From Out Of My Kiln

Hello everyone!
Yep there's something NEW going on at Kstyle. And no not the NEW beads you see above (finally I know) but the whole NEW sidebar that you see to the left. That's right I'm going personal. That little column over there is going to be me, K and the goodies that come out of my kiln. I hope that knowing I need to keep this fresh and fun and NEW will get me back on the torch and producing. So so many distractions. Any of you out there have that problem??? Well I am the queen of distraction so we'll see if this NEW tactic will work. Oh and once my new creations end up in that column you can hop on over to my Etsy shop to check prices, availability and well maybe even to purchase. It's a NEW day at Kstyle, hope you enjoy, k

Introducing K's Etsy Shop

Well it's been a long time in coming and am still not where I want to be in terms of my inventory but it IS a beginning. So take a few minutes and hop on over to my NEW Etsy shop showcasing my signature lampwork earrings. And scroll down my Kstyle blog page for a small slideshow of some of my current and past work. hope you enjoy, k

Smilebox, My New Favorite Toy

Hey Kstylers. By now most of you know that I love some of the new widgets that are popping up daily for us blogging fanatics and Smilebox is my new favorite. So to introduce this fun new toy I have created my first "Kstyle Bead Show". You can just click on the pic or right HERE to start the show. Then just hit the arrow keys to move through all the pics. This is quick and fun and I promise you will enjoy. Oh and the music I chose is fitting because I am Mrs. Robinson. enjoy, k

Out of My Kiln, Gucci Gorgeous

For those of you that saw my Gucci 2007 Spring/Summer slide show on Sunday you know I promised you my signature earring charms in "Gucci" colors and here they are. Love love the colors of hot spring in black, coral and purple. now if I could only afford the purse, k

And btw I'm sure you've noticed a few more than usual posts from "Out of My Kiln "which are leading somewhere I promise. However it's so icy cold here right now as in inches of snow that not conducive to my creative spirit. so soon but not as soon as I wish, k

Out of My Kiln, The Yummy Blues and Greens

Yum, love the fresh blues and greens that are showing this Spring and Summer and I'm hoping that if I'm thinking and torching Spring maybe the weather gods will wake up here in Ashland and get with the program. Oh and remember the Gucci video I showed on stylin video Sunday. Well stay tuned for some Kstyle earrings in coral, purple and black.and please think warm thoughts, k

Out of My Kiln, Persimmon

While I don't post often about fashion on Kstyle the truth is I have always loved beautiful clothes. And I love to design my jewelry with current colors and trends in mind. So I hope to share with you not only my work process but also where my inspiration comes from. The gorgeous persimmon colors, blues, and violets which you see in this rich version of my signature earring charms and hoops comes from Antrhopologie's darling grouping called "Chit Chat". While not the stuff of Oscars I love the wearability, clean lines, and hot colors in this group.

Stay tuned for more fashion inspired Kstyle jewelry this week and a tiny surprise later this week.
And speaking of fashion my favorite Oscar dress this season by far was Reese Witherspoons. Also loved Penelope Cruz and Portia De Rossi. what were your favorites? k

Look Whats blooming Out of My Kiln

It's finally warmed up a bit here in Ashland and I'm thinking spring! Love these flower bead charms and I can't wait to try some more color combos. And what's really fun about this design is that you can turn them over and get the second color combo on the back of the bead. Two earrings in one.

So here's what you need to know. The bead charms come off the hoops. You can change out the colors or styles. And on top of that with some of the styles you can turn the bead around which makes a second color combo like the ones above. too fun, k

Out Of My Kiln, Blues and Lavenders

I made the first pair of earrings you see for my friend S whose getting a nice little package today when I see her at Waterboy's swim meet. I'm really liking the colors in these. They look like green jade and black onyx with a splash of gorgeous transparent ocean turquoise blue to set off the solids. They look smashing with some of my beautiful scarves. If you remember my weirdness post I have quite a collection. Also like the pastels which were requested by some of you. Be sure to stay tuned here at kstyle bead central. I have lots more colors and styles to show you. k

Off to waterboy's swim meet now where I will be a timer for the next several hours. We're winding down on swimming. Next we we have districts and then state finals. You'd think we and he might get a rest after that but no, waterboy will soon evolve into golf boy although he would probably play golf in the water if he could. k

Out Of My Kiln, Mosaics

Mosaics are coming out of my kiln at the moment and I have to say these are just so yummy. Will be one of the styles that I will be offering lined in silver of course and eventually gold. Will do these in some other color combinations as well. The golds,browns and greens and the pinks, purples and blues. This bead is one of the most difficult and time consuming that I do. There are over fifty layers of glass VERY carefully placed to create each mosaic layer that you see.

Im going to post a video from You Tube in the next few days of a lampworker making a bead at the torch. I know that many of you aren't really sure how these beads are made or what lampworking exactly is. It won't be me but there are a few videos which are really good and will give you a good idea of what this amazing art form is all about. So stay tuned. Lots more fun beads and lampworking coming your way. k

Out Of My Kiln & Website Update

Wanted to give you all an update on where I'm at with the Kstyle jewelry website and what's coming out of my kiln these days. So the good news is that I am making progress and the website is coming along. The bad news is that it has been so freezing cold in Ashland and I am talking cold cold that lampworking and the photography involved for the site have been very difficult to do. As in I have even cracked beads just trying to get the bead from the flame to the kiln in one piece. Some of my readers are lampworkers and I'm sure you can relate. I do have a space heater in the garage where I torch but not up to the job in this kind of weather. So I'm hoping to have things up and running by the end of February. Also I am trying different backdrops for beads which is why you see three different photo versions in this post. Which one do you like best? k

And I also want to thank everyone for the kind birthday wishes and for linking me. I had a great day and hearing from all of you made it even more fun. thanks again, k

A "Silver" Lining at Kstyle

So many of my readers and fellow bloggers are also designers or creators so I know you will appreciate it when I tell you that while my new earrings which are now YAY lined with a silver core may look fairly simple they were anything but. Sometimes I really think that clean, simple, edited design is the most difficult to achieve. Why? because every single flaw or imperfection shows. Especially in the eye of the camera. So I am so pleased that I have finally learned how to add this additional layer to my beads and to my jewelry. It wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't cheap but then if it were easy, well you know the answer to that. Oh and I would like to ask you all a desgin question.

In the beads you see above I have blended three colors, navy, green and turquoise. I will be adding more 3 color combinations and I'm curious to know what you would be into keeping in mind that we are headed into spring and summer. My next color combo will probably be a coral, lavender and green. But I'd love to hear from you. What trends do you see coming and or what colors do you personally wear a lot? And those of you out there who visit Kstyle but don't typically comment. Please weigh in. I'd really like to hear from you. Thanks so much. k

Out of My Kiln, Yummy Greens and Blues

Have been busy all weekend filling last minute holiday orders and I thought you might like to see my latest creations. I love the greens, teals, and blues that combine to make the mosaics and water drops just pop out. The glass is even more gorgeous when reflecting sunlight. enjoy, k

Note:I am in the process of creating a website for my glass jewelry with easy access to my whole range of beads and charms right here on kstyle. May also include an etsy shop and of course I will continue to sell my work on ebay. It's always a matter of time but I am dedicated to getting this up and running soon. For now though you'll have to let me know through email if you're interested in ordering any of my jewelry. So much to do and so little time. Take care, k