Southern Flames Bead Exchange- Lucky Me!

Last week, our Southern Flames chapter of beadmakers met for our super fun annual bead exchange.  Of course, the word "exchange" is used loosely, because it's that old game of everyone put something in the center and take turns either opening up a newly wrapped package or stealing from someone else.

 This time, I stole.  Sylvie Lansdowne makes these funny "unfortunate pets" beads, and this drawer pull with a kitty was her exchange bead this year.  It makes me smile.

I am thinking this might end up becoming one of my drawer pulls in my studio.  I might just need to buy a companion to make it a pet set.  Or perhaps fix up my old studio dresser and collect a variety of drawer pulls from my glass friends...

See you tomorrow!

Visiting Sylvie Lansdowne of SylvieBeads

I visited the Norcross Art Festival last weekend and of course, had some friends exhibiting there.  If you don't know bead and jewelry artist Sylvie Lansdowne, please make her acquaintance.  

Sylvie brings a bright and whimsical point of view to beads and jewelry that is so much her trademark.  Even certain color combinations are "so Sylvie".

She recently has expanded her line to add "cute edgy".  Now that is my description of her little skulls and halloween like beads that she sells as ornaments and totems and other wonderful ways.

Please stop by her website and check out her style. I think you'll enjoy it and tell her Marcy sent you.

Cupcake Heaven

My friend, Sylvie Lansdowne turned me on to this website. If you want easy recipes and the eye candy photos to go with them, click right here. It's called "Ming Makes Cupcakes"...and she makes cookies and scones too- and shares her recipes.

It might be lucky that Ming doesn't live near me, or I'd be visiting her often.

See you Sunday

Mutual Admiration Society

Mutual Admiration Society between Sylvie and Marcy.

It's always a little awkward writing about someone who has written something really sweet about you.

I read the nicest thing about me the other day on Sylvie Lansdowne's blog. You see, Sylvie is a super fantastic beadmaker and friend, who always seems to understand and "get" what I'm thinking about and doing. She is very smart regarding the business and marketing end of this business as well. I always appreciate her opinions.

So the other day, when she asked whether I had read her blog, I scooted over there quickly.
Sylvie and I recently had supper together, and had discussed a gamut of ideas, brainstorms and of course our families.

I would be blushing if I reprinted what she said, so I'm giving you a BIG BOLD LINK HERE to go read it. (lol). Aw shucks. It sure made me feel good.

And I wanted you to see her T-shirt that she designed. I love it. You can find it HERE.
And of course I want you to see her amazing beads and bead kits (oh, you're gonna love these) HERE.

So now that I've sent you all over the internet, please don't forget to come back HERE tomorrow, for more glass & creativity chat.

Dinner & Chat with Fellow Beadmaker Sylvie Lansdowne

My friend and beadmaker, Sylvie Elise Lansdowne was making beads long before I even knew that lampwork existed. We live close-by and get together for dinner every so often to chat. Both of us love whimsical sculptural glass and have found lots of common threads in our ways of looking at it.

The top photo is of Sylvie's "Head Over Heels" bracelet that she has sold in a kit and has taught around the country. She has an Etsy shop that carries her different kits. You can find it here.

After over 2 hours of constant chatter last night, we decided to share some of our dinner conversations through each of our blogs. There are tips and tricks as well as just two beadmakers' way of looking at life.

Remember my blog post about what artists should wear? Of course that hit the table running. Sylvie believes that when selling, we should dress like our customers. Hers wear cute and funky bright clothes and great jewelry. I have only met a few of my customers, so I'm not sure what to wear. I know that I'll need to leave my sweatshirts and flip flops at home. I tend to dress in solid colors so my jewelry shows up more, but perhaps it's time to break free and find my inner artist. Sylvie suggested Quacker Factory on QVC. I'm going to check them out. The problem is, Sylvie is very tall and can wear patterns, while I'm just 5'3" and think solids will make me look taller. (and slimmer too, won't it?) If you have style advice, please let me know. Sylvie is also a shoe lover, and I'm a Teva flip flop or Chucks type fan, so I would be open to artist shoe selections too. This could be a new feature, "dress the beadmaker".

Sylvie is still hoping to get into Bead & Button and I would love to go too. It's an uncharted territory for me, while she has lots of experience. If you are going, please look for her. I promise, you will love everything she has. If anyone knows of a booth to share or has words of advice for me for B&B, please feel free to let me know about it.

We chatted about longer length camp type classes and Sylvie told me about her week at Haystack, in Deer Isle Maine. She chatted about how observing other areas of craft and art will lead you to different ways of learning, styles, etc. For example, a cermics class had people make all the parts to a teapot and then put them in the middle and each take someone else's pieces to put a new one together. They were asked to manipulate the parts and change them. People are more willing to change other people's pieces because they don't have the same "ownership" in that handmade art. That was how Sylvie's pass the bead exercise was started which is widely used by other teachers and groups today.

I'm headed to the Appalachian Center for Craft July 5-10 this summer for an extended glass class with Shane Fero and Fred Birkhill. I'm so excited. Other than it being glass, I'm not sure what we'll be learning. But I've always admired their work and know that it will stretch me as a beadmaker and all their years in glass means there will be a lot to learn.

We also discussed the value of taking from teachers who have opposite styles of what we typically do. I know I've mentioned that concept here before. It stretches your brain to think a little differently and for your hand and eye coordination to get a work out too. Yes it's hard, but it's also like people who only hang out with others who think the same way. How do you grow, if that's all you do?

Sylvie and I are going to be roommates at the Gathering. I know she'll be a good calming effect on me as I'm scheduled to teach my first class there. She's already taught at the Gathering, so I know that last minute pointers will be available.

And one more tip, there's a magazine available at Barnes & Noble and other book stores called Artful Blogging that is a must read. I'm heading out this morning to find it. It's not technically oriented, but more artistic.

There was so much more - life, kids, more and more glass, new stuff we're working on, etc. Two hours of chatter flew by and now I'm looking forward to the next time we share a meal and lots of our lives. To read her version of our dinner, click on her name in the top paragraph.

By the way, that's my bead in the bottom photo. It was a personal exercise, (and the only kind I do), to take a simple coloring book picture and turn it into a bead. But that's another post.

Tomorrow I'm writing about how I added lots of color to my System 96 glass and I'll show you how.

Creativity Class Challenge

I'm in a fun creativity class that Sylvie Lansdowne has designed and is running. She is one of the most imaginative people I know. And her beads are stunning too. http://www.SylvieBeads.com

Sylvie gave us each a black and white botanical photo with three colors and we were to interpret it however we wanted. This was mine.

As those three colors are not exactly in my soft glass palette, I had some improvising to do

I loved the photo immediately and thought how hard it would be.
It was. Those arms are too fragile to make in soft glass, so I knew I had to round them up a bit, but still give it a similar look. I could use the three colors however I chose, and I could only make one bead as an interpretation. It reminds me of drawing classes where you do the 15 minute sketch that gives you an idea of the picture, but not the details that practice and more work would give you.

That pink color was a tough one. I tried all kinds of glass to get that original shade, and knew that I needed a different pink to show up against my orange. So I have CIM Gelly Sty Pink cased in their Berry Transparent, (can't remember the name.)

After we made the first bead, (which I call my Tropical Palm), we could make a second one that uses elements of the first, or if someone suggested an idea, we could do that. I saw those little sculptural pieces and they looked like pigtails to me. So I made a face. Having only three colors limits you on facial features, so I used one of my tools to show them. (She is already spoken for, but the first bead is listed here in my etsy shop.)

After looking at my first bead, it was suggested that I make some flamingos out of it. That's a wonderful idea and at some point I probably will.

Have you started in one direction and then changed course because it inspired you to go in a different direction? What did you do? I'd love to hear about it.

And please visit my Etsy Shop. I add a few new beads daily and love doing custom order for you too.