Blue Spider Arts

Had a Baby, Made some Beads, Got new Buttons!

2009-05-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we went and had ourselves a baby girl. She was born March 14th. A tiny 10 pounds 12 ounces and 21 and a half inches long. I thought her brother was big at 10 pounds 5 ounces, but at least she didn't sit with her head tucked under my rib cage for 9 months.

We haven't been doing alot of sale beads online of late as we're getting inventory together for shows, however we've got a few bead sets listed on Etsy for those who are interested. It's likely that we'll be posting our sale beads there rather than eBay. I'm finding that listing goes quicker there than at eBay, and I just don't have the time I used to!

If you're in the market for buttons (the kind you use to close clothes) I've got a new batch in my button store Brazen Button!

Until we meet again!
Kat

Bad, Bad Girl

2008-09-02T14:46:00.001-07:00

Sorry about not posting in awhile. I know I haven't been getting as much done as I'd like these days, but at least I've got a good excuse...

Around about the middle of February we're expecting baby #2. Yeah! Alas this means much less time for all things beady. With Baby #1 getting into everything, like a proper daredevil, Mike and I have to flip a coin over who gets torch time.

The summers here aren't really a good time for bead making, as our studio is located in our very hot garage. I've got plans in motion, however, to get the studio moved inside so we can work year round.

So, I hope to be posting beads to eBay soon, but don't hold me to that until after the weather starts to cool off here in Arizona.

Kat

Something smelly this way comes...

2008-02-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it has turned out to be a very interesting day around here...

I was sitting at the desk, updating the webpage and I hear what seems to be footsteps walking down the hall. I check it out, as everyone else should be asleep at this point even though it's the middle of the day. There was nothing there, to my very great relief!

Alas, what's this? I hear what sounds like the poor cat trapped in the guest/music room. Nope wasn't him, but it smelled like he'd managed to miss the litter box by about a mile. Oh, well... We're putting new carpet in there anyway.

Then, shocker of shockers, it sounds as if the heating ducts are trying to push themselves up through the floors with a great rattle and bang. I almost had to call 9-1-1 to put my heart back into my chest. Instead I get Mike up from his nap and tell him what's going on. He, of course, looks at me like I'm wearing the lastest in back buckling sleeves.

Then there it is. The most horrible smell.

It seems that we're the proud new owners of a skunk. Said skunk has taken up residence beneath the house (oh, why didn't we get a house with a basement???) and apparently delights in scaring the **** out of me.

Days like this I wish I still lived in Scottsdale... *sigh*

Excuse me while I go yell at the owl sitting in the tree outside my window and the coyotes in the distance to shut the heck up so I can go to sleep. Where's a good siren when you need one?

Kat

Pink and Tiny Leopards

2008-02-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

I got carried away at the torch this time and made 80 beads. Think I'll actually keep some for myself this time! I'll be putting them up on 2/8/08 around about 6pm eBay time, so if you want them before I put 'em up email me. Here's a photo showing the size next to a US quarter.

I've gotten some new items up in the CafePress store and more coming soon that might be of interest to lampworkers, beaders and jewelery designers. Just a few things I've been playing around with.

With eBay raising their fees again, I'm looking at possibly selling on Justbeads.com and Esty. Something to try out and see how it goes at any rate. I'll let you know when I get something up over those other sites.

Kat

Beady, Baby!

2008-02-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I didn't get back before I thought I would. I popped out to play on the torch and lost a few hours that I was going to use for listing beads and getting shipping stuff together. At least I made it back on tonight. It's past the baby's dinner time and poor Mike is dealing with him right now.

Here's the Delite set. I was goofing off with the turq. a lot last week. It's a reactionary glass and I love trying to see what I can get it to do. Not much with this set, but I love the color combo.

Now, I got all kinds of cool things to happen with this! I used Italian glass in Dk. Turquoise and clear, the rest just sorta happened. These you should check out on eBay. I've got larger pics up. I had a lot of fun making these, because I never knew which was going to show up, the shiny copper or the rusty red! Oh, what fun!

Cafe Press Update!

2008-02-04T08:07:00.001-08:00

I've managed to get some new items into the Cafepress Store. There are some great new tees available for beaders and lampworkers alike. I'm working on getting more up today and I'll have new beads to be listed later this afternoon.

I'll try to post the beads before I put them up on eBay. I'll be happy to consider offers on them, just email me.

Kat

Super Bowl Sunday

2008-02-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

Mike and I both managed to get to the torch, but with the Super Bowl and the baby's first b-day party this weekend I didn't manage to get anything listed. Glad the underdogs won. I always cheer for the underdogs. (Unless the 49er's are playing! Go 9er's!)

Speaking of football... Could someone tell me why Brett Favre (pronounced Farv) can't afford "Hooked on Phonics"? I can't stand it anymore. I think I'll just break down and buy him one and replace the lable with something like "Foniks for Football Players". I guess I've found my football pet peeve for the next few seasons.

Back to beads...

I'll have a set or two up tomorrow for y'all. We'll be offering sets on our site soon, so don't forget to check it out!

Kat

Even more beads available

2008-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

I had myself a nice run on the torch and managed to get a couple of sets done. I've posted them to eBay for your purchasing pleasure and here's the photo's for your viewing pleasure!

I've been wanting to play with this color combination for awhile now. Reminds me a lot of all those 50's diners, movies and such and what not. All I know for sure is that they were so much fun to make!

I used Italian glass in dark turquiose, black and that evil, evil purple. There's also some reduction frit for giggles.

Kat

More beads!

2008-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here's Mike's new set that I just put up on eBay. Feel free to pop over and take a look at all our auctions.

It's been a rainy type of day here. I can't see Sedona from the living room at all, just a bank of clouds whisping across where Sedona used to be. I'm sure it's still there, unless there was a convergence of UFO's, multiple vortex and whatever else makes the New Agers think Sedona is special beyond the red rocks. Now everyone knows why we don't live there. :0)

I just wish it was a little warmer; my toes feel like tiny ice cubes.

I finally managed to get some time on the torch this week. My little pink ladies are now available on eBay.

Enjoy!

Kat

New Beads on eBay! Again!

2008-01-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

I must be setting some kind of personal record! Who knew I could post this much to the blog. Not much going on around here right now, but here's a new set we've got up on eBay tonight.

Mike's been busy having fun and I got to clean the torch last night. HMMMM

I wonder if I'm ever going to get to melt any glass on it now that I've cleaned it???? :0)

Kat

New Beads on eBay

2008-01-21T17:06:00.001-08:00

Here's the new beads available today.

Kat

New Beads on eBay

2008-01-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the new set that I just put up for auction. Mike has a lot of fun making these and I want to start making larger sets. It's no fun running out of beads or not having enough for your projects, I know.

I'll be back tomorrow with yet another set Mike made. I'm starting to wonder if all I'll get to do is the web stuff. I miss my torch! Mike gets to have all the fun! :0)

Kat

Ha! Made it back before a week was up!

2008-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

I managed to get a little time to pop in and give you a scoop.

Mike's heading out to torch as I write this and we'll have his beads up tomorrow! OMG, you say? Yes, I'll probably get back here tomorrow also! Three posts in one week? Yup, that's right, ladies and gentleman, the world has gone whacky when I get time to post more than once a week!

Now if I can only get some torch time myself! I'm thinking about doing something different with our beads. I think I'll start taking photos with them next to a dime or in my hand. There seem to be a lot of lampwork artists out there who do that and I've had more than one request for it. I also thought some of you might like to know exactly how big a bead strand you're getting! If you have an opinion either way, please drop me a line, our email's just a click away on the side over there----->

As many of you know, I like to make very, very, very small beads so small that Mike's look huge compared to mine. But the fact remains that even Mike's beads are small compared to most "standard" size lampwork. I'm just plain itching to try some larger beads and different techniques to offer for sale! Ah well, maybe I'll get a shot at the torch next week! :0)

Kat

No longer Dead... Again!

2008-01-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

So we've risen from the grave once again (and hopefully we'll stay that way this time!)

A lot has happened in the last year. I was 8 months pregnant the last time I posted to the blog and now the kiddo's going to be celebrating his 1st birthday. The house is getting better, but remodeling and redecorating isn't for the faint of heart. And it's even harder with a toddler underfoot! ;0)
Mike and I took a hiatus this last year to get some things done around here and to spend time with the baby. But now that we're reaching that 1st birthday, we've started up the glass torch again and you can expect to see lots of beads coming out of the studio!

We have a few sets up on eBay right now and we've started a little line called "Viking Treasures" that are available on http://www.brazenbutton.com/. They're a great gift idea for the knitter or historical re-enactor in your life.

Nothing more than...

2006-11-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

Fall colors have finally started to show up around here. I thought we'd go straight to leaves dropping, but luckily there are some great colors to be seen this year; particularly in the Oak Creek Canyon area. Perhaps we'll get over that way with the camera before winter.

Sorry about not posting in the past few weeks. We're trying to get ready for the holidays and the house isn't going along with our plans. Mike took a bit of a tumble and bruised up his wrist and I've been a little ill lately. Not great things when you want nothing more than to play with new ideas at the torch! :0)

The new setup for the torch is working out and it's much, much better than our old setup. I can work whenever I get the urge now without having to go outside or put on 5 layers of clothes. There was nothing I hated more than winter when the studio was outside in the shed and the snow would begin to fall.

We're putting aside much more time lately for bead making so don't forget to check out our eBay auctions!

Kat

Another Year

2006-10-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Mike has finally gotten the studio quasi-setup, at least enough to work in comfort. I celebrated my birthday playing at the torch. :0) YEAH! We've gotten some of the new CIM glass in pinks in that I still can't wait to try out. I'm hoping that they're fabulous, but pink is such a tricky color that you can never tell what it'll do once you flame it.

My little experiment with my auction didn't quite go the way I'd planned. I remembered working in the fashion industry having to work a season or two ahead and thought, perhaps jewelry designers would appreciate the spring set I put up this last week. Maybe I got a little carried away and should go back to the winter colors. :0)

I'm hoping that Mike's up coming days off from his "regular" job afford him time to torch. I think I'll just have to push him into the studio and lock the door until he gets a few sets done. ;0)

Kat

Beads being listed on eBay

2006-10-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just wanted to drop a quick line here about some bead sets that managed to get packed away during the move. I've got them set to start on Tues., October 17th at 6pm eBay time. Previews can be had on the gallery site and here's a little sample for those interested...

Kat

All's well

2006-10-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

There really isn't much going on in the Blue Spider Arts world at the moment. I'm itching to get at my glass and torch, but there are other things that need to come first at the moment.

We've gotten one room finished in the new house, but I can't show pictures. It's the room where I've got my big commission and I agreed that I wouldn't show any part of the progress until after it's been delivered. Which should be sometime in Feb... Artist Susan Holt will be painting a mural in my new room. To see more of her work take a trip over to www.saholtstudios.com.

Mike and I are working on the North studio today. Nothing like taking one room at a time to drive me nuts. I'm itching to get everything into a place of it's own so I can find what I need! My looms are wanting to play, also....

I wonder if I'll ever manage to weave glass someday.... :0)

Kat

Not much going on

2006-09-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the past month has been very busy, but not much to talk about. The north studio is coming along and I picked up some lighting that will be fabulous for it today. The glass works is being transfered to the garage area. The solarium is something we want to be able to use as a room, so out to the garage we go to work. :0)

Mike's been very busy painting one of the bedrooms and hasn't had alot of time to do much else. I've listed a few aceo's on Esty for anyone interested in taking a look. You can search from the front page search box by typing in "BSA". I only sell the original's on the aceo', so you're getting a great deal on collectable original art. I should have a few more up before to much longer, but I hesitate to say exactly when I'll get around to listing it! :0) I've also got a few "art squared" pieces that I should list, but time seems at a premium these days.

With that I need to get back to work...
Kat

Fallen Lampworkers Rise from the Dead

2006-09-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are again. It's only been four months or so since I've posted to the blog and I'm a bad, bad girl. There have been so many things going on that lampwork, art and anything else has had to take a backseat to getting our booties in gear. How sad that we've had to take care of all those nasty mundanities that sometimes rise up, grab you by the throat and try to choke you to death.

We're finished with the renovations on the house, so it's time to say goodbye to it. We've purchased another fixer upper because we absolutely must be gluttons for punishment. Actually, it was the south facing sunroom that sold us on it. It's just begging to become the new lampwork studio! And with 5 bedrooms one will magically transform itself into the textile and painting studio! I finally get my dream of having north and south facing studios! YEAH!!! Life is sweet!

I'm working on a pretty important commission right now. Mike's trying to help out when he can. I'm glad that my deadline isn't until Feb 10th. Unfortunately, I can't show you any of it until after it's finished. I can say without a doubt that it will be the most important work I've ever accomplished and I'm excited to be able to show off the finished work. This is something I never thought I'd be able to do.

So, now it's time for me to sign off. But I promise that I'll be back way before another four months is up! Look for photos of the new studios as we get them set up!

Kat

Stunning Rusty!

2006-04-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

We've made up some lost time on the bead end of things, but we're still a little behind. Our little studio is getting ready for it's makeover and I forsee a lot of confussion in the weeks ahead. Of course all this will be going on during the remodel of the kitchen!

I'm more and more interested in the photographs that Rusty's been making available to the studio lately. This is just fantastic work! Rusty grabs the essence of the desert and caputres for all time the harsh cruelty and fantastic beauty that seeps through the pores of the desert floor and it's abundant wildlife.

I really need to get something up on the site for these photographs! Prints will be made available on the site soon, I promise!

Kat

Beads soon!

2006-04-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little hectic around here of late. I'm wishing we could go back on vacation! But it looks to start calming down by this weekend and perhaps we'll get some beads made!

I'd like to let y'all know that we've grabbed up a new artist for the studio! Welcome Rusty Kimmel! You're going to be a fabulous addition to our little group here!

Rusty's been an artist for over 35 years, only recently choosing to go public with art. Rusty's photographs are wonderful and we're proud to offer them to the public at long last. Rusty has also worked recently in mosaic's and paints creating one of a kind masterpieces that will (unforunately) stay in the artist's collection.

The deal we've made with Rusty is that all photography will be run in extremely limited editions. The only exception will be the limited edition series books that we're still debating edition size on.

If there's something that really grabs you, grab it fast before it disappears forever!

Kat

We're Back!!!!

2006-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time of it! It rained buckets and I loved every minute of it. I really fell in love with the area and Mike and I are considering purchasing some land there. I managed to get some interesting photo's while I was there. I'll have some of them up on next months "revolving" front page of the website.

Our hosts were the very best and the trip was a fabulous success. We enjoyed every minute we were there. Everything went fab and I've had a few more requests to teach while we were away. Sadly, we had to turn some down. We like making beads and teaching eats at our bead making time.

Tahoe was a no go this trip as we've both had our fill of snow for the year. We detoured instead to Laughlin, Nv. and had a ball throwing money at the one armed bandits. We even managed to walk away with some! :0)

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!

Kat

We're off!

2006-04-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, this will be the last post here until we return from our trip. We've gotten some fab colors in and we'll be playing with them on our return... Luckily for us we don't need to bring any of our own equipment with us on this trip. I am taking along my ACEO workings to play with, though!

If you've purchased beads/art from us, but haven't paid by midnight tonight, your beads or art will ship on our return. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter and a fab Spring break!

Kat

Coined for Summer

2006-03-30T22:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a set that I did this week just in time for summer... The "coins" are hand shaped and rather different from my norm. I was swept away with the need to do something different. I've also been working on getting a set of "blocks" together.

I have a lentil press, but I find that hand shaped beads have more character and are more fun to make than squishing glass in a press. Then there's also the problem that most presses are not made to fit the 1mm mandrels I usually use, so hand shaping is the only way most of the time! :0)

I've been having some more problems with my hands. The CT has been acting up, I'm hoping because of the weather. (Lovely spring rains instead of snow, thank all that's holy!) I'm looking at possibly getting surgery done so I can work for longer than 15 minutes at a stretch. You have no idea how long it takes to make a set of beads working in 10-15 min. blocks! :0)

I should find out sometime in April about surgery, so I'll post here when I do. It's possible that you'll be seeing more of Mike's work than mine up for awhile. Both hands need it, but I might be able to hold off on having my right hand done until the left heals. For the life of me I can't figure out why my left is so much worse than my right... I am a "righty" after all! :0)

Kat

It's all about the glass!

2006-03-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

So, I finally figured out a cool way to make the tie-dyed beads I've been wanting to do for some time now... And it was a complete accident! Providence riding to the rescue, I suppose! ;0) I can tell I'm going to have fun with this process and experimenting...

I'm playing around with some new combinations that I hope you like. It's nothing fancy, but I'm having fun and that's all that matters to me. Mike's taken to using alot of his loopy styles lately, but I persuaded him to make some lovely sets with "matchers" in them for you jewelry designers out there...

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting my glass order! I can't wait to get the new colors! I know that I'll be off and ordering again before to much longer... I'm addicted to glass shopping! I can't stand to place an order and not get everything my greedy eyes desire. Bad beadmaker! Bad! :0)

Kat

Glass Ordered...

2006-03-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a color request! I ordered more glass today and I think you'll all be very pleased with some of what I've chosen. Some of the handpulled Italian cane really caught my attention and it comprised most of the order. Oh, some of these colors are just fabulous! I can't wait to get them to the torch! Of course, most of the handpulled glasses are 3 times the cost of the "regular" glass that's available... But very, very worth it!

I use 3/64" mandrels for most of my beads... That comes out to about 1 mm. As you can probably imagine they get bent alot easier than Mike's 3/32" or my 1/16" mandrels. So, I've got more of those on the way as well! I don't use the 1/16" as often as I used to... I can make the mini beads on either, but my smallest beads are usually made on the 3/64" and I dearly love to make beads as small as I can! There's no challenge to making huge detailed beads with all that room to work on... And to my way of thinking, anything over 12 mm is huge! (Shhhhh... Don't tell Mike I said that!!!)

We're gearing up for our foray in to the wilds of Northern California... We've managed to sell out our class already! Yeah! Students are still trickling in for our Az. classes, but I'm thinking that if I'm not careful I won't leave any torch time for us! We're really excited about hitting Tahoe on the way back. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to live in some facinating places, but Tahoe was never one of them! So it will be something new, at least.

Kat

Spring is in the air!

2006-03-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Well, after the snow yesterday (yes, again!) we're blessed with a bright sunny day! Yeah! I've already spent some time at the torch today and Mike expects to get a few sets made today also. I've gotten my new glass and I love it. Perhaps I'll put up a few sets on eBay soon...

We're looking at ordering some more glass soon, so color requests are very welcome right now! There's a link to our email address in the links section on the right side of the page.

We did lose all of our lovely flowers, but I cannot deny that we need the water. We can replant the flowers... I just wish it wouldn't get so cold... It's supposed to be spring! :0)

Kat

Glass inbound!

2006-03-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

I've ordered some new glass I can't wait to get. It should be here sometime today. Apparently it's a much softer glass than the Italian and German glasses we usually use. I've already gotten the annealing program entered into the kiln for it and it's annealing point is about 100 degrees less than our Italian/German beads!

I've also got an order of our Italian glass coming. I've gotten enough requests to place an order for these colors... Definately not our norm, but now I'm excited for them to get here so I can play. If I know Mike though, he'll hide it from me so he can have all to himself... I guess it's a good thing I do the unpacking! :0) (I've always got a secret glass stash that Mike doesn't know about! If I didn't I wouldn't get to use the cool colors!)

The weather's taken a turn for the worse again... We're socked in by clouds and it's supposed to snow again... It was 65 and sunny two days ago. We can always use the water, but does it have to come as snow? :0)

Kat

Beads, beads, beads

2006-03-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sorry I didn't get back to this before now. We've been really busy. I've got some more beads available on our site, so feel free to check them out.

In the middle of all this remodeling we've decided to do the studio also... We're picking out cabinets for that this week and I'm hoping that it won't take to long to get it done. Should look fabulous and be more practical. All good to my way of thinking.

Kat

Warmer weather!

2006-03-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Well, the snow has melted away and the days are getting warmer! We've been busy picking out new cabinets for the kitchen.... I'm so tired of remodling!

I've gotten more calls about classes! I'm very happy about that! There seem to be a few people spreading the word around Phoenix about me and I couldn't be happier! It is well worth the time I spend and it keeps us in all the glass we could ever want. Not to mention the new tools I get to buy now! :0)

I'll be hitting the torch hard tomorrow, so look for new beads on our website!

Kat

Snow Day!

2006-03-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, we've gotten some pretty strange weather around here before, but this really takes the cake! We started out the week with temps in the high 70's... Now, it's 34 degrees outside and snowing! We can't see the mountian behind the house or the red rocks of Sedona for all the clouds and snow!

I'm just laughing away right now! This is the first snowfall of the season for us and that it happened just when all our beautiful landscaping was starting to bud! We've probably lost the lilacs and the daffodils, but we need the water more than the flowers.

It's still looking to be a very dry summer with wildfires galore here, but hopefully it won't be as bad as it was a few years ago. I wish the USFS would realize that proscribed burns in summer in Arizona are a no no! They fill up our valley with smoke and haze, not to mention making it harder to breathe!

Kat

Not much today...

2006-03-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nothing much going on today... It was too cold to work outside on the painting that needs to get done. But the good news is we've gotten the majority of the new dual pane windows installed! That will be a boon come summer around here and should make a diference come next winter.

It's also a bit dreary out today! We finally got some much needed rain and there's more in the forecast for the weekend... I'm so happy to see clouds! When you live in the desert, sunshine can become very depressing! ;0)

I'll probably be playing with the torch tomorrow, so I'll post pics!

Kat

A Pint, A Glass or a Cup?

2006-03-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the beads I was telling you about in my last post... I couldn't resist!

I'm not much of a beer drinker (not much of a drinker at all, really). I couldn't help thinking that on some of those very hot summer days, nothing sounds better than a nice cold beer. I added three bar flies just for giggles... :0)

These are available on our gallery site or you can bid away on ebay, as I just posted them today.

Kat

More beads, more students!

2006-03-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

I was a busy little creature at the torch today. I had a blast making some different beads from what I usually make... Once they're out of the kiln I'll post a pic of them. So cute!

I got another request for classes today! I don't know what's in the air, but students are bursting out of the woodwook around here lately! Another couple from Phoenix willing to drive the 2 hours one way to take my class. I gotta love it!

So, with that in mind... If you'd like to learn how to make lampwork beads, feel free to email me. I usually teach out of my home, but I am willing to travel. As evidenced by the fact that we're heading out to Northern California next month! :0)

I also got in a new order of glass today! (And some very much needed bead release!) I also got some new frit I'll be playing with tomorrow.... We'll see what comes of it! :0)

Kat

Torch Time!

2006-03-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

So, Mike and I have been very busy the last few days! We've now got 21 bead sets available on our gallery site! Drop on by and take a look if you like lampwork beads.

We'll be heading out next month to teach in Northern California! Yeah! I think we'll be stopping by Tahoe for giggles on the way back. Nothing like throwing away money on the one armed bandits! It's looking to be a great trip, especially since we both have family in the area. I'm so excited!

I've also got a few students coming up from Phoenix next Sunday. Students seem to be flying out of the wood work lately! And they're driving 2 hours one way for my class! Holy cow! I just love it!

Kat

Raku!

2006-03-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, I was in the mood to play with my raku frit and I made a set... It's up on eBay right now. I wanted to see how small I could make the beads and still get that funky raku thing goin' on. It worked pretty well on all of the beads! I'm happy with them... Raku is a really fun frit to play with and I'm so glad I bought it!

The smallest bead in the set is 4 x 4 mm and all the spacers are 3 mm rounds. I'm going to have to go shopping for smaller spacers! Oh, darn a trip to the bead shop... Mike will kill me! :0)

Kat

Happy Birthday Mike!

2006-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, Mike's birthday has rolled around once again... Happy Birthday! He's a whopping *7 years old today! No, he won't let me put the first part of his age up, sorry. :0)

I'll be listing items tomorrow in the first theme week for the SFA group. The theme isn't really a theme, but a size. All 5 x 7 inch works are the theme to get us started this week. Small Format Art is great if you like wonderful works of art that will fit any lifestyle or budget. Please check it out by typing in "SFA theme week" in the eBay search box. The starting bid on all SFA theme week works is only $9.99!

Just think, you can own an original piece of art by a living artist! If you think you know nothing about art, well neither do most artists! They do what they love. Don't be intimidated by venturing into the world of art purchasing! You can't go wrong picking out something you love. That's what counts....

Kat

Beads, beads and more beads!

2006-02-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the sets available on our gallery site. Feel free to drop in and take a look.

Mike made the yellow beads... He's called them "Canary Queen" and he's also got a red set called "Cardinal Queen" They would fabulous together!

The wee ones on the right side were something I was having a little fun with. Look for "Urchin" in the lampwork bead section of the gallery. I'm having so much fun with these little beads! It's a constant challenge to see how much detail you can fit on there. Now if only I could find smaller mandrels that could take the heat of the torch....

Kat

New beads!

2006-02-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

We've put up a few sets of new beads on the gallery site... Mike's been really fond of reds and yellows of late so I'm hoping that y'all are itching for some strong colors.

I've been busy painting the house, but I'm hoping to get some torch time at some point. I'm also hoping to get a little painting time that doesn't include the bathroom walls! :0) I've managed to dig up my Prismacolor pencils, so I might do a few ACEO's in them.

I look forward to getting back in the "art saddle" again after my little break!

Kat

Gallery Troubles

2006-02-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that having a clickable link at the bottom of my gallery pages is playing Mary Hobb with my images showing up correctly. If you click on a link and you only get the email, please try clicking it again.

I'll be taking the clickable email down, as I would rather you could see our work than our email address! I'm sorry if you've tried to view a piece and were unable to!

Kat

New Beads!

2006-02-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

Mike's been busy at the torch the last few days and I've put up photo's on the gallery site. Feel free to browse. I'll be listing these on eBay sometime in the next week.

I think this is my favorite set here...

Kat

Purple Tide

2006-02-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the next sets going up tomorrow. I used that lovely "evil" purple... I can't tell you how much I adore that color. We'll be putting this up for 5 day auction tomorrow afternoon, but if you don't want to wait you can have it now for $21.00 by emailing me before I list.

We've also got a large lot of lovely blue's available on our gallery site... I'm thinking I'll put one of those sets up tomorrow also.

Kat

Beadz

2006-02-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

Well, Mike was in a yellow kinda mood this week and we've gotten some Fiesta Beadz up for auction. Check out our eBay link to the right side of the page!

In the process of doing a few commissions Mike made a ton of blue beads... Quite lovely in periwinkles and cobalts.... I've listed those on our Gallery site for anyone interested.

I've just joined the Esty site... It's a lovely place to find handcrafted items of all kinds! I really like it there and I'm looking forward to a long stay.

Kat

One day auctions now up!

2006-02-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

I've listed a few sets of Mike's today as one day auctions. These sets include various color beads as I couldn't entice him into making any pairs. Please visit our eBay auctions to see the new listings!

Kat

New beads!

2006-02-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

I finally got some torch time this week and made a few sets up. I was in something of a black and white mood, so I've got two sets of those. I decided to add a few pieces of my extra beads that have been floating around for a bit... Amber and Garnet on one set and a couple of glass pearls on the other.

These sets will be listed tonight, so if you want to get them before they go up, now's the time! Check out our gallery site for photo's!

I'll have a few more sets of Mike's up before to much longer... They're almost done bakin' in the kiln... He's been quite busy with commissions these last few weeks. We love commissions so keep 'em coming!

Kat

The Dance

2006-02-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a new ACEO that I'll be listing on eBay tomorrow. It's called "The Dance"... I've been doing these figures for about 15 years now, but this is the first one in paint. I usually reserve these forms for inks or colored pencil.

This is painted on 140# (300 gsm) watercolor paper and mounted on acid free matte board. It was painted with gouache and is the standard 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

For those of you who don't know what gouache is, it's a wonderful form of opaque watercolor. I've grown quite fond of it for it's portability. My pallete will fit in my purse with precut ACEO cards and I can paint anywhere!

Kat

Mike at the torch

2006-02-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

I caught Mike at the torch today with the camera. He wasn't very pleased with me for using the flash, but I finally got photo's of him at the torch!

I'm hoping he doesn't try to return the favor! :0)

Kat

New items available

2006-02-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've managed to get a few more pieces listed on eBay for those of you interested in our beads and ACEOs. We've started putting together beads sets for St. Patty's day, so I hope you enjoy them!

I've also listed a new ACEO... Confetti is now available for bidding on eBay! I hope you enjoy it!

Kat

Beads/ACEO's Listed!

2006-02-08T00:37:00.000-08:00

We've gotten 3 sets of beads up and running on eBay right now for your bidding pleasure! I've also listed "Seaset" for those interested in the ACEO's. I'm in the process of putting the finishing touches on 2 series that will be available soon...

The "Plots" series is a 4x4 inch "Art Squared" series of 6 should be listed once I get the varnish applied.

The "Emote" series is 2.5 x 3.5 inch standard for ACEO. This is a series of 9 which also needs a coat of varnish.

Both "Plots" and "Emote" are abstract acrylic series done on acid free acrylic paper and mounted on acid free matte board with acid free mounting adhesive. I only use archival quality surfaces and professional paints for my art.

I'll post photos before the varnish is applied.

Kat

New beads up/ACEO's available

2006-02-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

Mike's been a busy boy this week... I've got new beads listed on our gallery site for those interested on what will be going up this week on eBay. 3 sets in all scheduled for Tuesday at this time. Of course, y'all get first crack at them.

If I had my way "Lemon Zest" and "Rememberance" would be staying here. Oh, well... I hope they go to good homes, because Mike won't let me keep them! You lucky bidders, you!

After many, many requests we've changed some of the info available on our bead auctions. We're now listing mandrel size and Artist along with strand length and bead sizes. I hope this helps out all you jeweler's who requested it!

We're now making ACEO's available on eBay. I've got "Half-Hearted" listed right now, so if you're interested feel free to wander on over to our eBay pages and take a look.

Kat

Weaving

2006-02-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

It looks like it will take a little while to get a photo of my recent weaving up. The supports I bought need some work before I can mount it. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I can't wait to get it off the loom.

I'm ready to move on to a new piece and I've gotten all the fibers ready for it. The copper supports need to be polished, pierced and varnished before I can begin mounting though. I might skip the piercing for this piece...

Raw silk is not fun to mess with and I'd hate for anything to happen to it while I'm mounting. Let's just say that if you like purple, you might like this piece!

Kat

Midnight Drive

2006-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a little Midnight Drive that I was talking about earlier. It's acrylic paint on 5 x 7 canvas panel. If you'd like to see more of this series, please visit our gallery.

I'm having a lot more fun with this series than I thought I would. Who knew that painting on black could be so much fun?

More Beads

2006-02-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

Mike just finished putting together a beautiful set of lemon yellow beads. I'm so tempted to keep these for myself! They're just yummy! I'll have photo's up on the gallery site before the end of the day.

I've also gotten a new painting done in the "Midnight" series. Photo's will be posted soon!

Kat

Seaset

2006-02-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here's another original ACEO I've finished. It's gouache on 140# (300gsm) watercolor paper mounted on matte board... This little 2.5 x 3.5 inch painting is ready to go to a good home... All materials for all ACEO's are archival quality. Email me if you're interested!

I'm in the process of starting a series of ACEO's and I'm having a blast with them. Check back for series updates!

Kat

Weavings and more

2006-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

I finally got over to pick up the supports for the weaving I did not to long ago... It should be ready before much longer. I'll post photo's once I've gotten it attached.

Mike and I have had company the last few days. We really haven't had time to get anything finished and up on the site. Speaking of the site... We've finally gotten a holding page up so www.bluespiderarts.com is now up and running, although it's a little shy on content at the moment.

Please bear with us while we get a site design together!

Kat

More beads available

2006-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

Mike's been quite busy at the torch this week... There are four more sets available on our gallery site for those interested. I'm fond of "Beach Baby" myself, but all of them are lovely...

Kat

New beads are up

2006-01-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've put up a new set of beads available on the gallery site. I finally talked Mike into making pairs after quite a few requests from some of you. Please, stop by and have a look!

Kat

Midnight Walk

2006-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a little walk I took last night. I had a lot of fun doing this one. "Midnight Walk" is 5 x 7 inches acrylic on canvas panel. If you'd like to see a larger picture, please visit the gallery. It will be ready for a new home in a few days once the varnish is applied.

Leonine

2006-01-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

This is "Leonine". He's been painted in Acrylic on a 5 x 7 inch canvas panel. He's had his varnish applied, so he's ready to go to a good home anytime now. Email me if you're interested in adopting him.

Paintings are now up

2006-01-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

I finally got photo's taken of my recent paintings. If you'd like to check them out, just go to the link section and click on the Gallery site. They'll be listed under the Paintings album. Yes, I just put it in last night! :0)

Beads are up for one day auction right now. The only exception is one set I'm going to let run for a week. The prices we've been getting on eBay are not the greatest and I've been somewhat disappointed about that. Any suggestions?

Kat

More Beads

2006-01-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

We've gotten a few more sets put up on the Gallery site for those of you interested. They'll be going up for one day auction tomorrow afternoon. If you'd like to buy before the auction starts, feel free to email me!

I'll also be adding a few more pieces of watercolor and acrylics to the site. I've gotten a few ACEO's done and I've also gotten a few other pieces finished. Those should be available before Wed. this week.

Kat

No fun today...

2006-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I was right about Flagstaff and it snowed on us the whole way up there. But I did get some of the watercoror pencils I was looking for. I guess it was worth it... I really hate the snow...

Today we went out and about... Visted the Dr. and found out I've got carpal tunnel something or another. Both hands in splints. Makes for interesting typing and should be interesting painting and bead making also... I just hope I don't set myself on fire at the torch! Can see my insurance rates skyrocketing and the need for surgery increasing!

Mike's working at the torch as I type this, so we might have something up on the webpage before listing on eBay this week... I'm considering the notion of giving all our Blog readers and Gallery regulars first shot at our beads from now on. So you'll get a preview of the upcoming weeks auctions and a chance to buy them outright if you visit our gallery site.

I hope you know how much you're appreciated by us!

Kat

Tripping to Flagstaff

2006-01-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

It's looking like we'll be heading up to Flagstaff once again today. Not really looking forward to it, as it looks to be snowing up there today. At least I'll be able to hit the art supply!

We've finally gotten some rain! YEAH! It's been uber dry here this winter and any moisture at all is a good thing! Not much else going on at the moment... Mike has been busy getting our room painted... Now on to the rest of the house! I will never remodel again! It's taking far more time, money and energy than I thought it would. At least the house will look lovely when it's finally finished! And I can't wait for it to be finished!

The studio is almost ready for occupation... I've gotten all the fiber art supplies stashed and figured out a canvas storage system. Now we just need to get the kiln vent installed and we'll be good to go... I hate having the kiln on the patio, but it's the only safe place at the moment.

Kat

Beads Available!

2006-01-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

We've got beads available for purchase up on the Gallery. Please feel free to stop and browse. We've also gotten some of the ACEO's up. Don't forget to check out our past lampwork creations in the Lampwork Portfolio!

Kat

A few ACEO's for you!

2006-01-24T00:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a few ACEO's I've gotten mounted!

#1 "Half Hearted" Gouache on 140# watercolor mounted on acid free mat board.

"Confetti">>>>

Gouache on 140# watercolor paper mounted on acid free mat board.

We've talked to our site admin and it's looking like we'll have a bare bones site up sometime this week! We've also gotten the beginings of a gallery started. We're looking forward to it!

If you're intersted in these ACEO's please feel free to email me!

Kat

Slow down Sunday

2006-01-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings and salutaions!

Here we are with a beautiful day and I'm inside writting this post! I just wanted to let everyone know that we'll be posting beads on Tuesday for auction on eBay. After many requests we're trying to get the website up with beads and some of the ACEO's I've been working on, so look for that soon!

I'll try and get the ACEO's mounted this week and photo's taken. I'll post them on the blog for anyone interested in them. I've heard that these are addicting and I can tell you it's very true. I'll be needing new supplies to keep up the pace I've been at so far!

The weaving I finished should get mounted this week also... I'll post that as well once photo's are taken. If you've an interest in anything you see here or on eBay, please feel free to email anytime! I love to hear from you!

Kat

Back to it...

2006-01-17T01:12:00.000-08:00

Mike made a few sets to go up on eBay, I'll be listing them today. I've also managed to get the yarns stowed with minimal fuss... Considering I have over 100 pounds of yarn, I think things went fairly well, although we're precious short of storage space now! Thanks be that we'd already figured out paper and canvas storage!

The 16"x20" painting's almost finished, I've gotten several pieces of commission work done and I've completed a weaving. Not bad for a busy weekend when we're also trying to get the house in some order. Construction and remodeling are far more distracting than I thought they would be. I also learned that painting moulding and trim isn't for the faint of heart. Give me a canvas anyday of the week!

We're working on another storage solution for our glass. What we've got now just isn't going to work in the new studio. My frits keep disappearing and reappearing! I never know if Mike's moved them or if they just needed some exercise and will be back after a quick walk. :0)

That's it for now, my friends, but I'll post again before the week is up!

Kat

Lazy Days

2006-01-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Mike and I have been fairly lazy the last few days... Mike opted to grocery shop over making beads. I guess he'd like to eat every once in a while. I've managed to get some painting done, but nothing in glass for the last few days. Mike has a few days off from "work", so I expect that there will be more sets up on Tuesday.

I'm still doing research for an upcoming project and seem to have hit a stumbling block. The information I need feels like it's gotten run over on the "information super highway". Oh, the price of having so much at your fingertips. It's either far to easy to find, or far to hard and no middle ground betwixt the two.

I'm hoping to get my yarns put away over the next few days. I hate having to dig in a box for them. I've got plenty of storage for them in the new studio, it was just a matter of getting liners and cedar strips. Now I just need to figure out how to organize them for optimal space and easy finding!

Kat

Yesterday's Trip

2006-01-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was very strange. We made a trip up to Flagstaff and stopped at one of the local art supply stores. I managed to pick a few new gouache colors, but not much else. Seem's that paint is popular these days! I couldn't find any of the acrylic gels I was looking for and watercolor paper in the size I wanted was impossible to find. I guess I'm stuck ordering online as the nearest art supply store is in Sedona, over 20 miles away and Flagstaff is much farther!

I managed a little in the way of painting yesterday, but got nothing done in glass. It was just to dark to work once we got back. I can't wait to get the interior of the studio setup... I can work whenever I choose! My poor neighbors!

Today I managed to get some pieces for jewelry put together. I'm finding that, while I love making jewelry, I hate taking commisions for it. I also managed a few hours on the acrylic painting and I actually got some research done today as well. Not to mention posting here! I'm feeling pretty good about that. But I expect future postings here will drop to about once a week.

I am, after all, an artist with far to many media to squeeze into the pitance of time alloted me each day. The bead auction is up and will end Sunday. I think we might be posting a few more beads up tomorrow for 3 day, but we'll have to see how much time Mike can squeeze out of his pitance for glass.

Kat

It's a Glass Day!

2006-01-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

I think today was a pretty good glass day. I was blessed with numerous ideas for the canvas while I was at the torch! I love being able to switch media whenever I feel like it. Or continue a theme on to another medium.

I think I'm starting to get the urge to go back to fiber arts for a bit. Might put a kick into the glass and paints. Can't hurt, so I think I'll dig out the loom in the near future.

The studio setup is coming along quite nicely! I really need to get shelf liner and cedar strips for the yard drawers, though. It helps that there's so much more room in the new studio than in the old! At least Mike and I don t need to sit on top of each other to get anything done anymore! I'll post pics to the website as soon as we're up and running (studio and site!).

I'll be listing beads tomorrow for 5 Day auction, I think... We haven't done a longer auction in some time. It will be fun to see how it goes!

Kat

A day of firsts!

2006-01-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well...

Today is a day of firsts! Blue Spider Arts now has a domain name and a blog! Artists of the world beware! *snort* It's lucky I got this far...

I'm hoping to use this as a place to keep everyone informed about what's going on in the studio. I'm also hoping that I can get a webpage up of some sort soon. It might not be much to look at in the begining but with luck it'll actually work!

So that's it for now... My brain hurts already... I'm sooo going back to my paint.