New lampwork glass tutorial up today - Making Storybook Pumpkin Beads

It's been a long time coming - and is finally here!  I just finished my newest lampwork tutorial - Making Storybook Pumpkin Beads.  The tutorial covers making the bead itself, but also has lots and lots of color information and 140+ pictures!  The tutorial is 22 pages and costs $14.

I just updated the Coloraddiction website to include the pumpkin tutorial.  I've set up a new shopping cart, which allows for instant downloads of the pdf files for all of my tutorials. (Kim's tutorials are still delivered by email for now.) You'll also get an email with a download link. That way you don't have to wait for me to email manually!

The pic to the left will lead to the pumpkin tutorial page. Here's the page for all the tutorials.

I would love to know how you all like it!  Thanks!  :)

CiM Glass Testing: 408 Leapfrog Ltd. Run, plus Gathering Stuff

Hi everyone - I'm back!
So was the title of this post enigmatic enough for ya? :)

First, I've had a bunch of people ask me to post an update about how the Gathering went a couple of weekends ago.  In a word - great!! There were awkward moments - as there always are when one has social anxiety and other mental issues... but for the most part I had a wonderful time.  Most everyone was so nice - and seeing faces to go with names again was great.  I am so glad I swallowed my fear and went - I knew I would regret it if I didn't.

I've posted pics and comments on my Facebook if anyone wants to check those out. 

While I was at the Gathering, I picked up a couple of bundles of sample glass from Kathy of Creation is Messy - one is the group of colors she has released already and you can see pics of over on the website.  One is a bundle of brand new colors that don't even have names or numbers yet (!!!)

I have to tell you, I am so excited by the colors I got, I can barely type!  :)

There are quite a few colors, but several really stand out, and I will be testing them as quickly as I can.  We have both an opaque peach and a transparent peach!  Peach is one of those colors that really does not exist in any kind of saturated form at all in the 104 COE line.  The transparent version will be one of CiM's basic colors and looks soooo promising, I can't even tell you.

The other color I am dying over is a transparent dark navy blue.  Navy!!  Finally!!  I have been hoping for a navy blue ever since I ran out of that odd lot of Vetrofond that I think was called Denim Blue that I can't even find anymore.

There are also several opals - one of which is a deep and dark and luscious teal green.  There are some weird reds, a couple of yellows, and lots of green.

Speaking of green - that's the first color I am showing today - and it has no name or number, so the rod was just labelled "A".  (note: as of 8/29/12, this color has been named and numbered 408 Leapfrog Ltd. Run) No, I won't be going in alphabetical order... this is just the first color that came about, because I wanted to make pumpkins, and could use this for the stem/vines.

Soylent, Split Pea, "A"

"A", I was told, is an odd lot of Split Pea, a lovely soft opaque green. It's possible that this will be a limited run color, but we'll have to see.  It doesn't even have a page yet, so I will have to wait to link to it.

Soooo, this odd lot is a touch lighter and brighter than Split Pea, and I think a great name for it would be Pistachio.  It kind of sits between Split Pea and Soylent (a brighter Christmas green).

"A" is entirely opaque and pretty dense.  While Soylent striates pretty heavily, this new color only does so a little bit - more toward the hole than in the middle of the bead.  It's a smoother color - much more like Split Pea.  The consistency is nice - not too stiff and not too soupy.  I didn't see any bleeding or spreading, as in many Effetre opaque greens - and this is something CiM continues to impress me with. Their opaque greens tend to be more stable and layer really well.

"A", encased with DH Aether, and as plain spacers

Pumpkin - Effetre Tequilla Sunrise Coral, "A", Effetre Lt Grass Green

Encased, "A" gets a little lighter without losing its opacity. I encased it with DH Aether (clear) on the spacer, and with Effetre Light Grass Green on the vines in the pumpkin beads. The stringer layed very well and melted nicely.

Pumpkin - no bleeding from the green!

This shade makes a nice addition to the green palette for CiM - one I probably will buy.  There are a LOT of greens in CiM's line - especially opaque greens - but so far, none of them seem redundant. 

More colors coming soon!  :)

Random Stuff This Week

Ahhhhhh.  It's 8 million degrees outside (read: 95), and I am so thankful for my small, portable air conditioner. 

This week, I have spent most of my time here in the office doing computer stuff, so I haven't torched a whole lot.  It's too hot! 

I did manage to get a few beads made, though.  These are wistful wishes for cooler, autumn days. 

I made my first pumpkins of the season, changing up the green for the scrolling vines to CiM Soylent encased in Effetre Grass Green.  I really like the difference it makes - the green is still earthy, but a little more vibrant than I have had in the past. 

I used various shades of Effetre Coral for the oranges - Coral makes the best autumn orange, in my opinion. They're not really coral in color at all - funny how Effetre Coral hasn't actually been coral in a long time.  

I made more beads - they're listed over on my Beads For Sale page on my website.

I'm looking forward to going to the Frantz Art Glass Bash next weekend in Shelton.  This is always a fun time - lots of demos and such.  They always have huge glass sales during the bash, but alas, no glass for Kandice this time.  I don't have the extra funds to spend, but I am still going to go.  There are always lots of fun people to chat with and wonderful beads to look at, so hopefully this will help with the creative mojo, which has been on what seems like permanent hiatus lately.

Lastly, I have been working on a couple of websites....namely Coloraddiction.com and Kimberlyaffleck.com.  I've been meaning to redo both of them for awhile now - and I finally just took the time to do it.   Both are done in a similar style with different colors.  I think both sites look more polished now - what do you think?

That's pretty much it for now - I hope everyone is staying cool!  :)