Beadmaking Tutorials Sale and Retirement!

I am retiring my beadmaking tutorials! All tutorials will be 25% off until Sunday September 6th - then they will be gone forever! Get them now while you still can.

Go to my Etsy store and enter coupon code ETSYRETIRE to get your 25% off discount.



Of course I will still be posting here on this blog when I have glassy things to talk about. :)

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!  :)

New eBook Coming Soon....Color Theory!

I am working on a new book dedicated to color theory for the glass beadmaker.  This will likely be a lot longer than any of my other tutorials - I have lots of great information to put into this book.  It's in the early stages, so it doesn't have a title, price or cover art quite yet.  I just wanted to let everyone know that it is in the works and will hopefully be available at the beginning of the new year.

I do know that the ebook will be geared towards the beginning/novice beadmaker, but will have some information even for the intermediates as well.  The book will focus on color theory, application and technical aspects of color, and will have some great color combination recipes and lots of pictures. I'm throwing in pretty much everything I know about the subject - so I hope people will find it useful, inspiring and most of all, fun!  I'll keep you updated!

Beadmaking Tutorial Sale, and New Colors Coming Soon!

Okay, so usually when I do a tutorial sale (a few times a year) I do a buy-one-get-one-free kind of deal.  This sale is different.  Until midnight Friday night, all tutorials in my Etsy shop have been marked down by several dollars each.  There's no buying limit or minimum for this one.  This only counts for the Etsy store - the tutorials on Coloraddiction (the same ones) haven't been changed. That's because I don't want to change the PayPal buttons.  :)  So check out my Etsy store to see all 7 of my beadmaking tutorials on sale.

So....why the sale you ask?  Well, for a few different reasons.  First and most important - to help my current precarious financial situation. I won't lie - I am in a bit of a mess, and have been for awhile now.  Those who follow the blog know about the lawsuit, so I won't get into that except to say it's still going on.  We're struggling - like so many people out there - so every little bit helps.

Also, sales of tutorials have slowed a bit, and I want to give some extra incentive to get mine - which are great for newbies just getting into beadmaking, as well as intermediates who haven't run across my work until now.

Third, I am thinking of retiring a few of the older ones, so they will likely be disappearing after this sale is over. 

Will I be doing any new tutorials?  The answer to that is probably not for awhile.  I am a bit burned out on them and want to focus more on beadmaking.  Plus, I have run out of ideas.  :)

In other news - there are new CiM colors out to test, so look for new posts on those very soon.  CiM has made some gorgeous new greys that I am excited to try, as well as some opals that I really need to experiment with.  CiM has been releasing a lot more colors lately in their new Ltd Run category, and those will be fun to test.  I sure hope they continue to release colors which will be in their permanent line-up!

That's it for now - I hope everyone stays cool and has a fun summer!

Should I or Shouldn't I? A Beadmaking Tutorial Conundrum

So for the last few weeks, I have been tossing around the idea of doing another glass beadmaking tutorial.  I want to possible continue the Glass Color Families series and do maybe greens or purples.  Please bear with me while I do some "out loud" thinking on this idea.

Now, another color tutorial may sound like a fabulous idea at first, but I think a few things need to be considered before I decide to do it.

First, have you all been kind of inundated with too many tutorials these past couple of years?  Would one more just be too much?  After all - each tutorial costs somewhere between $10 and $25, and who can afford the zillion that are out there?

On the other hand, several people have suggested that they would like more color-specific tutorials, so maybe I am off base there.

Secondly, I already have a color blog - would a tutorial that costs money be a little overkill?  When I did the other Color Families tutorials (Browns and Pinks) I hadn't done a whole lot of blogging on specific color groups yet.  But now there are a whole lot of posts here on different glass colors.

On the other hand, I haven't covered every purple or every green out there (nor would I be able to, even in a tutorial - I can only cover what I have experienced), so there might be ample information to cover in a tutorial.  And my tutorials are a lot more detailed, with a lot more pics, than my blog posts are.

Finally, are people less interested in tutorials due to market saturation than they are in my actual beads, or is it the other way around?  To be honest, it's not easy to answer this question.  I sell some of both.  The economy may play more of a part in the demand for my work than actual interest does. 

So......the only solution is to ask you, dear visitors, what you think.  Would you be interested in a color-based tutorial?  Or is there some technique of mine you would be more interested in learning about? 

Would you rather see me focus on more beadmaking?  Although I have to admit that my beadmaking mojo has been severely lacking as of late, so there have been fewer beads available.

Do you already have some of my tutorials, and can you comment on their value?  I would love to know what you all think.  All suggestions, comments and questions are welcome.  Except for spam, of course. That will be summarily zapped.  :)

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!  :)

Beadmaking Tutorial - What Would You Like to See?

Hi all!  Sooooo, I am planning on doing another tutorial.  I have a few ideas in mind, but I thought I would ask what you all might be looking for in another tutorial by me. You can choose one tutorial below as your favorite, or even suggest something new in the comments section.  Please feel free to elaborate!  You can see my other tutorials on Coloraddiction.com.

Here are some pics to show what kind of beads I am talking about.

Twisted Dot Beads

Flower Buttons









Stringer Decoration

New Tutorial Today!

Good morning all! Happy Holidays to those who are celebrating this winter season. I have been working all week and weekend on a new tutorial - I wanted to get this out before Christmas - and here it is!

For the last year I have gotten the occasional request for a tutorial on how I do my encased stripe beads. Now, I know this is not the most original technique out there, but there are a lot of beadmakers who haven't quite mastered this style. Also, I wanted to do more than just give a basic step by step on the stripe bead.

This tutorial does cover the basic stripe - but also talks about some of the variations to get a more vivid, complex stripe bead. I also give some advice about what colors I love to use, and a few colors that just don't play well. And of course, there are lots of pictures!

I came up with a price of $14 for this 17 page pdf file. I hope you will take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Miscellaneous Color Stuff

I haven't torched in two weeks. I've been either sick or traveling to family events, so my poor studio has been sorely neglected.

However, I am feeling better now and am just chomping at the bit to melt more glass.

I just got some more stuff from CiM to test and write about, so I will be working on that in the coming weeks, along with more testing for Frantz. Before I get to that, though, I have a couple of random stuff to talk about.

First off, I was saddened to find out that the CiM color Tamarind is no longer available in its original form. I wrote about that gorgeous caramel brown last month. I LOVE that color. I have no idea why it's not being made anymore, but I plan to ask CiM the next time I email them.
Currently, you can get something called CiM Tamarind Unique, which looks to be much lighter and more of a putty color. Since CiM already has several similar shades like this (such as khaki, stone ground, and others) I am unsure as to why they are selling this version of Tamarind. Maybe it's a fluke - who knows. But I will be finding out - and I will try my best to talk them into offering Tamarind in its original form. There's no other color even close to the original in any other brand, so hopefully CiM will follow my advice. (oh, please, oh, please!)

CiM's latest colors that I got in my test packet look really interesting. However, only one of them is opaque (called Mermaid, which looks really promising), and two of them seem more translucent or opal (called Poison Apple and Mink).

I may be in the minority here, but I am really not enthusiastic about all the semi-transparent colors that have been coming out lately from CiM and others. Colors that are neither transparent or really opaque are all but useless for me. As pretty as they are, I can only really use them for spacers. They don't layer well and tend to be persnickity in the kiln (meaning they can sometimes crack if you don't follow a specified kiln program that may or may not work with the rest of your regular 104 COE glass).

I know a lot of people use these opal colors for their bases - My friend Kim Affleck does this really well. However, I work very small and just don't like using these colors as a base. It's just personal preference, I guess. So if you see me review these opal colors with less of a positive attitude, that's why. It's not that these colors aren't perfectly fine in general. It's more that I don't see them working for me specifically.

Here's what I look for in glass for my own particular tastes:

For opaque colors, I like them to be very dense (no tendency to turn translucent at all) so that I can layer them.

For transparent colors, I like lots of clarity (no tendency to cloud up or opacify, even if it's a striking color) again for layering.

Lack of reduction effects unless I am specifically looking for a particular kind of reduction - such as with DH Aurae and its silver reflective coating.

Lack of reaction - I prefer a stable glass that doesn't react to other glass unless I am looking for a particular effect (such as Rubino's spreading or Ivory's feathering)

True color - glass that stays close to the color as the rod even when layered. I like dark colors to stay dark and light colors to retain their color and not fade completely out. I also prefer my opaques to stay as vivid as they are without greying or washing out.

Stability - glass that isn't shocky, doesn't striate, doesn't scum or bubble, doesn't turn muddy, doesn't crack when encased, etc.

Basically, I am a color purist. So that's what I look for when I test new colors, and those colors get the best reviews from me. Snobby, I am sure, but I know what I like. :)

One last thing - and this is completely shameless and self-serving, so feel free to ignore.
I've been sick and unable to make beads lately, so I am completely broke. So if you have ever wanted to buy one of my tutorials from Coloraddiction, now would be a great time. They're available on the main site, and also on Etsy. It would be so helpful to me, and hopefully helpful to you too. I would be forever grateful! Thank you. :)

SALE! Buy one of my tutorials, get one of equal or lesser value free! Just let me know which one you would like in the notes section of your order. Sale ends Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Win a Tutorial!

Lori Greenberg is having a contest over on her blog to win one of my tutorials! She interviewed me last week on Beadnerd and decided to review the Raised Flower tutorial and have a giveaway. Take a look at her blog over on Beadnerd - it's a wonderful business blog for artists. Her personal beadmaking blog is great too! Thanks Lori!

What I am working on these days...

I have been uncharacteristically quiet in the beadmaking community and on my websites lately, so I thought I would write up a quick update. I am still alive, I promise!

These days I have been making progress (slowly but surely) on a new tutorial. Several people have asked over the last few months if I would put out tutorial on raised flowers. I did have a very simple set of instructions up on my website for awhile, but I knew those weren't in depth enough and didn't answer everyone's questions. So I pulled that down and reworded it - adding much more information and lots of action pictures. I am also expanding it a bit to add in some info on alternative designs and possibly some stuff on color.



It's about halfway done now, so I am hoping to speed it along to the finish line really soon.

It's been a tough few months for me lately, so that's why I have been working so slowly on this and why I have been so quiet. There's a good possibility I will be taking an extended break from making and selling beads, but we'll have to see how that turns out soon. For now, I am hoping to have this tutorial available for purchase on Coloraddiction within a week or two.

(((((hugs))))) to all! :)

Glass Color Families: Pinks out now!

I'm excited to announce the new tutorial up on Coloraddiction now! Glass Color Families: Pinks is the second installment of my color series. It's 30 pages of pink glass goodness! I'm a bit nervous about it, but I think it turned out pretty well. Here are a couple of screenshots. If you go to the website you'll see a description there of what the tutorial covers and how much it costs. I hope you'll take a look! For now, I am going to go sleep! :)

What's Coming Up

So I've been working on the next installment of my Glass Color Families tutorial series for quite awhile now. I'm finally almost dine, so I thought I would post a little announcement with a teaser picture. Yes, Pinks!!

The tutorial will be listed on Etsy as well as my main Coloraddiction tutorials site hopefully by the beginning of next week or sooner. This is a pic of all the petals I have pulled for the tutorial - each of the petals is a glass color I will be covering in the tutorial.

They are all 104 COE glass from CiM, Effetre, Reichenbach or Vetrofond. Some will be covered in more detail than others, but there will be blurbs on all of them. I will also be covering some techniques that are related to the pink glass.

The tutorial is geared towards the novice beadmaker, but is useful for a range of skills from beginner to advanced.

I'm not sure yet what the price of the tutorial will be, but it will be larger than my Browns tutorial, so might be a little more than that was. Anyway - hope you all will stay tuned! If you want to, you can sign up for the mailing list on Coloraddiction - I will be announcing the tutorial there when it's released.

Announcing...

Announcing the new collaboration between Kimberly Affleck and myself - the Coloraddiction website! This will be the main version of Coloraddiction, while this Coloraddiction Blog will remain the site's free info blog/color testing place.

It's still a work in progress, and Kim hasn't added her tutorials yet, but she is working on it. We're both really excited about this - we'll be offering tutorials for sale and for free to beadmakers who are beginners, novices and intermediates. It contains a large glossary (which is still being written), some freebies and my paid tutorial so far. I'll be working on the site in the coming days to get it finished, and we'll both be completing more tutorials in the coming weeks and months.

Eeek - here goes!