The Gift of Time Together

To continue the theme of whats under your Christmas tree.
Sometimes the presents won't fit under the tree like a beadmaking class for your family and a friend. Last week a friend gave her family the gift of a beadmaking class and a bracelet class the next day. They made their very 1st beads and I annealed them. The next day they made bracelets using their beads. Pretty cool way to show off your 1st beads
Check out Tangerine Tabby's blog from the 22nd to see the results.
What a fun way to spend time together as a family.

Christmas Day 2011

What's under your Christmas tree?

I know there are some happy people wearing their gifts this holiday.
This lovely necklace is now owned by the the wonderful woman who owned the first gallery my work was accepted displayed and sold in. I am so glad she is the owner of this necklace. I know it has a good home and will be worn and loved by someone who really appreciates glass.

Another necklace that found a happy home this holiday is this gypsy heart.

Whether is was glass or something else I hope you found your heart desire this year!
Merry Christmas and Happy holidays
Sam

2012 Workshops!

Yeah! The brochure is done and going to the printer!
The website is updated with 2012's workshops.
This is an accomplishment in it's self and with my poor old computer that locks up with each task it was a monumental task.
I am glad it is done!
There are exciting workshops for 2012. Great visiting instructors and generally a whole lot so fun and learning planned.
Check it out!

Fiery Friday was a blast as usual. Look at what Nicole made during Fiery Friday. She's pretty good - for a fuser - I'm just teasing her she has become quite accomplished at the torch. Her twisted canes end up in some beautiful fused pieces.

And a reminder the open house and shopping opportunity are this week end starting Friday.
I am busy putting together some pretty trinkets to adorn yourself or gift your friends.
This is a post and run- back to work

Winter is Here!

Winter has arrived in South Texas.  For the rest of the country our "cold" weather would be a welcome
cool "ish" day. But for those of us who can survive 105 without melting anything below 55 is cold.
It has been a steady daytime temperature in the 40's and at night has dipped down to freezing and last night was 29 Brrrrrr.
The new studio is cozy and warm until the hood is turned on! As with most flameworking studio's it is a battle with the outside air and the A/C or heating unit trying to keep the inside air a nice temperature. So the last few days of beadmaking have been well lets say refreshing!
I'm getting ready for a Holiday Open House and Shopping Extravaganza here at Dream Fire Studio.
Friday December 16th 4pm-10pm (store is open 11am-)
Saturday December 17th 10am -6 pm or later if there is wine left

Dos Mimis who share the studio space with me are busy fusing all sorts of fun things for customers to give as gifts. I have been working making plenty of cute earrings and necklaces for gifts ready to buy and give.
I think I must have Christmas candy on the brain as you can see above.
I know it has been a month since the last post. Time just flies this time of year and I have been quite busy.

The new schedule for 2012 will be up on the "new" website by the end of the week. I have the brochures ready for printing and will announce the visiting instructors too.

Save the date! January 14th 2012 for the grand opening of Dream Fire Glass Studio. It will be a party for sure. Yes even a Pinata with more than just candy inside.
Well that is it for now got to get back on the torch.

Dia de los Muertos

The Day of the Dead is not just one day it is 3 days.
It is a time to remember our loved ones who have passed on.
Honor their memory leave them a little something special maybe even build a little alter.
I think about the things I would put on my loved ones alters.
For my Mom a glass of white wine in a crystal  glass, some chocolate, lipstick and a warm wool blanket from Scotland. I know she would enjoy these things. For my friend Diane piles of chocolate,cookie cutters, a fiesta hat and Christmas decorations these are a few of the things she loved..I'll stop there because I don't want to bring you down.
I never get around to building those alters where you can see them but every year I build them in my heart.

I did spend one of those 3 days making glass sugar skulls. I call these Happy Skulls
I mean look at them they are happy! I took the pictures below while they were still on the mandrels.
There are the ones I call poke eye girl/boy. These are truly inspired by the phrase I'd rather poke a stick in my eye. You know we have all had those days.

Then there are the eyelash girls some with the traditional flowers others with bows and the boys well they wouldn't be mine if there wasn't a spider somewhere.

Yummy New Glass Colors

The Bullseye Special Production Rods are here.
They came in late last week and are now all labeled and waiting for you to take them home and make some awesome beads. I have sample beads below or come by and see them in person. This is the hardest part of having a Store I want to melt all this glass myself. But I have to share!

Below Left  Raspberry Rose a yummy translucent pink and

Right Astro Yellow a really nice bright yellow with reactive properties

Next is Left Purple blue tint this is a really pretty light blue purple tint.
Right Rainforest this batch is full of green aventurine with  nice streaky stripes in hues of greens

                                                               

Below Left Lavender blush tint is a very pale pink

Right Sunset sapphirine is a nice coral/with a hint of brown transparent a bit deeper in color than Sunset coral

 

Left Carnelian beautiful root beer transparent

Middle Deep Red very intense dark read opaque

Right Goldrush a fall yellow somewhere between sunflower yellow and butterscotch

Below is left Raspberry Rose middle Raspberry Rose over French vanilla

Right sunset sapphirine again

Below Left Carnelian Middle bottom carnelian over French Vanilla
Middle top Sunset sapphrine over French vanilla and Right Sunset Sapphirine

 Below Left Lavender opal a pale blue purple really pretty
 Right Tranlucent Sky blue when it strikes( the bead) it becomes translucent. If it does not strike( the disk) it is a pretty sky blue both are nice

Not pictured Mossy Oak- deep green with hints of brown

Wisteria- a wonderful transparent blue purple

Hematite Lustre I think the best of the Lustres

They are moving fast too. So come on in and get yours before they are gone!

SO MUCH GLASS SO LITTLE TIME!!!!!

What happened to October?

See what happens when your Dream comes true.

You get busy -time flies when you are having fun- and a month slips away.
So before October is over I had better let you know what has been going on.

From the last blog post you see that the 1st flameworking class was taught on October 1 in the Studio.
The next week was spent getting settled in, double checking all systems and having a little alone time with my torch. Of course we had to have the annual Halloween bead class. Students learned about making pumpkins,witches hats, ghosts and some wicked hearts.

Then it was time to teach Beadmaking 1. I am teaching some Beadmaking 1classes on campus at the Southwest School of Art.
This time it was a Monday Tuesday class and I had the perfect two students. It was a small class but it allowed lots of time for extra beadmaking.

The Society of Artisan Lampworkers in San Antonio SALSA held their meeting at Dream Fire Glass Thursday the 13th of  October. Everyone enjoyed looking around the studio then settled in the torch room for the meeting and Fall bead exchange. The beads below were made by the following beadmakers
Mummy- Valerie Larson Lohr
Enameled Acorn- Jodi Wheeler
Yellow Skull- Leia Edmonds
Witch hat with flowers- Kim Freund
Fused bead-Nicole Vachier-Lozano
Amber leaf ribbed bead -Vicki Munie
Nubby acorn - Arleen Ritchie
Frit heart- Karen Erickson
Orange ribbed bead- Betty Munie
Fall Aster- Nina "Sam" Hibler

October 14th was Fiery Friday!
Yeah open torch is back and a good time was had by all.

Now getting up and setting up for the show the next morning was not as much fun.
Nicole and I had a booth at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church fair.
We sold lots of glass and had a great time visiting with friend who dropped by the booth.

The next weeks were a frenzy of ordering glass, tools, deliveries and stocking the shelves, open torch time for students and a little private torch time for me. Not to  mention a fun witches gathering.

Next was the San Antonio Glass Guild meeting at Valerie's horse stable/barn with a presentation by Vickie Munie on her horse beads and the inspiration behind them. We all huddled into the barn when the north wind started to howl. Member's munched burritos and horse enjoyed their hay. Vicki's presentation was wonderful. It was a great meeting!

So we are now up to date. All the new yummy glass rods are labeled and ready for you to buy.More on that next blog post.

The bracelet class today was fun as usual.
See what some of the students made.

 I'm hoping to get some torch time in next week. As you can see I was a bit busy doing and not posting. I promise to do better in November and post at least once a week.

Fire - Good

It is with great JOY I am announcing
Dream Fire Glass Studio is complete.

The hood is installed and working beautifully.
The gas lines are installed, safety tested and delivering O2 and propane to the torches.

the lines before the "speed bump" is installed



Girly safety-no one will trip over that!



Gas Manifolds With Shut off valves-safety 1st

The table now has a top covered in stainless steel with the exception of the middle 2' x 1' section that will have a glass mosaic installed (once I get it done).

Putting the 5' x 10' table top on

The chairs now have a place to be.

The 1st class has been taught! Below is a video- hope it works!

Fiery Friday's are back on the schedule and Classes too
Come by and see the torchroom, sign up for a class/workshop,buy some glass-tools or just say hi.
Dream Fire Glass now has Fire!
Glass, Fire, Friends and Fun!

It's Here! The Hood!

The day we have all been waiting for the hood has arrived!
I spent the last week waiting and getting ready.It is finally here and it is now working!
Here is a quick peek at the fan-  "Big Bertha", "Ziggy" the duct work and the "Go Big or Go home" the hood


Fresh off the truck

 I'll post more about the final push on finishing the studio each day. But for now the HOOD!
Well and the fan too without that "it nova" That's no via really. I guess you have to live in South Texas for that one






Introducing "Big Bertha"

She's a big girl it took 2 men to hoist her up to the roof

dried in and ready to go- she's pretty

Now I think this part is really nice louvers that open when the fan is turned on. how smart is that?


 Now this next little part is "Ziggy" the zig we had to make around a structural beam. Kind of cute in a ductwork kind of way. Actually there were 2 Ziggy's as the 1st one was too tall.

The too Tall

Put them all together and you have a hood with lights and everything

Well that's it for tonight. We are still working away getting ready for the 1st class this Saturday.

Back from Road Trip II



Headed North on 281- a pretty drive

 Yes there are miles and miles of TEXAS and this month I have driven from one end to the other! Far North and Deep South.

I got back on Monday from the road trip to Dallas/Southlake. Teaching at Wired Up Beads was fun! The students were great and good time was had by all. They made lots of sparkly beads (Thank you CBS Dichroic glass) and have some pretty cool buttons to show for it too. Everyday was an adventure in glass.
I got to spend time with Patti Bullard the owner of WUB. We always have fun and lots of laughter.
I even got to go to puppy class with Patti and her new Corgi puppy Tank. Nothing better than a sweet little puppy. I attended the Grapevine Bead Societies meeting and did a demo on halloween beads a bat and a pumpkin.
I know where are the picture? Well the camera is having issues and I can only take about 12 shots before I have to download them. I left the camera dock at home and well that meant no more pictures.

Maybe one of the students will send me some pictures they took and I'll post later.
Look I have some pictures Thank you Micheale

Bobbie's 1st beads ever!

Andi's little tiny cane bundle

Erika making a big bead!



Michaele looking good marvering




Myrt making twisted cane




Yep me with my month open



There is a lot going on at the Studio this week. The torch room is under final construction. Table, gas lines, the hood all being installed. I'll post more tomorrow. If the inspectors approve everything we will be having an October Fiery Friday! Now that is exciting.