Back to the Alaskan Garaj Mahal Studio

I had some nails waiting for me in my studio when I returned north.

My friend Mountain Heather that makes simply wonderful hats had asked me last year when she was in the Adirondacks whether I thought that I could use some old barn nails that she had found.

This was before I had thought of lampworking onto rusty  nails. I knew that I would be able to use them for something so  how nice it was to return to this stash of antique nails  to use. I had brought a few of my feeler gap gauges back home too.

Then there was a hardware store in our little town that had been closed since the pipeline days in the 70's. The were having a sellout sale at half price 70's prices. They were Alaskan prices mind you  which were quite high in comparison to stateside prices but still quite a good deal. So when I found a case of the cut nails that I was about to buy in a regular hardware store I knew I had clear the shelves of whatever they had. So these are truly vintage nails although they were brand new out of the box.

I got my new ridgy press to play with and definitely experimenting with going outside the press.

This one came out lopsided so I decided to pierce the more bulbous edge and quite liked the effect.

More edgy ridgies....the tootsie roll pop effect

It's a great big crusty whorl

Criffle crazy~ blue ink color

"Cirrus" color from two different lots of the same kind of glass.

You can see that two of the strike opaque and the other three are semi opaque .

Funny glass....and funny scan too

I think this color is called "kryptonite"

"Fremen" with frit and soda technique

New colors! I got a shipment in today. so exciting to try out some new ones.

Back when I first started making beads in the late 90's the palette available was much more limited.

They're coming out with so many new odd colors with a much more organic look that I prefer. 

Clockwise from the top

Blueberry Shake

Mojito

Mint Lozenge

Lichen

I'll have to get back to you on the next one ...I forget

and in the middle the pale ones are Strawberry Shake and 

Orange  Flint.

They change colors in the flame with the addition of the *frit and the baking soda.

The pure colors can come out quite different.

                                                 * Frit is crushed glass and the kind I use is called reduction frit which has metallic oxides in it that can change the way a glass looks.

a couple more ridgy guys

It still may be a bit before I list these, the weather hasn't been cooperating lately with some fierce winds. I need to get my photography setup figured out now at this place. I had finally found the most ideal set-up for good photos down in Arizona so bear with me please.

Feel free to contact me if you care to put anything on reserve before it hits my Etsy shop.

I'm more than happy to oblige.

What I've Been Missing~ Collage and Mail Art

I've been on a very rewarding roll since I returned from our winter India trip.

Lot's of energy and inspiration and a new group of creative designers that I've met through the blogs.

I've kind of missed messing with paper though and since I'm winding up my glass studio in the next week in preparation for the move back north I promised myself some glue time.

I've been saving envelopes for this purpose

I've been hoarding all manner of papers~ saving the best vintage stuff for some real pieces of art  later on down the line.

I would like to extend a sale to all of you wonderful followers and friends that visit my blog.

I'll have an Esty Sale for my new *Criffles* for 20% off till Friday, April 20  

and the first one to order will get them delivered in the envelope above.

Coupon code is   CRIFFMONKEY

NuminosityBeads

Then I'll probably have to take a bit of hiatus in beadmaking until I get settled in up north.

I've got a show within the first week 6 hours from our place down in Anchorage

The Alaska Bead & Gem Show

"Dosnails"

But lately this is what I also have been up to.

They flashed through the shop so fast you may have missed them.

don't worry I'll be making more today

"Studnik"

"Zen Scissor"

hasn't been posted yet.

still attached to it myself.

Introducing *Criffles*

*Criffles*

Crusty riffles, a new crusty take on my whorls but now in muted colors (although this scan is making them look less than muted) and reduction frit with the soda finish. 

Maybe I haven't explained to you how I crustificate my beads. As I'm torching I roll the beads in plain old baking soda several times in between torching. then the bubbling happens and leaves a hard spongy powdery and aged looking surface. My work table ends up looking like a scene out of Scarface

They got big holes

Thinking of doing a transparent run today on this theme today.

I've got less than two weeks to wrap this operation up before we fly back to Alaska.

Then the shows start...and the Farmer's Market and back to the Garaj Mahal studio

with lots of space and less distractions.

another feeler gap gauge piece. 

I think it looks like a rams horn

and a shiny one.

Oh, and good news I just discovered another drawer full of twisty rusty wire, Yay!

Nails, Wires Necklaces and Hexes

I was almost finished with this necklace when I realized it didn't have any of my lampwork in it. 

This happens every once in awhile.

It does have some big chunky Thai silver beads

and some fabulous ceramic raku beads with plenty of sheen.

Lava beads and abalone shell and enameled copper.

And wire wrapping with oxidized silver field wire.

I was curious about this "silver field wire" that I got at the gem show in Tucson.

It was cheaper and still looked good to me.

Someone behind me in line remarked about the misspelling.

I still didn't get it.

Finally... duh, I got it! Silver filled wire.

I still bought it.

Kim tries her hand at wire wrapping

hahahahahaha!

I kind of like it in a messy kind of way.

I do NOT know what I'm doing!

Ocean jasper focal

Thai silver croissant squiggles.

I have loads of these squiggles back in Alaska to sell.

Let me know if you're interested.

Lava beads, some lampwork and stones.

You know what? I'm running out of twisty wire, whatimgonnado?

A limited run I guess. I do have lots of rusty nails, some waiting for me in Alaska.

People have been contacting me, they have some.

So I thought I'd post this on Etsy before I put it up here and zip it's gone

and this one too...sorry 

This one is coming up

And new crusty  big hole soft hexes.

Look at the ephemera alek gave me!

We did a bit of a swapperoo

Crusty wasabi big hole soft hexes

Still playing with the ridge-y press.

I kind of like it but have to watch the ends so I don't leave them too sharp.

More Torch Time and a Winner

Amphoria

Crustalean

Vessalia

Earthalia

Crustilaciousness

Nailliferous

Spacemaceaous

This is what showed up in the mail when I asked Suzanna from Sushipotparts if she had any reject pieces of vintage tin that I could cut up for tin elements to use in my jewelry. I think I may have some fun with this batch of crazy cool and colorful mix. I thought that it was awfully generous

I'd like to announce the winner of my giveaway Suzi of Paint Misbehavin'

I've only know her since we first met when I was 17. I hadn't seen her in over 20 years though after she left Alaska until recently I was at an art show in Fountain Hills, AZ where my sister was running a 100 mile marathon and I heard my name being called in a crowd and there was Suzi recognizing me after all that time.

Congratulations Suzi! Now I'm going to need your address.

Nails... and tough as

Was just going through my photos and thought I'd post a few from the archives that I never got around to posting last year. These are dated railroad nails on the old railway near our property in the Southeast corner of Arizona. The railroad was used during the height of the copper mining days here and has been since abandoned. I even found some china pieces on the railroad bed that were discarded from the dining car apparently. I'm ever on the lookout for good tidbits.

Sweet 16

This is a remnant of someone's inappropriate footwear on the migrant trail near our house.

I hope she had better shoes to make the trek. An unknown story here.

Tough as nails Cory, I get to live with this guy!

"Milagros"

And these were tough as nails to finish off for some reason.

I was trying some new things that branched off from my bangles process.

I swear they took me all afternoon to make...must be because I'm trying something new.

We had the most rainy day I have ever seen here in the high desert yesterday.

It was kind of nice to hunker down and be cozy, watch movies and eat popcorn

packing up parcels to send out for the holidays.

The countdown is on for our India trip, just a mere 17 days!