Holiday Shopping Time!

Yes it is that time! Time to shop until you drop for that special gift.

Dream Fire Glass Studio and Dos Mimis will have their annual Holiday show at the studio on December 7^th and 8^th. Stay turned for the exact times.

There will be so many things to choose from earrings, necklaces, bracelets, beads and my new “slip chains”. The slip chains are the perfect way to wear your beads. You could wear a different bead each day if you want because you can slip them on and off these chains.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope to see you in December.

There will be some learning opportunities coming up too in December. For the intermediate students Wednesday the 1tht is the Chambered bead Class and Thursday December 12th is the ever popular Twist and Shout class. If we are not all exhausted Saturday 14^th is open torch.  http://www.dreamfireglass.com/Calendar.html

Quick Post!

I have been on the road most of the year so my blog has suffered.

Teaching and running back and forth to deal with “things” in Georgia.

Then there is this little miscommunication between my computer and the blog software.

My last adventure was to teach at McAllen Stained Glass in McAllen Texas.

I love teaching at Yoli Cantu’s beautiful studio and the student are so motivated!

ART281 Another Successful Show

Here are a couple of photos of the “new” booth set up.

The night before the show we were all worried about the rain. The prediction was for 50% rain the day of the show. We got lucky and the clouds held the rain all day. The weather held off long enough us break down the booth get home and put everything up. Then the sky opened up and it poured!

I liked the way the “new” booth set up looked and the new displays my talented Hubby made were awesome. Sales were good and everyone had a great time.

ART281 this Saturday!

ART281  the best little hill country fine craft sale is this weekend!

Art281 Show & Sale
October 12, 2013
10am to 5pm

Where: on the grounds of My Place Bar & Grille,
8 miles north of 1604 on 281(map)

Sponsored by the San Antonio Glass Art Guild, Art281 is a juried showcase for hand-made art and fine craft of all mediums. Located at "The Party Barn" venue at My Place Bar & Grille in Bulverde, TX, the event is ideally situated on Hwy 281 N between San Antonio and Bulverde, in the foothills of the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

I will be there. Come see me! I have an awesome new banner and new booth set up.

There will be some of my new series. I will also have a limited amount of Halloween earrings and bracelets. When your done shopping be sure to eat at My Place Bar & Grill!

David is an awesome cook and makes a mean Margarita!

See you there!

Back to Work

Yes now that I am back in the studio it is time to get back to work.

Back to the torch and getting ready for the fall shows

Back to teaching.

This weekend there was an awesome group of students in the Beadmaking One class. Even though the temperatures are still hanging in the 90’s the studio wasn’t to hot and everyone made a bunch of beads.

I spent a pleasant Sunday with Nicole of Glass Touch in the studio. I was made beads for a necklace. This style of necklace starts with some special cane I make and pull.

I use it to make the disk beads and the little spacers. Then there is a really long focal bead using all the colors of the canes. I really like the series and this style of necklace.

Once the beads are made they go through a series of grits over several days sometimes even weeks to achieve a satin finish.

Today was another one of the fun parts of being back in the studio. The Bangle Bracelet class is just fun for me. Yes I’m teaching but no one can set themselves on fire in this class and I actually get to make something myself. I had another great set of students and a good time was had by all.

Fall ? Feels like Summer-TEXAS Heat Exhibition

The calendar says summer is over.

It’s time to put away those white shoes and think about Fall.

 RIGHT.

 It’s 100 plus out there and the “Fall” colors are supplied by crispy burned up vegetation.

Still the signs are there school has started the stores are filled with sweaters so I guess we will just pretend it is Fall.

Time for me to be back in the studio my summer “vacation” is over.

Speaking of the Texas Heat the exhibitions opening night is this Friday.

 One of my Leaf necklaces juried in the red one

Classes at Dream Fire Studio start on the 14^th check the calendar for more.

My blog keeps locking up - I'll post more when it's issues are resolved

Here are some of the lilac's that 1st timers got at the ISGB Gathering

Geometric

One of the beads in the series I blogged about last time was accepted into the ISGB Geometric Exhibition.

I am so excited and honoured to be included. 

I am enjoying my "sabbatical" away from the studio. The change of scenery and break in routine has be good for me. I know my students miss me and I miss being in the studio. We will all get back into the swing in the Fall.

New Work - warning Sam's getting deep

I have been working on a new series of beads

They are simple in their composition but complex in their message.

Through cold work and manipulation of the surface of these beads I am working on a series of pieces exploring stratification and erosion and how it relates to the human experience. This concept occurred to me in a particularly uncomfortable moment at my annual conference. I had been worn down by lack of sleep, interactions with people who confuse the heck out of me and demands to be in more places than one person can possibly be. This exposed the bare a sensitive core of emotion. Like a day of having sandpaper rubbed against your skin exposes that raw tender layer of nerves with no protective barrier. In that state even the gentlest of touch would cause you to recoil in pain. Exploring these thoughts of erosion made me think of those magnificent smooth rocks that stand in the Guadalupe river worn ever smoother with the waters relentless flow. Despite centuries of water flowing there they are still standing yet changed. The edges worn away but the wisdom left unscathed.

I was thinking how complex we are and how every event in ours lives is like a layer of sediment laid down making us who we are. How those layers are affected by life's challenges. Are we left tender and raw or worn smooth yet lovely?

What is perfection? We all seem to strive for perfection but could it be that our flaws are where our beauty lies? Isn't it true when studying the face of a loved one the features they may see as a flaw are the very things we love ? 

When you create something that you are happy with it should be enough.  I hope to achieve that level of confidence in my work. I am getting there. I still want you to like them. My break through is I am confident enough to say "to me it is more than just a bead."

There will be many more beads as I explore this series. Now if I can just "carve out" the time.

Thank you to Nicole Lozano for her cold working expertise.

Actual Size



Beadmaking One Class

This Saturday May 18th I will be teaching a Beadmaking One class.
Are you thinking well why is that Blog worthy she teaches Beadmaking One classes all the time? Well for me this is a full circle moment. Years ago I attended a local Bead show put on by the San Antonio Bead and Ornament Society. I saw many wonderful lampwork beads and met Molly Heynis who owned Heritage Glass. She taught classes in New Braunsfels at her home studio. This was what got me thinking I want to take a class.

From the last blog post you know I attended this same show two weeks ago. Same Society different location but this time I was the woman with the lampworking studio offering the classes.
This weekend it is my turn to teach those students who will fall in love with beadmaking and enjoy it as much as I do.
I'm excited to share this love.

Show in Schertz - this weekend

I'm getting ready for a big bead show in Schertz Texas this weekend.
Schertz is just North of San Antonio this makes it a good spot for both San Antonio and Austin customers to come check out all the goodies.

The 2013 Spring Bead Bazaar
Saturday, May 4 & Sunday May 5
at the SCHERTZ CIVIC CENTER
Hours:
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

I have one 6 ft artisan table but I have it packed with goodies.
I have a bunch of Cutie -Pa- Tootie flowers.
These are great for PMC rings, flower necklaces, fun braceletsand whatever you can imagine!

Lots of my encased frit beads made with my custom frit blends.

Sugar Skulls, encased florals, tide pool beads,dichroic beads, buttons, just a few pinata donkeys,finished jewelry and much much more.

The there is the ever important "propaganda"

Class Brochures,postcards, etc

Hope to see you there
Sam

Fiesta in San Antonio

It is that time again the ultimate party in San Antonio!



Fiesta Necklace by Sam now in the collection of Shirley Gonzales

 This last weekend the San Antonio Glass Art Guild participated in the Best of the West fiesta event at Our Lady of the Lake University.

 

SAGAG members displayed their art work and headed up a children's activity making mosaic suncatchers.

I  demoed through out the day. click here to see me

A little bluebird demo

It was a really nice day with great weather good food and fun.

Still kicking......

I know where have I been?
Everywhere.
Went to Georgia

Broke down on the way back

Went to Las Vegas taught a bunch of classes

















What have I been up to?
After Sharons class I actually got to make a couple of dragons

Got back went to Jury duty- no pictures
And planted a Garden

2013 is keeping me busy. So I am not so good at keeping the blog up dated. Whats next?
4/21-Our Lady of the Lake University Fiesta event
More Teaching at the studio
May 4th & 5th SABOS Bead Show
More Teaching

Sharon Peters was HERE!

Boy did we have fun!
Sharon arrived Thursday just in time to present her inspiration talk to the San Antonio Glass Art Guild.
Fantastic talk everyone went away inspired and ready to jump start their creativity.

Then Sharon and I had a day to relax ..... Well ..... so we thought - but we did have fun!
We got to see the results of combining National Margarita day and Tequila shots at my favorite Mexican restaurant. No not us the tables all around us it was most Entertaining! Never a dull moment here in San Antonio but this was special.

Day one of the Sharon's Bringing your silly stuff to life!
More on Sharon's classes coming soon.

Say Si Auction Time

Yes it has been a while since the last post.
One of the things I have been working on getting finished is this necklace for the Say Si Auction.

I named it Regalo del mar (Gift of the sea)

The necklace is Bullseye glass with my special Frit Blend named Sea - of course.
The frit on the disks looks like some sort of encrusted jewel or sediment from years of laying under the water. The Sea frit gives the fishy his speckles and his eyes are murinni I made just for fish eyes. The Sea frit encased in clear is magnified for a closer look at the colors.

Who ever wins with the highest bid will get not only one but two necklaces because the fish pendant can be taken off (it is on a pearl Enhancer clip) and worn separately.




All my disk necklace can be turned so the clasp is in the back for a simpler look.










Bid high Bid often this is a good cause! Say Si

I drop it off tomorrow!
The items are on display at Say Si February 28th - March 22 with the auction on March 22.
Nicole Lozano of Glass Touch will also have an item in the auction

Awesome Beginning Bead Class

This last weekend I had an awesome group of beginning students.
I am adjunct faculty at Southwest School of Art here in San Antonio. They are remodeling the multi use studio so classes are back at Dream Fire Glass Studio. The class was full and everyone had a great time.
Unfortunately I was so busy I didn't snap any pictures of the class.

I am trying to catch up on all the things that need my attention.
Sharon Peters is going to be here teaching in less than a month!
Vegas- Glass Craft Expo is in April but it is time to get kilns, torches and glass!
Holy cow I have several necklaces waiting to be put together.
The 1st one that need finishing is for the Say Si Auction It is a disk and fish necklace set.
Then there is the Valentines day consignment for Many Hands Gallery. I'm making them some heart earrings and necklaces and something a little edgy! I promise pictures when they are all done.

Oh dear fretting out loud!
One bite at a time! Although I am an getting tired of Elephant.......

Open torch on Saturday! Starts at 10 am

Some inspiration

Well that's it for now!

Back at the Torch

YEAH! Fiery Friday at long last.
I am so looking forward to tomorrow evening.
The Fiery Friday gang will be back around the table torching into the wee hours of the night.
That is my back to normal. Melting glass with my friends!

Happy 2013

Well we made it. We survived the end of the world and it looks like maybe even the fiscal cliff.
 2013 is going to be a good one - challenging but rewarding.
The new year is starting with a Frit class on January 5th.
This is a private lesson that has been graciously opened up to anyone who would like to attend.
If you are coming let me know. Private class starts at 10 am the frit part starts at noon.
You must sign up by January 4th either by email or call
click here for # and email
Here is a sample of just some of the frit beads we will do much more!