Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year...

Hi all, hope you are having a great holiday season so far & are all ready for Christmas & an awesome Happy New Year...you may have noticed I have not blogged, added beads, updated facebook, twitter, flicker or any other means of communication for over 2 weeks now...Thanks for all of your concerned & whats up with you? emails & messages...

All is good & life is good in the world of Jelveh...I was just taking some time off from being out there so much...I think we all need to do that from time to time...unplug as it were...so back to our regularly scheduled program we go...lets see I have been rather busy making a ton of beads for fun, for special orders, for gifts & for our big Christmas Boutique at Graceful Studios which is this Sunday from 10-5...Grace also thought Garnet & I how to make soap, we made a ton of yummy gourmet soaps for the Boutique with Grace & for gifts...I tried & spend some time with family & friends too which is always nice...below are some photos of these adventures...oh yeah we got some NEW TO US furniture for the living room dinning room finally too...so yes busy busy here...

The cutest little girl, my niece is 3 years old on this week, she had a Shrek party & was dressed as princess Fiona for her special day...

Here is the cutest guy on our new couch, so yummy, both the couch & my hubby...

& here is a shot of the soap making party we had...so much fun, want to do this again soon...

OK the Winner of the yummy bead from two weeks ago is FiberOne of SC...please please send your address...in fact anyone who has won a bead in the past few weeks, please send your address, as I have some yummy beads just waiting for their new homes...OK for this past two weeks & the next two weeks, I am giving away 1 set of 5 beads, your choice of colors to 4 people...enter to win a set of beads by making a comment on this post...

Also in the spirit of the giving season, every purchase from my shop until the end of Jan, 2010 will get a 10% discount via paypal after payment has been made...Anything purchased after Dec 20th will not be shipped until after Jan 5th, 2010...wow 2010...how time flies when you are having fun...New Beads & goodies will be listed in my etsy shop soon, you just have to keep checking...

Thanks for stopping by, have a safe & fun Holiday season...Life is Good...

Jelveh

Peace

Leftovers & More...

Hi all, hope you had a great Turkey day...ours was was very nice...having 4 days off was really good, we did just about nothing...went for long walks, did a bit of yoga at home, did a bit of shopping & that's about it...oh yeah ate a whole lot of yummy leftovers, what about you?

this past weekend I managed to list a ton of beads as promised...I will have a couple of new yummy sets, focal beads & leftover sets by Thursday 2pm California time in my etsy shop...

On Wednesday last week I had a quick, as in short intro class to bead making with the nice people in the photo below...Sharon, Lisa & Kevin...Lisa was a natural, Sharon's beads looked really good for a beginner & Kevin did great too...he is also a boro artist, although we had very little boro glass at the studio, he did come back on Sat for about an hour & showed a bit of boro, the second picture is the swan he made for us...he is going to come back to our studio to teach a 2 day intro to off mandrel boro class sometime around spring vacation 2010, I will keep you posted of the dates...

Graceful Studios News: We have added a calendar of events to our blog upcoming dates of note are my lampworking class on Sunday the 6th from 9am to 2pm, & the Christmas Boutique on Sunday December 20th from 10am to 4pm...see you at the studio...

Last week's two yummy focal beads go to Amy, send your addy girl...for this week I have very special bead, I love love this apple core bead with a modified harlequin design...I was going to list it in my shop, then I realized I did not have a yummy bead for the giveaway, so now you can enter to win it by making a comment on this post...

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Happy Thanksgiving...

Hi all, hope you are all ready for Turkey day & you remembered to get the sugar for the cranberry sauce unlike me...so now we are making the stuffing & cranberry sauce tonight...This Thanksgiving I am so very thankful for everyone & everything in my life, specially my yummy hubby, all of my family & friends, Life is good...

I have an appointment this morning, then at 1pm I am teaching a 2 hour class to 4 students at the studio...then after than I am cooking...so that is the plan...

I ask myself where is the time to add new beads, I have them I promise, I have a couple of pairs of earrings too & a few pendants...I have added a few items to the shop already & I will add the rest of the goodies to my etsy shop between now & Sunday night I am sure...

Last week's yummy bead goes to acptuser, please send your address...for this week I have 2 yummy focal beads for your beading pleasure, one person will win both of them, enter to win them by making a comment on this post about anything you like or what you are thankful for...

over the weekend we had a Rock Carving Class at the Studio, it was a great 3 day class & lots of fun was had by all, I took a couple of photos when I stopped by on Sat after my yoga class... Well I am off to my appointment then to teach & then to cook & then to add more goodies to the shop...

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Beady Wednesday, I mean Thursday...

Hi all, how are you doing? ready for Thanksgiving yet? Hubby & I are in charge of the Turkey, Stuffing & the cranberry sauce...thank goodness for Harry & David, we picked up the Turkeys, now we just have to cook the stuffing & cranberry sauce...life is good

Over the weekend we saw the movie 2012, it was good but it was about 30 minutes too long...I mean really no one edits anything anymore...half way through I am thinking do we really need yet another climatic scene of another plane taking off just before the runway caves in? I think we are over stimulated as a people already...

oh yeah we are here for beads, I had a great time making a bunch of yummy beads...I am going to start listing them in my etsy shop after I blog today & until Thursday eve the 19th...so keep an eye out...here is a photo of what is coming, plus I am adding a few other items like finished earrings & pendant necklaces & yes a bit of silver findings too...I am thinking Toggles...

Last week's yummy dichro bead goes to lucky Kristen, please send your address...this week's bead is large focal from my Ribbon Tornado series with bubble eyes...enter to win it by making a comment on this post, love to hear about your holiday plans...

Graceful Studios News: We are going to start having monthly get together at our studio in Gilroy, each party will have a theme, first one will be in Jan 2010 & theme is hearts, every one should bring a heart related glass, bead, piece of art or jewelry with them to the party, we will have open torch for a few hours, a bit of nosh food & a ton of fun sharing & being...oh yeah I almost forgot we will enter everyone's name in a drawing to win some goodies, January's giveaway will be $25.00 in Glass Rods...more on this later...

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Wire Wrapping Class, Yum...

Took a yummy Wire Wrapping class with the very talented Jennifer Le at our studio in Gilroy today, I have never done it, so imagine my surprise when I actually made something very cool...Jennifer is a great teacher, her next class is sometime in Jan 2010 in our studio where she will teach us how to wire wrap a ring...The photo above is the very lovely Petrified Wood Cabochon that Jennifer let me pick out of her yummy rocks...below are more pictures of class... Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

New Beads & Veterans Day...

Is one day enough to pay tribute to those who serve & die for the rest of us...? I just wanted to send shout out to all of our veterans for all they do...

Well its finally cold here in Northern California, I mean it was cold a couple of days ago it was 54 in the middle of the day...I know what a wimp right? but not used it at all...over the weekend hubby & I took advantage of the nice weather & had a picnic at the park...on Sunday we went to Santa Cruz & got a couple of much deserved massages...

I managed to make some yummy beads in the last week or so even though I have been feeling a bit under the weather...I will have them all posted by 7pm tonight California time in my etsy shop...here is a group photo of the beads I am listing today & on Thursday...oh I may add some sterling silver goodies too, so keep an eye out...

I wrote a quick blog & posted some photos on Watch Me Create, check it out when you get a chance...

oh yes the winner of last week bead is jozd5150 please send your address, for this week I have purple & blue flowers on a bed of dichro...yummy, enter to win this bead by making a comment on this post...what was the last fun thing you did in the sun??

Thanks for stopping by...life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Finally, New Beads...

November already? what happened to August, September & October? Oh yeah, I remember I was busy running around the globe...well after being gone pretty much from September 15th until the first of November, I am back...I have had such a fun past few weeks, as you may know I was teaching a two week class in Turkey that was awesome & I met so many new friends & had fun with my old friends, but I also was teaching class an average of 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, for two weeks...then I came back, made some beads, helped Grace put the finishing touches on the Graceful Studios...a couple of days later Corina Tettinger arrived for her class, we had two awesome, 2 day classes full of great students in a span of 6 days...see Photos of students in a previous post below...

I played the role of assistant to Corina, from getting her coffee to certain size stringer to making beads for her to make some awesome design on, I did it all & I was happy to be able to do it...Corina was/is a very talented glass artist & an amazing teacher, queen of all glass beads in my mind, she was also fun to hang out with, very generous & nice...Grace & Frank worked their tales off as well, Frank ran around & made tools & adjustments to all equipment & of course without Grace & her loving nurturing ways, there would be no Graceful Studios, she did so much work to get the place going & made sure we all ate & had fun the whole time...

The class was so successful that most of the students are already signed up for Corina's next class in our studio on Feb 19, 20 & 21st, 2010, where she will be teaching a 3 day class called "Let it Bloom" everything & anything to do with flowers of all kinds, from surface to encased & a few she has never shown before...

And now back to our regularly scheduled program, first off if you have won beads on my site in the past two months and don't have your bead yet, please please send me your address via email & remind me which bead was yours, I have a few sitting here waiting to go to their new homes...

As you may recall a few posts down, I had two beads to giveaway last week, well one of them, the aquamarine rivers bead, the one on the right, I gave to Corina as a gift never remembering that I had offered it here in the drawing, so I will make another one for the lucky winner of that bead which is Stephanie, the other bead the swirly lentil goes to Ginny of Florida...thank you all for playing along...the lovely focal lentil above about 30mm round I made in Turkey in Class while I was teaching, love the way it came out, this one is this week's bead giveaway...enter to win it by making comment on this post, possibly about your last class or workshop experience...

Oh yeah almost forgot I made a ton of beads, photo above shows them together as a group, I am happy to report after years of not making too many Dichroic beads since I was not always getting good results & the glass is expensive to waste, I finally learned from Corina what was the problem, the glass was not the right stuff, Corina brought some with her for the class, I ordered more from Frantz and made a set of my garden beads, inspired by Corina & her Dichroic beads...I listed them & others yummy beads in my shop on Etsy ...some made in Turkey, some made here before & after we hosted Corina at our studio, so you can imagine my mind is full of new ideas & designs, there will be a ton of new beads coming your way as soon as I get some much needed rest...

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Corina & her class were Awesome....

Here is the group from the first class, one of the ladies had to leave for her flight by the time this photo was taken, the nice lady sitting down is Grace of Graceful Studios, she did so much work to get the studio & these classes off the ground, she is awesome & great to work with & be friends with... Here is a photo of the second group of great students watching Corina make and explaine how she made that particular design...

Hi all, long time no talk, been really busy with the two sold out classes that Graceful Studios held with the world known lampwork artist, the very talented & sweet Coring Tettinger...both classes were great, we had so much time, I am just really tired, I will have more information and photos for you later, here are a couple from the different classes...I was the assistant for both classes, I learned all kinds of cool new ways of playing with glass from Corina, she was great and so was the whole class experience at the new studio...

I will pick the winner for the beads and catch up with all the bead listings by Wednesday this coming week...I have to change one of the bead giveaways, as i gave the one on the rigth to Corina as a gift and forgot I had posted it for a giveaway here, sorry all...will try and make anothe one like it... Thanks again for stopping by...

Jelveh

Peace

Picking up Corina....

Well I had hoped I would have some time to list some beads by today, but I ran out of time sometime a month ago & have not been able to catch up with it since...today I am off to the airport in about an hour to pick up Corina Tettinger for her teaching visit to our studio & town. Graceful Customs Studios is happy & lucky to be having her teach here & I am so excited that after many years of talking to Corina on the phone & email we finally get to meet...The first two day class Corina is teaching on Sat & Sun 24th & 25th is full, the second class she is teaching on Wed & Thurs the 28th & 29th of this month has 2 spaces left...let me know if you want to join this class...

The beads above are both for giveaway this week, two people will win, one each, I pick who gets what, but you can try & let me know why you should get the one you want, enter to win them by making a comment on my blog...I made them while teaching class in Turkey at the awesome Glass Furnace.

The Photos below are of the studio all polished & ready to go, Grace & her hubby did such an awesome job getting the place together & have gone all the way with the new torches, glass & venting systems, not to mention all the yummy foods & goodies Grace has placed in the studio...if you are in area & would like to visit send me an email, we are located at 10730 Center Ave, in Gilroy.

I will try & list some yummy beads I have made both in Turkey & here since I have back in the next few days when I get a chance, but it will be late in the night when I have a chance so we shall see if sleep is more important...lol

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...

Jelveh

Peace

Back from Turkey...

Hi all, I am back from Turkey, I had the most fun in one of the best classes I have had in a long time...the Glass Furnace & all of its staff were as nice as ever. Although the weather was colder than the last few times I was there, the grounds & the river were still very lovely to visit...in my two week class I had 4 great students, Aybuke, Elif, Nasrine & Gozde, my class assistant & translator Gunay was with us the whole time too (thanks for all the work girl). In the first 3 day class we also had my new boy friend Alten & his assistant in real life Gulsan in the class as well, then on the last 3 days we had a total of 14 students in class with me & Gunay (16 of us in total) which made for a fun busy room full of glass bead makers...we had so much fun, the picture above was taken on the second day of the advanced class...

This past Saturday was graduation, many of the students got their certificates the day before after class ended, only the original four & Meneske were able to stay for the ceremony & exhibition day.

I will never forget the amount of fun we all had in the past two weeks...we made so many beads & had a great adventure...I so miss everyone & wish to see them again very soon. my next class at the Glass Furnace is scheduled for May 30th to June 12th of 2010. As usual I will have the two week class, plus two 4 or 5 day advanced classes as well...

Below you will find some random photos of our time at the Glass Furnace...

some of the beads I made while in class... Here we all had fun trying on my sun hat, sadly not too much sun for me to wear it...Gozde had the best hat attitude... After everyone got their certificates, our class photo...we had all cried a bit at this point... Aybuke's Exhibit... Nasrine's exhibit... Gunay's Exhibit... Menekse's Exhibit... Elif's Exhibit... Gozde's Exhibit... Gunay, Fulya (last year students, life time friends) & me... The Bee Kingdom doing their magic...awesome that we got to see them... Need I say more...I mean Really??? Nasrine plays pool, rather well...my student who came from Iran for the class... My new friend Gaye, whom I met through my old friend Pinar Hakim, Gaye was the reason we had 10 students for the advanced part of the class, thanks a bunch girl, see you next year... Student from last year & this year & friend forever Mari-Liis who came from Estonia to have some fun with us... another shot from Istanbul, this one from the ramp while waiting for the next train to come, watching the big cruise ships on the Bosphorus sea...Turkey is so lovely & did I mention I love the people & the food...

Thanks for stopping by...life is good...will have beads for you next week...

Jelveh

Peace

Beads & other Goodies from Turkey...

These are a few of the beads Nasrine's made...first time on the torch. Here are some photos of the last couple of day's adventures...first some photos of the students beads...they have lots more, but I only have so much time to take photos & blog, we have been rather busy making beads pretty much everyday & most nights till 10pm...we went to Istanbul on Friday & had some fun, I bought all the silver findings they had in the city & Nasrine bought everything else...we must have shopped forever...did I mention Istanbul is a city of 22 million...???

also The Bee Kingdom, an amazing trio of glass artists from Canada & Feleksan Onar an awesome glass artist from Turkey, had two days of glass blowing & presentation here at the Glass Furnace. We were rather awed & very lucky to get to see them do their magic...the students & I made some beads that looked like Bee Kingdom's art & gave them a few as gifts...we are working on making some beads that remind us of Feleksan's art... These are a few of the beads Gunay made...the lovely Gunay was in my class last year, she has only torched a few times since then, this year she is my assistant & translator in class, she is doing a lot of work free of charge...she is amazing, we could not have had the class without her... These are a few of the beads Aybuke made...first time on the torch. These are a few of the beads Elif's made...first time on the torch. These are a few of the beads Gozde made...first time on the torch. Driving in to Istanbul...not much traffic that day, which is odd...

Thanks for stopping by...Life is good in Turkey...

Jelveh

Peace