Littlecrow Glass

I would like to present the next featured Artfire artist: Littlecrow Glass!

Deb is the owner and artist behind Littlecrow Glass. She is a mother of 5 and has been married for 21 years. Her husband is such a huge supporter of her lampworking and glass work that he built her a studio in their home!

I asked this artist a few questions about her work and here are the answers she shared with me!

How did you first get into your craft?

I started doing hot glass work many years ago after seeing lampwork beads in a gallery. I fell in love! I just had to know how to do this. My husband surprised me with a lampworking started kit from a local stained glass shop and I just dove in. The flame was mesmerizing! I started with a simple Hot Head torch setup in my basement but soon upgraded to a, oxygen set up on a Minor Torch and my own glass studio. I have never taken a class though there are many I would love to learn from.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life that inspires you?

I am inspired by many things. My family, nature, fashion, color, all that glitters and shines.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

Glass of course! I haven't met a glass I haven't wanted to melt yet. I have even used recylced glass from church windows and glass bottles from weddings. Oh and I can't forget the silver, lots and lots of fine silver for sparkle!

Is there anything that you do that you think makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/ your competitiors?

There are so many wonderful lampworkers out there! I think everyone develops a style of their own. The glass community is full of wonderful people who are willing to share and learn from each other. I have learned so much from my fellow glass artists at places like wetcanvas and lampworketc online.

You can find Littlecrow Glass online at http://www.artfire.com/users/LittlecrowGlass

End of the torch

Here's what's been at the end of my torch thus far this week.

This is my new favorite color combination... and these beads are some of my new favorites. I tried to make a few more this evening but over torched the teal glass so it changed color. But these.... these are GREAT! Well, in my opinion they are great.

I'm still working on finding the perfect balance in my flame to not over torch the colored glass but its difficult only using a hot head torch. I think I can do it but need more practice.

I will have more lampwork pendants and other jewelry listed in my shop withint the next few days so be sure to drop by and check it out! You aren't going to want to miss these.

The entire purpose of this blog post is to give you a sample of the beads I've been working on. Mind you these haven't been kiln annealed yet so some may not make it through to being finished beads but... its a sneak peek at what has come off my torch lately.

A couple close-ups here... I did these to represent a few of the 4 elements.

New pieces!

I have completed a few new pieces! I just got them listed in my Artfire studio but thought I would share pictures of them here anyways.

The first one is a LONG silver toned chain that features handmade lampwork beads made by ME! I made these beads a few years ago but hadn't been able to find the rught jewelry project for them. Finally last night, I felt inspired by a trend. This chain is meant to be worn long and doubled up but it could possibly be tripled up. It's that long. I added some faceted czech glass beads in for color and balance.

The second piece I finished is actually a necklace and earring set that has a very vintage feel. I bought these gorgeous vintage rhinestone spacer beads in Santa Fe NM in November and have been just waiting to find the perfect use for them. I paired them with creme colored swarovski crystallized pearls and POOF! The perfect prom or bridal set for that vintage gal!

PassionForBeads

Today I would like to feature an artist who is constantly featuring the artwork and items of other artists with her Passion's Picks of the Week: PassionForBeads!





Her name is Sally and she's originally from Hong Kong China. She has lived in Canada since 2001 and has been beading for about 7 years. She a stay at home mom and has two gorgeous boys ages 7 and 4. She first started her online shop in March 2009 and has been focusing on selling jewelry made from swarovski crystal beads.

I sent Passion a few questions to discover more about her and her creative work. Below are her answers.



How did you first get into your craft?

I have been doing a lot of crafts in my life. I do knitting and crocheting dolls, cross stitching, paper quilling, clay... When I first started beading, I just LOVED it! I was doing for fun in the beginning. Then one day a friend of mine asked me to make her a choker and a pair of matching earrings. I started taking orders thereafter. Last year I started selling online.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life that influences or inspires you?

Everyone in my life inspires me! However, my main inspiration comes from beading books.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

I love crystals, especially those swarovski crystals. I just fell in love with them at first site. They are so beautiful, shiny, sparkly and most importantly they make my jewelry look beautiful!

Is there anything that you do that you think makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/your competitors?

The jewelry I make is unique and not everyone can make it. I have customers who make jewelry too. One of them says she buys from me because she thinks my jewelry is beautiful and she cannot make it by herself.

Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sale, coupons, other services you offer)?

You can find me on:

Artfire http://passionforbeads.artfire.com/

MiM http://madeitmyself.com/user/passionforbeads.aspx

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PassionForBeadsFanPage

Twitter http://twitter.com/passionforbeads

Blog http://passionforbeads.blogspot.com/

I do feature artists on my blog and its called Passion's Picks, a weekly free promotion! If you would like to learn more about Passion's Picks, here's the link http://passionforbeads.blogspot.com/2010/02/introducing-passions-picks-weekly-free.html



Be sure to check out Passion For Beads on Artfire!