I imagine a fair amount of my audience here consists of bead makers - (lots of repetitive motion and probable carpal tunnel issues) and with that I wanted to report on my utterly amazing experience with my carpal tunnel surgery on the 15th of this month. That's just two weeks ago!
I took some torch time off - and really spent my first day, full time at the torch, this week. I am thrilled! This has been an issue for years and I finally got tired of snoozing hands... there was no pain - but there also was no feeling in both hands thumb index,middle and part of ring finger.
I had microsurgery - where the incision is about 1/2" across my wrist and a tube inserted with a camera and a (I think) crochet-hook shaped scalpel. Surgery was at 7am and I was home by 10ish. The bandage wraps came off two days later and the stitches (one per wrist!) came out the following Thursday. Honestly - I had very little pain... seemed what took the most getting used to was the reduction of grip strength. My incisions are now healed and working on fading away... (the doctor was kind enough to make them in a natural crease on my wrist - so I imagine they'll eventually be almost invisible!)
Yay Dr. Harris Rose (IMHO surgeon extarordinaire!!) & his wonderful staff at St David's North Medical Center!
So, UPDATE tonight - posted it a few minutes late, but got 'er done! Some cool new pendants on the page...
5.18.2016 - Just Beautiful...
It's not directly bead related - but it is OH so pretty. I was wandering through my iphone... all 7k pictures I store there for immediate access... and pulled a few out to share with you.
This is Al's Flower Pouch... such a cool thing! a heavy duty plastic long bag with ten (+) plus shaped cuts in two rows of five. In early April I planted those 1" square starter impatients and fertilized and watered... what I got is just beautiful.
They're available on Amazon 10 pouches for $7.99 well worth it!!
5.11.2016 - EPHIPHANY.
I'm always up for making earring pairs... sometimes I think my attention span only allows for two of something - but the reality is that it's like creating a sampler of many different ideas - and I love being all over the place with ideas. SO.
Unless you're using a mold or press - getting two of something that are supposed to match in size is an acquired skill. EVEN those of us who have been making beads for almost two decades it can prove to be a challenge. I thought that the answer was to split the process into a two day process and have one available to compare while I created the second. Yes, this works, but seems it should be something that can be done in one day, no?
Just this week I decided to bring my calipers out and place them on my marvering pad (right at the torch) for hands-free size checking! (Now... I don't want to hear anything about my chaos... it's my ZEN...) smiles, Jill
5.4.2016 - How My Garden Grows...
Well, we are finally NOT in a draught. This bounty is the glorious result of abundant rains for the past few months. I've been spending time enjoying the results - and especially LOVE the delicate pink Luis flowers shown below - it's photographed above a bed of silver ponyfoot.
Big news this year is that my red yucca finally flowered... I've been waiting about three years for this bloom. Happy Dance. smiles, Jill
4.27.2016 - Deep Concentration
Over the years - I've made these scrollwork beads pretty consistently, usually only in navy blue during the springtime or early summer. This got me to thinking... I had been published in the Lark 1000 Glass Beads book back in 2004 - I had submitted a set of scrollwork beads very similar to this - only they were about twice as big and the lines were about 4x as thick.
These are 1/2" in diameter - and the ivory 'writing' on the bead was made with very thin stringers (threads of molten glass pulled out from a thicker rod to thicknesses of about 22ga. The glass is melted onto the surface to adhere - but I like to leave it raised after I'm sure it has adhered.
While I make these regularly... I seem to make even more during the political season. As I listen to talk radio - and my concentration just seems to lend itself to this kind of production. eh - I have some amazing necklaces!! smiles and scrollwork, Jill
4.20.2016 - The Art of Flexibility
JillSymons.com Lampwork
I am a very practical person. Therefore, it comes out in my work... jewelry should be adaptable, comfortable and practical. I have made and worn necklaces that showcase the beads this way now for over 15 years. It's simple and practical... (am I wearing that word out??)
The beads float and the stringing material is very nice... meaning it doesn't get furry with use, it doesn't outshine the beads AND it's nicely washable. Since I've eliminated the need for a clasp - it's hypoallergenic and can easily be sent through the dishwasher for a touch up.
The top image shows the beads all pushed together at its shortest length, while the lower image shows the beads spaced out - any way you want... and the necklace extended to the longest length. LOVE this idea, love the simplicity and PRACTICALITY... : ) Jill
4.13.2016 - Delights....
My disclaimer for this post is simply that I live in Austin... where things can be weird. if I remember correctly, I first saw this lawn in the middle of winter - and assumed it was her way of dressing up and otherwise drab yard. Needless to say - this is in an area of Austin where there is great pride in the unusual... and no overwound HOA had any issues with this. (this would never fly in my neighborhood!) I just thought I'd delight you today with the simple show of what is possible and how delightful color can be!! smiles, Jill
4.6.2016 - The Tax-woman Cameth! (Happy Birthday, Charlie!!)
OK, so it was the tax-woman, AKA - "Glassmommy" *(lol - for those of you who don't know - Glassdaddy.com is my father, which then makes this Glassmommy!)...
While we are glass obsessed - she has a gift for detail and has generously helped me year after year with my taxes. That's part of what's so nice... the other part is that she loves my beads - and they suit her SO well! I especially love how this necklace looks, don't you? I have a few others of this style for sale, should you be interested, just send me a note and I'll show you!
So there is an update tonight - come by jillsymons.com at 9pm EST and see what I made this week!!
Today is an around the house type blog,,, some of what I've been up to lately... writing "LOVE LETTERS", 1/2" inspirational beads - see below!
"So Proud of You", "Awesome", "All My Heart", "All My Love", "Hugs And Kisses" "I Love You", "Yes, You CAN", etc. All written with thin glass stringers - shown above.
I can write about 11 characters on these 1/2"D beads... so if you want a custom bead ($25) let me know! Good for backpacks, zipper pulls, keychains or to serve as a reminder of a special message!
Workspace - a few years ago I changed my workbench to industrial shelving... Let me explain. I don't need a lot of depth, but I do enjoy the adjustability of this shelving. This is the Gorilla shelving unit from Costco which is 20"D. I set it up without two of the shelves... set the first at desk height and the second as a top shelf. So cool. So portable, so adjustable. I also have a $5 magnetic knife strip I bought at Ikea that holds all my "go-to" tools over my right shoulder. I have the ventilation coming through from above, as well as my lights - both of which are on the top shelf... (where I can also store glass...: )
Below is a review of the shelving I found on YouTube... it goes on for a bit - but you get the idea... smiles, Jill
For those of you who know him... Charlie turned 5 today... time surely flies!!
3.23.2016 - Many faces of Murrini
I ordered some murrini a few weeks ago from Lori & Kim, and plunked them down on a set of beads that sold last week , named 'Sandstone'. It was a refreshing new way to play! SO... I ordered more.
But you know how it is... like that time when you see or hear a word that's 'new' in your world of word interaction - then you go on to hear it multiple times that same day.
Last Saturday, we had taken Charlie for a swim in Barton Creek... and I spotted this caterpillar on a bush nearby... do you see what I see???
Yes, caterpillar sugar skull murrini!
Mother Nature, you never cease to totally amaze me!
Here's a cool picture of Charlie - who wouldn't stop fetching - this is his MOST FAVORITE thing!!
smiles, Jill
3.16.2016 - Toggle, toggle....
Every now and then - I am smitten by the toggle bug. Since it's a multi day/step product - often I have a day of making just rings - then time is spent pairing them up - and then comes the final torch day... yesterday was just that!
These are little sculptures that have movement - and color - plus a sweet clink sound as the rings tap each other. There is a bead hole through the main part of the spindle, and can be worn - I see these as more of a collectors' piece.
I had two kilns going at once, and this made things much easier - as one held soft glass beads and the other had the borosilicate components for these toggles. There is always a ramp up *in my psyching myself up* to get 'em done... and finally by day's end - I was there. Happily pleasing results!! smiles, Jill
3.08.2016 -Silvery Drops of Rain... and then some...
Rain is such music to my ears, as usual, each springtime - the rains come. Seems maybe I should be making an ark - but instead am driven to restock my supply of handmade headpins, ear wires, jumprings, I'm even making some chain! (last weekend the search was on to find some sterling silver chain - and it was near to impossible!)
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-rotary-rock-tumbler-67631.html
As I write - my tumbler is humming in the background - steadfastly rolling the stainless steel shot over and over my silver pieces. This gives them in credible polish, serves to work-harden the silver and just gives my finished pieces an extra degree of elegance. I have been through a few of these tumblers and wanted to give a shout out to Harbor Freight for offering this workhorse - for a very reasonable price.
When I went to their site to snatch a picture of it, I was that it is on sale this week for $42.99 and IMHO is well worth the money!
Back in 2004 I took a silversmithing course - I really loved it - but at the time silver was uber expensive... and I wasn't willing to take the time away from glass to delve further. The happy medium was to introduce it in the background with my beads. Over the years - I have become a little more comfortable and can report that I've done away with mfg. bead caps, headpins and bails - and as of today sterling silver CHAIN. So - I laughed today - as I used the Smith Little Torch to solder the jumprings closed - an important step in making chain. The amount of heat required to solder 20ga sterling silver was a whisper compared to the output of the Lynx lampworking torch. LOL. The Chain lengths are currently tumbling - I'll snatch a picture to put here in a little bit.
I confess that I did make a ton of beads this week, but as ususal - once I latch onto something new - I tend to run it into the ground. I have made oodles of these little glass cups from last week - and while I think they're wonderful - I need to spend some time using them in a finished piece to get you fired up! So - maybe next week you'll see the finished fruits of my "labor"*. smiles and raindrops, Jill
*I have to smile each time I call this work or labor... as you know what they say - love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life!
3.2.2016 - Fun Glassy Bead Shapes for Springtime...
Fun new shapes - and one cool thing to do with them! I paired two of them and they're part of a pair of earrings I'm working on...
The glassy bead cups shown above are especially cool because of how the light gathers the color and bends it and brings it to the front edge of the bead.
Below are the cool splat shape - tri-lobed beads - are fun fun fun....
I etched some of the splat beads and paired them up... to make this cool, fun new necklace. What could you do with them?? Smiles, Jill