A little bit obsessed with artisan lampwork glass

I really love artisan lampwork beads. Really, really, really. I stumbled upon them a little less than a year ago while perusing for jewelry supplies in the pages of Etsy. I was immediately captivated by the intricate, swirling colors and designs created by such talented artisans. So, of course, since I was on a supply hunt, I snapped up a bunch of these delicious beads (see a small selection from my collection in the picture to the left).

Most of my collection consists of borosilicate beads. Borosilicate, more commonly called boro beads, are made of Boron, a very hard glass that can also include a variety of metals. Boro glass creates extraordinary bright colors and it appears especially saturated in natural sunlight and less bright indoors. But whether in natural or artificial light, boro beads are fantastically beautiful and talented lampwork artisans bring out their most vibrant shades.

For more about boro beads, visit the Artbead Divine Jewelry blog on 1000 Markets where Mary of Sandcastle Jewels writes a very interesting explanation. For a history of lampworking, visit another blog post on the Artbead Divine Jewelry blog by Sharon of Bijoux Jardin.

With a cluck-cluck here and a cluck-cluck there...

In my boredom, I managed to concoct another semi-crazy idea. I want some chickens. Four chickens, actually. Live ones. D thinks I'm nuts, and although he admits it's a good idea, he seems to think I won't take care of the chickens.

This idea sprouted from an article I read in one of my favorite magazines, Sunset, a magazine about life in the west. It's all very fashionably outdoorsy and stylishly crunchy. I get the northern California edition by default, which is almost perfect since it's close enough to southern California. To me, having chickens and growing a garden (these days, who wouldn't want to know exactly where their food comes from) is all part of the sustainable, handmade indie artisan lifestyle.

So, I want some chickens and I've already named them. Ready for this? My future feathered egg-layers are Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia. In case you don't recognize those names, just run a google search for The Golden Girls. And D is wrong. I would take care of the chickens (and keep Thing 1 and Thing 2 from eating them, although we may need some assistance from Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan on that one).