Locked and loaded

Do you recognize these beads? They were featured in my blog entry titled "I know I know" from August 13th.

Well, they have been transformed into a full 3 piece set of jewelry titled Treasure based on the focal that reminds me of a find in a treasure chest. It's chock full of color...thanks to my friend telling me to get more light flowing through it for better photographs!

I'm finishing the photography today and should list this on Etsy by tomorrow so be sure to visit me there to see the end result. I'm still surprised at the range of depth and color from light to dark that all work together. Quite spectacular, or "delicious" my friend tells me.

So I'm beginning to think that with all the traffic that has come to this blog since I posted my previous entry regarding Chihuly that I should just say Chihuly in every other post as that seems to be what gets people here! 42 visitors in one day...uh...people, from 5 a day to 42...that's quite a jump!

Hey, locked and loaded...moving on from the jewelry world and into our real little world of every day life I have to share something with you that just blew my mind. How many of you know that on foil and plastic wrap boxes there is a little lock on each end to keep the product from rolling out of the box???

I did NOT know this...neither did my sis when I asked her and I just couldn't beLIEVE it! I've included close-up shots for you and have to say that "press" as instructed just doesn't work: you have to get in there with a knife to slice two sides of the tab to get it to pressing state....so simple and unbelievable that it's been there all this time.

I mean, come on, who hasn't had a roll slip out and onto the floor. Now, what's the rule on THAT? 2 second rule? 5 second rule?

So it just goes to show you that you never know what you'll learn when you visit this blog. Gosh I'm just full of important knowledge...LOL.

Okay, gang, I want to hear your comments. I should take a poll on this box lock situation just to see how many of you were in the dark with me!

By the way, the day AFTER we visited the (I'll say it again:) Chihuly exhibit there was a gigantic 3 day concert in Golden Gate Park called Outside Lands...just below the museum we had visited. I didn't find out about it until its first day was completed. I don't know how I missed that when checking the area activities to decide what day to visit Chihuly. I only knew that I didn't want to go into San Francisco on a Friday or into a weekend....and this is why!

I feel so Chihuly

The Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibit at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco was a marvel. Left is the Macchia Forest, and below, the chandelier room. There were 11 rooms in all. Black walls and ceilings and dark floors were the perfect dramatic backdrop for the beautifully illuminated glass.

I spent most of my time in these 2 rooms. This may sound crazy, but the red chandelier? I wanted to consume it like liquid so it could become part of me. I know that sounds completely bizarre but that is how I felt...isn't art strange! The color of it, the striations in the glass tubes, the power of it...just wanted it to be part of me. No art has made me feel that before. These photos are from Chihuly's website and you can see more photos of this particular installation and others at www.Chihuly.com.

I didn't bother taking a camera and was surprised that snapping pics was acceptable as long as no flash was used. I spied one woman's photo on her camera and with just the lighting in the room against all that black, her shots turned out well, but I figure, hey, I'll just buy the book with the professional shots.

The Art of Chihuly book features this particular exhibit and was for sale at $45 which isn't bad but I told my son I knew I could get it for less online and I did. As soon as I got home, I searched and found a hardback copy still in shrink wrap for only $23 plus $4 for shipping...such a deal. Now I can relive the beauty and emotions whenever I wish.

My dad drove up from the central coast to join me and my son at the museum and he treated us to lunch afterwards in the museum cafe which featured all fresh food, cold & hot, and the prices weren't bad at all. We ate outside in the garden area.

The weather was overcast and wonderfully cool, just right for tee-shirt attire. It was fun to watch birds, from little Brewer's blackbirds to pigeons to one big seagull, munch on whatever lunch bits people dropped, be it on purpose or accidental. From our seats we could see the odd, multi-storied domes of the nearly finished construction of the new Steinhart Aquarium.

The domes are dotted with small round windows or solar panels maybe, and the rest is covered with what looks like moss. In the newspaper today an article stated this quote:"it is supported by recycled steel, insulated with recycled blue jeans and topped with a living roof." Interesting photos can be found here: Steinhart Aquarium.

Well, I highly recommend you visit the Chihuly site above to see if he's going to be near you any time soon. It's something not to be missed!

My 100th post!

Yay, I'm posting less than a week since my previous entry! Made that a goal to keep you all entertained and so far so good. And my reward is that this is my 100th post. Now that's a good omen. I added a visitor counter on July 4th. You can see it at the very bottom of the blog page and in 45 days I've had 187 visitors...not a lot, but I'm just glad people are coming.

Custom bead news following this story:

My husband and I were able to spend a 3 day weekend in Napa with our godson (photo at left of neighborhood cafe) who is two and a half and talking up a storm. He understands concepts now so his reactions and humor are absolute entertainment. A sweet and happy soul with a smile always at the ready along with kisses and hugs upon request!

Sis and her husband were out of town for the historic car races in Monterey...are you aware of these races? Old, old cars built for racing long ago are maintained (with large wads of cash, no doubt) for racing condition! Wouldn't it be something to see them whipping around the track? Sis takes their camper and hunkers down for 2 nights right at the track...wow!

Must be great, but what me and my husband needed was peace and quiet and that's what we got in the midst of huge oak trees surrounding house and pool just above a small vineyard surrounded by hills. Wow was it ever quiet. We did a little snoozing, lots of laughing, and slowly, slowly got our godson to swim.

It was wonderful that he trusted me enough to rest his body on just one of my arms while he flailed feet and legs to catch the big rubber ducky. What a bold one...of course, it took about an hour to go from just feet in the pool and refusals to step down to lower steps to full on swimming...but he got there. One final grab by me when he looked very confident and he let out one big scream....and then had a blast.

On the jewelry front I'm having a couple of spectular custom lampwork glass beads designed as pendants...won't tell you by whom yet as I don't want to create any pressure, but one is a harlequin mask...white face, teardrops from the eyes and an elaborate wavy collar in black and red...nice!

I was also inspired to request a hot air balloon bead after seeing the big balloon upon which Sarah Brightman sang in the Olympic opening ceremony. The balloon bead will be golden yellow with blue Kronos glass as the basket...and you'll seem some Kronos spikes on the balloon as well. Remind to show them to you after I receive them in a few weeks.

I've been reminded that the glass birds (photo above) from the Green Glass Cafe are big sellers in jewelry so I will be working on those designs this week...birdie pendants...yum! The bird pictured here is one of several different styles and color combinations I have.

I know, I know

It's been 2 weeks since I blogged and I hate that! Don't you hate visiting a blog every few days and it STILL isn't updated? Grr....

Here is a batch of beads that is about to become a full set on Etsy. The colors were very surprising together but they work beautifully from the soft gold in the sand dollar, to the bright gold shards on those pink beads (for earrings) to deep purples. Really fun and challenging.

I'll be in Napa again for a long weekend starting tomorrow so I can play Auntie/Godmother to my beautiful nephew. He is 2 1/2 and just the other day when his mommy said my name, he said "I love Julie". As his parents were totally surprised and in awed silence, he said "I love Beto" (my husband). Gosh, how wonderful! Now, who knows if "love" to him just means a person that makes him feel good or if he really gets the love concept but whatever he's thinking, I'll take it! What a sweetheart.

I have loads of cupcake beads I need to form into jewelry, including pendant sets and will focus on doing just that when I get back next week.

Until then, keep cupcaking and checking for more frequent posts from me.