More on Murano.

There are few times when I feel an instant emotional connection to something—a material item… a thing.

I had one of those moments when I returned from Murano, Italy.

The trip positively changed my life. As I've mentioned before, it made me feel absolutely connected to creativity again, for the first time in years. I suddenly felt more in touch with who I am. I felt open. I knew who I was again, at the core of my being, and I was unafraid to let everyone see. I felt at home on a torch, wielding molten blobs of glass, when I’d only sat at a torch for a few short hours prior.

I’ve had similar connections before, no doubt. I’ve been a musician all my life—a pianist, primarily, and all of my emotional connection with music fed my ability to communicate through ivory keys and brass pedals.

I lost that ability sometime in college, when the idea of being graded for my emotional outlet caused me to burn out and walk away from playing.

Ever since those days, I have wandered rather aimlessly through a sea of various creative endeavors—writing poetry or essays, and designing jewelry to name a couple—but most of those endeavors have left me feeling somewhat empty or uninspired at one point or another. The ultimate connection between the core of my being and a tangible means of expression was lost upon me.

I lived in Boston for a couple of years, and I once set foot into a piano store with a Bosendorfer front and center. It was the first time I’d ever seen one, let alone been encouraged to touch it. If you’re unfamiliar with them—it’s basically the Ferrari of pianos.

When I saw that Bosendorfer—my heart swelled in my chest and I immediately froze with remembrance of my talent and ability that I’d so willingly tossed away. I couldn’t even touch the Bosendorfer. Instead, I settled upon an electric piano upstairs that had headphones already attached—so my noodling wouldn’t have to be heard by anyone or anything but my aching heart.

I can quickly attach to a piano on a deeply emotional level. But that’s rare with other things.

Which is why I was so stricken when I returned from Italy. I realized that the emotional connection I have to expression has finally changed forms. I no longer craved moments alone to play my homely upright in a rare moment of silent desperation. Oh, no.

I craved the torch, the focused fire, the molten glass oozing its way into round around a mandrel. I craved the folding of color upon color, the swirling of patterns and the plunging of dots and the sparkle of dichroic and gold and silver and palladium. I suddenly wanted to pour my emotions out in the form of glass beads.

So, imagine my surprise when I realize my own connection to glass, and what glass can mean to me.

And then, I saw the bead.

This bead, Murano Magic, made by Sarah Hornik—an homage to a glass sculpture on Murano island.

I felt the same way I felt when I saw that Bosendorfer for the first time in my life. My heart swelled in my chest, and I could feel the edges of my eyes crowding with liquid. I had to have that bead—for what it represents, for the punctuation of what I experienced, for the underlining and exclaiming of all that is Murano, Italy. I had to have that bead.

The timing was pretty terrible—my husband was unemployed, and I didn’t have any work to speak of, and of course—while in Italy, I’d spent a little too much money.

But I had to have that bead.

“It’s silly,” I thought. “It’s a hunk of glass,” I justified.

No good—I had to put a bid on it. Because I had to have that bead.

I lost the auction, but luckily I was able to acquire the bead some months later through a private sale. Lucky me!

It is, without question, a beautiful piece of art.

But it’s more than that. It represents our time in Murano. It expresses something I have, thus far, been unreasonably unable to articulate. It represents a shift in me—a willingness to rekindle my innermost ability of emotional expression. It’s a tangible totem marking my re-awakening.

Murano Magic, indeed.

Testimonials

I understand that looking at jewelry online and deciding to make that leap of purchasing requires a certain level of trust. Trust in me to create a piece that's going to hold up over time, trust that the images represent what you're purchasing, trust that once you submit payment I will deliver, etc.

I thought it only fair to ask my customers for testimonials. I hope you find this information helpful!

"I own four necklaces made by Linda Lee and love every one of them! I have a difficult time deciding which necklace to wear, but I'm always wearing one! I love my necklaces so much I special ordered a bracelet for my mother. It's the most amazing piece of jewelry and everyone in my family loves it." --Jodi in TX

"I love your jewelry because not only are the beads handmade, but the designs are always unique. When I wear your jewelry, I know no one in the world has another one like it. That rocks. And your jewelry is extremely well made. I've never had one piece come apart on me. It's elegant, beautiful, well made. Just stunning. Which is why no matter how many necklaces or earrings I have, I keep buying more!" --Emmi in GA

"When I was searching for the best jewelry for my girlfriend for Christmas, I was stuck. I'd visited many stores and web sites, but nothing had that special, unique feel that I wanted for my gift. After stopping by lindaleestudio, I found so many great pieces that I didn't know where to begin! And when I gave her a hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind set of earrings, the look in her eyes let me know I'd made the right choice. Thanks, Lindalee!" --Jacques in CT

"Approximately a year ago I was looking for something a little 'different' in the way of jewelry to give my daughter who is now nineteen & is, honestly, a little hard to please. It isn't that it has to be expensive... it's just in order for it to be a piece she will truly love it has to be 'different' & even a little 'quirky'. She does not like anything too 'girly' or fragile & we have to take issues like length & material into mind because we're both tired of cutting up poor innocent artwork to get it out of her very long, very thick, very curly hair.

Somewhere in there I discovered Linda Lee & her on line studio & Etsy site & fell in love with a corded necklace she had made where all the beads had been strung & knotted in place to form a sort of braided triple strand~~ all in the front, exactly what we needed. When I mentioned to her Morgan prefers a shorter length than the necklace was originally she promptly offered to shorten it. I purchased it & received it so swiftly I was stunned. My daughter LOVED it & literally didn't take it off for a year & constantly received compliments on it~~ & still does. The beads are gorgeous & original & the necklace itself was well made & sturdy; it's been on her neck through a trip to New Orleans, swimming in the Gulf, & her first year of college where her after class job was at a day care & it survived being tugged & chewed on by toddlers. She loves it so much that when I spotted a ring on Linda Lee's site made with the same bead I immediately purchased it also & once again Linda Lee offered to re-size it & it arrived immediately~~ along with a second necklace she also re-sized for us in the same style as the first but with different beads. She immediately put the new one on & now IT hasn't been off her neck since. In fact, the only time I've seen her neck for the last year WITHOUT one of the two was in two pictures taken during her cruise to Cozumel & it was so odd to see her without it that I gasped in shock~~ & learned that while she went snorkeling, another girl went into the city to shop & explore & asked if she could borrow it.

Gorgeous, original, one of a kind pieces which arrive promptly & are very well made & durable by an artist who doesn't get snippy if you 'order off the menu'... you can't go wrong." --Glenda in TX

If you'd like to offer a testimonial for my jewelry, all you have to do is comment to this post! Thank you so much!

What are You Doing for Indepence Day?

Do you have any plans for July 4th? You know, Independence Day? We don't have plans, but I bet we'll end up doing what we usually do, which is drive to the top of the tallest parking garage in our area and catch fireworks shows from several surrounding cities.

We live the high life, let me tell ya.

I took the plunge and created a necklace with the beautiful (if I do say so myself) red, white, and blue focal bead I made last week. I whipped this necklace up last night, and I have to admit that I love it.

If you purchase this necklace or bracelet by end of the day on Tuesday, June 30th... I'll upgrade your shipping to Priority at no charge! Woot! Check out the details, and let me know what you think.

So, I start my new job tomorrow. I overslept today, which is highly annoying, considering all the things I need to get done. But-- laundry is done, and I already know what I'm going to wear. That's the important thing, right?

Ha! I'm such a girl.

I don't mind, though.

New Hair and the Rest of the Beads

Well, it's been a long time since I had my hair cut and highlighted. I'd been wearing my hair in a ponytail for weeks, because my roots were showing so badly... I was in desperate need of a cut... I was totally uninspired by my hair, and HELLO it's HOT AS HELL in Texas.

So, what do you think?

I'm pretty pleased, actually. I haven't had bangs since fourth grade, but I'm liking this look. I think I'll stick with it for a while.

Now for a few beads...

Generally speaking, I'm not as pleased with these beads as I wanted to be... and for at least a couple of them, I can't at all remember what colors I used to make them.

What's more... a few of them cracked. :( User error, no doubt.

Take a look at the one to the left, for example. Such a pretty bead... I used a technique learned in one of Sarah Hornik's classes last year in Italy... and this is the first time that a bead using that technique turned out pretty good. Until, that is... I tried to get it off the mandrel. Dang mandrel bent... and then a whole chunk of the bead came off. GRR!!! I have to think there's some way that a clever jewelry designer could wrap the buttom of the bead with wire, or something, so it can still be used.

I don't know if I'm that clever, though. Maybe I'll give it to Susy and see if she can do something with it. I'm so bummed about that bead.

Ahh well. And here's another one... it's so beautiful, except for the chip, that is. It chipped when I took it off the mandrel. Yes, I did use my handy dandy rivet tool, and I think I've discovered a problem with using that. It puts all the pressure on whatever part of the bead it can touch, see... so if one side or part of a bead is protruding down the mandrel farther than the main part of the bead, that's the part it pushes up against. So, I think that for the more oddly shaped beads... I need to find a better way to get them off the mandrel.

And yes, I am going to try a different bead release. That bead release isn't the best at the "release" part... unless it's my own inexerience shining through-- which it very well could be. Hrm.

I busted a whole bead into shards, too. Not pleased about that... it was supposed to be part of a two bead set I was going to use to make earrings.

Ugh!

This blue bead with the brown dots? Cracked. :( I'm so mad! It's such a pretty bead, otherwise!!

Now, check this one out. It's my Independence Day bead... and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out! I was using glass I'd never used before... some free samples I'd gotten from Effetre when we were in Italy (*le sigh* that sounds so highbrow, doesn't it? Ha!)... and it looks pretty good I think!! I'm going to make a necklace out of this, which probably won't be ready for sale until *next* July 4th, the way things have been going as of late. Oh well.

Oh, look! Another bead that cracked. *sigh* This one is really pretty, too. I am going to keep it and probably make myself something with this one. Bummer that it cracked... but the cracks are minor and really hard to see unless you're in a certain light.

I did manage to make one pair that will make somewhat uneven earrings. The other semi-teardrop shaped bead below is the one that shattered. Those were a closer, better earring match, too.

You know... if nothing else, this is a huge learning experience for me. All the magic of Italy is gone, and it's just me with a torch trying to figure everything out. I think I should spend a bit of time on the forums, trying to sort out some of the newest colors, reactions, and all that sort of thing.

What can I say, though? I haven't been the best at being online lately. I pop in to update my blog, and then I disappear again. I update my Facebook and often my Twitter status from my phone, but I haven't been good about replying. I'm sucking worse than ever at replying to emails, too. My internet habits over the past month or so have drastically changed... I guess I just don't enjoy spending time on the internet like I used to. *checks pulse* Yes, yes, I am still here.

And, since I've really missed keeping a public blog (which I used to do years ago, on my old website), I've been using this site as my public blog... talking about more than just jewelry-- or in this case, more than just beads.

I have all kinds of ideas for topics, but by the time I actually sit down to the computer to write the post... either that topic has flushed from my mind, or I've got something else pressing, or something else entirely is what ends up getting posted.

Kind of like life, I suppose..

Beads from Last Thursday

I finally got the beads from last Thursday off the mandrel! Say hello to my new best friend, the rivet tool!! I saw this trick on a lampwork forum... use the rivet tool to stick the mandrel in and ease the bead off. Better yet, I bought these tiny rubber o-rings so the metal wouldn't come into direct contact with the bead. Still, one of them did chip a little... but I'm so thankful to have this tool! I'd literally worked my hands sore from trying to pry the beads off the mandrels with pliers, a towel, tapping, pulling, twisting, etc... No more! This simple tool makes it perfectly easy.

Now for the beads! The pink one didn't turn out as good as I'd hoped... but it isn't awful. I figured I can add some wire work to it and make it ok. It was a mistake, of course, to have so much more glass on one side of the mandrel when I flattened it, but I didn't realize the glass was lopsided until I, of course, flattened it. But, you can't deny it has pretty colors, and I do think it will make a neat focal to wear as a choker.

Now, this green one is pretty dreamy, I think. I love it! I'm very pleased with it... even though it does have some visible mistakes (and yes, I know, I'm going to be more critical of everything I make than anyone reading this ever could be). Still, though... I love it.

Now for the best!! I love these two. You'll see 4 pictures... one of each side of the bead. What do you think? Personally... I love these. I did chip one of them a bit when taking it off the mandrel, but regardless... I still love them. I kind of want to marry these beads.

I picked up the rest of my beads today, and unfortunately 2 of them cracked. Waaaahhh!!! That sucks! Of course, what would have been one of the prettiest ones cracked. Boo. I think I let it get too cold at the top though, when I was working it in the flame. Ahh well.

I'll snap pictures of them tomorrow and hopefully show them to you soon.

I'm not sure when I'll get to play with glass again, but I can't express just how much I've enjoyed getting to play with glass over the past couple of weeks. Words? They fail me...

Have I mentioned lately?? I start my new job on Monday. Color me excited!

Also, I'd like to do a giveaway in my blog. And I've been thinking about starting blog features, too, where I feature different artists and crafters. I guess that means I'm jumping on the bandwagon, but I don't mind that. It's all about fun, and spreading the word, right?

Right.

Two Questions

I can't wait to see the beads I made today... especially the last one. Hope I'm not jinxing anything by saying this, but I especially think the last one is going to be super delicious. Can't wait!!

I drove home feeling the most blissful essence of calm. I got to play with molten blobs of glass for four whole hours today.

I'm not sure when I'll get to do it again, but the important thing is... I got to do it today.

I really just have two questions for you tonight.

1. Have you found joy in your life?

2. Has your life brought joy to others?

Recent Necklaces

First of all, congratulations to the giveaway winner, Natalie! I'll be sending your necklace and earrings to you this week! I really hope you like the set.

Would you like to see some recent pieces? I thought so... I put the chainmail technique to work and made a couple of chokers.

I like the simplicity of these. What do you think?

I especially love this one, though. I love this dichroic bead as the centerpiece. It photographs nicely too, don't you think?

Now, this one uses some of the sea glass and opalite I got in Oklahoma. I used silver pearls and some special sterling silver beads, and of course I brought this all together with sterling silver wire.
I love the sea glass. I made a sea glass necklace for myself, too. It really pops against black!

All of these necklaces are available in my Etsy shop!

Glass & Other News

First things first! Don't forget to enter the giveaway! You have till Sunday to enter. You could win this beautiful set I made!

(Click the picture for details!)

So, the big news is that I got to play with glass on Monday AND yesterday, too! Want to see?

These beads aren't the greatest, but it's not bad considering I haven't sat at a torch in *over a year*. I'll pick up the beads I made on Thursday when I go back on Monday, to make more beads. ;-)

I've missed this so much, y'all. This one has my precious rubino oro (dark pink), with some goldstone, silvered ivory, and I can't remember what else.

This one is just fun, I think. And I needed a few tangerine sparkle spacers. Man, making spacers sucks! It's so boring. I do think I should go back and work on technique-- dot placement, stringers, etc... I'm so out of practice that doing that stuff is intimidating to me. I seem to only be able to do larger dots. The smaller ones tend to be distorted or misshapen, or something.

But, honestly-- just getting to sit there and play with molten blobs of glass, for hours on end... it was peaceful and fabulous. Even better when I didn't have to talk to anyone. I could just be. In my own little world.

This one has a beautiful pale blue with opal yellow, and it reacted nicely with the silver and black. The other side isn't nearly as nice, though, because I ruined the clear dots by putting (smaller) turquoise dots on top of the clear. It just doesn't look right. Ahh well.

I think this one is my favorite from the other day. I love the pinks, and the silver reacted nicely with the ivory and the smidge of intense black I added in. The dots on the side are a super pale amethyst/almost pink. This one is definitely staying with me, and definitely getting made into a necklace of some sort.

I may need to learn to like making spacers, because all these focals without anything to go with them is kind of annoying from a jewelry design perspective.

Basically, I decided to stop depriving myself of torch time, just because I haven't been able to afford getting a studio set up at home. Yes, I have to pay for the torch time... and yes, it's a 30 mile drive each direction... but it's worth it. The peace and calm I've felt over the past few days is evidence that I need to continue carving out the time to make beads.

I do have one other bit of news. I debated giving this its own post, but... nah...

I got a full time job! After months of looking for more contract work and searching for a full time position, an opportunity sort of fell into my lap. I'll be working as a leadership insights business analyist in the Business Innovations department of an international snack foods company. I'm excited about this on many levels-- because of the people I'll be working with, because of the company itself, and many more reasons than I care to list.

Things are finally starting to look up in our neck of the woods... so please keep your fingers crossed that my husband, Brett, finds work soon too.