Monday, October 18, 2010
Where have I been & New Beads...
I did make a ton of beads the last couple of weeks, I just started to list them in my etsy shop, so there are all kinds of new beads. Stop by & take a look...let me know what you think...
You still have a few days to enter the Beauty Contest...I am loving all the goodies so far...you can enter items made with my beads no matter how long ago you got the beads...
I have also been getting ready for my Silver Class & Glass Ornament class this coming weekend...there is 4 spaces in the Silver class & 2 left in the Ornament class, send Grace an email if you are interested...
Melissa M. wins the bead in my last post...enter to win this week's yummy bead by making a comment on this post...
Thanks so much for stopping by...Life is good...
Jelveh
Peace
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Photos, New beads & October...??
New beauties have been added to the beauty contest, click here to check them out...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Beauty Contest Fall 2010
Dear Jelveh,
Thank you for having us participate with your contest. On Behalf of the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Designer Team of the Content Development Group and The Jewelry Making Contest Team; the Winners are below.
1st Place: Mellisa Meman: Copper links Blue and Green Beads
2nd Place: Samantha’s Designs ?: Pink Black and White Swirl beads and Silver charms
3rd Place: Lori Anderson Designs: Silver ,Pearl, Pink and Blue
Sincerely,
Susan Phelps
Marketing Events
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
541-956-8246
Phelpss@firemtn.com
http://www.firemountaingems.com/
Hi all, welcome to the fall 2010 Beauty Contest, where you will get a chance to showcase your beautiful Jewelry and or other Accessory art made with my beads...
Here is the important information:
Winners will be picked by Fire Mountain Gem as usual...
* 1st place winner will get a $100.00 gift certificate to my etsy shop
* 2nd place winner will get a $50.00 gift certificate to my etsy shop
* 3rd place winner will get a $25.00 gift certificate to my etsy shop
Rules:
* The pieces that you enter have to incorporate one or more of my Lampwork Glass Beads in them...
* You can enter up to two items...
* You need to send me a high quality photo of your item...
* Let me know if you like your name or business name on the photo, I will add it...
Deadline:
* The deadline for entering the contest has been extended to 10/21/10...winners will be announced 10/28/10
* As photos are sent in I will add them to this blog post...
Looking forward to seeing all the yummy designs...thanks so much for playing...
Jelveh, Peace...
PS I will add one photo to the top, one to the bottom everyone time there is a new entry...
Friday, April 23, 2010
More Implosions & A New Tool...
Yes I finally listed all my beads, I do have a couple of more implosions to list yet, that will come later tonight...but most everything is up, a couple of birds nests beads I made sold already today...I listed more of my new Implosion beads too...I just love making them...check it all out in my etsy shop... dont forget until the end of April you get the TRP promotion discount of $10.00 when you purchase 2 or more bead goodies at the same time from my shop, just put TRP in the note to seller & I will send you a refund via paypal...
Here is a group shop of them...all Squeezed with my favortie new masher... save for the large lentil one...
An awesome new Tool from Grace & Frank, this one is called the Squeeze-Me-Right Masher... ok like many of you I have a large pair of BBQ mashers on my bench, I have been using mine for years...however when I first tried Frank's new mashers I was blown away by how easy it was to work with...I now find my old mashers too big & not very comfortable to use...The Squeeze-Me-Right Masher is smaller & easier to use, I find that the actual paddles are the best part about it, the thickness of them gives the tool a property I have yet to see other mashers have, the other ones are all too thin in that area, so you have to mash a few times to get the results you want, with this one there seems more power with less of a push from your hands if that makes sense, its really fast & easy, I figured out its the paddle size & the way the handle works...really its the mind of the Engineer Frank, he kind of gets in to a tool & figures out how it needs to work, then he makes it to do just that...anyway don't take my word for it, try one out for your self...the coolest thing is I have paid anywhere from $125.00 to $40.00 for my mashers (yest I have a few) well this one is only $28.00 and its better made than any other I have had...
The studio is busy this weekend with Carmen & Ron's awesome Rock Carving class...sorry the class is already full, but they will be back again, we just love them...by the way we are taking suggestions for new classes at the studio for next year...
Last week's much talked about Flower implosion bead goes to Gail, please send your address girl...for this week I have a large focal & a friend bead with some Bali Silver spacers...its an aqua tab bead, the first one I mashed with The Squeeze-Me-Right Masher with a ton of stringers & raku dots, some bubble eyes & a matching friend...enter to win it by making a comment on this post...
Thanks for stopping by...life is very good, my brother is doing really well after his 3rd surgery in less than a month's time, my advise to you is never ever damage your Achilles Tendon, the road to putting back right can be very scary & dangerous...he is brave & is doing great...
Jelveh
Peace
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Great Corina Class & Beads...
Hi all, hope you had a great week so far...this past week was rather busy for us at Graceful Studios...Grace, Frank & I hosted Corina Tettinger & 11 lovely students for Corina's 3 day Floral Class...needless to say it was an amazing success, Corina is still the queen of glass beads...Grace is the best she cooked & hosted the best party ever & I ran around making sure the studio ran well during it all...Frank made tools on demand, it was very very fun for every one...the students did so well, I have never seen so many great beads made one after the other in a class...just awesome...below are some photos of the class...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
New Beads & Rain...???
I think we got spoiled with the sunshine in Mexico over the holidays...although we managed to get a bit of sunshine both Saturday & Sunday we went to the park & had a bit of picnic, our favorite thing to do...that was nice...oh & we saw the Book of Eli...the movie left me unsatisfied...wait for it on DVD, although I must say the color of the film was amazing, a few times I remember thinking I wish the rest of the movie (like plot, acting, editing) was this good...
I had Lani & Pat my new favorite studio mates in for classes this past week, they say they are having a ton of fun learning how to make encased flowers & hearts...they are much fun to hang out with...
I made some yummy beads this week too, trying a new frit that is so awesome, I listed a set of the last night with another new set in my etsy shop, it sold this morning, before I got a chance to get this post up...will make more today...photo of the new beads & buttons below the rest of which will be listed in my shop by later today...if you see anything in the photo that you want & it not listed let me know & I will list it just for you...
I also got a whole lot of shipping done this week, so if you had won beads in the past few weeks, your beads are in the mail...thanks for all the fun...speaking of bead giveaways, last weeks yummy bead goes to Melissa M. Please send your address...This week's bead is a yummy bicone focal I made with that new frit I was telling you about...enter to win it by making a comment on this post...
In other news, as you may remember last week I told about a new tool The Hold Me Tight Rod Holder, made by Frank the in house amazing engineer, who is half of the Graceful Customs, Grace's hubby, my friends & creative studio partners...well the tool has sold over a 100 already, it is such a needed & cool tool, by the way I am not getting any royalties for telling you about the tool, its just that it really is the best rod holder I have ever had...when you get a chance go check it out here & if you already have gotten yours, let me know what you think of it...
Thanks for stopping by...life is good & much less busy this week...
Jelveh
Peace
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Featured on Christine Marie Studios blog...
Thanks for stopping by...Life is good...
Jelveh
Peace
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Leftovers & More...
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
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Beady Wednesday, I mean Thursday...
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
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Finally, New Beads...
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...
Jelveh
Peace
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Things go Missing...

But that did not happen, so first Time went Missing...then there was no sun, then the photos took forever, since the Sun had gone Missing...then after I got it all together, after I had to drag out the lights and the cube, I sat down, got the photos up loaded to the lap top & started to write up the information...one of the beads went Missing, I have found it since, but now I can not find the other item that I need to write up my descriptions.
GAME TIME...
Guess which item I am Missing now & win the lovely bead set you see above, These are so yummy...you will love them. Rules, one Guess per person, and one item per guess. Answers here on the blog only, first person who guesses correctly wins the beads...the blues in this set are all silver glass Picasso...yum.
Jelveh
Peace
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Beads, are there new Beads?

Monday, August 11, 2008
Camden Market...
click here to see a few photos of our day...it was hard to get the camera to focus & most sellers did not want photos of their shops taken, some of the outer stores did sell a lot of things not hand made, but there was just as impressive as a collection of Vintage, Antiques & of course Handmade Art...I even met a very nice glass artist who is from Turkey, she will be taking my advanced class in April in Istanbul at Glass Furnace... Hope yours was good too...Thanks for stopping by
Jelveh
Peace