Torch Time

I'm going to count this as one of my mandalas.

These beads have already been paired and made into earrings and are the result of listening to the Cure and Chris Isaak at the same sitting.

New Necklaces and Experiments in Photographing Them

After returning from my trip to the Forest Fair, I set about  to make up a goodly inventory of new necklaces. I attacked my stash of beads that have been amassing for years with the intent to use some up. Now that I have the Tucson Gem show nearby in the wintertime there's no reason to hoard them.

 I can think of nothing more fun in designing jewelry than combining my own beads with complementary stones and beads. I made up 10 necklaces in two days. 

The hard part for me is the photographs. I always scan them just for documentation but am less than pleased at the end product even though scanning captures some of the elements quite well. There's a flatness to them and the drape of the pieces can't be shown  There are lighting issues as well with the crescent of light from the scanner light.  I had been using a cream colored fabric background, preferring it to the white back of the scanner but it seems to come out too dark even with a bit of photoshop brightening and lightening. similarly there are lighting problems with bright daylight and I haven't even attempted light box photography. For some reason I  have been putting that off even though I know that is the next step in good photos. I lack confidence in my camera skill and basically would like someone to hold my hand and show me how. These days  creating your art isn't enough. You need to become skilled in every step of marketing which includes good photos. Please let me just make jewelry, OK?!

Now for some comparisons. Feel free to weigh in on your preferences. I need to know which photos might want to make a person WANT one!

Lepidolite and Lampwork necklace.

Against a moose antler.

Close up of the Lepidolite Necklace Pendant against moose antler.

This bead was a perfect match to my nicely tapered lepidolite beads that I got from Zeka Beads when they came to Alaska for the Alaska Bead & Gem Show. I can also find Zeka Beads at the Tucson Gem show too.

Lava and Dyed Bamboo coral necklace with lampwork.

Originally as I was designing this necklace it was without the silver spacers between the beads. I felt it was missing something. The silver spacers brought the whole design up a notch highlighting the vivid black and red together.

Close up of Lava and Coral necklace. This definitely highlights the lampwork  bead more than a scan.

Kyanite Points necklace.

Kyanite points necklace against a moose antler.

Scanned Bali Silver and Freshwater Pearl Necklace.

Bali Silver and Pearl Necklace on the bust.

These lampwork beads have a cloudy ethereal quality that doesn't get highlighted well in photos or scans. They seem to show up best against the colorful rock.

Same necklace against a colorful rock.

And now the antler.

Pitfalls of An Outdoor Show and the Girdwood Forest Fair

These frames were popular with decoupag-ed vintage sheet music on thrift shop frames.

Numinosity Beads on display at the Girdwood Forest Fair.

Various necklaces made with wire lace which I've recently been playing with.

I made this display from an old shot up tractor mower cover that I found in the woods.

Some of my altered art pieces being debuted.

My friend's daughter Annali is pooped and takes a nap on our stump. I was wishing I could do the same!

Doing outdoor shows always seem to have their pitfalls. Weather can make such a difference in sales and comfort. Setting up for an Alaskan outdoor show calls for even more preparation especially if it's in a mountainous area. I've been at festivals where I have worn sunscreen and shorts and with in an 18 hour period switched to raincoat, long johns, mudboots and fleece!

The Girdwood Forest Fair is a seven hour drive for us to the base of Mount Alyeska which is the best downhill skiing in Alaska. We go past Anchorage to Turnagain Arm to reach it.

It's been several years since I've been set up as a vendor but I decided it was time to give it another go around. I quit going after a few years ago trying to do it solo for a three day show that goes on until 9 PM every night. The perks of this show is some of the best art vendors in the state are set up. They jury for 100% Alaskan made products and the local music is also some of the best in the sate.

I was fortunate to be set up near the stage so that I could listen to it from my booth all day.

One of the things they warn you about when you sign up is that since it's pathways through the forest you can expect some tree roots and it's also pretty much a socked in and rainy area as well. I had lucked out in the past with nice weather. 

My husband agreed to take a couple of days off from his work to help me this time which was a huge factor in my decision to set up this year.

We checked the weather forecast before we set out with my little Teardrop trailer camper that tows behind the Subaru. Bad news... rain , rain  and more rain was predicted.  I got really depressed and even got teary-eyed at the prospect of a three day rain festival. It didn't help when Dave reminded me how much money he would lose by taking off work.  On top of that my booth neighbor friend Heather's husband has a very sick dog apparently on it's last legs to attend to and she now has no booth help either.  Dave  comes to the rescue for pee breaks and food runs!

We had another one of those stunning rides through the mountains past glaciers with beaming sunshine. Remarkably the rain never manifested at Girdwood the days we were there, only conveniently at night after we shut down. I did have to wear a down jacket and long johns, hat scarf and fingerless gloves those days as I seem to always get cold just sitting still like that.

Now for the pitfalls- They gave me quite an undesirable booth spot which consisted of very large tree roots. I followed  rules of the printout and set up at the more nearly level spot measuring two feet from the path. My other booth neighbor warned that I may have to move back. We tried to search down the booth coordinator but were told she had left for awhile.  

Searching for rocks and wood pieces to make my tables level we finally had it set up best as possible for the conditions. 

Then along came the booth coordinator that told us that we had to move back several feet  and that this was the only booth that needed to be back further than the two feet in the printout. This put half of the booth in a hole, a hole that would have 8 inches of water in it if it rained.

  We had to move everything again, do more propping and leveling and were left with a space to park our chairs in the hole. We had a food booth next door that used our back yard as their workspace since we were on a curve in the path it was debatable where our backyards began. They were already set up with their grilling area which put the grills two feet from our heads with our chairs in the hole with another massive tree stump behind us effectively penning us into that one spot. Luckily we had the forethought to bring some survival vodka drinks to surreptitiously sip our way through any discomforts.  We must be thankful that  the salmon patties were not as popular as the ribs they were serving next door because the breeze blew the grill smoke right at our faces for every order.

I wish I could say that the sales were great enough to make up for it but with all that wonderful competition from the other 150 booths I was disappointed in the outcome. It was our duty however to make it worthwhile and attend the dances and music that was playing around the little burg of Girdwood all within walking distance. It was enough to wear me out totally after a couple of nights of all of that Making It Worthwhile. My neighbor Heather had a banner weekend  though. Nothing like selling hats when the weather is somewhat inclement.

I did a couple of nice trades though and cashed in on a massage for both Dave and myself.

All in all it was fun and exhausting and a lesson learned to not try to set up at that show again but I would be happy to attend as a playing customer next time.

Craft Cram

New *Numinosity* earrings with silver ear wires.

*Numinosity* earrings with nickel free brass ear wires.

Chunky Ocean Jasper and labradorite with Moody Underwater lampwork beads.

Citrine chunks and labradorite necklace with vermeil toggle.

My friend Jenny of JSchlo Jewelry was talking about having to cram in some craft making this week for a new craft market in her neck of the woods. The term "craft cram" emerged as it is something  those of us involved in art shows and other selling venues occasionally have to face.

I did my own craft cram this week as I had shipped off  quite a bit of my inventory in many directions to various galleries and shops leaving me somehow with an array of a mostly darker, moody color palette for me to sell at my own booth. 

I ended up making 31 pairs of earrings from the raw glass  at the torch to finish.  I managed to make a couple of chunky necklaces from some of the large moody underwater looking beads that I was holding on to. Sometimes I feel that I have to go through my stash and try to use up supplies that I may have bought years ago and breathe  a new life into them.

You may contact me through this site or my Facebook fan page should you desire to own any of these pieces.  I'm still working on a shopping cart, hopefully will have it up soon. all you need is a Paypal account.

Giveaway 101... Post That Is

I suppose I needed a course called Giveaway 101 when I first attempted one on my new blog last fall but this is actually for my One Hundred and First posting on this blog.

On that first giveaway I made the entry criteria so stringent that I'm sure several folks that thought they were in the running actually didn't qualify. Oh well, you learn a bit along the way.

I won my first two giveaways both in the same week a couple of weeks ago and have some pics of my loot along with a lovely trade I recently received. I took advantage of the bedroom repainting and carpeting to photograph the little piles of goodies.

My giveaway is a rather random assortment of prizes. I hope I don't confuse anyone by posting my winnings on the same day but I had been meaning to show them off.

All I need you to do is comment to be in the running. If you want to be counted twice post a picture link to your blog sidebar and let me know that you've done so. I also need a way to get ahold of you when you win so P L E A S E make sure that I have some way to find your email address. The winner will be picked Sunday 6:00PM Alaska Time.

Thanks for following, Kim

Augustus, *Numinosity* beads and more in my giveaway.

First of all is an Original Messalonskee Moppet, friend and cohort of our famous world traveling Candace.

Meet Augustus, a fine fellow all dressed in yellow. He was getting a bit envious of Candace and was yearning for a trip so I'm sending him off to a new home. In addition to that I'm giving away a *Numinosity* Bead, (a periwinkle, turquoise, black and transparent aqua lentil shaped bead)

A small vase shaped cobalt bead

Two lampwork cabochon swirls

A half of a clear bead flecked with genuine placer gold mined from the 40 Mile River off of the Mighty Yukon.

Two squares of gold leaf from Thailand

Two of my new "Glinchie Magninchies" (small magnets made with glass tile and inks)

And one gold fumed whorl on cobalt silk ribbon. ( I told you it was random!)

A little closer now. See what you can win!

This is what I've done with some of my winnings already.

Preschool puzzle pieces decoupaged with vintage photos and magazine images.

I'll be adding more to these and making tags or ornaments from them.

I won this sweet box full of treasures from Becca at Patina Moon

Each piece artfully wrapped and exquisitely presented in a decoupaged box.

I won this from Laura at Found Memories Art

It was jam packed with papers and ephemera and even an art book!

Note the puzzle pieces above, I've already put some of the pieces together for a new project.

A most lovely trade with Lorna from "Artymess"

The packaging itself was a treat!

Inspired by Shells

The actual shells that inspired me. I picked them up at Bahia Kino Mexico recently.

Lampwork Glass Beads made at a torch.

They'll probably be used in a design something like this.

I was worried that the bead in the foreground looked a bit too much like chewed gum

but now I think I was being too critical.

Mussel shell lampwork beads made into bracelets with aquamarine chips and freshwater pearls

This is actually two bracelets end to end.

I gave them a matte finish with an etching solution.

Still working on my photography.

One of my goals for my remaining time in Arizona before I head back to the great northland is my project for a little shop in Seal Harbor, Maine called The Naturalist's Notebook.

The focus of the shop is the relation between nature and art and science and it's not just an art gallery but more of a learning center. These pieces are part of my works that I hope to be displaying there this coming summer.

Numinosity Beads Meets Altered Art

"Derive" by Kimberly Rogers

I have been meaning to start using some of my beads in my altered art projects. I had just picked up a handy little metal hole punch at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show from the gals at Beaducation that were at the To Bead True Blue show at the Doubletree Hotel in Tucson.

I had a goodly batch of rusty bottle tops that needed holes punched for my bottle top earrings.

While I was at it I got inspired to fasten on of my beads to a rusty aged metal tile that I'd picked up next to our desert property near the Chiricahua Mountains.

So with some old coins, buttons, beads mounted over the smuggler's burlap and asphalt roofing I found last week, I fastened them and added a bit of text and framed it in a thrift shop frame. One of my first finished pieces using a Numinosity Bead.

The Shift

Now that I'm getting my feet wet again in the blog world, I'm noticing an interesting shift.

All that energy I was putting into my Etsy shop, (or guilt about neglecting to put more energy into the Etsy shop as the case may be), I'm finding a much more satisfying outlet from the blogging and sharing that's opening up for me. I'm much more excited about mine and other people's art when it's about the creative process rather than sales.

My venture into Etsy has been rewarding and gone through it's own developments. Originally I joined to be able to have a public shopping cart for my lampwork bead website. I must admit that it did give me more exposure. I rarely got hits on my site for orders and the communication between the time of interest in an order and a sale coming to fruition was frustrating and often resulted in no sale at all. I definitely got more orders through Etsy but have found that the prices I was accustomed to getting in Alaska were not so competitive with the Etsy market.

I started adding vintage buttons and some other vintage items that I'd been holding on to and suddenly I was getting more hits and sales. The Numinosity site soon morphed into a vintage site and I found the need to set up a new shop for NuminosityBeads.

I've come to realize that for online lampwork bead sales you need to be somewhat of a pro at photographing beads and jewelry with a lightbox to be able to capture the sparkling qualities of your creations as well as capturing customers. Somehow that has been on my "must do" list for quite some while. For the time being I use a scanner which delivers passable results but not what Etsy lampwork customers are accustomed to seeing these days. You only have a moment to wow them with your pics. You certainly can't catch the drape of a finished jewelry piece on a scanner.

So through all this I find myself shifting toward altered art perhaps due to the wealth of tattered, rusted and vintage goodies that seem to be laying at my feet everywhere I go.

I've decided to afford the luxury of following this path wherever it may lead ( sometimes quite literally as in my last post).

I'll still be making beads and jewelry for my in-person sales and galleries but can't quite seem to go full-tilt businesswoman with it for the time being. Perhaps with the slowing of sales in this current economy I'm putting less focus on sale driven creating too.

All of the time I spent lurking in the forums on Etsy is being transformed toward time on reading other's blogs and feeling my creative flow spilling over with excitement. I'm infinitely more inspired by photos of other's work rather than shops and promos.

I feel as if I've entered a new world of sharing and possibilities, every day a new avenue to explore. I'm excited!

Back to Business... Beads That Is

I used silver leaf in these beads and was playing around with some of the new CIM colors I had ordered from Frantz Art Glass

These lentils are a good size for earring sets.

These two didn't quite fit in with the rest of today's batch. The nugget on the right was made with the nub ends of some of my silver reactive glass that I couldn't hold anymore. I like to make some beads at the end of a session by using small pieces that are cluttering up the worktable.

It feels good to be back at the torch although my arms seem to be a bit sore from my first day back at the gym and yoga yesterday. I'm trying to get back into some of my pre-trip routines and keep the right balance of art and fitness for my well-being. In the past I've had to sacrifice one for the other and now that I'm "retired" I'm finally finding time for both.

Yesterday I went for a little walk for treasures. I didn't have to go far for some good rust pieces at the neighbor's vacant lot. A beautifully rusted lock and part of a red glazed ceramic figure caught my eye. Funny, I didn't see them last year when I was rummaging.

On down the street to the desert hills of ocotillo and cactus, I follow a trail, all within shouting distance of the road near our house. I find a stash (literally) of burlap and rags of Mexican blanket strips and rope, most likely from a smuggling operation. I find the burlap to be nicely tattered and aged and suitable for a future project. We're quite near the Mexican border so there's foot traffic occurring of different sorts occurring nearby. As my walk progressed I inexplicably start to find golfballs. I don't have any use for them in my art but I'm sure my husband might decide to put them to use one day.

Beadness & Badness

Picking up pieces and scraps of glass and silver from the table

Nuggets with copper and silver reactive glass

December Focals


Somehow time slipped away between visitors and other projects and I realized that weeks have gone by since I had been in the glass studio. I had run out of oxygen and am lucky to have it conveniently an affordably delivered right to my studio. Well, several yards way from it anyway. I have to get my husband to place it up on it's perch next to the house. Those tanks are super heavy.

I finally have a day that I'm pumped up to get back in to make beads. Dave had hooked up the bottle for me, something that I'm accustomed to doing myself. When I open the tank there emits a strange clicking noise at the regulator that I've never heard before. It kind of freaks me out as I'm wary of oxygen bottles and the pressure behind them and I know enough to steer clear of the regulator when opening. it. Just to be sure I disconnect it all and re-hook it all up again.

I go into the studio and light up the torch. This time the weirdness is occurring at the torch head and I get blasts of air popping intermittently (or absence of oxygen, I'm not sure which)

definitely worrisome and it makes me wonder if it's my flashback arrestors activating which means there's explosions in the line being quelled or something like that.

I've got no one around to allay my fears about what's going on at this point so I have to quit the whole idea of making any beads until I get this sorted out. I'm not even exactly sure who to ask except perhaps the Car Quest guys that delivered the oxygen. I call them up and the guy that most likely knows anything about oxygen bottles or regulators is out for the next few days so I'm dead in the water as far as making beads. A good time to regroup and go thrift shopping!

It's only a couple of days later and we stop into Car Quest just in case someone may be able to help me figure out what's going on. Johnny, the man behind the counter was so helpful and reassured me that it sounded like it was in the regulator and had nothing to do with the flashback arrestors. He thought that it was diaphragm failure and that I was pregnant. (just seeing if you're paying attention!)

No, he actually thought that the diaphragm was sticking and that it just needed a good blast of pressure unlit with the torch open. He told me to kind of flush it out a couple of times this way and then try it. It worked and I'm back in business!

I used copper red and copper green Effetre glass as well as some bits of Double Helix and Kugler and Dali Lama TAG glass, all with reactive metallics that give more of the ethereal effects that I love so much. I only use these as embellishments and not as a base. at $80 a lb. I like to use them as surface applications to maximize usage for the most bang for the buck.

Image of Christmas Past

I was enjoying Altered Bits Blog about her collaboration on an art project with her young son.

Yesterday as we were trimming the tree I found this Santa Claus ornament that my young artistic son had made over 20 years ago and wanted to share it with you. It always makes me smile when I find it each year. I guess it qualifies as vintage since it's over 20 years old!

Christmas Give-Away from NuminosityBeads

I've decided to do a Christmas giveaway to help my little pinpoint of light in the blogoshpere to radiate outwards just a speck more and promote readership and involvement to spur me on to sharing ever more of my creative process. So it will become a literal sharing of my work if you are the lucky winner.

What I'd like to propose is that anyone that posts a comment on each of my posts thus far will be eligible for one of my Christmas ornaments similar to the ones in my last post. ( I have several more as well) If you become a follower you are also eligible for the second prize which is a box of Trader Joes's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. Current followers are already eligible for second prize.

Prizes will be randomly and fairly drawn from a hat by my unbiased and unbribable husband.

I will need to contact you for an address if you are a winner.

Drawing will take place on Dec 9th.

Numinosity Beads

Yes, My blog is named NuminosityBeads and I do indeed make lampwork beads as well as playing with these other mediums that I've posted on already.

I'm putting in my last few hours at the torch in the next week before we head south for the winter. I spent about an hour yesterday playing with some twisty cane that I had made. One of the "Hot Headed Honey's" from Anchorage had told me about a cane that she had learned in a workshop. I tried what I thought she had described but also added a bit of my own adaptation so I think it came out quite different in the end. I'm hoping to take a class from Michelle Waldren this winter and gain some more skill with the twizzler cane making.

I've also been trying to build up inventory in my series of "Element" nugget beads. Aurora Bead and Craft of Wasilla, AK (yes, that Wasilla) will be carrying the small nuggets now.

Just one last bazaar here before we leave at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks this weekend and I'll also be featured at our local First Friday event at The Magic Carpet Gallery of Global Goods on Friday evening, also in Fairbanks.