Patsy Evins Studio Blog

Glass Lampwork Beads: Solving Mysteries

Here It Is! The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!

By Patsy, on March 22nd, 2012

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!

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

glass lampwork flower bead apple blossom

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

My 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial Is For Sale, and I’ve Got Apple Blossoms To Show You!

By Patsy, on March 13th, 2012

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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

Update on my Lampwork Bead Giveaway

By Patsy, on March 1st, 2012

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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

Survey Inspired Changes for my Lampwork Bead Art

By Patsy, on February 22nd, 2012

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

I also have yummy ones on ArtFire

What does 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial, Survey Results & Australia Beading Magazine have in common?

By Patsy, on February 4th, 2012

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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

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Here It Is! The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!

The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!

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

My Technical Encounter with Lampworking Glass

My 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial Is For Sale, and I’ve Got Apple Blossoms To Show You!

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

Lampwork Apple Blossoms are Here!

Update on my Lampwork Bead Giveaway

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

Now for the guidelines for the Lampwork Giveaway

Survey Inspired Changes for my Lampwork Bead Art

Growing and Pushing My Boundaries with my Lampwork Beads

My NEW Lampwork Bead Tutorial

Lampwork Bead Article

What does 1st Lampwork Bead Tutorial, Survey Results & Australia Beading Magazine have in common?

My first glass lampwork bead tutorial!

Other exciting news in my world of lampwork beads!

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