Beadbijoux by Leslie Deaunne

I have been dreaming of a colorful art glass chandelier for my dining room ever since I laid eyes on a Chihuly chandelier in Las Vegas. I cannot afford a Chihuly chandelier. Or even a knock-off copy of one ... so I set out on an adventure to make my own. I do not have a hot shop with a glass blowing furnace. This required me to stretch my creativity and design a piece that would work with kiln-formed (fused) glass, but still have that light and translucent blown glass feel I love. Step 1: Build a frame . Or better yet, find an antique one that could be re-purposed for use with fused glass panels. My husband told me that we do not have a big enough studio to take up welding at this time. Someday I will learn how to weld too. Someday. This proved to be a bigger challenge than I thought. I scoured auction sites, antique dealers, and craigslist until I finally found what I was looking for. Only it was that ugly old brass that had definitely seen better days. BEFORE

I haven't worn earrings in 10 years - or basically since my oldest was born and I felt that very first baby grab at the pretties that nearly yanked my ear off. I pretty much gave up all jewelry at that point. After my youngest was old enough to leave them alone, I slowly started wearing rings and necklaces again, but for some reason my ears remained naked. Until now. My friend Sydnie has a thing with earrings. She likes them big and long and insists all ears should have them. I became rather entranced with the 'statement' earrings she always wears and decided I must have some. So I busted out my supplies that have been tucked away in nice little baggies and boxes and went to town. It was an earring making spree I tell you. After keeping a few pairs for myself, I decided these needed to adorn the ears of my customers. They are fun. These are super light and hang so nice that you just can't help but shake your head back and forth a little just to whip them at yo

Sushi plates are the ultimate de-facto canvas for fused glass artists. The simple slightly curved shape is one of most foolproof slumping forms that even beginning artists can master. The smaller canvas sizes are easy to work with and allow you to use up little bits and pieces of leftover glass from bigger projects ... or stretch your creative process to try new things and experiment without fear of wasting a ton of materials. These little plates are all approximately 5 inches square - which is a nice versatile dish for a multitude of purposes. They also come in a 3 inches square size. Small sushi dishes can become candle holders, spoon rests, catch-all trays, or even used as an actual serving dish. The steeper the sides, the more you have to pay attention to your kiln and slumping temperature as well as hold time. If you go too hot or too long, you risk getting the 'dog bone' effect or having all your glass pool to the bottom. The beauty of the sushi plate mold is that it i