EllyLoo Creations-Lampwork & Jewelry

I’ve been experimenting with Glass shards lately.  I know how to make them, however, I have no patience to practice and do them just right, and so I purchase delectable colours from Joe and Barry at Avenue Beads.  It’s been fun watching him make the shards during his webcam broadcasts for the last few months.  Also, they’re good people, those fellas.

Here are a few pictures of what I made with shards lately!  Shards are paper thin pieces of glass broken into pieces.  They’re made by blowing a bubble of glass, letting it cool, and then breaking it!  Yes. I pay money for broken glass!  Then you wrap the bead in the shard just barely touching the flame to it.  It will almost hug the glass as the heat melts it!  You can leave them raised (melting down sharp edges) or you can melt them right in flat.  These ones are melted flat, but still look like they’re raised!

Remember when I was blogging about the Trunk show I was going to be in? Well, that weekend came and went, and I had a great time!  I love getting together with fellow glass artists, it’s not like a big bead show, it was relaxed and laid back.  At one point, while I was in the studio, torching, I heard people start to laugh and giggle at some joke, and I thought to myself “Boy, you wouldn’t hear that sound often at a large show!”. 

Here are some pictures I took! 

This is Beadfx.  This is only half of the store! The other half is more of this, plus a workshop, and a multipurpose room (which was full of lampworkers!)  I love it’s salon like atmosphere…so light and refreshing, not cramped and clausterphobic like other bead stores I’ve been to.

If you were to sign up for a lampwork class at Beadfx, this is where you’d have it! Besides the 4 torches you see here, there are two others behind where I’m standing.  You can’t seen the ventilation hood, but it’s as large as the table, and is running all the time.  I make sure to always do a demo on the torch when I’m at a trunk show, there’s nothing like having someone watch you who’s never seen it done before, and explaining what you’re doing.  Also, you can glean from other artists!  “how do you get this look? here, let me show you”.  Fun!

OOooooooOOOOOoooooo…Red and shiny, ready to go! You can find them this weekend at the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee.  Nortel Bead Liners!  I’ve seen them line a 1/2 inch bead hole!  If you’re going to the Bead and Button show, say hi to Jean from Nortel for me! (and Avenue Beads!  Joe makes really neat shards to use in lampworking)

Nortel comes to Trunk shows, so we could take the money out of our buyers hands, and pass it STRAIGHT to Jean!  Oh Jean…what DO you do to us??  She always has nifty deals and tools.  Here’s what I stare at all day when I’m at a trunk show. I was very good this time!!

Hope you can come to the next one! There are always a few a year.

And now, for something a little different…

You’ve seen the photographs I take of my own beads.  I also enjoy taking pictures of wild life…fur and feathers get me going!  But I’m totally amateur.  I don’t know how/why I’m getting the results I’m getting… I set the camera to what works, and try not to change things.

Check out someone who KNOWS what they’re doing with a camera!  Her name is Julia Busato, and she runs “Raven Girl Photography”.  She can take a picture like no one’s business! Each picture captures a story or is just simply breathtaking.  I love her ‘people’ pictures.  She’s even taken a few of me!  I love them!

There’s a “readers choice contest’ happening right now, and if she is voted for the most, she gets to have a free ad placed in her local newspaper.  This would really help her out by making her business more public and recognized. Would you vote for her? Scroll through, until you come to the ‘photography’ section, and vote for “Raven photography” (they got her name wrong).  I think it’s on the 2nd or 3rd page or so.  So , sign in and vote!

If you don’t know about Beadfx, you should check their site out!  They have a wonderful boutique atmosphere, full of sparkly fun stuff!  When you’re done perusing their wares (and oh, read the descriptions, they’re half the fun!)  check out their blog!

Yes, you’ll find that I want to brag a little bit–they’re doing little bios of the artists that will be there on saturday for the trunk show!  I’m on day one, right along with Erin Maloney, from Airwynn Glass.  She does the most wonderful silvered sparkly PERFECTLY shaped sets…she is someone who, with her quality and dedication, inspires me. 

Four more Sleeps!  You should come on by! 
The info you need is on my side bar to the right.

I’ve been able to take this tool home to evaluate it!

So far, I’ve only done a few beads… I’ll let you know how things go!

Here’s a picture so far!
It’s one of my firsts, so it’s not as perfect as I’d like. I still have a learning curve.

Nortel told me it would be about 300$ Canadian, all inclusive once they start selling it. In boring grey or rocket red! 
Dwyn from Dragonjools has a great writeup about it that you can read for now, while I learn.

Someone from my favourite glass forum “Lampwork Etc.” sent me a suprise gift that included some Glow in the Dark frit!  I don’t know who makes it, but it’s very neat! Just about a tablespoon full, so I have to make it last.  I dipped a glob of clear into it, and mixed it in, and pulled it into a glow in the dark stringer!  So I made a bead, encased it with the stringer, and encased THAT with a transparent colour of my choice.  They turned out well!  They glow pretty good for a little while, but then you have to put them under the light again.  I’m sure they’d be very cool with black light.

Here they are!  I traced the black eye with glow in the dark stringer, so it’s like a cool amulet.

I’ve been going to the park this long weekend with my dog every day, and bringing my camera.
This lil guy caught my eye:

He looks like he ate too much to hang on to the branch!

I took others, but I was really looking for the new goslings I glimpsed when I was ’sans’ camera.  I haven’t been able to find them since!! Gah!  Next time I see them, they’ll be gangly teen geese.  They were cute and yellow and fluffy on friday.  Ah well.
Happy long weekend folks!

Yellow is usually pretty far down on the list of colours I use most frequently.
But, as things go, I may not be able to get enough of it now!

Yellow (I can’t remember which, it’s very pale banana popsicle colour on the rod) –with silver ivory stringer dribbled on it, and then a random design of Triton, which is then reduced, to get a wonderful oilslick (I always hate using that description, it’s a gross/pretty connotation) sheen to it. It’s mostly a greenish/bluish shimmer.

I enjoy how the silvered ivory webs out to give an organic feel. That way, I can practice ‘drawing’ with triton stringer, and if it turns out not so hot, it looks organic and ‘natural’, because of the underlying silvered ivory. of course if it turns out just the way I want, the silvered ivory is still stunning.

That’s my sneaky trick, and that’s why I do a LOOOOOT of non ’specific’ design beads.

It’s aaaaaaall practice.

If you’d like to buy it here, that’s ok, if you want to buy it on my artfire, it’ll be up tomorrow morning.

I would like to introduce you to an EllyLoo design that I call “Hope”.
Two years ago, I went on a ladies retreat to Teen Ranch (Oh, we stayed in the NICE lodge…very nice), and I went along as a part of what the organizers had planned for th eladies–a Spa retreat that included a reflexologist, a manicure/pedicurist, and myself, a jewelry designer.  The theme of the retreat was “REST”, and I tried to come up with something that expressed “Rest”.  This was the design, but it quickly got renamed “Hope”, because it spoke to me that way. 

HOPE gives us the strength to rise above struggles and trials that threaten to pull us down, and to carry on.  What gives you hope?  What helps you through your struggles in life?  People who have hope sparkle like diamonds…there’s just something about them!

As you can see, “Hope” pendants can be personalized with any colour.  Each, while similar in design, is unique from the others, because I make each by hand.  There are no molds involved.  Some can be etched to give them a soft seaglass look, while other colours glow when left in their natural glass state.  These pendants are showstoppers when I bring them as a display, particular favourites are the red and the black.  I will be breaking out Aqua and Turquoise though, so watch out!  I really feel like these pendants are my “ART”.  Each of my glass creations have my creativeness and artistic nature in them, however, these ones are sentimental to me, and have become a central part of who I am.  If it brings meaning to you, it makes me happy.  Contact me through elly@ellyloo.com , and let me know which colour you prefer.  Hope necklaces are $50, and they come with a chain included, so you can wear it as soon as you want.

Oh, that retreat was wonderful-people are still talking about it.  I would absolutely love being included on the next one, and thought I might branch out to other churches, other resort places.  Contact me if you think this might be something your group would be interested in!

I’ve been watching a lot of Cesar Millan’s shows lately… it’s sort of become our family tradition (now, if we could only find the NEW episodes!) –and I always wondered how they got these families on their show!  Well… Now I know! 

I guess they ‘audition’ for the show, just like any other show, but they don’t look for actors and dogs who can do things, they look for families with dogs that Cesar can help.  Like today, they’re holding auditions in Houston TX.    This is the info I have on it. 

PRODUCERS FROM DOG WHISPERER HOLD AUDITIONS

 IN HOUSTON, TEXAS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 25

Don’t miss your chance to meet with the producers of Dog Whisperer to audition to be on the show! Be prepared to describe your dog’s issue and bring video footage which shows the problem behavior to submit to the producers. Submissions cannot be accepted without a video.

Dog Whisperer is looking for a wide variety of dog problems, including unusual phobias, obsessions, fearful behavior, aggression, or any other unique situations that Cesar could help transform.

Dogs are welcome, but your dog does not need to attend to be considered. For safety reasons, the producers ask that you leave your aggressive dog at home. In order to capture footage of aggression, they recommend keeping the dog on a leash, behind a fence, or in a muzzle. Please do not put yourself or your dog in danger while trying to film the behavior.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25th

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

PETCO

22511 State Hwy 249,

Houston, TX 77070-1532

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

PETCO

2410 Bay Area Blvd, Ste B,

Houston, TX 77058-1520

Can’t make it to the audition? Submit a video application. In the video, we would like you to introduce yourself and your dog. Give us your name, age, and occupation, as well as the dog’s name, age, and breed. Tell us the problems your dog is having and how these issues are affecting your life. Also, let us know what you love about your dog. We would like you to capture at least three instances of your dog’s bad behavior.

For details on how to submit a video or for further information about the auditions, please visit http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/dogwhisperer/submissions.php

Cool!  I should start putting a video for MY dog together!  However… I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Cesar coming to Canada…

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED GLASSY GOODNESS!

This past weekend, I went to Teen Ranch as one of the leaders with the Endeavours group from my Church!  Thirteen 11/12/13 year olds for a whole weekend!  It was pretty fun!  Horseback riding, hiking, campfire, trampolines, hide and seek in the dark, good food, warm sleeping bags, and good friends!

Thanks Teen Ranch, for a wonderful time!!