I just had to post this video… makes me happy!!!

We send a BIG and HAPPY congratulations to studio friend and Alaskan Lampwork Artist Elise Strauss on being a featured artist in the new issue of “The Glass Bead.” This is the ISGB Quarterly publication Vol XI: Issue 3: Summer 08

The article title of “Elise Strauss: Glass Beamaking is a Natural Thing” perfectly depicts Elise’s love of nature and bead making. I LOVE Elise’s description of her style as “sculptural animism.” “Animism is explained as the ancient belief that a soul or spirit exists in everything, even inanimate objects. It makes the world a sacred place. Humans are equal with animals, plants and natural forces, so it behooves people to treat all with respect and reverence.”

You can find Elise’s work for sale online at her web site www.koicreekbeads.com and at her Etsy store www.koicreek.etsy.com

Big Hugs and Congrats to Elise from the Glass Firenze Gang!
Deborah

I’ve just added a fun new plug-in to the studio news which counts down to certain events… if you look to the left of the news page you will see there are currently two count downs, one for the Loren Stump Class and one for the Kim Fields class.

I want to encourage anyone who is interested in keeping up with what is happening at Glass Firenze to subscribe to my studio news by clicking on the first link under the “Social Network” area to the right that says “Subscribe to Studio News by Email.”

After you “Subscribe” via this email service you will receive an email each day that I post something new to the “Studio News.” This will be very helpful to both of us. I don’t send newsletters any more and I want you to know what is happening at the studio as it is ever changing and evolving. By subscribing you will receive first notice of new supplies, new guest teachers, or when classes are getting full I post to let people know. It is a sure fire way to NOT miss out on anything at the studio.

I PROMISE… that I “Do Not” share your email address with anyone. Actually, I probably already have your email address if you’ve contacted me so maybe it is more accurate to say that your email does not get distributed via the Feedburner service to others. The only thing you will receive by subscribing is a once daily (if I’ve added a new post) email to let you know what is new at Glass Firenze.

Once you fill out the form you will be sent an activation email, and once you’ve responded to that you’re done! Glass Firenze Studio News is on its way!!!

The service also gives you the ability to “unsubscribe” at any time you would like, just click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the latest email and you’re done.

I REALLY HOPE that you will subscribe so that I know you know what’s happening at Glass Firenze!!!

Thank You Very Much!
Deborah

The cool tool Jen Geldard uses to make the ruffles on her beads is now in stock!

It is $7.45 and will be on the shelf Saturday the 26th when I open the studio! Hope to see you there!

Deborah

I have appointments and errands to run over the next two days so the studio will be closed. I will open on Saturday the 26th - noon to 7pm

Hope to see you then!
Deborah

For anyone who was waiting… now is the time to sign up for the Kim Fields Class in September… as of Saturday July 19th at 4pm there is only one seat left in her class!

I was a bit late in adding this announcement… deadline for sign up is today the 19th!

Alaska Bead Society is proud to announce that we have a chance to participate in

If you are unfamiliar with the program here is their mission statement & website: http://www.beadsofcourage.net/

Our mission statement
To promote the well-being of children coping with serious illness, and their families, by strengthening resilience-based protective processes. Beads of Courage, Inc. achieves its mission through the development and implementation of evidence-based supportive care programs in children’s hospitals across the nation.

The Beads of Courage® program is provided by Beads of Courage Inc., located in Tucson, Arizona. Beads of Courage Inc. is an approved public charity under I.R.S. Code Section 501(c)(3).

Our members have been invited to attend the training on July 31 from 10 - 1 pm & lunch is included. The training will take place at Providence Hospital.

This is a unique opportunity for Alaska Bead Society members. It is a chance to give something that we all hold near and dear, our beading, to children who may not have an opportunity to experience beading and the joy that it brings otherwise.

We hope that you can attend and please, RSVP Patti [designsbypatti@yahoo.com] by July 19th if you can make it.

Warmly,

Alaska Bead Society Board

Wow!!! We learned sooooo much from Jen’s class!!! Enamels, shards, dot displacement, color reactions, ornates, her darling birds, vortex beads, the list goes on and on!!! Anything we asked she answered. It was a fantastic class and I am really excited to work at the torch to take what she taught and find my own expression with all that info! Thank You Jen!! We all had a wonderful time!!

Once again we had a great time at our June “Bead Raiser’s” event which is going to support the Alaska SPCA. Everyone made animal themed beads and we have a lot of darling beads that will go up for auction.

We’ve also fine tuned the process so that auctions will get listed in a timely manner… I still hadn’t found the time to clean, photograph and list our last event beads. Silly me, when people asked if they could help I said no worries. %-) lol - I’m not going to be silly like that again. lol So… with one person cleaning the beads, another photographing them and my getting the auctions ready I think we are going to get our auctions up within the next couple weeks.

I will of course post here when they are on eBay…

The next Bead Raiser’s event is supposed to be in August but we may have to play with that date as there’s a lot happening in August… like ‘LOREN STUMP!!!”

Happy Torching!
Deborah