. I will have more tutorials in my floral series in the near future. Each successive tutorial builds upon the previous tutorial and techniques with new flowers designs and techniques. Stay tuned for more details right here on my blog!

Starfish Among the Coral

Lampwork Bead Article

My lampwork beads and I have been honored with a phenomenal article by Soda Lime Times Magazine. This online magazine is absolutely wonderful. You can check out a sample of the monthly issue at Soda Lime Times. You gotta take a moment to read this fabulous article. Diane Woodall (editor) did a fantastic interview with me! I walked around like a puffer fish for a day, until my family pointed out all my faults and deflated me!(with love, of course)
Click here to read the article!

Yellow Lilies Bouquet

Hope you enjoyed peeking at my NEW glass works. Hopefully I can get them up on Artfire and Etsy in the near future.

Talk to you next week about the bead Giveaway details and how to participate.

Spring is budding early here and I’m getting excited!

Patsy

Hope you have a moment to browse through my lampwork art beads on my ESTY

I also have yummy ones on ArtFire

Hi! Just wanted to share with you what’s going on in my neck of the woods.

Survey Results

I was so thrilled with the results of the survey and I want to THANK everyone who participated. I got some excellent ideas that I plan to implement. Here are just some of the great suggestions… A bead exchange once a year. Contest on what others . . . → Continue reading: What does 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial, Survey Results & Australia Beading Magazine have in common?]]> Me! Made you wonder a little, didn’t it?

Hi! Just wanted to share with you what’s going on in my neck of the woods.

Survey Results

I was so thrilled with the results of the survey and I want to THANK everyone who participated. I got some excellent ideas that I plan to implement. Here are just some of the great suggestions…

• A bead exchange once a year.
• Contest on what others are doing with the beads they purchased from me. (I really would like to do this one!)
• A monthly bead giveaway.
• Sharing tips about color, artists that I like, and glass that is fun to work with.
• Finished size of lampwork beads on the blog posts, front & back pictures. (Got that one!)
• Other mediums to use in glass, and what am I thinking when I’m making a bead. (I’m sharing this in my bead tutorials a lot)
• Other jewelry artists showing different techniques.
• Some lampworking technique videos or tutorials on my blog.

If anyone has any more ideas, let me know. I really do appreciate your help!

Variegated Camellia H 1 5/8″x W 1 1/2″each leaf H 1 1/4″

My first glass lampwork bead tutorial!

I’ve got some GREAT news for those of you who lampwork! I have almost finished my first lampwork bead tutorial! It’s been birthing for 2 months. Ouch! What’s in it? Some of everything I know! I’m sharing personal lampwork techniques, explaining foundation color knowledge, giving step by step tutorials on some sculptural flowers, and helping you find the artist in you. WOW! All in one tutorial! More details coming soon!

Dragonfly among Hydrangeas H 1 3/4″ by W 1 1/4″

Other exciting news in my world of lampwork beads!

I was honored to be interviewed by Australian Beading Magazine. It is an awesome article written by Jean Yates. She is a remarkably gifted writer and her article brought out a very personal side of me that not many people know. Jean has a regular column in the magazine, letting Australians know what’s going on in America. Isn’t the world getting small?

I also want to thank Australian Beading Magazine for allowing me to share the interview with ya’ll. They have a terrific magazine that has its own style of unique and original beading ideas! Check them out here: Australian Beading Magazine. Their Facebook page has great jewelry ideas: Like them on FaceBook here.

Want to know how I get inspired and what makes me tick? Click here to read the interview!

Seahorse Cutie H 2 1/8″x W 1 5/8″

Jean has a delightful blog on jewelry book reviews, contests, the latest news in the jewelry scene & Blythe dolls. Margot Potter just did a fantastic article about Jean which was a blast to read! Click here for Jean’s Blog.

Coral Banded Angel H 2 1/2″x W 1 3/4″

These are my newest glass works above. I’ll be putting them on Etsy or Artfire in the next week are so. If you are interested in any of them, just email me about prices.

I have lampwork art beads on my ESTY

I also have yummy ones on ArtFire

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about 2012 and new directions I want to travel in with my lampwork beads. The most important direction is making your day brighter each time you read one of my post! So I . . . → Continue reading: What Do You Want?]]> WOW, the holidays sure came and went fast! I hope you had a perfect season with too much to eat, tons of laughter and enjoyed visiting with relatives you haven’t seen in a year!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about 2012 and new directions I want to travel in with my lampwork beads. The most important direction is making your day brighter each time you read one of my post! So I got a few questions for you to answer if you don’t mind?

To sweeten the incentive to answer my questions, I’ll give you FREE SHIPPING on your next order! You’ll get a coupon code for free shipping when I receive your answers!

I’m all ears! Let me know what you think!

It’s really easy to answer the questions. First fill out your name and email below. (I need it to give you your shipping coupon code.) Then click the “Next” button to start the survey. Answer all the questions and click on submit button. Thats it!

Remember…. FREE SHIPPING on your next order when I receive your answers!

Thanks for helping me out!

Here’s a Peek at some of my new glass lampwork beads….

Check out my Wedding Jewelry on My Website

Peek at what’s new on my ESTY

And my new glass lampwork beads on ArtFire