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Thanks to all that have been visiting my blog. I really appreciate it. I will have some new posts very soon. Please check back during the week. Thanks for your continued support!




Francine
Jewelry Designer/Owner
FAP Creations Beaded Jewelry
http://fapcreations.ecrater.com/

Down Time

It's almost 2 am and I can't sleep so I thought I'd come ramble on here.

I've been having some fun with the glass beads and friends lately. On Saturday I was at the Bliss Beads bead shop/studio doing some demos at the torch. What a fun thing to do! I'm excited to go back during our local cornfest and do more demos in about a week.

Sunday my dear friend Sheila came over and we took turns torching. It was so great to try new things and learn from eachother!! We played with shardes, frit, CZ's, shaping, and implossions. She is so inspiring to me. I look to her as a mentor in glass.

I have been playing with organics and nautical type beads.. Here are some of my recent beads:

Happy glass dreams to you all!!! I'm heading off to bed!

Back to the Torch

I've been finding less and less time to torch these days. It's hard with the weather being so nice to not spend the time outside playing with the kids now that they are getting older. I did find some time this last week on some rainy days to get down to the studio and melt some glass. Here are a couple of the beads I made this week:

I hope you all are enjoying the summer weather! More glass to come =)

Relay For Life 2009

The fun never ends here. I've been keeping really busy. This year I'm participating in Relay for Life put on by the American Cancer Society. We started a team through my real life job and I'm even the team captain. The walk is this Saturday from 6 pm - 6 am on Sunday. If anyone wants more information you can click here for my donation page.

I created a necklace to go into the silent auction for this event:
That's not the best picture but you get the idea. It's made with my handmade lampworked beads, sterling silver, pink opal, quarts, and Swarovski crystals.

I hope all of you have a chance to do something good for someone else. It sure makes you feel good!!

Have a wonderful day!

Bead & Button Show 2009

What a wonderful bead show!!! I had a blast yesterday! First of all it was amazing to meet some of my wonderful co-artists in glass, better known as my glass friends. It is so great to be able to hug a friend after 3 years of communication over cyber space. That alone made my day.

Samma, Me, Mallory

But then I got to see so many amazing glass artists! These are big name people in the glass world. I have to say how impressed I was at how very friendly these people were. They are so full of knowledge. I wish I could have spent more time with each and every one of them.

I came home with some goodies! A boro dragon made by Louise Wilson (a.k.a. Dirty Louie), a bee-bug-bead by Sharon Peters, a fairy pendant by Diane Hawkey, A gorgeous gift bead from Samma Parcels. I also got beads that were in my B&B bag from Unicorne Beads, Inc, Along with a good heaping pile of gemstone, shell and seed beads.

Dragon by Dirty Louie

Bee-Bug Bead by Sharon Peters

Pendant by Diane Hawkey

Samma Parcels Bead

Catch up

Today I just want to take sometime to fill you in on what I've been up to since it seems like it's been so long since my last blog.

First I took a trip in May out to see my best friend out by Boston MASS. That was so fun. Then I took a train down to NYC and met up with four of my glass friends. We spent two days walking around and exploring Manhattan before heading to NJ where we all spent time torching together. That was great!! We each demonstrated different bead styles and techniques. What a learning experience!! If you are ever in a slump go work with someone else in your art. It is very inspiring.

Since returning home work and family have kept me hopping. As well as custom orders that I am very thankful for and an art show this past weekend.

This weekend coming up is the Bead and Button Show up in Madison WI. I can't wait to go to it! Not only will there be a massive amount of beads and glass supplies to shop, but many of my glass friends will be there!!! I can't wait to meet them in person!

Here is a little set of shells I recently made, inspired by my torching time with my friend Maggie and the beach on Cape Cod:

I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Art Club Rocks!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing a glass demonstration for the DeKalb High School Art Club. Talk about fun!!! We started with a small fusing demonstration and each student (and teachers too) put together a little 1 x 2 inch fused glass piece that they can either make into a pendant later or a magnet.

Next I fired up the old hot head torch and did a lampworking demonstration. I was super impressed at the students ambition of wanting to make the advanced sculptural beads like the ones I showed as some examples but we had to start with baby steps. Each student had a turn at making a bead. Above you see the beads that the students and teachers made. Pretty good for first timers!!!

It was a great opportunity. I had a lot of fun doing this and I hope to be back there next year for another demonstration!!