Glassy Jewels Home Page

What's a Torc?

According to Wikipedia, a Torc, aka Torq or Torque is a type of jewelry, usually a necklace or bracelet, made of single or multiple strands of metal that is twisted ("torqued") into shape. Typically open-ended in the front, these rigid, circular adornments usually feature embellishments on the ends, or terminals.

Examples have been found in many cultures, some dating back to 500 B.C. A magnificent example is part of the collection at the British Museum and is known as The Great Torc. Examples of this type of jewelry are common in contemporary jewelry designs today, as are cuff bracelets, and bangle bracelets.

Spring is on the way (finally!), and once I finish preparing my records for the accountant I'll be free to enjoy it. Hope you are getting signs of Spring where you live too.

2/24/10

The Third Annual Bead Retreat is almost filled. If you are planning to attend but haven't yet been in touch with Margie, do it soon. If you've already registered - rest up for a fun filled beady weekend!

I think my email problems are over, but if you have a problem reaching me or getting a response, please keep trying. There's always the possibility of more problems (with technology, you never know...).

My newest project, Clinging Vine, pictured below, has received a great response at the Atlanta area stores where I've taught it over the past month. We'll be offering it a few more times since the classes filled up quickly. The classes page isn't updated but I'll try to get it done during the first few days of November.

November 1 is the date Margie Ryan and I picked to reveal our projects for the Bead Retreat we're doing in April, 2010. If you attended the last retreat we put on, you know how much fun we had. If you missed it, well, here's another opportunity. Check back on November 1 to see all the fun beading coming up.

Sylvie Lansdowne is hosting a beading retreat around the New Year's holiday and it sounds like a great time! More info to come.

The Southern Flames hosted 2 two-day classes with Heather Trimlet and Heather also demo'd at our SF October meeting. What a treat that was, and those who took the class couldn't say enough about the great experience they had.

The Atlanta Bead Society had another fun meeting October 1, teaching a very pretty herringbone stitch bracelet using cube beads. Next month (November 5) Marisa Fowler will teach a gorgeous St. Petersburg Chain Lariat project. For more info check the link to the Atlanta Bead Society.

Hope you all are enjoying the Fall season and I hope your jack-o-lantern is filled with treats!

Welcome! It's been awhile since I've updated the site, so there's a lot of news to post. Here in the south school starts up in early August, so our "summer" is essentially over, even though the calendar thinks there are several more weeks before Fall. I hope your summer is/was fun and relaxing. Mine was busy, fun, and inspiring. I've lots of new ideas for beading projects and glass beads that I'm working on now. More to come.

The retreat last May was a blast! So much fun, in fact, that we're doing The Third Annual Bead Retreat next April 23 - 25, 2010 - so mark your calendar and hold the date. Margie and I offered our most popular classes at the last retreat, but for the Third Annual we're coming up with ALL NEW projects. And there will be an opportunity to sign up early to guarantee your kit color choices. For more details about the retreat and Red Top Mountain Lodge, click here:

3rd Annual Bead Retreat

The Bead & Button Show, held in Milwaukee in early June, was fantastic. I'm in awe of all the incredible beadwork and talented designers and it was overwhelming to see so much creativity in one place. The exhibits were drool-worthy, as was much of the beadwork worn by the attendees. The huge marketplace was filled with everything to make ideas come to life. Inspiration in every direction!

The Gathering (Int'l. Society of Glass Beadmakers convention) in Miami at the end of July was a great time too. Four days filled with amazing glass works, supplies, demonstrations, and wearable creations, all made me desperate to fire up the torch and create!

I taught Crystal Pave' for The Metro Beaders bead society in August. They're a relatively new (2 years old) bead society in the Atlanta area. Thanks for arranging the class Lola!

New projects are in the works for fall and will be offered at all the usual places. Check the Beaded Jewelry Classes for pictures and dates. I'm just finishing the first of the new project offerings and pictures of that one will be up early next week.

Last week I took a beginning knitting class with two of my beading pals. Now, I've attempted knitting before and was a dismal failure. My ultra-patient Grandma attempted to teach me knitting on several occasions but to no avail. This time, I caught on. We all had a great time and the instructor, Debi, made it seem easy! The shop, The Whole Nine Yarns is beautiful, and the owner, Caryn, is really nice. Check it out if you're in the metro Atlanta area.

April 2:

NEW!! My beadweaving kits are going to be available at BuytheKit.com ! The first one, Maltese Bracelet, is already available there. Coming soon: Selene Earrings in two color choices, and Dew of the Pearls bracelet.

Check out the link above for the Second Annual Bead Retreat at Red Top Mountain Lodge, just north of Atlanta, May 1, 2, and 3, 2009. Learn new beading techniques, fun new projects, meet new beading friends, and enjoy the beauty of the North Georgia Mountains and Lake Allatoona. Most of the classes are more than half full, so if you're planning to attend, don't wait. Get in touch with Margie soon to secure your spot. Kits for each class are included in the price of the class!

Glassy News: I'm busy traveling to bead stores around the area with fun beading projects. In the next few weeks: Bead Biz, Helena, Alabama, The Beadcage, Columbus, Georgia, and On the Rocks, Dacula, GA, in addition to the metro Atlanta stores, Bead Bayou, Alpharetta, BEADiful in Cumming, and The Bead Hive, Marietta. See the Beaded Jewelry Classes page for the details.

3/2
Signups for the Bead Retreat are coming in. If you're thinking about attending,
get your reservation in soon, before classes are full.

Second Annual Bead Retreat

I've been invited to teach at a bead retreat this May, at Red Top Mountain Lodge in Cartersville, Georgia. Margie Ryan, a local bead teacher, has asked me to join her and teach some classes. Margie started this retreat last year and it was such a success that it's being offered again this year, with twice the classes.

Click on the link below for all the details, pictures of projects, how to register, etc.

This new necklace or bracelet project uses Swarovski bicones in two sizes and seed beads, works up quickly and is appropriate for any skill level.

OK, A few friends have mentioned that it really isn't Spring anymore, so it might be time to update the site. In fact, I've almost missed Fall as well.

Teaching at 4 bead stores, designing new projects, making custom lampwork, in addition to all the mom and wife duties is keeping me hopping. I have two great new projects, Rocio de la Perla, an elegant pearl and Swarovski necklace, and Selene, a versatile design that makes a simple but lovely bracelet, earrings and necklace featuring faceted CZ stones. My lampwork is being featured in a line of earring kits, so I spent a good bit of time making the inventory for the various styles and color choices. I've also had the good fortune to be making a series of Yoga-themed jewelry for a studio in the Atlanta area.

Jeff Barber was in town to teach a lampwork class for the Southern Flames glass beadmakers group, using Satake glass from Japan. I really learned alot and LOVE the color palette of the glass. Jeff is really knowledgeable and sharing and it was a great class.

My first real glass teacher, Sylvie Lansdowne, is back working with glass after a short sabbatical. She's hosting a great on-line creativity workshop that I'm participating in and it's been fun so far.

In my spare time I'm taking a reupholstery class through a local parks and rec program. It's been a lot of work, but really interesting to learn how it all goes together.

Whew! Time's flying by... so, here's the news...

Thursday, April 3, I'll be teaching Star of India at the Atlanta Bead Society.

For time and location, check their website: ABS

Lush Beads in Lowell, Massachusetts is carrying some of my patterns. Check out their website: Lush Beads Wednesday, April 23 they'll be teaching Pinch Bead Bracelet from 7-9:30pm.

Beginning this month I'll be teaching at The Bead Hive in Marietta, Georgia. We've scheduled Maltese, Star of India, and Cleopatra

Kit sales for the Maltese are going well and the feedback has been great. Supplies are running low on the Black/Silver combination. Swarovski prices have gone up twice this year already, but I'm hoping I won't have to raise the kit price when I reorder. I'll be adding more project kits as I can find the time. Be sure to drop me an e-mail to let me know if there's a particular project you'd like to see in kit form.

Two new projects are scheduled at my normal teaching haunts, Bead Bayou in Alpharetta and BEADiful in Cumming. The projects are shown below and details are listed on the beaded jewelry page.

Crown Jewels and Sea Urchin. Both are necklaces! (not bracelets!!)

I'm working on project samples for classes at The Beadcage in Columbus, GA, and Bead Biz in Helena, AL and will post those pictures and dates on the class page once they are confirmed.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a happy and peaceful holiday season. I thought I'd have a lot of time to assemble the kits and design lots of wonderful new projects, but as it turned out I spent a lot of time cooking and hanging out with my husband and boys. It was a really nice vacation at home. But not at all productive.

The Maltese bracelet kits are (finally!) ready to go. These beautiful bracelets feature faceted cubic zirconia ovals and Swarovski crystal. They are SO comfort-able to wear. There are four great color combos to choose from and the kit includes everything you need to make one bracelet - even the needle and thread! Go to the Shop page for better pictures and more info.

Black & Olivene Green Purple & Burnt Orange Kit $75
Silver & Crystal Purple Iris & Bronze

I had another great day of teaching classes at The Beadcage in Columbus, GA this past Saturday.
They have a really great group of beaders there and it's always a fun day when I get to teach (and
shop) at that fantastic store! Be sure to check out the store if you're in the area. It's worth the trip.

I'll be teaching in Helena, Alabama at The Bead Biz next month, and continuing classes in Alpharetta at Bead Bayou and Cumming at BEADiful.

Lampwork coming up in the next few weeks will feature Easter. Watch for a new auction soon.

12/4
The kit supplies have arrived! Maltese is the first project to be offered in a kit, in four luscious color combinations. I'm currently beading the samples to photograph for the kit covers and assembling the components into the kits. I'm planning - if all goes well- to have them up for sale on this site next week.

The auction went well - it sold and the beads have arrived at their new home. More auctions in the near future. I'm trying to keep up with demand for Christmas-themed beads for local stores and personal gifts and I'm anxious to start designing Valentine's Day beads.

Teaching is busy too. Check out my newest 2 projects on the Beaded Jewelry page, Cleopatra - a bracelet with two variations and a lovely beaded toggle, and Pearl Pendant, which uses the new Swarovski wavy pearls and works up quickly to an impressive and fashionable flower. Classes have been scheduled at the Beadcage in Columbus, GA and at the Bead Biz in Helena, AL, as well as BEADiful in Cumming, GA and Bead Bayou in Alpharetta, GA.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by and please come back next week to see the Maltese kits. Hope you're able to find the time to enjoy the holidays!

11/18
FINALLY! My first eBay auction is up and running. Check it out here:
Black Tie Debut Auction.

11/4
Greetings! Thanks for stopping by. The Bead Class schedule is up to date, and I'll be adding classes for Columbus, GA and Helena, AL soon. Here's the update on what's keeping me busy these days:

eBay
My auction debut will be sometime this week. The beads are made, the photos are taken, now it's just a matter of jumping through the hoops to get the listing up and running.

New Class Projects
A great new versatile. . . bracelet! Two bracelets, actually but combined in one class. Not such a surprise, since I make more bracelet projects than other types combined. The first style is a more slinky, traditional bracelet and the other is more of a cuff-style. Both come use the beautiful faceted, gemstone-cut rondels and both come with instructions for a fun beaded toggle. See the Beaded Jewelry page for class listings.

Also new - a pearl pendant using a fun new pearl shape from Swarovski.

Kits
I'm actively seeking sources for kits for my projects and am trying to have the first few projects available by December 1.

Stay tuned!

7/18
It's been a long time since the last update and a very busy time too!
First, the business update: I'll be traveling until early August, so no orders will go out until I return. I will be checking e-mail at least every few days, though.

Now, the fun stuff: Bead classes and designing kept me busy this spring and early summer, along with travel to soccer tournaments and camps with my youngest son.

There are lots of fun things in the works. My lampwork debut WILL be in mid-August. I spent a bit of time at the torch this spring and came up with a fun, new design, worthy of a e-Bay debut. The few people who've seen the design love it, so I'm excited to get the auction up. I haven't seen beads in this design before, so, hopefully they will be very original and unique.

On the beading project/class front, a couple of new designs are in the works. An Autumn version of the "bouquet" bracelet, a beautiful new faceted CZ bracelet, and a netted holiday necklace are all in production.

The Bead Biz in Helena, Alabama invited me back to teach my Lacy Lariat and the Renaissance Cross in June, and in Georgia, the Bead Bayou (Alpharetta) and BEADiful (Cumming) are keeping me busy. I'm also scheduled to teach the Marguerite Bracelet at The Beadcage in Columbus, Georgia in August. (Another great bead store - check them out if you are in the area).
Enjoy the rest of your summer. See you in August! Cristie

4/27 Thanks for making the March Madness marguerite sale a great success! The sale officially ends today. Some colors are currently sold out and others are in low supply.

If you took my Star of India class at The Bead Biz in Helena, Alabama last month, the pattern revisions are available. To receive a copy, e-mail me with your name and if you have MS Word, I can e-mail them to you right away. Otherwise, e-mail me your mailing address and I'll put a copy in the mail to you.

Look for new lampwork beads on eBay in the next couple weeks. My seller ID is GlassyJewels. My newest project, Lacy Lariat is pictured below. Also pictured, Spring Bouquet Bracelet. I'm currently teaching both classes at Bead Bayou in Alpharetta, Georgia and BEADiful in Cumming, Georgia.

Thanks for stopping by!
Cristie

Welcome! (From Mid-March)
March started with an opportunity to teach at a new venue - The Bead Biz in Helena, Alabama. A wonderful group of seven took the Star of India class and we had a great time. If you get a chance to visit The Bead Biz, you're in for a treat. The owner, Lora, is as nice as can be, and her cute store is jam-packed with bead wonders. Check it out here: The Bead Biz

I've updated the class pages again, as I've been scheduling projects at various Atlanta - area stores as recently as last week. If you see a project that you'd like to take, but I'm not currently offering that class, drop me an e-mail so I can schedule it.

If you're in the Atlanta area, I'll be demonstrating a lampworked Easter Bunny head at the Southern Flames meeting on Wednesday, March 14 at Beads By Design, 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We definitely did. It was great to have our son, Michael, home from college and all be together -even if it was only for a couple of weeks. We also celebrated his 19th (!) birthday on December 24. Our 12 year old, Tyler, was happy to have his brother around too, and the time went by too quickly.

OK, on to the business stuff. The dates for beginning glass bead classes are listed on the Lampworking page. Some of the upcoming beading classes are listed on Beaded Jewelry, with more to be added in the next couple of weeks. New pictures have been added too. Santa left a new macro lens for my digital camera and I've been busy learning to take better pictures. There's still a lot of room for improvement in that area, but they are better than they were.

The Star of India bracelet kits are up on the Shop page. There are three color combos to choose
from and they are all much prettier in person than in the photos. I definitely need to work on my digital photography skills. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for my samples to be returned from Beadwork, so the third color choice, garnet, gold, and white is shown in a single rosette instead of the full bracelet. At this point I'm not planning to offer the necklace in a kit, simply because there are too many components to stock in a variety of color options. I won't say, "never" on the necklace kits, but for now I have way too many other things to do with my time.

The charlottes are now pictured too, in case you were wondering what they looked like.

I was fortunate to take a glass class with a wonderful artist last weekend, Bronwen Heilman, and I absolutely loved the techniques she taught using enamels to paint glass either directly onto beads or on sheet glass that is later wrapped around beads. Bronwen's a great teacher too. Fun! I'm hoping to have some glass beads available on the site and, possibly, on eBay before the end of the year.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Cristie

11/11/06
I just found out that the Beadwork (December-January issue) with the Star of India project is out! I was planning to have the Star of India kits available by the release date listed on Beadwork's site, November 21, 2006. So much for trying to be on time. No problem though, because I'm currently working up the samples to photograph for the site and the first three color combinations will be up for sale by Wednesday, November 15. So, if you're here for kits, check back on Wednesday.

Charlottes!!
The precious metal plated charlottes for the Marguerite Bracelet (or any other project) are in. I have both sterling silver and 24-karat gold plated size 13/0 charlottes and they're beautiful!

I have a really full teaching schedule this fall, both for seed bead projects and for lampworking classes. The class pages are updated with my schedule for November, December, and January. The classes have been going really well and I've had to add additional dates to accommodate the signups. Can't complain about that!

I'm still selling Swarovski Marguerite crystals, and all colors on the Shop page are currently in stock. They tend to be pricey, but I'll be selling them in small amounts, enough to make a Marguerite Bracelet.

Thanks for stopping by! Cristie

Beadwork Cover Photo: Joe Coca

One of my bracelet designs, The Marguerite Bracelet, is featured in the April/May issue of Beadwork Magazine, page 32-24!

Can't Find Marguerites?
The Swarovski Marguerite crystals can be difficult to locate, so I'm offering them for sale here