Etsy Glass Artists

The Ega on Facebook

2011-03-31T13:45:00.010-04:00

It just occurred to me that many of you might be wondering about our website. We let it go. Last year the decision was made to throttle back on the work involved as a team. As a result some of the labor intensive things had to go. We are all still very active as glass artists, just not so much as an organized team.

To see our newest listings on Etsy search for "egateam" or use this link, "http://www.etsy.com/search?q=egateam"

This blog and our Facebook page is what we have left. We hope that you will join us on Facebook and thank you for watching & supporting us as we continue to work with our love for glass!

Our FB page is here. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Etsy-Glass-Artists/145042464219

We're Still Here!

2010-07-18T11:44:00.003-04:00

You might have noticed we haven't updated our blog lately. We have decided as a group that we had to turn it down a notch as we were all spreading ourselves too thin. Between our commitments to family, our businesses, friends, and the EGA team (among other teams as well) it was just too much.

With that said rest assured WE ARE STILL HERE! Our website is updated daily as new items are listed in our shops.
Our blogs are also listed in the left column here.

We're so grateful for your support and hope you continue to follow us as we explore our creative glass endeavors, thank you so much.

The EGA Team

February Fling Sale

2010-01-31T22:13:00.009-05:00

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "February Fling" Sale from February 1st through the 3rd. Checkout participating shops below to see their particular offerings! Please use the code "FEBFLING" in your notes to seller upon checking out to get the sale price. Great sales just in time for Valentine’s Day! You can find perfect gift for your sweet hearts or little sparkling treasure for yourself!!

Etsy Glass Artists "February Fling" Sale
February 1st - February 3rd

Participating Members:

http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com/ ~BOGO 1/2off or 15% off on one item

http://www.glasscat.etsy.com/ - 20% off all fused and dichroic jewelry

http://www.mycabincreations.etsy.com/ - 20% off everything

http://www.studiomarcy.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off

http://www.popko.etsy.com/ - FREE shipping on all jewelry

http://www.prizmatic.etsy.com/ BOGO 1/2 Off

http://giapet.etsy.comBOGO 1/2 Off

http://leahpellegrini.etsy.com/- 20% off

*BOGO - Buy One Get One 1/2 off

One World ~ One Heart Giveaway Event

2010-01-24T18:18:00.023-05:00

Originally created in 2007, the One World ~ One Heart Giveaway Event brings blogs from all over the world together. We the members of the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team hope you love what we have offered and take a chance at winning one of the great prizes offered below. Please leave a comment as your entry and make sure we have a way to contact you if you win. Feel free to stop by our website and explore more work from these great Glass Artists. While you are there you are welcome to sign up for our newsletter to be informed of upcoming sales and special offers.
This event ends February 15th. Winners will be contacted beginning February 16th.

GlassCat's Dichroic Glass Pendant

This piece measures 28m or just over a 1” square excluding the black bail.

Susan Sheehan's Lampwork Flower Disc Earrings
Deep red lampwork glass flower disc beads on sterling silver wire hoops with tiny silver beads, these hoops are a little over an inch (25mm)wide and the flower discs are just under an inch (23mm).

Pam Dansie's Lampwork Earrings
Delicate sterling silver holds a handmade artisan lampwork bead, sterling silver Bali spacers and swarovski crystals for a charming pair of hoop earrings. These hoops are delicate and light weight for easy wearing. The earrings measure 3/4" in diameter and are made with 22 gauge sterling silver wire. The total measurement is an approx. 30mm dangle.

Mandy Caird's Brooch

This sparkling tangerine orange brooch is set in a beautiful silver plated filigree pin mounting. The dichroic glass cabochon is approximately 18mm by 25mm and is firmly attached to the pin mounting using prongs and glue.

Natsuko Hank's Earrings

Enamel poppies are made from 1/2” copper disk. It has textured and has many layers of glass enamel. Completed by handmade sterling silver ear wire. Measures about 3/4” top to bottom. Very light weight and comfortable to wear!

Marcy Lamberson's Lampwork Focal Bead

One cute as can be lampwork glass Cockatiel Bird Bead.
This one has a 1/16th vertical hole and has a sweet temperment.

Deanna Chase's Lampwork Focal Bead

This cool bead is teal with an iridized abstract peacock design. Size is 22 mm hole to hole and 10 mm thick. Made on a 1/16 mandrel.

Kim Vredenburg's Boro Glass Pendant

The glass heart pendant measures approximately 41mm (top of glass ruffle to bottom of glass drip) X 37mm (at the widest part).

Rhonda Willis's Dichroic Glass Pendant

This pendant measures 1-1/2" from top of bail x 3/4" wide. The glass is 26mm x 21mm. The bail is sterling silver plated.

Think this was fun? You can click on the image at the very top to visit participating blogs for your very own international blog adventure.

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - Deanna Chase of CDLampwork

2010-01-21T01:11:00.004-05:00

This week we are featuring Deanna Chase of CDLampwork. I just love her floral beads and am amazed at how she gets that little crystal in the bead. They are just beautiful! Go check out her Etsy shop to see what I mean. Gorgeous beads! :)

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - KimVGlass

2010-01-05T04:23:00.006-05:00

This weeks glass artist is Kim of KimVGlass. She has wonderful borosilicate glass creations and mixed metal jewelry. I personally adore her lampworked hearts - they would make terrific gifts for your Valentine sweetie!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ALL

2009-12-16T16:03:00.003-05:00

The members of the Etsy Glass Artists street team would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. We would also like to thank our loyal customers and blog followers for your support and patronage of our shops this past year, we could not do it without you!
If you are looking for last minute gift ideas please check our gift guide here.

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - Wild Sage Lampwork

2009-12-01T23:11:00.008-05:00

This week we are featuring Pam Dansie of Wild Sage Lampwork as our artist of the week. She has a ton of colorful and fun items in her shop. They would make terrific gifts for family and friends. Check out her shop to find some goodies to give this Christmas!

Cutting Circles in Flat Glass

2009-11-25T19:29:00.004-05:00

Using the German scoring tool The Silberschmidtt (sold by Bullseye as the "Repetitive Circle Cutter") circles can be cut very quickly and efficiently.

See Etsy Glass Artist Leah Pellegrini cut circles.

Pellegrini's work involves a lot of circles. You can see her mobiles on Etsy.

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - RWillisglassartist

2009-11-23T15:45:00.004-05:00

This week we are featuring Rhonda Willis of RWillisglassartist as our artist of the week. She has a ton of colorful and fun pendants in her shop. They would make terrific gifts for family and friends. Check out her shop to find some goodies to give this Christmas!

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - Glass Cat

2009-11-17T14:23:00.010-05:00

This week we are featuring Carol Rasmussen of Glass Cat as our artist of the week. I own quite a few of her items and have been pleased with every one of them. They also make terrific gifts for family and friends. Check out her shop to find some goodies to give this Christmas!

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - 41 Design

2009-11-10T08:16:00.005-05:00

Mary Tapken of 41 Design is our Etsy Glass Artist this week. She has really colorful fused and stained glass pendants and earrings in her shop that would be great gifts for Christmas. Here are some of my favorites from her shop. Just click on the pictures to go to the listing.

Etsy Glass Artists - Festive Giveaway!

2009-11-09T15:19:00.004-05:00

The Etsy Glass Artists have an ongoing monthly draw for a variety of items made by our members. This month's prize is donated by WildSageLampwork

A beautiful pair of festive earrings.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Leave your name and email address or some way to contact you (should you be the winner) in the comments section of this post. A drawing will be held and the winner will be announced on December 1st.
Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter on the left to be notified of any upcoming sales and events. Also, use the egateam tag in the Etsy search box to locate all of our listings for sale.

Etsy Glass Artist of the Week - Susan Sheehan

2009-11-03T01:29:00.006-05:00

Susan Sheehan is our Etsy Glass Artist of the week. Please visit her shop to see all of the wonderful creations that she has. She has some awesome Pandora items. Stock up for Christmas!
Here are some of my favorite items from her shop- just click on the pictures to go to the listing.

Glass Artist Creates Custom Ornaments, Rings And More!

2009-10-21T22:18:00.004-04:00

One of our team members, Leah Pelligrini, was recently featured on her local TV news station demonstrating her glass work. Please watch the video below.

http://www.kptv.com/video/21319798/index.html

Etsy Glass Artists - Fall Sale - Oct. 19th - 26th

2009-10-18T23:06:00.005-04:00

EGA Fall Sale features Glass Artists from around the world coming together to showcase their work, from Oct. 19th - 26th

http://www.mycabincreations.etsy.com -- 20% off everything
http://www.Giapet.etsy.com -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.GlassCat.etsy.com -- Fused and Dichroic Jewelry 20% off
http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com -- 10 - 30% off
http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com -- buy one get one 1/2 off
http://www.41Design.etsy.com -- 25% off everything
http://www.RWillisglassartist.etsy.com -- 20% off all fused glass items
http://www.LeahPellegrini.etsy.com -- 20%off everything
http://www.susansheehan.etsy.com -- 20% off all glass items

July EGA Giveaway Winner is.......................

2009-08-03T09:55:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Ellen Lai of http://singtatter-corner.blogspot.com!!!!!!! She is the winner of our July giveaway, a dichroic pendant created by Rhonda Willis of RWillisglassartist!

Be sure to check out Ellen's blog. She is very talented in tatting and does absolutely beautiful work.

Last Day to Enter This Month's Giveaway!

2009-07-23T17:35:00.004-04:00

Today is the last day to enter this month's giveaway for a dichroic pendant made by Rhonda Willis. Go here to enter:

http://etsyglass.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-sizzling-july-giveaway.html

The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.

2009-07-09T14:24:00.001-04:00

Etsy Glass Artists Christmas in July Sale

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "Christmas in July” sale from July 8th through July 15th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "CIJ" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. This is a great time to start Christmas shopping (you know it’s going to be the season before you know it!) or a little treat for yourself.

Etsy Glass Artists "Christmas in July" Sale
July 8th through July 15th

Participating Members:

MyCabinCreations
http://www.MyCabinCreations.etsy.com - 20% off Everything

Jewelry by Natsuko
http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com - 20% off everything

RWillisglassartist
http://www.rwillisglassartist.etsy.com - 20% off glass items only

tekaandzoe
http://www.tekaandzoe.etsy.com - 20% off

Paulasstressart
http://www.Paulasstressart.etsy.com - 20% off everything

Susan Sheehan
http://www.susansheehan.etsy.com - 20% off all glass

Glass Circus
http://www.glasscircus.etsy.com - 20% off everything

Fire n Sand Glass
http://www.giapet.etsy.com 20% off all glass items

Color Shoppe Studio
http://www.colorshoppestudio.etsy.com - 10% off all Stained Glass Jewelry

Glasscat
http://www.glasscat.etsy.com - 20% off fused and dichroic jewelry; 15% off any stained glass items.

41design
http://www.41design.etsy.com - 20% off

Bead Crochet Brilliance by Sylvia Kubilus-Elam

2009-07-08T10:59:00.005-04:00

I want to share with you a creation by fellow Etsian Sylvia Kubilus-Elam of beadacious1221. She bought one of my "Crocodile Rock" beads and created this stunning beaded necklace. She has an awesome collection of creations in her shop as well.

I will be creating new "Crocodile Rock" beads in the future so if you want a necklace like this you can buy my beads and commission Sylvia to create one for you. I know that she has more of my beads as well so she will probably be listing more soon. Keep checking back.

Here is a link to her blog with more pictures of the necklace...

beadacious1221.blogspot.com

Are you thinking about Fall yet?

2009-07-05T14:52:00.003-04:00

It seems impossible to think about fall colors yet....But here we are early July and the fall color fashion report is out for Fall of 2009. My local artisan gallery here in town is already talking about fall plans. It is funny I was just thinking the other day while enameling how was I going to get into the swing of the fall seasons..drab colors??? eecck! Then I saw the Pantone color report and was excited and inspired.
See the full report here in pdf form: Pantone Fall 2009 Color Report.
Fantastic colors...I must get enameling.
Michelle Mahler Teka and Zoe and TekaandZoe.etsy.com

American Beauty

Purple Heart

Honey Yellow

Iron

Burnt Sienna

Nomad

Rapture Rose

Warm Olive

Majolica Blue

Crème Brûlee

SUMMER SIZZLING JULY GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-06-29T16:10:00.007-04:00

The Etsy Glass Artists have an ongoing monthly draw for a variety of items made by our members. This month's prize is donated by RWillisGlassArtist

A beautiful kiln-fused dichroic glass pendant.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

Leave your name and email address or some way to contact you (should you be the winner) in the comments section of this post. A drawing will be held and the winner will be announced on July 24th.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter on the left to be notified of any upcoming sales and events. Also, use the egateam tag in the Etsy search box to locate all of our listings for sale.

Mosaic: Ancient technique with a Modern twist!

2009-06-19T10:33:00.011-04:00

Last weekend was the unveiling of a city-wide public art project- The Easthampton Bearfest!

photo above: popko's bear cub getting some visitors!

If you've ever heard of the "Cows on Parade", you know what this is. The city comissioned artists for the decoration of 30+ fiberglass bears, giant mamas and little cubs. Each was adorned decorate with different meduims- paint, buttons, wire and, in my case, mosaic with glass. These bears are hanging out all over the city- on sidewalks, in parking lots, in parks.

To make my bear, I used handmade fused glass in leaf shapes, and also the glass typically used in stained glass work, all in shades of green. I cut it up into leafy patterns and laid them on the bear. Once grouted they look like leaves and twigs. The title is 'hiding bear', like he is hiding in the bushes and only his head is peeking out!

This took a lot of time; making that much fused glass in my tiny kiln is really a test of patience. It takes a long time to cut, cook, cool and load again. But its worth it.

The photo below is what it looked like while I was glueing the glass to the fiberglass form.

I wanted to use 'fused' glass because it is so smooth and I could add a layer of texture and color to each leaf and twig. I used regular sheet glass for the larger leafy shapes and the rest of the body. It costs less than fusing glass and I dont have to 'cook' it.

Heres some twigs ready to be applied to the form. You can see the two colors fused together to create some depth and color variety.

With this technique I could add glass details around the cubs face without them being sharp shards of glass, and kids or general public could run thier hands over it and really feel the smooth glass. I wanted it to be touchable!

You can see how smooth they are, and the raised areas, in the photo above.
Below, the finished bear hanging out.

The photo above was taken at my house, prior to being installed in front of the town liquor store (first photo). He's hiding.

Mosaic is a great technique that can really be applied to almost anything, using anything. Have some bottlecaps lying around? Glue them to a mailbox! Broke a dinner plate? Glue it to a picture frame! There are certainly ways to create a mosaic for longevity and weather wear, but you can always do-it-yourself and make a great work of art.

Heres a link to a video taken by the local news station. Mines the first one in the video, the little green one. Then Im at the very end in the "Nature" shirt, hamming it up next to my bear while people took photos (and apparently the local news was there too!).

Click the photo below to watch me in the news video!

story by popko

Enamel, Enameling, Enamelist

2009-06-02T00:36:00.006-04:00

Basic enameling is shift powder glass to clean metal and fire to fuse. End of story……….
Just kidding! But really, it’s that easy and finished piece would look fabulous!

I began making jewelry over 10years ago. From bead stringing to pearl knotting, wire wrapping… I tried many different techniques. But it was always with beads that I bought from somewhere. I wanted make beads and focal my self. I wanted my jewelry to be truly *ME*

So I took polymer clay class at local art center. While it was fun to make stuff with polymer clay, I felt it really wasn’t for me. It’s just so heard to make them look nice & professional. So I moved onto enameling class and I was hooked! That was about 2 years ago. I’m still taking the same class every week. (it’s just so fun & I love be in there…) And I was using torch to enamel at home for long time but I finally got my own kiln!

Ok, enough about me… what is enameling? Enameling is ancient art of fusing glass to metal. I love how they say in Japanese. In Japanese, 七宝焼 (shippouyaki), 七宝 (shippou) meaning “seven gems” because with enamel, you can achieve beauty of the seven gems.

Enamel usually comes in powder. You can shift or mix it with water and paint onto metal such as copper, silver (fine silver) or gold. Copper is more popular but I love it on silver too. Especially transparent colors are great on silver. After you apply enamel on metal, make sure it’s all dried, and then you fire them so they will melt and fuse to the metal when it’s cooled off. In kiln 2-3 minutes around 1500-degree. With torch you can only fire small pieces but takes about same amount of times.Enamel comes in so many different colors. Just to try some color combination is exciting! If you are familiar with metal work, you can prepare your metal with your own shape and texture but if you are not, don’t worry! There are all kinds of pre-cut metal shape that you can get!! And even with just a circle and basic techniques, you can get the most amazing result!

Here is excellent online totorial by Copperheart http://copperheartdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-intro-to-enameling.html

If you are more like book preson, I recommend this awesome book
The art of enameling by Linda Darty

And some online resorce for enameling material
Thompson Enamel http://www.thompsonenamel.com/
METALLIFEROUS http://www.metalliferous.com/

Enjoy:)

New Etsy Glass Artist Members

2009-05-28T00:52:00.012-04:00

Recently we had three new members join our Etsy Glass Artists Street Team and we would like to introduce them to you. They are really talented and have some awesome creations for sale in their shops so be sure and give them a visit and say HI!

Jane of RDG Designs has hand blown glass art and jewelry for you and your home. As she puts it "Why not give her roses that will last forever"

Barbara of Glass Gardens NW has hand blown glass ornaments and sculptures and was featured recently in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine - Congrats Barbara... So go check out her beautiful shop!
Michelle of Teka and Zoe has wonderfully modern and organic enamel mixed metal jewelry. She has something there that will appeal to every one on your gift list.

Wild Sage Lampwork - Sale Item Of The Day - Pandora Beads

2009-05-12T07:28:00.003-04:00

My sale item of the day is this wonderful set of Pandora Style Beads. They are reduced from $22.00 to $18.00 today only. Thanks for looking.

List of Shows

2009-05-08T10:52:00.009-04:00

This is a list that will be updated as we are notified with all the 2009 shows and events for all the

Etsy Glass Members Internationally.

There is a button on the left column that will take you here with ease, any time of the year.

If you love glass, keep up with the show list, you may just be able to meet the artist in person!

JUNE : JUNE : JUNE : JUNE : JUNE

June 13 opening

Easthampton Bearfest & Artwalk

Crystal Popko, glass artist

Shop name: Popko!

Event location: Easthampton, Ma

Show info & website: Starting in June 2009, Easthampton City Arts will host a major public art event in the City of Easthampton, Massachusetts. The Bear Fest will revolve around an exhibit of 30+ life sized bears which will have been decorated and painted by local and regional artists. Popko! was chosen to adorn a baby bear with a glass mosaic. easthamptonbearfest.com

JULY : JULY : JULY : JULY : JULY

to be announced

See you there!

May's Featured Member- Susan Sheehan of Susan Sheehan Lampwork Glass

2009-05-01T15:31:00.010-04:00

May's featured member is one of our team administrators and has been instrumental in guiding the EGA safely into 2009. Susan Sheehan of Susan Sheehan Lampwork Glass is a full time lampworker. She lives in Exeter, New Hampshire with her husband and 2 children. We asked Susan to tell us about herself:

When did you first become interested in glass?

It sounds terribly cliché, but I got into glass because of an artistic block. I was a photographer and for months everything I shot looked awful to me. I had lost the joy and dreaded finding new images for my note card business. I decided to take a beginner bead making class and suddenly found my creative spark.- What do you like best about what you do? I love the process. I enjoy sitting down to the torch, melting the glass and forming it the way I wish. I have an obsession with making tiny dots become flowers and colors play nicely together.

Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?

I love fashion. I’m not exactly a fashionista, but I admire clothing design and color is a big part. I browse Vogue, am drawn to small designer boutiques and often spend a day just window shopping to fill my mind with textures, form and color.

What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?

I am inspired by the beauty of nature and my favorite places, sandy beaches and flower gardens, are often what I try to portray. Fortunately both of those are close enough all I need to do is go for a walk to get the juices flowing.

What are your techniques and style and how do these relate to the medium?

I think my style is dreamy and serene. I love the look of Monet with colors that flow into each other and let the viewer define their shape. I find my techniques lend themselves to less control and more submission to the glass and its ways.

What do you find most challenging about your work in the glass arts?

There is always something new to learn. It is what keeps me excited and motivated. Whenever I feel I have mastered something to the point of boredom I can throw in a new technique to spice things up. I think of the great masters and realize generations later their offspring are still rediscovering a new way to do what has always been done. I’ll never know it all.

How did you find Etsy? What do you like most about it?

I heard about Etsy from another bead maker. I love the interactive nature of selling on Etsy. Never would I have believed the amount of conversation I have with customers through e-mail. I really feel a personal connection and that is pretty amazing.

Want to win a big pendant??

2009-04-25T02:22:00.004-04:00

edit: THANK YOU to all who entered! The winner is "shrimpsaladcircus". Congratulations!
________________________________________________________________

First and foremost, thank you to our many valued customers that took part in our fabulous Spring Bling sale!

The Etsy Glass Artist's have an ongoing monthly draw for a variety of items made by our members. This month's prize is donated by Groovyglassgirl.

EGA BLOG prize
Originally uploaded by groovyglassgirl

A large fused glass cabochon enveloped in a decorative stained glass soldering technique.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Leave your name and email address or some way to contact you (should you be the winner) in the comments section of this post.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter on the left to be notified of any upcoming sales and events. Also use the egateam tag in the Etsy search box to locate all of our listings for sale.

Winner of the "Spring Trees" Giveaway!

2009-04-21T21:21:00.003-04:00

The winner is Micaela, who left a comment in this post about SPRING TREES made by PoPkO!Congratulations!

I will be notifying you via email and sending you your choice,

a fused glass necklace with spring trees on it!

Join us here for the next Monthly giveaway.

Its easy to participate, when you see the next giveaway post, leave a comment. Simple!

Etsy Glass Artists Spring Bling Sale

2009-04-17T02:19:00.010-04:00

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "Spring Bling" Sale from April 18th through the 24th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "BLING" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. This is a great time to purchase that perfect gift for Mother's Day or a little treasure for yourself.

Etsy Glass Artists "Spring Bling" Sale

April 18th through April 24th

Participating Members:

http://glasscat.etsy.com/ - Dichroic and Fused Glass BOGO 1/2 off, All stained glass 10% off

http://groovyglassgirl.etsy.com/ - Free Shipping
http://susansheehan.etsy.com/ - Glass 10 to 25% off as marked in sale section of store
http://chickadeebeads.etsy.com/ - BOGO 1/2 Off
http://jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com/ - BOGO 1/2 off
http://mycabincreations.etsy.com/ - 20% off everything
http://rwillisglassartist.etsy.com/ - 20% off all glass items
http://paulasstressart.etsy.com/ - 20% off entire purchase
http://colorshoppestudio.etsy.com/ - 20% off all stained glass jewelry
http://giapet.etsy.com/ - BOGO 1/2 Off
http://glasscircus.etsy.com/ - 20% off on all my glass

*BOGO = Buy One Get One 1/2 off

Come check out our new EGA website http://www.etsyglass.com/.

Use the word egateam in the search box on the Etsy front page to find a listing of all of our members creations.

Thanks so much for your past business and support of our shops!

New Etsy Glass Artist Member - Glass Circus

2009-04-13T22:07:00.005-04:00

The members of the Etsy Glass Artist Street Team would like to introduce our newest member Martina of Glass Circus. She makes colorful, unique kiln formed fused glass items and has a wonderful shop. We hope that you will all stop by and say hello to her with a purchase :).

Here are some of her colorful creations.

Spring and Easter Challenge Prizes

2009-04-02T03:16:00.008-04:00

Etsy Glass Artists team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with their interpretation of Spring and or Easter. The last month has seen several beautiful and creative entries and now we are down to the last week for comments. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win some handmade glass goodness from several of our shops. We will have several winners too! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.
Here is a list of the entries. Be sure and leave your comments for a chance to win some glass goodies.

Spring Challenge Entries - enter to win at each link

Here are the prize donations that you will have a chance to win.

"Sakura Poppy Earrings"
www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com

A Beautiful Pendant
www.chickadeebeads.etsy.com

Lovely Earrings
www.MyCabinCreations.etsy.com

This pod shaped pendant was made in the flame of my torch using borosilicate glass. It was annealed in my kiln for everlasting love and enjoyment. It measures 30mm in length and is a lovely purple pink orange and yellow. It comes strung on an 18 inch gunmetal chain with lobster clasp. It's a color packed wee drop of a pendant. :)
www.Venbead.etsy.com

Fused Glass Barrettes
www.paulasstressart.etsy.com

April Featured Member: Karen Klomparens of Fire-n-Sand Glass Art

2009-03-31T22:05:00.015-04:00

Our April Featured member is Karen Klomparens of Fire-n-Sand Glass Art. We know her as giapet. We asked Karen to tell us about herself.

Karen, please give us a little background on yourself:

"Bet you could make this cool stuff!" That's what my husband said when he saw a beautiful Tiffany style lamp at my sister's house. At the time I was into fabric painting, airbrushing or some other creative endeavor as usual. My basement workroom soon became a glass studio with the equipment for doing stained glass. A couple years later I was introduced to glass fusing through an online glass group which met up for the Glass Expo in Las Vegas in 1994. What an adventure, meeting up with online friends for the first time and fusing pieces in a small kiln inside a motor-home out in the desert! From there it was a natural progression into working "hot" on a torch making lampworked beads. The husband now says he created a monster, lol.

What do you like best about what you do?

Using new ideas with the technical limits of the glass is what holds my interest the most. "What if I tried this, wonder what would happen if...?" The discovery of new color reactions and designs, the possibilities are endless and the surprises are often some of my best pieces. Being able to create glass art at home and actually have customers who admire it is the icing on the cake.

Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?

I work in what I like to call organized chaos, so usually what is spread all over my bench is where I start from unless I have special orders to do. Organics and textures are my personal favorites using silver foil combined with different frits (small chunks of glass) to get those fantastic reactions. I like earthy colors myself but try to work with brights and pastels too. Really I just want to try making it all! Doesn't matter, bead sets, focal beads, vessels, off mandrel work, sculptural pieces, fused pieces.

What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?

I'm lucky to have so many glass friends here in Michigan and where we share ideas and techniques. They keep me inspired to try new things that I might not have on my own. Currently we are exploring incorporating metalwork with bead making. Being part of the EGA team has also been a wonderful experience too. We're surrounded by woods and wildlife here where the colors of nature and the peacefulness are always inspiring. I'm getting ready to start on a batch of 3-D hummingbird feeders for spring.

How much time is spent creating your pieces?

Kiln fused pieces take hours and sometimes days to complete. While the pieces are in the kiln I'm free to work on the torch. I tend to lose track of time in the studio, sometimes its 5 am before I realize it. I like to have long blocks of time to work unless I have a custom order to do, then an hour or two is fine. Often the idea for something is in my head for weeks before I get to trying it.

What are your techniques and style and how do these relate to the medium?

I don't think I have a certain style or maybe just haven't found it yet. I think of myself as a "Jill of all trades and master of none". I like to make up my own frit blends different than the ones you can find commercially. I tend to try a technique until I'm satisfied I can do it and then move on to something else. I really don't want to find myself in a position where I'm known for a certain design and then have to create the same thing over and over again. I like the freedom of working on whatever my heart desires at the moment.

What do you find most challenging about your work in the glass arts?

Being able to take a bead design that almost everyone does and make it my own is a real challenge! Let's face it, there is only so much you can do on a 3/4" glass canvas. Showing and selling my work is another area where I could do better too. If it wasn't for the Internet I'd have buckets of beads around our house. I'm just not a very good salesman type person in person. I also like to build equipment for my studio. I've built 2 kilns, adapted another into a bead annealer, put in my own ventilation system and rewired all my studio lights.

How did you find Etsy? What do you like most about it?

I had read about Etsy online months before signing up. My work seemed to get lost is the masses (or is that mass produced stuff) that was selling on ebay. The idea of a handmade site was perfect fit for my work. The best thing about Etsy is my pieces stay up for 4 months instead of just a week. I could never keep a constant presence up week to week where I can on Etsy. Etsy has provided a venue where I can feed my need to create, making it possible to buy the tools and glass I need continue doing what I love. I'll never be a famous bead maker and that's okay. I just love to cut or melt glass and am grateful some people like my work enough to purchase it.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Doing pretty much what I'm doing right now only in a bigger and better glass studio, spending endless hours playing with fire! And maybe, just maybe having the time, space, and funds to build a small furnace hot shop. After all a girl's gotta have her toys too!

More of Karen Klomparens work can be seen both in her shop, and on her flickr page.

Sale Item of the Day ~ Pandora Style Bead

2009-03-31T07:29:00.003-04:00

Regular $10.00

Today only $8.00

Find it in my Etsy store - here.

This is a slider bead that will fit a pandora bracelet. It has an approx 5mm hole and measures 8mm x 20mm. It is a deep rich purple and white.

Bracelet is for photograph and comparison only. It is not included in the sale. Bead could also be strung onto a leather cord, ribbon or even a chain.

Beads are individually hand created by me. They have been properly kiln annealed for lasting durability and are each properly cleaned and inspected.

Thank you for looking!

Spring Challenge - Fused Glass Wall Vase

2009-03-25T20:57:00.003-04:00

RWillisGlassArtist created this beautiful wall vase for this year's spring challenge. "I really stepped out of the box on this one, and it was quite a challenge for me. After two failures, I created this piece and love how it turned out. I was inspired by one of nature's beauties - dragonflies. Their vibrant colors are mesmerizing."

Leave a comment for Rhonda here on the blog and let her know what you think of her wall vase, and you will be entered into a contest to win some handmade glass goodness created by the members of our team. Be sure to view all the other glass creations of our Spring Challenge as they have been submitted throughout the month. We will have several winners! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once for every time we have posted a new spring challenge creation!!!). And, be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.

Natural Elements - A Collaboration - Sale Item of the Day - 10 percent off today only

2009-03-24T03:36:00.007-04:00

Regular $30.00 -Today $27.00

You will find it listed in my Etsy store

As anyone who knows my husband and I would know this was bound to happen eventually. We have created a collaboration of our talents. My husband does fabulous woodturning and so one day I said to him that he should try and make a bead. So he did and we lined it and I made some complementary glass lined beads and this is the end result. We hope to make many more in the future.

The wooden beads are created out of paduche which is a wonderful natural red color. They are lined in sterling silver. The glass bead is created by the process of lampworking and is a complimentary animal spot print on black and also lined in sterling silver.

The wooden beads measure approx. 10mm by 19mm. The glass bead measures approx 9mm x 17mm. The beads are designed to be worn on any of the euro bead systems. They could also be strung onto a leather cord, ribbon or even a chain.

Bracelet is for photograph and comparison only. It is not included in the sale.

The glass beads have been properly kiln annealed for lasting durability and are each properly cleaned and inspected.

Thank you for looking!

Spring Challenge ~ Easter Egg Vessel Pendants

2009-03-20T23:55:00.008-04:00

Polka Dot Egg Vessel Pendants

Every Spring I get the itch to make cute little pastel beads, bunnies, and flowers. So here was my chance to make a few cute little lampwork glass Easter egg vessel pendants!

Leave a comment here for a chance to win an item from an EGA member!
Thanks for stopping by the EGA blog to take a peek!

"Spring trees" - This Month's FREE Giveaway!

2009-03-18T13:08:00.005-04:00

EDIT: The winner is MICAELA! Congratulations!! I will be notifying you via email and sending you the spring trees necklace!

The Etsy Glass team has a monthly drawing of our creative glass goodies because its FUN!

It's a great way to share our talents and get everyone in on the action.

This month's prize has been donated by PoPkO!

Spring is on it's way! The prize this month is YOUR CHOICE. Sounds like fun! Everyone has different taste in jewelry, so I thought I would help you out. I've made a fused glass RING and NECKLACE with little trees tack-fused on top to celebrate the new season.

Please choose your favorite, and mark in the comment section which one you would like to be wearing! Winner will be awarded on April 17th.

HOW TO ENTER:
Leave your name and email address or some way to contact you (should you be the winner) in the comments section of this post. Be sure to write your choice - RING or NECKLACE!

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter on the left to be notified of any upcoming sales and events. Also use the egateam tag in the Etsy search box to locate all of our listings for sale.

"Fishy Swa" Winner!

2009-03-17T22:17:00.005-04:00

I have chosen the winner of our monthly drawing for the "Fishy Swa" pendant - it is Coralie Cederna Johnson. I have notified her and hope to hear from her soon.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments and I hope that you will check back for our next monthly drawing entry in the next day or so.

Spring Challenge

2009-03-17T00:20:00.004-04:00

Groovyglassgirl challenged herself this month with a spring suncatcher made with pale yellow glass circles. Those of you who play with glass know how difficult it is to get a nice circle, so that in itself was a challenge. The bird was borrowed from a cartoon character seen on television....Samurai Jack...I think. You can purchase the suncatcher in Groovyglassgirl's Etsy shop groovyglassgirl.etsy.com

2009-03-16T11:00:00.003-04:00

Last chance for the monthly giveaway!

Heres a quick reminder to enter this months giveaway by Wildsage Lampwork. Click on the link below, make a comment to enter, and dont forget to join the mailing list!

"Fishy-Swa"lampwork glass pendant contest.

The winner will be announced March 17th.

Falling Leaves Stained Glass Panel

2009-03-15T20:15:00.002-04:00

A colorful glass panel hand-crafted into the shape of two falling leaves.

Dark amber, yellow, red, orange and frosted glass make up this earth-toned panel.

Available for sale here.

Glass Mosaic Bear!

2009-03-12T20:39:00.004-04:00

photo of the bears ready to be embellished

Hello! This is glass member PoPko here! I wanted to share my excitement about a public art project I was accepted to participate in. I'm hoping that this post (and future updates) inspire a few people to break out and try something new for themselves.

I applied to be an artist in the Easthampton, MA "Bearfest". This is a new venture for the town (nearby), where they will host a bunch of fun loving fiberglass bears, to be embellished by 35 different artists. These 'mama' and 'baby' bears will be placed on sidewalks and public spaces in the town for the summer months. Some of you may have heard of things like this, a popular one is "cows on parade", and some towns host moose, whales and other animals.

above, picking up MY baby bear from 'eastworks', and you can see the proposals sitting onthe floor in the background. a lot of people are painting them, some are adding things like wire and plaster. mine will be a mosaic.

What I had to to was submit an idea, in the form of a drawing, of what I wanted "to do" to my bear. I was chosen with my design using fused glass and glass tiles to be mosaiced all over the bear. The title will be 'hiding bear', and he should end up looking like he is hiding in (glass) bushes. I applied to mosaic two bears, but only got one, so I have to alter my design a little. No problem! Im crafty.

above, the large 'mama' bears waiting for their artists to bring them home

They will give each artist $250 to carry out their work (YAY!) and then have an auction in October, where each artist will get 25% of the selling price. This is one of the most artist-friendly competitions I've been a part of. I cant wait to buy some new glass and start fusing leaf shapes!

above, my dad helping me get some stumps that we found in a strangers yard. we explained the project and she was happy to get rid of the wood! my bear will be sitting on a log.

I will certainly keep you all updated on the progress. This is due at the end of May, so Ive got a little time.

Are YOU interested in trying something like this? I found the 'call for proposals' in the local paper. It wasn't a secret. Things like this are always happening, you just have to keep an eye out for them. The thing is, i didnt know if they would like my work, or choose me. The fact is, that I submitted it in the last five minutes that I could! It wasnt even typed out, and I wasnt sure I even had enough info on the application. Well, aparently it struck them or I got lucky. So go ahead, give it a shot!

Have any of YOU ever entered a competition or done any public art projects? I would love to hear about it, please comment below. Also, this might inspire others, so dont be shy!

March 12th-SALE item of the day-Drop of ocean-color splash enamel pendant

2009-03-12T10:27:00.001-04:00

Today’s item is personal favorite of mine the drop of the ocean pendant! This little thing has gradation of colors, golden/yellow to dark teal green. Just like you’ll find in the real ocean! And you can shift pendant with light to enjoy texture on copper through the enamel. $20 plus free shipping at my Etsy shop today!!

Tokyo Spring - Etsy Glass Challenge Entry - Please Comment

2009-03-11T00:56:00.003-04:00

Etsy Glass Artists team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with their interpretation of Spring and or Easter. Between now and Easter we will share some of these creations with you here on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win some handmade glass goodness from several of our shops. We will have several winners too! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.

As I grew up in Japan, I cannot think about spring time without blooming cherry blossom. Every year, when spring comes, the town in Japan is dyed to one cherry blossoms color. We have picnic and party under the cherry blossom tree! How cherry blossoms are blooming is on every news!! And this year, some reason I’m just drawn to yellow. So I picked yellow as base color. Then I stamped cherry blossom branch image and shift glass enamel & fired it. And I paint (in enamel term called “wet pack”) some white and pink for flower. Then I suspend it from fine silver circle. As spring will come every year. I embellished with single “sakura poppy” disk. Finally, this necklace has matching earrings that available in my Etsy shop!

Sale Item of the Day ~ Bubbles ~ March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T02:15:00.003-04:00

Bubbles - Lampwork Fish Focal/Pendant

Regular price $14.00 - Today only $12.60.

Let me introduce you to Bubbles. She is a new little fishy I raised over the weekend and she is looking for a good home. I guarantee that she will make you smile. Bubbles measures approximately 35mm long, 26mm high, and 18mm thick. The hole runs vertical and is 3/32. She is a pretty purple, green, teal and blue.

Beads are individually hand created by me. They have been properly kiln annealed for lasting durability and are each properly cleaned and inspected.

Thank you for looking!

SALE item of the day-Enamel-SeaHorse-Pendant

2009-03-07T11:39:00.004-05:00

This weekend, my sale item of the day is adorable seahorse! I have two colors for you to pick from. One is deep rich teal green that reminds me of Deep Ocean. And the other one is blush orange/pink that reminds me of coral reef. No matter witch ones you pick, I’m sure they will quickly become your favorite pendant! This weekend only, they are $30 plus free shipping in my Etsy shop!

Sweet Spring Beary - Etsy Glass Challenge Entry - Please Comment

2009-03-05T11:02:00.004-05:00

Etsy Glass Artists team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with their interpretation of Spring and or Easter. Between now and Easter we will share some of these creations with you here on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win some handmade glass goodness from several of our shops. We will have several winners too! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.

Hi.. I would like to introduce you to my Sweet Spring Beary. She would like to think of herself as an adorable little spring bunny but she ended up being a beary instead.
I have tried to tell her that she is adorable regardless of her name. Maybe if you help me by leaving a comment she will start to believe that it is true. If you would like to adopt Beary please stop by my Etsy shop.

SALE item of the day -Cute little heart color splash earrings -spring yellow

2009-03-05T09:18:00.003-05:00

Spring is right around a corner from us! Even though, it’s still little cold out (at lest here it is…) let’s wear sunny yellow to cerebrate upcoming spring! These earrings are so bright, cheery and stylish!! And for today (March 5th) only, it’s $5 off plus free shipping!! Check out my listing in my Etsy shop!!

GroovyGlassGirl's Deal of the Day

2009-03-04T10:55:00.001-05:00

Today only you can get this pendant for $20...this is a $5 savings off of the original price of $25....and a super bonus is if you let me know how you found my shop, I'll refund your shipping charge! For more details or to buy the pendant click here.

Easter Owl by Marcy Lamberson of StudioMarcy -Please Comment

2009-03-03T23:10:00.005-05:00

Easter is in the air at StudioMarcy and my whimsical owl lampwork glass focal bead is ready for it. Dressed in bunny ears and bunny slippers, this sleepy-eyed owl is hoping to find an Easter basket full of chocolate eggs.

I recently saw a little toddler wearing bunny slippers and that really made me smile. I thought it would look so amusing combined with bunny ears, (my daughter had some as a little girl), and placed on some of my quirky animals, birds and creatures. So now I have a variety of "critters" wearing them in my shop. I just finished a penguin as a customer's special order today.

For more fun beads, stop by my Etsy shop, StudioMarcy. I list three new beads every day.

Don't forget to comment on my bead, to enter into our Etsy Glass Artists Giveaway. And just so you know, I get a big smile every time I read a nice one. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Sale Item of the Day! March 3rd

2009-03-03T04:47:00.003-05:00

Tristan - Big Hole Slider Bead Set - 20 percent off Today ONLY

Regular price $22.00
Sale price today only is $17.60

This is a slider bead set that will fit a euro bead bracelet. They have an approx 5mm hole and measure 5mm x 15mm and 6mm x 16mm. They have a pretty metallic swirl on the 2 green beads and the other three are a stunning metallic blue.
Bracelet is for photograph and comparison only. It is not included in the sale.
Beads could also be strung onto a leather cord, ribbon or even a chain.
Beads are individually hand created by me. They have been properly kiln annealed for lasting durability and are each properly cleaned and inspected.

Thank you for looking!

Spring and Easter Challenge Contest

2009-03-02T08:56:00.005-05:00

Our first item to show you comes from the shop of Paula McDonough of The Venerable Bead. Paula is a borosilicate glass lampwork artist who enjoys making implosion pendants. Her item Tiger Lily uses this method for creating what looks like a real flower inside a dome of clear glass. But don't be fooled that bloom is all glass. Paula says of her item: "I took a class in January with Brent Graber in sunny Orlando Florida. He taught me how to make this style of flower. I am calling it a Lily. Coming back to freezing cold New England after my weekend getaway really gave me spring fever! Making these pretty colorful flowers is keeping my warm weekend alive. If I make enough lilies perhaps it will be warm soon? Seriously, flowers are Spring to me and are a big part of my lampworking. I want to learn how to make every imploded bloom in my garden and maybe even a few that only exist in my head."

Please leave a comment for Paula here on the blog letting her know what you think of her pendant and you will be entered into a contest to win some handmade glass goodness created by the members of our team. We will be posting new spring and Easter themed items every few days so please check back and comment. You can leave a new comment every time we post an item for multiple chances of winning! Good luck and thanks for playing.

March's Featured Artist: Carol Rasmussen Of Glass Cat

2009-03-01T07:41:00.019-05:00

Featured this month is the beautiful stained glass and fused and dichroic jewelry shop of Carol Rasmussen of Glass Cat.

Please give us a little background on yourself:

My name is Carol Rasmussen and I live in the suburbs of Chicago, ILL. I have been married for the last 22 years to a wonderful man who puts up with my passion to create. We have three shelter cats, all males. I was lucky enough to retire early and focus on my glass work full time for the last 7 years.

When did you first become interested in glass?

I have always loved the color and sparkle of stained glass. I first became drawn to this medium 30+ years ago. Not many classes were available and it seemed to be a much guarded secret. 22 years ago, on my honeymoon, glass crossed my path again as I found my way into a stained glass shop and we purchased a couple of pieces for our new home. After settling into my new neighborhood, I found a stained glass shop right in town and signed up for classes. What started out as a hobby quickly grew into a passion and I found my happiest days were the ones I could spend creating.

What do you like best about what you do?

I don’t know if I could pick one thing. I really love all aspects of the creation process. I would have to say I love hearing from my customers, what they like about a piece, how it has brought them joy.

Is there a pattern in the way you select material? In the way you use color, texture and light?

I think this is something I struggled with early in my career but after years of experience I don’t really spend much time thinking about it. I have developed an eye for color and texture. Sometimes I feel the pieces choose themselves.

What inspires you?

Hmm, what inspires me? I love color and surround myself with it. You won’t find much black and white in my shop or home for that matter. I am always seeing color combos and patterns around me and trying to come up with new ways to use them in my work. There is seldom a moment when I am not thinking about glass.

How much time do you spend creating your pieces?

This is something I get asked at art fairs all the time. While holding a piece a customer will ask “how long did it take you to make this?” I used to struggle with the answer, trying to be precise. I think I now have the answer that is the most correct. It has taken me 22 years to create that piece as you see it. I have had many failures, pieces I would never put up for sale. I keep some of them to remind myself how far I have come. I do spend 40-60 hours a week on my business, creating, marketing, selling, packaging and I have to say—I love it all!

What are your techniques and style and how do these relate to the medium.

As far as style, I would say most of my stained glass work uses bright, contemporary colors and lines. I like cute and cuddly, so I try to reflect that in some of my work. My fused glass work is in its infancy and I feel I am still developing my own style.
What do you find the most challenging about your work in the glass arts?
Early on, I would say, believing in myself. Right now, focusing on one thing. I have so many ideas running through my head, so many projects I would love to tackle and new techniques to try. We, as glass artists, are lucky to be living in this time. New products are being developed at an astounding rate, and I want to try them all.

How did you find Etsy?

Believe it or not-Google. Friends and family kept telling me to sell on eBay. I did not like the look of it and did a search for craft malls, Etsy popped up. It took me about a year from my first look til I took the plunge. I used to sell in B&M craft malls, so it was a natural progression.

What do you like the most about it?

I love connecting with people from all over the world and knowing my artwork is spread across the continents. I love my Etsy Glass Street Team members. They inspire and teach me every day and I love the feeling of belonging to an art community. Etsy has made my dreams become reality and I know I can go as far as I want with the medium I have chosen to express myself-Glass.

Collaboration Challenge

2009-02-28T12:20:00.009-05:00

Collaboration is the foundation of society. People interact, share ideas and form relationships in order to better their lives and the lives of those around them. Art and the creative process of an artist was once a very solitary endeavor. The Internet and social networking has allowed artists to collaborate on a single work together like they never would have been able to before. Our Etsy Glass Artists street team has long admired the amazing talent of each member so it was natural for us to start making links between things in each other's work. It became apparent that seeing the work of others on the team sparked ideas for our own art and thus creative connections began to form. It made sense to create a challenge, asking members to formalize these ideas and create collaborative projects. Well, the challenge has been a success. The members who have participated report enjoying this challenge very much and the projects speak for themselves. They are beautiful! We will be doing a series of interviews of each team that outlines the process and shows the reader the finished collaborative works. Most of these works are or were available in our Etsy shops.

The first collaborative team we will introduce to you is the work of Paula of The Venera ble Bead and Poppy of Groovy Glass Girl . Their completed project is called Into Spring and is available in Poppy's shop.

Please tell us a little about yourselves and what kind of art you make.

Paula: I am borosilicate glass lampworker. I melt glass rods in the flame of a torch to create beads and pendants.

Poppy: I work mainly using stained glass techniques and wire work. I started fusing last year when I got my own kiln, so now I incorporate my fused glass into the pieces I make. For the most part my work is jewelry, only because with a busy family life I find that I can complete small projects much easier.

Can you tell us how you got started on this project and how it has evolved.

Paula: The team has been collaborating on a series of projects to be featured here on our blog. I did several collaborative necklaces with another team member a while back and I must admit it's very addicting to make collaborative pieces. I have always wanted to make a cabochon that could be incorporated into a dark metal necklace but I am not a metalsmith so it's only been a dream until I saw Poppy's work.

Poppy: Paula contacted me about doing a collaboration and of course I was thrilled to work with her. The whole process came together quite quickly.....her work combined really well with my techniques.

What inspired you about your partner's art?

Paula: I have such a weakness for oxidized metals you have no idea. I saw Poppy's Twig Series and I though "Oh man, wouldn't a flower implosion look cool in a necklace like that?" So I approached her about it.

Poppy: I have always loved borosilicate glass and Paula has some great steampunk inspired pieces that I admired.

How did you ultimately decide to make what you did?

Paula: Well I decided to make a flower in subtle cool colors. I chose blues and greens to work well with the dark silver metal. I wanted the necklace to flow and work together... like something you'd find in nature. Once my cab was done I sent it off to Poppy and she worked her magic on it.

Poppy: Paula mentioned a "Twig" series necklace that I'd just listed in my Etsy shop that she really liked when she contacted me about doing a piece together. I wasn't sure I'd be able to work a large cab into a piece like that but I have another line called "Urban Artifacts" that features really large chunks of glass so the resulting necklace is kind of a combination of the hammered swirls found in a lot of my work, the lines of a "twig" series necklace and glass and solder detail of the "Urban Artifact" series.

Did you find this to be a rewarding experience and why?

Paula: I am so beyond pleased with the finished project. I love it so much I want to marry it! lol, ok well maybe not marry but definitely go steady! Seriously, it was so much fun to plant a seed and watch it grow in the hands of another artist.

Poppy: I found this experience to be so rewarding that I can't wait to do another one! Trying to incorporate another artist's work into your own and still maintain a unified style that flows can be difficult. I have to admit this time it was easy....right from the initial sketch that I did with her cab to adding the metalwork. I kept the beautiful floral implosion cab the focal point of the necklace which was my main concern. The hardest part was knowing when to stop.

Sale item of the day! February 26th

2009-02-26T10:34:00.004-05:00

Ok, so this is my very-first blog post! And I'm going to offer "sale item of the day" every Thursdays & weekends. For today, I offer "Delightful poppy hook earrings" for $5 off plus free shipping! So today it's only $25!! These earrings were on the front page of Etsy yesterday & couple other times. Colors are so springish! And so easy & light weight to wear!! please check more detail (and maybe to purchase...:) here=== http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21040482

Sale Item of the Day!

2009-02-25T07:20:00.002-05:00

I am starting a little something new for my Etsy shop. I will post one item on my blog and my team blog daily that is on sale in one way or another. The listing itself will tell you what the sale of the day is, be it 10% off, 20% off or whatever. The sale price is only good for the day of the listing so be quick! =) and check back daily to see what surprises I have in store! So here is the first "Sale Item of the Day"!

Look for other team members to also post their sales - coming soon!

Click on the picture to go directly to the item.

Sale Item of the Day - Waters Edge II - Copper Lined Lampwork Bead - 20 percent off

Was $14.00. Today only it is priced at $11.20. Have a great day!

This is copper lined lampwork bead hand made by me in my studio. It is a lovely mix of blues and would look stunning hanging from a silk ribbon or a silver chain. It measures approx. 10mm x 18mm. Silk ribbon not included. Beads are individually hand created by me. They have been properly kiln annealed for lasting durability and are each properly cleaned and inspected.Thank you for looking!

"Fishy Swa" - This Month's Free Giveaway!

2009-02-17T15:35:00.007-05:00

We had such a terrific turn out for the One World One Heart Drawing that I thought it would be fun to continue with that. The members of the Etsy Glass team will be doing a monthly drawing of our creative glass items.

I am going to start this month with "Fishy Swa" a lampwork glass pendant handmade by me. Here is the link to my store should you want one of your own. She is so excited to see how many people leave their comments on this post, and even more excited to see who she will be awarded to on March 17th.

So leave your name and email address or some way to contact you should you be the winner in the comments section of this post.

Be sure and sign up for our newsletter here to be notified of any upcoming sales and events. Also use the egateam tag in the Etsy search box to locate all of our listings for sale.

Eye on the Prize

2009-02-16T11:41:00.010-05:00

Above: Crocodile Tears by Carmen Lozar

We awarded a few prizes for the One World One Heart participants this week and that was FUN! Its always feels good to share our work and also make friends. Thank you again to everyone who has come by to join us and see what were all about!

Heres another prize that everyone can start working towards...if you're into glass. Its the Bombay Sapphire Prize. The Bombay Sapphire Foundation (yes, were talking about delicious gin!) was established in 2001 to recognize, encourage and award the very best in contemproary design and, in particular, glass design.

Above: Agnus Dei by Judith Schaechter

Above: artist unknown

Above: Furniture Life by Gitta Gschwendtner

Above: Dairy House by Charlotte Skene Catling

This competition is open to designers, artists and architects. It tours around for the year, and then they start the competition all over again. Entering competitions is a really good way for emerging artists to get their names out there. If you think you don't have what it takes, why not? Using their guidelines, you can push yourself to think in another way than you usually do. Even if you decide not to enter, you can use it as a practice run on your own. When I run out of ideas, or need to think outside the box, I always open up an Art Magazine and head to the back where they list the monthly call for artists or competitions. They always have a new theme like "from water to land" or "the great purple idea". These random themes and ideas can lead to something new in your own work.

Above: One Liners by Tavs Jorgensen

Even if you dont use glass in your artwork, you can still certainly enjoy what everyone has brought to the competition. I love when I can discover new artists that seem to crawl out of the woodwork when things like this come around.

Above: Aladdin by Stuart Haygarth

Heres a snippet from the Foundation website:
The members of the Foundation include leading international designers and some of the world’s most respected figures from the glass and design industry.

Bombay Sapphire began its association with the world of design in the 1990s when internationally acclaimed designers first created their versions of the ultimate martini cocktail glass inspired by Bombay Sapphire.

To support and reward excellence in glass design, the Bombay Sapphire Foundation launched an international glass design award - the Bombay Sapphire Prize – in 2002.

Above: Capacity by Annie Cattrell

Glass is an exciting and versatile material that, in many shapes and forms, surrounds us every day. As the biggest international glass award, the Bombay Sapphire Prize celebrates the achievements of international artists, designers and architects who work with this challenging material to create stunning results.

Above: Lace by Joanna Manousis

The award recognises innovation and excellence in the use of glass with the winner receiving £20,000 and the best newcomer receiving £5,000.
The inspiring work of the finalists in the Bombay Sapphire Prize are toured each year to exhibitions, galleries and museums worldwide to highlight the importance of glass in contemporary living.

Have YOU entered any competitions?

Did it make you stretch your imagination, or was it right up your alley?

Was there a prize?

Tell us about it!

One World One Heart Winners

2009-02-12T23:25:00.005-05:00

Here are the winners for the OWOH drawings.

Bella Modiste
Morna
Joanie
Mari
Jaimie
Nichola

You will be notified by email to get your info. See the original post for details on what you won.

Thanks to everyone who entered our drawing and who visited our blog. We have great plans for future giveaways and sales so continue to check in often.

Our next drawing for an item from the team starts Tuesday 2-17-09. Come leave a comment on the post for a chance to win.

Also please sign up for our newsletter to be notified when we have our sales. Check out our webpage as well for beautiful glass creations from our members. I guarantee you will find something that you love.
You can find us on Etsy by putting egateam in the search box. All of our wonderful items will come up for you to look through.

Once again ~ Thank you!

2009-01-31T23:59:00.005-05:00

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "February Fling" Sale from February 1st through the 7th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "FEBFLING" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. A great deal and a great time to put a little sparkle into your day.

Etsy Glass Artists "February Fling" Sale

February 1st - February 7th

Participating Members:

http://giapet.etsy.com/ BOGO

*BOGO - Buy One Get One 1/2 off

Come check out our new EGA website http://app.icontact.com/icp/relativeurlwarning/www.etsyglass.com.

Stop by our new blog for a chance to win some beautiful glass. http://app.icontact.com/icp/relativeurlwarning/www.etsyglass.blogspot.com. Just leave a comment on the One World ~ One Heart post with your contact information to be entered to win.

Use the word egateam in the search box on the Etsy front page to find a listing of all of our members creations.

Thanks so much for your past business and support of our shops!

February Featured Artist: Mandy Caird of Prizmatic Art

2009-01-31T09:51:00.013-05:00

As 2009 gets rolling we decided to feature a member of our talented street team each month. We learned so much about each other when we did this a while back and we got such great feedback from our customers that we decided it was time to show you the artists behind the glass. February's featured glass artist is Mandy Caird of Prizmatic Art. Now I was lucky enough to be the secret Santa recipient of one of Mandy's gorgeous bowls and a magnet set this holiday season! So I can tell you firsthand that her art is absolutely stunning.

Mandy, can you give us a little background on yourself:

My name is Mandy Caird. I'm from the UK and now live in sunny Denver. I work as a project manager for an online training company. I originally trained as a Biochemist and worked in research for a few years and I still have some of the mad scientist in me when I work with glass!

When did you first become interested in glass?

I've always loved stained glass windows and any kind of art glass, but I could never afford anything. The only way I was going to have glass in my house was if I made it myself, so I took a stained glass class about 15 years ago. The class was so much fun that I immediately got the glass bug! Then 5 years ago my wonderful sister in-law loaned me her small kiln and I became an instant glass fusing addict! I'm also a bit of a tom-boy so the tools appealed to me. Other people can bake cakes, but my oven goes to 1700 degrees!

What do you like best about what you do?

I love the colors, especially blues and greens! I love seeing how different colors of fused glass will turn out. It's always exciting after I've had the kiln running overnight to find out the next morning what gift has been created for me.

Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?

I select glass I like no matter what I am making. If I find a piece of glass that I think is drop-dead gorgeous I'll save it until I come up with with an idea of how to use it.

What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?

Ordinary everyday objects inspire me. I can be driving to the grocery store or having lunch with a friend and I will see something that will make me think of glass. Glass isn't just for hanging in the window or wearing. I try to make many different things with glass, from clocks and candle holders to business card holders and magnets.

How much time is spent creating your pieces?

I'm usually very slow and often I will lay glass pieces out for days and play with the colors and shapes before firing. I once had a mirror frame for 18 months before I finalized it - it was a geometric design and I kept moving the pieces around until I was pleased with the final color balance - it was well worth the wait :-)

What are your techniques and style and how do these relate to the medium?

When I began I used to try and fire pieces so they would almost come out of the kiln ready to use. However over time I have collected more equipment that allows me to manipulate the glass more after firing. I think I have more tools than my husband! Fusing glass is just the first part of the process. After grinding, shaping, slumping or sandblasting, the final pieces have usually been in my kiln at least 3 times. The trick is knowing when to stop!

What do you find most challenging about your work in the glass arts?

Time and space! Since I like to mull over my designs, you can image I need quite a lot of space for all my projects-in-progress! Luckily I have the run of the basement and my husband has the garage - I think I won on that deal.

How did you find Etsy? What do you like most about it?

A friend at work liked my earrings and asked me if I sold them on Etsy. Within a week I had an Etsy account and items listed in my shop. I love the "buy handmade" concept and being part of such a creative community.

Ice Cream In Cold Weather- Here's a Tutorial on How To Make Your Own by Studio Marcy

2009-01-29T07:44:00.008-05:00

A terrific tutorial from Marcy Lamberson of Studio Marcy. Go check out the rest of her blog here.

To me, it's never the wrong time of the year for ice cream, no matter how cold outside it is.
I thought I'd tell you how to make your own ice cream cone, so when the warm weather hits, you can have plenty on hand.
1. Using dark ivory, make a small cone. I use my torch mounted marver to roll it out.
2. Using the ice cream color of your choice, start adding glass to the top of the cone shape and once you have the top section full enough, gently melt it so it becomes rounded and smooth.
Hint: be sure to rotate your mandrel so the glass can flow into place, I often have my mandrel upside down, so the glass flows next to the mandrel and rounds out on the very top.
3. Now you're ready to add your "drips". At the bottom edge of the "ice cream scoop", I make "V" shapes with more glass. I also take the end of my rod and drag it farther down, if I need to.
Melt slightly so it's smooth.
4. With a razor or the sharp edge of your Stump Shaper, carve a circle around the original scoop, so it shows well. That also pushes glass in each direction and enhances your drips.
5. With your razor, gently heat one area at a time on the cone and make your diagonal slashes. I do one direction first and then the other direction afterwards.
6. Using a red of your choice, you can add the cherry on top.
7. Voila! A calorie free ice cream cone ready for you.
If you want to purchase a ready made ice cream cone, click here. And don't forget, I'd be happy to make one in your favorite flavors...just ask me.

2009-01-24T15:34:00.002-05:00

Gentlemen & Ladies, don't forget about your sweetheart!

Show them how you feel with something that will last forever- GLASS!

Everything you see here was handmade with love.

Click on the photos above to search for more ega/heart related items. Have fun shopping!

ONE WORLD ~ ONE HEART GIVEAWAY

2009-01-19T10:32:00.021-05:00

Members of the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team are donating items to participate in the One World ~ One Heart Giveaway. Leave a comment on our blog to be entered to win one of the terrific glass items shown below. Please be sure that we have a way to contact you if you become one of our winners, and please stop by our website to see all of the wonderful items that our members create. While you are there sign up for our newsletter to be informed of upcoming sales and special offers. We take great pride in the quality of our work and hope that you will visit our shops for that special gift for you or a loved one.

Created by Jewelry by Natsuko -

This sweet glass enamel disk pendant is complemented with 20” copper color brass chain with lobster clasp.

The winner is Bella Modiste

Created by Wild Sage Lampwork -

Lampwork glass heart on a 24 inch silvertone chain.

The winner is Morna

Created by Fire-n-Sand -

"Boro heart on a 24 inch silvertone chain"

The winner is Joanie

Created by Studio Marcy -

He's an elf mischief maker who loves to make people laugh.
His name is Loki.
He has a 1/16th vertical hole.

The winner is Mari

Created by Susan Sheehan -

Juicey raspberry pink glass topped with vibrant orange and yellow. This flower reminds of popsicles and hot summer days.

The winner is Jaimie

Created by Rwillisglassartist

These three little sparkles were handmade with dichroic glass. A black cable cord will be included in a size of your choice.

The winner is Nichola

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T13:58:00.003-05:00

Wanna make some glass frit?

2008-09-17T22:35:00.001-04:00

Rhonda Willis from www.rwillisglassartist.etsy.com shares with us a great way to make frit:

A friend of mine works at a local glass store, and she is always coming up with wonderful ideas. Well, her dad (an engineer) came up with this idea for a home-made frit maker. After seeing it, I made a quick dash to the Home Depot (Lowe's or Ace should have them too) so that I could make one for myself.

Materials from hardware store:

One 1-1/2" x 8" heavy lead pipe
One 1-1/2" cap
One 3/4" x 10" heavy lead pipe
Two 3/4" caps

From a glass supply company:
Glass Frit Sifter set (I love this set!!)

The coffee grinder just doesn't do it for me, and like many glass artists, I've been hammering the glass in plastic bags to make my frit. Now I just put my glass in the 1-1/2" pipe and use the capped 3/4" pipe to crush the glass. Then I poor the contents into the glass sifter set which separates the sizes of the frit. I then poor the frit into my 2-oz. storage containers (a gold-mine find at a local thrift store).

The caps aren't flat, so I have to store the frit maker on its side. I'm sure you could flatten the cap. But, I'm not particular. I'm just thrilled to have this! The weight of the capped 3/4" lead pipe makes it quick and easy for me to make my own frit. And, to make the "crusher 3/4" pipe" even heavier I threw in some heavy fishing weights (a garage sale find). Rocks, lead balls, or anything else you can find to add some weight to it will work just as well. Smile

Happy crushing!

Glass Jewelry

2008-09-11T00:06:00.001-04:00

For the women in your life who love a little sparkle, dichroic jewelry is a great gift choice. Whether it is a dichroic pendant, a pair of earrings, a bracelet or a ring, she's sure to love the dynamic color shift of dichroic glass. For the women who enjoy a more subtle look, glass enamel or art glass jewelry and lampwork are the way to go. Here are some of our favorite pieces.

Beads and Lampwork Creations

2008-09-10T23:56:00.002-04:00

Made by melting glass in a superhot torch, glass lampwork beads, jewelry and sculptures are unique and beautiful. Whether it is a lampwork pendant or a glass vessel necklace, from beads to bracelets, you can't go wrong with the gift of lampwork.

Stained Glass Gifts

2008-09-10T23:47:00.000-04:00

EGA stained glass artisans create suncatchers, stained glass panels, and three-dimensional stained glass objects like business card holders and photo frames. Here is a selection of stained glass items that would make a wonderful and unique gift.