Lotus Mosaic Mandala Pattern

Lotus Mosaic Mandala Modification in Purple, Amber, & Blue

My lotus mosaic mandalas have been getting a lot of attention lately, which is awesome! I love making these glass on glass mosaics. I've got them at two local shops in Lincoln, Nebraska: Out of the Box and Architectural Glassarts; and coming soon to Flowing Stone Art Gallery in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Lotus Mosaic Mandala in Blue, White, Yellow & Green

If you'd like to commission a mosaic mandala, I would love to make it for you! Just contact me with your ideas (colors, size, etc.) HOWEVER, maybe you want to make one for yourself? I've had a request for the pattern and instructions, and since I love teaching others, I've made it available for purchase on my etsy site. Or, again, you can just contact me!

6 page instruction booklet that comes with
pattern, full of links, sources & resources

For $15, you get a full size 14" pattern of the layout for the lotus mosaic mandala and six pages of instructions! This pattern has modifications for beginners to advanced glass cutters and mosaicists. Enjoy!

Lotus Mosaic Mandala in Pastels

Testimonials:

From a previous student, Debbie: "Anyone who wants to learn from an excellent glass art instructor should check out Carrie's wealth of information that she shares with the public via her youtube videos, her blogs, and the various classes she teaches throughout the US. I have never been so impressed with another teacher's preparations and willingness to share and educate other glass artists or want to be glass artists. I met Carrie several years ago when she had been volunteering as an aide in a glass studio I started taking classes at. She was always trying new techniques and trying to learn all she could then, but it is very apparent that Carrie's dedication has made her someone to watch in the glass community. She is a true inspiration, and although she is many years my junior, I aspire to be just like her when I grow up! ; ) I wish she were still here in Napa, but honestly, anyone pretty much anywhere can benefit from her passion for glass. Carrie does nothing half (gl)ass...I recently was admiring her stained glass mandalas and asked her if she might be willing to sell the pattern. Carrie was more than willing to sell her pattern and sent me via email an incredibly detailed 6 page instruction pack with links of her youtube videos, as well as supply sources. The pattern is on its way to me now, and I know that should I need any help, she's just a click or two away. Carrie you ROCK!"

Another mosaic artist:
"Thanks, Carrie. And I always enjoy talking to you and watching your demonstrations at the Las Vegas Glass and Bead Show. You definitely know your stuff!"

Sale for St. Jude Children's Hospital

Hosted by the Etsy Jewlery Artist Guild. All proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital.
There are some really beautiful pieces in the shop! If you're still looking for gifts for any of the women on your list, check out the EJAG Shop for some great deals and give two gifts at once!

Buy Local for the Holidays

'Tis the season of craft fairs and holiday sales. Now that holiday shopping is upon us in full swing, I thought I'd point out some of the places I'm shopping which will support local people and keep the money in our own communities!

Hot Shops Art Center Holiday Open House in Omaha's Old Market Neighborhood
Saturday, December 5th from noon - 8pm
Sunday, December 6th from noon - 5pm

"Our biggest event of the year, the Hot Shops Open House features informative art demonstrations and live music, plus, most of the Hot Shops artists have their studio doors open to the public! Live music, informative demos, cool art, dense location -- a genuine good time."

Artitudes Holiday Art Show and Sale - Fundraiser to benefit The FoodBank of Lincoln Backpack Program

8th and Q Streets
Friday, December 4, 4pm-?
Saturday, December 5, 10am-5pm
Sunday, December 6, 11am-4pm
For photos from previous Artitudes events, visit their blog.

There's also the option of armchair surfing and buying local, through Etsy.com! On Etsy's homepage, there are several links down the left hand column. If you scroll down to the "Explore" box, you will find a link that says "Shop Local," which gives you the option of choosing the location you would like to search.
Look at all these great local Nebraska finds:

Shopping with a Gift Guide...

from the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy!

Check out some of the great things I found!!!

From jsglassart,

Fall Daisy Fused Glass Magnets ($14)

So playful, and I love the bright colors, of course! Sure to brighten up any kitchen for the winter.

From nivenglassoriginals,

Blue Jay Ornament ($14)

And then, there's this cute little Blue Jay just waiting to perch on your tree...he could even dress up the windows after the tree comes down. Or, maybe nest in your house plants!

From livingglassart,

Golden Amber Starburst Stained Glass Mandala Suncatcher ($60)

If you haven't noticed, I tend towards the oranges and yellows :)

Another bright cheery flower to perk up the winter months.

(BTW, I've recently moved back to Nebraska from Napa, California, so I'll be surrounding myself with all the bright cheery things I can get my hands on to help me through this winter!)

From etherealgirls,

Blue Frida Strength Amulet Necklace ($21)

For the art lover, or more specifically, the Frida Kahlo lover...what a great little pendant and I love the oxidation on the chain that gives it a very vintage feel!

From Glassprimitif,

A l l s o r t s Cufflinks ($15)

Not sure what to get for him? I love these whimsical and playful cufflinks! Perfect for a little stocking stuffer!


There are so many great gift ideas here, you won't go wrong! Promise!

Action, action, action!!!

Yes! Since I've got my photo area all set up, it's been no problem shooting some photos of everything I've been meaning to list but just never got around to. It's so handy having a spot all set up that I don't have to take down!
I even got this plate listed in the shop today! This is one of my favorites for entertaining because it's got three different spots for munchies!

Happiness

I made a bunch of these small fused glass pendants quite awhile back with the intention of fusing the variety of precious metal decals that I've collected. Then, I had an inspirational moment...and Voila!! I absolutely love this new design and have been experimenting with color combinations. The amber chips on this necklace work perfectly with the faceted purple glass beads, and it truly makes me happy!!

Featured by the Lovely LocalColorist...

Another beautiful treasury, for your Easter pleasure. Full of eggs for fertility! Happy Spring!

Treasury!

Yea! Check it out! I'm featured in a treasury on Etsy with a bunch of other creative Californians!

CGGE & EtsyBead Creative Minds for Charity!

DSCI1877, originally uploaded by thumbelinacreations.

"The Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) and the etsyBEAD Street Team have joined forces for a creative collaboration challenge. CGGE members will create gorgeous glass cabs, beads, and pendants for etsyBEAD members to turn into beautiful pieces of finished jewelry. These pieces will then be donated to the Helping Others Street Team (HOST) in order to raise money for those fellow Etsyians in need."

And here is the entry that Jonquil of Thumbelina Creations and I will be submitting. She did such a gorgeous job of tying the piece together! I am in love with the new Key to My Heart Necklace!

Details: The short chain is 16 in. while longer chain is 18 in. The pink marbleized tumbled glass pendant with lead-free pewter key charm is the focal point of the longer chain. The center of the shorter chain carries an antique silver button and light pink glass teardrop. Various other glass beads decorate the chains, as well.
This necklace is very light and comfortable to wear. It doesn't shift around on the neck. And all the glass beads sparkle when they catch the light.

All proceeds will go to HOST...

"What is HOST?" you ask.

From their blog:
"HOST stands for Helping Others Street Team. We are a group of Etsy sellers and buyers who want to help other Etsy buyers and sellers through difficulties weather [sic] those difficulties be financial, emotional or otherwise. We will try to keep an updated list so that you can see who currently needs help. If you see someone you would like to help, please feel free to do so. The help can take many forms; praying, snagging a treasury with some of the people here featured, helping promote threads to help the listed people, buying from their stores, sending needed items to them, helping with cash donations. Sometimes someone simply needs someone to talk to during difficult times. If you are able to help someone on this list, please let one of the members know. If you would like to remain anonymous, rest assured, we will keep you anonymous, but by letting one of us know, we can keep the list accurate as to who still needs help."

They're Always After Me Lucky Charms!!!

The California Crafters Club of Etsy (CCCOE) is proud to present the entries in their February challenge under the topic of “LUCKY CHARMS”.

Now it’s your turn to judge which one is the best. Polls open until midnight Thu., March 7. See below for this month's prize, 10% off in the list of shops AND a spot in one of our treasuries beginning March 8.

Click through the list or see them all in one place here

Rules:
1. Post your vote here.
2. Chat as you wish but vote only once!

Here is the list of entrants, or you can click on this link to see them all in one place
http://quirkynberkeley.blogspot.com/2008/03/cccoe-february-challenge-entries-lucky.html

1. Spirit Charm - OOAK by PalleikoDesigns

2. Lucky Charm Magic Wand by NeedleWorks

3. Good Karma charm bracelet by ElenaMary

4. Lucky Fish Necklace by luchi

5. Land of the Leprechauns by RedBessBonney

6. Super lucky button horseshoe earrings by AlliesAdornments

7. Chinese Animal Lucky Charms by Wumpus

8. Shamrock is the new Black by Tresijas

9. Lucky Little Snot Mens Handkerchiefs Set by Knittergirl

10. Larry the Lucky Llama by visionquest

11. Elephants for luck by QuirkynBerkeley

12. Lucky in love!! by mycatlulu

Lucky number 13!!!
Lucky Charms by CalyxAnn

14. Jinx the Lucky Cat by buttercupbloom

15. Gilbert and George's Lucky Origami Peace Cranes
by Nancy McNally aka localcolorist

16. Broadway Cricket Struts Her Stuff Down 42nd Street by peggradyart

17. February Birthstone Pendant by Marie Julie

18. Silk Drawstring Tarot Card Bag by Oceanavesilks

19. Feeling Centered and Lucky Necklace by AmandaKLockrowJewels

20. Lucky Minx Scarf by phydeaux

21. She has an Irish Brogue by Onyx of Treslocas

22. Luck of the Irish by anniek

23. abstract lucky charm 4 leaf clover pendant

Each voter is eligible for a 10% discount off entire purchase from the following shops during the week of March 8 through 14. We will also feature voters in a treasury. We cannot notify you individually due to site rules, but start looking for the CCCOE treasuries starting on March 8.

Keep your eyes on this list as more shops may be added during the week of voting.

http://CalyxAnn.etsy.com	http://Shellmitchell.etsy.com
http://Ohmay.etsy.com	http://Knittergirl.etsy.com
http://annieKdesigns.etsy.com	http://prairieprimitives.etsy.com
http://sandysimone.etsy.com	http://thevintagejewelrybox.etsy.com
http://cigarboxbeads.etsy.com	http://prettycheap.etsy.com
http://needleworks.etsy.com	http://laurenbacchus.etsy.com
http://Elenamary.etsy.com	http://KimzVisionz.etsy.com
http://suchandsort.etsy.com	http://senoritasoto.etsy.com
http://JMCdesigns.etsy.com	http://Phydeaux.etsy.com
http://quirkynberkeley.etsy.com	http://localcolorist.etsy.com
http://peggradyart.etsy.com	http://buttercupbloom.etsy.com
http://redbessbonney.etsy.com	http://visionquest.etsy.com
http://tresijas.etsy.com	http://treslocas.etsy.com
http://Blackbird72.etsy.com	http://Yolandasclay.etsy.com
http://Mycatlulu.etsy.com	http://Luchi.etsy.com
http://AmandaKLockrowJewels.etsy.com	http://alliesadornments.etsy.com
http://palleikodesigns.etsy.com	http://combustionglassworks.etsy.com
http://designsbymariejulie.etsy.com	http://oceanavesilks.etsy.com

Swimmy's New Friend....

Etsy seller thebirdsandbees sent a felted fish, inspired by Swimmy, to the Etsy folks in Brooklyn. Based on the video below, the folks at Etsy are now going to make a diorama of fish, arranged as a big fish...

So our vision is to be the eye — to be a kind of organizing principle. We do not want Etsy itself to be a big tuna fish. Those tuna are the big companies that all us small businesses are teaming up against.

Those big companies are holdovers from the days before the Web existed. And any company that is being run the same way now as it was before the Web came about is due for some massive restructuring or deflation.

Etsy is a company born on the Web, literally. I see the company itself as a handmade project, and we'll continue to build it this way. There's much more to do, and we're up for the challenge.

I decided to take the call for Swimmy's friends as a challenge! I also wanted to incorporate the style of the Northwest Coast Native American/Canadian Tribes that I was exposed to this past year during my trip to Vancouver.

Hidden Hearts Scavenger Hunt

Hidden Hearts Scavenger Hunt

Ah, St. Valentine's Day, the day of love. (sigh) Feel the love and join the CGGE's Hidden Hearts Scavenger Hunt!

Members of the Creative Glass Guild are holding another scavenger hunt, and you are invited to join us. Find the hidden image in our Etsy shops, and win cool glass prizes!

Take a good look at Pippi Love, the cupid girl, above. She's the clue that will lead you to the prizes! Participating members of the CGGE will hide Pippi somewhere in our shops. Find her in every participating shop, tally your results and send them in to Artglassfusion

From The Poppy Fields Edonated copper on glass enamel Sgraffito pendant by DichroicDazzle

Time Machine Dichroic Fused Glass Pendant donated by Quotentials

Heart lampwork bead donated by DjinnGlass

And while you are searching our shops for Pippi, you'll notice fabulous sales which may include set percentages off, Buy-One-Get-Ones (BOGOs), free shipping, and more. See each shop's announcement for its special SALE!

Here’s how to play!

• Contest runs Feb. 1-7.


• To play, you must be an Etsy member. It’s EASY, sign up here if you are not a member
  already: www.etsy.com.


• Each participating shop has one Pippi secreted somewhere. When you find one, make
  a note of the shop name, and the item number shown in the address window of that
  item. For example, you find Pippi here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=285136.
  Jot down "creationsinglass 285136" (shop name and item number). Remember she may
  be hiding ANYWHERE in a shop. Simple!


• When you've found a Pippi in each participating shop, send a convo to to Janet at
  artglassfusion, with all your answers.


• The contest will run for one week, Feb. 1-7. At midnight on Feb. 7, our CGGE judges
  will check all of the entries for correct Pip sightings. Winners are the entries
  with the most correct sightings. In the likely event of a tie, the three winners
  will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The lucky, clever winners
  will be notified via convos on Feb. 8, and their names will be published before
  the cheering throngs on our website and in the Etsy forums.


• CGGE members are not allowed to participate, but will join in, chat and cheer contestants
  on in the thread while you are searching for Pippi Love!

Participating shops:

CalyxAnn	glassprimitif	Getglassy
glasscatjewels	shasglasscrafts	creationsinglass
matechuk	smokeylady54	colorshoppestudio
gimmebeads	melissabeads	CassaroCreations
ccvalenzo	dichroicdazzle	periwinklesuz
kerichrystian	artflowe	artglassfusion
JoanJewels	papernclay	eccentricity
squidglass	geltdesigns	LaWatha

Have fun and good luck!!!

Been Just A Little Busy Lately....

But, you know, the busier you are, the more you get done!! Isn't that the crazy part?!?
So, I've been working on some new freeze-n-fuse pendants....I've got just the glass part done. I've wanted to create enough that I could work on incorporating them into Silver Art Clay in one session.
Also, there's a gigantic project at the studio, and we've been working overtime to get it finished. I've not got any beautiful pictures to show...but this project has got sandblasted, fused, and painted elements incorporated into the leaded glass windows. Below is me, prepping some pieces to get sandblasted. The glass is flashed glass, which in this case means that there is a thin layer of blue glass on top of a thicker layer of clear glass. When these pieces are sandblasted, the leafy area will then be painted with green paint and fired in the kiln to make the paint permanent.

While I was working with the buttercut and prepping for sandblasting, I was able to salvage some scraps to prep for a project that I'm trying to finish for Todd's birthday. Eventually, it will be a stained glass suncatcher of the seven chakras. I was able to dig out some scrap for the red, orange, blue, and violet; but I need to fuse together a green and yellow disk. Can't wait to show you the finished pics. Here's what I've got as of the latest photo session:And, now, for the unveiling of my latest series of pendants:

Sterling silver charms incorporated with tumbled stained glass! I really love these!!
Umm....perfect for your Valentine?

Styling Your Product with Props...

Just wanted to bookmark this link for future reference, and for anyone else interested in a little photo stylization....

Fusing Plastic Bags

I've always thought this was a fascinating technique...I'll have to try it once again, as the last time I tried, I wasn't too successful. Seems like the iron temperature is a spot of contention, or at least question:)

A Belated Thank You...

...to the IN Crowd of Etsy, the Indiana Street Team.
I had so much fun taking part in their online Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt.

They hid Thanksgiving themed items in item listings from their shops.
It was quite a challenge to find all the items, there were some tricky ones!
I was just lucky enough to be drawn as the winner from 16 correct entries!
I was so excited and surprised to find out that I won! My fiance jumped when I shouted "Whoo-hoo!"
My gift basket included beautiful jewelry, lovely candles, and more!!
Special thanks to:
PinGwen
TexturedTurtle
Berry Creek Candles
Nana's Sewing Room
The Peach Martini
Celestial Beings & More
Guiding Light Candles
(and forgive me if I've forgotten anyone)
Thanks again!

Win $100 from Etsy!!

Just by taking this simple survey to help them make the site better!!
For those of you who don't know Etsy, it's an online community for crafters and artists. It was created as an alternative to Ebay, where you could go to find homemade, one-of-a-kind, hancrafted items. I love shopping on Etsy, because of the opportunity it offers me to support other artists. I'll avoid the big chains any chance I get, and am especially averse to buying from China.

I hope everybody on Etsy takes this survey!

For all the love that I have for Etsy, it could still definitely be more user friendly.
So, pipe in with all your suggestions, here!

Spring Fairy for Christmas!

My friend D's daughter, S absolutely loves her new tutu and tiara that I got for her on Etsy.com this year. Is she not adorable?!? (Use your imagination here.)
I got her a custom tutu made by LiveLoveDance
in really pretty greens and pink. Plus, I had lots of fun making her a one-of-a-kind tiara with the pdf instructions I got for making a tiara from CrownMeArtisans.

Recycled Bottle Beads...

January is up and coming and the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) has come up with our newest challenge idea: Recycled!!
So to start the creative juices flowing, I present you with a link to this great tutorial for lampworking with recycled glass bottles to make beautiful beads:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_jewelry/article/0,2025,DIY_13762_3972067,00.html

Win This Free Lampwork Bead Set

From Lloyd over at Burning Scentsations, http://lampofluxury.blogspot.com/

How would you like to win this set of leaf beads? This little set if the perfect size for earrings or as pendants. They're decorated with two leaves on both sides in different colors. To see the full information on this set, take a peek in my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6599761

How do you enter the drawing, you ask? Well it is really quite simple. I've donated this set to the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) and everyone who signs up in the month of December for their newsletter is automatically entered for the drawing.

Want to sign up? Just visit this page and enter your e-mail address: http://www.cgge.org/emailsub.aspx

Be sure t0 look around the site at all of the wonderful glass creations from the artists who sell their artwork on Etsy as I do.

If you haven't heard of Etsy, then you need to check it out. It's an on-line shopping mall for unique, hand-made items and supplies. You'll find lots of talented folks who work in all mediums on this site. Come take a look at http://www.etsy.com/ or follow the link for my shop below.

If you have any questions or would like to suggest topics, I can be reached through this blog or through my web site or shop at:

http://LampOfLuxury.com/

http://burningscentsations.etsy.com/