Anecdotes from the Glass Bead Studio

I've been busy in the studio creating lots of new wild, wacky and whimsical necklaces from Guy's amazing little glass beads.  He's recently started using the collection of Bullseye glass that I bought for him in Tel Aviv about 2 months ago.  He takes his time with new glass.  It doesn't always impress him.  He has to pick up a rod and melt it a few different times before he can fall in love with it.  It's all about the relationship between the artist and his glass.

This is Gilbert.  He's very festive.  
He has a charm with Hebrew stamped on it!  

You can find him here in our Etsy shop.

 Not only do glass rods come in a variety of colors and melting points, they always have a feeling of their own.  Some of them melt smoothly and can give you a large lump of molten glass from several dips into and out of the flame.  Other glass is more stubborn and just doesn't want to move at as fast a rate.  

This is a new glass heart bead necklace from our Etsy shop.  I love the combination of colors in this piece: bright yellow with turquoise dots hanging from a chocolate brown suede necklace.  Delish! 

Is it possible for a glass bead artist to use only one color in their beads?  Of course.  There are definitely artists out there who work with just a few colors but I can tell you for sure that Guy would not be able to cope with such restrictions.  He needs the color.  He's addicted to it I think.  His table looks incomplete to him when it's organized, empty and clean.  Sometimes if you really want to annoy him, go clean off his table!  Even if I do this in an organized, logical way - putting the tools back in the exact same place on the table, leaving the rods in their haphazard way all over the table, leaving the stringer scattered here and there - I still get in a bit of trouble with him!  I cleaned off his table about two weeks ago before my new-found friend from Twitter (@foodbridge - check out her awesome food blog!), Sarah, came over with her three boys to visit our lampwork studio.

This is Declan.  He sold in our Etsy shop just a few hours after I put him there!

Goodbye Declan!  

Guy's biggest complaint was that I cleared off a pile of tiny, leftover stringers.  They appeared to me to be too short to possibly get near the flame without crumbling from the heat.  I thought for sure I was doing him a favor for throwing out his small stash.  Well, not so true.  He told me that he needs that pile there to give him reminders of the color possibilities he has.  Sometimes while he's in the middle of making a bead (if you've ever tried lampwork, you know that it's easy to get burned if you don't give the torch your full attention), and he has improvised using a few different colors, this pile is there.   Basically to help him out 'in a pinch'.

Here's a fun grouping of new heart necklaces!  I am working on listing them in our Etsy shop today.  

Check back later! 

I just read this blogpost to him and he laughed. He said it's also about the vision he has behind the torch, when he's working.  I guess he likes to see all these things in his peripheral vision.  When his wife comes along and removes the background, the beads just don't come out the same I guess.


Whatever works!


I certainly am in love with the new colorful beads he's been creating.  Hope you are, too! 

Love, Peace and Harmony in 2010

A new heart necklace in our Etsy shop

Best wishes to all of your out there in this wonderful world - for a very happy 2010!

Today Guy and had to run some errands which included getting him a 'caspomat' (ATM) card from the bank.  To do this you need a todat zeut (kind of like a social security card in the states, but here everywhere you go they ask you for it).  So last time we were at the bank he didn't have his.  He took it today so we sat down with the kind man at the bank and he arranged for Guy to get his in the mail in a few days. 

So that's done.

Next we set out to get our American cellphone working here in Israel.  By the time we got a few people's opinions about how to do this (the SIM card was locked by our carrier in the states so we had to get it unlocked here) we decided to just buy a new one and get the pay as you go plan, or talkman as they call it. It seemed cheaper that way.  And who knows how long our phone from the states will last.  I think I bought it in 2003! 

Deep purple heart with orange/yellow cane.  New in our Etsy shop.

Guy got confused right away when he heard the name of the pay as you go plan because he thought it was a walkie talkie or something.  He's not into technology. At. All.  But I understand how the label 'talkman' might have thrown him off.  So we had a very short giggle at the phone stand in the mall.  Other than that we were pretty bored.  Definitely a different experience than you get in the States. 

I will stop comparing someday I think! Or maybe the urge never goes away. 

So next stop was to Avgad in Tel Aviv.  It's a great bead shop, full of tons of all kinds of funky stuff.  The service there is also pretty laissez-faire.  It's funny how sales people are here in Israel.  Not that people at Metalliferous in NYC are any friendlier or more helpful.  It must be a bead supply store thing!  And not that I really asked anyone for help.  Just a few small questions about where things are.  We totally screwed up on the drive there and ended up having to round a very large neighborhood before finding our way back to Allenby and Hahashmal Street.  I was thinking in the morning that it would be easier to drive there than to take a train, then bus, then walk.  But I think that would have been easier now in hindsight!

The 'hamsas' have made their way into my jewelry! New in our Etsy shop.

So I did a power-shop throughout the store.  Guy was out waiting in the illegally parked car.  Tel Aviv is no different from any other city in the world in regards to finding parking.  I knew what I needed and only got sidetracked a few times along the way.  I'm always a bit scared when I get to the register for check out because I really don't want to have to put anything back for lack of money!  I was ok this time around.  I'm excited about the new goodies I got.  Of course a chunk of them were not on my 'list' (which is located inside my head, of course) but I know I'll make some groovy stuff from them.  I should photograph my new purchases tomorrow.  Lots of colorful necklaces to attach the froggies to!

I love this crazy, big bead necklace in our Etsy shop!  Looks so cool with the silver hamsa, too.

And today, as I was sitting here, I found my way to the Etsy Treasury page and actually got one of my own!  I had made up a 'poster sketch' ahead of time so that made it even more fun to just copy/past the numbers and voila.. a treasury is born!  Please check it out and leave a comment.  We might just make it to the front page of Etsy which is something every Etsyian dreams of at night. 

Marley the glass frog bead.  Isn't he adorable?  New in our Etsy shop 

Off to watch the season finale of Israel's 'Survivor'. 

Should be good. 

You know I only watch it for the half-naked hotties: Shy and Tommy.  

Hope you all enjoy the last days of 2009!

Collaborations Are Fun!

The jewelry featured today is the result of our recent collaboration with talented silversmith Jeanine Martel! Jeanine has over 25 years experience in metal smithing and was kind enough to create a few special pieces along with Guy's sweet lampwork cabochons. We are delighted with the outcome!  It's so exciting to see Guy's glass beads incorporated into Jeanine's gorgeous silver designs.  We hope to continue to work with Jeanine and maybe Guy will start making silver again himself...

We're moving into our 'new' house here in the village in the next week or so and will have more space to spread out.  Our in-law's have been kind enough to put up with us for our first four months in Israel and now we are ready to settle down in our own place.  We're looking forward to what may come!

For this piece she used her magic to capture one of Guy's glass beads in a unique setting. These silver pieces were created by hand and so they have a strong 'one of a kind' energy to them! Jeanine created two separate pieces of silver and shaped them into curves to compliment the lampwork. She made the bottom one hang from hinges! So the glass bead moves as well as the bottom silver piece. Absolutely fabulous is all I can say! This is why buying handmade just can't be beat. An exquisite and unique piece of jewelry to give as a gift or add to your own collection or artisan works!

The lampwork bead was made by Guy in our lampwork studio. He started out with a base of clear turquoise blue and added endcaps in clear light purple. Using his own hand-pulled cane, he wrapped the bead with its flowing colors then placed turquoise dots inbetween the lines. So gorgeous! Melted smooth and flat. I'm in love with the way it swivels!

For the next piece she used her magic to set the lampwork cabochon into a bezel of sterling silver and gave it a nice polish. Next she set the bezel onto a flat backing of silver then added swirls of silver to the bottom.

The lampwork cabochon was made by Guy in our lampwork studio. He started out with a base of clear dark purple and added layers of dots in a symmetrical pattern using ivory, red, blue and green. He left the dots raised so it has a wonderful texture to it.

Thanks to Guy's adorable sister Maayan for modelling our jewelry!

Jeanine surprised us with a gorgeous little teddy bead piece, too!  He's got his sweet claws wrapped around the lampwork glass and you can be sure he's not going to let go!

We love how he turned out!  The lampwork cabochon was made by Guy in our lampwork studio. He started out with a base of clear dark purple and added layers of dots in a symmetrical pattern using ivory, khaki, turquoise and purple. Then he encased the top of the cabochon in crystal clear, giving it a three dimensional feel.   She was creating this bear for us when we were still living in the Catskill Mountains, hence the bear reference.  I was lucky enough to spot two bears over the summer!  Now I spot lizards. :)

Next she set the bezel into a curvy, snail-like backdrop and gave the inside a brushed finish. Jeanine's partner Bridget refers to this guy as a snail.. but he looks more like a paisley to me.  I guess some jewelry is like clouds: it's all in what the individual sees... We love this piece nevertheless!

The lampwork cabochon was made by Guy in our lampwork studio. He started out with a base of clear cobalt blue and added layers of dots in a symmetrical and floral pattern using white, purple and greens.  I've watched Guy make those glass cab's and they are very tricky.  They are made on a funny mandrel that if you're not careful, the glass will simply slide right off of it!  He lost many cab's just before he managed to shove them in the kiln.  Might be a reason why he hasn't made glass cabochons in awhile, eh?

A really cool group of new jewelry!  I want to wear them all at once... But I have instead listed each on in our Etsy shop.  Hope you'll stop by to take a look.

Best wishes to everyone for a truly happy new year!

Blanche and Guy

Belgian Waffle Fixed Me Right Up!

After I dragged myself out of my depression yesterday, Guy and I got in the car and drove in the direction of Rishon LeZiyyon.  The roads have changed so much since he's lived here last that we don't know exactly where we're going.  My sense of direction is pretty good and we can both 'smell' the beach so we just drove where we thought it might be.  They can't exactly relocate a beach can they?  We took a turn onto a long road that got a bit deserted after a few minutes.  There was sand on most of the road actually!  Which if you've watched a lot of tv and movies, makes you think of desertion.  We kept driving.  In the distance, we could hear the ATV's then saw a few dirt bikes flying over sand dunes.  It was fun to find such a remote place, yet on the edge of a large city.  Apparently this is a great place to go wild on your four wheeler or dirt bike or whatever floats your boat.  I'm sure it's popular at night with lovers looking for a private place to steal away for awhile.

We enjoyed taking a few deep breaths and looking back at the city, imagining all the lives being lived in the distance.

Guy was telling me how he doesn't even recognize the place anymore.  "They're gonna keep on taking the sand from here until there's nothing left", he tells me.  We observe chunks of sand leftover after the top layers have all been carted away, to use in building projects throughout the region. When he was a child, the sand dunes were a huge playground for Guy and his friends.  He loved to ride his horse or ATV up and over the dunes for an exhilirating feeling. 

It's easy to understand why he still loves to ride so much.  He's riding today in fact!  Here's a guy who gets up early 6 days a week to feed horses then has a day off and what does he do?  Get's up early to ride! I hope he's having fun.

We wandered some more through the sleepy Friday afternoon streets leading us to the beach.  Guy gets a bit anxious when he doesn't know where we are going.  Me on the other hand? I love the feeling of being lost.  I always know that I will find my way eventually.

The song by U2, "Stuck in the Moment" was on the radio as we parked the car near the beach.  We could see the sun glistening on the ocean as we sat in the car and waited til the song was finished and for the Hebrew speaking DJ to give us his segway into the next tune.  What a song that is!  I can't bring myself to listen to U2 on most days because of the sheer honesty and deep effect they have on me.  They are like my family.  We've all been fans of U2 since the 80's when they first put Irish pop music into the mainstream.  They're like our distant cousins in a way.  They're music has been with us through all kinds of happy and sad moments so it was really fitting that this particular song played just then.   I think Guy might even have had some tears in his eyes.  Forget about me: tears were a given for me yesterday.  But after the tears came lots of giggling and enjoying the day.

 

We make our way across the sand to a lovely coffee shop right on the beach.  The menu is in Hebrew so I do my best to figure out what I want.  In the end I just asked the waiter in English if he could bring me some coffee and cake.  He said they had Belgian waffles covered in vanilla and chocolate ice cream.  I ordered it instantly.  It was delicious and we had a great time sharing it as we watched the world go by.  The energy at the cafe was very quite and easy.  Their was some nice Jazz music playing in the background and I think the whole scene did us both some good.  We laid back casually and just let the world pass by.  How sad can you be when you've got a piping hot glass of Israeli coffee, a giant sweet treat and your adorable husband sitting right next to you?  Not so bad at all.

An Honest Merry Christmas from Israel

My niece Riley getting some help from her brother Brady last Christmas

Well you think being that I am living in the birthplace of Christianity that it would feel more like Christmas to me but no, it doesn't.  I am writing to you from a village of around 300 families, basically like a suburb in American terms, 20 minutes by car down the highway from the most populated city in Israel: Tel Aviv.  I am 40 minutes by car from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, etc.  I'm sure if I got in the car now and drove there, it would feel a bit more like Christmas to me.  But I'm not planning on doing that.  I don't know what I'm going to do with myself today to tell you the truth.  I turned off my computer last night saying to myself that I wasn't even going to go online today but here I am.  It's natural for me to start my day online. 

I have been thinking about why it doesn't feel like Christmas to me and I think I've come to a small conclusion: presents, kids and decorations.  I would include snow and frigid temperatures but I only spent a few years in upstate NY so although I miss it, it's not what makes Christmas for me.  Christmas you might say is about 'our Lord's birth' but that sounds too Harry Potterish for me.  I was raised Catholic: baptised, got my first communion, confirmation, 8 years of private Catholic school, married in a church (the priest forgave Guy for being Jewish).  My family in Florida, New Jersey, New York and Ireland will likely attend Mass today. 

I married a Jewish man so that will tell you how religious we both are. 

So it's not at all for me about religion.  It's about memories from childhood.  The wonder we had at this time of year.  The anticipation.  The excitement.  The emotion.  The togetherness of our big family, six kids and two Irish parents, trying to live it up in Florida.  My eyes are welling up with tears as I think about all this. 

Why is it that we always want what we haven't got?  Or is that just me?  It's not that I go around all day long whining and wanting everything to be different.  Well, maybe in the past four months - yes.  But not usually.  Uusally I am a go with the flow kind of person.  I think that's how I got us landed here in Israel.  I just went with what felt right at the time.  Today it doesn't feel so right.

I miss the States and it's really all so silly to get caught up in that missing shit.  But I do. 

Ready for my walk in the snow covered woods

Last Christmas I spent it with my two sisters and two brothers at Rosie's house in New Jersey.  The only ones missing were our parents (who were at their seasonal home in Florida) and our brother Shane, who lives in Florida the last I heard.  So for us all to be together was a record.  It was great to see all the kids opening their presents and then spending the day playing with them all.  Of course it wasn't anything like our own childhood Christmas's.  We didn't get Xbox's or laptops or iphones or electric guitars.  We got new pajamas, or a new board game or a stuffed animal.  Did I get a bicycle one year?  Could be.  I always remember Rosie getting Lite Brite.  I loved that game.

Whatever the case, Christmas is all about kids and gifts.  Sure people get a little carried away with it.  They spend too much and totally forget why they are even buying things or having parties, etc.  But as your walking through the green and red decorated mall, and you pass by Santa with a little kid giggling on his lap, you remember what feels so good about this holiday season. 

The joy and laughter and innocence of the kids.

Guy's dad said 'merry christmas' to me last night.  He said it out of duty for sure.  He has no clue what goes on at Christmastime.  He said this to me because he saw a little mention of Christmas on the news, otherwise it would be another Friday in December for him.  Well it sill is.  It feels very weird talking with my Jewish in-laws about Christmas because their is just no way to describe it to them.  Also with the language barrier with my MIL and the hearing problems of my FIL, it's just easier to nod my head and smile.  I've been thinking that maybe it's like Rosh Hashanna in their world but no, not really.  For them, each holiday is about cooking and cleaning and having people over or going to holiday parties. 

So hey I guess I just made a connection!  It IS kind of the same.  But still, if you don't have Christmas in your veins, it's just another day.

Riley having a tea party on Lola, the couch!

 And it's so funny because if I was still in America, I'd be boo-hooing all the hoopla over the holiday.  I'd be rolling my eyes over my friends on Facebook talking about how they baked the last batch of cookies and now time to wrap all the presents for the kids.  Isn't that shitty of me?  See we're back to the crazy idea of always wanting what you haven't got.  Always wanting this moment to be different, better, more interesting, more exciting than the last or the next.

Poor Guy.  He is well aware of my sensitivities around this time of year.  He's always there for me as a shoulder to cry on.  Sounds cliche but it's true.  Literally. 


Ok.  Now that I've written this I'll go ahead and get over myself.  I'm sure I'll take a shower, get dressed, we'll go hang out at the beach for the day and all will be fine. 


Just had to get this out of my system.  Thanks, Internet.  I love you.

Riley and Brady checking to see if Santa at the cookies.  He did!

Best of 2009: Blog Find of the Year

December 7 Blog find of the year.

That gem of a blog I can't believe I didn't know about until this year is Confessions of a Pioneer Woman written by Ree Drummond.  I was truly in love at first click!  I was smitten and have visited almost daily since reading about it in February.


I stumbled across Ree's blog when I followed a link from Heather Armstrong's blog, Dooce, listing the 25 Best Blogs of 2009.  Heather was # 21, Ree #22.  It's really amazing to see how many people visit these two women's sites on a daily basis.  According to adbrite.com, over 20,000 plus view Dooce and I'm sure Ree has just as many visitors.  The Pioneer Woman is so full of interesting and useful posts, all really well organized, that you can literally spend all day browsing around.  You can learn more about how to use Photoshop, how to bake a pineapple upside down cake, facts on cattle ranching, details on the wild horses they support on their land and how she manages to homeschool her four children, or punks as she lovingly refers to them as.  It's easy to see why she's so popular.

Ree is absolutley hysterical, a great writer with wit and charm.  You can just feel the love from her through the computer screen!  She's like the best friend you wish you had known all your life.  She's got readers from all over the United States and likely many more abroad.    I wouldn't label her as the typical mommy blogger, if there is such a person anymore these days.  Giving someone that label is really pretty silly.  Everyone knows that a woman who has children and is writing on the internet is not always writing only about kids and parenting.  People are much deeper than that and by giving them that one, singular label you are discounting all the other things that person is elaborating on.  Sure she blogs about her children, her animals, her husband and family but the reader gets the feeling that there is a true richness in her life deep within each of those elements.

When I visit her blog I feel like I'm coming home to an old friend.  


She's also recently finished renovation of the original house on the ranch that she now uses when guests come to visit.  She did a stunning job.  Exactly the ranch house you'd love to plop yourself down in and just stare out the windows.  I love reading about the guests that visit her.  She's always got an entertaining way of telling her readers about the city folk interacting with nature and farm animals.


Her latest venture is a nationwide book tour to promote her new cookbook.  Lately she's been posting gorgeous pictures of her giddy fans waiting in line to get her autograph in their new books.  She's also been writing about the hotel rooms she's been staying in and the different adventures that happen along the way.  To me it all seems so effortless, the way she writes and her life in general.  I know this is not entirely true but it's refreshing to visit a blog that is not full of whining and complaining about life.  She is very tongue-in-cheek but at the same time, she spills out exactly what she wants to say.    You've got to start reading her!  She will make you want to get out of bed in the morning, to see what hysterical event she's gotten herself into. 

I can't say enough about how much I enjoy reading her stories!


She's got to have a small team of helpers in the background, helping out with servers, uploading photos, writing new posts, etc.  It's hard to imagine that she gets it all done on her own but maybe she does!  I can barely get one blog post up each day!  She's definitely got it down to an art.  All these visitors translate into clicks which translates into plenty of revenue from advertising.  It's thrilling for me to think about the fact that less than 10 years ago, nobody would have believed that a person could make a living off their blog.  I know I'm a long way aways but these two women give me inspiration to keep on blogging and to hone in on my own special skills.

Blanche 

This is Day 7 of Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Challenge 

Best of 2009 I missed a few days!

December 3 Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and reference throughout the year.
ummm. nope!  I did read a lot on-line but didn't keep track of one specific thing.  I have been interested in a lot of natural birth blogs, though.. for some reason - and I'm not even pregnant!

December 4 Book. What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies? (+ giveaway) 
Well I haven't read too much this year so I can't comment!  Do blogs count?  Guy and I are both constantly re-visiting Eckhart Tolle's two books, The Power of Now and A New Earth.

December 5 Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night? 
Guy and I spend lots of special nights together!  Three months ago, before we packed up our lives and took a plane to Israel, we spent a lovely evening outside our trailer, with a big fire burning bright into the sky.  It was a beautiful moment. 


December 6 Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?
Another dull answer from me!  I did go to a few Hudson Valley Etsy meetings, does that count?!

Maybe the Best of 2010 will be more interesting?  We did live in the boonies in 2009 and both worked from home so not so many exciting/interesting events happened.  Well, if you compare it to the life of some people I suppose.  But we didn't have any problems with living a quiet, peaceful life.  We're still trying to make that happen here in Israel.  I guess some people live their lives with constant events to look forward to.  We try to enjoy the present moment as much as we can.  Which is probably why we don't have anything to show for our year.   Not sad - not bad - just the way it is.