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1/16/2015
It's the 5th
Anniversary of the CGBeadroller!
and there's a new sampler
to celebrate. To date, I've shipped to all 50 states and over 35
countries, and am grateful for the wonderful reception the lampwork
community has had for these tools.
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In July, I was
honored to teach a class at the Gathering in Houston,
and I made a special sampler for the class. Each anniversary I
introduce a new sampler, this year it's the Class Sampler from the
Gathering.
Through January 29th:
1) The 5th
Anniversary 'Class Sampler' will be $50 ($15 off the sampler
price of $65)
2) The other 4 samplers will
be on sale for $55 ($10 off the sampler price) |
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12/23/2014
As some of you know, I don't do custom tools, my machine is set up to
make 10 tools at a time. There's just too much engineering and machine
setup refinagling to make it cost effective to do one at a time, but if
someone comes up with an idea that will appeal to the masses, I'll add
it to the line. That's what happened here with BR-157 Heathers Dolls.
Heather Sellers emailed me a couple months ago and asked about nesting
dolls. My first thought was that I already have the Angels/Dolls from
last year, and wondered if they may be a bit too redundant. I went
ahead and drew up the design, connected the head to the body in a bit
different way, making them different enough to have two doll choices.
I sent Heather one of the tools ahead of time and thought she would
make her famous Japanese Dolls, like the ones on her facebook page, but
I got a HUGE surprise. Heather is one of the most out-of-the-box
thinking beadmakers in our industry, and her beads are truly cartoon
drawings in 3D. Here's what her brain stopped long enough to initially
make. A Bowling Pin? Really? I would have never thought of a bowling
pin from these cavities, that one takes the creative prize.
So now here's how to use BR-157
Heathers Dolls:
Step 1) Use the tool to make a base figure from 32mm to 42mm long.
Step 2) Put your brain in 'Heather mode', let your imagination run
wild. |
Heather
Sellers
(Dragonfly
Lampworks)
Blog
Tutorials
on Etsy
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12/8/1/2014
Time for another special.
Receive 4 rods (1/8+ lb) of random Double Helix test batch glass from
2013:
1) For every CGBeadroller purchased
(must be at full price, multiple tool discount tools do
not qualify)
2) For every $50 purchase of 'other' items
(ie. $100 purchase of
findings/t-shirts/mandrels/frit/DHglass/etc gets you 2 bundles)
Rules:
1) You 'must' email me to receive the special
(it's not automatic)
2) Special ends Sunday Night
(Dec 14th midnight-ish)
3) Supplies are limited
(if I run out I'll email you back with alternative item
options)
4) Click here for the Catalog Page
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12/1/2014
I threw all the cats toys out a few weeks ago and decided to get
'fresh' ones, so I trekked over you my favorite dolor store last
week. After picking up a couple I walked to the end of the isle
and WOW, cat costume heaven! I think I riffled through them for a good
half hour till I settled on a nice elf costume. Oh no, not for the
cats, Stewey's getting Glamour Shots for Christmas. Think kids are
sometimes hard to pose? Ever try to pose a dressed up rooster?
Round One: Stewey 1, mom 0
I will be trying again!
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11/21/2014
Cyber Monday is coming up, that means FREE SHIPPING. Here's the
details:
1) Free Domestic Shipping (on all orders)
2) $5 International Shipping (on all orders)
3) You MUST email me so I can refund the shipping (it's not
automatic)
4) Special ends Cyber Monday (12/1) Night (midnight-is or so)
5) Have a Great Weekend (this one is automatic, you don't have to
request it)
6) Feel Free to over eat on Thanksgiving Day (you can exercise by
partaking in Black Friday)
Ready? Set? GO!!!
11/2/2014
Short update, I've been busy the past few weeks updating pages. Here's
the list in case you've missed the newletter.
Tip of
the Day
Customer
Gallery
Chain by
the Foot
Bead
Counters
Trinity
Brass Beadcaps
Kits:
Earrings & Bracelets
Donut
CGBeadrollers: BR-152 (Medium) BR-153 (Large) BR-154 Mega
11/2/2014
FRIT SALE, CHECK HERE
FOR DETAILS
NEW!!! Bronze
Chain by the Foot. I've looked for a long time for
chain by the foot with links soldered shut. It's frustrating to
test a piece of jewelry that I've just made, only to have the links
open up when I take it off. Well, better with me than with a
customer I guess, but I don't have to worry about that anymore. There
are 11 styles and I'll add more in the future.
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10/29/2014
Here's my newest gizmo find for sale, a Bead
Counter. It's a simple child's abacus and I use it
this way:
Each row corresponds with a cavity on the tool. The top row of red
counters are for the top cavity on the tool. I have 6 beads to the
right, that means I've made 6 beads from that cavity. I have two orange
beads to the right which means I took a break and don't have to
remember that I only made two beads from the second cavity, and won't
have to burn my face peeking into the kiln to see what I've done.
While you're here, check out the newest pages:
Trinity
Beadcaps and Kits.
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| So
lets have a contest to give away two of them. Email me your favorite
set of beads made using a beadroller, Fred & Stewey will randomly
pix two winners Saturday night (11/1/2014) around midnight-ish. I've
started a Customer
Gallery
page and will put the pictures there so everyone can enjoy the eye
candy. If you would like me to add a link to your
website/Etsy/Facebook/etc, please include it. |
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10/21/2014
DONUTS! DONUTS! DONUTS! The latest additions are here. A couple
of months ago I realized I only had one 'regular' donut
beadroller. That left the line pretty lacking, so I
added three new versions. The size choice went from 7 donuts to
20, and they now range from 5x10mm up to 24x30mm. The larger ones
are great sizes for aquarium beads, or just plain old encased murrini,
great focal sizes.
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10/7/2014
The choice of rounds just grew again, with 32mm and 34mm, which is
1-1/3" (BR-150
Mega Round #3). I also made a chunky version of the
tear drops (BR-151
Chunky Tear Drop). The new ones are the same length,
but plumper and can |
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be
mixed and
matched. I'm thinking the chunky would make a nice 'drop'
necklace,
while the slimmer version would go good as the earrings.
And on a different note - Fred is morphing into a spider for Halloween.
Actually he likes to perch on a bathroom wall that hold up a
mirror. Spider Fred, Spider Fred, does whatever a Spider Fred
does!
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TIP OF
THE DAY: Long beads that
taper
1) Start by filling the smallest end first. If you add a bit too much
glass, it's easier to roll the glass 'out' of the smaller end than
'into' it. If you are right handed it's easier to add glass to the
right side of a bead, so start at the left. (If the cavities small end
is on the right side of the paddle, simply hold the tool upside down.)
2) If needed, add a small stringer or dots to the very end, this will
help fill the cavity and get a nice plump end.
3) Keep adding sections until the other end of the bead is reached.
4) Now you can finish off the bead on the right side the same way you
finished off the first end.
NEW: TIP
OF THE DAY PAGE WITH DOWNLOADABLE PDF
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9/28/2014
The Giveaway has ended. Winners are Candis Donkin & Deb Cox.
Congrats to them, and thank you to everyone who played.
9/22/2014
CGBEADROLLER
GIVEAWAY. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.
Giveaway ends Sunday night, 9/28.
BR-148
Medium Plug
Ear Gauges
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9/18/2014
Plug Sets
- - Tunnel Sets
Here's the plugs
and tunnels I made.
I finally have a use for those
'shaped' mandrels I have. How cool would that be to let people mix and
match, can you see someone with a heart in one ear and a triangle in
the other? The top one in the tunnels pix is with a thimble mandrel,
but a cone
shaped mandrel would give a more dramatic angled tunnel. I don't have
any oval mandrels but I imagine those would be pretty cool too. Take a
look at Gail's mandrels too (GG Glass), she has some fairly flat oval
ones that would make an awesome slit. Here's a list of where to find
'shaped' mandrels.
Hearts: Zoozii's & ABR Triangles: ABR Ovals: GG Glass
TIP OF THE DAY: Tunnels & Plugs
1) Lay down a footprint shorter than the 11mm wide cavity. Don't worry,
as you marver they grow because people tend to use more pressure than
needed to shape, so start short.
2) Lay down your glass on the outer rims. As you shape the glass will
fill in the curve without overfilling it.
3) The bead is formed on the upstroke coming out of the cavity, just
like in all of the beadrollers, a tip learned from marble making. Pay
attention to it coming out of the cavity, you can see it conform to the
cavity shape. If it spills over into the mandrel/punty slots, you are
using too much pressure when rolling. |
BR-149
Large Tunnel
Ear Gauges
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9/17/2014
Example beads from the BR146
Fandy Pandora Style released last week.
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9/12/2014
TIP OF THE DAY: BAROQUE
getting good ends
1) think of the bead as two separate barrels (one long one with a
shorter fatter one on top of it), and a donut in the middle. I make the
long barrel first and get the ends right, then move up to the fatter
barrel, and then to the donut. As you move up this keeps your direct
flame away from the already formed ends.
2) when I'm done with the bead if the ends are still lacking, I add a
couple of small dots to those end donuts, heat and press into the mold
to help get them flattened, then roll to shape.
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9/7/2014
Been doing some more website cleanups. I'm in the process of
streamlining pages. Also, the Glinter
inventory has been updated, restock inventory ordered, along with a few
new items, should arrive and be up in a week or two. We've also added 'findings
kits' and will expand if the idea takes off (feedback is
welcome).
And there's a new CGBeadroller category to help make it easier to shop
for SETS.
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9/3/2014
NEW TOOL UP, Mandrel
Slot CGBeadroller. I had a customer come to me a few weeks
ago with a graphite tool she
has, it was made with inferior graphite and she was wearing an unwanted
groove in
it. It was a simple design and I liked the concept, simply a
large
slot for a big hole bead mandrel so the side of the bead can be
shaped. I went a step further and made more bang for the buck
with two different sized slots. I have several beadrollers that
will make big hole beads (like the one in the picture made from BR-104),
and this tool makes finishing off 'any' big hole bead a dream.
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8/17/2014
Some friends and I took a field trip yesterday, we went to the Oklahoma
City Museum of Art to see the Chihuly exhibit. It's one of the
largest gatherings of his work. This is the installation is at
the front door. It's 54 ft tall so where else would it fit? Not
surprisingly, it took 1-1/2 years to assemble.
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One
of the things Chihuly installations are famous for is the interaction
of light with his glass. And to make the day perfect, we stopped
at a chocolate factory. Potato chips covered in what seems to be
5 layers of dark chocolate, I'm a happy camper.
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8/10/2014
With summer drawing to an end, it's time to have a 'drawing to the end
of summer' sale. Details are on the Catalog
News Page
Stewey says Hi, and remember, now that school is starting up again,
watch for children when you drive. Those little creatures sometimes
have a habit of not looking when they're in the street. |
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8/1/2014
This is one of the tools in the line that has been born out of my own
need. I get a bit frustrated using murrini. They slide down my torch
mounted marver and bunch up next to the metal guard, or inevitably roll
away if I place them on the table, and are tricky to pick up with a
tweezers. I like putting them on the back of one of my marvers, but
they slide off if I pick up the tool. The obvious solution was to make
'holding cavities', and I've finally gotten around to designing that
tool.
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There
are 25 cavities to hold the
murrini, and they range in size from
6mm to 12mm. The cavities are 2mm deep, deep enough that the murrini
won't fall out when the tool is picked up, shallow enough for picking
up the murrini with a tweezers or directly onto the hot bead. Then I
went a step further and added a gently curved lentil cavity for
reshaping, or use it to hold a bit of crushed aventurine. Can be
found on the Misc page,
the Mixed page,
and the Frit page.
If you're a tweezers-user-murrini-picker-upper-guy, you can really load
up. If you're a plunge-the-bead-onto-the-murrini-to-pick-it-up-guy,
there are enough cavities to space the murrini far enough apart to
accommodate that method. If you're a prewarm-my-murrini-guy, you can
place the tool on top of the kiln (along with your murrini) to get some
heat into the graphite. |
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7/242014
The Gathering was good, no, the Gathering was great. If you've never been to
one, please consider going to the one next year in Albuquerque (July),
watch the ISGB
website for details. I thoroughly enjoyed
teaching my two workshops. I forgot to take a picture, but
someone posted one on Facebook that I borrowed. Unfortunately I
missed all of the events, but soooo many people stopped by my
booth. This was my 4th year as a vendor, I was surprised at how
many people I recognize this year. A big thanks to everyone for
stopping by, made my days go by faster.
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7/14/2014
Gathering
Sale Ends July
20th
7/5/2014
The long awaited 'Ear
Gauges' CGBeadrollers have arrived, and they have their own category,
and there are two different versions: tunnels and plugs. The
tunnels middle gauge diameters (the diameter in the middle that will
touch the ear) range from 3mm to 13mm and 14mm to 19mm.
 
Right now I'm only releasing one of two in the 'plug' category. The
bigger version is taking a bit longer than expected, but I wanted to
release this one before I go to the Gathering next week. This
version is extremely simple to use. I placed the cavity at the edge of
the paddle so you can use any size punty or glass rod you choose. I'm
not adept with using a punty so I simply made my practice plugs on the
end of a 3/32" mandrel. The plug will have a hole in one side and the
wearer can either put that in the back of their ears or proudly display
it in the front as new style ear plug. The plugs middle gauge diameters
range from 3mm up to 13mm on this
version. The tool yet to come out will range from 14mm up to 20mm.
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7/3/2014
Well there it is, in all it's glory, the new ride. What else do you
replace a Jeep with except another Jeep. Right? and
that's what I had my heart set on. "Best laid plans....." |
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Here
was the criteria:
1) need utilitarian - I haul stuff
2) no 'bubble car' shape - thus the Jeep fetish
3) 'get up and go' engine - loved my Cherokee
4) need windows - I'm a visual driver, mirrors scare me
We stopped and looked at the Honda CRV on our way to the Jeep
dealer. The space in the back of CRV was so-so. After a Jeep,
this was a bit claustrophobic, but I expected that, it was a bit
'bubble car-ish'. Back up camera was nice but I'm ok without one.
Okaaay, that was fun. |
I don't
drive
enough to warrant buying a
high dolor vehicle, so I chose to look at the Jeep Patriot and the
Compass. Ahhh, thought I was in heaven, then I saw the back
seats folded down. The floor space wasn't at all like what I was
use to with my Cherokee, the seats
didn't even lay flat. Bummers, BIG time. Walking back to
the front of the lot, we walked by a row of Dodges. "Hay, what
are those?" That's a Dodge Caravan." "No way that's a mini
van!" See, I HATE 'bubble cars' - AND vans, but this wasn't
either one. After closing my jaw, I peeked inside, then did a
test drive. Space - check. Not a bubble - 90% check. Get up and go -
double check. 360 degree driving view with no
blind spot - check. Long story short, I'm a soccer mom 20 years
after the fact, but I'd still rather have my
no-payments no-repairs 95' Jeep Cherokee back (and would give and arm
and leg to have Weazel back)
Have a wonderful
safe fun filled 4th of July
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6/30/2014
This has been one horrible week, and I am sick of it. My
treasured cat Weazel has been sick. He tested positive for FIV
last September, but we didn't know if it was really FIV or a false
reading from FIV vaccinations. He has deteriorated quit a lot in
the past couple of weeks, so I took him to the vet this morning.
Without putting him through excruciating testing, we determined there
were too many positive signs, and I made the decision to put him to
sleep. Of all the pets I've had over my lifetime, he was my
favorite. He was a Black Tabby and one of the pretties cats I've
ever seen. His subtitle was "the best darn cat in the world" and
I am saddend beyond belief. This has been a week for letting go.
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MISC
BLOG
ARCHIVES
2005-20011
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2013
2014
Bead
Review 2005
The
Wedding
(Mr. & Mrs. Whitney)
_____________________
Dancing
at the Movies
someone close my mouth for me,
this pool
trick shot
left me speechless
360 degree panorama pix
Paris by
Night
Evolution
of Dance
amazing, note the language
fishy
card trick
Telemarketer
Nightmare
audio
Chris
Bliss
the Beatles juggler
The
Godfather: scammer upsets the Mafia
are you a Star Wars fan?
Emperor
Palpatine get a phone call from Vader
This has been around a while, I just found it again
How to
Fold a T-Shirt
David
Hasselhoff's
"Jump In
My Car"
German
Coast Guard
John Walshes
Family
Watchdog
find registered sex offenders near you
David
Hasselhoff is
hooked on
a
fealing
this
kid is too cute
Fat Kid
Gay Dance
my
husband found this
(yes, it's clean)
Men In
Coats Vidio
Tom
Cruise Is Nuts
John
Titor time
traveler
click on 'John's story'
left hand column
Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
January 2006
short
version - 32 pix
long
version - 337 pix
my
Seattle Sep/2005
trip
my
Seattle June/2008
trip
_____________________
TRIBUTE
TO MY MOTHER
My Aunt Ruth's poem
If
Tomorrow Starts
Without Me
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