Ta-Da!!!! Here is the Apple Blossom Giveaway Bead. She is sweet, delicate and beautiful! Her value is over $117.00. I’m sure someone will be tickled pink when they win this sweet thing!!
The giveaway will end March 31, and the winner will be drawn on April 1st. I will announce the Winner on April 2nd!!!! This will be the last blog post before the drawing and the last opportunity to get entry points to win this fabulous Apple Blossom Bead. We’ll put new questions on the entry form to help you out.
Come April 1st, I will be saying Good Bye to apple blossoms and announcing the New Flower of the Month!
The Lampwork “Apple Blossom” Giveaway Bead!
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Are You Wondering Where My Other Lampwork “Apple Blossoms” Beads Went?
I’ll be putting up my limited number of “Apple Blossoms” in my SHOP. I am absolutely delighted with my flowers. I don’t think one can become intimate with one of nature’s wonders and not receive a tremendous amount of love and joy in the encounter. Getting to know Apple Blossoms has been an awe inspiring experience for me this month.
I am overjoyed to be sharing with you this month’s exploration with divine inspiration! I hope they touch your heart, too!
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My Technical Encounter with Lampworking Glass
This month has been a roller coaster ride of trying to balancing my time. Putting my New bead tutorial up for sale has taken more time than I expected. Many people are so thrilled with this one Lampworking 101 they are already asking about my next tutorial, which is scaring the bejeebers out of me. I definitely need to spend more time working on finishing my second tutorial.
The Apple Blossom’s technical learning curve had a double whammy for me. Besides designing a new flower, which is quite a challenge (and taxing on my brain), I also changed from my favorite glass (Moretti) to Bullseye glass.
Bullseye is an lovely American made glass that has a personality all it’s own. It takes more heat to melt it, which gives it the advantage of retaining its form once you shape it (which helps when making the small sculptural Apple Blossom petals). A disadvantage is that many colors are more translucent than opaque. I really had to experiment with each glass color’s characteristics to see what it could do. I ended up mixing a lot of colors I couldn’t use because the mixed colors became too transparent after I pulled them into stringers. In fact, I spent a least 2 hours everyday on just mixing colors.
The advantage of Moretti glass is that it is a softer glass that tends to easily mix and blend. I like to use Moretti glass the way I used oil paints, mixing colors as I paint my picture. Because Bullseye is stiffer, it doesn’t lend itself to the push and pull of surface mixing on the bead.
So, I had to develop a working relationship with Bullseye glass this month, fast! Yikes!
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On April 2nd, I’ll announced my NEW FLOWER for April and say farewell to Apple Blossoms.
Patsy-this bead is glorious! You are so wonderful the way you create ! I am in awe of you! Just looking at your work always uplifts me!
xox jean
Patsy-this bead is glorious! You are so wonderful the way you create ! I am in awe of you! Just looking at your work always uplifts me!
xox jean
Patsy, your work I find soooooo beautiful. Being a lover of flowers and art. your work is so realistic….I could pick those beautiful flowers…such wonderful talent
your admirer from the northwoods of new hampshire
cyndy
Patsy, your work I find soooooo beautiful. Being a lover of flowers and art. your work is so realistic….I could pick those beautiful flowers…such wonderful talent
your admirer from the northwoods of new hampshire
cyndy
I am inspired by flowers, music, nature, the sea.
And art.
I am inspired by flowers, music, nature, the sea.
And art.
I’d love to see orchids and white lilies!!
I’d love to see orchids and white lilies!!
Patsy, your apple blossoms are simple stunning. It’s been a real pleasure to read about your journey to create them. Thanks for sharing your heart with me.
Patsy, your apple blossoms are simple stunning. It’s been a real pleasure to read about your journey to create them. Thanks for sharing your heart with me.
JoanneI am a seed beader. I am often inspired by special artist made beads to create a surrounding environment for the artist bead. Joanne
JoanneI am a seed beader. I am often inspired by special artist made beads to create a surrounding environment for the artist bead. Joanne
Poppies. Red and orange and red-orange; Mostly red and red-orange. Poppies are absolutely gorgeous. Magnificent flowers. Lovely.
Poppies. Red and orange and red-orange; Mostly red and red-orange. Poppies are absolutely gorgeous. Magnificent flowers. Lovely.
Georgeous!!! Incredible and drool worthy!!! This is so very very beautiful!!!
Hugs,
Beth
Georgeous!!! Incredible and drool worthy!!! This is so very very beautiful!!!
Hugs,
Beth
Really beautiful love the apple blossom beads.
Really beautiful love the apple blossom beads.
The best tutorial, easy to read with great detail and the pictures are incredible! Plus it’s from an Artist’s point of view which makes it different from all others.
I strongly advise people to buy it!
The best tutorial, easy to read with great detail and the pictures are incredible! Plus it’s from an Artist’s point of view which makes it different from all others.
I strongly advise people to buy it!
Patsy you are incredibly talented. There is so much life in your beads. They take my breath away. Can’t pick which one is my favorite. Wish I could afford to buy them all.
Patsy you are incredibly talented. There is so much life in your beads. They take my breath away. Can’t pick which one is my favorite. Wish I could afford to buy them all.
Absolutely lovely beads – just amazing work!
Absolutely lovely beads – just amazing work!
I am inspired by seeing beautiful beads like these!
I am inspired by seeing beautiful beads like these!
I do research by reading a lot about lampworking techniques and looking at lots of people’s work. Hmmm, my favourite flower is a tigerlily but it would be really interesting to see you do a bleeding heart flower too! Whatever you do will be lovely, I am sure.
I do research by reading a lot about lampworking techniques and looking at lots of people’s work. Hmmm, my favourite flower is a tigerlily but it would be really interesting to see you do a bleeding heart flower too! Whatever you do will be lovely, I am sure.
I’d love to see peonies! The apple blossom beads are gorgeous!
I’d love to see peonies! The apple blossom beads are gorgeous!
I find the geometry of nature to be one of my best inspirations.
I find the geometry of nature to be one of my best inspirations.
I typically don’t do any research before designing a beaded bead. Usually i have a shape in my head and then work on making the beads fit that shape.
I would love to see daffodils – especially the “double” ones.
I typically don’t do any research before designing a beaded bead. Usually i have a shape in my head and then work on making the beads fit that shape.
I would love to see daffodils – especially the “double” ones.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments and for the flower ideas! It’s like being in a candy store when it comes to flowers! I never can make up my mind what to do next. :)
Thanks for all the wonderful comments and for the flower ideas! It’s like being in a candy store when it comes to flowers! I never can make up my mind what to do next. :)
Orchids – love them!
Orchids – love them!
I love how unique your glass creations are. Just stunning!
I love how unique your glass creations are. Just stunning!
So far for flowers ya’ll have suggested poppies, orchids and white lilies, double daffodils, peonies, tiger lilies & bleeding hearts. Hmmm… I love them all!!
So far for flowers ya’ll have suggested poppies, orchids and white lilies, double daffodils, peonies, tiger lilies & bleeding hearts. Hmmm… I love them all!!