I know - I know, you don't have to tell me.  Haven't posted in my BLOG in a couple years.  You see I've found Facebook.  LOL My bad.  So, now I am posting.  Hurray.

The reason for all the new found goodness?  Well, I have loads of pictures to share with you and my feeble brain only knows how to do certain things, and so I've made a cool Journal of sorts of my recent trip to Houston, Texas for The ISGB Conference "The Gathering" July 16 - 21, 2014.  ISGB stands for Interenational Society of Glass Beadmakers. It's a lampwork thing - some people call it flamework. Has to do with melting glass on a mandrel with bead release on the mandrel.

 I was generously awarded a full scholarship of 5 nights at the luxurious Hyatt Regency plus full Conference Fees all paid in full and a ticket to the Banquet!  Oh be still my heart.  I'm still in shock ... Thank you Generous Benefactor.  Thank you.  I'm humbled beyond words. I had a wonderful time even if I did have to eat all my meals in my room as I didn't have enough money to eat out.  Yogurt in the morning and sandwiches at lunch (with grapes of course) ... as well as an apple and peanut butter for dinner.  And I don't even like peanut butter - you know what?  it worked! My birthday was July 17 - I think this was the best way to celebrate my birthday ever.

Without further adu ... I'd like to add a link to where all the pictures I took are located - all 149 of them.
Click here for the Flickr link to the Gathering pictures  Under my name at the bottom left of the screen I have typed on most of them the name of the picture (so you will know what you are looking at) and also some have paragraphs of information there as well.  There's some great information hidden down there, but you have to know to look for it - at least I did.  BTW, thanks for looking!

I don't exactly know how to put them in this Blog without them being one at a time forever long on the page.
Write to me and let me know what you think, okay?  I'm posting this on Facebook as well so please pardon duplicates if you will.

       ~ Babette

Charm Swap

2012 Beads of Courage Art Charm 

Swap Reveal, Hop, & Auction

Well, I did get accepted into my first ever Art Charm Swap. I'm excited because it's fun for the artists as well as it benefits the kids through Beads of Courage http://www.beadsofcourage.org/. 

You see, kids that have a serious illness can choose a bead to wear proudly in a necklace to show how brave they've been. They can choose different colored beads to represent various medical procedures they have endured. These artisan made beads benefit the kids because there will be an eBay auction benefiting the kids that starts today, November 12, 2012 at 3:00pm eastern time.  Jennifer Cameron, our generous hostess has set all of this up herself.  Go here for the eBay link: http://myworld.ebay.com/glassaddictions  
Jennnifer is the owner of GlassAddictions.  I also make fun little beads to accumulate at our bead group Grapevine Beadmakers Society in Southlake, Texas that are given to the BOC contact.  This person then goes to hospitals and gives our beads to the kids to wear.   http://grapevinebeads.com/BeadsOfCourage.htm

The theme chosen for our Swap was LAUGHTER.  Charms were made of various materials - I chose to work with glass.  I love mermaids, fish and things of the sea.  So when I think of these things I think of playful laughter between the mermaids and the seahorses. I had fun melting the glass to make my seashells then the added touch of a simple seahorse completed my entry.

Each of the artists donated a charm (or more) to be auctioned off on eBay for the kids. A picture of the charms I received is here:  

The holidays are around the corner and the money goes to Beads of Courage. Please bid early. Please bid often. And please bid high.

Here are the links to all the other charm swap participants for 2012:

Alenka Obid: http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchage-reveal.html

Alicia Marinache: http://www.allprettythings.ca/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-auction.html

Carol Watson: http://www.carolwatsonartglass.blogspot.com

Carolyn Chenault: http://carolynchenault.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage-auction/

Cassi Paslick: http://cassisbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal.html

Charlene Jacka: http://clay-space.com/2012/11/early-christmas/

Cheri Reed: http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-participate-in-charm-swap-you-must.html

Cheryl McCloud: http://cherylmccloud.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-blog-hop-and-beads-of.html

Deb Kauzlarich: http://debkauzlarich.blogspot.com

Denielle Hagerman: http://somebeadsandotherthings.com/beads-make-me-laugh/

Emma Todd: http://apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-in-aid-of-boc.html

Erin Prais-Hintz: http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-laugh.html

Ginger Bishop: http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-2012.html

Inge vonRoos: http://ingetraud.wordpress.com

Jean Peter: http://jeanpdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-charm-swap.html

Jeannie K Dukic: http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/2012/11/12/beads-of-courage/

Jennifer Cameron: http://wp.me/p1xIa0-wn  <—-You are here already!

Kia Dallons: http://kiadallonsstudio.blogspot.jp/2012/11/laughter-is-best-medicine.html

Kimberly Roberts: http://bahamadawn.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap.html

Kristi Bowman: http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal-hop.html

Lea Avroch: http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-beads-of-courage-art-charm-swap.html

Leslie Schenkel: http://twistedchicken.wordpress.com/?p=171

Linda Florian: http://www.lilysofthevalleyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Lori Greenberg: http://lorigreenberg.com/blog

Lynnea Bennett: http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com

Mallory Hoffman: http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-time-has-come-art-charm-blog-reveal.html

Marcy Lamberson: http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-by-minions-im-sure.html

Marsha Neal Studio: http://marshanealstudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-exchange-and-beads-of-courage.html

Maureen Connolly: http://mrsbeadsley.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-reveal.html

Melissa Meman: http://melissameman.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-swap-blog-hop.html

Monique Urquhart: http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/2012/11/charmed-im-sure.html

Natalie McKenna: http://www.grubbi.co.uk/

Perri Jackson: http://shaktipajdesigns.com/11/blog/reveal-the-laughter-art-charms/

Renetha Stanziano: http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-exchange-auction-and-reveal.html

Robin Koza: http://www.robinkoza.com

Shaiha Williams: http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-charm-hop.html

Shannon Hicks: http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/

Shelby Foxwell: http://sundownbeaddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/charm-swap-reveal.html

Shelley Graham Turner: http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/2012/11/reveal-2012-charm-swap.html

Shirley Moore:  http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-art-charm-reveal.html

Stephanie Haussler: http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/laughter-art-bead-charm-swap-auction.html

Susan Kennedy:  http://suebeads.blogspot.com/2012/11/beads-of-courage-charm-swap-reveal-and.html

Toltec Jewels:http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/2012/11/BOCArtCharmRevealBlogHop.html

Vanessa Gilkes: http://culturezine.com/blog/

Have fun as you wander around seeing the other artists' work and please help the kids by going to this eBay link and purchasing some presents for Christmas (or yourself) and help the kids!  http://myworld.ebay.com/glassaddictions  

Thanks!   

   ~ Babette

Charm Swap

I am going to sign up for the 2012 Charm Swap benefiting Beads of Courage.  I've never done this before with my lampwork beads. But I'll sign up and see if I get accepted.  I'm supposed to add this little logo button. Ok, now to go see if they will add me to the fun!

OK - Patsy Evins has her latest tutorial out.  Check it out and hey - buy it.  I did!  Meanwhile enter her contest to see if you can win a beautiful floral bead.  I did! http://www.patsyevinsstudio.com/blog/archives/1033

I've become a big fan of Patsy Evins lampwork flower beads and her big fish! I understand she's working on a tutorial to help us newcomers know how to make something similar. I sure hope she does so soon! She's also having a contest - why not enter? http://www.patsyevinsstudio.com/blog/archives/912?awt_l=ETRBh&awt_m=3h1BIx0mNABgcGY

My excitement can not be contained any longer. I bought a book by Jeri Warhaftig, "Creating Glass Beads". And let me tell reading this book and working with it is like having an instructor-in-a-box delivered right to my front door. Wonderful book.

Since my absence from this blog, I have turned into a glass bead maniac who wants to make great lampwork beads. I have taken some lessons-loved those for sure, BUT when the money wasn't there any more to continue this, I decided to practice what I've learned. Practice, practice, practice. Reminds me of calligraphy - you really have to learn to crawl before you can do the gorgeous lettering. Same thing. OK, here's the thing. Jeri's first book, "Glass Bead Workshop" was so great, I just knew the next one would be-well, more of the same. NOT! This 2nd book is so awesome. Yes, there are projects and good ones too. BUT what is so different than any book I've ever seen on teaching lampwork techniques is that she shows what other beadmakers did with each of her projects. Fun, huh? Each were very nice - and yet slightly different than hers. See I already know my work will not look like the experienced writer of the book's. But how different? Are mine any good? Then at the back of the book Jeri shows us the beads th

at she made for each project that she didn't feel were the best ones to be published for that particular project. What THAT taught me was that in fact, she had to do the project over and over and over (remember that word, practice?) until she was satisfied with the one she liked best for the project. I was so happy to see she made wonky beads too. Oh boy, it's nice to see the good, bad and the ugly. How nice to make yourself so vulnerable for our benefit. Wow. I decided to challenge myself to do each project as if I was one of the lampworkers that Jeri had asked to participate in her book.

Here is the bead I made from the instructions from Session 1 "Ruffled Pendant". Not bad - not like the book's finished bead, but I like it just fine.

Then I tackled the next chapter - Session 2 "Cheery Little Guy". Here's a picture of how I managed to do this project. It's a shame that I don't have HER pictures to show you from her book, but you'll just have to run over to Amazon and pick one up.

Stay tuned for what I learn next!

Today I received pictures from my daughter, Gretchen, of the State Fair of Texas ribbons we all won. What a joy for me to see my family involved in creating art and getting recognition by the Judges in the Creative Arts division.
Avery, who is 5, won a ribbon for her sculpture of a ballerina. Her Pre-K class at her school did a whole series of studying art by the Masters. The ballerina was part of deGaus The Little Ballerina.

Her teacher did a remarkable job of presenting the artists and the kids loved making the statues out of polymer clay on the armature I set up for them. Yes, believe it or not.... the kids did the majority of the art. One little boy's ballerina wore a batman cape when he finished. That's art!

Zachary, age 9, created this little polymer clay guy one day while fooling around in my studio. Then before I know it, he made a skateboard for him.

He had fun and now he has a ribbon too. For 9 years old, he's got a lot of creativity running through those fingers! He is always drawing something. When he's waiting for something, he draws - when he's anxious about things - he draws. Now he's making up his own comic book characters. I'm anxious to see what he comes up with next.

Gretchen, their mom, has been taking great photographs for a long time. She has always had an interest in photography for as long as I can remember. She said she thought her pictures were as good as some she had seen at the State Fair so she sent in this picture and won a ribbon as well. I'm delighted! I wish you could see the picture up close. The art in this picture is how she captured Avery's eyes as she was measuring herself to see if she was tall enough to ride that ride! When Gretchen gets her picture back from the Fair, I'll take a close up shot of why that picture is too cool!

And last - my ribbon for polymer clay work I did. Hope you like seeing the pictures. I'm happy that I've got such a creative family!