COLGAN DESIGNS

New Focal Beads on Ebay

2012-01-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

I just listed a bunch of new focal beads and a couple of small sets. You can see them here.

ORPHAN sale on EBAY

2011-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

I usually post one of these "clean out the bowl" listings on Ebay every couple of months. This one just went up today. They are available HERE

2011-10-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't done any beads with Gaffer Chalcedony for a long time, and have forgotten what a great glass this is. This focal is on Ebay right now.

New Focal beads

2011-10-04T14:13:00.001-07:00

I've been working on focals lately. These will be up on Ebay shortly.

New Beads

2011-09-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

I discovered some Czar Blue, a beautiful Reichenbach glass that I must have purchased a couple of years ago and forgot about. It is a dusty blue green, really a unique color unavailable in any other glass that I am aware of. This set is mixed with Iris blue.

Z-99

2011-09-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Currently on EBAY

Zimmerman frit Z-99 is no longer being made and it is the most amazing glass creating wonderful reactions with other colors. I have a fair amount of it left, and maybe someone else will come out with a replacement formula. Here are my latest .

New Beads on Ebay

2011-08-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Some new beads just posted on EBAY

Double Helix clio

2011-01-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy working with this glass, it will reduce to silver easily and the cloud effect when combined with other transparent glass is beautiful

2009-10-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Interesting glass combo. I love Reichenbach chocolate, it has infinite possibilities depending on how it is heated, temp of flame etc. The other day I was working with it and had a rod of red nearby and decided to see how they would go together. It was magic, such an unexpected pop of blue came out on the edges. They recently sold on Ebay, but I plan to take this combination further as soon as we get back from California.

New beads

2009-09-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

I need to spend more time in bookstores, I've lately become an avid user of the public library and have neglected hanging out in Barnes & Noble reading magazines. There is a new Stampington publication (new to me, it has published several issues) called artful blogging. It is full of interesting blogs.

Here are a few sets of new beads I just finished, don't have them listed anywhere yet, but they will go on Ebay this week.

Dungeness Spit

2009-09-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend camping at the Dungeness Spit with our daughter and her family. It is such a beautiful place, the campground sits up above the Strait of Juan de Fuca with a trail overlook all the way down to the spit. We spent yesterday just hanging around down by the water in the sun.

2009-08-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of photos from my garden.

I haven't been near the torch for over a month. It was so hot for a long time and then we spent a wonderful week at Flathead Lake in Montana. Since coming home I just haven't been motivated, but maybe will get something done next week.

I went to the Intergem bead show last weekend and got a few things. I've been making bracelets and listing things on Etsy, trying to get my inventory up to 100 which will take awhile. I love making things but am the world's worst procrastinator when it comes to taking and editing photos and getting listings done.

Riding light rail

2009-07-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

What an exciting weekend, the light rail finally opened in Seattle. The train runs from downtown to the last stop near the airport, to be expanded to SeaTac in Dec. The opening weekend was free so we waited until today to avoid the crowd. There were still a lot of people riding and the ticket line was long, but that shouldn't be a problem once the novelty wears off. It is a fast way to get downtown and avoid the traffic and parking problems that always involves. My granddaughter was dissappointed that it didn't travel at the speed of sound since it is called "sound transit".

There is a stop at Columbia City and I thought about taking a ride there and a stopping to look at the galleries and book shop.

HEAT WAVE

2009-07-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

It was in the 90's yesterday which is a total shock to your system living in this cool grey climate. We spent the entire day at the pool until they closed at 7pm. Both of the grandkids are getting to be good swimmers so they don't require constant hands on. I woke up early this morning and went for a walk, it was so beautiful.

Too hot for torching but I have a bunch of ideas going around in my head that I can't wait to explore. Last week I did a couple of focals with Chalcedony and goldstone with clear encasing that turned out great.

The hummingbirds are keeping us entertained right out the front window. I put a water bath in the back for them, but the only one using it so far is the neighbor's cat.

Organics

2009-06-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

This set of organics I just finished.

More Chalcedony

2009-06-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

More Chalcedony, I am having such fun with this glass. Surprising how fast I used up a 1/2 kilo !!!

New Chalcedony beads

2009-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

I experimented with Gaffer chalcedony and lots of other colors. They are all interesting, but I think the best color comes out when the Chalcedony is used all by itself.

Chalcedony again

2009-06-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

I tried some Chalcedony combined with Jade Green and black. I like the effect, but it wasn't at all what I expected. The black sort of bled over the other colors. There is a little frit on top.

Chalcedony G109

2009-06-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

I just took these out of the kiln and I am thrilled with this glass. It is Gaffer Chalcedony G109 and reacts in a similar way to R108, but is much easier to work and the colors seem to pop with not a lot of effort. These are both all Chalcedony, the flat tab was pressed with a brass tool and the tube was marvered on a graphite torch marver which was fairly hot since it was warm in the garaqe last night. I really like the broken surface pattern on the tab bead.

Gaffer glass is in my neighborhood and they are so helpful and friendly.

Spring at last

2009-04-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

I always have the best on intentions and then things go down from there, can't believe that I haven't posted since Novemeber. We started Spanish lessons this month, a delightful young woman who lives in the neighborhood comes to the house once a week. It would have made sense to learn before we went to Spain and Mexico, but it is never too late. I have become obsessed with reading about Spain, right not I am into Frances Mayes' book "A year in the World" and just finished the chapter on Spain. They are now in Portugal which is right up there on my list. Several years ago I found "Spanish Recognitions" in a bookstore in NYC and have been re reading parts of it. My goal is to read Frederico Garcia Lorca's poetry in Spanish... right now I read as well as a slow 6 year old, so I'd better speed up the process to get to high school.

Some new beads just came out of the kiln today, and I am pleased with them. They are a rainbow of colors rolled in Champagne pixie dust and encased in clear. I'll get photos done tomorrow.

Purple Beads on Ebay

2008-11-16T19:36:00.001-08:00

A set of purple beads that I have listed on ebay. They are EDP with swirls of DaVinci encased in clear.

New Beads on Ebay

2008-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

I've just listed a new set of beads on Ebay made with my favorite glass. It is Reichenbach 106 which has a lot of metal in it, and the more times it is heated and touched to brass the more colors come out. Nothing flashy like 108, but beautiful soft greys and blues mixed with carmel. I had a tiny chunk of DaVinci II that I pounded into frit and rolled them in it, which came out great.

Historic Day

2008-11-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am still floating on a cloud of euphoria after last night's victory. My brother said it well, "I feel like I have been snatched from in front of a moving train." We also re-elected our governor Christine Gregoire, so all around things are great. Bad news about Prop 8 in California tho, that it a huge set back.

Beautiful Fall

2008-11-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today the leaves started to fall rapidly with wind and rain so I took a few more photos before they were all gone. This is the most beautiful fall since we moved here in 2003. The underside of the Japanese Maple is from the Kubota gardens the rest are from my neighborhood.

Holding my breath

2008-10-30T16:21:00.001-07:00

Only five days left until the election. I'm not sure I can hold my breath that long,, I'm trying to enjoy the beautiful fall we are having, and not think about it too much.

I need to limit the time I spend reading http://www.thehuffingtonpost.com/ or will really go crazy. When Bush was elected in 2000 my brother said, "How bad could it get, we survived Reagan?" Little did we know. I can't remember when the outcome was this important, every time I see another rally with "Yukon Barbie" stirring up the worst in a crowd, my gut wrenches in fear for some of the people I love most in this world.

On a lighter note, some new beads I just listed on Ebay. Lately playing with good old Ivory glass has been a lot of fun. When did every bead maker (including me), think we needed $100/pound glass that mostly turns to brown poo.

2008-10-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

2008-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Fall 2008 Fashion trends

2008-10-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Below are a couple of quotes concerning the fall fashions for 2008. I am always happy to see large multi-strand necklaces come into style, since I have always loved to make them. Here are a few photos of necklaces I recently sold.

The Colors that are in this fall and winter will be all the fab jewel tones... Plus loads and loads of grey, and black as always holds its place as a front runner on the runways.Here is just a taste of some wonderful rich colors you will see this season - Purple,is big. Other colors, Sapphire blue, claret red, maroon, deep gold's, and rusts, chocolate brown, eggplant...(Sharon Stajda)

Bold, brazen and beautiful. These three words sum up the fashion jewelry trend of fall 2008. Rich, strong colors in fashion jewelry are forging its way into the new season. It is now time for fashion jewelry to make a statement and transform outfits from ordinary to extraordinary.

Necklaces are staple fashion jewelry pieces that any woman must have this fall. Multi-stranded necklaces or layering is a must. Rich in color and style, these fashion jewelry neck pieces have taken the center stage. It is now time for all eyes to be drawn to the neckline, and not the outfit (from USA Today)

New Beads

2008-07-02T03:57:00.001-07:00

Ground Hog Day

2008-02-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for nearly a month, can't believe that January is almost gone. We are leaving for our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 days and all the plans are finally coming together. We went to the Tet festival at the Seattle Center today, to get in the mood.

Just a few new things posted on ebay and just beads, the last auctions before we leave.

New Beads

2008-01-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more new beads I just finished. They will be on ebay this week.

Happy New Year

2008-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished listing some new beads on Ebay after taking the month of December off. I did make quite a few beads in the last month, just didn't list anything. It has been so cold in the garage that I can't stay out there very long. Sadly to say I can't use the space heater since the builder saw fit to wire the entire garage on one circuit and a heater + the kiln keeps blowing the fuse. I have ordered a new vent system that will allow me to close the garage door except for about a foot, which should keep it a little warmer.

Has anyone seen the movie "The Waterhorse"? We went today and it scared the grandkids ages 6 & 4 nearly to death. Their folks had to take them home early. It was a good movie, but definitely not for small children, it was very intense. I remember when we were kids my younger brother was totally traumatized by " Pinochhio".

Raku

2007-11-19T19:19:00.001-08:00

I have been having fun with raku again now that it has gotten cold in the garage. Here are some from yesterday.

End of Year Jewelry Sale

2007-11-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

I am listing lots of jewerly on ebay starting tonight and adding a few pieces daily for the next two weeks. The gallery that I have been with for 4 years is going out of business this month, so I am reducing my inventory through ebay at huge savings.

Have been having the usual dilema, to make jewelry or make lampwork beads to sell on ebay. Today I decided to spend awhile making beads, and worked with only one selection of colors, black and raku with clear. Can't wait to open the kiln and see what I have.

Here is a photo of a bracelet listed on ebay.

Tropical Madness

2007-11-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today I put my banana trees to bed for the winter. They are really a blight on the yard, wrapped in silver insulation with black garbage bags over their heads, but hopefully it will save them for further glory next summer.

When I moved to Seattle after gardening in the Rocky Mountains for my whole life I was blown away by the variety and beauty of the plants that would grow and thrive here. Somewhere along the line I got sidetracked by Tropicals which are all the craze. Well they do grow here, but not without a lot of TLC which seems sort of foolish considering the plants that are available and love this climate.

After wasting lots of money on plants that had one season on beauty and bit the dust somewhere around Jan 1, I have only the bananas left that need extra care. I really love how they look in mid summer, and they are listed as hardy to zone 8, but that means they need to come back from the root every year and never get very big.

Vetrofond Odd Lots "River Rock"

2007-10-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you are just living right. Last spring when the Vetrofond odd lots first hit the forums I bought a few to try. The Avocado 931 was really cool so I ordered a bunch, remembering what Kim Affleck said in class, "If you love an odd lot buy all you can afford, because you most likely will never see it again." I have been using is in a few sets. Lately I have been hearing about "River Rock" which everyone is trying to get,, and low and behold it is Avocado 931!!!

The other one that I like a lot is Sweet Lime 993, it isn't lime at all but a rich neutral with a rosy blush. Great with copper green and rubino.

This is my favorite set with Avocado.

This focal has sweet lime on the bottom.

Latest Garden photos

2007-10-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Since I have changed web hosting companies I no longer will have a dedicated site to my garden so will post current photos here. I was getting very lazy about keeping it up to date .

Blah, Blah, Blah

2007-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Whenever my Grandson sees the section at the beginning or end of a movie with all the writing he says, "Here comes the Blah, Blah, Blah."

I haven't posted anything all summer, it has been a busy time as well as a busy fall. I trained for and completed the Danskin triathlon on August 19th. It was so much fun, I worked very hard training and losing weight leading up to it, and took a series of open water swim clinics with Mary Meyer Fitness. She is great as a motivator. The clinics were held on Lake Washington, and we didn't have a warm summer. Starting at 7pm they were rather cool, and every night the wind was horrendous. Once I had to sit out for awhile because I was getting sea sick from the waves. Anyhow it was good prep as the morning of August 19th was 58degrees and raining. I was scared stiff the night before, but felt very calm that day. It went well, I had fun and finished in 2hrs 04min.

I have changed website hosting companies so you may have noticed my site looks different. So far I am happy with the change.

Etsy Shop

2007-06-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

I have opened a shop at Etsy to sell my jewelry. It seems like a better idea than trying to keep my website current with new items, and manage the pay pal shopping cart. So far I've made one sale , I'll just have to wait & see how it goes. Here is the link to my jewelry shop.

http://www.etsy.com/search_results_seller.php?search_type=seller_usernames&search_query=ColganDesigns

My website has been revised and updated, check it out, and let me know what you think.

Starting a blog

2007-06-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well it is really the current thing to do, but I'm not sure the world really needs another person babbling on about themselves in cyberspace. Does anyone read most of the blogs? Is anyone interested in what I do making glass beads? Anyhow I decided to do this for my own entertainment if nothing else.

There is a Gaffer glass store right down the hill from my house, so I finally got down there about a month ago and purchased a few rods to play with. The girl at the desk was so friendly and helpful, let me buy one of each and rang up my small sale with a smile. They also have frit in 2oz packages which is great for trial. So far I love this glass, it melts fast, isn't shocky and the colors are clear and intense. My favorites are Lt Tobacco (beautiful glass in spite of the name), Copper Ruby, Gold Ruby & Apricot. They also have veiled cane which as transparent with streaks of darker color through it.

I listed a bunch of things on Justbeads.com this week and sales have been good. I started there back in January , then we went on vacation and I didn't get back to listing.