the truth

Do you wanna know the truth the reason why I've chosen
yellow for this necklace?



Well,.. I've picked the wrong glass rod - that easy LOL
I thought it was light green. On fire finally I realized,
I got the 'wrong' color. But 'coincidence' can be so
lucky - I'm really loving this electrifying yellow.

portrait series

Ever since I've started lampworking,
I've been looking for a style,
which I can assume to be mine
(I believe, many beadmakers does this).
And somehow it's not easy
to make something new,
as the technique is limited.
Every time I thought,
I've made something new,
the next time I browse the net, I've seen
somebody else has done similar thing before.
I began to tread water and
all of those thoughts and search
have almost made me crazy.
So, I stop searching and looking for my niche.
Instead I try to enjoy the act of creating itself,
and make things I really love only.

I thought, with my first portrait beads,
I've found something, that I could build on.
I've made some portrait beads in 2006,
primary with the focus on wire-technique.
Actually I've never use the wire technique again
after I've made that bead.
It was very weird, as I made it.
The small wire jumped away and
I had to search it under the table.
I've got the a plier in one hand and
the hot bead in the other hand.
I have to concentrate, not to forget to
wind the bead in front of the torch *lol*
At that time I haven't had a kiln yet,
otherwise it'd be a lot easier *sigh*
A request to show the technique on
a bead symposium, has turn me into it again.
Luckily I've got my kiln in summer,
just before I've started the first batch,
which I've shown on two markets :-)

In 2007 I've started to give the form more attention
and worked out some designs without using the wire.
I love the form, although my thumb hurts
each time I made them, since it's not a round bead
and I have to turn the heavy bottom up.
But I'm really happy, how they've turned out.
Each of them is a personality.
I'll have hard time to part with them, but
I thought, I give them a chance to travel the world.

Party Queen is the first one listed in my shop.

on the right track

I was quite new in lampworking,
as the 2nd Bead Cup was started
(it's a German bead competition
organized by the beadsisters -
Tina and Fredi). 4 months to be exact!
I was of course full of ideas and actions.
The theme was very tempting:
the painter's palette.
One has to pick an artwork and
make a bead according to it.
First I didn't want to take part,
as I felt, that I still needed
more practice and I didn't know,
which artwork I should pick.

But since it didn't let me loose,
I've browsed the net day after day -
looking for the right artwork,
while I had already a technique
in mind, which I wanted to use,
although I've never tried it before.
The only bead artist, who has used
the technique, was Diana East,
one of my favorite bead makers.

Two of my favorite artists are
Hundertwasser and Picasso.
I first seen Hundertwasser's work
as we lived in Ulm. Each time
we went to Stuttgart, I've seen
his colorful architecture on the way.
I felt in love with his artwork.
Picasso has fascinated me
especially with his minimalism art -
how he had done The Camel,
The Dog and The Owl of the reel
(that has once inspired me to make
a felted vest with an of-the-reel-
elephant on the back for my boy).

After plowing the net for days,
I've finally found a perfect picture
by Hundertwasser. And I've decided
to take The Owl as another master.
So, I've tried to make two different
beads according to those pictures.
It was not easy at all, since my skill
was far behind my blooming imaginations.
But after some trials, I've finally had
2 beads, which made me proud of myself.
These are 2 of my best beads in 2005:



I was torn to choose one of them.
But then I've decided to send
the Hundertwasser bead, after having
a thrilling reaction of a friend
(but still, I really love my owl bead,
even though the owl drawing on it
looks more like a woodpecker *lol*) .

I was so excited to read all
the nice comments from
the other bead makers and bead lovers.
On top of it: I've won the first place!!
I couldn't believe it, since there were
so many beautiful participated beads.
It was the first time in my life ever,
that I've been on the first place!!!

It must be my beginner's luck *lol*
Still, it has convinced me,
that I'm on the right track,
and it encouraged me to go on.

imagination

As I was at school, I loved to
look at the footprints or dirts on the wall
(pupils were naughty sometimes ;-)).
I could find scenes and faces in there -
I love to imagine a story about them.
This continues up till now.
I've seen faces and landscape and shapes
everywhere I go.

Later on, at the high school, in our art class
we had to make abstract pictures and
tell a story about them.
I've enjoyed looking at my friend's creations,
found many things there and...
helped them describes them *lol*

I also love to browse Flickr from time to time.
I enjoy looking at the photos,
to see new places, where I've never been,
and to meet new people.
I collect some of my favorites.
One of them, which let my imagination grows,
is this texture photo taken by jan4photo.
She has more of those photos in her gallery.
I'm really glad to meet her there.

"And she got it!" - the first brooch in my shop -
based also on imagination.
I put down the story in the description.


And look at this tree,
I've found on my walk this afternoon.
Could this be the tree,
where she got the berry from? ;-)

studio insight

I've taken some photos of my small studio.
Some photos have notes on Flickr -
so you might also visit my Flickr gallery
or just click on the photos and you'll be there.

My beloved torch - a Carlisle Mini CC


Here you can see me (ok, part of my hand)
making a flower focal bead


My digitally controlled kiln to anneal the glass beads
(or to fuse small items - never tried it though),
a rice cooker to anneal my trial beads
(and to put chunky beads in.. hehe..),
some of my tools and DoubleHelix glass rods


And last not least my grinder
to clean the bead from the bead release thoroughly.


Oh, almost forgotten - my glass inventory
(Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, FFGH, CiM, Ornela)


That's the place where I create my glass beads :-)

trifiori necklace line - a background story

I had an idea of
having a jewelry for an every day use.
It should be playful, joyful and colorful
- good to match many clothing colors.
So, I made a bunch of flower glass beads
in many different colors,
as well as some leaf glass beads.

But as they're ready to be incorporated into jewelry
and lay all together side by side on the table,
I felt that something was wrong.
I didn't found them colorful at all,
even though they were variegated.
I was confused and somehow a bit frustrated.
How can I know if something colorful is,
but not knowing why??
I then made kind of a study about this,
to find out, what colorful means to me.
I know, there must be someone out there,
who has already made a study about this.
But as usual.. I just have to reinvent the wheel,
otherwise I won't get it.

I arranged one, two, three and four beads
and took photos of them.
With and without a green leaf.
I compared them on my computer,
separated them to colorful and not colorful
('love it' and 'dislike it').

Finally I came out with a conclusion, that
combinations of maximum three different colors
plus a green leaf seem colorful to me.
As soon as I've added another color onto it,
I found the combo distracting.
Another conclusion is that
green seem to give the other colors a base.

Now I make the trifiori using
up to 3 base colors for the flowers
and green for the leaf.
Plus another base color for the leather cord,
such as black or brown.
Even though they are quite earthy,
I think they pop.

I'm going to list some in my store in the next days.
Just need days again to write the descriptions ^_^

This is mine - I love it!