I lost my heart!

5 years ago I was demoing at a gallery here in Germany and the owner gave me a lucky charm afterwards - a red small glass heart. She said she's always wearing her's in her wallet and I should do the same, it will bring me luck. So I kept this glass heart all these years in my wallet, took it with me to all my travels (which means I take all my german money out, put the dollars in and always packed the heart also in and out, every time thinking about the moment she gave it to me and with the thought that I might need it for a special person one day). I'm a superstitious person, so I was very careful not to lose it.

I remeber I took all my small coins out a few days ago and the heart was still there. This morning I've been downtown, came home and wanted to take again all the small coins out and realized – my heart is gone! I don't know when and where I lost it, but it's definately not mine anymore. Very sad.

Two Elephants

Finally I am back in the right mood for doing my "Indian Elephant" beads again.

And I'm really happy how those two guys turned out, after I havn't made them for such a long time. The size of the pink elephant is 44 x 40 x 9mm and the greenish one is 45 x 43 x 9mm.

Lucky star

Size: 56 x 27 x 10mm
And she's one of those beads that don't look as colorful on pictures than in reality.

Silverbrown

Last week I had to deal with compability issues with Lauscha clear again. Nothing is more frustrating than having nice beads that don't survive. In the last days I used my old Moretti rods and all is good now.

And I used the first time Reichenbach silverbrown. I read about it on the forums for a while, but I'm never really up-to-date when it comes to "new" glass colors. Anyway, this is really a great silver glass option pricewise to the other manufactures.

Summer breeze

Hope you had a nice weekend. I spent it with my family and went horse riding through the forest; I havn't done that for at least 25 years, so today I'm really sore.

London calling

Before I started working with glass by myself I loved to wear glass jewelry and at that time I bought a fused pendant in a small shop in London. It had different shades of light aqua and blue and a silver setting. I didn't know how it was made, but I still remember the fascination I felt when I saw it.

Unfortunately I don't have it anymore, I lost it over the years.

This one of course is not fused; but it's inspired by that excitement I felt that day in London by the transparence and colors of glass. Size: 67 x 22 x 7mm

Lullaby

Relaxing colors ...

For Donna

Size: 61 x 28 x 10mm

Cleaning all up

A few days ago I felt so uninspired. Finally, after I-don't-know-how-many weeks of heat it cooled down a bit (I'm happy about each degree less) and I wanted to make beads, but didn't feel "it". So I did something I havn't done for a while: I cleaned up my work table! I through all my stringers and murrinis away, re-arranged a few things and suddenly the creativity and fun is back.

The violet spacers in this little set are also done with Gaffer Glass.

Japanese Dragon

This is the finished set from the preview I showed you yesterday.

The spacers are made with a beautiful and easy to handle pink from Gaffer Glass.

And in combination with the transparent green/turquoise beads the name "Japanese Dragon" popped up immediatly in my mind.

To be continued ...

More beads are already in the kiln. I turn the torch off now, shut the computer down and will enjoy the evening on a bike tour through the forest.

Chilled

It feels so good that it cooled down in the last few days. Wishing you a nice sunday.

Sitting on a leaf ...

and enjoying the summer.

Green Fairy

Finally! It's cooler, more than 6°C less in my appartment than in the last days. Hope I'm having a creative day.



Size of this pendant: 67 x 29 x 10mm

Joker

I made this bead a while ago, it was a left over from a set and I finally turned the little smiling face (actually it's two smiling faces) into a pendant. The nose is a cubic zirkonia and the size of the sterling silver pendant is 31 x 19mm.

Wishing you a nice day.

Which is the best bead relase?

Since I'm doing beads I really never had problems with all kind of bead releases, but right now all I use are not working for me anymore. I have Pink Slipper, Sludge dip&go, the Madrel bead release (still the best) and EZ bead release (which I used in Canada, worked perfect there for me, not here in Bamberg). It's not that they are breaking or anything, it's that I don't get my beads of the mandrel without trying for a while and ruining the mandrel in the end anyway.

So what do you use, which is the best bead release these days?

Fresh from the kiln

Seems that she's feeling hot too, as desperate as she looks.

Size: 55 x 28 x 10mm

Layout

All I can do in this heat is playing with my blog layout, torching didn't work out yesterday. Last night we had a tornado over Germany and lots of rain; here in my area all is good, nothing bad happend, it's just a bit cooler today and I already have a few beads in the kiln.

Something abstract

It's going to be a super hot weekend here in Germany, I'm torn between going to the pool and do bbq with friends or going to the torch and make beads - what I should do, but it's just too hot to concentrate.


Size: 56 x 28 x 9mm

Sisters

To have a sister is really the greatest thing ever.

Fairy girl with earrings

Size: 53 x 27 x 9mm

Fairy with yellow flower

Size: 55 x 28 x 10mm

Glasscraft Emerging Artist Award

"The Summer 2010 issue of The Flow explores the history of flameworking, including several fascinating artist profiles on some of the heroes of the Studio Glass Movement, including Paul Stankard, Gianni Tosi, and Marvin Lipofsky. You’ll also find an historical perspective of early studio setups from the Corning Museum of Glass and an excerpt from Bandhu Dunham’s latest book Contemporary Lampworking Volume III on the history of kinetic glass sculpture, plus coverage of important industry events, and a look at the work of three Glasscraft Emerging Artist Award winners. Eight inspiring full-color tutorials finish out this great issue. For a complete list of features, view our Summer 2010 issue." – The Flow Magazine

Thank you so much! I am so happy to got featured in this summer issue of The Flow. Can't wait to receive my copy.

Colors of summer

Knotted bracelet, 6 flat beads in a warm yellow and violet, plus 5 spacers and a sterling silver clasp, complete length: 20,5cm

Lake Tahoe

... or any other lake would be fine with me right now.

It is like 32°C/90°F in my appartment and studio today.

I am torching when it's hot like that, but just not that long as usual.

Hope you enjoy the summer.

Knotting in the sun

I was spending the day on the balcony and knotted bracelets. It was way to hot to turn the torch and kiln on.

Those three bracelets are for sale, each is made with 6 detailed decorated glass beads plus 5 glass spacers and a sterling silver clasp.

Bracelet #1: Length 20,5cm
Price: 180,- US$ plus shipping

Bracelet #2: Length 20,2cm
Price: 180,- US$ plus shipping

Bracelet #3: Length 20,1cm
Price: 180,- US$ plus shipping

Email to melaniemoertel(at)googlemail.com

Knotted bracelets

I used to make these knotted bracelets many years ago. I was searching my whole computer and photo galleries to find some old pictures of them, but as I'm really fast with erasing files I could find any.

I can't remember why I stopped making them, I guess the knotting was to exhausting after a while and I worked with other materials instead.

But right now it's really fun to make them; and as it is so hot these days in Germany it's a good alternative to working at the torch.