Peraza Bead & Jewelry
Glass Art Studio
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August 2010 Update - I will be at the shoppe on Friday the 27th, but will not be there on the 28th. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make myself available on that date either - so if you planned on coming by this weekend, please come by on Friday. I'll be there until 6:00 p.m. The plans for the teaching studio are being worked on, and I'm hoping to be ready for the first class this fall! I'll keep you all posted here and on facebook ("like" us at: Peraza Bead & Jewelry Glass Art Studio). I may be away on the weekend of August 27 and 28th but will make myself available throughout the week if anyone needs me at the shoppe. Just contact me and I'll arrange to meet you there. I will be away from the shop on Saturday, August 14, 2010, for a private showing. Many of my items will be removed from the shop on Friday afternoon and all unsold items will be returned to the shop on Monday August 16th. If you need assistance at my shop during the week, please contact me and I'll arrange to meet you there. Thanks! July 2010 I will be updating my site as I have sold numerous items but have not had a chance to remove them yet. Please be sure to check with me for availability before clicking on the "add to cart" buttons. Thanks! I had a wonderful visit from my dear friend Diane and her family. I'm only sorry that I did not get to spend as much time with them as I had hoped to. Thanks for coming to North Carolina Di & Joe! June 2010 18th - I finally have my large sign completed and placed over the corner shelves in my little shop. The sign acts as a door for the shelves inside. I'll be working on another smaller sign to hang from the ceiling to make it easy for folks to see when they come in. Here's what it looks like now. (You can click the two side view pictures to enlarge and get a better look).
17th - Just got finished with a 2 day private class with a wonderful gal from Hawaii. We had a great time and my hubby and I got a chance to spend some "fun" time with her and her husband, who travelled with her. Now back to work... I'll be making more keys and key jewelry designs as well as finishing up a custom order for a special lady. I'm also getting things ready for my grand opening event at the new shop. I'll be sending out email invitations with special savings for only those on my mail list. So if you're not on it already, take a few minutes and join. Now... off the to the torch! The latest key... I'll have this one up for sale soon - please check back.
May 2010 May 27th - With the opening on my shop in the Shoppes on Main in Fuquay Varina, I thought it fitting to start a small newsletter to keep you posted on events and specials. So I've added a "join mail" form for you to fill out if you would like me to keep you up to date on what's happening. Just click on the link on the left, fill out the form, then click "submit." May 20th - A few new pieces - a couple will be at the shop tomorrow with me.
This next key was made at the request of someone, so it is spoken for. Not exactly my style (well, my style, but on the "dark" side of it - I think you know what I mean) - anyway, there is also a matching heart focal.
May 19th - MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Saturday, June 5, 2010, "7th Annual Celebration of the Arts" in historic downtown Fuquay-Varina. Be sure to come into the Shoppes on Main mini mall to check out the artwork from local schools including: Ballentine Elementary, Herbert Atkins Elementary, Fuquay-Varina Middle, Holly Ridge Middle, Holly Springs Elementary and Lincoln Heights Elementary. The artwork will be on display within the main hall of the Shoppes on Main for the entire week of Sat, May 29, 2010 through Sat, June 5, 2010. You - the public will be invited to vote on "Best of Show" for a cash award to be given to the art department of the winning school. Help support your local schools' art programs - come in and vote! You'll also want to check out the artwork and other offerings of the 30+ shops within the Shoppes on Main while you are there (including my shop- of course). For more information on the Celebration of the Arts - click here. On another note - here are the 2 keys (shown in the May 15th post) now made into jewelry designs along with a skeleton key steampunk brooch.
May 15th - The past few days I've been working on something a little different (in between running around, taking care of my mother, my sister, my hubby, my kitties, and my businesses, and helping my daughter move). So - only a few of them available now, but something I'm going to continue making - I have so many ideas for using these...
The first 2 are already made into jewelry pieces, the 2nd two I just pulled from the kiln last night, but they too will become wearable pieces. Today - I'm off to the shoppe for the continuation of my steampunk exhibit. Oh, that reminds me, here's a new steampunk piece:
May 11th - The latest pics from the shop showing the Steampunk Motorcycle display. Still have a little more work to do to make it totally "me".
May 6th - Getting ready to head up to the shop to put up my Steampunk Display. I'll have my steampunk motorcycle on display through this month if you want to check it out. Pictures don't do this justice... the intricacy of this piece, which is made up of 99% watch parts and movements, is incredible. Please don't ask how I did it... sometimes I look at it and ponder that same question myself! I'll also have most of my steampunk jewelry designs on display and for sale. These make some of the most unique gifts... and with Mother's Day around the corner, it's the perfect timing for this event. My handmade glass beads and other jewelry items will also be on display and ready to pack up for someone special.
Now... for the next event. I'm planning something really special, but I'm not quite ready to share yet. I have to speak with a good friend of mine before I set this up. So make sure you check back regularly, as I'll post it here first! May 1st - I did it - - I opened up my little shop. Here's some pictures of the shop on opening day:
I'm offering my finished jewelry designs and loose lampwork beads for those of you who prefer to create your own designs. In the next month or so I will begin offering up some gorgeous loose stones too! I may even put a couple pieces of fine jewelry pieces in too (for those of you who like traditional fine jewelry designs). Check me out at 212 S Main Street in historic downtown Fuquay Varina, inside the Shoppes on Main. April 2010 April 26th - Starting Saturday, May 1, 2010, you will be able to find me, Peraza Bead & Jewelry Glass Art Studio, at the Shoppes on Main Mini Mall, located at 212 S Main Street, in downtown Fuquay Varina. April 25th - Although we got a little wet... I had a great show at Spring Daze with my show partner, Diane Norman of Luna Cat Jewels. Here's a couple pictures of our tent (while the sun was shining):
April 19th - I just added numerous items to my beads for sale. Check out the new vessels, focals, toggles, small sculpture and other beads I put up. They don't have all the details yet, but if you see something you want, just drop me a line and I'll hook you up! April 18th - The classes at Rocio's studio were awesome. I not only got to share some of my techniques and designs with the students, but I met some really incredible and super talented artists. Rocio and Ron are wonderful hosts! We had a fantastic time! Now I'm getting ready for the only show I do on an annual basis... Spring Daze in Cary, NC. If you're in the area, please stop by. Info on my booth, etc is located on the show page here. Hope to see you there. April 7th and American Idol just came on. Getting my bags packed up and ready to head to Florida early in the morning for the class at Rocio & Ron's studio in Cocoa Beach. Real excited to be teaching and looking forward to meeting some new glassies... See you all there! Oh - I'm not sure if I'll have internet where I'm staying, so if I don't respond to an email right away - - that's probably why. Please be patient - I'll get back to you as quickly as possible. April 2nd already! My how time flies. In case you haven't noticed, I just added a new page to the site for miscellaneous products. You can access it from the home page or click here. I put some Vegan friendly lip balm along with the famous TopZoff ring style bottle openers up for sale. The rings are so cool and make a perfect gift for father's day - or perfect for a little "just because" gift for the summer-time. They're really comfy too! Also put a couple pics of the persian kittens mom still has available. The 2 adult cats I had listed earlier are already in their new homes. Getting ready for the rose murrini and sculptured rose classes in Cocoa Beach, Florida next week. I'm looking forward to meeting Ron & Rocio and all the students who will be attending the classes. March 2010 21st. Today is my dh's birthday. Not sure what I'm going to do for him yet, but I'm thinking a favorite dinner would be nice. I already got him some motorcycle stuff for his special day. Aside from getting that together, I'm going to get on the torch for a couple hours today. It's been a hectic month, but things are finally starting to calm down a bit and we're all getting settled in. There are still 2 persian kittens left for sale, and now there is a litter of ragdolls which will be available in May. They are adorable! Alas... this will be the last of the litters as my mother has come to terms with the fact that she just can't continue with the cattery as she once did. She'll keep a couple of her cats for pets, but all the rest will be going to new homes. If you, or someone you know is interested in Persians or Ragdolls (adults or kittens), please pass this on. I'm hoping that my next post will be that of what I love... beads & jewelry! Stay tuned! February 2010 28th - Okay - I promised to share photos of a couple items I worked on while in Florida in my very spare time. Here's a necklace I made with one of my all time favorite beads; a bracelet made with brown as the base; and a ring made with a gorgeous vintage Austrian crystal bead for the center. I'll be putting more photos of these items and a couple others (which are a secret for now as they will be a series) on the jewelry pages and/or on the various venues I sell on... check back for updates.
26th - Back in NC again - this time with a family double the size it was just a month ago. My mother and sister are now living with me. We got here this past Monday and we're still working on getting settled in. Finally got their room set up (for the most part). We were able to find good homes for all of her persians before leaving Florida, with the exception of 2 kittens from the most recent litter. There's a cream color and a red. You can see them on her website if you are interested - they are adorable! She will ship to just about anywhere in the U.S. That's about it for now... just really busy getting things in order. Here it is, February 13th already, and I'm still in Florida getting things ready for the move of my mother and sister to my home in NC. We are supposed to leave here on the 20th or 21st. It's been a long couple weeks and I'm really anxious to get home - not to mention, I need to get back to my own business - - making beads, jewelry, etc. Although I have made a couple small pieces while here-- and I did make a piece with one of my favorite beads, I'm limited to what I can do with the small amount of tools and materials I brought with me. I'll be back to share them soon. We are selling off all of her persian cats. We have 2 adults that are for sale - here's a picture of each:
She also has 3 persian kittens and 1 ragdoll kitten for sale. You can see all of her cats/kittens for sale at www.RujamCattery.com. January 2010 With February knocking on the door, life (in general) brings some challenges for me. I'm currently in Florida with my mother who recently had a stroke. I'll be packing her house up and moving her to my home in NC within the next couple weeks. So, if you order something from my site or any of my auction venues, please be patient as it may take a few days for me to respond to you. Most of my lampwork beads and jewelry designs are at my studio, so I would not be able to ship anything like that until I return home in a couple weeks. You can still order them if you don't mind the wait. The pdf tutorials can be ordered anytime as I can provide you with the password(s) via email. Thanks for checking in! With the start of this new year, I have been asked to visit fine studios around the US to teach my Rose Murrini and Rose Garden beads as well as the Sculptured Rose beads, dainty rose beads, rose buds and more. For confirmed lampwork classes and other "special" designer classes, please see the Class Schedule. Here's another bracelet and earring set done with my standard cord:
January 19, 2010. I just finished making a piece that is "micro" macrame in the truest sense of the word. The string I used on this piece is about the thickness of sewing thread. It took me a couple days to make and, with that said, I probably will never make another using that thread size again. This piece is currently on my wrist and will most likely stay there. :) This one is made with gold plated seed beads (15's), akoya pearls, fancy shaped glass seed beads, swarovski crystals and semi-precious gemstones. I personally love the delicate and very feminine feel to this piece of jewelry. I will attempt to make another piece with the standard micro-macrame cord in time for Valentines Day as this would make the most perfect, romantic jewelry gift.
It's now January 2, 2010, and I'm still updating my site - adding items to sell in the upcoming year. I will also be adding items to Etsy, Artfire & 1000 Markets, so please check my current auctions for more eye candy! December 2009 30th - Only one more day to go this year. I finally got back on the torch for a few hours. I made the first of what will probably be many of the Goddess of Willendorf. Here's a quick picture of two I made into pendants:
26th - So here it is already after Christmas (the day after to be exact). Time has flown by this past year. As you can see, I am revamping the site - trying to make room for items I will have for sale in 2010, and make it a little easier to navigate. I'll have my beads and jewelry designs for sale right here on the site, so check back if you are looking for something special. November 2009 Wow- how time flies! Been super busy lately with life in general. I did get a chance to create some new beaded beads and a necklace. Since I could not get on the torch, I decided to create a few new items with beads. All of my Jewelry Designs and Lampwork Beads will be listed on my site for sale in early 2010. Until then, here's a peek...
October 2009 October 29 - I'm selling off all my "other" craft books and stuff. Check out my ebay auctions for crochet books/magazines, painting books, drawing books and so much more! There's more coming, so if you don't see anything you like, check back - I have so many assorted arts & crafts that I collected over the years. Some of you may know that I have injured myself to the point that I am confined to my bed for a while. Not to go into too much detail, my knee is healing and it looks like the infection that set in is clearing up. So fingers crossed, and prayers welcome, that I will be released at my next dr's visit and he won't have to do any surgery. Anyway, with all this time on my hands - and not being able to access my main computer to do the things I really need to be doing... I decided to make some more jewelry and start working on a silk ribbon embroidery piece I'm doing for Kim Fields. So please check out my jewelry gallery to see my latest micro-macrame pieces. September 2009 It has just been brought to my attention that I have been targeted, among many other lampwork artists, as a fraud. Apparently the person behind this fraud site is mad because she allegedly purchased beads from artists then sold them as her own and ultimately was caught. The allegations were brought to the art community's attention and addressed by several artists. It is my understanding that she was removed from selling other artists beads as her own from numerous sites. She has now added me to the hundreds of artists she is attacking and has accused me of being a tax fraud & evader - let me assure you that this is not the case, first off, I do not run a manufacturing company. I'm an artist, and this is my artistic outlet and hobby. In addition, I have only been in NC for a short time, and prior to moving to NC I was totally in compliance with my former State's laws. I am currently licensed in NC and have fulfilled my obligations under NC law to operate my business. The individual does not have her facts right, and randomly picks artists who are members of the Self-Representing-Artists (SRA) group. I was told that she was either removed from the membership or denied membership since she was selling other artists' beads as her own - claiming that she made them herself. That my friends is Fraud! Anyway, if you have any questions for me regarding this matter, please feel free to ask. A fund has been established to help the many artists who have fallen victim to these slanderous allegations. Please see http://www.piercesdesigns.com/pages/AGLF.htm for more information or to make a donation. I just finished a micro-macrame piece I have been working on since the end of August. Not continuously - but off and on as time allowed. Here's a couple pictures (sorry - they are not the best photos and do not show the gorgeous colors of the stones and lampwork)...
This piece is made with almost 14cts of genuine amethyst (2 stones) wrapped in swarovski crystals. The amethyst does not have a back to them, allowing the light to shine through and reflect off the facets. The gold beads are 14k, and the clasp is a 14k gold clasp with a safety latch. The focal of the piece is one of my Rose Murrini mini garden beads with a flat back (made specifically for this piece) surrounded by genuine flourite, and topped with more sparkling swarovski crystals. The bottom of the piece has about 30 strands dappled with 14k gf beads and swarovski crytals for added sparkle and interest. August 2009 So much going on now. Just had a nice visit from Vonna of "Just Vonna," and Liz Long of "Lampwork.com." We had a great time making beads and sharing techniques, etc. Still haven't tried the idea I had last month, and I'm not sure that I will at this point. Too many ideas in the ole head... and only 2 hands and one torch to try them all with! July 2009 Wow, how time flies! I've been really busy with so many things here lately, and I'll be going to the gathering in Miami next week. I will be gone from the 20th through the 29th. I'm hoping to get really busy making new bead designs when I get home. I've had so many requests for different things, including some of my older floral designs and toggles which I will start doing again. I've also had some requests for tea rose beads that will fit on a pandora/troll bracelet - so needless to say, I will try to make some of those when I return home. Oh, and I have another idea which was inspired by Ashton Jewels and which I'll also try when I return home. So please bookmark my site (or this little blog) so you can check to see when I have the new beads made. Hope to see some of you at the gathering! June 2009 I've been really busy lately with not only my glass, but now I have been asked to teach a couple wire-wrapping classes as well as a class on creating steampunk designs at a couple local shops. Needless to say, I said yes. :) I've also got my hands full with the fine jewelry and antiques company I help with from time to time (www.PalmBeachFineJewelryandAntiques.com). I went to Florida and spent a couple days going through and organizing the inventory in the vault. I also took some photos of some very incredible antiques - check out the site. One is a Baccarat Vase which is totally amazing! May 2009 The 8th - I got on the torch early this morning - Just got these out of the kiln and cleaned up. Enjoy - Rose Bleu and Tea Rose Series
I have new lampwork jewelry designs and steampunk jewelry designs listed on 1000 Markets.com. Visit my shop at www.peraza.1000markets.com. Here's a sample of my new work:
Remember to visit all the artists and designers in the three Markets I am active in on 1000 Markets Artbead Divine Jewelry (ADJ) Steampunk Style (SS) Charming
April 2009 I'm featured on a private blog at: http://handmadechic.blogspot.com/ I'm really excited about this - it's a very short and to the point feature - - but that's not it, there a lot of other information on the blog - so you may want to check it out for yourself. March 2009 I just opened a "twitter" account - you can now follow me at: http://twitter.com/Marilyn_Peraza Twitter.com is the latest application on the net and there is so much going on there... it's certainly a spot to watch! February 2009 4) February 28th. I completed shooting a video of the making of the rose murini, but, I'm having problems getting my video onto my computer for editing, voice over, etc. Problem is, my camera is an older version and my computer is much newer. They don't work well together! So that said, I'm going to shoot snap shots of the murini and create the pdf as I originally planned on doing. 3) Now that I have the bullseye colors figured out a bit more, and I am able to produce a nice rose murini with the glass, and after numerous requests, I'm going to start preparing a tutorial on making the rose murini in such a way to make the roses look more realistic and natural. I'm also going to do a tutorial on using the murini in a bead so you know exactly how to get it right. There's much more to making a full, natural looking rose than just having murini. You need to know how to use it properly to get the right effect. With that said... I'm off to the torch with camera man at my side to start shooting for these tutorials. Check back to see where I'm at on this project. Once it is ready and available, it will be posted on the Online Catalog page of my site, and probably on Etsy as well.
2) My latest designs are a
revisit to the rose murini I once did back in 2005.
1) There is a particular style in jewelry that I have admired for quite some time. But over time, the idea of it got pushed to the back burner, and was, quite honestly, forgotten. Just recently, a friend of mine came to pick up the beads she had made the day before. She brought her husband with her, who happened to mention a style of jewelry that my pieces reminded him of. He told me the name of the style (which I was totally unaware of) is Steam Punk. I never heard it called that, so I began my search on google to find out more about Steam Punk. As it turns out, Steam Punk is exactly what I had seen in the past. This is the style I just never got around to. It's very much Victoriana influence, with a techno-fantasy theme. Here's the Wikipedia definition of Steam Punk found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk: Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality. Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual craftpersons into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk. With all of that said, I have made my first simple Steam Punk piece. Here's a photo:
I intend to do more pieces in this style, and I will incorporate my lampwork beads into each piece. The piece in the photo has a small spacer bead which has the colors of the piece in it and compliments the metals perfectly.
December 2008 Sculptured Rose Tips & Tricks - If you already purchased the dvd or pdf of the Sculptured Rose Tutorial, check out the new tips and tricks page for variations of the rose and other helpful information. Also, please note that I will be working exclusively with Bullseye glass from now on. I fell in love with Bullseye glass several years ago and wanted to make the total change over back then. I thought I would "use" up all of my 104 glass, but as more and more special glass became available, I found myself stocking up. I would use the 104 glasses for a while, but always went back to Bullseye. This New Year, I decided to make the change and sold all of my 104 soft glass as well as my boro glass. Why I am telling you this you may ask? Well, many of the beads I have made in the past were with the 104 glass. Bullseye's pallet is slightly different than effetre and lauscha and most of the other soft glasses, so I won't be able to re-create certain beads as I once did. November 2008 Check out Palm Beach Fine Jewelry & Antiques. They have designer sized genuine, AAA top quality stones for your wire wrapping, or setting needs. Visit the site at: www.PalmBeachFineJewelryandAntiques.com. Oh, and the company is right here in the good ole USA!
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This set is listed on the
Steampunk Bracelet
Lampwork Necklace
Since I'm obviously focusing on Victoriana, how perfect is the rose
for my designs? This time it's been a bit challenging for me
since I switched over to exclusively bullseye glass. I'm
finding it hard to make the petals stand out since most of the
opaque colors are on the translucent side. After three-four
days of working on the murini to get it to the point where I'm happy
with it, I finally succeeded. Please check the bead gallery
for a look at what I have done. I'm also planning on
doing more of them, but with a very Victorian look. I've done
some research on Victorian glass art, particularly floral designs,
and I'm working up a few sketches for my next beads. I hope
you enjoy my new work!
P-15
