Showing posts with label etsy teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label etsy teams. Show all posts

ARTIST PROFILE: Lampworker Artisan from M1dnight Dreary

This is the first in a series I have been wanting to write for some time, profiling artists who create the most amazing things, are talented and creative and deserve to be seen.

Introducing the lampwork artist from etsy shop M1dnight Dreary

Born in Argentina and settling in Australia in the late 80s, the owner of the shop M1dnight Dreary, known on etsy as Glassy Lassy, is a musician, artist and designer.




I asked her some questions about lampwork, she was kind enough to say that my questions were okay, although I think that as I know nothing about the artform, my questions were totally inane and demonstrated my absolute ignorance on the subject!



What is lampwork?
I asked Glassy Lassy what lampwork is, she told me:


"Lampwork is the ancient art of making glass beads. The debate goes on as to wether "lampwork" relates to beads being made by the flame of a lamp .... but it is questionable as no one really believes a lamp would have generated enough heat to melt all the ingredients to make a glass bead. ...... There are very many examples of roman and viking beads of a very high standard, with intricate murrini."
OOOOH i KNOW that one! Murrine is a type of glass bead or decorative embellishment made from an intricately designed multicoloured rod of glass that when sliced in cross sections forms pieces with pictures or patterns, Millefiore being a well known type!(phew I am NOT as ignorant as I thought i was!)



Basic set up

If anyone wanted to start doing lampwork Glassy Lassy explained that the basic set up would need to include a torch (no bat-lings, not a flashlight.. but a burny, hot, ouch that hurts, flame type torch). The torch she uses is a "hothead" which uses LPG as its fuel. She explained that there are lots of different torches on the market and the more advanced ones burn really hot as they use a combination of O2 (Oxygen dear fiends.. you know that stuff we breathe??) and LPG, which makes the bead making process quicker.



If only we could find a flame breathing dragon! Then it could be a pet and a lampworking torch all in one....





I digress... back to our artist...

The next thing lampworkers need is a mandrel which our very knowledgeable and patient artist explains is a

"a long, usually stainless steel rod) dipped in bead release (it hardens like clay onto the mandrel, making it possible to remove the bead from the mandrel) otherwise melting glass directly onto the mandrel would make the glass stick to it for good."


Thirdly you need material that allows for the beads to slowly cool, they will be so amazingly hot that they would crack if they cooled too fast! Glassy said she uses vermiculite for this.



The bead needs to fired to finish it off properly, so you also need a kiln, our lovely artist explained that the reason the bead needs firing is that the very hot bead cools faster on the outside than on the inside which means that pressure will be exerted inside the bead caused by the differing temperatures, so to ensure the bead is nice and hard, it is fired in a kiln at a temperature lower than your initial torching.



What sets her work apart from the rest?

I first saw Glassy's work very recently, and I was instantly intrigued. What really appeals to me about her glass pieces is that they are different to mainstream lampwork. She adds an element of the macabre and the Baroque to her work. For example, have a look at these lampwork beads she has made called 'Dripping blood'



Who first taught you lampwork?

We all need to be taught how to do the basics of an artform if it is new to us, Glassy said her first lampwork teacher was Pauline Delaney at the Glass Shed in Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia. Pauline taught her how to form basic shapes with lampwork.



What got you into lampwork?

I am always fascinated in what inspires artists to try new media to express themselves, so I asked Glassy how she got into lampwork. She told me how she was once a member of a viking re-enactment group and was looking for some art technique she could use to share with the group, initially wanting to learn silversmithing she was unable at the time to locate a place to learn. She said that Vikings were skilled lampworkers so she located a lampworking course, with Pauline, and has not looked back!



The additional good news is that Glassy has also found a silversmithing course and has become a silversmith as well!



She promises that she will be listing some of her silver work in her etsy store soon too!

Personally I am very eagerly waiting to see Glassy's silver work as well, I love her lampwork beads that are full of heart, soul, and honesty, so I am sure her silver work will be just as amazing.


I really appreciate Glassy Lassy from the etsy store M1dnight Dreary for permitting me to profile her on my blog. Please visit her store, she is a true artist and deserves our patronage.

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Information on lampworking may be found at the following sites
............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat


Favourite gothic etsy stores (part one)

It is a rewarding experience becoming a part of etsy. It isn't just about selling items, it is about meeting like minded people, finding etsy stores that sell things I really like and usually have to make for myself if i want them as they are not commercially available, and seeing all the great ideas and artwork of other people. It is a huge global community of artisans and I really enjoy being a part of it.

I created a team on etsy called goth n gorgeous, and we have really great active, talented members on board.  I am the 'captain' of the team, and have appointed some cool etsians as leaders to help support and motivate the team.  The leaders in the goth n gorgeous team have really funky shops please have a look at them: there is Jynxx;  ghostgap,  Lady Nocturna, deepmidnightbathery and UlZaorith.

All members of our team are encouraged to be an active part of our virtual artisan community, and we encourage and support each other in our handicrafts and art.  Our team doesn't bow to egos, as our common goal is to promote each others work, provide inspiration and encouragement, and to have a fun time while doing it.

In today's blog I would like to share with you all some of my favourite etsy stores.
This list could go on and on and on, but here are just a few , please check these guys out, they make some very cool things.  Have a browse in their stores, make a purchase or three.

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ghostgap:
The owner of this store, Julia, is a very talented lady who makes the most imaginative and cute creations.
She also chats to me over etsy mail and keeps me occupied while im on train journeys to work.. which i find a great distraction to my almost two hour commute to work each day, because she is in USA and I am in Australia she is usually settling down for an evening of relaxation as I am venturing out on public transport of a morning trying to avoid the feral humans spitting on the train ....

With a Halloween twist, her items include such greats as : a pirate trinket box, a miniature Halloween house, and a black cat necklace.

Julia is friendly and approachable and committed to excellence in customer service. Her second etsy shop is angels and crafts and there you will find an array of gorgeous angel themed items, and gentle accessories like this sweet barrette. I personally like her birthstone angel for November (because its all about me.. well my birth month anyway!). I have recently ordered a custom made trinket box from her, Julia is happy to accommodate custom orders.

Her work is high quality and you can see that she is passionate about what she does. Please visit her stores and make a purchase, ideal for gifts for whatever holiday you subscribe too!


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Moira Coon


The items in this store contain such treasures as reproduction Victoriana ephemera, I am particularly fond of the pendants that are made to look like vintage poison bottles. My favourite being the arsenic bottle pendant. I am also impressed that the store owner tries to use recycled packaging wherever possible.




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Moonie Tricks Designs


This lady is an inspiration. read her profile on etsy and see how she has motivated herself after facing adversity.  I personally admire her for her positive attitue and her self discipline and her very attitude is inspiration and motivation to others.

I have purchased one of her items, a gorgeous bat lanyard clip, and use it at work all the time. It is high quality, looks beautiful, and is very useful. She has so many beautiful hand made items to sell in her shop, you need to visit it to see for yourself!  I am a happy customer of her store and can vouch for her high quality items and wonderful customer service.


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Jynxx Designs


Jynxx makes the most inventive, amazing, charm bracelets I have ever seen (and hey I make my own charm bracelets, and hers are FAR superior to anything I could make!) I have purchased a rat inspired charm bracelet from her and am excitedly waiting for its arrival in the post! You really need to have a look around her etsy store to see the amazing jewellery she has created. A halloween bracelet she has made that features spiders, cats, witches and other amazing beads and charms looks so beautiful and is so well made you would expect it to be selling for $100 or more, but she keeps all her prices fair. I also really like a black cat bracelet she has made, and am secretly hoping nobody else will buy it yet, as I want to buy it for myself as soon as i have some cash!!


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deepmidnightbathery

Catrianna (Cat) is a perfume artisan who concocts amazing unique and ethereal fragrant fantasies!
I have recently ordered one of her sample packs so I can decide which ones i prefer to buy as a larger vial.  Cat respects animals and her products are vegan, scores BIG POINTS with me!

Cat is a highly skilled artisan, she is friendly and helpful, I contacted her to ask for suggestions for which of her perfumes she thought I would like and she provided a thoughtful, honest and quick response to me. She is well schooled in alternative therapies and has an eclectic collection of formal qualifications and her products reflect her knowledge, imagination and amazing abilities, please note that her products are kind to the environment and kind to the humans that use them being both Pthalate and Paraben free.  




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Please note that this is PART ONE of a series of reviews I am writing regarding etsy shops that appeal to me, stay tuned for more. Feel free to comment on any of my postings i welcome feedback and ideas.

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